KISS InstaWave | The Easiest Curls EVER!!

I'll be honest - I've never been very good at curling my hair. All through high school and even the early years of college, I'd pull out a curling iron and totally botch my hair style, never understanding how girls got their hair to look so effortlessly beautiful when curled. It wasn't until I was 22 when my best friend sat me down, and curled my hair for me and showed me EXACTLY what she was doing and what products she used. Then the lightbulb went off in my head - OHHH! That's how you do it!

But if I would have had the KISS InstaWave during my confused high school years, I think I would have been A-OK. Honestly, this is the simplest hair curling tool I have ever used and it makes curling your hair a complete and total breeze. Truth be told, when I was contacted about trying this product, I was hesistant because I'm not too gung-ho about all these new curling iron fads, but I agreed regardless and I am SO glad I did! (and let me be clear: despite being sent this product, I do not guarantee positive reviews, so this is a completely honest rave review! See my disclosure policy here.)

Above you'll see the easy, 4-step instructions. I'm not sure you even need to read these... it's that simple. Literally, all you need to do is put a section of hair against the barrel, and hold the arrowed button whichever way you want your curls to lay (going away from your face, or towards it). Hold the hair on the barrel for a few seconds and pull hair off diagonally, and boom - you've got a perfect curl! That's IT! I'm serious.

The outside grabby things (technical term, obviously) grab all the hair and help spin it around the barrel, while the closer grabby thing (see top pic for better visual) holds it all there as it curls. 

At first I thought there was no way it was going to hold my hair tight enough against the barrel, but it totally does!

And then I thought - well, that first one must have been a fluke, it's totally going to tangle my hair up. But it never did! I did my entire head and not once did my hair tangle around the barrel. 

And then the skeptic in me thought there was no way it was going to make an even curl that doesn't look tangly and gross, but it made the most perfect curl! See... I can prove it! The image below is the result from the picture above.

Ta-da! It's so simple. I've been struggling with curling my hair since chopping it "short" (short for me) and I have found the answer in the InstaWave!

Here's what the final result looks like. I like to brush my curls out to make them look a bit more natural, so that's what I did to achieve this look.

Some other cool features of the InstaWave? It automatically shuts off after 90 minutes (a plus if you're forgetful like I am), and it heats up to 420 F and has a high/lo setting (I used high, just as a reference).

I can honestly tell you, if you struggle with curling your hair (because I can NOT be bothered with anything but curling wands.... the clippy thing on curling irons just does not work for me.) or you want a curling iron that's totally foolproof - this is the answer. I am honestly in love with this thing and I am excited to finally have an easy way to achieve amazing curls that last!

You can purchase the KISS InstaWave at three different locations - Target, Ulta and Amazon. It retails for $60, but it looks like it's on sale for just $49.99 at Target if you buy now! 

Let me know if you've tried this curling iron or if you plan to! I'd love to know how you like it!

Battle of the Subscription Boxes IIV: Birchbox vs. Ipsy

That time of the month is here - the battle between Birchbox and Ipsy! Let's dive right in... 

November Birchbox

• Color Club Nail Polish in On the Rocks (full-size: $8) This shimmery grey polish is from the new "Cocktail Hour" collection from  Color Club. I believe this is the third mini Color Club polish I've received from Birchbox - I enjoy getting them.

• Elite Therapeutics Elite Creme (full-size: $45) This is an all-over moisturizer for body and face. Basically, it's a super fancy lotion.

• Laura Mercier Lip Glacé in Quartz (full-size: $24) I was so excited to get a sample from Laura Mercier in this birchbox.... until I saw the color. No joke, it looks like I ate shimmery chocolate and smeared it all over my lips. This shade is not for us fair gals... 

• Shea Terra Organics Rose Hips Black Soap Deep Pore Facial Cleanser (full-size: $16) Any time I can swap my chemical-induced products for organic and natural options, I'm happy. This cleanser claims to clear blemishes and brighten skin tone. The color is scary, but I'm willing to be brave and give it a shot.

• Juicy Couture Viva la Juicy Noir perfume  (full-size: $25-$90) Unfortunately, this sample came shattered in my birchbox (and birchbox CS reps were awesome in dealing with this - THANK YOU, birchbox, if you're reading!) On the upside, my birchbox products smell awesome! I have the original Juicy Couture which is a very versatile, fruity/musky scent, and this is a more sultry version with hints of berry and honeysuckle.

• Ahmad Tea London (full-size: $7) Due to the perfume sample spilling all over my box, I don't think these teas are drinkable anymore (again, thanks to Birchbox CS team for sending another sample my way!). I'm excited to try these British teas when I receive new ones, as I'm a bit of a tea junkie.

November Ipsy Glam Bag

• Kiss EverEZ False Lashes (full-size: $3.99) Full-size product alert! I've tried Kiss lashes before and they're great! The nice thing about these is they come with glue and an applicator. This specific pack has nice long, natural looking lashes which I'm positive I'll get use out of.

• Pixi Beauty Bronzer in Subtly Suntouched (full-size: $18) It's no secret I absolutely love Pixi products, and since I've never tried any of their face powders, I'm thrilled to try this. It's described as a medium honey tan and looks beautiful in the pan. Great size, too - about 1/3 of the size you'd buy in stores.

• Nailtini Nail Lacquer in Caviar Cocktail (full-size: $13) Full-size product alert! This is nearly the same shade that I received in my Birchbox - coincidence or not? I don't love silver nail polishes, but I'm happy to try out a brand that's new to me and to receive it in full-size! 

• .em by Michelle Phan Waterliner in Bronze Kiss (full-size: $20) Full-size product alert! .em cosmetics is a fairly new brand, launched by super-popular YouTube beauty guru, Michell Phan. I've heard mixed reviews about her cosmetics line, but this liner seems like a total gem - it's a beautiful shade and claims to apply without tugging or smudging. I'm excited to give this a go!

• StarLooks Gem Pencil in Amethyst (full-size: $14) Full-size product alert! This is the third month in a row that I've received something from StarLooks -- not that I'm complaining; I've generally liked their products so far. This gem pencil is a silvery lavender color with lots of shimmer and is maybe the best of the three products I've received. It would be a gorgeous liner, or even better smeared out over the lid.

• Be a Bombshell Lip Crayon in Shameless (full-size: $14) Full-size product alert! ANOTHER full-size product! This lip crayon is a burgundy red with shimmer. The lip crayon format makes it super easy to apply. A great color to keep stashed in your purse for fall!

L to R: Lip Crayon, Waterliner, Gem Pencil, Bronzer

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The winner is abundantly clear - IPSY! With five full-size products, and a value of over $60 - the $10/month price tag is so worth it! 

Ipsy and Birchbox are a great way to try out various products before shelling out the money to purchase something in full-size. To sign up for Birchbox, or Ipsy, just click the links in this sentence! Both are just $10 a month for awesome beauty samples delivered straight to your door.

What did YOU get in your Birchbox or Ipsy this month? Let me know in the comments below!

Influenster - Something Blue VoxBox

Today I've got a really cool post, thanks to a website called Influenster. What is Influenster? Basically, it's a free website that offers you a chance to review products (for free) and share your opinions with others. Or in their own words, it's "a place for culture junkies to come together and share their unique opinions of products and experiences." I couldn't have said it better myself!

I've received 3 or 4 VoxBoxes (as they call them) and I just received one this past weekend called the Something Blue VoxBox for soon-to-be brides, or bridal party members! Lucky for me, I was just asked to be my best friend's maid of honor this past week so this came at the absolute perfect time! The best part is, this was absolutely free to me. Here's what came in it...

Luster NOW! Instant Whitening Toothpaste | Retail: $7.99

To be honest, the one thing that gives me faith about this product is the Allure Beauty stamp of approval on it, otherwise my first impression was that this looks like some Seen on TV scammy toothpaste. Other than that, I was pleased by the size of this sample - it's a good 4 oz. It comes in the flavor Happy Mint, and it smells really good. I haven't used it yet so I can't vouch for any of it's whitening powers, but I will definitely use this once I run out of my current toothpaste. Considering I would never spend $7.99 for a toothpaste (unless it's absolutely amazing), I'm happy to try this out without paying for it.

Q-Tips Precision Tips | Retail: $2.59-$3.35

Who can't use some Q-Tips? I certainly can, and I can definitely use a travel pack or two to tote around with me when I travel. For the sake of this wedding-themed box they suggest using these for touching up eyeliner, precisely applying concealer, and perfecting manicures - but lets be honest, we all know we're going to use them to clean out our ears.

Dr. Scholl's For Her Ball of Foot Cushions | Retail $6.99

I'm really excited to try these out. I'm a wimp when it comes to wearing heels all day, so I'm curious to know if these provide any relief. I know on my own wedding day I wore my heels as little as possible, and switched to flip flops almost as soon as I said "I do!" The gel in these cushions are designed to absorb shock and prevent feet from sliding forward while helping to avoid "toe scrunch" (whatever that is.) I'll definitely be getting good use out of this product.

Urgent Rx Fast Powders | Retail: $1.39

This is an interesting product that I'm kind of surprised is a "new" concept - however, it's not entirely shocking. This is a powder pain killer that you take without the use of water. The packaging says it's made with Aspirin, caffeine, pain-reliever, and Adjuvant. I'm not really one to take pain killers if I can avoid it, so I most likely won't get any use from this. Also, this isn't a brand I've ever heard of, so I'm even more put off by the idea of trying it out. Interesting concept, but not sure I can see it catching on.

Kiss everEZlashes | Retail: $4.98

This was my favorite product from the box - two packs of falsies! The little insert of product descriptions says these retail for $4.98, however I saw these puppies at Walgreens yesterday for $6.99, so depending on where you get them, they can be rather pricey. The thing I like about these is that they're really natural and wispy, they're not some crazy outlandish design. I think anyone could easily pull these off without looking crazy. I've tried other brands of falsies, but this is the first time I've ever owned any by Kiss.

All in all, I think this was a really fun box to receive and nearly all of the products I'll get use out of. Influenster is worth signing up for if you're a survey junkie, or you like to leave and read reviews about all sorts of products. I happen to be all of the above. :) Let me know if you've signed up or are thinking about it - I'd love to know what you think!