April 2011, a year ago with Birchbox!

I have been receiving a Birchbox for a little over a year now and I found it fitting to do a "Year Ago" series to see what I got in my box in the said month, a year ago. I will also tell you what I thought about each product and so on.

Since I don't really have the items anymore in most cases, I am not going to show all the pictures. I will use the pictures from their website and just list what I received.

Hi there,

This month, in honor of Earth Day, we’ve partnered with our friends at EcoFabulous and greened our box, inside and out. It’s not just about a single day, though – April is a reminder that we should be mindful of our environment year-round. Here’s how we’re celebrating:

Waste Less, Love More

Birchbox helps you discover beauty products you love — no more beauty graveyard of unused purchases. This month, meet earth-friendly products; from skincare to nail polish, these treats show that eco can be effective and chic.

Recycle & Reuse

Every bit of Birchbox packaging, from the tissue to this letter, is recyclable — this month and every month! Many members also repurpose Birchboxes to store jewelry, makeup, and other tidbits. We’d love to hear how you reuse your boxes.

Healthy Body, Healthy Planet

Online, we have tons of articles and videos to inspire you to be more mindful about what you buy and how you use it. Check out what products Zem Joaquin, founder of EcoFabulous, can't live without, or learn how to get beachy waves with our video tutorial. Plus, an easy guide to reading product labels and much more.

PS - You’re holding a carbon neutral Birchbox! We offset the emissions of shipping this box and will continue to do so going forward.

Hayley, Katia, and the Birchbox team

I remember there was so much controversy with this box because of the shipping. This is when most of the major shipping problems happened and even though some people really like(d) streamlite, a lot of people didn't. This box took forever to get to most people and for being "green" there was a lot of waste.

1. Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Full Strength - Full Size: $45.00
I never used this and I remember this being one of the items I was really excited about. I don't know where it went or why I didn't use it.

2. Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair Moisturizer - Full Size: $65.00
I honestly don't remember getting this, it must have been a little sachet or something.

3. Lavanila The Healthy Body Butter in Vanilla Lavender - Full Size: $25.00
I didn't use this either, I don't like Lavender and I remembered a lot of people got the coconut one, I wish I had gotten this one.

4. LIV GRN C2C Fragrance Collection in Earth - Full Size: $60.00
This smelt ok, but it wasn't something I ever used.

5. Zoya Intimate Nail Polish Collection - Full Size: $8.00
I received Jules from this collection and really enjoyed it. I love Zoya and since have purchased several from them!

So those are the items I got in my second BB from April 2011. Hope you enjoyed!

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Julep Maven Review (March Classic with a Twist)!

I am actually quite surprised with the results of this months Julep Maven, as I thought I would like one color more than the other and it was actually the opposite. In March I went with the Classic with a Twist because it sounded interesting, you can see that original post here.

Before I get into the review and more specifics, let me show you some pictures:



Used Skull & Glossbones from OPI as the base and Zoya Miley on my middle finger. Then put Jennifer on top of all of that.




I thought Jennifer was going to be my favorite but the next day, I saw this. The color was off my finger tips. I don't know why, how or if it was because of something else but I have never had that problem before.


I ended up taking it off the next day and putting something else on.


Butter London Trout Pout from my Little Black Bag, Jennifer from Julep Maven on my middle finger and Essie As Gold as It Gets from my TV Birchbox over Trout Pout.


Took 3 coats to get it that opaque.




One week later.

Professional quality “4-free” nail polish formulation, developed without carcinogens such as formaldehyde or formaldehyde resin, toluene and DBP. Shine on! $1 will be donated to organizations that support women through our Powered by Girlfriends program.

Packaging (3/5):
I have 2 gripes with the packaging, hence the 3 instead of a 5. One, would be that the lid doesn't line up with the jar when I tighten the jar (someone did give me a solution for this, the lids come off the actual twisty part, like a butter london polish, yet this is just extra work). This could be from me over tightening it, but I like my polishes to not dry out, specially for $14 a pop. Second, is the super small brush. I feel like I am really spoiled with OPI's brushes because they're super wide, and that is what I prefer. If you like small brushes then it won't be an issue for you of course.

Product (3/5):
I was surprised with Brooke. I thought that one would be my favorite. It looks pretty on, almost like a purple flakey, gives a gorgeous purple sparkle to the nail but it just didn't work out for me. I did love Jennifer though, which is funny because I was more excited for Brooke. I don't typically like pink polish on me, I think my skin is too light or something but this was nice. It did take 3 coats to get it opaque but if you want just a nice pretty pink wash, one coat is great.

Longevity (4/5):
I am giving this one a 4 because I took Brooke off the next day so I can't really say the longevity but as you can tell, Jennifer lasted a week, and would probably last longer if I didn't change my polish so much.

Price (2.5/5):
I am going to compare these to my 3 favorite brands, which I own a ton of and buy on a regular basis. First, we have OPI - 0.5 FL oz for $8.50, then we have Zoya - 0.5 FL oz for $8.00. Next, we have Butter London - 0.4 FL oz for $14.00 (which I only usually buy as "rewards" or special treatment). Now, the typical price of a Julep Maven polish is $14.00 for 0.27 FL oz. That is right, a little under half of MOST of these polishes for way more money. Even Butter London, which is AWESOME has a better value. The price is nowhere near "affordable" however, I do feel that they may have some unique colors.

Overall (3.125/5):
A little disappointed with this months colors but you can't win them all. We did get an oil with this month and I use it in with my lotion and it makes my skin so moisturized and smooth.

There are TONS of coupon codes running around for getting your Julep Maven box at only 1 penny so if you want to try them, I would suggest it!

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Sample Society April 2012

Another month of Sample Society. This is their second box, seems to be all skincare again ):

They also give you a $15 credit to use in the store for any of the brands that you have in your box, however, I don't feel that it is that useful if you don't want anything from these specific brands.

Here is what I got in my box:


Lets go through each individual item:

boscia Purifying Cleansing Gel - $8.79

I have already tried this. I don't see anything super spectacular about it. Makes my face clean.

By Terry Crème De Rose Nutri-Lift Comfort Cream - $13.20

This is supposed to be amazing, it is $99 a bottle so I doubt I would ever purchase a full size but I am excited to try it, none the less!

DDF Amplifying Elixir - $20.58

This is supposed to boost the performance of your skincare regimen by hydrating and improving the health of the moisture barrier. Alrighty, I will try it!

Oscar Blandi Olio di Jasmine - Hair Serum - $3.70

I got this in a BB a long time ago and never used it. I gave it to a friend so I will not be using this one, I will include it in the giveaway. I use the shu uemura oil and love it.

Murad Hybrids Skin Perfecting Primer Matte Finish - $5.95

I don't typically wear face make up but I will give it a try!

The breakdown:
Box: Beauty Bar Sample Society March 2012
Price: $15.00 a month
Monetary Value: $52.22
Keeping subscription?: Yes.

Again, I LOVE the sample sizes, they're truly deluxe and the monetary value is there. I love the fact that I get to try insanely expensive brands but also hate the fact that if I fall in love with them, I will either not buy them or brake the wallet trying to buy them.

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Julep Maven April 2012

Julep Maven never ceases to amaze me! This time around, they allowed us to do an "add on" where you can add up to 2 polishes from any of the other boxes for only $4.99 EACH. Yes, $5 for a friggin awesome polish! I couldn't choose of course so I gave my husband the names and he picked them totally by name haha. I am so happy with their service.

I went with Bombshell this month because it had an orange and I don't have ANY orange polish!




Again, super happy with the packaging, so cute!




Polishes in Annette & Parker - $14.00 each

Annette is a subtle, dove grey (not the most unique polish and I have one just like it from Zoya so I am giving this in the April giveaway!). Parker is golden tangerine creme.

The Best Pedi Creme Ever! - $22.00 each

Exfoliates with alpha hydroxy acids, hydrates with shea butter and coconut oil, nourishes with vitamin E. Apply nightly for noticeable results in just 1 to 2 uses. I am excited to try this as I have terrible feet!

The 2 colors I added on:



Polishes in Neicy & Mandy - $14.00 each

Neicy is a bright pink. Mandy is a fresh, bright, deep coral-pink.

The breakdown:
Bag: Julep Maven Classic with a Twist March 2012
Price: $29.97 (including the 2 add ons)
Monetary Value: $78.00
Keeping subscription?: Yes.

I can't sing enough praises to Julep! I really do love this program and suggest everyone to sign up. There is another coupon code to get your first month for a penny. Just go on over to Julep Maven (affiliated link), take the quiz, pick your box and put "PENNY" in the discount box and you get a box for $0.01, what's not to love!?

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BENTA BERRY G-1 Moisturizing Face Cream Review!

I am going to review the BENTA BERRY G-1 Moisturizing Face Cream that I received in my February BirchBox. I was hesitant to use this because it's supposed to "regulate" oil levels and I don't have oily skin. I trusted BirchBox's judgement as they know I have dry skin so I thought I would give it a try.

Before I get into the review and more specifics, let me show you some pictures:

The French all seem to have one thing in common: perfect skin. Maybe it’s in their genes, but we suspect their savvy skincare regimes deserve equal credit. Behold this unisex moisturizer, a favorite of hip Parisian girls and guys, which hasn’t been available stateside until now. It’s made with an all-natural blend of botanicals to leave skin soft and matte.

Packaging (3/5):
Even though I know this isn't BB fault but this is tiny. I have enough for 2.75 uses. Yes, not even 3 full uses and for a face cream, that's not enough to actually get a feel for the product. The tube itself felt really low and once you got to the end of the bottle, it was hard to get any of the product out so you really have to make it stretch.

Product (1/5):
I hope I don't sound nit picky but I didn't like this product at all. First off, its white. Might not be a big deal to many people but if you accidentally get too much, you're really going to have to work to get this white film blended into your face. The first day everything with this was fine but I noticed that my nose was a little shiny. Didn't think anything of it. The second day again, shiny but nothing too major. The 3/4 of the time I got the use it, my nose was covered in oil. It was really gross. I normally have really dry skin and this did the exact opposite. I would touch my nose and just feel the oil on it.

Longevity (1/5):
I should give it a 5 for longevity since it made my nose oily for at least 5 days but I am giving it a 1 because this product is terrible.

Price (1/5):
Also giving this a 1 because I would never buy this product, didn't matter what the price was.

Overall (1.5/5):
Would not buy this. I am really disappointed in Birchbox for giving this to me when I state that I have dry skin in my beauty profile.

You can get this at Birchbox for $22, but I wouldn't suggest it.

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Fyrinnae Lip Lustre Swatches & Review

I have never tried anything from Fyrinnae before but I have been on a huge lip kick lately and decided to make my first purchase. The website says "Allow up to 24-30 business days queue and creation time before shipment." so I was expecting not to get my products for quite some time.

I placed my order on February 28th, I ordered 3 of their Lip Lustres. My total came to $19.75 after shipping. I received a shipping notification on March 1st, which I thought was pretty fast considering their "turn around time". I received the lustres on March 6th.

Before I get into the review and more specifics, let me show you some pictures:





Less Than Three, Very Berry Happy, Fanservice



Second photo is right when I took them out of the package, I found that they had separated and were kind of "cracked" if you will.


Fanservice on lips


Very Berry Happy on lips


Less Than Three on lips


Stained my hands

Please keep in mind that these are not intended to be like lipgloss. This product is a non-sticky lipcolour, leaving moisturising colour on your lips but no goopy tackiness. Most shades are made to be relatively opaque, though some can be applied lightly over lipstick as a highlight or over balm as a sheer tint. They are a rather "dry" product because we pack as much colour into them as possible, but the ingredients are not drying. This means, due to the high concentration of natural butters, they are thinner in a warm environment, thicker when it's cool. Use care when opening if they have been cold (i.e; in a mailbox in winter). Lustres have a light vanilla scent.

Packaging (2.5/5):
I don't have a problem with the actual lip gloss tube, I have a problem with the label. It is like holographic or something and it makes it completely hard to read. I do however, really like the applicator. I don't feel like its a typical doe foot, it's more straight and it works out nicely.

Product (3/5):
Now part of this is completely my fault, I didn't read the blurb that I posted above before I ordered and never realized that they're not actually lip gloss, more of a lipstick type of color. This is a good thing for most people because they're INCREDIBLY pigmented and if you like purple/blue/green lips then pick these up but I was hoping they were more sheer. I have worn them with some gloss mixed in to make them a little less pigmented and it has worked out great. They're extremely light and soft, easy to apply but I do notice that if you have dry lips, it really enhances the dry lip features we all hate. Less Than Three is my favorite on the lips, the other 2 don't really match with my skintone. I was hoping that Fanservice would have been more like MACs "I <3 U" lipglass which is my favorite, but of course, those are more sheer, which I thought the lustres were going to be. I feel like Very Berry Happy is the worst of them all because it kind of cakes up on my lips and doesn't apply as nicely as the other 2.

Longevity (4/5):
I haven't worn these too long as I don't usually wear my lip stuff that long anyways but I have worn them 4+ hours with just slight fading. I really love how Less Than Three looks on my lips after slightly wiped off or "worn" down, it has a nice matte texture and just gives color to my lips rather than a sheen/shine/tell something is there.

Price (5/5):
These are only $6.00 a piece and even better, they're from an indie company which I think is important to support (obviously). You get 8ml of product in a 10ml tube which is a great deal.

Overall (3.62/5):
I think the product is great for what you pay for, I wish I just had chosen different colors. I do plan to buy some more when I get back from New York, I have my eye on Lollipop-pop, Romantique, and Ultra Phantom.

You can get this at Fyrinnae for $6.

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NY BOUND!!!

You read that right:
I AM HEADING TO NEW YORK BABY!!!


Image courtesy of PacHD.com
I have never been to New York before. I was supposed to go for my honeymoon in 2007 but it never worked out so I am BEYOND excited. This is something I have been wanting to do for YEARS and YEARS. I have been planning this for 8 months at least. I will be going with some great friends, Amber, Olivia and Piper.

We will be there for a week (from April 11-18) and will be hitting everything touristy we can. We will also be attending IMATS (International Makeup Artist Tradeshow) on Saturday the 14th so if you will be there, I would love to see you!!

So that is that, I already have some reviews and things pre-written so that this blog isn't totally bare for the week but if I don't answer comments and such, that is why!! Expect lots of pics too!

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Beauty Army April 2012

This is my fourth month of Beauty Army and I am SO excited that they had much more items to choose from this time around. Granted, it was still more skincare but there were a few make up items there! I didn't choose all make up because a lot of it wouldn't work for me but props to BA! I am 100% happy with my box this time around. When I was going through the list, I wrote down 5 things I wanted and after tweaking my quiz, I was able to get all 5 things, success!

I apologize for the quality of the images. I took these at night because I wanted to use the mask so I had to take the pictures quickly!

Here is what I got in my box:


Lets go through each individual item:

ClickR No More Derma Drama - $20.00

I don't know if mine was used or what but the instructions say on your first use to click it 15 times to get the serum to the brush but mine had serum all over it already. It also feels pretty empty so I am not sure what to do with it. I emailed BA to see what they can do. I mainly got this for my husband. I don't really have skin that gets zits (thankfully) but he is always fighting them so I like to get him things like this. Plus this already paid for the box almost twice over, unless it is empty and used, gross.

Karuna Anti-Blemish Treatment Mask - $7.00

This was ok. I love sheet masks, they always make me look crazy. I didn't see anything exceptional about it that would make me want to spend $7 on one but it did leave my face feeling pretty moisturized.

Purely Cosmetics Pure Mineral Foundation - $5.00

I am not much of a fan of Purely Cosmetics, not the products themselves, but the owner. She was really rude to my mom at a show one time and it has always left a bad taste in my mouth. I did however, find this intriguing. I don't typically wear face products but I thought I would give this a try. I am getting into BB creams a lot lately so I need something new to set them with. The sample size is fairly small (5 gram jar) so it will be tricky to get out to use, but who doesn't love a challenge?

M.A.D Skincare Redness Rescue - $4.16

I got a sample pack of products straight from M.A.D and this is one item that I REALLY wanted to try, but of course didn't get so I was excited to see this on BA. I believe mine is broken though, I can't get anything out of it. The tube on the "sprayer" looks cut off or broken so I emailed BA to see what they can do for me. I have really red skin so I am hoping this will help a little.

Control Corrective Clear Med 5 % - $1.14

This is the one item that wasn't on my "NEED" list but it looked intriguing. I didn't get this because of the acne treatment, I got this because on the BA facebook they say its good for redness.

pur~lisse pur~lip comfort - $21.05

They were sending this out through myglam last month and I didn't get one. So glad I could get one through BA. It is a nice lip balm but I am not sure its worth $21.05 that a drugstore lip balm wouldn't do.

The breakdown:
Box: Beauty Army March 2012
Price: $12.00 a month
Monetary Value: $58.35
Keeping subscription?: Yes!

I love that BA is growing and listening to their customers when we say we want more of selection!! Thanks BA! :)

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Sample Box March 2012 Look!

I have to admit, I am quite in love with this look!! I actually put on lashes, which I hardly ever do (mainly because I suck at it)!

Here we go, this is going to be quite pic heavy!




Items Used:
EYES
Also used my MyGlam blending brush which I like, wasn't expecting that.
1. Shadow Shields I got in my Look Bag February, don't I look sexy?
2. CoverFX Eye Primer from my Beauty Army box.
3. Damone Roberts Brow Highlighter in Bling Bling Look Bag March
4. Inglot Matte 390
5. MAC Gorgeous Gold Shadow
6. Glamour Doll Eyes Inspired Eye Shadow (March OTM)
7. MAC Expensive Pink Shadow
8. Coastal Scents S14 Hot Pot from GoGoGirlfriend December Deluxe Box.
9. Inglot Matte 378 (also used for brows)
10. Caitlyn Gel Liner from Look Bag February
11. theBalm Eye Shadow in Luscious Lani from January MyGlam.
12. Mally Mascara from QVC TestTube First Quarter.
13. Ardell Fashion Lashes in 105
14. NYX Black Eye Liner in waterline.

FACE:
I don't typically wear stuff on my face so that's probably why it doesn't look terrific, just trying to use some stuff :)
15. Boo-Boo Cover-Up from Beauty Army January.
16. Sarah McNamara Miracle Skin Transformer from Regular TestTube (actually love this stuff as a tinted moisturizer, contemplating buying a full size)!

LIPS:
17. Tarte LipSurgence in Lucky fom BirchBox Teen Vogue (eh, it's not my fave).
18. Franche Lip Luscious from March Look Bag.

My phone camera kinda sucks, but you get the idea :)









And someone likes to sit and watch me, maybe hes learning :)



Again, LOVE this look!! The shadow shields hurt to take off though, should definitely make them less sticky next time!

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