September Birchbox!

Ready for another Birchbox? I sure am, it feels like I'd been waiting forever for this next one. The box is a sort of welcome to fall/fashion week so I think it is pretty appropriate especially because the weather has been cooling off quite a bit. 

It came with this cute booklet or their version of the fall fashion mags haha

First item is the La Fresh Nail Polish Remover Acetone-Free pad. I've seen these around on YouTube so I'm excited I will get to try this out. I haven't been doing my nails lately (I don't have enough time to let them dry!) but I just painted my nails tonight so when I switch colors I'll give it a go!

I am super excited about these teas by Mighty Leaf. I love tea and when it is cooler out it is the perfect drink. The three flavors are Vanilla Bean (yum), Green Tea Tropical, and Chamomile Citrus. 

This is an enzymatic face rejuvenator by Vasanti, not a brand I have ever heard of, but I am always willing to give new stuff a chance. Plus my skin has been pretty decent lately, so I can afford to branch out a little. 

This is what I was most excited about, however I think the sample could have been a lot bigger than .07 ounces. At least give us a full ounce! This is the matte moisture tint by Jouer. I put it on and I am in love! It has amazing coverage! Like this is truly closer to a foundation. It is amazing and it isn't too matte which is nice because this is when my skin starts getting really dry. 

This is Twirl by Kate Spade, and I have smelled this before and love it so I was so happy to see this in the box. I feel like I enjoy it enough to buy it, but I don't know if it is really a fall/winter scent. However, knowing me I'll probably buy this and a few others because I think I've loved all but one or two samples so far.

This is the big loser for me in the box. I watched the video for the month preview by Birchbox and they introduced the line of nail polishes by Color Club dedicated to social networking. This is the one color (Tweet Me) I did NOT want to get. It is described as a creamy Chartreuse and honestly, this picture makes the bottle look too yellow and not enough green. However, when it is on the nail it is streaky as hell and the color is puke green/yellow. I would have preferred any of the other three to this one. 

Finally, I was amazed to see this because I LOVE Madewell and J. Crew. Since I need more cold weather clothing I will be using this up right away. Thanks Birchbox!

What I'm burning right now

Thought I would share what candle I am burning right now and the one I had previously. I am such a candle person and I honestly never feel like I can have enough. Sadly, I have to wait sometimes before I can go splurge (damn you Bath and Body Works, those 3 wick candles can be so expensive!).

First up, I will share the candle I just finished burning:

This is such a lovely scent, I like certain flower scents but if it is just a jumbled super strong floral scent it can make me sick to my stomach! Poppy Sunshine is described as, "A luscious burst of red poppies on a sunny day, with sparkling lemon, sweet red raspberry and a touch of white musk".

It is probably one of the best scented candles I've ever burned, it is just that good.

Next is my current candle, also from Bath and Body Works:

Pink Tulip is more floral than Poppy Sunshine, but it is a very soft and pretty scent. "As sweet as Spring's first bouquet, fresh cut tulips, soft lilac and hyacinth blend perfectly with watery violet and a touch of sandalwood". I figured since it is technically still summer for another week or so I could get away burning this - especially since it was my last candle!

No worries though - I just went to the mall and picked up a handful of candles so look out for a haul soon! 

iPhone 5: Are you impressed?

 I thought I'd touch on the ever popular iPhone announcement that happened yesterday. The iPhone 5 was announced and honestly, if you have been on the internet at all - then the whole thing should not have been a surprised. We've pretty much known how it was going to look for a while now. 

I have to say, I am not impressed. It is an amped up version of the 4S, I think the largest thing going for it right now is that it will support 4G LTE. However, here are some of the new features:

- 4 inch screen compared to the 3.5 inch screen on the previous models

- thinner by 18%

- 8 megapixel camera on the back and a 1.2 megapixel front facing camera

- it is 20% lighter and it is taller than the older models but not wider

- the back camera now features panoramic picture taking

- newly designed earbuds

- smaller connector port, which means new smaller cord

- Siri has new features like looking up restaurants and movie times, purchasing tickets, making reservations through Opentable, and she can even social network for you

- screen is even more crisp

One other thing actually worth mentioning app wise is the new Passbook app which is essentially "Google wallet without the credit cards" as said by my favorite YouTuber Philip DeFranco. Essentially, you can keep all your gift cards, tickets, plane boarding passes, and discount cards on your phone instead of physically needing them.

There are however some warnings you should know about the new phone. 

- They have come out with a new maps app because Apple and Google seem to be going at it. So you won't be getting maps and directions through Google, but through whatever system Apple sets up

- Because of the disagreements between Apple and Google, they are getting rid of the YouTube app, but never fear because YouTube has come out with their own app for iOS

- The new cord is USB 2.0 compatible not 3.0 which is what the new Macbooks are - womp womp

(don't worry Apple is estimated to still make 100 million dollars just off the cords alone in the next year - triple womp)

- Finally, any accessories and docks you have for the older iPhones are useless with the iPhone 5 - unless...you buy a $30 adapter for the phone 

Personally, I'm more interested in the Google Nexus and that may very well become my next phone. While others are fangirling out of their minds over the new iPhone - it feels like there is something still to be desired. New fancy features are great but there are a number of inconveniences that come along with it and honestly, some of them are features that should have come a while ago.

It is worth noting that Apple announced the new line of iPod nanos and iTouch - I actually would love to get my hands on the iTouch. It looks incredible - maybe look for a post about that soon!

Summer Book Review

If you know me then you know I am a total book worm. I'd rather stay home and read a good book than go out to a party. I am a proud little nerd :)

I did finish up a few books at the end of August and I wanted to share them with you! 

"Imagine" by Jonah Lehrer

There has been a ton of controversy with this writer over the last few weeks. It has come out that he was possibly committing plagiarism and fact checking errors. I won't say much about that only because I don't know enough but keep this in mind when you read this book. 

I say this because this book is about the "science of creativity". I really enjoyed this book actually, and I thought a lot of the research he spoke about was interesting and made sense. Of course, due to the scandal we cannot be sure about the facts but either way this is such an intriguing look into what makes us creative.

"The Chaperone" by Laura Moriarty

This is a great book for anyone who likes the plot to take place in early history. This is placed in the 1920s (my favorite time period) and is about a woman who is hired to be the chaperone for Louise Brooks who is going to the big apple to dance with a company. 

Now, Louise Brooks was a real person and became an actress, but this is a fictional story with the real person being used as a character. The story is heartbreaking, and so relatable because the main character has a parts of her life that try to brake her down and she is trying to find and accept the truths that hide in NYC so she can move on with her life back home in Kansas. 

It has a lot of twists but you will love every second of it I promise!

"Killing Lincoln" by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

Yep, it is that Bill O'Reilly that you are thinking of. He as wrote a book about President Lincoln's assasination. This is hands down in my top 5 list of books. I could not put this book down, I just wanted to read it all night! President Lincoln is my favorite president so I'm drawn to anything about him. 

The duo wrote the book in the style of a fictional story but in fact only used fact and documents. It was brilliantly written and the use of facts to mold that story was perfect. I certainly recommend this book for any history lovers and anyone who is just interested in what went on in the time leading up to the assasination. 

Final note: he has just come out with Killing Kennedy whihc will probably be my number one favorite book ever because as much as I love Lincoln I love the Kennedy family just that much more!

Shower Routine

Here is my go-to products for the shower as of right now. I've seen a bunch of videos up on Youtube right now about bathroom tours and which products girls are using right now. I decided I'd jump on the bandwagon and join in my own little way. 

First up is the Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo. This is my holy grail shampoo - hands down. I have a really sensitive scalp and if I use a new shampoo the odds of my breaking in to a load of painful bumps is pretty high. It may just be my scalp breaking out due to the shampoo or an allergic reaction but either way it stinks! This smells incredible, leaves my hair the softest it has ever been and I have no bad reactions to it. 

Next is my conditioner which is Organix Hydrating Macadamia Oil Conditioner. This stuff smells almost better than my shampoo and I have also been using the dry oil from this line and I NEVER use hair products in my hair. The dry oil has transformed my hair. Both are a must have!

I have been using the Dove go fresh body wash in Cucumber and Green Tea. I am not a huge cucumber fan in the least bit. I hate the taste and smell of it usually, but this smells so good! It is also very hydrating which is great for my skin because it gets really dry. 

I wanted to find a shave gel that wasn't all hyped up with fragrance. Again because I am really sensitive to smell and fragrance and I can be allergic to some perfumes. This is perfect because there is a scent but it is barely there. It is a great shave gel too, but I don't find many differences between the use of shave gels.

Last but not least is my face wash - the Befine Gentle Cleanser. I tried this line on a whim and I really love it. For the most part my face has been very clear and I think it is in thanks to this cleanser. It has a ton of good for you ingredients - peppermint oil and leaf extract, oat bran extract, rice bran proteins, sugarcane extract, and wheat amino acids. I will definitely be buying this again. 

There it is folks, my shower product lineup! I hope you enjoyed and hope you are all having a great weekend!

I have a website!

So excited to announce that I have put together a website for myself! 

It will be a portfolio or sorts and will be a home base for my work and ever changing interests. 

I hope you guys will take a look and let me know what you think! 

Thanks so much!

 

my website!

Boring Mondays

This weekend has been so quiet and boring and I sort of hated it. There really isn't anything wrong with a quiet weekend but when all there is to do is homework and you can't concentrate...it is the worst.

Thankfully, I saw Shaun on Friday night and I hung out with him Sunday night but we didn't do much. The first two days of work were long for me, I'm just not used to the schedule yet and this week will be my first real jump into it. 

So what did I do all weekend? Homework and work on my new website!

Why do I have a website? Well let me explain...

I know that my future is still a little up in the air, I don't know exactly which job I will fall into once everything is said and done and I'm prepared for that. It is a little scary but these days it is more common to make the work happen in the areas you like. You don't need a college degree to do the things you want to do, and even with one I can still do so much more!

I want a space that I can call my own and show people all the different things I can do or am learning to do. I don't want to limit myself to only political science, just because that is my degree. I am capable of much more and if I had the time I'm sure I'd be making money of those things right now. I'd love to be able to build websites for people or be a community manager for start-up or work in public policy or be a writer! 

The nice thing is that I could do all of that. 

So yeah that is why I built myself a website, and no worries Some Blissful Chaos is here to stay and as my schedule is constantly changing I will try to work on this blog as much as I can. 

Here is a sneak peek!