Just when it feels like I just received my September Topbox, my October one arrives in the mail.
This month’s box was a little short on products, but it is packed full of things that I would use.
Here’s what I got:
- Aveda Invati shampoo and conditioner – 10 ml each (full size 200 ml, retails for $27)
- MaskerAide Hydrating Facial Sheet Masks – full size (retails for $4.99)
- Stila In The Light eyeshadow palette – sample size (full size retails for $50)
- Stila Lip Glaze in Raspberry – sample size (full size 2.4 ml, retails for $29)
- Voucher for a complimentary Invanti Botanical Therapy hair treatment with your next hair cut or shampoo style at an Aveda salon
Apparently this month there were a number of different boxes. For those interested, mine was box 8, which by looking at other reviews on October’s Topbox, I have to say that mine was probably one of the better ones, only because it included a Stila Lipgloss (which is a pretty good size sample might I add).
I really do like everything that I got this month and actually found the “eyeshadow palette”, which is just a card with eyeshadows on it, pretty cool. I have always wanted to try Stila’s Kitten, so it was a neat way to try it out. As for the other products, that face mask will definitely get used and same with the Aveda samples although I don’t have thinning hair. I’ve gotten similar samples before from the Aveda Institute so these weren’t that impressive.
For the voucher, I won’t be using that, although I do go to the Aveda Institute to get my hair done, but again, I don’t have thinning hair so I don’t really need it. Also, I’m kind of over these vouchers Topbox includes in their box after I couldn’t get the Balenciaga one they offered in the September box (my Holts didn’t know what I was talking about when I gave them the voucher. When I mentioned it to Topbox through Twitter and Facebook they mentioned they would look into it and let me know. I never heard back from them).
Eye makeup using the Stila eyeshadow palette
There were a lot of complaints from other reviewers about this month’s box, but honestly, as long as a box doesn’t include a perfume sample or a lotion sample I’m happy. All of the products I got I will use and it’s nice to receive stuff from premium brands like Stila.
Did you receive this month’s Topbox? What did you get?
Also, don’t forget to enter my It Cosmetics Brow Power and Brow Power Lift giveaway!
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It was a gorgeous day on Saturday so I took Ziggy and Chase to the dog park to run around and play with some friends. It was a bit chilly so I grabbed an oversized dolman sleeve sweater to wear over some Lululemon tights and boots. I did bring my leather jacket but chose to leave it in the car because the sun kept me warm. I brought my camera to take pictures of the little rascals, so I thought I would take some outfit shots too (thanks SD for being my photographer).
- Purple dolman sleeve sweater from Costa Blanca (old)
- Run Fast and Free Crops from Lululemon (here)
- Imitation Alexander McQueen skull scarf from Love Melrose (In orange here)
- Christian Dior Glossy 1 sunglasses (here)
- Michael Kors 5092 silver women’s watch (here)
- Tiffany & Co. Return to Tiffany’s bracelet (similar)
- Nevada Preston boots from Sears (here)
- Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Hillier Hobo (here)
Hope you had a good weekend!
Also, don’t forget to enter my It Cosmetics Brow Power and Brow Power Lift giveaway!
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I once read on Self magazine’s website that they rated “Sexy and I Know It” by LMFAO as the best workout song. Why? Because of the beats per minute (BPM).
BPM is used as tempo in the music. For example, the more BPM a song has the motivating the music is, at least for working out. For me, it’s not only about the BPM, the song has to be one that I am loving at the moment. Say, for example, that I was running and then LMFAO “Sexy and I Know It” comes on. The song has the perfect amount of BPMs for exercising but I’m at the point where I have heard it way too many times, so much so that I usually skip it when it comes on; it’s not motivating for me anymore.
SELF talked to researchers from Keele University in England and found that when you cue jams you really love (versus songs you’re so over, or music from genres you dislike), you move faster and push harder during your workouts (source). A song that I once listened to on repeat while working out may not be as effective weeks later.
My favourite genre of music to listen to while working out is definitely electronic dance music (EDM) with a mix of Top 40, the kind of stuff you typically hear on the radio. I usually find songs to download through Internet radio (Energy 98 is a great station to listen to to find EDM). I also search YouTube for songs that stick out to me. Most of the artists I listen to while working out are European, so it’s not necessarily stuff that you would hear on the radio (although some of them make it big with one track, Alexandra Stan for example). The YouTube channel I usually find most of my music on is SpinningRec, which updates their page almost daily with new music videos. I don’t watch all of them, mostly artists I have heard of or, and I hate to say it, music videos that feature girls in bikinis, which I know sounds weird, but usually those videos are set to fun dance tracks.
Here are some artists which I am currently loving. Usually when I see that they have a new video or single out I know I’ll love it.
- Inna
- Alexandra Stan
- RIO
- Dada Life
- Afrojack
- Avicii
- Swedish House Mafia
- Medina
Another way to find new music or to just listen to stuff that you know you’ll like is Songza. Songza is an app available through the App Store on iPhones (you can also find it on Android devices) which curates music to the mood you are currently in/ accommodates what you are currently doing. You can also listen to Songza online (I’m actually listening to the Jazz for Working playlist as I type this). So say for example, you are are at work on a Thursday afternoon and you feel like background music. Open up Songza, select what you are currently doing from their lists (so you would choose “Working – No lyrics”) and then choose what sort of genre you want and then the playlist you want to listen to. I often choose the “Today’s Dance Club Hits” to work out to because you know they are going to be songs with high BPMs, plus it’s always a surprise to hear what is going to play next.
Everyone is different when it comes to the type of music and the songs they like working out to. Here is my current fall 2012 playlist, I usually add songs to this playlist as I download them. Some of them I’m already over listening to while working out.
- We are never ever getting back together – Taylor Swift
- Kiss you inside out – Hedley
- Call me a spaceman – Hardwell feat. Mitch Crown
- Give your heart a break – Demi Lovato
- Lemonade – Alexandra Stan
- Sometimes – Dim Chris feat. Amanda Wilson
- Never close our eyes (Almighty Club Mix)- Adam Lambert
- Rolling Stone T-shirt – Dada Life
- Let me love you – Ne-Yo
- Feed the Dada – Dada Life
- Finally found you – Enrique Iglesias feat. Sammy Adams
- Kick out the epic motherfucker – Dada Life
- Don’t you worry child – Swedish House Mafia
- Miami 2 Ibiza – Tinie Tempah (feat. Swedish House Mafia)
- The A Team – Ed Sheeran (great cool down track)
- She Wolf (falling to pieces) – David Guetta feat. Sia
- Don’t Wake Me Up – Chris Brown
What are you favourite workout tracks?
Also, don’t forget to enter my It Cosmetics Brow Power and Brow Power Lift giveaway!
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Just when it feels like I just received my September Topbox, my October one arrives in the mail.
