Summer Besties TAG

Summer Besties TAG Products.

MAC Fashion Flowers Light Sunshine Beauty Powder and OPI Steady as She Rose Nail Polish.

Coach Poppy Tote and Coach Poppy Bangles.

I was tagged by Emilie Clarke to do a "Summer Besties" video, which lists your favorite items of the summer.  Here are mine:

Summer Besties TAG:
Favorite Summer....
1) Lip Product - Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment (SPF 15)
2) Blush - MAC Dame
3) Nail Polish - Essie Fiji, Hard to Get, Eternal Optimist/O.P.I Steady as She Rose, Flower to Flower
4) Liquid Face Product - DDF (Doctor's Dermatologic Formula) Ultra-Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew
5) Powder Face Product - MAC Light Sunshine Beauty Powder, Stila Garden Bliss All Over Shimmer Powder
6) Hair Product - Henara Intensive Treatment Wax
7) Eye Product - Bourjois Effect Liner Mascara
8) Self Tanner (or any tanning item) - None - I like to be pale and I don't use self tanning products.
9) Fashion Accessory - Coach Bangles and Rainbow Topaz Earrings
10) Clothing Piece - I prefer bags to clothing, and my favorite summer beach bag is the Coach Poppy Graffiti Glam Tote.

Click here for a link to my YouTube Channel: The Sassi Wench

Until next time, 

The Sassi Wench!

Makeup and Accessory Organization Tips

I love being organized (although I do have moments of disarray and a bad habit of losing things anyway), and I am particularly interested in clear, sparkly, easy to clean makeup and accessory storage.

Clear glass, crystal and acrylic makeup storage.

For me, storage containers need to be functional and clear, so that I can find everything.  I do have some  solid black containers but I chose those for a specific purpose and I'll post more on those at a later date.


The tray is called Retangular Vanity Tray and it can be personalized with your initials... mine are KFJ, and they have several fonts to choose from.  These trays are multi-purpose and can make great gifts.  Purchase them from Kate Carlyle, a Gift Boutique.

A cake plate for perfume is heavy, scratch resistant and durable.

They also need to be durable and easy to keep clean.  Makeup is a messy business, and it drives me crazy to see people who store away palettes with powdery fingerprints all over them!

Acrylic bangle storage, sunglasses storage and eyeshadow pad storage.

I went on the hunt on the Internet, in stores, and on Ebay and I found everything that I wanted.

Acrylic cube jewelry storage can be used for makeup or jewelry.

Some of the storage has a dual purpose, like a stackable jewelry drawer that can be used for jewelry or makeup.

These acrylic makeup storage containers are stackable.

 The fact that you can stack these drawers, and that they come in different configurations makes these drawers a versatile option!  I have already done a post on the drawers, and you can read about them here.

A crystal perfume tray. Everything has its place and there is a place for everything.

With everything laid out on or in clear storage, it's easy to get ready in the morning.  I have more perfume than what I have shown here, but I know that all the perfume is in one place and selecting a fragrance in the morning is easy.


The ring holder is the Lenox Crystal Heiress Ring Holder.

The Kate Spade Larabee Dot cake plate used as a fragrance tray.

Look around for objects that you wouldn't normally consider using for makeup, like a cake plate.  There are so many pretty ones out there, that you can find one to suit your decor and taste.

An acrylic tray is good to use for face creams and nail polishes.

An engraved tray makes for even better organization of bottles containing creams, or containers with powder - anything that could be messy can be wiped clean with minimum effort.

Kate Spade Larabee dot Crystal Box to hold jewelry.

A clear jewelry box with a heavy lid is good for storage, and keeps dust off valuable items.  A bonus for me, is that my kitty cats can't paw off the lid and help themselves to my jewelry (which has happened before, when I found a necklace and earrings lying downstairs had been skillfully removed by my all to clever and inventive kitties!)

Caboodles Makeup brush storage.  This is similar to the Beauty Buffet Tray.

Caboodles containers.  (L) My Essentials Box.

Caboodles is marketed to teenagers, but in fact they offer really good and practical storage solutions, so be sure to check out their site here.

Acrylic sunglasses storage from Ebay.

 Ebay has a treasure trove of acrylic storage goodies.  Search for "acrylic storage" "sunglasses storage" "acrylic makeup storage" or "acrylic jewelry storage".

Acrylic cotton pad storage is from The Christmas Tree Shops.

You can find makeup remover cotton pad storage everywhere.  I got mine from The Christmas Tree Shops.

Cotton Makeup Pad storage.

Acrylic bangle and bracelet holder from Ebay.

Click here for a link to my YouTube Channel: The Sassi Wench

Until next time, 

The Sassi Wench!

Birchbox May 2011: Stila

May 2011 Birch Box.

This month's Birchbox took me by surprise!  Fortunately for me (and you!) I was at home when the mail lady dropped off my coveted pink box!  The Birchbox for May 2011!

The Birchbox for May 2011.

By far my favorite Birchbox, it was the perfect mix of cosmetics, perfume, and body, skin and hair care.  The biggest surprise?  A full size Stila Eyeshadow in Black Cat (alone, worth $18!).  All this for just $10?  This month, Birchbox is unbeatable!

May 2011 Birchbox!

Stila Eye Shadow in Black Cat.

Archipelago Pomegranate Soap.

Bulgari Mon Jasmin Noir.

Erno Laszlo Transphuse Night Serum.

Beautiful Color Oribe Shampoo and Conditioner

Tiny Prints Card.

Stila - Black Cat Eye Shadow

Bulgari - Mon Jasmin Noir

Erno Laszlo - Transphuse Night Serum

Archipelago - Pomegranate Soap

Treat - Tiny Prints Card

Extra - Oribe Beautiful Color Shampoo and Conditioner

If you like Birchbox, sign up for the monthly $10 subscription.  You can cancel it at any time, and you earn points to put towards the purchase of full size products that you enjoyed from your sample selection.

Click here for a link to their website:

Click here for a link to my January 2011 Birchbox: January 2011 Birchbox

Click here for a link to my February 2011 Birchbox: February 2011 Birchbox

Click here for a link to my March 2011 Birchbox: March 2011 Birchbox

Click here for a link to my April 2011 Birchbox: April 2011 Birchbox

Click here for a link to TestTube: TestTube

Click here for a link to Beauty Fix: Beauty Fix

Click here for a link to my YouTube Channel: The Sassi Wench

Until next time, 

The Sassi Wench!

The Spring 2011 New Beauty TestTube

New Beauty Magazine TestTube.

10 Samples are in included in the Spring TestTube.

About New Beauty's TestTube:

TestTube is more expensive than Birchbox, but only because you do have to pay $8.95 for shipping per TestTube.  Each TestTube costs $29.95.  So you are paying $38.90 per TestTube, and you will receive one every three months.   Whereas you would pay $30 (including shipping) for three Birchboxes.  The number of samples would be about the same, or a little less for Birchbox.  But Birchbox does not include gift cards, full size products***, or a great magazine.
***Update: My mistake - I thought I had only received the first full size item in a Birchbox in May (after I had written this blog post), but in fact in the March 2011 the Birchbox I received contained a full size Pangea Organics - Lip Balm.
In my May 2011 Birchbox I received a full size Stila Eye Shadow in Black Cat.
In June 2011, I received a full size 32 oz. Laura Geller Baked n' Blush Brighten.  
So yes, Birchbox certainly does include full size products!

TestTube contains about the same number of samples (or even more) than Birchbox, and it includes a $20 Gift Card to use at Spalook.com, and a New Beauty magazine which retails for $9.99.

Included is a brochure that contains information on each sample, how to use it, the ingredients, and an About The Company segment.

TestTube is heavy - it arrives by UPS.

TestTube contains assorted beauty samples.

These are all deluxe samples, like the Moroccanoil hairspray.

A $20 Gift Card to Spalook is included with TestTube.

Dr. Denese Self Tanning Glove.

Jennifer Lopez on the cover of the Spring New Beauty Magazine.

This month I received:


Ahava - Essential Day Moisturizer
Moroccanoil - Luminous Hairspray
Dr. Brandt - Microdermabrasion Body and Crease Release
Luminess Air - Boost-it! Instant Complexion Enhancer
Kerstin Florian - Correcting Oil-Free Daily Defense SPF 50
Lashfood - Nano-Peptide, Natural Eyebrow Conditioner
Philosophy - Purity Made Simple Facial Cleanser
Lumene - Vitamin C+ Radiant Day Cream & Radiant Beauty Drops
Dr. Denese - Glow Younger Self Tanning Glove
Clean - Anti-Bacterial Moisturizing Hand Cream

Click here for a link for more TestTube: TestTube

Sign up for New Beauty Magazine's TestTube here: 

New Beauty TestTube

Click here for a link to my January 2011 Birchbox: January 2011 Birchbox

Click here for a link to my February 2011 Birchbox: February 2011 Birchbox

Click here for a link to my March 2011 Birchbox: March 2011 Birchbox

Click here for a link to my April 2011 Birchbox: April 2011 Birchbox

Click here for a link to the website: Birchbox

Click here for a link to Beauty Fix: Beauty Fix

Click here for a link to my YouTube Channel: The Sassi Wench

- The Sassi Wench