At Home Hair Removal!

Hey guys! 

Recently I was chosen by Influenster to test out a hair removal system that you can use at home! 

I was SO excited when I heard that I would be receiving this in the mail! It's the Silk'n Flash & Go Express. The machine in stores would cost around $200. This is the most expensive thing I've ever received from Influenster, but also the item that has excited me the most! 

I've always wanted to try laser hair removal. Something at home would be even more convenient and wonderful! 

Tonight I tried it out for the first time. You have to shave the area first and make sure it's clean of deodorant and lotion. Then you plug the machine in and you're ready to go! 

You press the on switch and hold the button down, moving it a little every time it flashes. This would make a lot more sense if I were showing you. It flashes a light on the area, then you have to move it in a line or clear path to make sure you get all of the hairs. 

The machine is suitable for face, underarms, arms, bikini line, and legs.  It takes multiple treatments to work fully. I've only done one treatment so far, on every area I listed, with the exception of my face, which doesn't have any excess hair. 

The machine doesn't hurt at all to use.  The light gets a little warm, but not warm enough to hurt you. The areas I used this on have an odd sensation. They feel a little itchy but not enough that I actually want to scratch them. It's really not that uncomfortable.  I have very sensitive skin, so trust that if this machine doesn't hurt me, it most likely won't hurt you. 

I'll keep you updated on how well this works over the next few weeks (you need to use this every two weeks).  

If you're interested in purchasing one of these systems yourself, I've been given a code that will give you a discount! If you go to silk'n's website www.silkn.com and use the code NOHAIR you'll receive 10% off your purchase of a Silk'n Flash & Go Express system! :) this code expires January 31st, 2015 so use it quickly if you are interested! 

Thank you for reading! Please let me know if you or anyone you know has tried this and how they thought it worked! 

<3 Riley

Lash Extensions! My Thoughts♥

Eyelash Extensions!

I love them!

Hello Lovelies ♥

I thought that I would write a post about when I had my eyelash extensions put on & how I liked them!  I decided to get eyelash extensions after watching youtube videos by Alexandrea Garza.  She sold me on them!

I got on yelp and tried to find the best price for the best quality I could find.  I found a woman with very good reviews who would do it for $40.  This was for synthetic lashes and their application.

I have pretty light hair naturally, and have pretty light colored eyelashes.  They're not particularly long, but considering my genetics, are skyscrapers of lashes.

The process begins with the esthetician taping down the lower lashes, so that your top and bottoms don't get glued together.  They only put lashes on the top.  She applied each lash, one at a time.  It takes a long time, but I'm blanking on the length.  A lot of people fall asleep during this, but I counted songs to try and help the time go by.  It doesn't hurt at all.  It just feels like someone lightly touching your eyelashes, nothing mroe.

This was my after.  I asked for dramatic and full lashes.  They were so beautiful.  You can't get them wet for at least the first day to try and keep the glue working.

While you have them on, you're supposed to try and avoid eye makeup, especially mascara.  Mascara is pretty much a no-go unless you have a VERY special event. Honestly, these lashes are so beautiful and dark, you don't need mascara.

While I had them on I think I only put on eye makeup once or twice.  I found I really didn't need it on with the lashes.  They were dramatic enough on their own.  

Closer side by side.

I know it's hard to tell from those pictures, so I'm including more of me out and about.  

This is me with my Grandlittle [left] and Little [middle].

Big and I at Farrell's for my Grandlittle's Birthday!

This is a really weird picture of me, but here I am with our giant peep cake we made for Easter!

At Disneyland with one of my besties! Only wearing face makeup and a little lip gloss here.

Big and I at Disneyland :]

This picture was one of the first I took after getting my lashes done.  I took it on snapchat, which explains the weird filter :p

You cannot sleep on your face, or side of your face with these on.  You have to keep your face pointed up while you sleep, which was very hard for me.  I tended to sleep on one side more than the other, and those lashes tilted a bit, which wasn't quite so great.  

You also have to take a great bit of caution when washing your face and showering.  You can't scrub your face like usual, because you have to take great caution with your eyes.

Overall, I LOVE having lashes.  It's been a while, but I'm planning on getting more done in a bit, closer to my birthday in October! ♥

♥Riley

P.S.  What are your thoughts on lash extensions? Have you had them? Are you interested in getting them? :]

I Bought a Car! ♥

Hello Lovelies!♥

Just a bit of news I wanted to write about!

My boyfriend and I bought a new car! A Kia Forte EX GDI.♥

After years and years of driving decrepit old cars that did nothing but break down on me and leave me stranded, I finally have something reliable, safe, and brand new.

The first car I ever drove was a Ford Thunderbird....and it was not cute.  I often compared driving it to driving a boat.  It was huge and really low to the ground.  The car was a mess honestly.

On New Year's my mom decided that she wanted to drive the Thunderbird, and I got the Mustang.  More specifically, it was a 1989 v8 Ford Mustang convertible with a 5.0 something something.  It's all fancy to talk about to people who know cars, but to me it was just the beast that left me stranded more times than I could count.  Only the passenger window rolled down, the battery had a temper, the whole thing smelled like cigarettes, & nicotine rained down on me every time the sky did.  It was not air tight nor water tight, and had the touchiest gas pedal you've ever felt.  I named it the Go-stang, because it drove more like a go-kart, and I loved it.

Last year around this time, I was given my grandma's 2002 Mitsubishi Montero as a hand-me-down.  I was overjoyed.  Sure, it took a lot of gas, but so did the Mustang!  It was high off the ground and a lot of fun to drive.  It felt safe.  It was ruby red with a tan leather interior.  It burned oil like no other.  Soon I realized the mustang was probably twice as fuel efficient as the Montero.  It's brakes started to give out.  Some part flew off of it and left me on the side of the road.  The brakes got much much worse & would often be delayed by 5 seconds before they would start working.  It turns out it had some magical part Mitsubishi only put in the 2012 model, and cost loads to fix.  We didn't know what to do, but every time I stepped in that car it got more dangerous.

One of my friends brought up the possibility of leasing a pre-owned car.  My boyfriend Dave and I decided to go check out the sales from the holiday weekend.  One thing led to another and we ended up buying a new car!

I LOVE IT!

I never thought I'd get a Kia, but I love it soooo much.  It's the greatest car!

This was the first picture I sent after signing the papers.  A picture of my new key that I sent to my best friend!

We went home to show it off and to get help taking the old car back.  I showed my whole family, except my dad, who was at work.  I sent him this picture so he knew what was up!

Get ready, a lot more pictures of my car are coming :p

I fell in love with the graphite color, which was only available on the EX GDI model of the Kia Forte.  We decided to go with this model because of the color, as well as other features.  It has a bigger, better engine.  It has a back-up camera.  It has better seats and a lot of little differences in the looks of it.  It also has the low profile tires.

I. Love. This. Car.

Such a low odometer reading! ♥

Dave and I with the new baby.  This was the first picture I put up of it.  We bought it together and it was important to me that we were both in it.  Dave doesn't drive, which is his own choice.  We drive everywhere together, and I drop him off at work before driving to mine.  We are a one car family.

One thing I have noticed, is that family and friends think Dave bought this car for me, or he bought it and I just drive it.  They don't seem to think I contribute at all to it. Sure, Dave makes more money than me, but we bought this car together. It's ours. Both of our names are on all of the information for it.

I just had to share!

♥Riley

P.S. What kind of car do you drive? What is your dream car? :]

Let's try this again....

Hello Friends!

It's been a long summer.....& one without posting.  Let's just consider that my summer break, and blogging is back in session!  Okay, no promises....but I really am going to try and put more effort into this whole thing.

My summer has been.....eventful.  I am a homebody.  I love staying at home and doing stuff around town.  I like traveling but I don't do much of it.  That being said, this summer has been out of the ordinary.  I went and visited my cousin in Portland, OR, drove to San Diego, CA, and went to Vegas, NV three times!  This is unheard of for me!  Would you guys like to read posts on any of these trips? Let me know :]

I now have worked at my job just shy of two years.  I like the work alright, but it isn't a dream job for anyone.  I work at a dialysis center as an assistant biller.  Lately I've been having trouble with a co-worker.  It's been a little over two months of this & I think it might finally be getting better....except every time I think that - it gets worse.  Needless to say, I'm looking for work.  I feel like I'm on the verge of getting more responsibilities, but I don't want to get trapped in one line of work, or one business.  

Anyways, I'm excited to start blogging again!  I have loads of Erin Condren planner spreads to share, and lots of months of ipsy, Birchbox, and Boxycharm subscription boxes.  I'm also a bridesmaid in a wedding I've already made quite a bit of things for, so I can upload some DIY's for you all too!

That's it for this post or I'm just going to start rambling!
♥Riley 

Erin Condren: March 2015 Planner Spreads

Hello Friends!

I have become so over the top obsessed with Erin Condren planners!

I received my planner at the end of March, beginning of April.  I decided to go back into earlier weekly spreads so that I could decorate those as well.  

Here is my spread for March 16th-22nd.

I used washi tape and stickers for everything!

I decided to only use green washis to fully emphasize St. Patrick's Day and the surrounding weeks. 

The washi tapes were from Michael's.  The stickers were from a friend!

For the 17th, I decided to do it up big with green details, especially because I didn't have many things to write! 

I used three pieces of washi for the morning section, with a little thin washi surrounding it.  The middle section is a post-it from the Target dollar spot that I cut to fit and added some adhesive to.  The third section is more washi!

The 18th has a little piece of washi that I cut the sides to look more like a pennant.

This spread is really similar to the other side.  I didn't add too much to the days because the washis are very bright and I wanted them to be the focal point.  Then I added some flower details to give it a little extra color!  

Here is the previous week's spread!

I kept with the green detail but took it a different way.

I added the washi directly to the morning, day, and night spreads.  I then wrote the details of my day under the washi.

Here is the other spread with an added detail.

Anyways, I plan on doing a lot more of these blog posts for these spreads soon!  I have so much fun making them that I want to share them!  I also love seeing other people's spreads!

If you are interested in getting an Erin Condren planner of your own, here is a coupon for $10 off!

https://www.erincondren.com/referral/invite/rileyliebel1014 

I'd love to see spreads you guys have made!

♥Riley :]

Boxycharm Opening: March 2014

Hey there friends!

I recently received the March 2014 Boxycharm subscription box & I thought I'd do a quick unboxing and first thoughts post for you guys :]

Here's the unopened box! I really like Boxycharm's packaging.  It's simple and cute!

The theme for this month is "lucky charm"!  I think this is just adorable! It's got a really cute poem on it, but it implies the box will have gold and green items, which it definitely does not.  It's more of a orangey-pink box!

I love that Boxycharm does a breakdown of the items with information on how to use the products and the prices.  It really is super helpful!

The items in this box total to $112! The box only costs $21 a month, so this is $91 extra!

First item! Tarte Lipsurgence Natural Lip Tint in the color Charmed!

I have tons of these little guys thanks to my mom and a Sephora Christmas bundle! ;] They are some of my favorite things to wear on my lips.  Ultra hydrating and a bit of a stain that lasts all day!

This is what it looks like on a girl wearing no makeup and suffering from allergies! LOL >.< 

It's a nice subtle pinky color that makes me look a little less pale and a lot healthier!

[If any of you are wondering, I just got eyelash extensions!]

Guess I could've opened it for you guys.....-_-

Anyways, this is the Previse Nurtify Skin Type 1-6 Universal Tonic!  I probably needed one of these guys thanks to how dry my skin is!

This next product is the Oscar Blandi Hair Lift Thickening & Strengthening Mousse!

I've been getting more and more into big hair, so I can't wait to try this out!

OFRA Eyeliner in Coffee Bean!

I actually REALLY needed a brown eyeliner, so I cannot wait to use this!

It goes on really smooth! I have an OFRA eyebrow pencil that I ADORE so I'm sure this will just be the bee's knees!

Last but not least is this LVX Nail Lacquer, which I believe is in the color Deco.  What I love about this color is that it's perfect for spring, but I would've never bought it for myself!  

This is after two coats!  It's really vivid in person and it loses that in pictures.  I love this color! I usually am not a salmon girl but I'm going to rock this all spring!!

All in all this was an awesome box! It ranged over all kinds of beauty, nails to eyes, lips to hair! I'm actually really excited to try these and there's nothing I just feel so-so about!

Great job Boxycharm!

♥Riley

P.S. Thinking about joining  Boxycharm? ;]

My New Erin Condren Obsession!

Hey there friends!

So.....

I have a new addiction.

How I prevented myself before from falling into the never ending shopping spree that comes with owning an Erin Condren planner is beyond me....

But I've caught the bug! 

A couple weeks ago my water spilled all over my bag.  It ruined my old planner.  This was a travesty.  But! I thought that this had to be a sign from God herself [All Hail Martha!] to break down and finally buy a real Erin Condren planner.  

I chose to buy the classic sea life planner in navy. & I LOVE IT.  I had it personalized to have my name written on it!  I cannot wait for it to get here! But it takes sooo long.  I also ordered a carry all clutch in scales.  Because these two items cost so much, I was able to get the Sun kind of wonderful tank for free!  I ordered them the 13th and they still haven't shipped but I think they will ship later this week!

Anyways, my friend is getting married in November and she asked me to be one of her bridesmaids! I decided to get her a wedding planner from Erin Condren, since we both are obsessed.  Neither of us have ever had a planner so fancy & I cannot wait to give her hers! She doesn't know that I bought it for her & it's going to be such a surprise.

I'll post pictures of my planner and case as soon as I receive them in the mail! 

I made an unboxing video for when I received the wedding planner :]  It's the first one I've ever made, so I hope it isn't too bad :)

I go into detail about opening the items I received that would just take too long to type!  

I'll post another video like this when I get my own planner!

I have also started collecting loads of items from Michael's, Joann's & Walmart, and am hoping to do a haul for it soon!

♥Riley

P.S.  If you're interested in getting your own Erin Condren planner, click the link! :]

https://www.erincondren.com/referral/invite/rileyliebel1014

Influenster's Dessange Vox Box

Hello All! 

I got another Influenster VoxBox!  This time the products sent to me for testing purposes were from Dessange Paris!

They sent me the California Blonde collection, which included a shampoo, a conditioner, and a CC cream, which was meant to help with color correction.

To be honest when I first got this box I had doubts.  I've gotten hair care product samples in boxes like these before and they are pretty hit or miss.

Also, since I've started coloring my hair again, I don't want to mistreat it anymore than I already am.  Just because a product is "color safe" doesn't mean it's actually good for the hair.  

The outside of the box wasn't too special, but this is what the inside looked like!

Here are the products I received!  Illuminating Shampoo, Illuminating Conditioner, and Brass Color Correction Creme.

The bottle for the shampoo reads, "This brightening shampoo gently cleanses and nourishes hair to enhance shine, color radiance and softness."

"This ultra-nourishing conditioner wraps hair with moisture from root to tip, smoothing and taming dry, unruly strands."

"A weekly in-shower treatment formulated with Linseed oil and blue pigments to neutralize brassiness and nourish the hair."

This is the CC creme out of the box.  The bottle is super odd, but I quite like it!  I think the opening of mine might be broken but it still works fine, it just doesn't seem like that's how they would want it to work.  

I have never seen a blue color corrector before.  It's kinda fun to use in the shower though! It makes everything blue which is really interesting.  I don't usually use color correctors.  My hairdresser tells me that I'm lucky because my hair doesn't get brassy, so this is a product I wouldn't usually buy.

I've had products before with passion flower extracts and really liked them, so I hoped that I would like these!

The first time I used these products, I was really unsure about the smell.  I didn't really care for it and thought it was strange.  The second time I used it I actually liked the smell quite a bit.

I like the feeling of these products in my hair! After my showers my hair is very clean feeling and I really like the color of my blonde.  I am actually really happy that I received these products for testing purposes.  They make my hair feel really nice and I like the smell.  The bottles are pretty as well!

I would rate this voxbox 5/5!  I loved the products I received and would recommend them to others!

I do have one concern however.  The insert in the box makes it sound like I should have received 4 products instead of 3.  I did not receive the "Illuminating Elixir".  This is fine, but it just seems like it should have been in there.

This was before I went to NASCAR!

I don't know if I'll repurchase these in the future yet, as I haven't been using them very long, but for the time being they are my preferred hair regimen!

♥Riley

P.S. Interested in joining Influenster?  You should! I receive products for testing at not cost to me, all of the time! Send me your email and I'll invite you! :]

New Etsy Items!

Hello Lovelies!

I have some new Etsy items posted!  I am getting into making keychains! 

I love making plushies but I've found that keychains are a bit more functional!

So far I have some based on the Gameboy Color, but will have some Pokemon themed keychains up very soon!

Please go visit my Etsy page and check them out!  

Also, feel free to leave your opinions here, I'd love to hear your view point!

♥Riley

P.S. Do you have any ideas of felty keychains I should make? Which Pokemon would you like to see? :] 

P.P.S. Have a great day!

Marimo Love: Housing!

Hello Lovelies!

I've decided to just make this an ongoing thing, since it's easiest to write about stuff you care about!

[If you want to read my earlier post where I went into detail about these marimos click here.]

My Marimos are being shipped to me now! I was way too excited to wait for them to be here, and made a quick trip to Michael's to get their housing situated!

I bought everything I could think of to make my own version of the cute little Marimo tanks I had seen on Etsy, YouTube, and other websites.  

Here's what I bought:

• "Stone granules", which is basically just sand only slightly thicker, in a light tan color
• Seashells
• A Wreath made of sticks
• Two spools of ribbon
• Four glass jars

 In total it was about $13, but could have been a lot less if I had used items I already have around my house.

Here is a picture of the "Stone Granules".  It came with way more than I needed.  I made four little dwellings and only used about half.

Here are the seashells and the little wreath.  To be honest I do not know what it is made of.

I bought two spools of ribbon because they were only 50 cents a piece!

My four little glass jars.

Step two, after acquiring everything, would be to wash EVERYTHING.  Something is going to be living with this stuff, so you want it clean!

Washing the glass and shells...

Step 3:  Add the sand or stone, or whatever you have for the base of your "tank".  If you don't have a base, skip this step! :]

Adding some stone granules to more of my jars...

Step 4:  Add the shells and any other decorations you may have!

I'm still not sure if this stuff is safe but I only added a bit to each tank.  I cut the twine holding it together and started to unravel it.

This is what the unraveling looked like.

This is my set up for another tank!

View from the top.

This is the first one I set up.  I LOVE how this one turned out!

This one is going to be a present for my cousin! I love the little jar it is in!

This is what my finished jar looks like, with the exception of water :]

The heart present jar!

The largest jar :]

I love the ribbon on this one....it reminds me of the bows my grandma used to tie into my pig tails when I was a little girl!

My favorite one! 

I love love love how doing these myself turned out.  I'm so excited for the little marimos to get here!

I put water in these tanks, but chose to use bottled water.  I've read that you can use tap water, but that it's a lot better to use filtered water!

♥Riley

P.S.  Show me your marimo tanks! I'd love to see them!