Gardening in High Heels

cultivate a beautiful life

I need my phone fix

This weekend has slightly been a Murphy’s Law weekend.  It was nice, but not what I thought it would be, which is okay.  Then Monday rolled around and it was like, please just get it over with.

I went to work, went to the hospital, then came home and said I’d run just three miles but went for five.  Then I read (a long overdue task) Gretchen Rubin’s Better Than Before in the tub.  It was relaxing and soothed my muscles.  It seemed like the day was going to end on a high note.

It didn’t.

What happens when you drop your phone in water and you're forced to be without it for 24 hours.

After I managed not to drop my phone in an entire tub of water, I went to the kitchen for a drink of water.  I reached across the sink with my phone in my hand, completely forgetting it was there.  It slipped and went for a quick dip in a shallow pan of water I had sitting in the sink.

Never in my 10 years of owning a cell phone has this ever happened.  Like, ever.

I could see a few screens overlapping (like I could see Instagram faintly in the background of the home screen). The buttons seemed to be working but the touchscreen wasn’t.  And then it started to get faint lines in it.

Shiiiiiiit.

At this point, I was semi-panicking.  But I’ve seen enough pins on Pinterest to know that you should put your phone in a bag of rice (not enriched!) to dry it out.  So into a bag of rice it went.

Then I pulled out my laptop and went a little crazy searching for “Will my life ever be the same now that I am the kind of person who drops my phone in water?!”

What I have learned (aside from “be careful around water” and “I have at least three tampons in every purse I own but absolutely no silica packets”) is this:

The universe has crazy ways of telling you to chill out.  Maybe it was telling me to unplug.  Maybe it was telling me to get off the phone.  Maybe it was telling me to focus on myself and not be so readily available for everyone.

Maybe it was me just being stupid.  Maybe I need to learn more patience (as if I’m not learning it enough at work).

Maybe it was telling me to stop saying, “If only I had done X, then Y wouldn’t have happened.”  If only I had done the dishes, then I wouldn’t have a pan and water in the sink.

Or maybe, just maybe, the universe isn’t telling me anything.  Maybe it just happened.  And that’s a lesson in and of itself.

This was a crazy-cruel detox, though.  Even though I can do everything I do on the computer (including using iMessage and Google Hangouts to communicate), I’m so used to having my phone around me.

If I need to fill in a spare minute while waiting for a file to download, I’m on Instagram.  I habitually tap the home button to see if anyone texted me while I was looking away.  Gee, I wonder what’s happening on Twitter?  Let me look.

As I’m writing this, I’ve gone 24 hours without it and I hate not being able to text Jonathan like normal.  Using Google Hangouts is great because I can still hear from him, but I feel so immature, like I’m on AIM messaging my crush.  Ugh.

And what if I want to call my mom and not be chained to the landline with the cord.  I don’t even know if I have long distance calling.

I don’t even know if a run counts if I don’t log it with RunKepper.

And how many steps did I take yesterday?  I can’t tell without syncing my UP!

First world problems.  I know.  I’m going crazy and need a fix.  I hope it’s dry soon.  I don’t want to rush it but, guys, I need a hit.

Have you ever gone through a digital detox?  What happened?

March Birchbox Unboxing

I was so excited to do a post with all of my favorite green nail polishes for St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow…and then I got my March Birchbox in the mail.  And I said I’d never do another video after the Dessange unboxing, but I lied.

I made a Birchbox unboxing video for you all.

March Birchbox Unboxing! The month's theme is creativity and you can definitely play around with some fun stuff here.

The March box this month is all about creativity, which is right up my alley.  It was one of those fun boxes where you could just pick one of the samples in your box or get a specialty box (like last month’s Birchbox X Rent the Runway box).  I really wanted to try Amika’s blowout spray, so that’s what I picked for my box.

Items in my March Birchbox

Amika Bombshell Blowout Spray
Smashbox Be Legendary Lip Gloss in Disco Rose
Harvey Prince Sincerely
Macadamia Professional Nourishing Moisture Mask
Jelly Pong Pong GLOW GETTER Highlighter

Some months there are only five items, others there are six.  It seems very random.  Did anyone else notice that?

So far, I’ve enjoyed the Smashbox lip gloss; it’s a pretty shade and it adds just the right amount of color to your face to be casual or to be paired with a bold eye look.  I also like the Harvey Prince perfume, though I didn’t smell it strongly throughout the day.

I don’t know about you, but when I buy perfume, I take time to smell all the different kinds and see how they wear on me; I will rarely purchase something online without smelling it first and I don’t think I’ve ever purchased a scent that came in a Birchbox.  Not that they are bad (quite the contrary!) but I like to take time to be selective.

Did you get a Birchbox this month?  What’s in it?

[disclaim]I’m not sponsored by or affiliated with Birchbox I just really like what they have going on. Link to sign up for Birchbox is a referral link.[/disclaim]

Dessange Paris Unboxing and First Impressions

Out of all of the beauty-related items I have, haircare is probably the lowest man on the totem pole.  I have enough makeup to Spackle an army, nail polish to paint another Sistine Chapel, and a fair amount of moisturizers, sprays, and perfumes to get the stink out of…well, I’m running out of analogies, but you get the point.

Dessange Pairs Oleo Miracle Replenishing line has three weightless oils to nourish your hair without leaving it heavy or greasy. It's a Paris hair secret! Loving it! #influenster #voxbox #JAdoreDessange

That isn’t to say I don’t have hair products that I buy time and time again, but I really don’t do anything outside the norm.  Shampoo/conditioner (sometimes a conditioning mask), leave-in conditioner, and finally a shine serum after I blow-dry (that is if I blow-dry at all).  And if I curl my hair, Hot Off The Press heat protecting spray.  Dry shampoo if I can’t bring myself to wash (and subsequently dry) my hair.

So when Influenster sent me new haircare items from Dessange Paris, I was intrigued.  I received the Dessange Paris Oleo Miracle Replenishing Line with a Replenishing Shampoo, Conditioner, and Oil.  I  could easily see myself incorporating all of that into my hair routine without a problem.

The whole Dessange Oleo Miracle line is infused with three natural oils: argan, camelia, and pracaxi – and yeah, I have no idea how to say “pracaxi.”  The only oil I’ve heard of here is the argan oil.  I LOVE argan oil.  Josie Maran’s argan oil is usually what I put on my hair when I’m done drying it.

As you can tell, I can’t say Dessange without a funny accent.  Oh, and a note in regards to the Replenshing Oil: you are supposed to use it on dry hair.  It’s a highly-nourshing yet non-greasy leave-in treatment.

The first thing I noticed was the smell.  It was pretty perfume-y, but thankfully it doesn’t stick around strongly.  That said, Jonathan did mention he prefers what I was using before – good ol’ Pantene – to the Dessange smell.

When I hosted a French foreign exchange student, I did notice that most of the beauty products were heavily scented, so that must be the “thing” to do.

After one day using this, I did notice my hair had more life.  I recently got it cut, which always brings out a little more volume, so we’ll see if the volume is due to the Dessange or the fresh ‘do.

Dessange seems to be all about adding nourishment and shine to hair without weighing it down.  Like I said in the video, my hair is thick and heavy and it just hangs unless I take time to style it.

Truth be told, after one wash, I can’t tell much of a difference in texture or softness.  It did seem like it got “bigger” and had to brush down some frizzies that I don’t normally have, but again, it could just be thanks to a recent cut.

I’m interested to see what happens with continued use.  I think the biggest obstacle to using this is going to be getting over the smell in the shower – it’s just so heavily perfumed, like Great Aunt Bethany – but I do like the volume.

What’s your miracle hair secret?

[disclaim]Influenster sent me these products to test and review.  My community means more to me than some shampoo, so you can bet I’m going to tell you my honest opinions.

Want to be an Influenster?  Join me here!  Yes, it’s a referral link.[/disclaim]

February Birchbox First Impressions

I have been getting Birchbox for 30 31 boxes now.  I’ve done a few box reviews, but I’ve never done a first impressions.  I go through a love-hate relationship with them (I love trying new products but I hate falling in love with them and having to buy them. Oh the struggle), but since I started the #365DaysOfEmpties project, I need to keep my stash of samples up.

February Birchbox Unboxing

February just came in and I am super-excited because I decided to pick a specialty box.  I like when Birchbox lets you pick a specialty box, like this one, or pick one of your samples.  The sample choices they offered for February were samples I already tried and wasn’t like, “Yes I need another one of these,” so I went with the Rent The Runway X Birchbox box.

Rent The Runway and Birchbox made a great box collab for February in 2015

derma e Anti Wringkle Vitamin A Glycolic Scrub

I usually don’t purchase scrubs (aside from Philosophy’s The Microdelivery Wash) because a) I have a big stock of that and b) I’ve been dedicated to my Clarisonic since high school and it gets the job done.

I do like to add in a good weekly exfoliation, though I’ve been partial to AHAs instead of physical scrubbers.  This says it sloughs off dull skin, fades dark spots, and cleans pores so it sounds like a great multitasking addition.

Fekkai Blowout Hair Refresher Dry Shampoo

Thanks to Birchbox, I haven’t paid for dry shampoo in about a year or year and a half.  I love other Fekkai products they’ve sent me and I can’t wait to try this one.

Did you know that for best oil-absorbing results, you should spray on dry shampoo at night and let it work while you sleep?  I can’t remember where I learned that (probably Birchbox) but it’s a great trick.  It really works!

Not Soap, Radio Body Wash in The Stuff That Cupid Dips His Arrows In

This smells so fantastic.  I opened it up and instantly reminded me of a Bath and Body Works spray I had once that I think was also blackberry and vanilla.

I’m not particular about my body wash, but I have been using Philosophy for a while.  It’s creamy and rich and smells great.  I hope this one is as good.  I probably won’t buy it though because it’s $16 and I stocked up on Black Friday when Philosophy was having a sale.  I also received fantastic products from The Williamsburg Inn Spa from my mom for Christmas so I’m good.

Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner in Raina

I have no idea why this is called “Color Contrast.”  It would be cool if it was a duochrome finish.  But it’s just colored liner.  This is a pretty dark blue.  I couldn’t tell that Raina is blue until I went on the website.

Birchbox suggests to layer liners..maybe that’s where the name comes from?

I have had their liners from Birchbox before and have really liked them.  They have great staying power and the color is intense.  Maybe that has something to do with the name.

theBalm Read My Lips in Bam

This is such a gorgeous peachy petal pink.  I really like that it has antioxidants in it so it’s good for you yet it’s also pretty and glossy.

I can’t wait to see if this is sheer or if it’s as pigmented as theBalm and Birchbox claims.  They also say it’s non-sticky.  I really hope that’s true because there is nothing worse than putting on lip stuff in the morning, stepping outside, and having your hair drag lines of color across your face or attaching itself to your face thanks to the wind.

Do you subscribe to Birchbox?  I can’t wait to hear what you got!

[disclaim]The Birchbox link is a referral link.  I earn points if friends sign up.  I’ve stuck with them for 31 boxes, so clearly there’s good stuff here![/disclaim]

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