Old Factory Candles: A Review and Giveaway!

We've established {several times, I'm sure} my obsession with candles. I just CAN'T.GET.ENOUGH of fabulous scents filling our home. If I'm at home, I can pretty much guarantee there is at least one candle burning...it just makes it feel more "homey." I've always been partial to Bath & Body Works candles, but when I was asked to review Old Factory Candles I decided to give them a try to see if they could "hold a candle" to my favorites. In the spirit of full disclosure, this product was sent to me free of charge in exchange for my honest feedback. All opinions are my own. 

These little {2 oz.} candles did not disappoint! In fact, I was pleasantly surprised with the strength of the scent and how quickly it filled the entire room.  

Old Factory Candles offers 11 different scent varieties, and each package includes three fragrances. I chose the "Fresh & Clean" themed set, which includes Lemongrass, Olive Blossom and Fresh Linen. Given the miserable tundra-like weather we've been experiencing in Dallas the past couple of weeks, these scents have been a nice reminder that clean spring air is just around the corner {hopefully}! 

 Here's a list of all the scent-options currently available {direct links below}:

New Born Baby

Coffee Shop

Fall Harvest

Fresh & Clean

Happy Holidays

50 Shades

Man Cave

Romance

Spa Day

Vacation

Winter Wonderland

You can find Old Factory Candles on Amazon, and they're priced at $25.00 for the package of three.  I was initially turned off by the price given that each candle is only two ounces, but after I gave them a try and found their claim that each candle burns for 20 hours to actually be true, I decided they're worth the investment. The perfect gift to have on hand for times when you need a gift at the last minute.  Everyone can make use of a candle...and I found these to be high quality candles!

If you've managed to read all the way to this point {thank you!}, now is your opportunity to win a set of Old Factory Candles for yourself! One winner will be sent an Amazon code for a free gift set of their choice. You must have a valid Amazon account to enter. Old Factory Candles can only be shipped to U.S. residents at this time. Good luck! Follow the Rafflecopter road below for your chance to win...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MKGlam {Mary Kay} VoxBox Review

Let's talk a little bit about the MKGlam VoxBox {a box full of complimentary Mary Kay products to try and review} I recently received from Influenster.

***Important Disclaimer {because transparency is my middle name}: This was a complimentary package I received from Influenster. I am not a paid affiliate of Influenster or Mary Kay {i.e. I received no $$ for this post}. The opinions below are solely mine...because well, this is my blog!***

Sooo...which products were included in the MKGlam VoxBox...and what did I think of these products?

• Mary Kay® Bronzing Powder: It gives a nice sun-kissed glow {not oompa loompa orange} and blends well. It does have a bit too much shimmer for my preference, but not too the point where it looks unnatural.

• Mary Kay® Translucent Loose Powder: It's very light weight and leaves a soft finished look. I've never used translucent powder before, but I've decided it's perfect for the transitional times {spring/fall when I'm gaining or losing my tan} when I usually worry if my powder matches my skin color. Luckily, I don't notice my face getting oily throughout the day, so I can't really speak to this product's ability to control shine.

• Mary Kay® Mineral Cheek Color in Shy Blush: It's the perfect color to give a very natural, flushed look. It provides a light and subtle enhancement to my cheekbones.

The MKGlam products in action...a subtle look for summer.

• Mary Kay® Cream Eye Color in Apricot Twist: A fabulous, sheer eye color that goes on smooth and is long-lasting. This is a very neutral color...great for a daytime look. If you want a more dramatic look, just use this as a primer to ensure powder shadow lasts.

• Mary Kay® Cream Eye Color/Concealer Brush: The bristles are soft enough to use on the tender skin around your eyes while still strong enough to get the job done.
  

• Mary Kay® Lash Love® Mascara: I can't quite figure out how I feel about this mascara. It looks pretty good first thing in the morning when I apply it to squeaky-clean lashes. However, it tends to look clumpy {I don't know if that's the right word...it makes my lashes stick together in clumps...so yeah, I guess clumpy is the word} if I re-apply later in the day. Given all that info, I guess it's good for short-term wear...but it definitely doesn't last all day and re-applying leads to clumps.

• Mary Kay® Gel Eyeliner with Expandable Brush Applicator in Jet Black: I rarely wear eyeliner {because I'm lazy}, so I was a little apprehensive of this product. Of course it would turn out to be my favorite product in the set! It goes on very smooth and doesn't smudge. Plus, the small brush allows for a very thin line.

• Mary Kay® NouriShine Plus® Lip Gloss in Mango Tango: I like long-wear lip color, so this isn't something I'd typically buy. It's a little sticky, but, overall, a decent gloss. The color is a bit more subtle on my lips than in the container, but it's still pretty bright {perfect for summer!}. On a positive note, the sheer gloss didn't dry out my lips.
  

The MKGlam products combined with my usual foundation {Make Up For Ever}

And that's it...no more awkward selfies! I'd say the MKGlam VoxBox was a success...several great products that I probably never would have tried on my own {especially the eyeliner!}. Honestly, I was surprised at how affordable the Mary Kay products are. Everything included in the MKGlam VoxBox is $18 or less! Thanks, Influenster, for sending me these pretties!

J'Adore VoxBox Review

Back in February, I received the J'Adore VoxBox {a box full of complimentary products to try and review} from Influenster.  

***Important Disclaimer {because transparency is my middle name}: This was a complimentary package I received from Influenster. I am not a paid affiliate of Influenster or any of the brands included in the package {i.e. I received no $$ for this post}. The opinions below are solely mine...because well, this is my blog!***

Hershey's Kisses {Milk Chocolate}

I'm not really sure what to say about these sweet little treats besides, "Yum!"  I love that kisses are individually wrapped, so I can sooth my raging sweet tooth with one or two three or four chocolates rather than downing the entire bag.

Boots Botanics Shine Away Iconic Clay Mask

My face must love this blog. Prior to finding the Ole Henriksen 3 Little Wonders {see this "Leslie Loves..." post} and receiving this mask in the VoxBox, my poor face was lucky when I remembered to remove my makeup at night. Thus, I'm sure it doesn't surprise you that I'm not exactly an expert when it comes to face masks.  BUT...I can tell you that I am a fan of this mask. It goes on smooth and doesn't feel heavy on my face. It takes a few minutes to dry, and then you look like a green monster for 10 minutes. It wipes off easily with a wet cloth and leaves your face feeling clean and refreshed. Ohhh...one little thing, just make sure you shake it well before opening because the liquid tends to settle at the bottom where the product opens.

Frizz Ease 3-Day Straight Flat Iron Spray

This is my favorite product included in the J'Adore VoxBox. In fact, I've already purchased a full-size bottle to have on hand when the sample-size is gone. I don't use a flat-iron that much, but I really feel like this helps reduce frizz and enhance shine when I spray it on my hair before blowing it dry {using the Click N Curl, of course...see this "Leslie Loves..." post}. I have naturally wavy hair. It's not curly enough to be cute when dried with a diffuser, but it's just curly enough to be difficult to straighten. {i.e. monster frizzy hair when left to air dry!} This Frizz Ease 3-Day Straight makes the blow drying process more efficient. I am able to straighten the usually-stubborn sections of hair around my face {that usually require the flat iron} with just a round brush and blow dryer. This stuff is legit. I'm sold on it!

KISS Looks So Natural Lashes

Let me just be honest with you: I have NO.IDEA.WHATSOEVER how to apply fake lashes. I doubt I'll be using these {or any fake lashes} on a regular basis, but I will say that I was impressed with how natural they looked once I finally got them in the right place.

Up until just a couple of months ago {when my fabulous lash girl retired from doing lashes}, I had the eyelash extensions that were attached to my real eyelashes....

These are my real lashes....well, some of them. ;)

I'm finally starting to adjust to just my real lashes, but I initially felt like my eyes were "naked" after all the extensions had fallen out. Soooo...I decided to try the MAC false lashes {the MAC makeup artist even applied them for me}...

Maybe it's because this was my first experience with the glue-on lashes, but I didn't love the look or the feel. And at $16.00/set plus $10.00 for the lash glue, this wasn't the cheapest experiment I've ever attempted. Next!

Sooooo...I was hesitant to try the lashes included in the J'Adore VoxBox, but I did it anyway...

...and I liked the KISS lashes better than the MAC lashes. However, I did not like the amount of time it took me to get them in the right place. I'm thinking it's probably just a pretty steep learning curve and the application process would get easier with practice {and at $3.99/set, you could afford a few practice sets}...but I'm not sure I'm willing to devote the time and energy to practicing. I will say that I was very impressed with how natural the KISS lashes looked. My opinion: KISS lashes > MAC lashes. 

P.S. Sorry for all the creepy eye photos...

Red Rose Simply Indulgent Teas

I don't like hot drinks. Coffee, hot tea, hot chocolate, etc...ick! Thus, I can't really give this product a fair review. I guess I just wanted you to know it was included in the J'Adore VoxBox. That is all.

Vaseline Men's Spray Lotion

Influenster even included a product for Ryan to review...how thoughtful, right??? He wasn't exactly ecstatic when I told him about it, but he gave it a try.  Below is the conversation we had after he used the Vaseline spray-on lotion:

Ryan: Does this cost more than regular lotion?
Leslie: I don't know...why?
Ryan: Well, it's nice and everything...but you still have to rub it in, so what's the point if it's more expensive?
Leslie: Ok, thanks for trying it.
Ryan: Well, I mean...it works and it smells nice.  Oh, and it's non-greasy.
Leslie: Ok...anything else?
Ryan: Well, I mean...it's good. I just thought it was going to be like spray-on sunscreen and it just gets absorbed without having to rub it in. I mean, it works...And it's non-greasy...And it smells nice.

About 5 minutes later...

Ryan: That lotion is awesome if it's free though...I guess as awesome as lotion can be.

Ok...so, we can conclude that 1) it works, 2) it's non-greasy, 3) it smells nice...BUT it's not worth any additional cost just because it's spray-on because you still have to rub it in.

And that's a wrap...the conclusion of my J'Adore VoxBox review. Thank you, Influenster, for providing me {and Ryan, too} with these products to review!