GLOSSYBOX OCTOBER 2014 UNBOXING: KEEP IT OR KICK IT?

Happy Halloween from our casa to your casa. Don’t forget today is the big day for the Rafflecopter drawing of the winners for the Big October Beauty Giveaway, so stay tuned!

The second box we had the pleasure of unboxing today was the October offering from Glossybox. Glossybox did pretty well last month, what with the OCC Lip Tar and a few other goodies, so we were curious to see what this month might bring and whether it was perhaps worth keeping or kicking it to the curb for the new year.

Let’s see what awesomeness the October box might (or might not) bring.

Well, look what we have here…Not in the actual Glossybox but in the shipping box is a $40 coupon for Hello Fresh, which is one of those trendy businesses that creates recipes, gathers ingredients, and delivers them to you for preparing the chosen meal in your own kitchen. Okay, this is BOMB. Seriously, if I lived in a big city, I’d be all over this baby; however, living out in the middle of orange groves with the nearest “big” (snort) city about 50 miles away, I’m somehow guessing Casa Beholding Eye will not be in their delivery range. I do, however, fully intend to check and put this to good use if by some miracle of transportation we are in their delivery range.

RETAIL VALUE: $40.00

Glossybox has the prettiest boxes, really aesthetically pleasing and sturdy, too. Very simple and classy.

Now for the important stuff…the contents!

Well, this looks promising…anything that starts with a full-sized Tarte product is probably going to be a winner in Casa Beholding Eye. Woot!!!

This is the Tarte Power Pigment in Flush. It’s by Tarte. It’s a lip product. It’s full-sized. It’s a home run. Need we say more?

RETAIL VALUE: $24.00.

Next up is a full-sized (way to go, Glossybox, we’re impressed, and that ain’t no easy feat!) bottle of Proganix Repair Reparative Oil + Anti-Breakage serum. This product claims to contain all sorts of awesomeness to treat dry, damaged hair, repair split ends, and “addresses” frizziness. Hmmm. “Addresses” frizziness? Is that anything like actually “controlling” frizziness? If so, we’re in…In for a penny, in for a pound.

RETAIL VALUE: $11.99.

Next by Nails Inc is Westminster Bridge Matte Top Coat. Okay, we’re seriously looking forward to trying this. If it works well, this has the potential of doubling our nail lacquer collection because matte colors can look vastly different from high gloss colors. And this product is also full-sized. Love it!

RETAIL VALUE: $10.00

Vince Camuto…Widely renowned for his UH-MAZING shoes, it’s nice to see he’s branching out into other fashion arenas. This fragrance, Amore, is in the prettiest little bottle and, although sample sized, is just perfect. Bonus points: It smells DIVINE.

RETAIL VALUE: Approximately $10.00.

And the last item in the box is something we’ve been curious about trying. It’s a full paper face mask…you know, being Halloween, so you can rock the Michael Myers look whilst beautifying your skin. This one is by Sesha and it is their Cell-White Brightening Mask. It says it is designed to refresh and invigorate dull-looking skin with brightening ingredients like mulberry extract and vitamin C. Sounds good to us…BOO!!!!!

RETAIL VALUE: $9.00.

TOTAL RETAIL VALUE: Approximately $105 (for which subscribers pay $21/month)

Okay, we’re impressed with Glossybox this month, no ifs, ands or buts about it. There’s not a single product in here we won’t use (and probably love). No question about it, we’ll be keeping Glossybox around for another month to see what November holds.

If you’d like more information on Glossybox and maybe snag your own subscription, here are some links to get you started:

WEBSITE WITH REFERRAL: http://www.glossybox.com/referal?CI=MTIxNDg0
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/GlossyBox.com

As always, feel free to follow what I’m up to on the following social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBeholdingEye
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

Until next time, stay beautiful…and stay tuned for later today when Rafflecopter chooses the winners of the Big October Beauty Giveaway. Believe it or not, we’re as excited as you are to find out who the winners are!!!

BIG OCTOBER BEAUTY GIVEAWAY – GO BIG OR GO HOME – SECOND PLACE PRIZE!

Tomorrow is the big day, when a winner will be chosen and announced, so stay tuned…

Now, as promised, here is a picture of the second place prize, which includes a variety of items received in various boxes over the past couple of months and will be placed inside the Thursday Friday canvas makeup bag featured in the FabFitFun Summer box (RV $35).

And here are a couple of pictures of the contents that will be sent to the second place winner:

We aren’t going to put a retail value on each item in the contents as most are samples sizes (and the approximate retail value on many of these can be found in this blog, now that I think about it). Included are It Cosmetics Universal Brow (a very popular item!), 2 nail lacquers, deluxe travel sizes of Neil George shampoo and condition, deluxe travel size of suntan oil, a deluxe sample size of Be A Bombshell Smooth Criminal finishing powder, a 4-tray sampler of Coastal Scents Revealed neutral shadows, and more.

Our sincere thanks again to all who entered…and stay tuned tomorrow for the big announcement.

As always, feel free to follow what I’m up to on the following social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBeholdingEye
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

Until next time, stay beautiful!!!

ALLURE SAMPLE SOCIETY: NOVEMBER 2014 SPOILER #1, COUPON CODE, AND GIVEAWAY UPDATE!

For those of you subscribing to or thinking about subscribing to Allure Sample Society, here’s the first spoiler they’ve posted for the November box.

“Everything about this body wash is pleasing to the senses. There’s the scent, courtesy of actual bergamot oranges instead of synthetic fragrances. There’s the airy lather—just a small amount produces suds. It’s so great at making bubbles that you can toss a few capfuls into the tub for a bath. There’s glycerin in the formula, which means it doesn’t dry out skin the way many body gels do; it moisturizes instead. (It’s safe even on sensitive skin and eczema.) And finally, there’s the bottle: It’s both graphic and understated, a perfect combination.”

If you’d like to subscribe to Allure Sample Society, here are some links to get you started:

WEBSITE: http://www.beautybar.com
FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/beautybar.com?fref=photo

WHEN SUBSCRIBING, FEEL FREE TO USE MY REFERRAL CODE (SAMO3924) AND ENTER 5FORYOU AT CHECKOUT TO SAVE $5 ON YOUR FIRST BOX.

The November box will be the determining box for the Keep It or Kick It here at Casa Beholding Eye. Hopefully the rest of the products are awesome!

Remember to enter the giveaway if you haven’t done so already. All of the items included have been posted and tomorrow night entries officially close, with the winner chosen October 31st – Halloween (our favorite holiday at The Beholding Eye).

As always, feel free to follow what I’m up to on the following social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBeholdingEye
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

Until next time, stay beautiful!!!

BIG OCTOBER BEAUTY GIVEAWAY – SNEAK PEEK #12 – GO BIG OR GO HOME!!!

Happy Sunday and, to fellow fans, Happy The Walking Dead Episode 3 Night! We’re all about The Walking Dead on Sunday nights here at Casa Beholding Eye. We like to think of it as quality family time gathered around the TV after work and having dinner…even though we rarely speak a word until the episode is over.

There are less than 2 days left to enter the giveaway and we’re up to Item #12 (one sneak peek featured 2 items).

This blog is lengthy but there may or may not be a little “twist” at the end, so I encourage you to read all the way through. *hint hint*

This one is probably going to rock your socks off so be prepared.

From the FabFitFun Fall Edition box is “the” big-ticket item. Renowned for skincare product extraordinaire, here it is:

From Dermalogica, one of the top names in the skincare industry, is a full-sized Skin Hydrating Booster. I love me some Dermalogica but, truth be told, my skin is sensitive and a bit combination but rarely, if ever, dry. I’m sure this is an exceptional product (as are all Dermalogica products), but it would just go into my Skincare Graveyard as I would likely never use it. My skin’s quirkiness is your gain, readers.

RETAIL VALUE: $56.00.

So let’s take a look at the other 10 items in the giveaway and do a quick recap, in no particular order:

RETAIL VALUE: $38.00

RETAIL VALUE: $25.00

RETAIL VALUE: Approximately $10

RETAIL VALUE: $29.00

RETAIL VALUE: $22.00

RETAIL VALUE: $19.00

RETAIL VALUE: Approximately $20.00

RETAIL VALUE: $35.00

RETAIL VALUE: $95.00

RETAIL VALUE: $55.00

ESTIMATED RETAIL VALUE: $404.00

With an estimated retail of over $400, not to mention most of these items are top-of-the-line, in-demand products featured in recent subscription boxes, this is a giveaway in which we at The Beholding Eye take great pride offering.

A few people have asked why do a giveaway as opposed to selling the items on Ebay and making a quick buck (or a lot of quick bucks, considering the retail value).

Well, that’s a very good question.

1. Because it’s better to give than to receive? Yeah, sometimes, but I’m usually pretty self-absorbed.
2. Because before I discovered subscription boxes, I would have crawled through broken glass on my hands and knees to get my bloody hands on a just a few of these products? Definitely.
3. I’d like to let someone who will be able to use and appreciate these amazing products have a shot at owning them? Yes indeedy.
4. Because I’m nice? (Nah, get that idea out of your head…I’m actually quite snarky — as one can tell reading my other blog entries, I’m sure — and straightforward, although with a hint of diplomacy…”nice” isn’t the first word that usually comes to mind when describing myself.

I don’t know, actually. I think it’s more a combination of #2 and #3. I’ve won a couple of very small giveaways and I know the euphoria that comes with winning. As ecstatic as I’ve been to win a few relatively minor things, I can’t even imagine being the winner of this haul. I’d probably be shouting from the rooftops and dancing in the streets…and THAT’S the reason I’m really doing this. I want to make a fellow beauty-holic happy (not to be confused with being “nice,” so banish that thought out of your mind). And while these products are UH-MAZING, realistically, they don’t do me a bit of good when they’re not right for my hair/skin type or if it’s a duplicate of a great product that I’d like for someone else to be able to try. Times are still tough for a lot of people…being able to make someone happy with a box full of fantabulous beauty products just seems like the right thing for this beauty-holic to do.

So, if you haven’t entered the drawing yet, I strongly encourage you to do so now. Entries end tomorrow at midnight. I may or may not put another product into the mix (if I can find it…I put it up for safekeeping for the drawing and have yet to unearth it) but as it stands right now these will be the contents of that glorious USPS box complete with tracking you’ll be receiving if Rafflecopter chooses you as the winner.*

From this point forward, I plan to do monthly or semi-monthly giveaways, albeit to a lesser degree. Two to three times a year, I plan on doing a blockbuster giveaway such as this one. Again, it will be products I simply cannot use or duplicates I have received. Sharing the wealth and all with my readers. I hope everyone who entered will continue to follow me on social media for updates, reviews, unboxings, etc. I’m planning on getting a laptop with a camera after the holidays so I can also do vlogging.

And Happy Sunday and Happy The Walking Dead Episode 3 night from Casa The Beholding Eye to you. See our bright and shining faces? That’s yours truly photo-bombing in the background.

As always, feel free to follow what I’m up to on the following social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBeholdingEye
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

Until next time, stay beautiful…

If you haven’t entered yet, click on the Rafflecopter link below and get your name into that proverbial hat…Remember, you can’t win if you don’t enter!

ENTER HERE: a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Due to the overwhelming response to this giveaway and our heartfelt appreciation at all of the kind words, new subscribers, new followers to our social media, etc., we were thinking….Perhaps we should add a second-place winner, who will receive a cosmetic bag full of various and sundry samples we’ve been receiving in our boxes for a few months now. While not nearly as grand and glorious as first place, we think it would be a nice little “thank you” gesture for one additional reader who took the time to enter the contest. Let me know in the comments what you think about this latest addition. Au Revoir for now, and stay beautiful!

(Please note that the giveaway will only be available for US and Canadian residents, otherwise postage would be cost-prohibitive…Thanks for understanding!)

BIG OCTOBER BEAUTY GIVEAWAY: SNEAK PEEK #10 – GO BIG OR GO HOME!!!

Okay, we’re winding down to the last couple of days of the giveaway and, since it’s Friday and I’m still on cloud 9 over my Wantable Intimates box from this morning, let’s grab another item and toss it into the giveaway. Who ever thought giving things away could be so much fun?

And here it is, Item #10 in the Big October Beauty Giveaway:

From the world-renowned Bulgari, this is an approximately 3-ounce bottle of their Bulgari Eau Parfumee Au The Blanc Conditioner. It smells wonderful (as do the Bulgari fragrances I’ve sampled). Assuming its hefty price tag means it not only smells good but actually works well, this should knock your proverbial socks off.
(RETAIL VALUE: Approx $20; full-size 6.76 oz bottle retails for $45)

And tomorrow will likely bring what is likely the final item in the giveaway. Off the top of my caffeine-deprived head (I’m only halfway through cup #2 this lovely Friday morning), I believe retail value on this giveaway is now up to $350 and contains some truly UH-MAZING products. It’s going to be like the Beauty Fairy came to visit the winner…Be sure to enter now so you don’t miss out on your chance to have a big box of awesomeness show up on your doorstep! Link at end of post for your convenience, my lovelies…

As always, feel free to follow me on the following social media and be sure to enter the big October Beauty Giveaway (link at end of this post!):

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBeholdingEye
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

ENTER RAFFLE HERE: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Until next time, stay beautiful, and good luck to all who enter the giveaway!

(Please note that the giveaway will only be available for US and Canadian residents, otherwise postage would be cost-prohibitive…Thanks for understanding!)

WANTABLE OCTOBER 2014 UNBOXING: KEEP IT OR KICK IT?

Happy Friday, my lovelies…and what a way to cap off the week than with the delivery of my first Wantable Intimates collection for October. I confess…I had tried Wantable makeup for several months and was pretty pleased with it; however, once I discovered Boxycharm (which is about half the price of Wantable makeup collections), I decided to cancel the Wantable makeup and stick with Boxycharm.

Wantable offers 4 different boxes from which to choose: Makeup, Accessories, Intimates, and Fitness.

After taking an inventory of my (lack of) sleep and lounge wear, I decided to give Wantable Intimates a try. I’d seen some really cute items on various unboxings through YouTube and blogs and figured I’d see what the good people at Wantable would put together for me.

I didn’t know what to expect when the mail carrier placed this box into my hands this morning:

Okay, looks just like the makeup box. Coffee in one hand, knife in the other, I tackle the box.

O. M. G. Get those 2 inserts out of my way, because I’m seeing PINK and PURPLE peeking out at me from underneath, my two all-time favorite colors. Oh, this is going to be good, I can tell already.

Too much cuteness first thing in the morning. WAY too much cuteness. And softness.

The first item I choose to fondle is a very soft, very lightweight, very pretty and understated beige camisole top trimmed in coordinating beige lace. I actually have an almost identical top in another color (if you guessed pink, give yourself a gold star!), which I love so I know I’ll love this one, too.
(RETAIL VALUE: $18.00)

Now on to the purple pajamas. Be still, my palpitating heart. I haven’t been this excited since…well, I don’t know when. These are some of THE most UH-adorable pajamas I’ve ever seen. I suck at photographing clothes and I’m sure these pictures do not do this perfectly awesome pajama set justice…It’s not only purple, it’s polka dot (a pattern I love), as light and soft as a feather, and trimmed out on the bottoms with a little bow and on the top with a layer of soft netting along the bottom hem. Okay, glad I set my coffee down otherwise I’m sure I would have spilled it in my excitement. These are FANTABULOUS.
(RETAIL VALUE: $39.99)

Next up is another amazing garment. This nightgown is, again, buttery soft and PINK…a beautiful shade of medium pink, not too pale and not reminiscent of Pepto Bismol. It’s just right. Yes, I am the Goldilocks of Pink, it has to be just right. There is an amazing ivory lace overlay on the top and thin little adjustable shoulder straps. It’s pretty much just pink perfection. Seriously. Like, I wish it were bedtime now so I could crawl into this baby, get back into bed, and just enjoy the soft comfort of this lightweight wonder.
(RETAIL VALUE: $32.00)

TOTAL RETAIL VALUE: $80.00

I’m in awe. Seriously, jaw-dropping, clapping-my-hands-together awe. The contents of this box were even so much better than I had imagined. These are quite literally the types of garments I would have picked out for myself, fabric, style, and color. I’d call this box an absolute home run. I bow to your greatness, Wantable, for somehow intuiting precisely what I would love and putting it into this box. I’ll be fondling its contents up until bedtime tonight. Because I’m big on textures…okay, and a little weird.

Between this box and my much beloved French Box, October has been amazing for subscription boxes at Casa Beholding Eye. Both far surpassed my expectations and are definitely plenty of bang for that proverbial buck.

So, will Wantable Intimates (unlike its sister box, Wantable Makeup) make the cut to remain on the subscription list for the upcoming year?

STATUS: KEEPING IT!!!

(To be more precise, this currently is probably #1 on my list of Boxes That I MUST Have…this subscription would have to be pried from my greedy yet well-manicured fingers.)

If you’d like to check out Wantable for yourself, they do offer 2 ways to subscribe. You can choose to make a 1-time box purchase ($40) or subscribe ($36). There is a certain degree of customization allowed for all boxes across the board. I have to say, based on what I received, someone at Wantable deserves their own gold star for putting together the perfect box for me.

Here are some links to get you started with Wantable:

WEBSITE REFERRAL LINK: https://www.wantable.com/invites/ntfr2IvEyVE
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Wantableco

As always, feel free to follow what I’m up to on the following social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBeholdingEye
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

And don’t forget to enter the Big October Beauty Giveaway. Entries close October 28th and the winner will be chose at random by Rafflecopter on October 31st. Retail value is up to about $325, with still another item or two to be included.

ENTER HERE: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Until next time, stay beautiful, and go grab yourself some Wantable…you know you want to!

BIG OCTOBER BEAUTY GIVEAWAY – SNEAK PEEK #9 – GO BIG OR GO HOME!!!

And in celebration of nothing in particular other than it’s Hump Day and I’ve got some trashtastic reality TV shows awaiting me on the DVR tonight, let’s roll out the next to the last sneak peek into the Big October Beauty Giveaway.

Boscia B.B. Cream Bronze Broad Spectrum SPF 27 PA++

Even though the summer months are now behind us, this little skincare delight can be used mixed with your regular BB cream or foundation to give you a kiss of the sun wherever you would like. Boscia has a great reputation in the beauty industry for having superlative skin care products, and I’ve no doubt this BB cream will be amazing for your skin (and even in the winter, protection from the sun is still vital to our skin).
(RETAIL VALUE: $38 – Giveaway item is a full-sized product)

And, in no particular order whatsoever, let’s recap all of the items:

TOTAL RETAIL VALUE: Approximately $325.

Entries close on October 28th, with the winner chosen on October 31st (Happy Halloween!!!). If you haven’t entered yet, be sure to do so now!

As always, feel free to follow what I’m up to on the following social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBeholdingEye
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

ENTER DRAWING HERE: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Until next time, stay beautiful, and good luck to all who enter.

(Please note that the giveaway will only be available for US and Canadian residents, otherwise postage would be cost-prohibitive…Thanks for understanding!)

EUREKA…THE ANSWER TO MAKEUP STORAGE AND ORGANIZATION!!!

While this may not be a product review or an unboxing, it’s such a FANTABULOUS find that I wanted to share it with my readers.

On various Facebook pages, we makeup mavens have been discussing various ways to organize our makeup and what type of storage is the most efficient.

Well, lo and behold, I saw a picture of a fantastic and reasonably-priced little beauty that I’m snapping up in the white version.

Here is a picture of how it looks unopened:

And here are two images of it opened and in use…And it even has a mirror, how ingenious!!!

And this little beauty is available in several different finishes, Cherry, Walnut, White, and Oak.

And if you’d like to snap one (or more) up for yourself, this baby is available on QVC for $89.95 (plus about $12 shipping and handling) and, best of all, 5 payments of $17.99.

STAMP A WHITE ONE SOLD FOR ME, QVC!!!

Here’s the link in case you’d like to score your own:

http://www.qvc.com/Luxury-Deluxe-Wood-Cosmetic-Box-wMirror-by-Lori-Greiner.product.H165015.html

As always, feel free to follow what I’m up to on the following social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBeholdingEye
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

Until next time, stay beautiful!!!