Hello Pretty Bird! - A beauty and not-so-glamorous lifestyle blog: July 2015

31 July, 2015

A look inside the Etude House Pink Bird box: Open Your Eyes Make Up Box Kit, Decoden kit cuteness and more

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Who wants to see some fun goodies from Etude House? Sorry it took me a while to post about June's box—this has been a crazy month. The contents of the box are still delightful though. Aged like a fine wine? Or something.

Etude House Pink Bird Box June 2015 review

30 July, 2015

Meet the Foreo ISSA™ toothbrush, AKA one of the weirdest things you'll find at Sephora

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I'm a little bit obsessed with oral care products. My teeth are by no means perfect, but whenever I see a toothpaste with an unusual flavor or brush with an unusual design, I have to try it. (Super cool hobby, am I right?) So naturally when I was offered a Foreo ISSA™ toothbrush to try, I couldn't resist... it looks like it's from the future! The future of TEETH! But does it actually work well? Read on to find out.

Foreo ISSA™ toothbrush #ISSAbyForeo #iFabboMember mint

Review | Botanic Farm Pearl Shining Primer

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When it comes to foundation, I'm a fan of dewy, glowy finishes. Problem is, not all foundations and BB creams are designed to look that way. So, what to do? Grab a luminizing primer to glitz things up a bit! Today I'll be taking a looking at Botanic Farm Pearl Shining Primer, which gives skin glow without being too glitzy.

Botanic Farm Pearl Shining Primer

Review & Swatches | Butter London Bloody Brilliant Lip Crayon Collection (+ GIVEAWAY!)

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I love the convenience of lip crayons. Liquid lipsticks and tints are probably the best choice when you want bulletproof color that won't budge, but sometimes you just need something you can toss in your purse and swipe on as needed for a bit of color. I'm sure most of you are familiar with Butter London's extensive collection of nail lacquers, but lately they've been really stepping up their game with other color cosmetics—lip crayons, eyeliners, mascaras (oh my)! Today I'll be swatching the Butter London Bloody Brilliant Lip Crayon collection, which really does live up to its name. Oh, and my readers have a chance to win seven of these crayons for themselves—wheeeeee! Read on for all the bloody brilliant details.

Butter London Bloody Brilliant Lip Crayon Collection swatch swatches

28 July, 2015

How to use the Foreo LUNA™ Cleansing Brush (a review)

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Years ago I used a silicone facial pad (sort of like this one) as my primary cleansing aid. I loved how soft and gentle the silicone felt, but after a while I lost the brush and never bothered to replace it, and eventually forgot about it. But all those sassy silicone memories came flooding back when I saw the LUNA™ cleansing brush by Foreo—it looked like a silicone cleansing pad/sonic brush hybrid, and you know what? That's exactly what it turned out to be! I've been testing out the LUNA™ for over a month ago, so now it's time to discuss everybody's favorite questions: Is it worth the money? And how the hell does one use this weird-looking thing? Ooh, the suspense!

Foreo LUNA™ Cleansing Brush for Combination Skin #LUNAbyFOREO #iFabboMember

23 July, 2015

Unboxing | Scent Trunk Women's Fragrance Box - July 2015

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I'll cut to the chase: I'm a big fan of Scent Trunk. This should come as no surprise to anyone who's read my dozens of indie fragrance reviews, but for folks who are new around here, I'll say this: If you like indie fragrance, you should really check them out. What's in a Scent Trunk, you might be wondering? Well I'm about to show you!

Scent Trunk Women's Fragrance Box - July 2015

Review | A-True Real Black Tea True Active Essence

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Toners and essences are sort of like the brassieres of skincare. Good ones provide much-needed support for the rest of your skincare routine, and bad ones can weigh down your skin, making the subsequent steps feel all bunchy and out of place. I've been on the lookout for a good hydrating essence to use in my routine, and I think I finally may have found itA-True's Real Black Tea True Active Essence. Sad, shapeless routine no more!

A-True Real Black Tea True Active Essence review

08 July, 2015

R. | Plan your fantasy vacation!

Happy Wednesday, everybody! How's life treating you?

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Right now I'm in full on "ahhhh I have to get ready for vacation" mode. By "vacation" I mean my annual trip to Chicago to visit friends, which is happening at the end of this week. Wish I was going on a slightly more epic journey this summer, but hey, it's better than nothing! Which brings me to this week's question:

If time/finances/etc. weren't a consideration, where would you most like to go on vacation this summer? Or if you don't have a specific destination in mind, what would you like to do?

I have a bunch of destinations in mind, but mainly I'd like to go somewhere I haven't been before. Doesn't even have to be that exotic... I've never been to Seattle, for example. What's there to do in Seattle? I don't know! Maybe I want to find out. But if I really had a lot of time to kill, maybe I'd do one of those Alaska land/sea tours... I'm not big into cruising just for the sake of cruising, but I do like seeing amazing scenery. Going overseas is also a thing... lots of countries I've still never visited. But I can only be so many places at once!

How about you? Where would you go and what would you do?