Birchbox December 2012

Hey beauties! This past month has been a very busy one for me and it has kept me from blogging. Instead of skipping any blogs intended for this month, I will be doing lots of late blogging. Now let’s get on with it…

December Birchbox’s theme is ‘All Wrapped Up’, obviously corresponding to this month’s tradition of gift giving.

The contents of my box are:

*Emily’s Chocolate Peppermint Fortune Cookie

*Amika Nourishing Hair Mask

*Juicy Couture Perfume sample

*ModelCo. Shine Ultra Lip Gloss in Strip Tease

Strip Tease

It comes with a mirror too!

* Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream.

This month’s box was not bad at all. I actually have been using one of the products for about 2 weeks now and love it. That review will be coming up pretty soon.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think about this month’s products or what you received in your box. XOXO!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to one and all! I would like to say thank you to everyone who has stopped by and supported my blog. I hope that your holiday is shared with loving friends and family.

With love,

Lynn

Sonia Kashuk Limited Edition Lip and Nail Color

I was browsing inside Target a few weeks ago and came across this Sonia Kashuk Limited Edition lip and nail color set. 

As part of their fall 2012 collection, this set comes with 2 mini nail polish and 2 mini lip gloss.

What got my attention was the violet lip gloss and I decided I was going to own this set. At first I was a bit weary about the color, thinking that it would be a highly pigmented violet. To my surprise, it was not what I thought it would be.

Left to right: Sealed With A Kiss, Undercover Lover, Shrinking Violet, and Lacquered Lilac

The colors in this set are Shrinking Violet and Sealed With A Kiss. The consistency is quite nice as it could be used alone to provide a hint of color or used on top of another color to add a nice shine. Most colors are too sheer that when used on my lips which then is barely shown, but not this. I made a mistake by not putting a dab of the color on my hand for a swatch. As you'll see in the swatch photo below, it looks very sheer because it I only did 1 swipe of the applicator. 

The texture feels smooth, light, and has a slight, SLIGHT tackiness feel in the beginning which will then fade away once it has the chance to absorb onto your lips. Do not fret about this because it will disappear. This is NOT one of those lip glosses that will feel tacky throughout the whole length of use. Both colors are quite beautiful and are the type of lip gloss that I can have in my pocket for an easy, quick, and no-fuss touch ups throughout the day.

Shrinking Violet lip gloss

Sealed With A Kiss lip gloss

The nail polishes included are Lacquered Lilac and Undercover Lover. I will be featuring the nail polish in a nail of the day post soon so hold tight for that.

Beauty Army November 2012

I bring you another monthly subscription service which is Beauty Army. Believe it or not, I am not a new subscriber to Beauty Army. The whole premise to Beauty Army is that you get to choose up to 6 deluxe size samples a month for $12. If the products featured per month aren’t appealing to you, you can choose to skip that month. The reason that I’ve yet to feature this service on my site is that my last shipment was around April. For each month I log in to pick my samples, I would be faced with the same repeat products that I wasn’t interested in. This month I finally saw 2 cosmetic items that I wanted and I placed my order.

All your products come in a black, sturdy, flip top box. Here are the samples I chose this month:

*Macadamia Deep Repair Masque

*Jonathan Dirt Texturizing Paste

*Nelson J Beverly Hills Argan Oil 7 in 1 Non-Foaming Shampoo

*Dermisa Skin Fade Cream

*Skinn Twin Set Collagen Boost Lipstick and Wet Lips Gloss in Coral Poppy

2 in 1!

*Whip Hand Limited Edition Loose Eyeshadow

I will be reviewing some of these products pretty soon so stay tuned!

If you are interested in Beauty Army, just go to their site, beautyarmy.com and sign up. There may be a waiting list but if you are interested in this kind of service that allows you to choose your own samples, then I do recommend that you at least give it a try.

Cyber Monday sale: e.l.f.!

The holiday season is upon us now! I hope all my fellow readers had a wonderful Thanksgiving day with their family and friends. I’m sorry if you had to work on Thanksgiving day as I was rooting for you guys to spend that day with friends and family. *sigh*

Well, now that Black Friday and Small Business Saturday is over with, we have Cyber Monday!!!! I just wanted to let everyone know that e.l.f. is having a 50% sitewide sale starting today and ending Monday night. For those who like e.l.f. brushes like I do, this is the chance to take advantage of the savings. Use code 50WIDE during checkout to apply the discount. The catch: must spend over $25. That’s not bad considering you’re really spending $50 worth. Happy cyber Monday!

Birchbox November 2012

**I finally got my Birchbox after it was held captive at the post office for 5 days. Anyone experience the same problem?**

November 2012 Birchbox theme: Give.

This month’s Birchbox is suppose to “support The Art of Elysium, a non-profit that encourages actors, artists, designers, and musicians to dedicate their time and talent to children who are battling various medical conditions.” I looked over Birchbox’s website to see how they’re supporting this organization and I guess it’s only through the purchase of the favorite selected products for this month. Not sure what percentage of the purchases will go to the organization. By this month’s theme, I would have thought that the profit from this month’s subscription rate will all go to The Art of Elysium.

November contents are the following:

Atelier Cologne- Rose Anonyme Cologne Absolue
Spicy ginger and bergamot creates this sophisticated rose scent. This is not my type of scent so I think I’ll give it to someone else that wants it. Full Size Retails at $75-$195

Sarah McNamara Miracle Skin Transformer- Vanish Instant Imperfection Corrector
This totally fooled me. I didn’t read the label thoroughly and instantly thought it was some type of skin whitener. It’s actually a primer! It vanishes skin imperfections through optical diffusers that cover imperfections. I am looking forward to using this. My sample size is 0.1 fl. oz. Full size is 1.0 fl. oz. and retails for $58

Oscar Blandi- Pronto Texture & Volume Spray
Spray this to your roots to get a voluminous look. Yay, another product I can’t wait to use. My sample size is 1 fl. oz. Full size is 4 fl. oz. and retails at $25

Stila- All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer
My favorite product in this box! I’m not a big fan of luminizer but I did try this one out on my brow bow and I like the effect it gives me. This is in the shade Bronze Shimmer. Current shade selections available are bronze shimmer, pink shimmer, rose gold shimmer, and kitten shimmer. My sample size is 0.05 fl. oz. Full size (0.5 fl. oz.) will cost you $20.

Chuao Chocolatier
This chocolate covered potato chip is the lifestyle extra in our box this month. I have yet to try it but judging from the feel of this packet, it’s a potato chip covered in a thick layer of chocolate. Actually, let me take that back: it’s a mini bar. A mini bar of potato chip covered with chocolate. A. Potato. CHIP. Chip as in 1 chip. Max: 2 bites. Through Birchbox, you get what they consider full size- 7 assorted individual packs, for $7.95. Otherwise you can get a 24 piece of the potato chips for 23.95 at http://chuaochocolatier.com

Empties: Carmex Healing Cream

Here’s another item to add to this month’s empties category: Carmex healing cream. It’s that time of year when the weather changes and we need more moisturizers for our skin. My main problem has always been my hands and so I need something that moisturizes well and is non-greasy. I got this sometime before spring of this year and have been using it on and off for a while now. Recently I had to go digging for this to put inside my bag. A few days ago I went to use it and had to squeeze the last drop out of there. 

My beat up and used carmex tube :)

Carmex Healing Cream claims to have 9 healing ingredients to penetrate and repair very dry, rough or cracked skin. The direction is to use a small amount as it is concentrated. Is this true? Yes. Its consistency is quite thicker than regular lotion. I use about a nickel size to moisturize my hands and that can last me a few hours. What I like about this formula is that it’s non-greasy and absorbs fast into your skin, eliminating that feel of a film sitting on top of your skin. The big question:  since it’s by Carmex, does it smell like the Carmex chapstick/lipbalm? It smells like you ran your Carmex chapstick over your hands. Ahah! Yes it does smell like Carmex, but afor softer, muted version. Would I buy this again? Yes. Do I recommend you try it? Definitely. If you don’t mind the smell and are looking for a good moisturizing hand cream, this is a must try.Available at your local drugstores.

Empties: Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil

Hi beauties! I thought I'd introduce a new segment called Empties into my blog. I'm using some items that I didn't get to show on here when I first bought it or I've had way before I started my blog. These products are still available in store and I thought why not give you my perspective?

Today's empties is the Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil. I just recently started using oil for my hair to help soften and create a silky look. When I don't apply any type of oil or hair serum, my hair tends to get tangled very easily. I had been hearing about the benefits of argan oil and decided to give it a try.

The reason why I went for Organix is the smell. I hate to admit that the smell reeled me in. It has a very soft, floral smell that isn't overpowering. It reminds me of something but I just can't put my finger on it. The claim is that it will instantly penetrate the hair shaft, restore shine and softness while strengthening and creating soft, silky perfection hair. Anyway, the direction says to apply a small amount into damp hair and you can let it air dry or blow dry (I blow dry my hair often, maybe that's why it's so dry?).

My empty :)

 

Verdict: it's a hit and miss product. The smell is great and my hair is is able to stay untangled for most of the day...if I do it right. There are days when it will look clumpy and oily. Mind you I had very long hair during the first half use of this bottle so I had to add more than a dime size to make sure it got all over my hair. If I were to put too little it had no effect on my hair. And I never was able to go a day without washing my hair if I used this product because it would get so oily the next day.

So in the end, would I repurchase this product for myself? Most likely not.

If you've tried it, leave me a comment and let me know your experience. Have a recommendation as well? Don’t hesitate to share.

Thanks for stopping by!

Birchbox+goop October 2012

Finally got my October Birchbox yesterday!
This month's Birchbox is a collaboration with goop- a lifestyle website publication (goop.com). Birchbox subscribers were given the option to choose a regular monthly Birchbox or a Birchbox + goop collaboration box. Though I was not familiar with goop, I decided to go for that option.

In my October box are:

What, Birchbox? You only checked off two items on my card? eheh

Essie nail polish in Power Clutch (goop pick)

Joanna Vargas Daily Serum

Kiehl's Aromatic Blends: Orange Flower & Lychee- Liquid Body Cleanser

Naked Princess Shine Luscious Lip Gloss in the shade Barely Coco

Lifestyle Extra: LUNA Fiber Chocolate Raspberry Bar

I read some blogs and saw videos about how upset some subscribers were this month with both the goop box and the regular Birchbox. I can understand. One of my favorite nail polish brand is no doubt Essie. I love their formula and the price isn't that bad. I was pleased to get an Essie nail polish this month but I am also disappointed that it's pretty much the same color as Color Club's Status Update that I got in my box last month.

*sigh* Besides that snafu, I now have another naked princess gloss (love naked princess gloss), a daily serum to brighten my face, a refreshing body cleanser, another greyish dark/ charcoalish nail polish, and a fiber bar to hold me over until next month's Birchbox.

Drop me a line! Tell me what you got in your box. Thanks for reading :)

Rimmel Match Perfect Foundation

I never use to buy drugstore foundations because I was convinced it caused my acne. Thank goodness it was just hormones because mid range to high end foundations are starting to take a toll on my wallet.

I’ve been trying out several drugstore foundations and Rimmel’s Match Perfection foundation is one of the few that I’m liking so far.

I needed a darker shade than my normal beige range since I spent a lot of time outdoors this summer. Somehow I’ve been able to keep my darker complexion longer. The Rimmel Match Perfection foundation I picked up is 420 Warm Sand.  With SPF 15, this foundation claims to have a smart-tone technology that “adapts to the colour and texture of skin”.

A steak of foundation on top of a sheer application layer

What I like about this foundation is that it is buildable for coverage and doesn’t wear quickly. I’ve been able to put it on in the mornings and still have the coverage later in the evening. To help it stay longer, I always apply powder over it. As for breakouts, I have yet to experience it from this foundation.

My ideal buildable coverage. No setting powder applied.

The only thing about it that I don’t care for is the smell. I can’t pinpoint exactly what the smell is but has a sweet citrus yet soapy smell. Don’t worry though has it is barely noticeable after application.

Smashbox Breast Cancer Awareness Legendary Lipstick Limited Edition

October is breast cancer awareness month and my favorite month to help support any breast cancer awareness charities and foundations. I like to buy products that are not only pink but also contribute to the cause.

Photo courtesy of Smashbox.com

The makeup related item I purchased this month is Smashbox’s Legendary Lipstick. For every Legendary lipstick purchase, Smashbox will donate $5 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

This lipstick looks like a hot pink shade but I was surprised to see that it’s more closer to a crimson pink shade once applied.

This swatch doesn't do justice for the color. I'm telling you, it is gorgeous!

Now available on Ulta.com and Smashbox.com