Birchbox Product Reviews

     Now that I have used almost everything in my Birchbox (except the fashion tape) its time to post my reviews. I did not get a chance to use the fashion tape and didn't want to wait longer to review because my Urban Decay order is arriving soon and I don't want to fall behind. Now to begin.


     I'm going to start with the Befine moisturizer and exfoliating cleanser because these were the largest product samples.

     The exfoliating cleanser contained a decent amount of product, however it was rather difficult to get out of the pouch so depotting it proved to be a little difficult. I just used the entire pouch each time I used it. The exfoliator was surprising because it started out very gritty, but it foamed up a bit and the grittines wore off the more you rubbed it around. I liked using it, but was a bit disappointed with how my skin felt afterward. I expected it to leave my skin a lot smoother than it did, however I like an aggressive exfoliator. This product would work great for someone with more sensitive skin because it is effective while still being gentle. It contains oats which are great for calming sensitive skin. It also contains brown sugar which is a great exfoliator that dissolved in hot water and sweet almond which is another good exfoliating media. It is also a natural product with vegetarian proteins that is allergen and fragrance free which once again makes it a great product for sensitive skin. At $25 it is a little expensive, however if you have sensitive skin it may be worth it.
    
     The two moisturizer pouches came with a very generous amount! I depotted it into a jar and have enough moisturizer for a month, possibly more. It contains SPF 15 which is always a plus and while it has a faint smell of sunscreen at first it fades to a fresh smell that reminds me of the beginning of summer. It doesn't leave you feeling greasy and melds into your skin very nicely. I've been using it for a week and my skin still feels hydrated at the end of the day. Just like the exfoliating cleanser, this product is also natural without fragrance and parabens. I can see this moisturizer working for all different skin types and it lasts a pretty long time. At $25 a bottle and how long you can stretch this product, I definitely recommend it.

     This fragrance is Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture and came with enough for more than a few applications. I like the scent because it's not overpowering and wears rather light. However, I felt it faded pretty fast and wouldn't last throughout a whole day. I love the notes of wild berries, mandarin, honeysuckle, gardenia, jasmine, amber, sandalwood, caramel, vanilla and praline, but I would have liked more of the wild berries and florals and a little less of the more musky smells like amber and sandalwood. It's a great combination, I just would tweak the ratios a bit. While the smell is nice, at $69 a bottle I'm not sure I would recommend this product.

    
     The next sample is a small vial of Shu Uemura Essence Absolue leave in oil for dry hair. Some stylists have referred to this product as "liquid gold". My hair is long and fine, but for being fine it is a little thick and naturally curly/wavy. I do not color my hair and I don't use heat styling tools very often. I like most serums and light oils, so I was excited to use this. Normally I use Moroccon Argan Oil by Organix and love it. While this product definately made my hair shiny and soft, it didn't feel that different from when I use the argan oil. I could see it being very nourishing and good for color treated or heat damaged hair. Because it is an oil and you should use them sparlingly to avoid your hair looking greasy, you could definately make this product last. I would reccomend this product, however at $68 a bottle I suggest purchasing it from a vendor that has a good return policy in case you don't like it.

     Last product is the Stila eye shadow card. These are great natural colors and give you your lid color, contour color and high lighter with enough product for about two applications depending on how you apply. Stila makes great eye shadows with great pigment, especially when used with an eye shadow primer. My only complaint is the colors are a little tame and neutral for my taste. I can definitely wear natural makeup, however I love the bold and experimental so not much of my makeup time is used doing natural looks. Regardless, I recommend Stila eye shadows and suggest purchasing a palette for the best value.


    
    So far, I'm very glad I decided to subscribe to Birchbox and I can't wait for my next one! Like I said before, if you know a girl/woman that loves makeup and beauty products this makes a great gift. After surfing the Birchbox site a little more I discovered they are offering Birchbox for men. All in all I am very pleased. Stay tuned for my next post on primers and the difference they make in your cosmetic application.

Exfoliate, Exfoliate, Exfoliate!

 

     Hello again beauty junkies! Since one of the products I will be reviewing from Birchbox will be an exfoliating cleanser, I decided it would be the perfect opportunity for a post about exfoliating. This is one of my favorite parts of my beauty regime because of how your skin looks and feels after.

     Your skin produces cells and over time if not removed these old cells can cause a number of problems. They gather bacteria and clog pores, make your skin feel rough to the touch and cause your skin to appear dull and lifeless. When you slough these dead skin cells away with an exfoliator, your skin appears brighter and feels smoother and cleaner! By lifting away these cells you increase your cell turnover rate. Your cell turnover rate is how fast your skin replaces old skin cells with new ones. Because you are getting rid of old cells that clog pores, you can reduce breakouts by exfoliating, especially if the scrub contains an acne fighting ingredient like salicylic acid.


     There are a range of methods of exfoliation, some being much harsher than others. Microdermabrasion and chemical peels are two rather harsh but effective methods offered in spas/salons and dermatologist offices. Microdermabrasion uses a high powered vacuum along with crystals that, in a sense, sand blast the skin smooth. This can reduce scars and fine lines, but isn't always recommended for acne skin. Chemical peels use different active ingredients, like lactic and glycolic acid to chemically exfoliate the skin. These are also offered in spas/salons and dermatologist offices. They come in a range of strengths and active ingredients and some can be used on acne skin. Keep in mind food allergies apply to the skin, so if you are allergic to milk (in a lactic peel) or other foods let your esthetician/dermatologist know!


     The most convenient method of exfoliation is to use a gritty scrub 3-4 times a week at home. Exfoliating scrubs come in a range of grittiness as well as different ingredients such an salicylic acid used to reduce/prevent breakouts. The media in these scrubs varies from fine micro crystals to ground apricot kernels to small beads. Keep in mind things like ground apricot kernels are going to be much more aggressive than micro crystals or small beads. Aggressive exfoliants should not be used on sensitive skin or skin that reddens easily.  Also, remember these products are not for cleansing the skin around the eyes.


     Another way to exfoliate from home are enzyme exfoliants. These are a little harder to find over the counter, however there are many natural items in your fridge that contain enzymes that work as natural exfoliants. The enzymes in pineapple are a great natural exfoliant! You can used canned crushed pineapple, but the best way is to buy a whole pineapple and put some through a food processor until its rather baby food like. You can also use a mortar and pestle. Mix it with some honey and apply to your face for five to ten minutes. Your skin should be smooth and feel fresh!

!!!Please keep in mind that some people's skin have allergies to certain food products even if the person isn't allergic when they ingest that food product. Use caution and common sense when using items from your fridge for beauty purposes. Have a few cool wet towels on hand as well as a bowl of water in case you need to remove a masque quickly.!!!

** I love making my own beauty products from natural ingredients! If you enjoy using natural items from your fridge, keep your eyes open for natural tips throughout my posts! **


     Another perk to regular exfoliating is you are creating a smooth canvas for your foundation and powder. This results in your face makeup appearing smoother and more natural and we all love that.


     And ladies, exfoliating isn't just reserved for you! It has many benefits for men as well! By regular exfoliating, men can prevent folliculitis aka ingrown hairs. These plague many men, especially those that shave frequently. By exfoliating before shaving, you clear the skin of old cells which gives you a much cleaner, smoother shave. When you shave without exfoliating, you are pushing all those old, dirty cells into your pores and follicles and you get ingrown hairs. Jack Black has a great line of men's skin care products at Sephora and they aren't terribly expensive.

     Many ask what I use. I have combination skin that is normal on my cheeks and chin, sometimes dry on the forehead and my nose can be anywhere from a bit dry to a little oily. I do have pretty clear skin with a little hormonal breakout here and there so I consider myself pretty lucky. I use Equate Blackhead Clearing Scrub found at most Walmarts and for a pretty cheap price. I love this scrub because its gritty enough without being too aggressive and it contains salicylic acid to help with breakouts. Might not work for everyone, but its one of my favorite products that I have been using for several years. I also exfoliate every day, but my skin is very tolerant to exfoliators. I don't suggest starting out every day especially if you have sensitive skin or skin not used to exfoliating.

     Another method of exfoliating I love to use is a small facial brush. The bristles should be soft to the touch. If the bristles are too stiff you will scratch your face! I really want to try the rotating brushes like Oil of Olay and Clarisonic, but they are a little pricey and the small brush I use now works great! These are best used with a cleanser in a circular motion and I promise you will feel a difference in the softness of your skin immediately. 

    In closing, exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate! It has numerous benefits and leaves your skin super smooth. Who doesn't want super smooth skin? Until next time....

My First Birchbox! Part 1: First Thoughts

I recieved my first Birchbox today! Shipping didn't take terribly long considering it's coming from the east coast ( I am on the west coast ) and they shipped on the tenth and it reached my doorstep by the sixteenth.

The first box Birchbox sends you is an introductory box of favorite products. This includes a Stila shadow card with three shadows, a sample of Viva la Juicy fragrance, a vial of Shu Uemura Essence Protective Oil, three pouches of Befine Exfoliating Cleanser, two pouches of Befine Daily Moisturizer and two envelopes of Hollywood Fashion Secrets fashion tape.

 Let me just say the pouches of the moisturizer and exfoliator are HUGE! You could get several uses out of each pouch so I suggest squeezing them into a small jar to prevent product drying out in an open pouch.

 **Side note: I hoard small glass/plastic cosmetic jars because I use them for everything! They are great for storing deluxe samples that come in pouches among other things. They are great to have around especially if you have friends who are also makeup junkies. If they have shadows like loose pigments, you can trade colors! Any makeup junkie knows a little loose pigment goes a loooooong way and most loose pigments come with more than enough for one junkie!**

The fragrance sample comes in a mini spray bottle instead of the vial with the plastic lid that can be so difficult to remove. I love when fragrance samples are packaged this way because some fragrances don't always wear well directly on the skin and the spray bottle is much easier to disperse the correct amount.

The eye shadows are a little neutral for my taste, but are a great color combination with a very clear instruction card on how to apply. I love Stila products especially the lip stain, but usually find the eye shadow colors to be a bit boring.

The Shu Uemura Essence Protection Oil comes in a small vial with a lid similar to afore mentioned fragrance vials, but because it's of thicker consistency it doesn't make a huge mess. I am excited to use this product because my hair does well with oils/serums.

The Hollywood Fashion Secrets fashion tape comes in two envelopes with assorted kinds of tape, including hem tape. I've used different fashion tape before and because I am rather busty and there's so much tension on that area, it doesn't usually hold my garment in place. However, I will give this tape a try and because I am short I can put the hem tape to good use.

I am super excited to use these products and do my first product reviews! I am definitely impressed with the size of the samples. They give you enough to really try the product because we all know that one use isn't enough to decide if a high end product is worth buying.

To my fellow beauty junkies, so far I recommend Birchbox. It's a fun treat for $10 every month and you could find a product that you love! If you live outside the U.S. there are other companies like Luxe Box (Canada), Glymm Box (Canda) and Glossy Box (U.K.). I have to say, after reading some reviews on Luxe Box and Glymm Box I'm a little jealous. They get candy :)

Stay tuned for my first product review!

Upcoming Reviews!

Let me start this post by telling you about Hautelook.com. If you're not familiar with the website, it is a discount website where name brand retailers all the way from makeup to clothes to home decor have killer sales to unload any product they need off the shelves. This doesn't mean the items are defective! It's just sale merchandise that isn't moving. For example, Urban Decay decided to give its brand label a face lift and had to get rid of all the "old" labels. This resulted in getting the exact same product for a huge discount. I purchased a set of bangle bracelets designed by Amrita Singh for $12 that were originally $75. The site does have it's draw backs such as limited sale time (usually three days), long shipping time and limited item selection, however I am able to over look these for the killer savings. This site is definitely worth keeping on eye on, especially for holiday presents.

Items from Urban Decay I will be reviewing: Urban Glow highlighter, 24/7 Shadow Pencil Stash, 24/7 Concealer Pencil, Urban Lash Kit in Minx, Body Jewelry Temporary Tattoos and the Book of Shadows IV


The second website I would like to tell you about is Birchbox.com. It's my first month subscribing to Birchbox and I should be receiving my first box within the next few days. Birchbox is a website that you pay a monthly subscription for ($10) and each month you receive a box with 3-5 deluxe samples of different high end beauty products. I love keeping up with new products so this seemed worth the money. Another cool thing about this site is you can buy friends/family subscriptions instead of magazines! It's a cool surprise for the beauty junkie in every family/social circle!


So stay tuned for my first two reviews on a good amount of products! Thanks for reading!