tech/geek: Whats new with Apple

Whats new with Apple

This March brought us a keynote from Apple and if your a fangirl like me you were glued to your monitor to find out what new goodies they would be rolling out soon. Of course I was disappointed their was no mention of the new iPhone 7, but as we all know that normally comes later in the year. However Apple did roll out a few new items that some of you may be very geeked about and I'm going to give you a few of highlights in case you missed it.

All image courtesy of Apple.com

The 4-inch iPhone is here to stay. Apple announced the release of the iPhone SE. So many people were unhappy when the iPhone 6 and 6plus were first announced in 2014 and did not agree with the bigger is better slogan. So Apple always a team player has amped up the guts and gave her a minor face lift and we now have the iPhone SE. The SE is sporting the retina display and an A9 chip as well as a 12mp iSight camera this baby is ready to go. For those who may have upgraded and enjoyed the 3d touch that feature will not be available on this model. The SE is now available in Rose Gold along with Silver, Space Gray and Gold it is available on all carriers, comes in 16gb and 64gb and can be purchased unlocked directly from Apple.com Price starts out at $399 us.

Next up is the Watch, while their are no big changes to the product itself (a new update was rolled out a couple of days ago) The have decided to release a new band style in several colors. This woven nylon band($49) comes in several color combinations including gold/red - gold/blue -  blue - pink - pearl - scuba blue and black each band is woven from over 500 thread and creates a unique, colorful pattern.  They also released several new colors in the sports band. In addition the biggest news was the price drop for the Watch sport with the 38mm now starting at $299 us.

Finally my last item to report is the new size of the iPad Pro, the new 9.7-inch screen starting at $599 and wiill be available on 3.31.16. This is in addition to the 12.9 iPad  Pro that was rolled out late last year. This new size is defiantly on my holiday wish list you can pair it with the Apple pencil for drawing or note taking, in addition you can add a smart keyboard and Microsoft office so this can really be a light weight versatile device. It captures high-resolution video and has a retina display. The 9.7 inch iPad Pro will allow you edit video great for all us aspiring you tubers. Both sizes come in the standard set of colors Rose Gold, Silver, Space Gray and Gold. You can select from 32, 128 or 256GB. 

Review: Conair Lighted Mirror

I have had the same small mirror in my bathroom for ages, I don't even remember where I purchased it from that is how long I have had it. I decided that I want something with a stronger magnification on one side and I was also interested getting one with a light to aide with makeup applications and tweezing. I looked online and it was very frustrating 10 people would say the light was awesome and then another 10 would say it was the worst thing ever. I knew I had to look at these things up close and personal. So after calling a few stores and finding out they did not have the mirrors in the store I headed over to Ulta who confirmed over the phone that they had plenty in stock (lies.)

Their were 4 lighted mirrors on display all with the cords cut so their was no way to turn them on and test out the brightness (major bummer) and then only 1 that I liked was in stock and it was not my favorite out of the bunch. I wrote down the serial numbers and headed back home, I figured I would just order the one I like the best off the website (haha jokes on me) it was not even listed on the website, I found my 2nd favorite choice on line and ordered it. This was the Conair Reflections ($39.99) light that is battery powered it is a 7x/1x led mirror that claims you will never need to replace the lightbulb. I installed freshly charged batteries and the light was so dim (something those 10 bad reviews stated) I also felt like the mirror was not quite big enough and I did not like the oval shape as much in my bathroom as I did in the store. I returned this one mostly because of the light (wish I would have taken a photo) it was almost non existent. You would probably get more light from the flash on an iPhone.

                         
                                         

I took that one back to the store, and decided to look again before I left. Low and behold another mirror that I had been checking out previously was now on the shelf. So I stuck with the Conair brand, this is also a reflections mirror, but it has a cord and a fluorescent bulb that claims to be 30% brighter and compared to the first one I would agree. This one was a bit more ($75.) I believe it may be cheaper at other places, but I was already their and it was double points birthday month so I went ahead and purchased it. The only downside to this mirror is the tilt, it only tilts up about 45° (I guess I dont really know degree's) I have to place it on something about 4 inches taller, if I sat down while I did my makeup I don't think this would be an issue. When I plugged it in it gave off a nice bright light, it has a slight blue hue to it, but not enough that it affects the way my makeup looks. Also the stronger 10x magnification makes a big difference. This one is a keeper! I did not check and see how much the replacement bulbs are so I may kick myself later on, however I really liked the overall design its got a bit of weight to it which makes it sturdy and I don't worry about knocking over. The cord is a bit bothersome only because of the lack of plug-ins in my bathroom. Overall I am very happy with it and glad I made this choice. 

In The Kitchen

Sponsored Post

Today we are in the kitchen with FILIPPO BERIO the makers of some super nice olive oils. I love olive oil and I have just recently learned all the fun ways you can use it, besides just cooking meats. I love snacks so when I saw all the amazing ways I could use the evoo I was thrilled. 

So the biggest thing is that you can use FBevoo as a replacement for butter or margarine and a little goes a long way if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of butter you can use just 3/4 teaspoon of the evoo. How awesome is that!!! So I tried it three different ways, but alas my camera did not want to cooperate so we only have pics of one.

First I used the Filippo Berio for my grilled cheese I poured a small amount directly into the pan maybe 1/2 a teaspoon and then placed the bread on top and kind of swirled it around. It gave it a great texture and the perfect amount of crunch to the bread and tastes much better than butter ever did.

Second I used it to make a super easy artichoke dip (which I had never done before.) I just steamed some artichokes and whisked them with the Filippo Berio Robusto evoo added some lemon juice and I was good to go.

Finally I made some popcorn, because lets be honest who does not love popcorn. I filled one of my containers with the evoo and then drizzled it over the top it was supper yummy and flavorful again, better than butter which can oversaturate your popcorn if you use to much. 

They sent me a great guide that was full of lots of awesome tips and how to's you can get info from them by checking out their website they have how-to videos and more, subscribe today.

                           

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

unboxing: Tomboxes

Today I'm unboxing TomBoxes

     

     From their website

Each period cycle we send you necessary supplies as well as jewelry and makeup. Choose from name brand tampons and pads, tell us your skin type and fashion type and we will customize your jewelry and makeup to your wants.Each month our personal shoppers find the best jewelry pieces and name brand makeup to match your needs, those items along with your tampons or pads of choice are then expertly packaged and shipped via USPS to your front door.We also offer options to add to your box. Choose Venus razor blade refill cartridges and/or double the jewelry and makeup each month.

I ordered this box after seeing a few people talk about it on IG, I think this box is good to make sure you always have extra supplies in the house during that time of the month, but based on the jewelry and makeup that is included I would describe this as a subscription box for a teen or young adult. I received my first box about a week after ordering it and because I used a promo code I did the double jewelry and makeup along with the pads, but did not get the razors.

When you place your order you will fill out a survey answering questions about your skin type, complexion, eye and hair color along with what type of jewelry you prefer and the style. I loved the necklace that I received! The infinity symbol is right up my alley, but the bonus piece of jewelry was earrings (which I don't wear) I would have preferred another necklace, but I can always gift it.

     The other items
Expose au natural lips lipgloss It has a great sent and its pomegranate and lemonade flavor but is a bit thick and sticky for me. Absolute nail polish remover, about 6 pads in a small case. (have not tried yet.) BeChic eye liner in chocolate. This eyeliner is a bit stiff and I had to push pretty hard to get it to show up. Furlesse lip-sticks these are used to help remove unlovely lip lines. I will be giving these a try, I'll report back if I notice any difference. I also received a highlight fan brush that is pink and black it was not branded. Lastly I received a Medusa's make-up body shimmer, I was disappointed as this item arrived broken and a lot of the contents were spilled out onto the other items in the box. I pressed it back down and should be able to give it a try its a nice shade. There was also a package of Speach's peanut butter crunch brickle, chocolate is always a welcomed addition.