As of late, I am a weekend DIY warrior.
In NYC, a huge number of people tend to move between the months of June and August...which means trash days are a lot more interesting, as tons of discarded furniture, home accessories and knickknacks end up on the curb.
On my way to work Friday, I spied this perfectly good wooden crate atop a Ikea coffee table (far past its prime). Since I'm a city girl, wooden farm crates are not exactly common, so I saved grabbed it. I'm always looking for storage solutions, and I'm big on upcycling, so this was a good find :)
Total project time: about an hour (I was watching a movie as I sanded and painted, so I'm sure this could have been done far more efficiently heehee).
Here's what it looked like before:
Nothing a good sanding and a coat of wood stain couldn't fix. Here's the after:
I used Minwax Wood Finish in Provincial (under $5 at Home Depot), a cheap brush (under $2 at Home Depot) and a sanding block by 3M's Pro Grade Dual Angle Sanding Sponge (about $3.50 at Home Depot) bringing the total cost of the project to about $10.50. Not bad for extra storage!
Next step: I'm going to get some chalkboard paint and paint one of the top slats for easy labeling. I *thought* I had some chalkboard paint left over from when I painted my front entry, but alas, I did not. Pics to come once that's done :)
I had been browsing different monthly beauty samples programs (ex: Glossybox, Birchbox, etc) and settled on Beauty Army, namely due to the cost (about $13 a month) and their range of samples (i.e. high end mixed with drugstore buys). Overall, I was disappointed with the experience.
First: I ordered my box and selected my samples around July 4th. My box was supposed to be packed and shipped within a couple days of sample selection. Nope. It took about a week and an email from me to customer service to find what was going on with my kit. The box eventually arrived at the end of July.
Second: When my samples finally arrived, I was disappointed again. The size of the Egyptian Magic sample, which I was super excited about trying since I've heard nothing but great things about the product, was far too small to use more than once...and the sample I received from Apothoderm was only half full! It's a sample size already, and you're only going to fill it halfway?!? That's cheap.
So, onto the review of each product:
Egyptian Magic All Purpose Skin Cream: As I mentioned earlier, such a tiny sample! It seemed moisturizing...but the smell! Not appealing. It's something I'd use before bed, but that's because I'm single, and when I sleep, no one else has to smell me. But is it worth the $38 price tag? I can get similar (odorless) results from coconut oil. Ruling: 3 stars. I'll probably finish it.
NeoCell Micro-Resurfacing Skin Treatment by CellCeuticals: This was my favorite sample by far. With micro-dermabrasion treatments, you don't need a ton per use, so I've been able to use this product several times since I received it. I like how as I use it, the abrasive part of the scrub seems to melt into my skin. I have a great micro-derm scrub already, but depending on price, I may switch when mine is gone...
Ruling: 3.5 stars. I'll finish it and may purchase.
Guava Showergel by Korres: I love Korres. I've never been disappointed by anything I've purchased from them. This was super moisturizing, and though I wasn't crazy about the scent (it smelled like a pina colada), but I loved the way it made my skin feel. Ruling: 3.5 stars. I'll finish it and may purchase.
Apothoderm Skin Care Science: I don't feel comfortable reviewing a sample of something I barely received.
Besame Crimson Rouge: Extremely drying when used on my lips. Haven't used it on my cheeks yet, so I will report back.
Pssssst Instant Dry Shampoo: Great sample. Instantly adds volume. I need to make sure I hold it far enough away from my head when I spray it, though, because it does leave a bit of a white residue when I hold it too close. Ruling: 4 stars. Incorporating it into the routine.
I cancelled my subscription to Beauty Army after receiving this box. I have to say, their customer service was incredibly responsive and pleasant, though I was disappointed that even though I mentioned that the half full sample was a big part of the reason I was cancelling, they didn't offer to replace it. Ruling: 1 star. Abandoned.
