My FAVORITE Face Primer

I know, I know. It’s been soooo long since I’ve had my tail on here. I’m slowly moving back into blogging so please give me time lol. I thought since I’m making my way back, I’d let you guys in on what I’ve been loving. Now normally, I would do an entire list of favorites but that seems so impersonal sometimes. I dunno. I am WAY past due to review some products I received from Juice Beauty but I’m telling you it was worth the wait.

I generally like to really try products for quite a bit of time before I decide whether I love or hate them. That being said, I’ve been using the Juice Beauty Illuminating Primer and it is the only primer that I not only use but plan to purchase in the future. Now, coming from someone who may keep it a bit too real (so I’ve been told), that says a lot! I am helplessly in LOVE y’all!!!

So let me give y’all the scoop:

This primer feels so luxurious on the skin. It frankly reminds me more of a lotion than a primer. Primers can feel a little too silky, making you feel as if when you apply your foundation, it will slide right off your face. I actually hate primers like that. I also feel these primers give you that “hot” feeling in the summer…which brings me to my next bit of info. This primer is so light that you seriously don’t feel it on your face. If you like to “feel” your primer, this is not for you. I hate a clogged pore and I feel this primer is best for those concerned with not having an oil slick on their faces as well as for being able to maintain a great skincare routine. I am so into skincare right now so this does IT for me. It leaves a subtle glow, likely due to its iridescent, pearl-like color. I am a caramel color and this primer does not make me look ashy. Now, there have been some primer that promise to give you a glow that leave an ashy film on the face depending on the skin tone. With this primer, you get a great amount per bottle and I totally feel it’s worth the price. There are other primers that are super cheap but they just don’t measure up to this primer by Juice Beauty. You can use a liberal amount of this primer without worries. I’ve forgotten to put on moisturizer and I was still okay. There was no difference in the performance of my makeup than when I wear primer. It’s very moisturizing and has nothing but quality ingredients.

Some things to keep in mind are that you won’t get a ridiculous highlight with this primer. While it has a subtle glow, the focus is on great skin not on having a gleaming highlight. Also, this is not a primer with a super thick consistency. It’s made to feel like nothing is on the skin when you apply makeup. It’s made to be moisturizing on the skin so if you forget to wear a moisturizer or need a primer in a rush with not a lot of time for a million products, this will do the trick. The first ingredient is aloe vera. Can’t get better than that! That takes me lastly into this: it’s wonderful if you have sensitive skin! I am apart of the sensitive skin club and let me tell you, I have only been using this product under my makeup and when this bottle is done, I’ll be buying another one. I know I said my previous point was my last but I’d like to add that this is also the only primer where the quality of the bottle matches the contents and price. My bottle cap stays on. Yeah I know you’re thinking it may not be that important but the cap staying on the bottle prevents the pump nozzle from getting broken which in turns saves me headache of trying to get the darn primer out of the bottle. Plus, you’re not cheated on it looking like there’s more than there actually is.

Overall, I love this primer so much because I think all skin types can use it, even sensitive skin and it’s not a strong scent to it. The scent is barely noticeable. The bottle isn’t slippery so it won’t go flying out of your hand…that has happened to me before and you can knock someone out with a flying glass bottle. Would I recommend this primer? By now hopefully you know I certainly would! It’s a phenomenal primer and my fave of all the primers I’ve tried and I’ve tried a ton! So go ahead and get a sample of you still not convinced but let me tell you, I want paid to do this review and even if I were I’d have to tell you if I hated it. I love to spread a good word lol!

Why I’m Switching to #Scentbox and I Cancelled My Scentbird Subscription…

As you can probably tell, I love trying products and am a wee bit of a beauty junkie. I try to temper what I buy to be more on the practical side instead of just frivolously buying a ton of things that I don’t need. Trust me, I’ve been there done that. All that comes of that is clutter and a waste of money because we can never use everything we buy if we buy EVERYTHING! That had been the case with my perfume collection I needed to pare down what I had and only buy what I would actually wear (and in smaller bottles) and no more.

So when I heard about Scentbird, I was truly excited because this was an answer to my problem right? Well, keep on reading…

First Things First!

I signed up for Scentbird in September of 2016. When I signed up, I loaded my queue up with fragrances that I had been eager to both try and get a hold of without maxing out my budget. For those of you wondering, this is how Scentbird works per the Scentbird website:

Visit www.scentbird.com (ladies) or www.scentbird.com/men (guys) and click on “get started” to create an account. Enter your shipping and billing details to sign up for a subscription, and start choosing the fragrances you want to receive by adding them to your queue!

To receive scent recommendations, click on the “Recommendations” tab at the top of our page, which will prompt our scent quiz.

When you register for Scentbird, you can pre-select scents to receive each month for the following months. You can also log onto your account to edit your queue, add new scents, or rearrange your scents in the order that you’d like to receive them.

Note that your monthly fragrance selection is locked in on the 5th of the month. Therefore, any edits to your queue done after the 5th, will only be effective for the following month. (For example, if you go into your queue on June 7th you will NOT be able to change your June scent, but you will be able to edit July onwards).

Each month you will receive an 8ml spray filled with the scent of your choice. It comes out to be 120 sprays, and this is enough fragrance to apply twice daily for 30 days. Included with your first shipment, you will get a sleek case, FREE!

This all sounds simple, fun and hassle-free huh?

My Scentbird Experience

So as I was saying earlier, I loaded up my queue with four months worth of fragrances. Since I’m mildly obsessed with the Clean Reserve fragrances, two of those four fragrances were from that line. One being Warm Cotton (first in my queue) and the Skin (initially third but moved during the month of October to the fourth month which was December).  My new line up was:

September (Clean Reserve Warm Cotton)

October (Polo Red Cologne)

November (I Am Juicy Couture)

December (Clean Reserve Skin)

Every last one of these fragrances came on time as they are shipped beteeen the 15th and the 19th every month. Mine were shipped on the 15th. Scentbird boasts that they only ship authentic fragrances to their customers and as far as I can tell from my own experience, that’s totally true. I was satisfied with my experience, that is until December.

Confusion 

Upon checking my account I noticed that I had a different perfume choice in my queue than what I selected. I frequently checked my account and the last I checked in November, everything was ready and set to go. Now I sat on the edge of my bed trying to figure out what I’m the world was going on.

Disappointment

Not being able to figure out what was going on, I looked to contact the company. Since there is no listed phone number (anywhere) for this company, I used the available contact information of email. I sent the email and it took about 48 hours (which is understandable this time of year) to get a response back. They forewarn you of this timetable before you send your email. I am disappointed that this is the only communication that I can have with email. Makes me feel like my concerns is not as important to the company as they are to me.

Frustration

When I finally receive a response back, my problem is not taken care of. In fact, twice I was made aware (which I didn’t need to be) of company policy that adjustments need to be made to the queue by the 5th of the month. The only problem is, the discontinued the fragrance without alerting me. I had set my queue up months in advance so checking my queue was not in my mindset. Boy do I wish I had double checked behind this company!

My Resolve:

So since this company refuses to help or fix their fault, I decided to cancel my subscription.

Terms and Conditions 

Let me be a “big sister” and alert you to something. When you sign up for this “subscription” service, you agree to the terms and conditions that protect this company regardless of if unethical or not. Trust me, you won’t benefit a bit. Sorry guys. Protect yourself and read the fine print. DO NOT just sign up because you watch a video or read a blog and are offered a coupon code. There is no customer service number to cancel once you sign up. That is an obvious clue to your future experience with this company. At least it should have been in my case anyway. Lesson learned.

Moving on…

In the words of the singer Mya, “I’m moving on”. I truly loved the idea of trying my favorite fragrances for a portion of the price every month. I hated to cancel but just could not accept the less than satisfactory experience with customer service. It was time to do research. So I found this company that allows you to try samples of fragrances (a wider array I might add) for $13.95/month! Guys, they even have Victor & Rolf fragrance samples. They are 100% real fragrances! Just to compare value, Scentbird charges $14.99 across the board for all 0.27 oz sample fragrances. Any savings is a great one, right? The best part? You are not locked into a subscription! Cancel anytime and truly be a free bird ready to fly away whenever you want to! Pun intended lol.

The Bottom Line:

I would recommend the company below if you’re looking to try fragrance without being trapped, for inexpensive price points and for the ability to actually talk to someone in the customer service department. I will do a detailed review on my experience in a couple of months. The only downside? None so far. The good thing is, this company has a customer service number!

www.scentbox.com

(Non-sponsored)

Scentbox also has a free exchange policy where you can exchange one shipment free per month. To sign up for one month free click HERE

 

Pixel Eyewear Review

Happy Saturday loves!

So let me say how frightful the weather is this past week. There’s been precipitation on days that weather channels have predicted all day sun. Well you know what that means…staying in and more than likely being on my IPad. I’m always reading, surfing the net and researching.

Spending so much time online, especially since it’s dark in the room (it now gets dark in the four o’clock hour) because I don’t always have the lights on. I like the light on my pad to be really bright! My husband constantly complains about this light because it keeps him up. Well, this is true actually. The light is quite stimulating, especially for the person on the pad…me! I’ve been trying to figure out a solution besides turning down the light on my pad lol.

I’ve tried screen covers but I loathe them. They just seem to be “in the way”. Recently I was offered an amazing solution: eyewear made for being on electronic devices with bright screens! Pixel Eyewear (how accurate is that name?) is a company that provides protective eyewear specifically for those always attached a bright screen.

Pixel Eyewear boasts style and functionality so you don’t have to worry about looking crazy or terribly silly while protecting your eyes. You can continue to be stylish and look studious while working.

Just a brief rundown of the features of these glasses:

1. They have a blue filter that absorbs and reflects the infamous blue light that will cause eye strain and keep us up at night.

2. Allows for more a vivid viewing experience because it enhances the the colors in objects on your screen. (So not having that blue light blaring doesn’t take away from the intensity of color.)

3. These glasses are made with care. They will provide the eyes with 100% UV-protection (and the harmful blue light that eventually damages our eyes). The glasses are also anti-glare and scratch resistant.

4. Various sizes and styles to fit everyone. This is not one-size-fits all deal! 

If you still have questions after reading my post, be sure to check out their website and FAQ for more information. In the meantime, if you’re interested in buying, I have a coupon code. Cause who doesn’t like to shop with one? Need help deciding which pair to get? Well (I did and I ended up grabbing the Capra in black) so check out their IG page or Website to get more inspiration!

Discount Code: thestylecake

Savings: $5 off your first pair!

Take a peak through the lenses below…

Fall/Winter Essentials: Twinkle Tootsies (Review) 

Wait, before you relax and go to bed…

With fall almost over with and winter just about 3 weeks away, comfort is on everyone’s mind. It’s definitely something I am slightly obsessed with when it’s cold out. I would put being comfortable first and style around that. Recently, my daughter and I had a slumber party and I had the perfect thing to make our slumber party fun: my Unicorn Slippers by Twinkle Tootsies!

First let me say that I LOVE these slippers! My daughter has already claimed them. She now feels I’m teasing her when I’m wearing them around the house lol. It’s hilarious because she’s obsessed with these beautiful house shoes. Quite frankly, they are pretty cool! The slippers are EXTREMELY comfortable!!! I seriously wish all of my shoes felt like this. They hug your feet and provide perfect warmth and cozy feeling.

Since this is a life & style and fashion blog, it’s only right that we discuss the esthetics of these slippers. They are absolutely adorable and fabulous! Nowadays, tons of girls post about unicorns and all the colors that are usually represented alongside the unicorns and this is a “no brainer” as a gift for those unicorn lovers! The best part? They light up! You have to see this for yourself! Let me just share the details.

-Made of cotton & polyester.

-The light up effect is suppprted by LED lights that change between 6 different colors.

-One size fit all that ranges from about a size 6 to 11.5! (I wear a size 7.5/8).

-There are directions for easy wear and use.

Anyone of any age can wear these! I’m in my mid-thirties and I love these! Enjoy the innocent and fun things in life! Life is already too serious! These are fun for nights with family and even party favors for girls night in! Check out the website for more info and to grab a pair for yourself or a gift for someone else!

Oh…and how cute is this box?! 

On to the rest of the pics…

Quick Review: The Birth Scarf #milaandsuch 

Recently I was contacted by a company to review a scarf. I must admit, I’m not normally a small scarf girl but the cause behind this scarf drew me right in.

It’s Breast Cancer Awareness month (October) and the time to celebrate survivors and show love to those less fortunate with this disease is now. My aunt is a breast cancer survivor and had a double mastectomy a few years ago. She’s alive and well and that makes my family history of breast cancer paternal AND maternal. That being said, this scarf is so beautiful in meaning alone.

As far as design, it’s stunning in person. At first, I was going to style this scarf with an entire outfit look. I changed my mind as I wanted others to see this scarf up close and personal. So I styled it in my hair as an accent. I loved it best that way. The quality is amazing! It’s made of silk and the colors are so vivid! This scarf doesn’t tear up easily. Trust me, it got in my daughter’s hands very briefly and it came back in one piece lol. It’s not super thick but provides enough warmth for around the neck in cooler weather. PIr with a white tee, navy trench and a pair of jeans for a complete look! The designer is a survivor and put her heart into this scarf. Show some support and love. Head over to www.mila-such.com

Love,

The Style Cake 💋.

@Influenster: #TreatVoxBox Review (#yogiteamom) (#YumVs) (#CozyCapp) (#LoveWeleda) (#MakeItYours)

So I am FINALLY doing my review of the Treat Vox Box from Influenster. Let’s jump right into it!

My favorite of the teas that I got was the Cinnamon Vanilla Healthy Skin. The taste! Omg!! It tasted sooooo good!! I am a real fan of Yogi teas so of course I was too excited to try more flavors that boast the ability to help solve a beauty problem like flawed skin. Because I only had one packet, I can’t say for sure that this did much for my skin but I am definitely willing to try more an entire pack because I loved the flavor! 

Next, while on the subject of beverages, I’ll let you know about Hills Bros. Cappuccino I received. I loved the cappuccino pods! They were so good and a nice substitute for grabbing a latte or capp out at your local coffee shop! I also received the packets which I didn’t like as much. I shared one of my pods with my hubby (who frequents the coffee shop) and he really liked it! Definitely something I would grab on my future grocery trips. All of the flavors were yummy! 

Next, I got the Weleda products which I liked. I love trying new products. There wasn’t much product to try but I would buy a a larger amount to try again. These products smell amazing! 

On to one of my favorite things in this box: Yum•Vs!! Yum•Vs are so chocolaty and yummy!!! My children (and I) loved them and let me tell you, they did what they were supposed to do. Just the sample made a difference with my tummy! I couldn’t recommend these products more! You guys HAVE to try them! I will be grabbing them for my children, my hubby AND myself. They don’t have a medicine taste. So worth a buy!! 

Lastly, I was able to try Country Crock by way of a coupon sent to me. I must say I was very hesitant to try this product because I am a organic butter consumer. For review, I decided to give it a try. My honest opinion is “eh”. While I admit that the Country Crock product was creamy, I will gladly stick with my love for butter lol. 

thredUp March Wardrobe Capsule  (Lookbook) 

My first Lookbook!

I’m so freaking excited!! When I was contacted by thredUp, I didn’t know everything they had to offer but I will briefly share my experience of getting to know thredUp. I searched the large selection of thrift heaven lol. There are a lot of name brand items as well as lower priced brands such as Forever 21 and H&M. The perk? You can afford Burberry and brands normally purchased from Revolve and Free People at a much more appealing price tag for budgetnistas. I got 4 items for $53 which isn’t too bad because the items I got are much more expensive retail on their own.

For the capsule wardrobe I grabbed pieces that I felt would be versatile and then I chose them based on appeal of style. I wasn’t shopping for name brands, name brands don’t always equate style. I knew I wanted a shirt, skirt, dress and pants. These four items can single handedly make a wardrobe (capsule). Here’s a tip: a bodycon dresses can easily double as another shirt. That makes two potential outfits with one piece! Also, grab colors that contrast and be sure to snag a basic essential for any wardrobe such a pair of jeans. You can dress jeans up or down which gives your wardrobe so much versatility. If you need to down size your closet, creating a capsule wardrobe is the best way to do it. Always get rid of things you can no longer fit first! This will create tons of room in your wardrobe. Now that you know what you can do prepare your closet for a capsule wardrobe, check out what I got. Here’s a simple breakdown of my items with prices:

Levi’s Jeans: $13.99

Spring & Clifton Sweater Dress: $15.49

Isaac Mizrahi for Target Skirt: $7.99

Velvet Long Sleeve Top: $21.49

*I also used a 20% off promotion code*

  

Creating this March #capsulewardrobe was really fun. Check out all the pics below and then head to Instagram type in #capsulewardrobe or #thredup to see more from thredUp!

Package upon arrival:


  

*All clothing items are from thredUp

 

 

 Later Cupcakes! 💋

ColourPop Lippie Stix (BG Review)

For so long, the best lippies were purchased from MAC Cosmetics, NARS, Revlon, Fashion Fair and the list goes on. As of recent, more cosmetic companies have popped up and introduced the world to new flavors sort to speak. I am a lippies junkie so when I hear of a new product that can decorate my lips, I’m excited to try it. My recent fancy is by ColourPop. They have an array of products ranging from shadows/pigments, blush/bronzers and lipsticks. I ran (figuratively) straight to the lipstick section. I purchased four colors and you can see the lip swatches below. The colors applied fairly evenly and were easy to take off. They also smear pretty easily. After about an hour, I had to reapply because I had been eating and drinking. For five bucks, I’m honestly not complaining. Drug store lipstick cost more. Would I purchase again? Absolutely! Side note, the shipping may require some patience IMO. I purchased these on May 9th and received them May 20th. I was hoping they would use USPS Priority Shipping with the 5 bucks that I paid but I digress. Tell me what you think. Have you tried these? I will be waiting on the liquid lipsticks that were released on Thursday..that I also couldn’t get my hands on!

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Designer Indulgences: Balmain Pre-Fall 2015 (Review)

Dare I say that I am already looking at fall clothing?! Ugh! I LOVE the summer and spring but in true fashionista form, I can’t help but to see what design are getting cranked out for cooler seasons. Now, rarely do I see clothing that makes me want to get out of my seat and dance but I just got back in my chair from shaking my tail feather! If you are not familiar with Balmain, please do yourself a favor and check out his designs. I, (eager to see what I could) looked through pictures from NYFW (posted online in March of this year) and was pleasantly floored by what I saw. Check out my favorite pics below and afterwards, read my review and take away….

   
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  


 Review

One word description: BOLD

I am in pure love with this collection. The colors and the demonstrative fabrics make for shows topping fashion. I enjoyed seeing wide leg pants, flowy and popping with color. The belts are very unique and are diverting inspiration for copy cat designers to make wide belts with large buckles. The floral prints are overwhelming and yet work correctly for the fabrics they cover. This collection will definitely be my inspiration for styling this fall/winter.  

Take Away: 

If could buy everything, I would!! I can’t, so inspiration is the key.  This fall will be all about texture. Print “textures”, fabric textures and mixing textures. Satin paired with velvet, prints complimenting a solid color piece and PLAID!! Let’s not forget the floral and all of its glory. It has nicely been paired with stripes that have otherwise not been considered flattering, that of black and red. These stripes however help make the floral print stand out, I sincerely love mixing prints. I will be wearing stains, velvety, stripes, floral prints as well as bold but deep colors this fall. I plan to incorporate belts and wide leg pants in my fall wardrobe. So, what do you think of this collection? Is there anything in particular that caught your eye? Share!