My Favorite Things: December 2015

Hi, friends! The end of the year is almost upon us! Can you believe it's nearly 2016 already? Where did the time go? Anyway, it's time to talk monthly favorites. These are the tried-and-tested products I most reached for this month. I took most of these products with me when I went out of town for Christmas week. You quickly realize the products you really rely on when you can only take a select few in your suitcase! Let's get into the good stuff.

Merry Christmas!

I hope you're all having a nice holiday season! Regularly scheduled posts will return next week. See you then!

What are you doing for Christmas this year?

Let's be friends!

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Disclaimer: this post is sponsored by Christmas lololol

Birchbox: December 2015 Review

Hi, friends! Today I wanted to share with you my December Birchbox. This month I opted in for the guest curated box (surprise, surprise), so I already knew the products I would be getting. But I didn't know if I would like that, so the surprise factor is still there. But enough about that, let's jump into everything.  

Birchbox? What's that?

Birchbox is a monthly beauty and lifestyle subscription service. It sends 4-5 deluxe samples that are curated to your beauty profile. It is $10 a month, and has a wonderful rewards program, in which you can earn points for reviewing products and making purchases in the Birchbox Shop. You can then redeem those points for full-sized products! It's probably the best rewards program out there, in my opinion, which was one of the big draws in me signing up. They're always adding new products to the shop. In the past, they have sampled products from Amika, Juice Beauty, Shiseido, as well as pages of others! Some products are even exclusive to Birchbox, like Cynthia Rowley's new makeup line and the cult-favorite Beauty Protector brand. If you subscribe now, you'll get 50 points free with the code SUBSCRIBENOW50. If you're interested in subscribing to Birchbox, I would love it if you used my referral link! Thank you!

Trash Talk: December 2015 Empties

Hi, friends! It's a beautiful day here in New York, strangely warm and sunny for December. What's it like where you live? Today we're going to be doing some trash talk, because it's been a really long time since I've done an Empties post (five months, actually). I use up products faster than I can talk about them, especially since a lot of these are samples I get from subscription boxes (mostly Birchbox). I'm actually quite backlogged! In fact, I'm still talking about products I used up at school (I graduated in May, to put things in perspective). The included photos were taken in less-than-stellar conditions without the help of my fancy new DSLR camera, but we'll make do! But enough about that--let's talk trash (about products, not people)! 

Trend Report: Pantone 2016 Colors of the Year

Hello, friends! Have you heard the news? The official Pantone Color of the Year has been released! And guess what? There are TWO colors this year! The colors are Rose Quartz (a warm, pale pink) and Serenity (a cool, powder blue).

On their website, they say it coincides with our eternal quest for gender equality. I appreciate that, but if we're talking about equality, I think like a vibrant, punchy red is a good feminist color. Like, when I want to feel like a powerful woman, I put on red lipstick--I don't wear a baby pink sweater, you know? Don't get me wrong, I like having multiple options, and I think that women should be equal to men, but this whole thing is still kind of silly to me. If anything, couldn't they have done something more original to represent gender equality that baby girl pink and baby boy blue? I told my brother about this and even he said, "That's like we're doing something special this year for Christmas--the colors are RED and GREEN!" Ugh, sometimes I wish a color was just a color, and didn't have an agenda behind it. Or if it did have an agenda, they at least tried to get creative. Come on, people.  

Review + Swatches: PÜR Cameo Contour Dual-Ended Contour Sticks

Hi, friends! Today I'd like to share with you a new product I've been testing out by PUR Cosmetics: the Cameo Contour Dual-Ended Contour Sticks (say that three times fast!). They sent me all five shades to test out and play around with, and now that I've come to a conclusion on how I feel about them, I wanted to share that with all of you! Let's jump into everything. 

My Lipstick Collection: The Reds

Hi, friends! Happy Friday! Today I'm going to be starting a new mini series here on the blog. It's been awhile since I've done something like this, and I like the idea of doing a cohesive project, so I figured why not? Basically, I'm going to be sorting through my lipstick collection and show you what products I've accumulated and how they stack up against one another. Think of it as a bunch of mini reviews in one.

This series was actually inspired by a trip to the mall, in which I almost impulsively bought a lipstick in MAC, before I realized I probably had a similar color at home. I figured this post would be good for both of us--to get myself organized and to share my findings with all of you!

But enough about that. Let's get to the good stuff~

My Favorite Things: November 2015

Hi, friends! Did you have a nice Thanksgiving? I certainly did! I mean, I can't have anything against a holiday that makes it socially acceptable to stuff your face (or, if you're Italian like me, you do that on every holiday). Today I'd like to share with you a few of my favorite beauty products I've discovered or rediscovered in the past two months. I didn't have much to talk about favorites-wise last month, so now it's back with twice as many products worth mentioning!

Black Friday Picks 2015

Hello, friends! With Black Friday almost upon us again, I figured it was time for a little pre-sale window shopping (digitally, of course--who has time for the real thing nowadays?). If all of the deals seem overwhelming and you need a few beauty recommendations, let my wishlist be your guide! Whether you're looking to get some Christmas shopping done early, or just want to treat yourself, look no further. These are my top product picks for this year's Black Friday sales.

Sephora is bringing back their $10 Deals for this year's Black Friday both in store and on their website. If you want one of these, you're going to have to be quick on your feet! At $10 a pop, it's easy to get carried away, so the best advice I can give is to really think before you buy. They all look good, but there's a few in particular that look really good to me. Their stores won't be open on Thanksgiving (yay!), but the deals will be starting early on the 27th.

Birchbox: November 2015 Review

Hello, friends! It's time for my monthly Birchbox unboxing! My box came surprisingly early this month--I received it on the 9th, and it usually ships on the 10th! Talk about prompt!

Birchbox? What's that?

Birchbox is a monthly beauty and lifestyle subscription service. It sends 4-5 deluxe samples that are curated to your beauty profile. It is $10 a month, and has a wonderful rewards program, in which you can earn points for reviewing products and making purchases in the Birchbox Shop. You can then redeem those points for full-sized products! It's probably the best rewards program out there, in my opinion, which was one of the big draws in me signing up. They're always adding new products to the shop. In the past, they have sampled products from Amika, Juice Beauty, Shiseido, as well as pages of others! Some products are even exclusive to Birchbox, like Cynthia Rowley's new makeup line and the cult-favorite Beauty Protector brand. Right now you can get 50 points just for signing up with the code SUBSCRIBENOW50. If you're interested in subscribing to Birchbox, I would love it if you used my referral link! Thank you!

Treats Subscription Box: Review

Hi, friends! Today I have something a little different for you today: a food subscription box! I've subscribed to monthly food services before, but I chose not to share them on this blog since they weren't beauty related. But I've been wanting to broaden my horizons for awhile now, so I figured that this would be a good start. And besides--a beauty buff's gotta eat! 

Treats? What's that?

Treats is a monthly food subscription service for snacks around the world. They give out finger foods like chips, cookies, candy from a different country every month. You can either subscribe to the Standard Pack, which is $13 a month for 4-5 snacks, or the Premium Pack, which is $25 a month for 8-10 snacks. If you're interested in subscribing to Treats, you can use the code SAMMI for 15% off your first box!

Review: Jamberry Nail Wraps

Hi, friends! Today I'm going to be giving you the low-down on my Jamberry Nail Wrap experience. I talked about Jamberry nail wraps briefly in my Nicole By OPI Blue Lace NOTD (Nail of the Day), but this was my first time trying a full manicure by them. They've been getting a lot of buzz over the past year or two, which is saying something since they've only been around for four years! But enough about that, let's get into it~

Birchbox: October 2015 Review

Hey, friends! It's been awhile. Since we last spoke, I started a new job and got a weird stomach bug. But enough about my life. I've missed you guys! Today I'll be squeezing in a review of my Birchbox this month just before October is up!

Birchbox? What's that?

Birchbox is a monthly beauty and lifestyle subscription service. It sends 4-5 deluxe samples that are curated to your beauty profile. It is $10 a month, and has a wonderful rewards program, in which you can earn points for reviewing products and making purchases in the Birchbox Shop. You can then redeem those points for full-sized products! It's probably the best rewards program out there, in my opinion, which was one of the big draws in me signing up. They're always adding new products to the shop. In the past, they have sampled products from Amika, Juice Beauty, Shiseido, as well as pages of others! Some products are even exclusive to Birchbox, like Cynthia Rowley's new makeup line and the cult-favorite Beauty Protector brand. If you're interested in subscribing to Birchbox, I would love it if you used my referral link! Thank you!

Review: StriVectin Advanced Retinol Pore Refiner

Hi, friends! Wow, it's been awhile since I've done an in-depth skincare review, huh? Well, look no further! Today I'll be reviewing a product I've been testing out for the past couple of weeks: the new StriVectin Advanced Retinol Pore Refiner. This is the first product from StriVectin that I've tried, but the brand seems to know what they're doing so I have high hopes. 

I received this product complimentary in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Fall Favorites [Tag]

Hi, friends! I'm here today to share with you my Fall Favorites! I was tagged to do this by the lovely Carolyn at The Diary of a Tall Girl. Check out her answers to the questions here, and let's get on with the show!

College Fashion Week 2015: New York Roundup

Hi, friends! Today I wanted to talk to you about College Fashion Week (CFW). If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know I was invited as a VIP to the New York show this last weekend. I had a great time, checking out all of the booths, performances, and of course, the fashion. I wanted to give you a quick overview of what went down, because the CFW Tour isn't over yet! They're going to be in Washington D.C. next Saturday, and Atlanta, GA the weekend after next. So if you like what you see here, you can get your tickets before it's too late! Or, if you're based in Boston or NY, you can figure out if you'd want to go next year. 

But enough about that. Let's get to the good stuff~ 

Trend Report: Fall 2015 Wishlist

Hello, friends! We're going to be taking a break from the Greek Goddess Makeup Challenge today to talk fall trends. Beauty blogs and makeup magazines have us talking about red lips and bold brows, and I'm so into it right now. It was really hard to pare my list down to just these few, so grab your Pumpkin Spice Latte and your cozy sweater and let's talk makeup! 

Sammi's Mani: Nails Inc. Gel Effect in Porchester Square

Hey, friends! It's been FOR-E-VER since I did a Nail of the Day post, but I painted my nails recently and really liked how they came out, so I thought I would share. Today's nail polish is one by Nails Inc. in the color "Porchester Square." 

My Favorite Things: September 2015

It's been a few months since I did a monthly favorites post, so we have a lot to catch up on! In order to make this post not a mile long, I really had to ween down the best of the best. These are the products that I used all summer and will continue to love into the fall. If it's here, it means I enjoyed using it so much that I'd personally recommend all of my friends to get it, too.  

Greek Goddess Makeup Challenge: Gaea (#5)

Hi, friends! Today's post is the fifth installment in the Greek Goddess Makeup Challenge. Each week, a few of my blogger friends and I are taking on a new Greek goddess and using her as inspiration for a makeup look! I'll be sharing what products I used and how I used them, so you can recreate my look at home when you want to channel your inner goddess. And if we have different tastes, that's fine--there will be a bunch of different bloggers' looks to choose from!

Ipsy Glam Bag: September 2015 Review

Hi, friends! Can you believe today is the first day of fall? And tonight is the autumnal equinox, so we're approaching shorter and shorter days. How crazy is that? Where has the time gone??

Today I want to talk to you all about my September Ipsy bag. This one was quite a doozy, and I don't mean in a good way. Stay tuned to find out why...

Ipsy? What's that?

Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service that sends you five products with a themed makeup bag for $10/month. They offer a variety of products that change monthly, and determine which ones you receive based on the results of your beauty profile quiz. Ipsy also has a rewards program, in which you can earn points for reviewing products and redeem them for prizes. This month they sampled products from Tarte, Ole Henrikson, Essie, and plenty of others! If you're interested in subscribing, I would love it if you used my Ipsy referral link! Thank you!

Greek Goddess Makeup Challenge: Demeter (#4)

Hi, friends! Today's post is the fourth installment in the Greek Goddess Makeup Challenge. Each week, a few of my blogger friends and I are taking on a new Greek goddess and using her as inspiration for a makeup look! I'll be sharing what products I used and how I used them, so you can recreate my look at home when you want to channel your inner goddess. And if we have different tastes, that's fine--there will be a bunch of different bloggers' looks to choose from!

Birchbox: September 2015 Review

Hey, friends! Today I want to talk to you about my Birchbox this month. I got it surprisingly early (the 9th, before I could even view my box on the website), so this review will be going up a week earlier than usual.

A quick word about the photos in today's post -- I had gotten my eyes dilated at the eye doctor's right before I took these, so I basically took these blind (even with sunglasses). I guess I could have waited, but I wanted to hurry up and play the products! Just a fun fact. (The beauty blogger struggle is real).  

Birchbox? What's that?

Birchbox is a monthly beauty and lifestyle subscription service. It sends 4-5 deluxe samples that are curated to your beauty profile. It is $10 a month, and has a wonderful rewards program, in which you can earn points for reviewing products and making purchases in the Birchbox Shop. You can then redeem those points for full-sized products! It's probably the best rewards program out there, in my opinion, which was one of the big draws in me signing up. They're always adding new products to the shop. In the past, they have sampled products from Amika, Juice Beauty, Shiseido, as well as pages of others! Some products are even exclusive to Birchbox, like Cynthia Rowley's new makeup line and the cult-favorite Beauty Protector brand. If you're interested in subscribing to Birchbox, I would love it if you used my referral link! Thank you!

Greek Goddess Makeup Challenge: Athena (#3)

Hi, friends! Today's post is the third installment in the Greek Goddess Makeup Challenge. Each week, a few of my blogger friends and I are taking on a new Greek goddess and using her as inspiration for a makeup look! I'll be sharing what products I used and how I used them, so you can recreate my look at home when you want to channel your inner goddess. And if we have different tastes, that's fine--there will be a bunch of different bloggers' looks to choose from!

Luxe Pineapple Box of Joy: Rock Pop & Wow GlossaryBox Review

Hi, friends! Today I have a new subscription box to share with you today. They're relatively new, but they've been getting some recognition on beauty blogs recently. You might have heard of them. Luxe Pineapple, anyone? I'm excited to share my first box with you! Let's unpack it together, shall we?

LuxePineapple? What's that?

LuxePineapple is a relatively new company, just started in 2013, that has reinvented the subscription box. They refer to their Box of Joy as an "unsubscription box." If you're familiar with MemeBox, they offer a similar service in that, rather than paying a monthly fee, you can purchase pre-curated boxes to be delivered to you. The boxes are usually a great discount, compared to the retail value of all the products put together. Recently, they've had boxes with themes like "Lip Luxuries," "Beach Babe," and "Small Luxuries." Many of the products featured in these boxes can also be bought individually in their Pineapple Shop, but the discount for the products isn't as steep as it is in the boxes.

They release new boxes around three times a month, their most recent one being their Rock Pop & Wow GlossaryBox, which is the one I will be reviewing for you today. I'm super excited that Leslie Chapman of Pop Goes The City is the curator for this box! It includes on-trend beauty picks for the upcoming season that all go together well. Right now it's on sale for $15 on Luxe Pineapple's website.

If you decide to purchase anything, I would really appreciate it if you used my referral link! You'll get money off your order if you use it, so everybody wins! 

Greek Goddess Makeup Challenge: Artemis (#2)

Hi, friends! Today's post is the second installment in the Greek Goddess Makeup Challenge. Each week, a few of my blogger friends and I are taking on a new Greek goddess and using her as inspiration for a makeup look! I'll be sharing what products I used and how I used them, so you can recreate my look at home when you want to channel your inner goddess. And if we have different tastes, that's fine--there will be a bunch of different bloggers' looks to choose from!

Ipsy Glam Bag: August 2015 Review

Hello, friends! It's time for another Ipsy review! Yes, I'm still subscribed. How could I not be after last month's amazing Glam Bag? Now let's dig in to this thing!

Ipsy? What's that?

Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service that sends you five products with a themed makeup bag for $10/month. They offer a variety of products that change monthly, and determine which ones you receive based on the results of your beauty profile quiz. Ipsy also has a rewards program, in which you can earn points for reviewing products and redeem them for prizes. This month they sampled products from Tarte, Ole Henrikson, Essie, and plenty of others! If you're interested in subscribing, I would love it if you used my Ipsy referral link! Thank you!

Greek Goddess Makeup Challenge: Aphrodite (#1)

Hello, friends! Today I have something new and exciting for you: a makeup challenge! I realized that I hardly ever show my face on this blog, so starting this week, I'll be participating in the Greek Goddess Makeup Challenge with a bunch of my beauty blogger friends. Each week, we're taking on a new Greek goddess and using her as inspiration for a makeup look! I'll be sharing what products I used and how I used them, so you can recreate my look at home when you want to channel your inner goddess. And if we have different tastes, that's fine--there will be a bunch of different bloggers' looks to choose from!

Birchbox: August 2015 Review

Happy Saturday, friends! It's time for my monthly Birchbox unboxing! Honestly, I love Birchbox. It's like getting a present in the mail every month. And no one sends snail mail anymore, so it's really the next best thing. 

Birchbox? What's that?

Birchbox is a monthly beauty and lifestyle subscription service. It sends 4-5 deluxe samples that are curated to your beauty profile. It is $10 a month, and has a wonderful rewards program, in which you can earn points for reviewing products and making purchases in the Birchbox Shop. You can then redeem those points for full-sized products! It's probably the best rewards program out there, in my opinion, which was one of the big draws in me signing up. They're always adding new products to the shop. In the past, they have sampled products from Amika, Juice Beauty, Shiseido, as well as pages of others! Some products are even exclusive to Birchbox, like Cynthia Rowley's new makeup line and the cult-favorite Beauty Protector brand. If you're interested in subscribing to Birchbox, I would love it if you used my referral link! Thank you!

Review: Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs Makeup Lotion

Hi, friends! I know back-to-school season is just around the corner for many of you, but there's still a month of summer weather left! Today I wanted to share with you an interesting product that you might want to pair with your skirts and dresses, whether it be in the summer or year-round.  

Have you ever heard of leg makeup? It's like wearing foundation, only for your body. Crazy, right? Not really. Sally Hansen has been making their Airbrush Legs Makeup spray for years, and not too long ago they released a lotion version. Think of it as a temporary self-tanner, foundation, and overall goodness in a tube. 

DIY Disaster: Reverse Hair Washing?

Hi, friends! Boy, do I have a doozy for you today. I actually had a whole different post scheduled for today, but I saw this pin on Pinterest and it made me change everything. Yes, it was that outrageous--I couldn't resist sharing! (Side note: If you don't follow me on Pinterest, you really should! I'm addicted but shh that's not the point of this post!). 

Trash Talk: August 2015 Empties

Hello, friends! It's time for another Empties post! Can you believe I haven't done an actual Empties post since February (not counting the Spring Cleaning Edition)? I've decided to title this series Trash Talk, because I'm feeling particularly witty today. Everyone does a little trash talking now and then--don't deny it!

In these posts, I'll give you my full disclosure on what I thought about these products, since I had plenty of time to test them out.

These products were emptied because of three reasons:

1. I liked them so much that I used them to the last drop.
2. I didn't like them, really, but didn't want to waste anything
3. They were expired and/or smelled funny so they had to go.

We have some catching up to do, so featured today are products I used up (and that were photographed) back at school on my old point-and-shoot camera. But we'll get through it, I promise.

But enough about that. Let's get to the good stuff!

Birchbox: July 2015 Review

Hi, friends! Today I'm here to share with you the last-but-not-least subscription box from my "Mail Time!" post--my July Birchbox. After this, we are all caught up, and it's time to focus on what's new. 

Birchbox? What's that?

Birchbox is a monthly beauty and lifestyle subscription service. It sends 4-5 deluxe samples that are curated to your beauty profile. It is $10 a month, and has a wonderful rewards program, in which you can earn points for reviewing products and making purchases in the Birchbox Shop. You can then redeem those points for full-sized products! It's probably the best rewards program out there, in my opinion, which was one of the big draws in me signing up. They're always adding new products to the shop. In the past, they have sampled products from Amika, Juice Beauty, Shiseido, as well as pages of others! Some products are even exclusive to Birchbox, like Cynthia Rowley's new makeup line and the cult-favorite Beauty Protector brand. If you're interested in subscribing to Birchbox, I would love it if you used my referral link! Thank you!

Ipsy Glam Bag: July 2015 Review

Hello, friends! I know your eyes are probably bugging out of your head at the sight of an Ipsy review on this blog. I mentioned in my July Mail Time! that I had resubscribed, and I wasn't lying. When a pink envelope came in the mail, even my brother was like, "Wow, I haven't seen one of these in awhile." So let's take a look inside and see what we've got here! 

Ipsy? What's that?

Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service that sends you five products with a themed makeup bag for $10/month. They offer a variety of products that change monthly, and determine which ones you receive based on the results of your beauty profile quiz. Ipsy also has a rewards program, in which you can earn points for reviewing products and redeem them for prizes. This month they sampled products from Tarte, Ole Henrikson, Essie, and plenty of others! If you're interested in subscribing, I would love it if you used my Ipsy referral link! Thank you!

Birchbox: June 2015 Review

Hello, friends! And Happy Friday! Welcome to the first day of catch-up day, in which I rip open all of the subscription boxes that were sitting in my room when I returned home from my two-month internship. Today's post is all about unboxing my June Birchbox. This was one was a surprise, since (for once) I didn't go with the guest curated box. I'm really excited to dig in, so let's get started! 

Birchbox? What's that?

Birchbox is a monthly beauty and lifestyle subscription service. It sends 4-5 deluxe samples that are curated to your beauty profile. It is $10 a month, and has a wonderful rewards program, in which you can earn points for reviewing products and making purchases in the Birchbox Shop. You can then redeem those points for full-sized products! It's probably the best rewards program out there, in my opinion, which was one of the big draws in me signing up. They're always adding new products to the shop. In the past, they have sampled products from Amika, Juice Beauty, Shiseido, as well as pages of others! Some products are even exclusive to Birchbox, like Cynthia Rowley's new makeup line and the cult-favorite Beauty Protector brand. If you're interested in subscribing to Birchbox, I would love it if you used my referral link! Thank you!

Mail Time! July 2015

I'm back, friends! It's been a busy two weeks, but I am happy to report that my laptop is up and running! My internship is over, and I plan to get down to business with keeping this blog updated. My goal right now is to up my posts to twice a week. Think I can do it? We'll find out!

Today I'd like to bring you another "Mail Time!" post. I've had some mail pile up (including some subscription boxes) and I always like sharing. It's essentially a haul from my mailbox. Plus, I think these are a good sneak peek of what's to come on the blog.

Let's get to the good stuff~