Monday, February 24, 2014

Trying new makeup!

I received my Ulta catalog in the mail this weekend and was interested in the Tarte Colored Clay CC Primer in there. I looked at probably 20 reviews online because it's $35 and I wanted to make sure it would be something I would like. I don't wear foundation - usually just a tinted powder because my face gets very oily - and I tried BB cream for a while, so I figured this would be good too. I also like that Ulta has a 60-day return policy if you don't like a product - I'm in the trial phase with all of these products.


Here's what it does:

"Buff your way to complexion perfection with this revolutionary correcting stick. Infused with Tarte's new color-correcting Amazonian colored clay, this powerful, skinvigorating™ primer blends easily to help brighten skin, even skintone, blur imperfections, and neutralize redness and discoloration. Use this multitasking corrector before foundation as a color-correcting primer or alone as light coverage for an allover flawless look. Its antioxidant-rich formula delivers the perfect balance of color correction and coverage with a soft, matte finish."

So yes. There is the color, a lavender wedge for brightening, and a green wedge for correcting redness. It feels really soft and light on the skin. Lots of reviews said it doesn't cover very much, and they are correct but that's ok for me. I just want a little something extra to put on to even things out before putting my powder on. The BB cream I use sometimes has more coverage, but this is supposed to be a primer I guess. I feel like it did smooth my pores a bit and I *think* it's helping with the shine. Apparently my face hates LA because I haven't been this oily since high school... but it's not making it worse so I think that's a plus! I'm going to keep using it because it is really simple and quick to put on in the morning and blends really easily. 


While I was walking around Ulta, I saw a display with mascaras on it. My eyelashes are very long (have been since I was a baby, I've been told) but they're like the rest of my hair where they're fine and won't hold a curl. I've been looking for a mascara that curls and saw Tarte's "Lights, Camera, Lashes!" mascara.

I remembered seeing a youtube review on the 'Lights, Camera, Flashes' mascara, which is similar so I decided to look at it a little more. It is a 4-in-1 mascara that lengthens, curls, volumizes, and conditions. Perfect! I've only worn it for about a day and a half now, but I like it. I've had a little bit of irritation (like, a teeny tiny bit) but I'm pretty sure it's because it's about time to change my contacts, and I'm tired, rather than the mascara. I haven't noticed any flaking but I also haven't been paying attention to whether or not my lashes are still curled at 3:15pm since putting it on at 7am. I do know that my lashes look great with it on! I'm not sure how much better it is than the Maybelline mascara I've been using for much cheaper than the $19 I paid for this... but I'll keep it for now. I like trying new mascaras.


After walking around the store for probably close to an hour checking out all the new brands I've been learning about through Birchbox and Ipsy, I finally went to the check out and found something that someone set off to the side that I decided to try. It was the Benefit POREfessional Agent Zero Shine.


Well, first I asked the woman ringing me up if she knew anything about it and she said she used it herself (though, sometimes I feel like all employees at Ulta are supposed to say that, because another woman told me the same thing about the Tarte CC primer.) I figured I'd try it because my face has been very oily lately and this powder is specifically designed to stop that. What I love about it, is that it comes with it's own brush that twists out from the bottom and the cap doubles as a little pot to dump the powder into. The top also twists open and closed so no spilling powder everywhere! It's really nice for travel, or just taking to work. It looks tinted but blends easily and disappears right away. It also doesn't look white or ashy. I've also only used this for a day and a half, but I like it. I put it on my tzone after I put my usual powder on at 7am and a few hours later I ran the side of my finger down my nose and it seemed shiny already. Around 2pm I checked the mirror and my face actually didn't look that bad. I could feel it by touch, but it didn't look terrible. I did a touch-up just because. I'm usually not someone who brings makeup to work for touch-ups but this was so easy.

It seems like I can't find anything that will keep the oil at bay longer than half a day, so I could really just buy something cheap from the drugstore instead of paying $30(!) for the Benefit brand. I think I'll keep it and use it up and decide then.

*Update 4/8/14*
I decided to return the Tarte CC Primer. I loved how easy it was, but my face got so oily during the day. I mean, it gets oily a lot during the day but this product didn't seem to help it, or seem to make my other makeup stick any better for a "primer". I actually exchanged it for Benefit's Hello Flawless powder foundation. You can read that review here.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

February 2014 Ipsy Glam Bag Review

I didn't take pictures of the individual products right away when I got my bag because it was Feb. 13 and I got my Valentine's Day present early:
Aww. What a good boy.

But I did take a picture of everything together.

This month was much better than last month. I got a few full-sized products and lots of actual makeup. Here's everything I got:


Pop Beauty Plump Pout Mini: I really like the lipgloss I got from Pop Beauty in my first Birchbox. This is a really intense color, but if you put a few spots of color on your lips and blend, it's much more manageable. The color payoff is great though! It is supposed to plump and stain, and I believe the stain part - which I like. I actually really like the size too. I saw the full size at Ulta and it's way too big. This is perfect for a pocket or purse.


Zoya Nail Polish: I finally tried this nail polish this weekend. I love it! It needed 2 coats but the second goes on perfectly. Because of the 2 coats it did take a little bit longer to dry so I have a couple scuffs. It's very shiny and more of a fall purple than spring I think, but it's been matching everything I wear really well (in fact, I'm wearing a color I would describe as "color-crayon purple" and the colors don't clash). And it's lasting! I have very thin nails so nail polish seems to chip very easily, and my nails are longer right now so I'm super impressed at how well it's holding up. You can't really tell by the pictures below but it is kind of wearing away at the tips of my nails, but most other polish would be destroyed after 3 days!
First pic is right after I put it on, Saturday, before I got ready for the day. Second pic is Monday morning - after 3 showers, putting up 4 bulletin boards in my apartment, and just general life. It looks much duller in the picture, but it's still pretty shiny!

Of course, it's been used now. I love that the black part is plastic, not wood like other eyeliners. Yes, you can actually sharpen this. It's fun too. Not as messy as with the wood.
Mally Beauty Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliner: I'm sad that this is silver, and not a "regular" eyeliner color because I love the softness of it. It glides on smooth and has the plastic-y part around it to sharpen like my eyeshadow pencil from last month. I've started using it on my bottom waterline to make my eyes look a bit more awake (and it's "waterproof" so it should last all day... I haven't been paying attention). I may decide to buy a black or dark blue Mally eyeliner though.


City Color Be Matte Blush: The color is pretty intense, so I have to be careful how much I put on, but it looks pretty good. I like that it's a full size, but I'll never use all of it. The downside is that it seems a little cheap, because when I put my brush over it, a lot of product seems to get pulled up and left sitting on top for me to dump into the sink. And it seems to last all day, like most people claim. (I'm really bad about paying attention to whether or not my makeup is fading. I work with 10 people 55+ hours a week... I don't care that much if it starts wearing off)


J. Cat Beauty Eyelashes + Eyelash Glue: I don't know when I will ever use these. I've only tried to put on fake eyelashes once and it didn't go well. I also have very long lashes on my own so I've never needed fake ones. A lot of people complained about constantly getting fake lashes on Ipsy's Facebook page, and I was almost one of them, but decided to put these with the rest of my stage makeup for if I ever go to a costume party again like in college.


 The bag itself is a pretty pink with an animal print on the inside. I might use it as a purse organizer or just a travel makeup bag. Much better than last month's. It's been 1 for 2 for me with Ipsy. Wasn't as impressed with the first month, but really enjoyed this month. I could actually make a full look out of these products! I'll give it one more month (I initially told myself I'd give it 3 months anyway...)

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

February 2014 Birchbox Review

Birchbox is a monthly subscription box service. For $10 a month, they will send you 4-5 'Beauty and Lifestyle' samples. 
They also have a points system, which is the best I've seen. 100 points = $10 to spend in the Birchbox shop. Earn 1 point for every dollar you spend (monthly boxes don't count, except for the first one) and they offer a lot of promo codes to get extra points. You can also earn 10 points for each review of your monthly samples. That's like getting $4-5 back each month! You also get 50 points for each person who signs up through your referral. If you would like to try Birchbox, please consider using my link: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/pdwbx

This month's theme: Step and Repeat

Birchbox joined up with US Weekly this month and created the theme: Step and Repeat. Here's what I got this month!


Benefit Fakeup: ($24) I was a little sad to see just how tiny this sample was. It's not Birchbox's fault though, only Benefit's for making a fairly good sized tube with maybe a fourth of an inch of product in it. I was very excited to try it though! After one day, I'm not impressed. Lots of moisture when putting it on, but not enough coverage. I have very dark circles and this just didn't cut it. It also creased throughout the day. I re-blended it about 4 times. I'll use up the sample to see if maybe it improves? But I'll stick with my Garnier Eye Roller.

OPI Sheer Tints Color - Tinted Top Coat: ($9) The bottle is really cute and little, I should've put something next to it for size comparison. I was so excited to try this, but it was very disappointing. I French-tipped my nails on Friday night, then put this on as the top-coat. It was already chipped the next morning. Plus, while putting it on I noticed that it was very thick, applied really uneven, and needed at least 2 coats to show any sort of color. I realize it's not supposed to have a bright color, but I wanted at least a little bit. On a bare nail, it looks wrong. Nails shouldn't be slightly red like that... It's a tiny bottle so I'll keep trying it.

dr. brandt Pores No More: ($42 for Camera Ready Kit, $45 for 1oz tube) I was really excited for this and I didn't even know I wanted it. I keep looking for something that will keep the oil away all day and this claims to smooth pores and mattify. I was a little surprised to see it was tinted in the tube, but goes on very transparent. I was still oily later in the day, but my face didn't FEEL as oily as usual (you know that gross heavy feeling?) I'm a little scared of the price, but I did like how the product felt going on my face... It was very smooth and almost powdery when blending. I still don't think I can pay $45 when it doesn't mattify like it need it to.

Agave Healing Oil Treatment: ($40 for 4oz) More hair products. I was a little nervous about using a hair oil since my hair used to get pretty greasy when it was longer, and still can when it's short. I tried it this weekend and didn't notice anything. Hair didn't feel greasy, but I'm not sure what it will do to my hair, since I've said in other posts - my hair is healthy all on it's own. Guess I'll use it up and see.

Benefit Big Easy: ($38) I'll have to pick a day to use this sample, because that's all I get. Maybe this weekend...

Monday, February 10, 2014

February 2014 Ipsy Glam Bag Spoilers

I don't know when I'll be getting my bag, since I haven't received the email saying they've sent it and there's no way to check on their website (unlike Birchbox who has the tracking info in your account). But I went to the Ipsy website and accidentally saw my bag. I'm really excited about it though!
I'm getting the Pop Beauty Plump Pout mini! Yay! I love the Pop Beauty gloss I got from my first Birchbox so I'm really excited about this. I'm also getting nail polish and I've heard good things about Zoya. I don't know how I feel about Waterproof Eyeliner since I figured out I'm allergic to purple eyeliner and waterproof mascara messes with my contacts... but we'll see. Starlight looks to be a silvery color, which will probably work great as shadow. The Be Matte Blush looks really interesting. The only thing I don't like is the eyelashes. A LOT of people on Ipsy's Facebook HATE the eyelashes that they've been getting because not everyone likes them. I probably would, IF I knew how to properly put them on. I bought a pair for a costume party one time and couldn't for the life of me get them to sit correctly. My real eyelashes and the fake ones were so far apart and it looked terrible. I also don't know when I'd ever wear these. I guess they'll go in the drawer of all my other stage makeup for some party at some point that will probably never happen.

Here's the rest of the stuff going out this month:
So I guess the only other thing I really wanted would have been the Shadow Compact. THAT I could've really used. Oh well, that's the whole point of this subscription though. I'm glad I didn't get any of the creams!

I'll update this when I actually get my bag and try out my new samples!

February 2014 Birchbox Spoilers

I'm trying so hard not to peek at my samples! I just checked my tracking info and my box should be waiting for me when I get home from work today. I'm excited about the spoilers I've been seeing on Facebook. We'll see how many I actually get!

This is everything that was mentioned in the Sneak Peek video this month. I really really want to try the Benefit Fakeup (I have horrible dark circles under my eyes), the Ruby Wing Color Changing Nail Polish (which I almost bought a couple weeks ago), and the Cynthia Rowley Beauty Liquid Liner (because I don't use liquid liner but I bought a pen like this a couple years ago and loved it, but never bought it again). I wouldn't mind getting the eye cream, the pore refiner, or the Benefit Big Easy but please no more shampoo! I loved the sample I got last month but I have half of it left because I don't use it every time and I'm not switching. Still love the samples though. Nice to try something new, just like when you go to a hotel.

Then Birchbox starts doing it's Box Spoilers.
The first was for Juicy Couture Fragrance. I don't like to get perfumes in my box because I'm so picky, and also because I loved last months and finally decided to buy the full size and I just don't want any more choices.

The second spoiler was for:
OPI's Sheer Tints Top Coat nail polish. I would love to get this sample too. My boyfriend would hate it, he knows how much nail polish I have and always tells me I don't need any more. But I can't help it! I like having pretty nails and they just keep coming out with new products!

The third spoiler was:
Agave Healing Oil Treatment. Do not want. My hair is healthy. My hair is fine. My hair gets oily by itself (less now with short hair but was noticeably oily when it was longer). Of course, if I got this sample I would try it and review it and put it with a couple other samples that didn't work/I didn't like and not complain like everyone seems to on Facebook.

The fourth spoiler was:
W3LL PEOPLE Universalist Multi-Use Color Stick. WANT! Lips, cheeks, even eyes I guess can be colored with this. I love things that are multi-use! I also want a cream blush to try. Please?!

Ugh, so hard not looking! But I love the surprise even more. Then I won't be disappointed for the rest of the day because maybe I'd find out I got the hair oil and be wondering what I'm going to do with that...

Update to come later after I've opened my box!

Thursday, January 23, 2014

January 2014 Birchbox and Ipsy Glam Bag Review


Birchbox: 


I wasn't as excited about this box when I first opened it, but it could be because I had worked 15 hours that day (yes, you read that right). The more I looked into the products and used them, I became happier with it. I still agree with others that they shouldn't count shampoo and conditioner as two separate samples. Birchbox claims they give 4-5 samples a month and if there's a "Birchbox find" it will not replace one of your usual samples. This is the second time I've gotten a 'find' and both times I've only received 4 samples. Also both times I got separate shampoo and conditioner as items #1 and #2. So that's a little disappointing. Oh well, it's only $10 a month and I can cancel whenever so I don't complain too much. I did really like these samples once I used them.


Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Day Lotion with Clary Sage: ($?) This was the "Birchbox Find" this month. Basically, an average (not high-end, usually) product that the staff thinks everyone should try. You can see by the top that it doesn't say anything about being for the face, but it turns out it is. It's very soft and smells alright. It also spreads really nice and covers well. They included a $3 off coupon for this product if you want to go out and buy the full size. I just may...


Fekkai Advanced Brilliant Glossing Shampoo and Conditioner: ($39 for 16oz of each) My hair is pretty healthy so I don't always like when I get shampoo samples. But this stuff was different. It smells really nice and makes my hair incredibly soft. I am not willing to pay $39 each for shampoo and conditioner though. But I love the samples!


Harvey Prince Journey: ($55 for 50ml) I finally got brave and tried this. I'm really hesitant when it comes to perfume because I really don't like that much of a scent. I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised. It's light, and feminine and happy. If the price was better, I would consider buying it. But I guess I'll just stick with my body spray when I run out of this sample.


Coastal Scents Revealed Palette Set: ($34 for 20 shades) I really like these small palettes. I wear eyeshadow every day but I have a bunch of different colors so something this small doesn't take up a lot of space and I still get a lot of the product. As far as how good it is: It's basic eyeshadow to me. I've had some pretty bad stuff but this isn't like that. It covers nicely, blends well, has a rich color, and doesn't fall all over the place when you put it on. I don't think I need the whole set though.


Then we all got these cards. I suppose they are motivational for people in the new year. They're cute, but I'm not sure what I'll do with them yet.

Ipsy Glam Bag:


I also got my first Ipsy Glam Bag this month. I read some reviews and decided to give it a try, if only for a few months. I have to say, I'm not as impressed as others. Maybe this month was a dud. Reviewers said Ipsy is better about listening to your profile and giving you things you actually want. Not too much with me this month. I have since changed some of my profile settings. The bag itself is cute, but smells terrible! It smells like a plastic or vinyl pool or something similar. It's decent quality fabric though so I don't know why the smell.


Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask: I've already said, my hair is pretty healthy. I was a little disappointed that they gave me this instead of some makeup, but I gave it a try anyway. Wow! My hair was crazy soft afterward. And it's a decent sized sample. It will take me a while to use all of this. I'll make the boyfriend try it too :)


Elizabeth Mott Smooth Shadow (in Pearl): I guess you can sharpen the black (plastic-like) part just like a regular pencil... still weird. It's not just shimmery, it has noticeable glitter in it. I've just used it as a highlighter so far because I have really bad luck with cream eyeshadows creasing after a few hours. I like the glitter as a highlighter though.


Nourish Organic Lightweight Moisturizing Face Lotion: Awful. Gross. Disgusting. Ugh. Some people on the website loved this scent. I HATED it. I almost washed it off right after I put it on. It smells like fruit gone bad. I suppose it felt nice. Not as much moisture as I like. The smell did fade after a while but every once and a while throughout the day I smelled it again. I will not even use the rest of this sample. I don't know if I can even give it to someone else... blech.


MicaBeauty Tinted Lip Balm (in Fiesta): I didn't even think about taking the lid off and snapping a picture of the actual color. It's pretty close to what you see in the picture, even though that's reflecting a lot of the pink bag everything came in. (It's not quite that bright.) Fiesta is pretty close to my natural pink lip color, just a little darker. It's supposed to be a tinted lip balm, but it's not very moisturizing. It's actually pretty drying. But I've put it on over regular lip balm and had it on a bare lip and put something else on top of it and that seems to work pretty well. It stains a little bit too, which I actually really like. It's going to be great for when I actually go out somewhere and want a longer-lasting product. 


Proactiv+ Mark Fading Pads: I haven't tried these yet, because I don't really know how to use them - even though I've read the instructions over and over - and because I don't really have any marks that need fading. It looks like all you do is open up a package and wipe over a clean face. But somewhere I saw the word "peel" and that confused me. It also says to use after the Proactive _something_ and then use some other Proactive product after. So why only give the in between one? Give me one of each instead of 4 of the middle one.


Wednesday, December 18, 2013

My First (Three) Birchbox Reviews!

I should've done this 3 months ago, but I'm starting now.

When I moved out to LA, I started a monthly box subscription through Birchbox. It's been 3 months now and I love it. There are a lot of people who complain about crappy boxes on Facebook, but I won't do that because that's the reason I signed up - to get random samples. Even if they're tiny or I don't use that product, I'm still not going to complain because it's only $10 a month and I've already found some things that I LOVE! (Also because I know that I can cancel anytime and not receive random products that I may or may not use anymore.)

I do take pictures of my box after I open it, but I don't take pictures of individual products. I will start doing that if I continue this blog though. I am not on my own computer right now so I will post those pictures later. Right now, my plan is to use pictures from the website to tell you about what I got and give short reviews.

Birchbox, for those that don't know, is a monthly box subscription. For $10 a month they send you 4-5 samples of beauty and lifestyle items. Subscribers earn 10 points for each review they write and 100 points gives you $10 off in the birchbox.com shop. 

October Box



Ruffian Nail Lacquer: (Full size = $10) The color was really cute, a greenish-gold that I don't own already. The polish itself? Nothing special. Maybe it dries a little quicker than others and that's why it got lumpy in spots when I was putting it on. It also chips off just as quickly as others.

Bain de Terre Macadamia Oil Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner: (Full size = $12-13.50) This smelled really nice but I have really healthy hair so I don't need anything nourishing. It didn't always make my hair feel as clean as my $4 shampoo.

Pop Beauty Aqua Lacquer: (Full size = $14) I love this. I didn't like it as much right away, though I did love the color, but the more I've used it, the more I like it. It looks really bright in the tube, but it matches my lips so well! It adds just enough color and shine to be a casual color. It's supposed to be plumping too, and I guess I feel it a little bit? But it's now my go-to lip gloss. I don't know that I'd pay $14 for it though.

ChapStick Hydration Lock: This was a bonus that everyone got in their boxes. It claims 8-hour hydration, which is a lie. It works about as well as other chapsticks, but this feels a little thicker - in a good way. It's vanilla "flavored" and there's just a hint of it. Nice freebie anyway!


November Box



WEI Golden Root Purifying Mud Mask: (Full size = $42) I've never really used mud masks before so this was a fun sample for me. I painted a thin layer over my face like they told me to, and it still felt dry (unlike what the description said). But after washing it off, my face felt really smooth. I only used half of my tiny sample too, so I get to try it again! Not something I would buy though.

BeeKind Body Lotion: (Full size = $15) I really considered buying this full-size. I just realized I have so many lotions already. It has honey in it and supports bee populations, or something, and smells like lemons. Some reviewers said it smelled like lemon Pledge, which I guess I can see but I really liked it. The sample was a great size for in a purse.

Folle de Joie eau de parfum: (Full size = $98) I did not like this scent. My boyfriend did so I gave it a couple more tries. I sprayed it on a tank top, then wore a tshirt and sweatshirt over and still felt like I was choking on the scent. I actually wrote in my review on the website that it reminds me of little old ladies at Church when I was little. I'm taking this tiny sample home to see if anyone in my family likes it.

WEI Pomegranate Buffing Beads: (Full size = $20) This was a little packet of beads and another gritty (but gentle) substance that you add to any cleanser to create an exfoliating wash. I didn't try these right away because I already use a daily face wash with exfoliating beads. I finally added it to a foaming wash my boyfriend has and it worked really well. If I was someone who only needed it a couple times a week and didn't want to have 2 different cleansers, I would get this, but I'm not. Nice idea anyway.

Chella Highlighter Pencil: (Full size = $18) Now that I know how to use this, I love it! I have really bad dark circles and I've been trying to find something that will cover them. This doesn't completely erase them, but does help a bit. I use a roller-ball concealer first, then a BB cream, then this highlighter in a V shape under my eye and my face looks so much more open. I may have to buy another one when I'm done with this sample, but it was big enough to last a while, so we'll see.

Mighty Leaf Tea - Tea Pouches: (Full size = $9.95) I got a green tea, a black tea, and an herbal tea sample. The green tea smelled amazing, but tasted like any other green tea. I added honey and lemon since I like my tea sweeter. The black tea was vanilla flavored and I added a bit of honey to it. I liked it the more I drank it. I still have yet to try the herbal tea, but I have high hope since my favorite tea is herbal.


December Box



Number 4 Non-Aerosol Hairspray: (Full size = $30) This says it does not make your hair crunchy, which is does a little bit but not bad. It smells pretty good too. I wouldn't pay $30 for it - I'll stick to my $4 bottle. I like aerosol better anyway. But this will make a good travel hairspray for when I go home for Christmas.

Camille Beckman Body Butter: (Full size = $15) I'm in love with this! I've already ordered the full size! I know I said I have other lotions but this is a body butter, so it's thicker. I LOVE the scent (I got Midnight Monarch) and it doesn't feel greasy at all, but is nice and thick. I've been using my sample on my hands and cuticles at night. I can't wait for my full size to come so I can use it more! (It will be great for my 10 days back home in below zero temps)

Benta Berry G-1 Exfoliating Facial Cleanser: (Full size = $16) Um, no. This did not work for me. The sample was the tiniest I've ever received. The website says to use a dime-sized amount on a damp face. I tried this while in the shower over the weekend and a dime size didn't even cover half my face because it doesn't lather at all. I had to use almost the whole tube to try it out and when I washed it off, my face still felt unclean. I explained it to my mom like how when you're wearing makeup and you get your face wet before you wash it... that's how it still felt afterward. I had to use my regular face wash after just to feel clean. It's only redeeming quality was the scent. It had a nice light apricot scent.

Manna Kadar Cosmetics Sheer Glo Shimmer Lotion: (Full size = $29) I guess you can mix this with your moisturizer or foundation for a healthy glow. I have oily skin so I don't really need to be glowing. I also already have a slight shimmer in my "morning glow" moisturizer. But I used this on my cheekbones a couple times and in certain lights you can see it. I dunno... not for me I guess, but I still appreciate the sample. Some people said it works better on your chest and shoulders. I'll give that a try when the weather is nicer.

Chuao Chocolatier Chocolate Bars: (Full size = $6) I love this product too. I actually got to try a small bite of the popcorn flavor at a thing called Unique LA and was so excited to get the Honeycomb flavor in my box. I'm not a big fan of dark chocolate but this was only 60% dark and had little bits of dried honey that crunched when you bit it. I had to order the 8-pack Chocopod sampler for $9.95 so I can try all the flavors. Apparently our grocery stores sell it but I can't find them anywhere. I've looked in the chocolate aisle and the baking aisle (though I don't know why they'd be there) and at the registers, but this is a specialty item so I'm not sure where it'd be hiding.