Sunday, May 31, 2015

Ipsy theme-June 2015


Hey cupcakes! I have yet to confirm this latest sneak peek, but several people have said it was posted on Ipsy's snapchat so I wanted to share with you in case it is true. It would certainly make sense considering the last sneak peek we got, the background was pool water. What do you think of this bag and potential theme? Let me know, and I'll keep my eyes open for any more information about the June glam bag!

Cupcakes, Vodka, and hakuna matata




Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Shampoo Bars

What's a shampoo bar?




As the name suggests, it is literally a bar of shampoo. A small, square of concentrated shampoo that doesn't contain any water. These bars are incredibly convenient because you can take them anywhere...the gym, on a plane, wherever you may need an on-the-go hair washing, and there is no big plastic bottle which is bad on the environment and your wallet!

These little bars, normally only a few inches long and wide, contain the equivalent of roughly two bottles of shampoo. Intrigued? You should be. My hair type is complex, damaged and I straighten it almost every day, but these shampoo bars have left my hair feeling soft and healthy. Keep reading for a step by step on how to use a shampoo bar, how to store a shampoo bar,  and where you can find them!

Step one: Wet your hair
Step two: Rub the bar between your hands to create a lather
Step three: Massage the bar into your hair and scalp.
Step four: Rinse

How to store your shampoo bar
While most companies that make shampoo bars sell a metal tin for them for travel, the best way to extend the life of your shampoo bar is to simply let it air dry.

Now you're thinking, that's it! I'm sold! Where do I get mine? Below I will link the brand I use, because it's the one I prefer and I know works! Also, Fortune Cookie Soap has combo bars with shampoo AND conditioner in a wide variety of scents.

Fortune Cookie Soap shampoo bars

Click here for $5 off your first FCS purchase



Monday, May 25, 2015

June 2015 super sneak Peak!


So here it is, the first sneak peak for Ipsy this coming month! It's a Two Faced Melted lippie or the Smashbox primer, and maybe the best news, this month every Ipsy subscriber gets one of the two. Unlike some months where I am certain they had only four of the high end items to send out...haha. So there it is ladies!

 Based on the pool water background, what do you think the theme for this month is? The person who guesses it  BEFORE it is announced will receive a beauty bag with a few goodies! Enter by commenting on this post only.

Click here to sign up for Ipsy

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Birchbox for $1

If you haven't heard, there is a promo code floating around the wild, wild web where if you are a new Birchboxer you can get your first months box for ONE DOLLAR. Seriously guys, why are you still here? GET TO BIRCHBOX.COM AND DOOOO IT! I'll link below my referral code (so they'll know who sent ya!) and the promo code to make all your beauty box dreams come true. Hit it up! This code won't last long. Just be sure to cancel by June 1st if you don't want to keep the sub box for $10 a month. You know Sammi Cupcake has your back for all things beauty!

Click here to sign up

PROMO CODE: TATIOFFER


Thursday, May 21, 2015

Shopkins

So in the last week, Shopkins has come up on videos I'm watching or posts I'm reading three times. My first thought was that it was silly and expensive for 2 little plastic toys, but I have a seven year old and the time is quickly approaching that I will no longer be the coolest person she knows, so I decided not only could I share my thoughts with you guys...but I could start something with my baby girl that we can both enjoy.

I started out our collection by buying two containers of Shopkins, so in case it wasn't something she would be interested in we wouldn't be out a lot. Here is what they look like:

My daughter came home from school and I told her I had a surprise for her, and asked if she had heard of "Shopkins," she said no. I showed her these and she said "Wow! Can we open them??" So we tore into them like it was Christmas morning. We ended up with these guys:


We got from left to right... Carrie Carrot Cake (rare), Pecanna Pie (rare), Silly Chilli (common), and Yummy Gum (common). Pretty cute, and they come in this tiny little shopping cart.

I paid $2.88 each for them, and we got 2 rare right off the bat, so I'm pretty excited for the next time we go to the store to get some more. I hope you enjoyed this review. Do any of you collect Shopkins with your kids, or just for yourself? Let me know down below in the comments!

Cupcakes, Vodka, and hakuna matata...


Shop Miss A Review

My ShopMissa.com order finally arrived, so I can put up a review for everyone who has been asking about the legitimacy and quality of this company. ShopMissA.com has been in business since 2007 and everything on their site is $1. They sell jewelry, cosmetics, nail art, hair items, etc. I ordered the items pictured above (7 items) for $10.95 including shipping. My purchase arrived approximately one week after making my order. Here is a break down of my purchases:

1. Zebra cosmetics bag: It is a good standard bag, especially for the price. My only complaint is that it has a weird chemical smell.
2. Lip ring: I like the look of the lip ring, but it is way too long, in my opinion, to be worn as a lip ring. This one sadly went in the trash after I tried it on :(
3. Beigeai Lashes (019): The lashes are just as good as any I've bought before for $5-10, and they came with a lash glue.
4. Nail tip guides: Nothing flashy or special about these, but they do the job they were made for.
5. Vitamin ball pen: This one is super cute! It looks like a pill but extends out to a pen. I love it and I think I'll actually be buying a few more to keep in the car, my purse, etc. 
6. Cross necklace: As far as quality goes, this is probably the worst item I ordered. It looks really cheap. I'm not sure if I'll get use out of it.
7. Cell phone prop ball-This is hands down my favorite item! I love to watch Youtube makeup tutorials on my phone while I get ready and this is a life saver! It suctions to your phone and props it up so you can watch whatever you want hands free. Comes with 2 for $1!

Overall, I felt my products were a little hit and miss. I like 5 out of the 7 items I purchased, but for only $10.95 shipped, I still feel like I got a good deal. If you want my opinion, I'd stay away from the jewelry but everything else on this site seems to be decent quality. I will be making another other sometime soon, now that I know which products are worth ordering. 

If you'd like to read more about Shop Miss A, please visit a fellow beauty addicts awesome blog, http://collegelifeislike.blogspot.com/

Thanks for stopping by, and as always, sending you wishes of cupcakes, vodka, and hakuna matata!




Pilaten Blackhead Remover Review

Pilaten Blackhead Remover


So this new black pore mask is all the rage lately on the beauty sites I'm on, so I ordered it the other day off Ebay for around $7 originating from Hong Kong. It's a fairly easy product to use. I applied the mask using the following steps:

1. Wash your face and exfoliate.
2. Apply enough that you have a good solid black color, but not too thin and not too thick. 
3. Wait 15-30 minutes for it to dry, until you are unable to move your face.
4. Peel it off, removing black heads...white heads...dead skin...those tiny hairs on your face...and your will to live.
^ Needless to say it works! I was very pleasantly surprised. It was easy to apply, it definitely suctioned, and I do feel like it worked better than the Biore strips. I will get at least 20-30 uses minimum out of the tube for the same price as the Biore strips who usually contain only 6. My face feels incredibly soft and obviously my pores are clean. I give this product 4 stars and I can't wait until it's time to use it again next week! Thank you for reading my blog review and I hope you enjoyed it! My next review will be of the ShopMissA site. Stay tuned!

As always, sending you wishes of cupcakes, vodka, and hakuna matata!





Fortune Cookie Summer Soap Box 2015

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR, Fortune Cookie Soap! This summer box made me ten different kinds of giddy, and at least two are illegal. Seriously though, as soon as I saw it in my mail box I tore it open and sat in my car smelling things for an amount of time I am unwilling to specify. 

So let's talk about what makes it so UH-MAZING. First of all, the theme. "Straight On Till Morning"...or for those of you not worried about copyright issues, Peter Pan! Secondly, the newly introduced products! There were two new, never before seen products in this box, the deodorant and the salt scrub. Third, the smells! They are SO summery...the overall smell can only be described as a pina-colada and a margarita got drunk and had a love child called the summer soap box!

This box came with eight products. Let's break it down.

Second star to the right fortune cookie soap
[Crushed berries, mint, pomelo, sugar] Hands down the most eye catching item in the box, this mint berry scented Galaxy soap is nothing short of soap art. 



Mermaid Lagoon Perfume Oil (...Them beaches!)
[Coconut, 
This product is pretty much straight coconut, almost like you'd expect from a tanning oil. It has a really neat appearance (I won't spoil the surprise on this one!) and is definitely a fresh summer scent. I love that it's no longer a roller ball too!

Wendy Bird Deodorant
[Green apple, tropical twist]

As I mentioned above, this is a new product so that's exciting! It smells like apple, specifically like a green apple shampoo I used to use. It doesn't contain antiperspirant however so I wouldn't trust this to fight the fight against B.O. but I, along with a lot of other PR box winners, will be giving this to our daughters to begin teaching hygiene. WIN!

Tink-OCD Hand Sanitizer
[Cherry, cream, coconut, powdered sugar]

This smells heavily of coconut with hints of cherry. It's lime green with micro-glitter, and will without a doubt be my most used product in this box. It smells wonderful...my favorite scent of the collection!


The Boy Who Never Grew Up-Salt Scrub
[Tropical margarita]
This ones scent description is pretty well spot on. Margarita, and it even has salt on the rim of the container. SO cute. Now on to the more pressing issue, what am I supposed to be scrubbing with this? Erm...

Lost Boys Whipped Cream
[Apricot, white peaches]
I get predominately peach from this one, making it my least favorite scent of the collection. However, their whipped creams texture and hydration capabilities are so amazing I would probably use a garbage scented whipped cream from them. #keepingitreal #Noshame

The Captain-Steam Me Up Scotty
[Magnolias, wild berry, fresh cream]
While I find these the most useless products Fortune Cookie Soap makes, it does smell really nice. It's very floral. 

Kiss-lip balm
[Watermelon, pineapple, coconut, citrus juices]
The smell of this lip balm is very faint. The description card says it says 4 different scents in it but honestly I can't pick up on even one directly. It tastes like grapefruit though. 


Before I end this unboxing/review, I did want to thank Fortune Cookie Soap for giving me the opportunity to do an early review of this box. I'm a huge fan. I also wanted to tell any of my readers how to get this box or shop their store for other items you may love! This box is a seasonal subscription box which costs $19.99 and you get a $10 coupon to use in their store. (Basically making the box $9.99). If you don't want to do a subscription, the online store is still amazing! You can buy full size things individually from current and past collections. Believe me, you'll be a Fortune Cookie Freak before long like the rest of us! :) Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go smell all the things again.


Click here for a $5 off coupon to Fortune Cookie Soap

Sammi Cupcake