May Birchbox!

     Hello Beauty Junkies! I apologize for the delay in posts.... I've been a bit lazy with blogging lately. May's Birchbox included a tinted moisturizer, a small bottle of gold nail polish, a perfume vial, a tinted chap stick and a pink hair tie (not pictured). Also included was a cute note card with a matching envelope. I used the hair tie before I could take a picture because it looked so cute! Anyway, here is my May Birchbox review!

     The first product I used from this box was the pink Twistband hair tie. This hair tie boasts no snags and no crimps or dents in your hair. While I'm not fond of the color pink, this hair tie is too cute to pass on just because of the color. I love that it looks like a ribbon instead of an elastic. My only complaint about this hair tie is it just doesn't hold my hair tight enough. My hair is fine, but I have a lot of it so my hair is moderately thick and is naturally curly. If I tried to wear a high ponytail or messy bun with this tie, it would loosen and migrate downward within the hour. However, these ties work great for braids or pigtails. A recent hair trend I have loved lately is the braid and I love to wear the Hunger Games side french braid. These ties add a little bit of color and girliness to your hairstyle while being subtle. On Birchbox.com they run $18 for a pack of 12 and you can choose between bright colors or neutral colors. $18 is a little pricey for hair ties, but I would purchase them for the fun colors.  All in all, if I saw these ties at the grocery store I would purchase them. However, the only way I would order these online is if I was already purchasing another item.

     The next product I used was the Color Club Foil Collection in Disco Nap, a nice shimmery gold color. First I must say, I love mini nail polishes. Over the years of purchasing a TON of nail polish, I have never been able to use a full bottle completely before it gets chunky and goes bad. I love these little bottles because they are good for 5+ applications and you don't end up wasting money on product you didn't use. This polish applied great and even and dried rather quickly. I only had to apply one coat as it is not a very sheer polish, which I like. I find it annoying when you have to layer on coat after coat to get a solid wash of color. The first time I used this polish I didn't apply a clear coat and it chipped in about a day. Using a strong clear coat made it last a bit longer, however due to constant hand washing at my job even the strongest polish doesn't last long. This polish would look great with chunky gold sparkles over the top! The mini bottle is 0.25 ounces while the full size is 5 ounces and sells for $8 on Birchbox.com. I would possibly buy this polish in a full size, however I would love if they made a set of minis instead.

P.S. Urban Decay makes super fun mini polish collections! At full price the sets are a bit expensive ($20+), if you keep your eye out they frequently end up on sale on Hautelook.com or Urbandecay.com for as little as $8! Totally worth it for seven mini polishes in bright awesome colors!

     My favorite product that I have received in my Birchbox so far is the fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment. This is an awesome tinted chap stick that nourishes and hydrates your lips while giving you a little hint of color and SPF 15. It's free of petroleum and sulfates as well as synthetic dyes. I loved that they kept the original packaging and made it a little mini twist up chap stick. I absolutely hate lipstick, lip liner and most lip glosses, so tinted chap stick and lip stains are the extent of lip make up I wear. This one goes on smooth, gives just enough color to not end up on your teeth and leaves your lips soft. Too bad I washed and dried mine while doing laundry ARRRRGGGHHHH!!! It came out of my clothes pretty easily with some degreasing stain remover, but I was super sad because I really love this product! I would purchase this product at full price $22.50, which is pretty expensive for chap stick but that is just how awesome this product is. They have several different colors and formulas on Sephora.com, all of which I would like to try. The only thing that would make this product more awesome is if they sold a set of minis! I love minis!

     The next product is Dr Jart + Water Fuse Beauty Balm. Essentially, this is a tinted moisturizer but it boasts that it is a sunscreen, serum and moisturizer to save time and product. It seems that one size fits all for the shade as well as skin type. I put this on instead of my moisturizer and found that it wasn't moisturizing enough to be used alone. It was tinted, but not tinted enough to make a difference, so I still applied my powder. All in all, for $32 for a full size, I would not purchase this product. It doesn't seem to match every skin type and doesn't hydrate as promised. If I were going to buy a pricey tinted moisturizer, I would purchase Laura Mercier for $42 instead. This tinted moisturizer hydrates better, causing you to use less product and with SPF 20 it's great for summer. You can also pick your shade and choose between a few different formulas like oil free that would best match your skin type.

     Last, is the vial of Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensée Petite Cologne Absolue perfume. This perfume has notes of vanilla and jasmine as well as brown sugar. Its subtle, but rich and could be too heavy for a summer scent. I enjoy the smell of this perfume, but I hate the packaging! Its in a vial with a cork top that is somewhat difficult to remove. You get more perfume on your fingers than anywhere else and because of this, I believe it prevents you from truly smelling how the scent sits with your body chemistry. For $65 at full price, I wouldn't change my perfume, but I feel if this scent were packaged differently I could have enjoyed it more, possibly enough to change my mind.

     This was an awesome Birchbox and I can't wait for next month! I will most likely be purchasing a full size Sugar Lip Treatment and hoping they bring out a mini set.... maybe for the holidays? I'm also hoping Twistbands are sold somewhere other than online... but I might just have to cave and buy them online. Next few posts should be on the rest of my Hautelook Urban Decay purchase and June's Birchbox. Till next time!

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.

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!