Friday, March 13, 2015

Birchbox March 2015

Birchbox March 2015

There were multiple styles of boxes you could get this month, many different patterns and colors for tons of combinations. 
This is the box I got
(Photo: Mine)

 This month's theme was creativity
(Photo: Mine)

And the list of all the contents
(Photo: Mine)

Product Number 1: BeeKind Shampoo
(Photo: Mine)

Full Size Price: $15

What: "Made with moisturizing honey extract, this cleanser leaves hair soft and shiny".

How: "Work through damp hair, rinse, and follow with conditioner".

What I thought: 


Product Number 2: Whish Three Body Butter - Lavender
(Photo: Mine)

Full Size Price: $24

What: "Lucious, antioxident-rich formula that firms, softens, and soothes".

How: "Smooth onto skin after showering. A little goes a long way!"

What I thought:

Vita Liberata Self Tanning Night Moisture Mask
(Photo: Mine)

What: "This treatment gives skin deep hydration -- and a beachy glow -- as you snooze".

How: "Smooth a thin layer onto face before heading to bed".

What I thought:

Now for the little box
(Photo: Mine)

 Product Number 4: Nelson J Beverly Hills Argon Oil 7 Moisture Healing Mask - Coconut
(Photo: Mine)

What: "Damage-reversing treatment with 100% argon oil to give you soft and shiny strands".

How: "Work a generous amount into clean, damp hair. Leave for 1-5 minutes before rinsing". 

What I thought:

Jelly Pong Pong GLOW GETTER Highlighter
(Photo: Mine)

What: "This weightless gel formula gives skin a subtle, pearlescent shimmer". 

How: "Dab onto cheekbones and brow bones -- then glow get 'em".

What I thought:





*All Photos are mine unless otherwise noted. I purchased this subscription and was not asked to write a blog about it. This blog contains my own honest opinions of the subscription, box and products and I am not being rewarded in anyway for this post.*

Birchbox February 2015

My February Birchbox is here!
(Photo: Mine)

I love that they started putting cute little adjustives before everyone's name in 2014 and have been keeping with it. I'm always excited to see what they've put.

I was hoping to see something with hearts for valentine's day but I really do like the box design this month.
  
The outside "protective" packaging
(Photo: Mine) 

The colors are so bright and fun! They make me think of spring which definitly helps get though the cold, snowy weather we've been getting.
(Photo: Mine) 
I have to say that this is the first box I really dug into and used all the products within the first 24 hours of having it. I think part of the reason is me telling myself I need to actually try all the products this year (instead of hoarding them thinking they may come in handy later for whatever reason) and because all the products happened to be perfect for me right now.

The card
(Photo: Mine) 

All the products (which I'm sorry I found I don't end up placing them in the same order as the card, I like to do the first 3 products then the 2 inside the little packet)
(Photo: Mine) 

they also included a little code for a free benefit cosmetic when you make a purchase which I probably won't be using because I am a broke college student, but nice ltitle extra
(Photo's: Mine) 

The Products :)
(Photo: Mine) 

The first Product is a Nourishing Mask by Amika which sells for $28 full-size.

"What: Paraben-Free Treatment that conditions and repairs with superfruit sea buckthorn berry.
How: Smooth onto lengths and ends of damp hair. Leave 5-10 minutes before rinsing".
( Photo: Mine)

What I thought: Normally I have pretty soft hair, people always feel it when it's straight and can't get over how soft it is (im sorry that sounds super baggy, I really don't mean it that way at all). So I didn't think this would make a huge difference in the softness but I was excited to have a Nourishing hair mask to hopefully help my hair since it's so long. I simply got in the shower and washed my hair first thing like usual and then put this mask on the lengths and ends (not the scalp or roots) like it says then used my shower comb to comb through it and clipped it up and continued on with my usual routine. At the end of my shower I unclipped my hair and rinsed It out. I usually leave my regular conditioners in my hair for the whole shower and rinse them out last so maybe this is why my hairs usually pretty soft? I am actually really amazed at how much softer my hair is. I didn't really pay much attention the first time I used it but I used it last night for the second time (2/14/15) with a shampoo that usually seems to dry my hair out a little bit (some Aveda junk I'm trying to get rid of, my m didn't like it so she gave it to me and I see why she didn't like it!) And my hair is just so soft today, I love it! The smell is pleasant, it's got a very light and fresh smell, I can't think of how to describe it but I know the other day in the shower I was thinking it smelled a litter bit like baby lotion (not so bold and more like the lavender version) but my smells can be way off sometimes, I will think something smells like a certain thing and people look at me like I'm crazy. The one thing that confused me was on the card it says leave on 5-10 mins and then on the bottle itself it says just 2-3. 

The Second Product: Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser
(Photo: Mine)

What: "Made with organic botanicals, this hydrating wash declogs pores and brightens skin".

How: "Twice daily, massage onto damp skin. Rinse well and follow with moisturizer".

What I thought:

The Third Product: Dr. Schell er Calendula Hand Balm
(Photo: Mine)

How: "This lush hydrate protects and softens dry, rough hands,l. Plus, it's 100 percent vegan". 

How: "Apply to hands and massage in until absorbed. Use morning, night, and anytime in between". 

What I thought:

Now for the last two products in the box
(Photo: Mine)


The Fourth Product: Juicy Couture Hollywood Royal
(Photo: Mine)

What: "A floral scent with notes of candied apple, white petals, and cashmere wood".

How: "Spritz onto pulse points to feel walk-the-red-carpet glamorous".

What I thought:


And the fifth and final product: theBalm cosmetics Read My Lips
(Photo: Mine)

What: "Fortified with antioxidant-rich ginseng, this gloss imparts a rich color and loads of shine".

How: "Sweep onto lips on its own, or layer over lipstick for a custom (and ultrashiny) hue".

What I thought:




*All Photos are mine unless otherwise noted. I purchased this subscription and was not asked to write a blog about it. This blog contains my own honest opinions of the subscription, box and products and I am not being rewarded in anyway for this post.*

Monday, February 9, 2015

Birchbox January 2015

So I've been getting Birchboxes for well over a year now. If you aren't familiar with birchbox, it is a subscription service that sends you a box filled with about 5 beauty samples every month for $10. You go and fill out your profile (answer questions) with things about yourself like hair type, color, skin tone, skin type, etc. You also answer some questions about products you like to try and ones you don't (like if you don't like a lot of perfume samples). Then birchbox creates a box for you based on your preferences and sends it out every month. You can pay for a full year or just go month to month and cancel any time, they also have a birchbox for men so you don't have to be female to get in on the fun. 
Wanna learn more or get your own? Check it out here.

I enjoy my birchboxes but I don't always get around to using all the samples so I decided to finally start trying them all out and letting you know what I think.

Lately birchbox has been doing some new and exciting things such as giving you a few sample choices and letting you pick one of your samples each month (you can choose not to pick and just be suprised). Theyve also added birchbox plus which allows you to pick from a few items each month that you can add to your box at an extra cost (but discounted price) they'll do things like candles, jewlry, clothes, etc.
This year they've decided to every months box a little extra fun. Typically they would send your products out in a nice little brown box. I really like the boxes because they are perfect to store small things in or use as small gift boxes (perfect for jewelry And other small gifts). I would also cut mine up and use them to make mini smashbooks (like my anniversary smashbook which you can see here). I loved these simple boxes but it was always neat to get the colorful fun boxes they would send out every once in awhile. So this year they decided to do a fun box every month so you have an extra little suprise to look forward to. They also mentioned to hang on to your boxes through 2015 because they have something planned (possibley a contest?)

So finally on to my January box (ignore my terribly dry looking fingers in the pictures, I used a at home gel manicure kit and haven't washed/cleaned up my hands yet so they look terrible)

The lid of the January box
(Photo: Mine)

The bottom of the box
(Photo: Mine)

The insert that lists all your products with full size prices, what is is and how to use it.
(Photo: Mine)

My January products
(Photo: Mine)

 The 1st product
(Photo's: Mine)

1. "Hello Liquid Loofah by Harvey Prince, full size: $22
What: infused with the best-selling citrus-floral scent, this wash hydrates and softens skin.
How: work into a lather and massage over skin. Breathe in the youthful scent, then rinse clean".

What I thought:

2nd Product
(Photo's: Mine)

2. "Tinted Dry Shampoo by Klorane, full-size: $19.50
What: Naturally tinted for brunettes, this formula absorbs grease and revives second-day hair.
How: shake can. Spray 10 inches from roots. Wait 2 minutesas sage into hair, and brush through".

What I thought: I got a chance to try this last nigtht/this morning (2/10/2015) and I have to say I am pretty impressed. I am super picky about dry shampoo. I really rarely use dry shampoo because I just hate the feeling of it in my hair and love having clean hair. The only time I really used dry shampoo regularly was when I worked at Starbucks and I would smell like coffee everyday so washing your hair every single day was a waste of time. This dry shampoo is light weight and I don't even feel like I have dry shampoo in. It's not sticky and gross like some dry shampoos and the scent is light and fresh (a little baby powdery but I like it). I just shook it real well and sprayed some on last night, let it sit for about 2 minutes or so and then rubbed it to get the powder look out (it initially looks almost like you put baby powder in your hair but easy comes out and looks normal/clean). I added a little more this morning (following the same steps) before leaving because I didn't get a small section on the side. I felt confident my hair didn't look dirty and it didn't feel dirty or like I had product in it. This is something I definitly see myself buying in the future. The clean feeling and nice scent (along with it working well) make this product totally worth the extra money.

3rd Product
(Photo's: Mine)

3. "Crema Da Mano by TOCCA, full-size: $10-$20
What: loaded with natural botanicals, this grapefruit and cube lotion absorbs in a flash.
How: rub generously into hands--and anywhere you need a moisture boost".

What I thought:

Now for the little packet samples
(Photo: Mine)

4th Product
(Photo's: Mine)

4. "Color Contrast Eyeliner by Sumita, full-size: $11-$21
What: this soft wax pencil delivers rich, long-lasting color that won't irritate eyes.
How: glide along lash line
 Color block with your other liners for a sleep, modern look".

What I thought:

5th (and final) Product
(Photo's: Mine)

5. "Daily Correct CC Cream SPF 35 in light/medium by Supergoop!, full-size: $32
What: next-generation SPF 35 CC cream that triple protects against UVA, UVB, and infrarwd-A rays.
How: apply a nickel-sized amount over face and neck--it works as both a primer and foundation".

What I thought: I got to test this out today also (2/10/2015). Unfortunately I haven't updated my profile with my winter skin tone (I get pretty tan in the summer and extremely marshmallow pale in the winter) so this was not the right color for me for February. I thought I'd try it today because the only thing I had to do was run into school for a quick test (so glad I didn't try it out on a busy day). My face was so much darker then the rest of my skin. I recieved it in a light/medium shade which I think would of been perfect for summer (which I will save the rest to use for then). It's supposed to adjust to match your skin tone but of course it can only adjust so much. So I used some of my bareminerals liquid foundation over top to try to help get it a little closer to my skin (It says it's good both as a foundation or as a primer). Aside from the color I was pleasantly suprised that I really liked this product (I've had a lot of products that I really wasn't impressed with in the past so I didn't expect to have 2 from the same box that I absolutly loved). I've used by creams in the past but never a cc cream. I felt this had a little more coverage so I would feel confident wearing it just as a foundation even if I had a small blemish (it doesn't completly cover it but it tones it down which is good enough for me on a regular day). I really liked how it felt on my skin and it worked really well as a primer for my foundation, I actually think (again aside from color) my foundation looked better with this as a primer then it usually does without. As long as I could find a color that matches my skin I would definitly buy this product to use everyday, especially in the summer when I want something a little lighter then foundation. it's a little pricey so I'd want to check and see how big the container is and how long it would last me before using it everyday.


*All Photos are mine unless otherwise noted. I purchased this subscription and was not asked to write a blog about it. This blog contains my own honest opinions of the subscription, box and products and I am not being rewarded in anyway for this post.*

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Frosty Voxbox Rimmel London Products

In the Frosty Voxbox from Influenster there were 2 Rimmel London Products. The first one was was Rimmel Gentle Eye Makeup Remover which sells for $7.49. The other was Rimmel Scandal eyes Kohl Kajal Eyeliner which sells for 4.49.
(Photo's: Mine)

The Makeup remover works well, it's not oily, I feel good about putting it on my skin, not worried about breakouts, gentle on my eyes and removes even waterproof makeup. I prefer to use makeup removing wipes so I can get my foundation off as well as my eye makeup but I can see myself using this product to get the tough eye make up off without having to scrub my eyes.

Warning: creepy eye pictures below! Lol

I used the eyeliner and makeup remover last night (I was exhausted so I kinda hurried through this) also I used the new Covergirl Lash in Bloom Mascara (which I purchased myself) so ill talk about that too. 
I had some of the mascara on already and was just messing around and put a ton more on to see what would happen so it's kinda globed up so this is NOT a good picture of what the mascara looks like on. I really like the mascara, you eyelashes are still soft after you put it on, they don't get all stiff feeling. The one thing you have to watch out for is that it is not at all waterproof so do not get your face wet with it on. I won't be wearing this mascara to the beach or pool but I do like it for everyday because I can just easily wash it off while I'm washing my face, no makeup remover needed. So the first picture I have everything on, mascara, and eyeliner. The second picture is after I ran just water and rubbed over my eyes. All the mascara came off but the eyeliner stayed pretty well (I rubbed a lot so I was impressed with how much was left over). The 3rd (and extra creepy) picture is after using the makeup remover on my right eye (when your looking at it it's the left) and doing nothing to my left eye (your right). The Makeup remover got the rest of the liner off.
1.
2.
3.
(Photo's: Mine)

As far as the eyeliner, I like the price and it gives a really bold color that goes on smooth and easy. This liner is the kind you have to sharpen and since I haven't been wearing liner much I have a hard time making really precise lines (like it I wanted it really thin, winged or cat eye). The liner also gets in around parts of my eye that are hard to get to with make up remover so over the next day or 2 I sometimes get greyish blackish around my eyes from the left over liner. 


Ovreall I'd recommend both of these products.

Thanks for letting me sample these Influenster and Rimmel!

*all photos are mine unless otherwise noted. I was given these products free for testing purposes (Except for the Covergirl mascara which I purchased myself). All opinions are my honest thoughts and feelings, I was not rewarded for giving a good review over a bad. *