Birchbox April 2014

Rainy Days?

The theme for this month's Birchbox is "Rainy Days," but Seattle has actually had some incredible weather lately! As I write this, it's only partly cloudy and the temperature is hovering in the upper-50's. I am loving it!

One of the items in the box is a tip card with a Bright Idea for a Rainy Day. I got tip #15: "We love museums on rainy days -- and so does everyone else. Avoid crowds by going early, then leave for an indulgent brunch at the peak noontime hour." It's a nice addition, but not really a value-add in my opinion. 

Here's what I thought of the other items in this month's Birchbox:

• Color Club - Gala's Gems Collection, Heirloom Pearls. This white nail polish was created with style blogger Gala Gonzalez. The color goes on beautifully, smooth and has the nicest shimmer.

Gala's Gems Collection - Heirloom Pearls

• Cynthia Rowley Beauty - Silver Eyeliner. I'll be honest, when I first saw they sent me silver eyeliner I thought, what the heck? Silver eyeliner isn't something I had ever tried or wanted to try. But...I love it! Just one line above my eyelid makes my eyes pop! It's so fun, too. This is exactly why I wanted to subscribe to Birchbox -- so I could be introduced so sample-size items I probably wouldn't normally buy and through that find new favorites.

Cynthia Rowley Beauty - Silver Eyeliner

• theBalm Cosmetics - How 'Bout Them Apples? Cheek & Lip Cream. The packaging on this dual-purpose, creamy stain for cheeks and lips is super cute. I have it on in the picture above so you can see it is a peachy-pink color with a hint of shimmer. While I think it's pretty, the taste and smell remind me of Crayola crayons. It's a little off-putting.

theBalm Cosmetics - How 'Bout Them Apples? Cheek & Lip Cream

theBalm Cosmetics - How 'Bout Them Apples? Cheek & Lip Cream

• Fekkai - Technician Color Care Shampoo. This hydrating shampoo is just what my recently-bleached hair needs. I only wish I could pair it with it's proper conditioner to get the full effect.
• KIND Snacks - Healthy Grains Bar, Maple Pumpkin Seeds with Sea Salt. Ohmygosh. This is the best sweet/salty, just-crunchy-enough, mashup of yumminess I've ever had in a snack bar. I will buy a box as soon as possible.

The winner for this month is the nail polish by Color Club and Gala Gonzalez! There is a set of four available on Birchbox for $13! When my April shopping ban is over, I may just start here. :)

Mariners Makeup

Happy Felix Friday!

Before the Seattle Mariners' home opener on Tuesday, I stopped by the MAC counter at Nordstrom to get a little help taking my look to the next level. It's not easy to dress up a pair of blue jeans and a sports shirt so I wanted to do something different with my makeup.

Bold color: Steamy and Deep Truth frost shadows

The makeup artist chose two bold eyeshadow colors that were close to the Mariners' team colors: Steamy and Deep Truth. Both had the frost finish. To make the color deeper and last longer, she used a flat brush to press the shadow into my eyelid instead of using the normal painting motion I do everyday. It was a great tip! I loved both colors and was impressed with how well they blended!

Love the green and blue!

I'm excited for tonight's game and watching Felix Hernandez pitch! If you want to see pictures of the game (and probably a look at what I'm wearing), follow me on Instagram: @alittlefierce

Have a great weekend!

26 Things About Me

This is where I share all my secrets

Or not. Rather, in honor of my 26th birthday coming right around the corner, I decided to share 26 things about me for my readers. It's always fun for me to learn more about the bloggers I follow and I love when they mix up the pretty pictures and beauty reviews with more candid conversations. Hopefully you can appreciate the same!

Here goes!

1. I approach thrift shopping/antiquing as an epic treasure hunt.
2. My favorite breakfast food is waffles with peanut butter and bacon on top with maple syrup. YUM.
3. Even though I retired my journalism career more than a year ago, I'm still a newshound at heart and can't help but do my own investigating when I get a hankering.
4. I'm a morning person and trying to get back to an early-morning schedule. Wish me luck.
5. My favorite TV shows right now are Game of Thrones, Parks and Rec and Portlandia.
6. I can't stop listening to Kate Nash.

7. My favorite candy bar is Butterfinger.
8. I am on my third career and think this might be "the one."
9. I don't have a high school diploma. *gasp*
10. When I was six years old I desperately wanted to be called Christina at Sunday School because there were so many Amandas. Today, I go by my last name at work cause there are so many Amandas.
11. Nothing makes me crazier than waiting on a man. You know, when you're sitting at home ready to go and they aren't showing up or answering your texts so you just have to WAIT? Gahhhhhhh. It's the worst, I tell you.
12. My goal for the month of April is to not buy any items beyond the basics.
13. I tend to go back and forth between over-sharing and not really saying anything at all.

Pause for a pretty picture.

OK back to business.

14. The first time I handled a motorcycle on my own I popped a wheelie then continued forward like a boss.

15. The Little Mermaid and Frozen are my two favorite Disney animated movies.

16. I still have my wedding dress and I don't know what to do with it.

17. If I had five million dollars, I would relocate my whole family to the Seattle area and pay for their education/continuing education. This is partially so I wouldn't have to keep going to my hometown to visit.

18. Speaking of my hometown, for a brief period of time I was one of those kids who hung out in the grocery store parking lot.

19. I have experienced pepper spray/tear gas twice and it's nasty stuff.

20. My purse always contains a pocket knife, hair ties, bobby pins and lipstick.

21. Someday I want to go on a river boat.

22. I love cheese.

23. I am lactose intolerant.

24. Springtime always makes me restless.

25. My favorite movie of all time is Gone with the Wind.

26. Being near the salt water is the most healing thing in the world to me.

Another pretty picture just outside of Portland, Oregon

Thanks for reading!