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!)

LIP MONTHLY: OCTOBER UNBOXING (5 PRODUCTS + A GREAT BAG = $10/MONTH!) AND HALF-OFF COUPON CODE!

Lip Monthly is one of my favorite little guilty pleasures. It’s only $10/month for which you get 4 lips products and a “monthly mix-up.” It doesn’t boast high-end products and it delivers great, sometimes little-known products, for subscribers to try…and this month they even mixed it up with a new bag. I had heard the October bag would have products geared more towards fall, and Lip Monthly did not disappoint. I love this little subscription. It’s a lot of fun, and my daughter and I usually share the contents, so for $10, it’s quite a bargain for Casa Beholding Eye.

Let’s see what surprises the October bag holds.

And speaking of “the bag,” gotta love this one…Great fall colors and I’m a total sucker for anything purple (or pink). Nice job, Lip Monthly!

And now for the contents…

Looking good…Right off the bat I see a nude-colored lipstick. I’m totally addicted to lipsticks and lip glosses in the nude/taupe/tan/beige/brown family, so for me this single item already makes the October bag a huge hit!

By J-Cat Beauty, this is Fabtabulous lipstick in shade FL107 Honeycrisp.
(RETAIL VALUE: $2.99 on J-Cat’s website)

Well, this is an interesting product. By Look Devine, it’s a shimmering plum lip balm that contains resveratrol, grapeseed oil, and red wine antioxidants. Fabulous ingredients and just enough color payoff to make it perfect for casual wear while keeping lips healthy and moisturized at the same time.
(RETAIL VALUE: $4.50 based on a set on the Look Devine website).

Next is a product I’ve been wanting to try. This one is Starlooks Lip Sugar. This is a brown-sugar-based lip scrub that smells absolutely delicious…in fact, dangerously delicious, like I’m-going-to-lick-it-off-of-my-lips-immediately delicious. This will be perfect to use before the Look Devine lip balm. NOM.
(RETAIL VALUE: $2 based on Starlooks’ website)

This month’s “mix-up” is an eyeliner by LA Girl in the shade GP618 Blue Metallic. As with my lips, I tend to stick with what works best for me, and sadly Blue Metallic isn’t one of those shades. My daughter will be inheriting this gem, and she’ll be delighted with it.
(RETAIL VALUE: $3.00 based on LA Girl’s website)

And the last little lip treasure in this month’s bag is a lip balm by Noyah in Cherry. This is labeled as “kosher” and is apparently all natural with only 4 ingredients.
(RETAIL VALUE: $3.99 based on Noyah’s website).

And there we have it, the October Lip Monthly bag. Costing only $10/month, the contents of this bag have an estimated retail value of $17, so in this box-a-holic’s humble opinion, it’s a good value and gives me a chance to try 5 new products that I’ve never previously used. Also, everything is full-sized (with the exception of maybe the Starlooks brown sugar lip scrub, but I believe this is full-sized as they sell in a set of 5 on the Starlooks website).

Brava, Lip Monthly, and thank you once again for providing me with 5 fun products that will surely be put to good use…and 2 lip balms are fantastic now that the cooler (and drier) weather is kicking in here in sunny central California.

If you’d like to check out Lip Monthly and perhaps even subscribe, here are some links to help you out:

Website: https://lipmonthly.com/referral/eO4RCHAHnq8T6m2 (ENTER FALL5 TO GET $5 OFF YOUR FIRST BAG)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lipmonthly?ref=br_tf

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 if you haven’t entered the Big October Beauty Giveaway, here is the link so you can jump in now…You definitely don’t want to miss out on a chance to win this amazing haul of makeup and beauty treasures!

ENTER RAFFLE HERE: a Rafflecopter giveaway

BIG OCTOBER BEAUTY GIVEAWAY – SNEAK PEEK #8 – GO BIG OR GO HOME!!!

Away we gooooo……Here’s a sneak peek at item #8 in the Big October Beauty Giveaway.

This product was a huge hit in the FabFitFun summer box and apparently does wonders for hair of all types. I’m sure it’s a fabulous product but my old-school self doesn’t waiver from my tried-and-true hair miracle, John Frieda Frizz Ease, so time to pass this little jewel on to someone who will put it to good use.

Balance Guru Organic Sesame and Lemongrass Balancing Oil (1 ounce)

(RETAIL VALUE: $25 – GIVEAWAY PRODUCT IS FULL SIZE)

Retail value of the giveaway is now up in the $300 range…with more yet to come!

Be sure to subscribe to this blog, leave a comment on the original giveaway announcement, and follow the directions through the Rafflecopter for your chance to win. Winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter. Entries end October 28, 2014, and the winner will be announced via this blog on October 31st.

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!)

Birchbox September 2014 Unboxing: Lovely Outside and Inside!

Okay, on to the second unboxing of the day at Casa Beholding Eye. This is my monthly Birchbox subscription. I enjoy Birchbox. The samples are usually very generous in size, and I’ve actually gotten a few samples that impressed me so much that I actually bought the full-size versions from the Birchbox store. Birchbox has an amazing points system where you accrue points by reviewing products you’ve received and for referring new subscribers. Unlike some other subscription boxes, these points add up very quickly and are redeemable as credit towards items in the Birchbox Shop or to redeem towards specialty boxes that are released. Birchbox is a box I can recommend without hesitation. It’s a mix of beauty products from hair care, skincare, and makeup, and I think I’ve only ever gotten a couple of things that I just didn’t care for at all (see last month’s review and the zombie-apocalypse-worthy Neil George hair products…Oy!). Also, recently Birchbox has started letting subscribers actually choose their own sample from a pretty impressive assortment of products. Last month I was able to score a full-size Laura Geller cream eyeshadow to be included in my box (which sort of made up for the pungent Neil George products and had a retail value that was about double the cost of the entire box).

Anyway, let’s dive into this month’s box…and speaking of the box, it was gorgeous this month. The great thing about the Birchbox boxes is that they are very sturdy, come with ample pretty tissue paper, and can be reused for a multitude of things. I reuse mine to separate and store my costume jewelry (earrings in one box, necklaces in another, bracelets in another, etc.). Great added bonus of repurposing with each and every box. Here’s my September box and its contents this month:

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Pretty impressive at first glance, Birchbox…And not a Neil George product in sight so my nose is in the clear! Okay, now let’s inspect the treasures a little more closely.

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First up we have this SUPER generous-sized sample of Macadamia Natural Oil cleansing conditioner. I’ve tried a few cleansing conditioners in the past and, while I appreciate this is probably a very good line and probably an excellent product, I think I’ll be using this as one of the items in next month’s GIVEAWAY (stay tuned for more details and sneak peeks about that event!).

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Next up is this small tube of Temptu highlighter in Champagne. It’s a gorgeous warm color, yet very subtle. A little goes a long way with this product and it will definitely come in handy for a little added twinkle during holiday festivities, which are just around the corner now.

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Here’s a product I’m looking forward to trying. I love new skincare products and this one seems to be from a really good line. By Vasanti, it’s called Brighten Up Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator and appears to be full of awesome goodness. This sample is also generous enough to decide if it’s a product I’d like to incorporate into my regimen and snag a full-sized tube.

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From Harvey Prince, this is the Ageless Liquid Loofah and it smells unbelievably delicious. It’s a body wash chock full of anti-aging exfoliating ingredients and I’m definitely going to use this today. Considering it only takes a quarter-sized dollop per use, this sample should last for about 6 showers, enough to decide if I’d like to purchase the full-sized product. Again, this smells absolutely delish!

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Next up is a Pixi product. Pixi is much-loved brand usually found at Target. It’s a tad more spendy than other drugstore cosmetics but I find they’re usually well worth the price. This is no exception. This balm, in Honey Nectar, is the perfect shade for me (one I definitely would have chosen myself in the store) and feels like butter on the lips. Soft, moisturizing, and pigment payoff, too. And full-sized. I’m always delighted to get any Pixi products in my subscription boxes, so this was my home run from this month’s Birchbox. This particular Pixi product retails for about $8, so just this one amazing product has justified the $10/month that I spend on Birchbox.

Here’s the descriptor card for the retail prices of full-sized versions of these amazing products:

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If you’d like to give Birchbox a try, here are links to their website with my referral code, as well as a link to their Facebook page. As with Ipsy, Birchbox is $10 per month and can be cancelled at any time (although I doubt you’ll want to cancel once you get your first box). Reliable, fast shipping, and always love the packaging with those boxes that are so useful.

Website: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/ngb9d
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Birchbox

And as always feel free to hit me up on any of the following social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MrsMorelion
Instagram: http://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

Also, don’t forget to follow me on any or all of the above for updates about the GIVEAWAY next month. From extremely high end to drugstore products, this assortment will definitely have something for everybody.

Until next time, stay beautiful!

QVC Beauty Tube: JUST DO IT!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my my, it’s celebration day at Casa The Beholding Eye.  My much-ballyhooed first QVC Beauty Test Tube arrived today. My little black heart started pounding out of my chest as I tore into this baby. I ordered this directly from the QVC website and it’s an every-other-month subscription for $29.96 plus a few bucks shipping and handling. As it turns out, quite the bargain and by leaps and bounds my winner in the contest for best subscription box (or tube, in this case) this month.

Here’s what it looks like out of its pretty pink QVC box:

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It comes with an amazingly beautiful glossy magazine (about 500 pages, I believe), and the purple pamphlet describes each and every item in detail in full color. Such a nice finishing touch. I’d probably pay about $10 just for the magazine alone.

Here’s what it looks like pulling off the initial layer of protective tissue paper and peering down into the tube:

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Bottles and boxes and tubes, oh my!!!

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And there are the box contents spread out on that gorgeous magazine…My heart’s really at top speed now.

Let’s take a closer look at the products included.

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Wow. Just…WOW.

Bliss Spa, Mally Beauty, Phytodefrisant, Kate Somerville, Philosophy, IT Cosmetics, Fresh…Ladies, it just doesn’t get any better than this. Every single one of these items is something I’ll use (and quickly as possible). QVC, this tube is a HOME RUN. Even the lip gloss, the brand of which I’m not familiar with, is a drop-dead peachy/pink shade that feels like butter on the lips.

My advice? Do not stop. Do not pass go. Do not collect the $200.

GO STRAIGHT TO QVC and sign up for this…I’m confident it’s the one beauty subscription that will never disappoint.

If you’d like to order yours (I believe this one is still available and you can choose Auto Shipment to enroll in the subscription service) here’s your link:

QVC website: http://www.qvc.com/NewBeauty-8-Piece-TestTube-with-Magazine-Auto-Delivery-.product.A262684.html?upsh=1&sc=A251376-CSWB

Until next time, stay beautiful…And feel free to follow me on Twitter:  @MrsMorelion

SukiFace Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser (by Suki Skincare)

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In a word? AMAZING.

I received a sample size of this product in my Birchbox monthly subscription and didn’t use it right away. When I did use it, I was absolutely blown away.

It smells like a little piece of lemon heaven and works just as awesome as it smells, providing gentle exfoliation and just the right amount of foam to leave your skin clean, exfoliated, and baby soft. I didn’t find it at all drying or harsh and, although I scrubbed pretty thoroughly, it didn’t leave any redness or discoloration as so many harsher, more abrasive scrubs can do. A little Suki goes a long way with this product.

Although it could be used anytime, I prefer to use this in the morning. I’m most assuredly NOT a morning person, but the lemony-sugar scent is invigorating and makes me feel a bit more awake and “with it” after I use it.

After experiencing the awesomeness of the SukiFace Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser, I definitely intend to try more Suki Skincare products in the future. The very near future.

If you’d like more information on this little gem, or if you’d like to grab some for your own skincare arsenal, follow the link below…

Exfoliating Foaming Cleanser