Why it pays to be an Influenster!

Hello Darlings,


I hope you have been enjoying the new Fall weather as much as I have been!  As you all know, I do quite a bit of product testing.  Some fun, some not as much.  Today I wanted to tell you a little bit about my experience with one of the best word of mouth/product test companies that I work with.  Influenster is an uber cool site that does things a bit different than your standard WOM (word of mouth) company. They recently gave their website an amazing facelift along with their Facebook and Twitter pages.  Make sure you check them out they are launching as we speak.  I love how they work with a lot of companies, so instead of trying one item you get a box, a VoxBox as they call it, full of smaller sized and some full sized items.  Even better is that they do brand challenges.  So you get the chance to compete for some pretty cool prizes from the companies themselves.  This is a totally optional thing to do, I just like free things and am incredibly competitive so I love it!!  Right now I am a part of the Natural VoxBox and will soon be going the Bridal VoxBox crew.  For those of you who haven't joined and like to do WOM testing, I really think you should sign up!!  There are two companies that I get the most joy out of doing testing for and Influenster is one of them.  As many of you have read in my blog, I have gotten some pretty sweet stuff from them.  Right now I am in LOVE with the Original Drying Mat I got with the Natural VoxBox, it's amazing for drying dishes or treated jewelry which needs to dry.  I'll be doing reviews of all the products from that box very soon.  I'm adding a link so you can be an Influenster as well.  http://www.influenster.com/  Make sure you do all the badges and surveys so they can get your demographics set up so you can get a VoxBox of your own!!  Until we meet again, stay Fall fabulous.


XoXo,

Mitchy

A new chic way to keep your house fragrant and fabulous!

Hello Darlings,


As many of you know I am a perfectionist when it comes to my home decor.  It's a combination of vintage glam, artist chic and bohemian eccentricities.  So when looking for a something to keep my house smelling nice ( we do have 3 cats and my sense of smell is strong due to some quirk with my MS ) I have many things that I have to consider.  BzzAgent hooked it up again and my good friend Angie and I took it to a new glamorous level.  I like my scents to be inviting, when you come into our house I want it to feel like a second home to you.  Glade has come out with a really great new line of household scents and styles to make your house a chic, well scented place to be.  I only tried 3 out of the 4 scents. Due to my allergies to some tropical fruit I did not want to try the pineapple scent, but friends of mine seem to like it.  Right now my favorite is a tie between the Italian cotton & Mandarin and the Fuji Apple & cardamom.  One is crisp, clean and fresh the other is warm, rich and welcoming.  The spray and oil holder both come in the Fuji Apple scent but sadly not in the Cotton scent in.  That is my main problem with the line, I like having a spray that matches my diffuser to freshen up the room from time to time.   I have decided to switch the whole house to the Fuji Apple scent for Fall, so crisis averted for now.  I like that the oil diffuser is not of the reed variety, which I don't like to use since my cats have tried to eat them.  I think the price is nice, the scents beautiful and it is not ugly, so I think it fits the bill nicely. The spray is great, I find that the scent last a long time and covers up odors nicely.  While searching for these I went to a few different stores and the only store that had the whole line was Target.  It was fun at Target since we gave some of our coupons to a sweet lady who was picking some up and now she's a future BzzAgent!   Now comes the fun part!!  My friend Angie realized that the simple white spray bottle is a blank canvas for you to make your own.  We realized that scrap book stickers work great for this, they are see through and sturdy.  Angie went with adorable floral and I decided on an artistic swirl.  For a dollar I was able to decorate two bottles!!  We plan on hitting up some craft stores to find some different stickers to decorate our bottle with.  I will post pictures of the project when we are done.  For now the new Glade scents will be keeping our house chic and beautifully scented.  I have added some pictures to show how the oil diffuser blends nicely into your decor and how the spray bottle can be customized.  Once again I would like to thank BzzAgent for giving me the product to test and my friend Angie for the great decorating idea!!  Check them out, they are Diva tested and approved!!  Until then, enjoy the upcoming changing of the seasons and stay fabulous!!


XoXo,

Mitchy

Oil Diffuser with art and rose quartz

Customized spray bottle

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Back from vacation and life keeps getting better!

Hello Darlings!

I hope that the end of summer is treating you as good as it is me!  I have missed all of you so much and I have a LOT in store for you as we reach Autumn.  First off, I survived the camping experience.  I do recommend packing a pair of thermals, the temperature got in the low 50's the night we camped out.  I haven't been that cold in a VERY long time!!  While I was in Wisconsin Dells I was able to mine my own raw gemstones and got some really beautiful pieces I look forward to sharing with you soon.  As a sneak peak, I found a Garnet that is nearly as big as the palm of my hand!!  I'm involved with quite a few product testing campaigns courtesy of BzzAgent, Influenster and Smiley360, so I look forward to sharing that with you as well.  We will also get caught up with our series on how to host the perfect party, the newest one includes a trip to Target!  Soon my jewelry and some small artwork will be up for sale at one of the newest coffee shops for you to check out, I'm super excited about that.  Worried about dry dull skin as we head into the drier months that is all natural and you probably have it in your kitchen.  For now, I am going to get started on all of this.  I hope to share the fun of Fall with you!  Until then stay as fabulous as ever.


XoXo,

Mitchy

A Diva's guide to packing.

Hello Darlings,

I will be off the radar this weekend.  For the record I have not camped outside since I was a small child, but when a childhood friend gets married at an outdoor/camping setting you get to try something new.  Now usually my idea of camping is a 2 star hotel, but this weekend I will be doing the real deal.  How can a glam girl make camping a bit easier?  I'm going to give you a few helpful hints.  First things you will need are the basics.  An air mattress and pump (who wants to spend 30 minutes blowing that up), a good pillow and comfy blanket, picnic basket, an eye mask (it does get bright outside in the am), bug spray and an emergency light and then come the luxuries.  A wise woman once said take care of the luxuries and the necessities will fall into place.  This is not that occasion.  There are certain things a diva needs to function at her best so here are some extras that will make your camping experience much more comfortable.  Bring travel sizes of your skincare and some makeup removing towelettes,  more than likely you will show up with at least sunscreen on and at night that still has to come off at night. Just because your camping doesn't mean you have to give up being a glamourpuss, feel free to bring anything that will make you feel like the glam gal you are!! Travel sizes of anything will make your life easier, take up less space and earn you bonus points when you have something to share with someone who forgot something they needed. Sunscreen is also a big must!!  I love the new Hawaiian Tropic one, it moisturizes and protects, pretty fabulous.  Nourishment and snacks come in handy too, when camping I think it should be mandatory to bring giant marshmallows for toasting and wine to toast as well.  Moscato works well since it is sweet and refreshing.  I recommend picking up some cheap wine glasses at your local thrift or dollar store, your wine will taste better and if they break it won't be a tragedy.  Plus wine just taste better out of a glass vs a plastic cup.  Fruit and granola bars are great too since they are good for you, are easy to store and taste good too.  I also recommend bringing a bag of UNREAL candy's version of peanut M&M's, just because they are awesome!!  Bring at least one book and a copy of your favorite fashion magazine.  I will be bringing Vogue's September issue and Chuck Palahniuk's book Tell All, which is completely different and I think better than his well known Fight Club.  A scarf always comes in handy.  You can keep you hair safe, use it to wrap your wine glasses, use it as a small table cloth and in case of an emergency use it to wrap an injury.  If anything, a diva is always prepared.  I think keeping a small first aid kit is important when dashing away to the wilderness, even if it's just the basics like band aids, anti bacterial ointment, hand sanitizer and a tweezers.  Bring your own toilet paper and a roll of paper toweling, sometimes you may show up and there is none.  That can suck the fun out of something really quick. Also bring a trash bag and pick up your mess, there is no reason to trash our wilderness more than we already have.      Make sure you have your phone and cameras charged, there may not be power where you are going.  Also don't forget to pack some extra clothes and a sweater or wrap to keep you warm at nigh!  These are little things you will thank me for later.  I'll have pictures to prove a diva can camp in style and glamour without breaking the bank or a sweat.  I hope all of you have a lovely weekend!!


XoXo,


Mitchy

Better than wine of the month club, FABULOUS of the month club is what I have just found!!!

Hello Darlings,

Usually the day back from a holiday weekend leaves us with a slight hangover, possible sunburn and that bummed out feeling that summer is coming to an end.  What's better than a little retail therapy to save the day!!  Last night while looking through some fall fashion I came upon one of my new favorite online shopping sites.  It's called Little Black Bag and it is a fashionistas cheap fix for glamour and a little label whoring as well.  For just about $50 a month you get to pick one item, I got a sexy and stunning Betsey Johnson snake cuff. Then they pick out 2 or 3 more items based on your style and your  "loves" which is pretty much just liking an item.  My 2nd item was a pair of Steve Madden sunglasses. It was a pair that I "loved" so I was pretty jazzed!  The 3rd item was an eyelash curler.  Most of the standard ones don't work on me so I am neutral on this one.  If it doesn't work I will give it to one of my girlfriends.  The kicker is they don't show you your extra items until you pay for your bag.  But they do have online trading and it shows how many people want the item you don't.  If you decide you don't like anything they have or don't feel like getting a bag one month, tell them by the 5th and you are in the clear.  I already have next months handbag picked out so that will not be a problem for me!  I definitely suggest you check out the website.  It is one of my new fashion addictions!!
http://www.littleblackbag.com

Now on to the goodies I am getting, sorry for the fuzzy pictures and no curler!

Betsey Johnson Snake Cuff

Steve Madden Oval Cat Eye Sunglasses

Let me know what you think and check it out.  If you do let us know what you decided to get and if you did a trade or kept your goodies.  I hope you had  a safe weekend and aren't hurting too badly today.  Until we chat again, stay fabulous...

XoXo,

Mitchy

How to get a glamours white smile for less than an hour massage.

Hello Darlings,


We all know that having a not so bright smile can give us a case of the mean reds, especially when we have big events coming up where pictures will be taken or when finding out that perfect shade of lipstick makes your teeth look dingy.  Thanks to the people at BzzAgent I have been given a chance to try out the LUSTER Premium White 1 Hour Whitening kit.  This one is difference than the other products I have ever used in the search for  white teeth. Discolored teeth age you and who want's that? I'm sure those of you who know me or read my blog understand my slight obsession with anti aging anything, though not in a crazy way like Countess Elizabeth Bathory of Hungary though.   I've done various strips, trays and even the Go Smile system.  None of them seem to make any difference except for the Go Smile which made my teeth hurt horribly.  This system uses a mouth rinse, whitening gel and an accelerating whitening light.  It's a pretty cool idea, I like the fact that you can do it at home at your own time.  It kind of reminds me of something that was big at the mall where I worked as a makeup artist.  They were doing 30 minute lightening with a light machine much larger but similar to this.  My co workers and I never did it since the people looked silly and we didn't want to do the same.  It pretty much goes like this:
1. brush your teeth  2. rinse with mouth rinse  3. thoroughly coat teeth with whitening gel   4. use the activating light   5. rinse with mouth rinse
Now I really recommend using some cotton under your tongue in case you start to salivate.  To avoid irritation and dryness on/around the mouth area I recommend a little Moroccan oil to hydrate and protect them.  What is the point of pretty teeth if your lips are all dried and cracked??   It looks silly but it will stop it from messing it all up and having to start all over again.  I also recommend doing the 5 or 7 day plan, it should help decrease the chance of tooth sensitivity.  I am on day 3 of the 7 day plan.  I have a wedding to go to this weekend and would like to have whiter but not painful teeth.  So far I haven't had any bad teeth sensitivity, but I also space my 3x a day treatment throughout  the day to help avoid that.  I have seen my teeth brighten up a bit already and of course let you know how the end results go.  So far this is the best whitening system I have ever used.  I do drink coffee and red wine so I have cut back on both as to not stain my freshly treated teeth.  It does say to not use products like that for 24 hours after treatment, but I am not ready to give up my morning coffee.  I turn into an evil diva without my coffee.  Right now I can fully say I back this product up and if you want white teeth, this is where the diva says to get it.  Use the money you saved on whitening at the dentist for a new pair of shoes!!  I've added some pictures to show you the product and how it's going so far.  I hope you are enjoying your Labor Day and until we chat again, stay glamorous!!


XoXo,


Mitchy

Before picture 

 

After picture

COVERGIRL&OLAY foundation and powder update!

Hello Darlings,

I hope you are enjoying the last weekend of Summer as much as I am!  A few weeks ago I had talked to you about the COVERGIRL & OLAY Tone Rehab foundation and matching COVERGIRL & OLAY powder combo I had gotten for free as a BzzAgent.  I am quite pleased to say that they have become my go to combo, they make my skin looked airbrushed and who doesn't want that.  I do want to update that there has been a slight change in the brushes I use with it now and I will talk about that in a bit.  The foundation has garnered me quite a few complements already, and not all foundations can do that.  I should know I was a makeup artist for over 12 years and have a makeup addiction!  The souffle texture is amazing and the hydrating serum in the foundation gives a glow to the skin.  I'm now applying it with a stippling brush misted in rosewater.  I find this blurs out the look of pores and gives the skin great coverage without looking cakey.  You can follow this method by moisturizing your skin with the product of your choice.  I like to use anti aging creams to amplify the effect.  If we are going to have stuff on our faces for 8+ hours, we might as well have it working as hard as we are!  When the skin is almost dry apply a touch to sections of your face with your finger or foundation brush and the buff it out with a stippling brush.  Do the same on different sections of the face until  you get the coverage you want.  Set it with a fluffy brush dipped in the COVERGIRL & OLAY powder to set it.  I really dig this powder and have considered replacing my Channel one for this.  It  has gold peal in it to illuminate the skin and feels more like a cream than a powder.  As I said earlier ditch the sponge, it's not good for the powder or your skin since the oil in your skin transfers on to the sponge which then touches the powder. Ick!  I like to load a little of it on a travel powder brush so I don't have to fill my evening bag when going out. The only problem I have with this powder is that it is VERY fragile.  I dropped mine just a few inches from the ground and it pretty much exploded!!  I liked it enough to walk and get a new one right away with one of the coupons that BzzAgent gave me.  I am glad I was given a chance to try this since I am a makeup snob and I think a lot of that has to do with being a makeup artist/skincare expert for so long.  I'm going to finish the bottle just to see if it does all the skincare magic it clams to do.  Once that happens I will let all of you know.  I admit it would be nice to save a bit of cash in the makeup department!!  I'm leaving you some updated pictures of the brushes for the application method and a picture of me (in GLASSES) after having it on all day assisting at the museum.  Until then stay fabulous my darlings!!


XoXo,

Mitchy



P.S  Sorry about the weird look on my face, it's been a LONG day!

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A bonus for beauty bloggers!

Hello Darlings,

I hope you are have an absolutely fabulous holiday weekend.  As a beauty and lifestyle blogger I do quite a  bit of product testing, which I love!!  One of the more interesting being a company call Influenster.  Right now the are looking for beauty bloggers to try out some new products in their VoxBox program. I did the Summer Beauty VoxBox and found some new staples for our house in it and am very excited to start the Green VoxBox!!  If you are not a member sign up for Influenster, they have a really great thing going and I would love to hear your opinion on it as well.  Here's a link to their call out for beauty bloggers. You can also sign up at Influenster's website where you will also find  product reviews on some great products.  I wish you the best of luck and hope you have an amazing weekend!!


http://www.tumblr.com/reblog/30468144865/AGJGauSz?redirect_to=http%3A%2F%2Finfluenster.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F30468144865%2Fcalling-all-beauty-bloggers-and-tumblrs



XoXo,

Mitchy