Birchbox Review: July

It's that time again!

I received my Birchbox this week and decided since I'd posted once this week I should probably just go ahead and write a review.

Before I jump in and start the review of the products....I am LOVING this box.  The pattern is adorable!  However, the items IN the box....this was the first time I have ever been disappointed with the majority of the box.  I will say that I still have managed to not get the same sample twice, which is pretty impressive, but I still wasn't loving this month's samples.

1. dr. brandt microdermabrasion skin exfoliant, Full-size $78

This was one of 2 items I was excited to get.  Though to be fair, I feel like I get a facial cleanser/exfoliant/etc in every box and I am beginning to hate that.  I haven't found my "holy grail" yet, and at this point I think my face is getting tired of trying all the new products! HA!

2. Miracle Skin Transformer Body SPF 20, Full-size $34

Here's where the disappointment begins.  While the sample is for "the body" the sample is quite small.  I can't imagine I'll get more than one use out of it and that's disappointing because it is supposed to give a "temporary glow" and I'm all about that in the summer.  I'm hoping that with one use I can tell whether I'd want to purchase the full size.

3. Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray, Full-size $22-42

Honestly I should be more excited about this product.  It's a cult favorite and I'm sure it works on most hair types, but not on mine.  I will continue to use this and hopefully I can make it work because it is a great sample size and it's a good company but texturizing sprays are just not my thing.

4. still look at me liquid lipstick, Full-size Set of 3, $20

Listen y'all....I got to choose the color I wanted for this since they have 3 different color options.  I, of course, chose red.  OBSESSED!  I LOVE liquid lipsticks.  The smell is so good and the formula is great, going on like a gloss and working like a stain.  I couldn't wait to get my box just for this one item and the color was exactly what I expected. I MAY have to order the set so I can try out the other 2 colors.

5. Supergoop! Anti-Aging City Sunscreen Serum SPF 30, Full-size $42

Listen, I know how important SPFs are, especially in the summer, but why did I have to get 2 sunscreens?!  I was mostly disappointed with the fact I was given 2 sunscreens.  I'm sure this is a good product, and I will use it, I just wish I could've gotten a different sample.

Closing Thoughts

This wasn't the most disappointing box!  It's just the first time that I've not been impressed with the items in my box.  I still believe that Birchbox is worth the money, even if I wasn't satisfied with the samples, the sizes for 4 of the 5 items were great.

If you are interested in signing up for Birchbox and getting all these goodies, you can click here!

See you soon!

XOXO.

November Birchbox!

It's my third month receiving Birchbox, and I haven't been disappointed yet! I feel like month after month, I see people complain about their boxes and the build up always concerns me but I haven't been let down yet....let's keep that going Birchbox! :)

This month was about giving back, Birchbox teamed with Red, to raise money and awareness for AIDS.  It's a great cause, I loved seeing Birchbox working with such a great organization!  One of my favorites things about Birchbox is that it's so interactive. Last month, we were able to fill in our favorite tv show, song, etc, take a picture, add it to any social media outlet and become eligible for a prize.  This month, they donated $1 every time a photo was shared of the box itself with facts about AIDs, HIV, and an AIDS-Free Generation with the hashtag #shaRED.  I'm such a fan of the interaction they allow between the company itself and their consumers.

Onto the samples!

1. Chuao Chocolatier ChocoPod: Firecracker, Full size Assorted box, $9.95

I actually got on the Birchbox site the morning before my box arrived, and saw what I was getting (I know, I was so upset with myself!).  I was pretty upset that there was chocolate in there, I'm not one to try new foods, I'm picky enough as it is.  I opened my box and didn't want to try the chocolate.  I figured I'd let Chris have it when he got home from work because he's not nearly as picky as me.  BUT I couldn't wait....I needed to know right away how it tasted.  So, I tried it. And it was definitely interesting!  The "Firecracker" had popping candies in it, and it was a pleasant surprise!  I'm not a huge chocolate eater, but the sample was nice, and while I wouldn't purchase a full size box, I know a lot of people that would've really enjoyed trying all the different kinds of chocolate in the box.  However, there are some other flavors in the box that I would like to try....so maybe I would purchase the box....oh, who knows! But the moral of this hot mess of a review is that the chocolate I had was very good! 

2. COOLA, Tinted Matte SPF 30 for Face - Full size item, $36

I am not a huge fan of tinted moisturizers with sunscreens.  I really don't love the smell that comes along with it, but this particular product didn't have a terrible smell.  And based on the previous BB cream that I received last month, I was a little concerned about this product.  However, I must say that this product was so much better!  It went on smooth, blended well, and didn't feel heavy on my face. In the cooler months, my face becomes dry, so I needed a moisturizer to even out my skin before I apply all my makeup. I initially thought this would be my least favorite item from my box, but it wasn't.  I ended up really enjoying it! I did read that some people had an issue with breaking out, so I'd read the ingredients before buying the product!

3. Gilchrist & Soames, Spa Therapy Body Lotion - Full size item, $15

My absolute favorite product from my box!  My legs are incredibly dry right now. Not only do my legs dry out in the winter, but I've been taking some medicine that has a side effect of dry skin....so they are EXTRA dry.  Which is making for some miserable days.  But this body lotion has been amazing on my dry legs.  I must say, I'm not a huge fan of the scent, but I did love the lotion.  The lotion is pretty thin, and I read a few reviews and people didn't enjoy the product, so it seems like to each their own.  Some people complained that it wasn't moisturizing enough for their dry skin.  I felt like it was plenty moisturizing, my only complaints being the smell and that because it is thin I felt like I needed to add more than usual, making it harder to keep my small sample to use many times.

4. Juice Beauty, Green Apple Peel Sensitive - Full size item, $39

I was very excited to try this item.  Seeing the "green apple" made me a little worried about the smell, sometimes the green apple smell can be a little overwhelming, but the smell was light and I really enjoyed it! When I went to put it on my face, I almost spilled it all over the counter.  I didn't realize just how runny it was going to be!  I don't do well with peels, they are usually too much on my skin, but this was great for my skin!  It felt so clean and so smooth! My face did get a little red while the peel was on, but it wasn't something that stuck!  What I think I loved the most about this product was that, while it was removing all the crappy stuff from my skin, it didn't dry it out.  Honestly, that's one of my big worries with using peels, masks, and such is that my already dry face will dry out even more.  But this worked great! 

5. Klorane, Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk in Natural Tint - Full size item, $19.50

This was my least favorite item in my box.  Not because of the quality of the product, from everything I can tell, it works great.  I am just learning that I'm not a huge fan of dry shampoo.  I will say, this looked better than the previous dry shampoos I've used before.  The previous ones I've had left a white residue, and this worked the best with my brunette hair!  From what I can tell, it did absorb the oils in my hair, I just feel like I don't use dry shampoo properly. I will say that I did use it one day before I went out and my hair did not look bad!  I think what I'd use it for the most, as I used my previous dry shampoos, is to add body, and to help when I'm trying to fix my hair. The smell was also great! Honestly, my real complaint with this item had nothing to do with the product and using it, but that the nozzle had come off the bottle in the processing of being shipped and moved around.  No fault to Birchbox or anything, and it was easily fixed, but that was definitely my biggest complaint.  The product itself seems to work great, it's just not for me.

6. ModelCo, Party Proof Lipstick in Get Naked - Full size item, $24

Last month, my mother-in-law got a ModelCo lipstick in her Birchbox and I was so jealous!  I am obsessed with lipsticks, constantly buying new lip products, so when I saw lipstick in my box I was PUMPED!  Get Naked is a nice, nude lip color, and I am really loving it!  I was most surprised about the smell.  I opened the tube and definitely didn't expect a nice smell, I actually expected the smell that comes along with cheaper drugstore lip products...but I was wrong!  I was excited to get a nude lip color, it's one of the few colors I don't have in my collection.  I didn't love it the first time I put it on, it almost looked like I'd put on concealer on my lips and forgot to add lipstick.  I was disappointed, BUT when I added lip gloss over the product, I liked it A LOT more! 

Closing Thoughts

Overall, I was a fan this month.  As usual, there are products that I loved and products I didn't.  There were several products that I'll probably be purchasing full sized items of in the near future.  I've been lucky to have gotten so many great products over the last three months! 

If you are interested in signing up for Birchbox and getting all these goodies, you can click here!

See you soon!

XOXO.

Birchbox Review: October!

I'm gonna start this post by giving a little background about myself.  I was not an incredibly girly girl growing up.  For the most part in my life, I cried when I had to put a dress on, let alone nice shoes or even the idea of makeup. Ha!  Oh how things have changed over the years!  Now I can barely leave the house without making sure my makeup is just right! 

Throughout my childhood, I didn't get a big kick out of putting makeup on.  I copied my sister a little, as baby sisters often do, but it really didn't interest me!  I would have rather walked around making jokes and doing impressions than stand in front of the mirror and put my face on.  I finally started wearing foundation in middle school, and honestly the routine didn't change much in high school.  It wasn't until college that I realized just how much makeup and skin care can really change things!  I finally enjoyed it....it only took 20 years! Haha!

Now for the box!

I'll move to present day now! :)  It's my second month of Birchbox.  I am really loving it! I was initially worried because I'd seen a few unboxings where the girls were pretty upset with their boxes and I didn't want to be disappointed my second month, but no worries, I loved it! 

This month's theme was fanfare! Shows, music, movies, games, makeup, clothes, etc. that you are obsessing over and cannot get enough of!

My lovely box!

First of all, I loved the little card in the box! I don't know if you can read it but it says, "Can't Talk Now.  Doing my nails and watching Gossip Girl for the millionth time."  I filled in the Gossip Girl, obviously, but you get the idea!  There were different little sayings that you could get, but mine was perfect because on more than one occasion I did, in fact, paint my nails and watch Gossip Girl! 

Okay, now for the samples!

1. Coastal Scents Revealed 2 Eyeshadow Palette Set - Full size item, $34

I got the Ballerina sampler.  It has two matte shadows and two shimmery, all of which are a range of pinks....LOVE!  The colors are so beautifully pigmented! I'm really glad that I got an eye shadow sampler...I love trying new looks with eye shadows, and I tend to be too scared to buy just any kind of drug store brand, so this was nice!  Besides because it was really pigmented, I don't have to use a lot of the shadow to get results and so I think I'm going to get a lot of use from it!  This was definitely my favorite item from my box this month!

2.  Dr. Jart+ BB Black Label Detox - Full size item, $36

Now, this was possibly my least favorite item in the box.  I've been looking around for a BB cream, as I've heard a lot about it, but I've said before, I'm kind of scared to try new things (except lip stick y'all, I have no trouble with that!).  That being said, I was excited to try this item.  It was TINY (0.2 fl. oz), but I wasn't as upset about that as I was about how heavy this felt on my face.  I'd never worn BB cream, so maybe it typically has a heaviness, but I just was turned off of the product because of it.  Also, it said that it was a "detox" and was supposed to calm blemish-prone skin, but I didn't see much of a difference in that aspect.  

3. Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips - Full size item, $14.5

When I initially read the name on the package I wondered why in the world I would've gotten it!  But then I realized that it was FOR LIPS! Awkward!  I love lip products, whether it be moisturizers, lip stains, lip sticks, etc.  so I was happy to see this in my box!  My reaction to this, it's much like Carmex.  The consistency is the same, it felt the same on my lips, I'm definitely a fan! I also liked that in the "how" section on the card it actually says you can dab onto parched lips, cuticles, and elbows, basically it's useful for more than just lips!  The sample is a little small but I was pretty happy with it!

4. Number 4 Hair Clarifying Shampoo - Full size item, $32

I've used this product the least, so my opinion I guess could change on this, but from what I can tell, I'm going to be a fan!  I don't really have a lot of trouble with moisture in my hair, but I don't really have pretty, shiny hair, and after using the product, I had a nice shine to my mane! ;)  The product doesn't lather up like other shampoos and I was worried I wasn't getting a good clean, but the result was nice!  I did wash my hair twice to be on the safe side, I've never had a product that didn't lather!  If I were going to rate this (and I will on the Birchbox site!) I'd probably do a 3 out of 5...I didn't LOVE it, but I could definitely tell a difference in my hair!

I also received a Reconstructing Masque Pouchette for stronger, shinier hair (same brand, full size item, $58).  I have only used it once, it says to use occasionally so I haven't used with every wash.  I haven't really noticed a difference in the strength of my hair, and I'm afraid I won't get enough uses to really see if the product does exactly what it says it does.  That being said, it has a nice smell and my hair felt softer and looked nice and shiny when I was finished...I'm afraid in this case I just don't have enough information to definitively say I loved it or hated it!  I've read some reviews, it seems pretty mixed, I feel like my hair may not be the right type to fall in love with this product.

5. Vasanti Cosmetics BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator, Full size item, $34

Last, but certainly not least, this product I really enjoyed!  I noticed a difference in my skin after the first use!  It mimics the effects of microdermabrasion.  I did read a few reviews where the users were saying it was too rough on their face, and I could see that, the small crystals could do that on sensitive skin, but I enjoyed the feeling that it left.  It definitely felt like it was taking all the gross, dead stuff off of my face and it just looked brighter and felt smoother after one use.  I've been trying to use it sparingly but I do like the way it brightens and cleans my face.  I'd say my second favorite from this month's box!

Closing thoughts!

I love that I am getting these products for $10 a month.  Honestly, I can make these products (for the most part) last for the entire month without having to replace them.  I know that some people just can't spare $10, and I completely understand that.  But if you can spare it, I would definitely suggest getting these boxes!  They are great! And I know that some people don't always enjoy their boxes, but  just think of all the things you can try!! :)

Click here if you'd like to sign up for Birchbox and start getting all these goodies for yourself! :)

See you soon!

XOXO.

A Case of The Mondays...

Hey y'all!

I hope your weekend was amazing!  Mine was pretty great!

I attended the wedding of some college friends at our alma mater! :)  I love being back on campus!  It's small and so beautiful! So many of the people I went to college with chose to get married on the campus they met at, or at least get pictures taken there.  One thing I will say about the majority of us is that we love Kentucky Wesleyan College.  I know that I wanted to take pictures at KWC because I wanted to remember where I met the man I'd spend the rest of my life with.  It's so amazing to see so many people want to do the same!

Ohhh, sappy stuff about campus aside, the bride was stunning and happy as can be!

Don't mind the dollar bills, we stopped her in the middle of her dollar dance to get a picture!! ;) Look how excited she is! Also, look how pretty my friends are! :)
I just love weddings!

Of course I HAD to get a new dress for the occasion.  But I always need a new dress. Ha! And I wasn't sure what I wanted to get.  I LOVE shift dresses and actually went out shopping with the intention of buying one.  I had the one I wanted in mind when I walked into the boutique, and instead left with the Everly dress in the picture. I was hesitant about it because it was sleeveless and though this fall hasn't really been a cool one, I wasn't really sure I wanted to roll the dice.  And guess what, it was VERY cool that day, and windy. So windy.  I decided to pull out a blazer to add a pop of color and to keep me warm!

I would end this one as a short and sweet post, but I want to take a moment to highlight something else that happened to me this weekend.  I ordered a photo book that I had designed on Shutterfly.com.  I've ordered from their site several times and always loved the way they turn out.  This was an exception, however, because when I received it, the pages were coming out of the book!  I was heartbroken, it was a little disappointing to see, because I have been such a fan.  I contacted customer service yesterday, hoping to hear something within the next few days, and I got an email back in 30 minutes.  They had already rush shipped a replacement! How great is that?!  My faith is restored in the company!  I have been in contact with other companies' customer service departments and I hardly ever am this satisfied with the result!

One last thing...... I got an email about my Birchbox shipping.  Very pumped about this news!! :)

See y'all soon!

XOXO.

My First Birchbox! :)

Hey Y'all!

Exciting news today!  My first Birchbox has finally arrived!!!  I wasn't expecting it until Thursday so I was pretty pumped when I saw that I had a package!

A little peek at the inside of the box

First of all, let's talk about how ADORABLE the box is!  The little note inside the box said that there were 3 different patterns for this box and I've got to tell you I LOVE mine!

It isn't a terribly big box, but does it really need to be?  The membership is $10 a month, and I was worried it wasn't worth it, but I was completely wrong!  While some of the samples weren't huge, they will serve their purpose, so that I can try a new product and decide just how much I love it and if it's worth it to purchase a full size.

Inside the box I got ChapStick, Whish Shave Crave in Acai Grapefruit, Juara Candlenut Body Creme, dr. brandt pores no more vacuum cleaner, Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum, and Noir Cosmetics Long-Wear Eyeliner.  Sounds like quite a bit, right?  Especially for $10!  I also had a free gift with my subscription, which was a sample of Harvey Prince Hello perfume, and Cynthia Rowley Eyeliner.

I wanted to review each product, but I was too excited and just had to talk about the box now! Ha!  My impatience got the better of me today.  I can tell you a little about the products that I immediately tried out!  The ChapStick has a day formula and night formula, with the day formula having an SPF 12 built in.  I will say I liked how the daytime formula felt on my lips, I am always putting moisterizer on my lips, whatever it may be.  I haven't used the nighttime formula but I imagine I'm going to like it as well.

Let's take a second to discuss this Harvey Prince Hello perfume.  I'm always worried about samples of perfume, as I am very picky with what I choose to spray on myself.  My current favorite is Coach Poppy Flower.  When I opened the packaging, before I even sprayed the little sample, I could smell this wonderful, floral, citrus-y scent.  It was so good!! I want a scent that it going to make me feel happy and calm, and let me tell you, this one does just that!

These are the only two products I have tried, but the other items I have heard great things about and will definitely review once I have finally tried it out!

See you soon!

XOXO.


Update:  The Noir Cosmetics eyeliner is great!  Pencil eyeliners are generally not my favorite, but this one is making me a believer!  The product just glides across the lid....perfection!