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

Sonia Kashuk Limited Edition Brush Set

Last month I was in search for an inexpensive dome shaped fluffy eyeshadow brush and I found myself at target. I did find one that I was settled on until I saw this set.

Pretty colorful huh? Well what attracted me to this set was the blending brush and I reasoned with myself that it would be a better buy to get this set than a single brush. Also, my previous Sonia Kashuk brush set impressed me enough to give another one of the sets a try.

As part of Sonia Kashuk’s couture limited edition line, this set comes with an angled crease brush, multipurpose blending brush, powder/blusher brush, definition smudge brush/ and a synthetic concealer/foundation brush.

Coming out of the box they felt very soft against my arm as I tried to test the feel of them. As always, I wash my brushes before using them and I was excited to try them out the next day.

It pains me to say that not all of the brushes lived up to my expectation. The blending brush, the real reason why I bought this set, felt too rough against my eyelids. Don’t get me wrong, the size is perfect and it blends very well but it’s uncomfortable against my skin. The same goes for the powder brush and angled crease brush.

When it came to shedding, only the powder brush did shed with each use.

Blending brush

powder brush

I love the smudge brush as a liner brush for my crease instead.

smudge brush

Lastly, I feel that the synthetic concealer/foundation brush is too big to be a concealer brush and too small to be a foundation brush. I found that because of it’s size, it would be better to use as a foundation brush. Since this was the last brush from the whole set that I tried, I was pretty impressed that it did well with distributing and blending foundation. 

concealer brush

I admit that I was biased to think it would be a disappointment like the previous 3 brushes. The only downside to this brush is the size. Besides that, it does a great job in applying foundation.

Should you run out and buy the set? Egh… I think you’re better off buying the individual brushes.  Or check out the other sets.

Nicole by OPI Drying Drops

I polish my own nails at home and sometimes my patience runs short when it comes to the drying time. Well that was before I discovered drying drops!

How familiar are you with nail polish drying drops? I mentioned to my friends that I needed to pick up some drying drops and they gave me this look. They honestly have not used or even heard of nail polish drying drops. If you are one of those people, I invite you to try it out.

Nicole by OPI is my favorite brand when it comes to drying drops. And believe it or not, this is my fourth bottle ever. The direction says to apply a drop or two after a minute of applying nail polish or top coat (I usually wait 2 minutes). After a minute, your polish starts to dry to the touch and will set completely in about 5 minutes. By using this drying drop, it cuts down about half of the time it would take for my nails to completely dry if I was not using one.

This drop comes in 15ml bottle and includes a dropper. It retails somewhere between $7-$8, depending on the store and any specials are running. I usually get mine from Target. Love it!