Birchbox: Heritage

     October eve...and the time I have deemed for my September Birchbox post. I love Autumn weather and I'm always anxious to see what products I'll find and love. I always seem to put in much more effort outwardly than any other season. That being said, this box has things off to a good start.

*amika Blow Up Spray...a lightweight must that adds lift and shine for a polished blowout. This can be used on damp hair before you blow dry or lightly on dry hair for a light hold. I work at a blow dry bar so I'm particular about what I use. I prefer, as far as blow dry sprays go, the 450 spray by Sexy Hair. It is perfect for taming frizz and getting the perfect amount of polish and shine. I thought this spray by amika was a little heavy oil-wise, so it really needs to be used sparingly. I also feel like it didn't give a lot of lift as it claims to. It's $24 for the full size bottle, so Sexy Hair is still a better deal!!

*Caudalie Make-up Remover Cleansing Water...I love a good makeup remover, I use them everyday!! This remover isn't a wipe though. You soak a cotton pad/ball and apply it wherever you need to take your makeup off. It contains botanicals to soothe the skin do it's really gentle, yet effective enough to remove mascara gently.

*Coastal Scents eye shadow...I think at this point we have all used, or at least heard of Coastal Scents. They have affordable palettes and the colors are really buildable and blendable. Plus, coupled with the right base you get great pay out and longevity. They sent me 4 mini colors that are great for fall (sn: I still don't know how to get pictures from my iPhone to the blog without using Google+)

*Ruffian Nail Lacquer in the color Hedge Fund... This was my first run in with Ruffian and I love it. The bottles are so cute and unique (please Google !!). I got a really pretty metallic green color (Hedge Fund). Ruffian is actually a fashion label and this polish is from their first lacquer line. Full size is $10...so more expensive than Essie and OPI but cheaper than, say, Butter.

*Egyptian Magic All-Purpose Skin Cream... I love my Origins so now I'm starting to be a little bit of a skin care snob, even more so since the melanoma. This cream is supposedly sworn by celebrities and health professionals for its all natural properties. It is marketed to moisturize, fight wrinkles and treats burns and bruises. So, in theory it seems pretty spectacular, and I think I'll do more research and maybe give it a try to see if it is as all purpose as it says.

Everyone gets a slightly different Birchbox each month so if you get one and want to share, leave a link or comment below. I hope everyone is enjoying this Autumn weather even though some days have been quite hot!!

XO,
J <3

Birchbox: Finishing School

     It really is no secret that I have been anything but friends with technology lately. I still can't figure out how to upload pictures from my new phone to my blog posts, my new camera takes rad pictures but I have no clue where the cord is to connect to the computer, and my old point and shoot camera keeps acting up and despite having the warranty, Best Buy is not being too helpful in getting it replaced. However, I can load to Facebook, so if you visit my business page (Pretty & Clever by Jacqueline Clark) there are pics from the AUGUST Birchbox there, along with a lipstick swatch. I'll get it all together soon and hopefully for the September BB (which I got in the mail yesterday) I will be back on track. So, regardless, here is the breakdown for the August Box.

Becca Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation

This is sitting right on my makeup table ready to try. Several shade samples were included too. It's a lightweight foundation that is supposed to have a sulky texture to brighten, perfect and soothe the skin with ejitsu rose. So, obviously there are some natural ingredients in this, but rose is one of those that, for me, is really hit or miss when added to products. This Becca foundation is also supposed to be buildable, which is good if there are days you need a more full coverage application. Full size retails for $42, so as far as foundations go this is on the higher end price point wise.

ModelCo Party Proof Lipstick

I really don't have anything bad to say about ModelCo. I like their lipgloss, even though it is sticky compared to others I use, and their mascara is actually pretty good for getting that ultimate combination of length and volume. ModelCo now has these Party Proof lipsticks ($24 for a set of 3), that have a semi-matte finish that hydrates your lips and provides a lasting pigment. As for hydrating, my lips have been really dry lately so I still put on a lip balm first regardless. But I do feel that the pigment does last a fair amount if time, longer if you are finishing with a gloss top coat.

Number 4 Super Comb Prep & Protect

This is a sulfate-free leave- in conditioner that protects color and blocks UV Rays. I believe everyone can benefit from a leave-in conditioner and this one retails full size for $32. My favorite is 7 Seconds by Unite, which is a slightly less expensive salon product. Comparable would also be the leave-in by Healthy Sexy Hair, which has a moderate price point.

Whish Exfoliating Body Wash

My extent of use for this one so far is to pop the top and smell it...which, it smells amaze; most likely due to the fact that it is a coconut-rich scrub that brightens and exfoliates with sugar cane and bamboo powder...pretty much everything I look for in a quality exfoliator, so I will be using this bad boy in the next few days. Full size retails for about $20

And finally...

Whish Hair Inhibiting Deoderant Swipes

Now this is certainly something I've never seen before!! These are wipes that not only fight odor like a Deoderant, but also slow hair growth. I really don't know how I feel about these, haha. You "sweep" a wipe across your arm pit in the morning, or whenever you need a refresher throughout the day. Personally, I would just much rather have my Degree take care of that department, but if something works, it works!! We shall indeed see.

Hope everyone had a fabulous summer and is enjoying September so far!! Since I didn't post yesterday I just want to take a minute to remember all those we lost on September 11, 2001. Always in our hearts and never to be forgotten. Stay safe all. Peace and Love.

XO,

J <3.  

Fight Like a Girl Pt. 3

For those of you that have been following my journey with melanoma this is part 3 of 3 of the story I had originally set out to share. Recovery at home after surgery was thankfully pretty comfortable. After day 2 of the excision procedure I was okay when I first came back home, then again I was also still numb from the local anesthetic. My best took off work to take me since the permanent roommate had a whole to do at work and they wouldn't let him leave, but that is a long story in itself and I'm over it at this point. So we watched Silver Linings Playbook and crashed on the couch. My pain level was okay and I believe I did take a dose of pain meds. Hours later when my husband was getting home he walked in to find me kneeled in the floor hanging onto the couch, pretty much writhing in pain. Needless to say, more pain meds, as would be the trend for the coming week. I took about a week off work to recover. My job involves a lot of up and down arm movements and my incision is on my upper left side towards my back, I needed to make sure I was able to function well enough to go back . Even after returning to work I had moments where I felt I just couldn't lift like I used to. Over the coming weeks it subsided but I still feel a burning sensation over the scar area from time to time, which only calls to mind Harry Potter and his lighting bolt scar that burned whenever he-who-must-not-be-named was near.

About a week after my surgery I went back in to have that top layer of stitches out, as the bottom 2 layers would dissolve on their own in those coming 6-8 weeks. Removing the stitches was actually painless, although I hear that can vary person to person.

I'm left with this scar now, about 6 inches in length. The doctor compared its healing to that of a cat scratch. It looks more like a lion got of hold me, but a lion is a cat indeed. I look in the mirror at that scar time to time and I can feel the tears building in my eyes. It is a flaw, and I think of how in attractive it must appear to others, as it did to me. I say did rather than the present tense of does because I look at it now not only as a reminder of everything it represents but also it's just plain bad ass, really, you should see it. I earned that scar, I pretty literally fought for it. I beat cancer. And you know what, I've never seen my husband ogle at it or even give the slightest indication it bothered him in any way shape or form. That's amazing to me. And if anyone else thought it as unappealing then that's solely their problem. It's a mark of survival and a mark of pride, which are some of the reasons I've opted not to have any laser treatments done. I might try some drugstore products meant to lighten scars and such but that would be the extent of that.

I had my second body check (first one since the surgery) last month and they didn't have to biopsy anything and the dermatologist wasn't concerned about anything this visit. My next scheduled visit is in December so I'll just keep hoping for more great results!!

And just to be 100% clear, I actually haven't tanned at all since January!! I haven't even spray tanned. I just again want to urge everyone to avoid tanning beds and prolonged sun exposure before you have to learn your lesson the way I did. Opt for sunless tanning or bronzers. Your skin will thank you now, 10 years from now and for life!! And in reality I'd rather be pale and look young into my years, than be tan, leathery and aged!!! I always feel like I'm missing a talking point or two when I tell of a story over extended time, so if there seems like a big blank exists in my account just let me know so I can accommodate any answers to other questions.

I do hope everyone had a fabulous summer now that fall is upon us. Autumn is my favorite season, which comes as no surprise to those who know me personally. Starbucks seasonal drinks, cute clothes, boots, Halloween, my anniversary...and so much more!!

XO,
J <3.