AVON HAUL!!!!!! :D :)

My 1st Haul and I'm showcasing ALL AVON products!!!!!! I think I may be turning into an Avon Addict, honestly, and I couldn't be happier about it! Now if only I could get the hang of vlogging! ;)

**NOTE: Sound issues have been fixed! Yay!!! :)

FEATURED PRODUCTS:

All available at Avon http://www.avon.com.

• Glimmersticks Waterproof Eye Liner (Blackest Night)
• Haiku Eau de Toilette Spray
• Imari Seduction Eau de Toilette Spray
• SuperSHOCK Max Waterproof Mascara (Black Noir)

Samples:

• Ideal Flawless Liquid Foundation (Light Beige)
• Ultra Color Rich Brilliance Lipstick (Sienna Sparkle)

DISCUSSED:

• Coolpad Quattro 4G
• Samsung Admire

##### DISCLAIMER: All products were either purchased by me or gifted. None of the products in this video are sponsored in any way, shape, or form. #####

Influenster Sugar N' Spice VoxBox 2013

Woohoo! The UPS Fairy dropped another present from Influenster off at my door today! Now this may be my second VoxBox, but it's my very first vlog—the first video I've ever recorded and posted online, actually—so I'm a little nervous! I'm unboxing my 2013 Sugar n' Spice VoxBox and sharing my initial impressions.

**NOTE: Sorry for the poor sound quality, my cellphone cam has a crappy mic. I'm working on finding a better alternative now.

As you can see the 2013 Sugar 'N Spice VoxBox contains:

Vaseline® Spray & Go Moisturizer Total Moisture® ($7.99 for 6.5oz can)
New Vaseline® Spray & Go Moisturizer Total Moisture® is a continuous spray lotion that moisturizes and absorbs in seconds, and leaves skin feeling instantly soft—not stickey or greasy. Now you won't have to wait for your lotion to absorb before pulling on those skinny jeans! 

Nectresse™ ($3.99 for a box of 40 packets)
Nectresse™ sweetner tastes like sugar but has zero calories per serving! 100% natural, Nectresse™ is made primarily from monk fruit combined with other natural sweeteners. 

Dickinson's® Original Witch Hazel Oil Controlling Towelettes ($5.99 for a 20-count box)
Introducing Dickinson's® Original Witch Hazel Towelettes - The soothing blend of Witch Hazel and aloe on these facial wipes rejuvenates your skin by gently lifting dirt, oil and impurities from your pores while nourishing even the most sensitive skin. The result is a clean, refreshed and blemish-free complexion even when you're out and about. 

Colgate® Optic White® Regimen that includes...

• Toothpaste ($2.99 for 4oz tube) 
• Mouthwash ($2.99 for 8oz bottle)
• Toothbrush ($2.99 per brush)

Your VoxBox contains not one, but THREE Colgate® Optic White® products in a new high impact formula. Use Optic White® toothpaste, toothbrush, and mouthwash together for whiter teeth in five days (vs. brushing with an ordinary toothpaste alone). 

belVita Breakfast Biscuits ($3.69 for a box)
belVita Breakfast Biscuits are made with delicious ingredients and carefully baked to release steady energy that lasts all morning. They are a good source of Fiber and B-vitamins, contain no high fructose corn syrup, have 18-20 grams of whole grain per 50 gram serving and taste great—perfect on-the-go!

If you thought I was hyper during my first round of product reviews last month, it's nothing compared to how excited I am for this Sugar 'N Spice VoxBox! Mainly because these are all brands I know and love with products I've been meaning to try. That always makes things more fun in the long run.

Like before, I will be reviewing each item individually over the next few weeks, posting those reviews to my blog, and linking to them here via this post. So even if you miss a couple of reviews, all you have to do is bookmark this one post and check back weekly to eventually read them all. Stay tuned!

XOXO

Blu Cigs and Sizzling Stephen Dorff!

Excuse me for squeeing like a teenybopper as I have this fan girl moment but...HOW FRIGGIN' SEXY IS STEPHEN DORFF IN THE NEW BLU ELECTRONIC CIGS CAMPAIGN?!?!?????!

Not that Stephen wasn't über sexy beyond belief before, but now? NAO?!

Now he's a super-duper über sexy beast who's giving me vapors! *Le happy sigh*

I love the fact that Stephen's finally getting healthy and dropping the cancer sticks, but I adore him for putting his "Bad Boy" rep on the line by promoting a healthy alternative like Blu Electronic Cigs...and he looks badass doing it too!

Then again, when doesn't Stephen Dorff look badass? He's just one of those guys that exudes "cool" without breaking a sweat.

And before I get criticism from smokers telling me to mind my own beeswax because I don't know what the heck I'm talking about, let me just say that I do. I've lost multiple friends and family members to cancer. Cancer that was caused by decades of chain smoking.

Sad part is, despite going through all that grief, I was still dumb enough to give into peer pressure and have a brief year-long love/hate affair with Marlboro Menthols when I was a teenager... Stupidest thing I've ever done. It took a severe asthma attack eight months later to really wake me up. (Yes, I have asthma and, as we all know, asthma and cigarette smoke don't mix.) That's when I decided to quit.

Luckily, I was a casual smoker, not a chain smoker, so quitting for good just meant having enough willpower to throw my last pack away and not buy another one or bum anymore cigs off of my friends. However, I know it's not that easy for everyone...

I know a lot of people that still smoke. People who have been smoking for so long that they simply can't go a day, let alone an hour, without a cigarette. They've tried the pill, the patch, and the gum—all to no avail. For some, it's the nicotine they're addicted to, and that's very unfortunate... For others, it's a nervous habit that's triggered by stress. Holding the stick in their hand or dangling it from their mouth actually helps calm and comfort them. So, I can't help but think how something like Blu Electronic Cigs could save their lives.

Anyway, back to drooling over Stephen Dorff and resisting the urge to take a flying leap at my flatscreen every time I see his handsome chiseled face. I'll leave the decision to "rise from the ashes" up to you. ;)

XOXO

Peptic, Not Peppy...

Sorry I haven't been too talkative lately, guys, but—ugh! I've got a peptic ulcer—er, um...gastric ulcer?—and the constant gnawing/burning pain in my upper abdomen sucks. Not as excruciating as the gallstone attacks I use to have for 5-8 hours straight, but pretty close. Here's hoping I don't chew off a limb or something before it heals...

Don't worry, my friend Jill has already assured me that she will put me out of my misery in the most badass and loving way possible if I suddenly go all killer zombie and start snacking on fingers and toes. Like me, Jill is a certified Zombie Executioner, so you guys are in good hands. She's kinda like "Tallahassee" (Woody Harrelson) in Zombieland and Haymitch (also Woody Harrelson) from The Hunger Games, only crazier. Def crazier. But you have to be zany to hang with me and get the drop on the living dead at the same time.

On a side note, how awesome is Woody Harrelson in dystopia movies? Loved him since Cheers, fell in lust with him as an actor after Natural Born Killers, and have been obsessed with his career ever since.

Anyway, back to zombie killing, because—HELLO! FUN! Peptic ulcers? Not so much.

Where was I? Oh, yeah! Jill and I discussed opening up our own zombie slaying business called Zombies-R-Us (think The Walking Dead meets Charlie's Angels) after the Mayan Apocalypse, but then the Mayans totally screwed the proverbial pooch on that one. Or should I say they screwed the proverbial chupacabra? Hmm, no, nobody screws a chupacabra, except maybe another chupacabra...and Charlie Sheen...but that's because Charlie Sheen is a wizard who drinks tiger blood wine so he can pretty much screw anything he wants. Well, except for Lindsay Lohan. Even LaLohan won't cross that line. Wild, huh?

So, yep! Peptic ulcers, killer zombies, Woody Harrelson, Charlie's Angels, failed Mayan Apocalypses, chupacabras, and Charlie Sheen! Sounds like a good time to me! How about you? Yes? No?

Ooh! Hey they should make a spoof of Charlie's Angels starring Mr. Sheen and call it Charlie's Goddesses! I bet it would be a big hit! Or...maybe not. See, this is how my mind works when I'm sick. It's like a washing machine stuck on spin cycle. It doesn't help that I just watched four back-to-back episodes of Two and a Half Men.

And now I'm going to take a shot of Pepto-Bismol, chew on a few pieces of black licorice, and clean my crossbow. You know, just in case... ;)

XOXO

Beware the V-Day Grinch!

Happy Valentine's Day, Minions! Today we celebrate love in all its forms: romantic/platonic, family, friends, and furbabies... With so many wonderful options, how can you go wrong?

Which leads me to my Question of the Day...

Why do single people complain about Valentine's Day so much?

Not all singles, mind you, but there certainly seems to be a select unhappy subset of the population that's doggedly determined to ruin Valentine's Day for others. They're either single and hate it or taken and miserable, so they do everything in their power to trash St. Valentine and the heart he rode in on — even posting the grisly details of the martyr's unfortunate demise on Facebook in Someecards format. These same people would probably steal Cupid's bow, beat him up, and leave him unconscious in a back-alley dumpster if they could. It's sad the lengths they will go to, to bring everyone else down.

I never understood the thought process that goes into being a Valentine's Day Grinch. It seems like a lot of wasted time and effort to me. Why bother raining on the lovefest when you can do something positive for yourself instead?

I mean, I'm single and I'm not letting it get me down. Sure, it sucks not having a man to call my own today but I don't need romance to appreciate a holiday made for love. I figure someday someone special will walk into my life and make all the waiting worth it. Meanwhile, I'll spend today with friends and family. Love is love. It doesn't take a particular shape or form, it just is... and I'm grateful for it.

So grab your spouse/significant other, best friend, mom, child, cat/dog, and let them know how much they mean to you!

But what if you don't feel like sharing V-Day with others? You could be mourning the loss of a loved one, fighting with a lover/family member/best friend, or suffering from a bad work day and just not in a very social mood? What do you do then?

You love yourself.

Yes, you read that right — I said: love yourself.

After all, Valentine's Day is a celebration of love of every kind, including self-love. You don't have to spend the day with anyone else to fully appreciate that, not when you can make it a "Me Day" dedicated to loving and pampering yourself.

Rent a movie from RedBox and snuggle up with your favorite pillow for the night. Order your favorite take-out, include a decadent dessert, maybe even end the night with a nice soothing bubble bath while reading the latest bestseller from your favorite author. (You know, the one you're always promising yourself you'll read soon but then never do? And it's been a year already? And the crappy-Hollywood-interpretation-of-this-bestselling-novel is opening in movie theaters all over the country next weekend? Yeah, that one.)

The point is, you can be alone without being lonely. Things are never hopeless, it's just the way we perceive life sometimes. What we do for ourselves and others, despite those negative perceptions, is what truly defines who we are. So don't waste your time being a Valentine's Day Grinch because, in the end, the only person you're denying happiness to is yourself.

xoxo