February Sephora Play! Box #591

In case you don't know, Sephora has a monthly subscription box for $10 per month. There is a waitlist, but it seems to open up near the end of every month. February's Sephora Play! box had three variations - mine included the Tarte lip balm, while the other two included either a Nars or Bite Beauty lipstick.

Saturday Reading List

I've been slowly reading through The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, but most recently I'm drooling over this space-saving style of folding clothes. The only issue is that I think I'd have to set aside an entire day to get it done!

The fact that I'm in my mid-20's is started to make me aware of the passing of time in a way I hadn't noticed before. I enjoy making lists and goals (big & small) and I think this list of 25 Things Before I Turn 30 (& Why It's Okay That I Didn't) is great.

I'm starting to plan international travel for the first time since 2009, and in the midst of our current political climate, this post from Adventurous Kate, "For the Love of God, Don't Sew A Canadian Flag on Your Backpack", couldn't have come at a better time.

Jess & I went to a networking event called Girl Geek Dinner this week and left feeling empowered and inspired and ready to ..... kick some metaphorical career butt, or whatever. While the topics are familiar, this list of 3 Things Women Can Make for Career Success is a good reminder.

This article on habit building is a few years old, but it has really inspired me to start deliberately crafting healthy habits. One of my February small goals was to finish a book, which I've done!, so the habit of reading before bed vs. playing on my phone before bed is well underway. I've also picked Duolingo back up to practice my French before my trip to Montreal this summer. Now if only I can force myself into a fitness habit .....

February Ipsy Bag

February's Ipsy bag was a little lackluster compared to other months. The bag was u-g-l-y, in my opinion, but better-constructed than others I've received. I see how most of the items in my bag match my profile & preferences - aside from the bronzer - but there was nothing that I was just super excited to try out. Everything is similar to products I already own - is this a sign that I should cut back on beauty boxes? Probably. Definitely not. 

Lip Hoarder

I recently went through my makeup collection and was simultaneously horrified/impressed to discover that I have about 70 lip products. Do you know how many lipsticks I've used up since I started using makeup in high school? Zero. Now, none of these are that old by any stretch of the imagination. I've been pretty good about doing a seasonal (ok, yearly) sweep of my cosmetics and tossing whatever is expired or that I don't like anymore, but if I'm never using up all my lip colors, why the heck do I keep buying more? New formulas, new colors, new trends? Sure, but how many my-lips-but-better nude shades can a girl have? Or more appropriately, how many should a girl have? 

One of my 2017 goals is to wear every one of my lip products without repeating until I've used them all up. The lip colors pictured above are the ones I've worked through so far! Click through the break for swatches and reviews.

February Allure Beauty Box

This is my third Allure Beauty Box and I think it may be my favorite. I paid $10 with a promo they ran over the holidays, but the products they include are, in my opinion, well-worth the usual $15 per month. Allure includes a good combination of full-size & deluxe sample sizes and the retail value is really satisfying. 

The February 2017 Allure Beauty Box included...

No-Buy Failure

I'm sure this comes as a surprise to no one but my no-buy lasted all of .... oh, ten days? Then suddenly NastyGal is being acquired and marking all of their inventory down, and my poor hair desperately needs a new heat protectant, and I find the perfect striped tee AND I find the dream Madewell sweater dress for <$60 ..... you get the picture. Here are the items I broke my (very brief, very futile) fast on...

February Birchbox

Good morning and happy Sunday! Sunday is my favorite day of the week these days; it's also the only day where I don't have to go to work or school. I usually spend Sunday catching up on housework or working on job projects or doing homework, but for the first few hours, while I'm having my morning coffee, I can just relax. Sitting in my smooshy bed with my smooshy dog, drinking coffee and listening to the Gentle Classical playlist while working on this silly blog is one of my favorite ways to decompress. 

The first two weeks of the month are always full to the brim with subscription boxes - especially when you have a weak month, like my January, and sign up for way too many while good promos are running. The first and most obvious example of this is that I ordered a February Birchbox. I don't even like Birchbox! Though one of the first beauty subscription boxes, BB has really taken a turn for the worst over the past year. I think they're affordable and fun for a few months, but they repeat brands and products regularly so the novelty wears off quickly. With $10/month competitors like Ipsy & Sephora Play!, I just don't think Birchbox measures up. However, if you do want to test it out, you can get your first box for only $5 with this link, and there's no commitment.

New-to-me Box: GlobeIn Club

I tried a new box this month called GlobeIn Club. It's a cheaper, smaller alternative to GlobeIn's Artisan Box, which is $40/month. GlobeIn Club is only $10 a month, but still features a lifestyle items created by artisans in remote parts of the world. The full-size box has themes like "Kitchen" and "Laundry" that you can choose from, but the Club box could contain any number of little lifestyle items from GlobeIn's inventory. 

Wednesday Wishes

current wishlist by abidina 

I may be on a no-buy this month, but by god that certainly doesn't keep me from looking! I feel like February is that awkward in-between month where it's too cold to buy anything for Spring but too close to Winter's end to keep buying more sweaters, scarves, or - in my case - to dip into the velvet trend.

1. H&M Wrapover Dress ($35) - I hate the web styling on this rose velour wrap dress, but it looks so comfortable and dreamy. I love the ugly pink color & the slight bell-sleeve. Does it look too much like a dressing robe?  
2. Abera Crossbody Tote ($178) - Reminiscent of the lust-worthy Madewell Transport Tote, but with an added crossbody strap and magnetic closure. Best of all? It's ethically made!
3. H&M Long-sleeved Tee ($15) - How do I not own a single black & white striped tee? I love the long sleeves and relaxed fit of this one. 
4. Madewell Button-back Sweater Dress ($80) - Caroline from Unfancy keeps posting this black cashmere sweater dress that seems so classic and versatile. This one is more in my price range and seems just as wearable. 
5. ban.do Holographic Lunch Bag ($24) - You know what would help motivate me to pack my lunches every day? This dorky lunch bag to make me feel like a space girl.
6. Hanalei Sugar Lip Scrub ($20) - I've been buying a lip scrub from a local bath shop but it expires well before I'm able to make a dent in it. This has good reviews, so I'd like to check it out, even though I feel like a traitor to the local place! 
7. Madewell Plaid Scarf ($10) - I cannot believe this classic, oversized plaid scarf is still in stock after being marked down to $10! Priya has posted about it a few times so I've been tracking it throughout the holidays - now that it's priced so low, it feels almost foolish not to order it. 

I'm also on the anguishing quest of finding a new foundation. My favorite CC Cream (which I used as foundation) was discon-freaking-tinued and now I don't know where to being. Makeup Forever Ultra HD caked up in my pores, Kiehl's BB Cream was too oily, my Cover FX is slightly too pale, and I just .......... why is finding a proper foundation such a hassle? 

February Book of the Month

A new subscription I signed up for this month is Book of the Month. It's a monthly subscription that sends one hardcover book a month, and you can add on more books for $9.99 (which is awesome considering that most of these are still $20 or more on Amazon). One of my goals for this year is to read more, and I think this subscription will help push me toward that. 

I used flash with these photos, which is why they look so wretched. Please forgive them!

As a new subscriber, I received this canvas tote in addition to my books. :) Click through the break for more info about each book, from the judges who chose them.

Julep & BeautyFix

I'm writing this post as I'm watching one of the doctors in Grey's Anatomy get a c-section without any anesthesia, which is really something. I'm trying to distract myself from that agony with writing this post, which isn't too hard since I am so excited that I ended up getting both of these boxes so early in the month! 

Julep is always one of my favorite, favorite subscription boxes. They only carry their in-house brand, but I have had really great luck with their makeup and skincare, and of course their polishes are beautiful. The monthly box is $25/month or $20/month if you sign up for 3 months at once (this is what I typically choose). You can skip months whenever you want (for as long as you want!) and add on extra products at steep discounts. Everything is always full-sized! I happened to receive sample of the Love Your Bare Face cleansing oil, but that isn't typical.

February Small Goals

So February is here, and I feel .... relieved? I view the past month in a positive light, but there were a lot of stressors and I feel accomplished at having simply made it to February. Let's all hope that those emotions aren't a forecast of what we can expect in 2017 (though with our current President .......).

How did I do on my January Small Goals?

• Use food delivery no more than 5 times. | This one went pretty well. I think I used Postmates exactly 5 times, but I got a bit better at actually going grocery shopping and at saying "no" when I saw those delivery fees pop up. 
• Exercise more & don't cancel classes I sign up for just from chickening out | Well... I didn't cancel any more classes because I didn't sign up for any more classes! I got busy and unfortunately, fitness fell to the wayside in my attempts to balance work and school.
• Start reading before bed instead of scrolling my phone | I got a little better about this, though I definitely haven't broken the habit. I bought a few books for this month so hopefully I can get really invested in something & have that "can't put it down" feeling again. 
• Finish homework ASAP/don't procrastinate & get overwhelmed/no days off from code | Eh, I'm in a better head space now than I was at this point in the semester last year, and I'm better about time management, but I have already missed a day or two of coding and I didn't perfect a couple of assignments before moving on to new projects.
• Order plane tickets/plan trip for 2017 | Okay, THIS I have accomplished! James and I bought tickets to go to Montreal in August and I've booked a hotel in Aruba for early November! 

So, what am I going to aim for in February? Staying alive, for one, but also ... 

• Low-buy/No-buy of makeup and clothes | I have spent a truly exorbitant amount of money this week and I spent more than I should've in January. Our new pay structure at work makes me feel like I have a lot more money than I actually do, so I have to be more responsible about sticking to my budget. You'll see a lot of subscription box posts this month and I may post about some of the things I bought in January, but I am going to really try to talk myself out of every single frivolous purchase.
• Make time to exercise | I'm constantly working or at school or study groups or rushing home to spend time with my dog or my boyfriend or my sister and trying to juggle basic house maintenance/cleanliness in between it all. I have no idea where to find that spare hour, but I need to. 
• Pack my lunch | One of my favorite ways to throw my money away is to eat it. I'm a lazy schmuck when it comes to cooking or even throwing together a sandwich, so I'm often defaulting to eating out or ordering in. I have to cut it out! It's a waste of money and it's making me gain a heck of a lot of weight.
• Finish a book | I haven't decided which one yet, but I'd like to finish an actual, tangible book. I listen to audiobooks often but I've been working on the same (800+ pg) paperback for over a year now, which is really unlike me, so I want to surmount that. 

currently reading: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

currently watching: finally finishing season 12 of Grey's Anatomy

currently listening: Honestly? This, every day at work for the past week