Paris Beauty Haul!

I have just returned from my 16 day honeymoon in Paris and I am going to be 100% honest with you when I say, I did NOT want to return home. I fell in love with the city and our neighborhood (Montmarte, we were living in our own personal Amelie movie!) and the lovely Parisian people. Everyone was kind to us, even when our French was terrible. But we tried and my French got better and better the more I practiced. I have pretty decent enunciation and the ability to accurately copy vocal sounds/placement, due to the fact that I sing classical music professionally, so sometimes, people thought that I did actually speak fluent French, until I started to look confused. Next time we go, my French will be much better.

My first order of business was to visit the Mothership of all Sephora Stores, the Champs-Élysées store. This is a HUGE store. Every beauty brand you could think of was in there...including Chanel and Mac for some reason. Half the store is dedicated to perfumes! It was crazy! The first thing I ran into was the By Terry display. By Terry is a luxury brand that I think you can buy at high-end department stores in the US, but not at Sephora. The By Terry Representative put the Hyaluronic Hydra Powder on my hand and I fell in love. The feeling of it was like...the softest baby's butt you've ever touched and it magically blurred out all of the imperfections on my skin. I walked around the store pretending to "think about it", but truthfully, she had already sold me that powder. I bought it and she gave me a few samples as well. It was about €44 which I think is a little cheaper than what you can get it for in the States, but this is still an expensive powder. 

It is basically a finishing powder, similar to the Nars Light Reflecting Setting Powder. I've personally never used that, but I have used the Makeup Forever version of this product and the By Terry powder is superior in my opinion. It is a product I believe you will probably only have to purchase once a year at the most because you only need a teeny tiny amount on your brush and you get a ton of product in the jar. The powder will look very white when you put it on your face initially, but will adjust to your skin tone and make your face look flawless. It is WELL worth it. If you are in Paris and are looking to buy this product, pick it up while you are here and save yourself a few bucks.

Sephora has been sold out of the YSL Tint-in-Oil in a few shades for a while. I walked by Marionnaud (which is a French beauty product store, like Ulta) and I was able to purchase two of the colors (No 5 and No 8, which are Red and Pink respectively) for about the same price (maybe a dollar more) and I got a free YSL mascara and a BUTTLOAD of samples, including the YSL Babydoll Mascara which I like very much! It is the first YSL Mascara I've tried and I'm very impressed. The mascara I got free with my purchase was the Faux Cils Shocking, which has mixed reviews on the Sephora website. I'll update after I've tried it. 

I also had to purchase some Bioderma. I mean...come on! I was in Paris and there were pharmacies everywhere! Spoiler alert: This stuff is incredible and lives up to all the hype. I've tried the Sephora micellar water and it's okay, but Bioderma blows that stuff out of the water. It doesn't smell like anything and it takes EVERYTHING OFF. If you are in Paris...STOCK UP ON THIS. I bought a back up, but I'll be sad when it runs out.

I also purchased the Roger and Gallet Rose Shower Cream because I ran out of my shower gel while I was in Paris. I absolutely fell in LOVE with this stuff! You can't buy it in the US at a store, but you can get it on Amazon for a plumped up price. I purchased a backup of this and I will cry when it's done. 

I got two Bourjois cream-to-powder eyeshadows from Monop' Beauty, which was down the street from our Paris apartment. They look pretty cool, but I haven't used them yet. But the colors are so pretty!

Lastly, I purchased the Nuxe Rêve de Miel lip balm in the pot. It smells amazing. Feels good. Is going to last forever. I've been using this at night and it's great. The texture is a little strange and it takes some getting used to, but it's VERY moisturizing if used as a nightly balm treatment. You can get it on Amazon for $19, but if you are in Paris, you should get it there for €9 or €10. Seriously. 

I also purchased a backup of my Caudalié Beauty Elixir because it was €8 or something. Compared to $18, this is a STEAL. Get in my bag! I'm still not sure what this does, but it's amazing.

I was super excited to score some beauty products while I was in France! I brought back a few home things and coffee as well! What are your favorite European beauty products?

Ten Beauty Truths I've Learned the Hard Way

In the past 9 months, my makeup collection has gone from rather modest to this:

I'm equal amounts proud and ashamed. I have spent a lot of my hard earned money on face paint, but I have enjoyed every second spent making up at this vanity. There's nothing I love more than getting ready here and playing with all of the treasures and things I have collected. I really do use everything in this space. In my adventures becoming a "Beauty Girl"...here are some things I have learned about taking care of your face and making yourself up.

1. Your Tools are Everything: The right brushes and applicators can make a heck of a difference in applying your makeup. You don't need expensive brushes (you can buy some really cool ones at the drugstore and at Target. Hello? Some are crap, but a few are really great) and you don't need a Beauty Blender (if you want to buy one, more power to you, but it's a $20 sponge.) Even your finger can be the right tool in a given situation. Your tools can make a difference between a great makeup application and one that looks not your best. And while we're at it...

2. Wash Your Brushes (and your hands...and ALL your tools!): Listen to me and listen good. If you're new to makeup and haven't used it very much...TRUST ME ON THIS ONE: Wash and sanitize all your makeup tools. I keep a spray bottle of alcohol at my vanity to sanitize things like my eyelash comb, etc. Every time you touch your brush to your product and then touch your brush to your face, you're depositing a little bit of oil, dirt and dead skin cells from your face, moisturizer and what else was on your face onto your brush...your innocent clean brush. Don't want to clean your brushes after each use? Fine; You're opening up your poor facial epidermis to clogged pores, acne, blackheads, whiteheads...you name it.

TRUST ME. Buy a spray-on brush cleaner and wash them at your vanity or your makeup area daily AND give them a deep clean maybe every two weeks? Every week ideally. Don't listen to me and make your skin breakout. You don't need anything fancy to wash them with...some baby shampoo will do just fine. No, it's not fun to deep clean them. Sorry. But it needs to be done if you want your face to be beautiful.

Don't know how to do it? Read how here:

• http://www.xojane.com/beauty/makeup-brush-washing-tips
• http://laurenconrad.com/blog/2013/06/beauty-school-how-to-clean-your-makeup-brushes-tips-tricks-ilana-saul-june-2013/

By the way, this applies to your fingers and any other non-brush tools that touch your face too. Always touch your face only with clean fingers.

3. Wash Your Makeup Off Your Face Every Night...ALWAYS
Need to go to bed? Tired? Wash your face. Drunk? Wash your face. Not doing this has the same consequence as applying your makeup with dirty brushes. This is a way of being...

4. Be Kind To Your Skin
Because I have oily skin, I have been treating it like it needed to be punished. I have been using pretty harsh cleaners to try and strip the oil and completely dry my face out before applying my oil-free moisturizer. I have also been scrubbing the living daylights out of my face. Everyone loves a good exfoliation, but if you treat your skin as if it's "sensitive" skin...it will like you much better. Use a gentle cleanser that doesn't strip your skin and make it feel tight and make sure it gets adequately moisturized. I used to think that "tight, squeaky clean feeling" meant that my oily skin was really clean, but I really just didn't hear my little skin cells screaming. Be kind to your face. It's the only face you have...treat it well.

5. Products Expire
Admittedly, powder products last the longest, but all of your products that you use on your face have a shelf-life. Mascaras last the least amount of time. If it smells, throw it in the trash, no matter how much you paid for it. Also...in case you didn't know...a lot of beauty products come with a little "Best Used after Opening" symbol on the packaging that looks like this:

The M stands for months. It's a guideline of course...if you take care of your products (especially your eyeshadows and blushes) you can probably safely use them for longer. But be careful with products that you are putting on your eyes...mascara and eyeliner are particularly hairy. Replace these often.

6. Apply All Your Powders With A Brush
You know that little sponge all your pressed powders come with? That little round one or square one that comes in the compact? Go get it right now and throw it in the trash. You heard me: THROW IT IN THE TRASH. Applying your pressed powder or whatever with that thing can make your powder look cakey but more than anything...it's gross. It's the same as using an unwashed brush...plus, the oils on your face contaminate the sponge, you put the sponge back on top of your powder and then your powder gets oil and grossness in it. I've had several pressed powders that have had their lifespans shortened by oily sponges. Let's take a moment to weep over the money I lost buying new pressed powders.

Don't use this sponge!

7. Making Up Takes Practice
Liquid Eyeliner? You need to practice that. Gel Eyeliner? You need to practice that too. Perfect blush? Take your brush and give it a go! Know this...you are not going to be good at everything right away. I am still struggling with eyeshadow and blending and all that, but I'm a hell of a lot better than I was 6 months ago. Put on your eyeliner and looks like crap? Grab some remover, take it off and try again. That's the great part about makeup. You messed up? You ALWAYS get a do over. When to practice? Before bed! You're going to wash it off anyway...right? RIGHT? (Do you need to read number 3 again?!)

8. Serum Is Actually Worth Using
I have been in a box all my life...wash your face, put on moisturizer. Done. All the sudden, these serums started getting popular and I am like, "Why do I need to add another step to my skincare routine? When I'm ready for bed, I can barely get it together to wash my face."

Stop: About a month ago, I started using a Vitamin C serum and my skin has been in a good mood ever since. Coincidence? I think not. My skin looks brighter, smoother and is less prone to breakouts. Can't stop, won't stop. Yes, it's a pain in the ass to put on the serum after I cleanse and before my moisturizer, but it's worth it. It's not a dumb fad, it's not a craze, it's legitimately beneficial for your skin to apply topical Vitamin C and other things like hyaluronic acid in the form of a serum. Consider one.

My current favorite serum! Thank you Boxycharm! 

9. Good Quality Makeup is Everywhere
If you haven't shopped for cosmetics at the drugstore since the '90s, you will be shocked. Drugstore brands have stepped up their game. You don't have to spend a lot of money to look pretty. Some of my favorite products are from the drugstore. Although the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara is pretty much my favorite, I happen to think L'Oreal mascaras are to die for and can compete with high-end brands any day. Wet N' Wild and E.L.F. also make fabulous affordable products that you can buy at the drugstore. Not saying you shouldn't buy Urban Decay or Dior...just saying you don't have to spend a million dollars to look like a million dollars. Product quality varies in EVERY BRAND from color-to-color/product-to-product. Just read some reviews and try things out. You may like a $2 lipstick more than a $30 one...or vice versa. Don't be a snob and don't be closed minded. After all...life is funny. L'Oreal owns the YSL Cosmetics line...hmmm...

10. A Primer is Actually Worthwhile
Just as you may put a primer on a wall before you paint it, a primer is a worthwhile step if you want your makeup to last or to get the biggest color payoff from eyeshadow. The primers you can put under your foundation or wear alone can smooth your skin's texture and place a barrier between your skin and your foundation. Eyeshadow primers (or a base) allow colors to appear more vibrantly and last longer. It's worth it.

So there you have it! Those are the 10 hard lessons I've learned the hard way this year. Do you have any more you can think of? Do you agree or disagree? Let me know!

Big Problems During the Sephora VIB Sale!

Admittedly, I only started really shopping at Sephora this year. I've had a Beauty Insider Account (which, for those who don't know, is a point-based loyalty problem) for a while, but I just hadn't really been shopping there until this year when I threw away a bunch of old makeup and started buying high-quality replacements. There are three levels of membership, based on how much money you spend at the store over the calendar year. The next level is VIB and then VIB Rouge. I went a little crazy and reached VIB Rouge about a month ago. It's exciting when you reach that level because they give you a Bite Lipstick. If you've never tried a Bite Lipstick, then you don't know what you're missing. It's extremely smooth and long wearing...but I digress.

It's my impression that once a year, Sephora extends a 20% off discount to VIB and VIB Rouge customers. I was very thrilled to get the notification in my email about the sale and the event (which, because of a rehearsal, I was unable to attend), which was supposed to begin yesterday the 6th and end the 10th. Being the beauty junkie that I am, I filled my cart up with goodies that I would only really want to buy if I got a discount on it. I think, in total, I had 8 things in my cart. Sadly, the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush Palette sold out the day before the sale. SAD! I deleted it from my cart and decided I would try and find it in a store. All I wanted to do was click the checkout button when the sale started and I was going to be good to go. Even though I live near several Sephora stores, I like to shop online because of the mobile offers and/or Ebates. com. I logged on to the Sephora App on my phone, and then this happened:

High Traffic? Wow...amazing. Everyone else must be excited about the VIB sale too! I waited several hours to log back in and got the same message. So, the website and app were officially CRASHED. The website and app were crashed during the most anticipated sale of the year.

When I first learned of this, I thought I would wait it out because I love to shop online, but then it was down for HOURS. By 10am yesterday, I decided that I would just drop by the Boston Sephora store before a rehearsal and try to remember all the items that were in my cart. I honestly was having a hard time, but I managed to snag nearly everything that was in my virtual cart, save one item. I even snagged a Tarte Pinup Girl Amazonian Clay Blush Palette, which was completely sold out online. You can't even view the product on the website anymore.

The sales associates didn't seem to really notice that the website was down when I talked with them about it, but all of them were nice and helpful. I was very thrilled to receive my first 500 point bonus which was a little Urban Decay eye set with four beautiful little eyeshadows and a 24/7 black eyeliner  and a super lame sample of primer potion. I'm a little pissed they adhered the sample to the stupid box, but I guess it's nothing a pair of scissors can't cure. I haven't tried this yet, but the colors look pretty neutral.

The bottom line, is that it's now (as I'm writing this) November 7th at 10am and the site is still down for most customers. Even worse, there is some bug in the system (I am guessing this because I can't imagine a major company would do this on purpose) that is locking the accounts of some customers who use an email address from some Chinese servers, such as qq.com and 126.com. The accounts are not only being locked, but the system is giving those customers the reason for locking as some sort of "Violation of Policy" such as reselling, etc. From what I am reading on the Sephora Facebook Page, store associates have not been very helpful regarding this error and neither has the "Beauty Concierge" via the phone. Sephora PR has been less than responsive regarding this whole blunder, with one Twitter post 20 hours ago apologizing for their website being down. They have been replying to tweets in response to the craziness, but there has been no mention of the Chinese email blunder or any mention of how they are going to attempt to make disappointed customers happy.

I feel for them, because there is a major dropping of the ball here from their IT Department and their PR department. A major retailer's website being dysfunctional for over 24 hours during its major promotion is pretty unacceptable. It hurts me a little to say that because I do love Sephora, but I am shocked that the way this situation is being handled. What do you think? Have you tried to unsuccessfully place an order? Have you gone to the store instead? What are your experiences with the "Beauty Concierge"?

Product Review: Stila Eyes Are The Windows Palette (Spirit)

Confession Time: I love eyeshadow. Shocker. I know. I have a weakness when it comes to them because it's the only place on your face you can completely be a nut. Usually, we wear colors on our face that enhance a color that could actually happen: Your lips could be a pretty pink, when you are flushed, your cheeks will fill with color, you enhance the black in your eyelashes with mascara, and your natural brow color with brow gels and pencils and powders...

But could your eyelids be green? Maybe if you had some strange disorder, but most likely, no. You can be completely unrealistic when it comes to your eyelids and color and that's why it's fun. I happened upon the Stila Eyes Are The Windows Palettes in the store at Sephora and I just had to go and play with them. I fell in love and left the store.

This is my policy.

If I see something I like, I leave it there and wait to see if I want it the next day. Well, the next day...

Even though it was a ridiculous $49, I went back for the Spirit Palette. The colors were too pretty when I swatched them on my hand and Stila's best-selling shade Kitten was in there. I could not resist. These palettes were created as a celebration of Stila Cosmetics' 20th Anniversary which is super cool! The other palettes are Mind, Soul and Body. Spirit had the colors I was most attracted to. The packaging is beautiful. It's rose gold (so is the band on my engagement ring, so I am partial) and very shiny. It's not super heavy, but it's a lovely quality packaging and the palette opens and closes with a magnetic closure. When you open it...it's breathtaking. And it comes with a ginormous mirror. 

Here are the swatches on my arm...this is where it starts to get disappointing...

Brush Swatches, No Primer

Finger Swatches with Primer

As you can see, the pigmentation is not that great even though the darker colors are nicely pigmented. The colors are densely packed and a slightly powdery texture, not a buttery texture that you get with some other brands. When I had my brush in the palette, I had to really get in there and powder got all over the pan. However, even though the colors are pretty sheer, they are buildable and you can apply more product to get a more intense color. They blend very well and they are fun to play with, but you have to really get in there with your brush and grab product.

The Verdict? Is this worth $49? Not really? The packaging is gorgeous, but you will get your fingerprints all over it. If you're looking for a super high quality palette, both Urban Decay and Too Faced make beautiful shadow palettes. If you have $49 to spend and you want to try it, go ahead! It's a gorgeous palette and perhaps it would make a great first palette for a beginner, as it's impossible to be heavy-handed with the colors here.

I'll personally be keeping it, as I enjoy it, but it's not worth the $49 pricepoint in my opinion. But, there's no doubt that it's beautiful and I finally have a Kitten Shadow! Anyone else tried any of these new Stila palettes?

Vacation Luxuries for your inner Princess

Sometimes, there are crazy things you by from Sephora and you don't know why you spent that much on a single product. It doesn't make sense, it's probably not worth it and you probably didn't need it. But when I am on vacation, I like to have crazy, unreasonably-priced luxuries to make me feel like I'm royalty at my home away from home. Here are some of the crazy things I've brought with me on my beach vacation.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir: My friend Sara turned me on to this stuff and I'm not even sure what this does. On the Caudalie Website, it says it gives you a glow, minimizes your pores and sets your makeup. I'm not sure I believe all of that nonsense, but you know what it DOES do? It smells amazing and it feels amazing on your face when you spray it. It's got a rosemary, floral sort of smell and a slight tingle when you spray it on your face (eyes closed of course). This stuff is $49 for the full-size and I'm not even sure what it is. But you can buy a small little tiny size at Sephora for $18, which is just as stupid, but less of a sting on the wallet and was a perfect size for my purse. It's steamy and humid at the beach here and this has been so amazing in the middle of the day when my face is kind of feeling gross and hot. If you have money burning a hole in your pocket and you're vacationing somewhere hot, pick it up and treat yourself.

Ole Hendriksen Grease Relief Cleansing Cloths: I am super into cleansing cloths. Maybe because I'm lazy. My current favorite are the Yes to Cucumbers wipes for sensitive skin. I don't have sensitive skin necessarily, but for some reason, I love these wipes. They smell faintly of cucumber and they get your makeup off mostly. I had heard a lot of buzz in the beauty community about these (Ole Hendriksen) brand of cleansing wipes. I couldn't imagine that a stupid face wipe could be so amazing. I saw the little 10-count sample at the checkout at Sephora for $8. So it's $0.80 for each of these stupid face wipes, which is INSANE. But...

They are amazing. They feel amazing on your skin, they smell fantastic and they have a cool side with bumps on it that exfoliates your skin. I have oily skin and I enjoy anything that reduces the amount of grease and crap on my face and the fact that these wipes have AHA's in them is a huge plus for me. They leave my skin feeling clean, refreshed and smelling fantastic. The 30-count is a $15 which is a little more reasonable at $0.50 a wipe. I think I will definitely be going back for the big size, but maybe I can't buy them all the time. I don't use these to remove eye makeup (I use Clinique Take the Day Off Remover), it just takes off my blush and face powder and primer.

SUPERGOOP! Sun-Defying Sunscreen Oil: Sunscreen Oil, eh? Sure. I was attracted to this product initially because as a darker-skinned person, I didn't enjoy the blue-ish white cast that creamy sunscreens leave on my skin. Maybe I'm vain, but I think it looks really terrible. This product seemed like a good alternative because it was an oil. I initially didn't think an oil could really protect you from the sun because I believed that white-cast was coming from whatever chemical was keeping you from getting sunburned, but I took a chance on it anyway. It's $10 for a 1-ounce spray of this. That CRAZY. But I was going on vacation and this was a chance to be luxurious and treat myself like a princess. Well, I really love this product. It's waterproof up to 80 minutes and it feels really good going on your skin. Not greasy, but silky. I was out playing golf on a hot, sunny day and I did not get burned.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15: This is the most ridiculously expensive lip balm ever. It's $22.50 for a full-size, which is nuts because you only get 0.15oz worth of product. However, this is the best lip balm I've ever used. It goes on remarkably smooth and is incredibly moisturizing and the colors are usually very pretty. I have this balm in at least 5 colors but my favorite is the newest shade, Tulip. It's a pretty, bright pink and it's the perfect MYBB (my lips but better) color. Big ups to Fresh for compelling me to buy an insanely over-priced product in almost every color that they offer.

So, that's it for my ridiculously over-priced vacation luxuries! Are there expensive guilty pleasures that you enjoy? 

August Boxycharm Review!

For those of you who don't know, Boxycharm is a beauty subscription service similar to Birchbox and Ipsy Bag. Once a month for $21, they send you (free shipping!) 4-5 full-sized beauty products. It's a mix of high-end and drugstore, but this is my 4th box and I've only gotten one drugstore item (it was a mascara, which is great.) Boxycharm is my one and only beauty box subscription right now. What initially attracted me to the service is that they are sending full-sized items every time instead of samples. Not that I hate samples, I just think Boxycharm is the best bang for your buck right now. I have been waiting for it with great anticipation this week and now I'll let you know what's in my box! Disclaimer: This post is NOT sponsored by Boxycharm and I do pay for this box and chose to review it on my own for the benefit of my readers only!

Here is the box in upon opening. It's the Beach Babe Box! This is very exciting because in exactly seven days, I will be on the beach! YES. ALL of the products in this box are full-sized.

The first thing I noticed was a Tarina Tarantino lip color in Floriculture which was a really pretty berry color. I was very thrilled to see this in this month's box because in my June box, I also received a product from this line (which was a highlighter). I loved the highlighter, so I was very excited about this lipstick. The packaging is exquisite. It feels very heavy, high quality and has these adorable little crystals on the side. The color is absolutely gorgeous and it felt really soft on my lips and the color was perfect for me. It was a cute berry shade that goes perfect with my complexion and is exactly the shade of lipcolor I usually like to buy.

Verdict: AWESOME. I am not a lipstick girl, but I will be using this! (Retail price: $22)

Next, I saw this Enter Pronoun Blowtorch Bronzer. Enter Pronoun? What the heck? Well, turns out this is a unisex makeup line. Ok, cool. I also noticed that they don't really have a lot going on in terms of amount of products on their website. It looks like right now they are offering some concealers, this bronzer and an eyeliner. It looks like they are a startup or maybe just being cool by only selling 3 products? Who knows. But this bronzer retails for $35. Imagine me doing a Z-snapping motion after I say THIRTY-FIVE DOLLARS. That is like a YSL or Chanel pricepoint, baby!

That being said, the packaging is STUNNING. It's as beautiful as the Tarina Taratino product is and the bronzer seems nice. That being said...I'm not really a user of bronzer. Honestly, I have never even considered using it, especially since I don't see that many women of color reaching for it. But, I'm sure it's great and I'm going to hold on to it and give it a shot.

Verdict: STAY TUNED. I might use this, I might give it to a friend. Who knows. (Retail price: Once again with feeling...$35)

Next was this ModelCo Cheek and Lip Tint in Rosy Red. I've never tried a ModelCo product before. Is it just for models? Is it made by models? In general, I'm a little suspicious of products that are supposed to be for my lips AND cheeks. My first impression is that when I swatched it on my hand, it wasn't just a tint, it was a STAIN. It had a pretty good staining quality and I couldn't wait to try it on my lips. When you rub it it has a strange brick red color and it felt VERY sticky on my lips. When it dried, it felt okay, but in the 10 minutes that it was wet, it was sticky, sticky, sticky! I didn't try it on my cheeks since I was already wearing Tarte cheek stain.

Verdict: NEUTRAL. It's okay. It's a VERY SUBTLE color payoff (which is what it's marketed to be) for a no-makeup, makeup look. I'll use it and see how it goes. (Retail price $22)

Then there was the Ofra Cosmetics Lip liner in Silk. I watched a few YouTubers open their boxes and I appear to be one of the unfortunate ones who got a lip liner instead of a black eyeliner from this company. I got a stupid lip liner in July's box too. This was extremely disappointing.

Verdict: MEH. Who wears lip liner? I'll probably never use this. If anyone wants this, I'd be HAPPY to send it to you. Disclaimer: I did swatch it on my hand once. (Retail price: $13)

Lastly, I got this powder brush from Morphe Brushes. Here it is...

VERDICT: AWESOME. This brush rules! It's as soft as a bunny, feels really high quality and is a nice large size. I'll be using this to try my new bronzer or whatever. I would buy more brushes from this line. (Retail price: $19.99)

Overall, I was extremely pleased with this box! I was rather disappointed by my July box (which also came late), but this box is far more impressive and an extra bonus for including a Tarina Tarantino product! I can't wait until September's box! If you want to subscribe to Boxycharm, please use this link! This is my referral link and if you sign up, I get boxy "charms" which are points to buy full-sized products.