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birchbox

Beauty

June Birchbox Review

Posted on June 28, 2017

It’s been awhile blog friends.  Hope there are still a few of you out there.  I just started my 2 week staycation and I have to say…I’M BACK!!!  So far on this staycation I have, worked out almost every single day (I’m going to lose some pounds damn it!), I went to the Born Free Motorcycle Show with my boyfriend (and now I know what’s it like to go to a festival in the desert – it was 100 degrees), and I helped save a kitten and find it a forever home (I have done my good deed for the month and I think I want to foster kittens now….).  So that’s what I have been up to on the other side of the computer screen.

Now, on to the blog – I have so many new reviews and I am so excited to share them with all of you.  Now, let’s get back to business.  First up…

This month’s Birchbox had a mix of really great products and some that were not so great.  Let’s begin with the good…

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray | Birchbox $46:  If you get Birchbox, you know that each month – you get to pick one of your samples.  This is the one I picked.  It is one of my holy grail products that I use on my hair every single day.  I am a “messy hair don’t care” type of gal and this stuff gives it just the right amount of texture and grit.  Plus, it has a lovely smell.  Well worth the money.  I must be on my 5th bottle!

Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45 | Birchbox $39:  When BB cream was all the range a few years back, Dr. Jart+ was one of the first BB creams I used.  This was actually the same exact one.  I loved it, except I realized after awhile that it was clogging my pores.  That’s just me though.  If you’re looking for a premium BB cream, this is it and it comes in 2 different shades.  I’m Shade #1 if you are curious.

Vasanti BrightenUp! New Skin Amplifying Moisturizer | Birchbox $34: I love the Vasanti brand.  In one of my first Birchbox’s, I got a sample of the Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator and it was life changing.  I love this exfoliator. So when I got a sample of this moisturizer, I was super excited.  It’s lightweight which is good for a day time moisturizer (make sure you put on your SPF too!) and for the hot summer months.  Great if you have oily skin and need a light moisturizer.

Now let’s get to the not so good products…

Benefit Cosmetics Goof Proof Brow Pencil | Birchbox $24:  I feel like I’m always saying this with these types of reviews but…I had high hopes for this.  I was so excited to see that it was coming in my box.  However, the sample was the SMALLEST SAMPLE EVER!  When I tried it on my eyebrows, I couldn’t get a good grip on it.  I can’t even give you an honest opinion on this because the sample was so small.  No Benefit Cosmetics…NO!  How could you do this?  Very poor marketing on your part….

Manna Kadar Cosmetics Eye Candy Priming Shadow Stick | Birchbox $24:  This thing came to me broken.  I didn’t even want to open the cap and deal with the stick falling out and making a mess.  So I just took a picture of it and threw it in the trash.  Amazing that it is of such low quality, it broke going through the mail.  I didn’t even get this during the heat wave… so I can’t say that it melted in the Southern California heat.  NOPE.

3 out of 5 were winners.  YAY!

If you want to get your own Birchbox, click here!  Until next time!

 

 

 

 

Beauty

May Birchbox Review

Posted on May 23, 2017

May has been a super busy month for me so far.  I had a few work trips that have been keeping me busy and the oh so important –  my birthday!  After you turn 30, you’re like your parents where you don’t remember your age/you don’t want to tell anyone your real age. HA!  I hate getting a year older but I love celebrating my birthday with friends!  I had to work on my birthday but I have made it a tradition to go to Ruth’s Chris with my colleagues and it’s worked out great!  Who can say no to steak and sizzling butter?  Absolutely no one.

I know I skipped out on April’s Birchbox review and I thought I wouldn’t even notice.  Well, my desk sure noticed.  After May’s Birchbox came – I saw that I was starting to accumulate samples and had no plan to ever try them.  BAD!  So here I go, continuing with my monthly Birchbox reviews.

OUAI Wave Spray | Birchbox $26:  I have been wanting to try out OUAI brand products for so long.  I am a closet Kardashian fan and have been following Jen Atkin for awhile since she does their hair.  Also, SoulCycle now carries her products in their restrooms, so it must be good right?  Well, maybe I need to try a different product from her line.  This stuff smells great but gives hair a crunchy feel.  I will be sticking to my LUSH Sea Spray.


Whish Firming Body Cream | Birchbox $36:  This stuff is supposed to target the appearance of stretch marks and blemishes.  Do I believe this?  No.  Did I like using it as a normal body cream?  Yes.  It has a nice, light, floral scent and isn’t too thick.  Would I purchase this?  Nope.  For body lotion, I like to stay with the middle of the road ones.  Typically because they smell nice but I don’t usually spend too much money on body lotion.

MAC Cosmetics Strobe Cream | Birchbox $33:  I am on highlighter overload right now.  However, I do like that you can dab dab dab on the parts of your face that you want to highlight and it will blend perfectly.  It’s not too shimmery and won’t make your face look like a disco ball (unless you want it to, then you can keep on adding!). I actually really like MAC’s skin products and think this is a great buy if you want a glow from within (add it to your foundation or lotion) or if you are looking into a liquid highlighter.

The Beauty Crop Fabulous Flocking Lashes | Birchbox $22:  I wish I could tell Birchbox to stop sending me mascaras.  I always hope that a mascara will work for my eyelashes, but they never do.  The only one I can use is Cover Girl Lash Blast Very Black Waterproof.  The Beauty Crop Fabulous Flocking Lashes looked promising.  I loved the packaging, it’s waterproof and contains argan oil to help moisturize your lashes.  However, immediately after curling my lashes and applying this stuff – my lashes went straight. The good news is that they were looked really long.  If you have stubborn straight Asian eyelashes like me, skip this.

COOLA SPF 30 Organic Makeup Setting Spray | Birchbox $36: I like the idea of this.  I sprayed it on and immediately thought to myself – “this stuff smells weird.”  Now all day I have the smell on my face and I get whiffs of it as I sit at my desk. It’s supposed to give a matte finish, but after about 1 hour – my face was back to being a bit oily.  The best thing about this stuff is that it has SPF.  I like the other SPF products from COOLA that I have, but I don’t think I will be recommending this one.

Unfortunately this Birchbox was a bust for me this month.  However, I still love trying out new products and maybe I would have bought the full size version of any of these and then figured out I didn’t like them.  This is so much more fun!  haha

If you want to get your own Birchbox, click here!  Until next time!

 

 

Beauty

March Birchbox Review

Posted on March 30, 2017

This past weekend I was up in NorCal for work and had a blast!  If you follow me on my Instagram, you would have seen that I went to Kittea Cat Cafe in San Francisco.  I had so much fun, the cats are adorable. Maybe I will do a review on my visit.  Let me know if you want to know what it was like.  Other than that, I ate a lot.  The food up there is amazing and it’s fun to see the different variations between SoCal and NorCal.  For example, I saw a huge line for Boba Guys. Growing up in the San Gabriel Valley – we have a ton of boba places.  I couldn’t believe why there would be a line at this place. Well, it’s the hip, organic, delicious version of what we have down here.  I approve.

Now back to the real reason for this post – March Birchbox review!  This Birchbox was curated by Reese Witherspoon and her lifestyle brand Draper James. This one had some great products in it and I was super excited to try everything out.  Also, I love Reese!

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream | Birchbox $27.50:  This is a no-brainer.  I love Kiehl’s products.  This is right in between being lightweight and creamy.  It’s great for an everyday face cream.  It has no scent which I do like.  This is the best every day no nonsense face cream!

W3LL PEOPLE Expressionist Mascara | Birchbox $21.99: It doesn’t matter what kind of mascara it is.  They  never work on my stick straight eyelashes.  However, I try every single mascara that is sent to me and sadly, this did not work for me.  *insert sad face*

Davines Naturaltech Replumpling Shampoo & Conditioner | Birchbox $26.50 each:  I know I say this a lot, but I was really looking forward to trying this out.  I love Davines.  However, this smelled musky and like an old lady.  AND when I used the shampoo my hair didn’t feel clean.  When I used the conditioner, my hair didn’t feel soft.  PASS!

Davines Naturaltech Replumping Hair Filler Superactive | Birchbox $40:  I was skeptical about this.  What is it supposed to do?  Fill my hair?  Well, other than the smell which I didn’t like (it’s the same as the shampoo & conditioner) – it did what it said it was going to do!  My hair is full and plumped.  I wish it didn’t smell like an old lady, but I will be using this whole sample bottle up!  Who doesn’t love fuller hair?

Real Chemistry Fresh-Start Foaming Cleanser | Birchbox $24:  I loved the Real Chemistry Luminous 3-Minute Peel that was in my December Birchbox so I was really looking forward to trying this out.  It doesn’t dry your face out like normal foaming cleansers do and it’s moisturizing!  Not bad!  This would be perfect if you have a Clarisonic.

Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Double the Lip in Lusty Rose| Birchbox $20:  This product is really cool.  It’s a lip liner and lipstick in 1.  You can see in the photo that there are two layers.  However, even though I was super excited to see this and try it – it was a bust for me.  The first problem, the color.  It just wasn’t a good look on me.  Also, having to put the “liner” part on your bottom lip is a bit of a task.  It’s a great concept and Benefit is some high quality stuff – but this just wasn’t for me.

I liked 4/7 of the products sent to me.  I say that’s a win!

If you want to get your own Birchbox, click here!  Until next time!

Beauty

February Birchbox Review

Posted on March 19, 2017

Hello out there!  I did not forget about you, my blog.  Without going too much into detail – I got super sick, got my eyebrows microbladded, it’s been raining (which means no photos) and I have been traveling like crazy for work.  I finally had a free weekend and I had a day off to take photos last week – so I’m BACK!  And how I have missed you.

I know this is a month late, but you will forgive me right?  Here we go….

WEI Golden Root Purifying Mud Mask | Birchbox $42:  I was a bit skeptical about this – because I am about everything I haven’t tried.  Well, this turned out to be a wonderful surprise!  This mud mask isn’t super thick, it’s creamy and when it dries on your face – you can still move it!  After I took it off, I found my face to be nicely matte and my pores were noticeably smaller.  I am definitely going to purchase this!  Plus, the mask comes in individual pods – I like that.

Manna Kadar Cosmetics Lip Locked in Rosette | Birchbox $24:  I thought I was going to like this.  It’s a primer, stain and gloss in one.  Who can go wrong with all those 3 in 1?  Well, this went straight into the trashcan after I tried it on my lips.  It was blotchy, the consistency was not smooth, the color was horrible on my skin – it was just bad.  SKIP!

Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo | Birchbox $44:  I love Oribe products.  My absolute favorite is their dry texturizing spray.  I use it every single day.  So I was super excited to see this in February’s box.  This dry shampoo is not bad.  It’s my #2 after my Living proof Dry Shampoo favorite.  It doesn’t leave a white residue and very lightweight.  I can hardly tell that I have it on.  If you need a new dry shampoo, definitely give this one a try!

Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre | Birchbox $28:  I didn’t think I would like this.  I am all about packaging and this is packaged in just a foreign looking tube.  I was easily amused when I saw that I had to turn the cap and puncture the top of the tube to get the cream out.  Remember when you had to do that as a kid?  Well, this french moisturizer impressed me.  It’s great for dryness and supposedly preps the skin for foundation.  However, I found it too greasy for my liking to use in the AM.  I definitely recommend this for those dry winter PM nights.  I will be putting this in my shopping cart!

Obliphica Professional Seaberry Serum | Birchbox $38:  I just started experimenting with using serums after doing my hair to tame the flyaways.  You can use this with wet or dry hair.  I tried this on my dry hair this morning after straightening my hair and found it very pleasant!  Has a nice smell and wasn’t greasy and didn’t make my hair feel oily.  Will definitely keep an eye on this and keep using it until it’s gone!

I was trying so hard to pump out a post that when I took the photos of the products, I only swatched the ones I thought I would like.  Well, this should tell you that you should never judge a book by its cover.  I thought I would love the lip gloss, but I hated it.  I didn’t think I would like the moisturizer or serum, but I’m going to use up the entire sample and may even buy the full size at the end.

Do you want your own surprise in the mail?  Subscribe here!

 

Beauty

January Birchbox Review

Posted on January 30, 2017

After having Birchbox since last April, I just figured out that I should be reviewing the products that I receive on their website. Why?  Because it helps them know what to send me.  DUH!  Well, I’m happy to say that even though I just started reviewing the products – this January box was the best!  I was excited to try each and every one of them.  That’s a win!  Read on!

Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk | Birchbox $20:  I love dry shampoos.  Ever since I figured out how to not wash my hair every single day (except when I workout of course), dry shampoo is my favorite thing.  I save so much time in the morning.  I cannot believe I didn’t do this earlier.  So, how is this one?  It’s not bad.  It smells and feels very powdery.  I currently use the Living Proof Dry Shampoo and I like it more.  Smells better and doesn’t leave as much white powder on your scalp.  Skip!

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner | Birchbox $18:  This is a great eyeliner.  It is comparable to my favorite Kat Von D Tattoo Liner.  Did I really just say that?  Yes, I did.  If you want that nice pointed wing for your cat eye, this is it!  I’m going to get the full size as soon as I’m done with my stash.

Wilma Schumann Skincare Hydrating Collagen Eye Pads | Birchbox $18:  I cannot tell you how excited I was when I saw this in my box.  I have seen these all over the internet on bloggers.  Sadly, I was disappointed.  First of all it comes in a tray.  Which I didn’t realize until I ripped it open and all the liquid started dripping out everywhere.  That’s my bad.  So the eye pads themselves feel nice on.  The weird thing is that it started to sting.  I only kept them on for maybe 10 out of the 20 suggested minutes and didn’t see a huge difference.  I would skip on this but am definitely open to trying a different brand.

Shiseido Perfect Cleansing Oil | Birchbox $32: This stuff is great.  I actually really enjoy using cleaning oils.  But I like to use it after my normal cleansing soap.  I wear waterproof mascara and sometimes my makeup remover doesn’t take it all off – this stuff is stubborn!  So I use cleansing oil and it’s usually pretty much almost gone.  I like the pump for this a lot.  I love!

Chella Eyebrow Defining Gel | Birchbox $18:  This is your standard clear brow gel.  It isn’t bad but it didn’t do anything fantastic.  I like to use a brow gel that has a tint in it since I have pretty sparse brows.  This would work great if you have full brows.

When you subscribe to Birchbox you get to pick one of the samples.  Well, by the time I went to pick one for my February Birchbox they were all sold out.  What does that mean Birchbox?  Let’s hope you don’t start disappointing me.  You’ve done so well these last two months!!!

If you want your own Birchbox subscription, click here!

Until next time!