Starlooks Starbox - February 2013 Lauren Clark Special Edition

It's my favorite day of the month - the day I wake up to find my Starbox in my mailbox!

Starbox is a monthly subscription service by Starlooks, in which you receive 3-4 of their full sized makeup products each month...and over the last months, it has easily become my favorite sub! The product variety and quality is just great.

This month, Starlooks made a Special Edition collaboration box with makeup artist Lauren Clark.

The packaging is always nice, but it's extra cute this month, all pink and purple - perfect for February!

I really love their info cards - they always feature the products used in a beautiful way. The items included are listed on the back.

This month is a beautiful selection of products! I love pinks, and I love this variety! Items included are:

Pink Oasis lip gloss - This is a sheer, sparkly lavender gloss. It feels nice on the lips! It's not sticky, and it doesn't have a scent or flavor to it.

Barbie HD Fluid Blush - This is ridiculously pigmented! It's a lovely super saturated fluid blush...it is gorgeous and the smallest amount goes a long way.

Princess Diaries Eye Liner - This is a gorgeous pearlescent baby pink liner! It can be worn to line the eyes or to highlight, and it can also be worn as a shadow base or a cream shadow. It's also waterproof and smudge proof!

Lip Liner in Tipsy! This is a gorgeous creamy coral lipliner. It is a special Lauren Clark edition!

Here are swatches of all of the products. I'm super impressed with every single one of them! This might be my favorite month yet. Starlooks lists the retail value of the box as $41, but that is not counting the lipliner! Their liners are listed as $9.50 on their site, so assuming this special edition one is valued the same, the value of the box is actually about $50.50. Not bad at all!

Have you tried Starlooks yet?

J.Cat Beauty - Lip Glazes review

I was recently given the opportunity to try and review some products by a new brand called J.Cat Beauty! J.Cat aims to provide high quality color cosmetics at a very affordable price. All of their products are cruelty free and hypoallergenic.

And they really do have affordable prices! Lipsticks and glosses are only $2.49 each, and all of their other products are similarly affordable, most falling under the $5 price point. Despite their low prices, they aim to provide hip, trendy shades and formulations.

I was sent several products to review and I will be doing so over the next week or so. First up, two of their Eternal Shine Lip Glazes.

These are moisturizing lip glosses that contain Vitamin E oil and minerals, and promise a sheer pop of color. They come in 36 shades, which I find pretty impressive!

I received two: Rose and Odyssey.

Rose is a vibrant, cool toned pink. It is super bright in the tube! On the lips, it has a fair amount of pigmentation to it without being over the top. It could easily be worn for day or night looks.

Odyssey is a lighter, more neutral pink. It is nice and very natural and is great for a daytime look.

The formula on both is very good. It is thick enough to last on the lips, but it is not too sticky or tacky. I found it to be pretty long lasting for a gloss - it lasted through a meal and a few hours of wear before needing reapplied. I found it to be pretty moisturizing, and it felt nice on my lips.

These are lip glosses...you're not going to put them on and say "Sweet heavens, I never knew lip product nirvana until this moment!" but for the price, they are definitely worth it! I have no complaints about this lip gloss and plan to pick up a few more shades.

Also, stay tuned, because I'll be sharing their lipsticks, shimmer powders, and nail polishes with you soon!

Have you heard of J.Cat yet? You can check out their products at their website  or follow them on Facebook if interested!


Disclaimer: I received products free of charge to review. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own.

Birchbox - February 2013

I was super happy to wake up to my Birchbox this morning! I love this time of the month, because my subs start showing up, and getting the mail is fun again.

This month, Birchbox also went with a "Red Carpet Ready" theme, promising an assortment of products worthy of the red carpet. This is a pretty smart theme, really, because you could send just about anything and fit it in! I received four products and a bonus.

Beauty Protector - Protect & Detangle: This is a spray that has multi functions, including detangling, leave in conditioning, heat and UV protection, shine adding, and color sealing. I've just started heat styling again as I recently chopped my hair off, so this is a very welcome product. The packaging is adorable, and the scent is nice - it reminds me a bit of Pink Sugar!

Color Club nail polish in Wild Cactus - This is an emerald green creme polish. I'll be honest and say that I hate Color Club. I have received several of their polishes in past boxes and the formula just doesn't work well for me, I find it streaky and it chips almost immediately. The color is pretty, though, and I will try it out and see if this one works for me.

Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Cream - This is a BB cream with mineral SPF and a satin matte finish. I have used another Dr. Jart+ formula and loved it, so I'm really excited about this one! I never wear foundation, opting for BB creams instead, so I'm always looking for more that work well for me.

Juicy Couture - Couture La La: This fragrance is a mix of mandarin, red currant, lily, and orange blossom. I've gotten several other Juicy fragrances in past boxes, so I am a bit tired of the brand...BUT this one actually smells really nice, so I will use up the sample. It smells fresh and juicy and not too sweet.

Ghirardelli - Milk & Caramel square - This is a bonus this month. I love chocolate and caramel...and I've already eaten this. YUM. 

This isn't my most exciting Birchbox, but it's definitely not a bad one. I am excited about the bb cream and the detangler! The other products will be used and I won't be trading or throwing anything away. I'm content this month.

What was in your Birchbox?

Ipsy Glam Bag - February 2013

Much to my surprise, my Ipsy bag showed up this morning! I think this is the earliest I've ever gotten it, and I hadn't even gotten a shipping notice yet so it was a nice surprise.

This month's theme is "Get Red Carpet Ready" and the bag seems to focus mostly on the eyes. The bag itself is a faux patent leather this month! Super shiny. The lining is a bright red. Cute! And here's what was inside:

Lash Cards - These are little mascara shields you can use to prevent smearing mascara around your eyes. You can also use them as a shadow shield. These are individually wrapped and I believe there are two in the pack. I won't be opening these because I have a reusable lash guard, so I will be trading these. They're a cool product, though!

MicaBeauty Cosmetics gel liner in black. This is a deep dark black gel liner. I love gel liners, so this is a welcome addition for me! 

POP Beauty Lash Kapow mascara in Smoky Black - Mascara samples are one of my favorite items to get. I love the small size, as I can use them up before they dry out. This one is in cute packaging and promises sultry smokey eyes.  I'm excited to try it out and see what it does for me.

pixi Flawless & Poreless primer - This is a face primer. I love pixi so I am cool with getting it. I am a little overloaded with primers, but I am going to at least try to try this one out soon. I love pore minimizing products.

Coastal Scents shadow quad in In the Spotlight - They sent out two different quads this month. I was kind of hoping for the silvery greys they sent out, but instead I got the golds. That's okay, they're still pretty!  Colors are: Dark Goldenrod, Sunbeam, Golden Globe, and Dark Golden Olive.

A little warm for me, but I'll wear 'em.  I think this is a pretty decent bag. I love eye makeup, so I'm always excited to receive more. I love the idea of a sexy smokey eye for Valentine's day! It's definitely a step up from last February's bag, which was so awful I unsubscribed!

What are your favorite smokey eye products? Are you doing anything for Valentine's Day?

January 2013 Favorites

Man, January went by quickly. Now, I just hope the rest of the horrid winter follows suit...ugh. This month, I continued my goal of using lots of products instead of letting them pile up untouched. However, there are a few things I kept coming back to! Here are the things I was really loving in January.

Pixi Magic Tink Tint - This is a great product. It goes on very sheer, but adjusts itself to a custom shade determined by your skin's PH! On me, it turns into a pretty magenta. It's a little bit glossy and super moisturizing...my favorite product like this I've tried! Makes a great daily lip tint, super easy to wear.

Too Faced sparkle liquid liner - This is kind of sheer, with black and silver glitters. I like to paint it over regular liquid liner to add a little sparkle. On its own, it doesn't provide enough definition for me, but I love it for layering!

Sprout makeup remover - Odd inclusion, I know. But this is a blend of olive, sweet almond, and jojoba oils and nothing more. It removes my makeup easily, and my favorite part is that you can just massage what's left after removing into your skin for extra moisturization. Love.

theBalm Tall, Dark, and Handsome mascara - This has become my HG mascara...it's lengthening and gives some volume without being too dramatic for daily use. 

Color Tattoo in Too Cool - I use this almost every day as an eyeshadow base. With it, my colors are brighter and even cheapo shadows last all day. It's also nice for an inner corner highlight, has a bit of shimmer to it and goes on sheer.

Starlooks mascara guard - This weird gadget is awesome...I use it when applying my mascara and I never smudge mascara on my eyeshadow!  Nothing more frustrating than having your shadow perfectly applied and blended, and then smearing mascara on it and ruining everything. It's something I never would have thought to buy, but have found endlessly useful.

Cargo eyeshadow quad in Barcelona - I have five quads from Cargo, and I love all of them...but I am loving this one the most, lately! Cargo shadows are really nice - pigmented and easy to work with. The packaging is pretty and sturdy and the shadows themselves are huge! This one is purples, blue, and green - my most loved and used colors. These shadows last all day on me, no problem. 

Pretty, right?! 

That's it for my January favorites. What products have you been loving this winter?

Glossybox: January. The Man Repeller.

This month, Glossybox teamed up with the man repeller, a popular fashion blogger, to send out some of her favorite low maintenance products. They took forever to ship this month, so I was starting to doubt that I'd even get my box in the month of January, but it showed up this morning!

The box is super cute this month...shiny silver, and feels more durable than normal.

The included card has a little note from man repeller herself and the list of products received in the back. There are a total of 7 products this month, two being small sample sized and two full sized.

Le Metier De Beaute Replenishing Daily Solution. This is the first of the two small samples. This is a rich, detoxifying, rejuvenating moisturizer. I can tell you that I won't be buying this even if I love it, because the full size is $225! But I am excited to try it out.

Narciso Rodriguez for her EDT spray. This is a floral scent with some muskiness to it. It isn't really my usual kind of scent, but it does smell nice. I will be using up the sample.

fresh Umbrian Clay Mattifying Serum - This is a serum that promises to purify and clarify the complexion, as well as control shine and minimize pores. I love fresh products, hopefully I like this one!

Vincent Longo Lipstain Lipstick in Americana - This is a pretty red lip color that boasts SPF 15.

It's a nice red, not too warm or cool. It goes on glossy but dries to a more matte finish. I don't wear red or bright lips often because I make a mess of them, but I'm willing to try!

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara - This is a fiber mascara that promises false lash effects. I love trying new mascaras, so I'm excited about this one!

Living Proof Prime Style Extender - this is a hair primer! It promises to extend hairstyles and let you go longer between shampoos and style touchups. As I don't like to shampoo every day, this intrigues me. I am excited to see what it does for me.

OPI Liquid Sand Nail Lacquer in Can't Let Go - This is a matte sparkly purple with their new liquid sand texture. It's a pretty purple color and I am super interested to see how the texture works for me! Never used a textured polish before.

In all, I think this is a pretty great box. It includes some great products...I love man repeller and I think she chose some interesting things for us. If you haven't tried out Glossybox yet, feel free to sign up using my referral link!

I think it's undeniable that Glossybox US has done a great job of sending out good brands and products. However, I feel that their service and shipping needs a LOT of work, so after my free box I redeemed for next month, I'll be taking a break.

Graze.com

I posted last week about a new food sub in the US called Graze. I got my first Graze box this week, so I thought I'd post an update!

Graze ships weekly, a selection of four snacks. Each snack is a perfect single portion, roughly the size of a deck of cards. They offer a pretty wide selection, about 90 options including nuts, dried fruits, and various mixes.

I received:

Bonnie Wee Oatbakes - Cheese and chive oatbakes with onion marmalade. This was GOOD. The oatbakes are crisp and hearty. The marmalade is sweet and tangy. A good combo!

Toffee Apple - Dried granny smith apple with toffee sauce. Mmm, the toffee is super rich and awesome and the apples are a nice, subtle dipper.

British Barbeque - This is a mix of fiery seeds, basil breadsticks, and rosemary crostini, and smoked almonds. This was a tasty mix, though I wished for more nuts!

Apple Cinnamon Flapjack - These were just okay. They're soft oat granola bars, but I wanted more apple cinnamon flavor. The texture was nice and chewy though.


In all, I am loving this sub and can't wait for my weekly snacks!

Graze is still invitation only, but if you're interested, you can sign up using my invite code. Your first box will be free! Enter DFN9NYY at Graze.com.

Little Black Bag - January 2013

After waiting forever, my Little Black Bag showed up a few days ago! I've really been enjoying everything so far.

This will be my last LBB for a few months...I've refreshed my accessories collection, and it's time to take a break for a while! :)

Here's what I got.

Latique Sutton Tote in Grey - I have had my eye on this bag for a while. I wasn't sure about it, then I saw a review on another site, and I was sold. It's beautiful! It's the perfect size, not too big, and the biggest selling point for me - it has a TON of pockets, including hidden side pockets accessible when the purse is zipped. The picture does it no justice, the studs are so pretty and sparkly and the material is nice and soft.

Goose Creek Candles - I kept getting these in previous bags, and then I'd get too good of an offer to pass up and trade them away. So, in this bag, I was determined to get all three of the jar candles. I succeeded, and I also managed to get one of the pillars! The scents are Butter Cookie (pillar), Vanilla Cashmere, Gingerbread Crisp, and Whipped Pumpkin Latte.  They are a great size and they all smell absolutely amazing. They are double wick candles, and the jar lids have an adorable tree on them. I'll be saving the jars to reuse!

NYX Runway Collection eyeshadow palettes in Strike a Pose and Jazz Night - I have been curious to try more NYX products, as I've previously only used the loose pearl shadows and a lipgloss. I was excited to get my hands on both of these palettes! I find them nice and soft and blendable, and adore the colors.

This is one of my favorite LBBs to date, and I ended up with everything I set out to get. Awesome!

What's your favorite product by NYX?

Ipsy Glam Bag - January 2013

After what seemed like forever, my January Ipsy bag arrived a few days ago. Ipsy is consistently one of the best subs when it comes to value, and this month is no exception. They also listen to their customer feedback! After hearing a ton of complaints about getting too many of the same types of products (namely black eyeliners and pink/red lipglosses), they went with all new products this month.

There is no makeup in this bag, but there are some awesome products.

Nailtini Straight Up Color nail lacquer in Frappe - This is a sheer pinky nude polish. The formula is really nice! While the color isn't a very exciting one for me, it is also one that I don't already have and will come in handy.

Soho eyeliner brush - This is a wide, flat liner brush. It is nice and stiff with an ergonomic design...I think this will be especially nice for lining with shadows and powder liners. I love receiving brushes in my subs.

bigsexyhair Spray & Play volumizing hairspray - I just chopped over a foot off of my hair this month, so it's a great time for me to get a hairspray, which I never used to use! I haven't tried it yet, but it promises fullness, lift, and shine. Nice!

Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter - This smells AMAZING, holy cow. It's a nice moisturizing body butter with the most delicious fruity scent. I will definitely be buying more of this.

Josie Maran Argan Oil - This is a 100% pure argan oil. I have been using it on my face as a nightly moisturizer and I'm loving it! It can also be used in the hair, on the body, or on the nails/cuticles. 

The bag itself is navy blue with a cute starry interior. It's a great size, too.

In all, I think this was a pretty great bag, and I love that they changed it up. I am still super happy with Ipsy, I think they do a great job of sending out good sized quality products.

What products are you loving right now?

Starlooks Starbox - January 2013

It's been a pretty blah week, so I was ecstatic to wake up to my Starlooks Starbox this morning!

Starlooks is quite possibly my favorite sub. The products are so high quality, and it's great to get an all makeup box (sometimes with tools!)

I love that they change up the box color every month. This one is super pretty...and since emerald is the color of the year, always happy to receive some greens!

This month includes four items and a bonus! Loving the bright colored packaging.

This cute green beaded bracelet is a bonus. It comes from Abby Rose Designs. It's a wrap bracelet, so it will fit everyone, and it's super cute.

This is a blush in the shade Cuty Peach. It's such a pretty color! Not as dark as it photographs, it's a lovely peach with just a hint of gold shimmer. It feels super soft and silky. Really excited about this!

This is a Diamondline pencil in the color Fancy. It's a beautiful metallic, shiny light green. It's freakin' gorgeous, and nice and soft. I can't wait to wear it. You can wear it alone or mixed or layered with other shades.

And this is an eyeliner in brown. A basic brown pencil is always welcome, and this one looks and feels  really nice. They say you can layer it with the Diamondline for a pretty olive color, so I'll definitely have to try that.

We also got a brush this month! A soft small dome fluff, which is great for all kinds of eye-related tasks. The brush is nice and feels well made, and of great quality.

The brush isn't too fluffy, which I love (I have an abundance of fluffy brushes at the moment) and it is a great shape and sizeAnd I actually don't have a brush shaped exactly like this so I'm more than happy to get it...it may even be my favorite thing in the box.

And the quartz crystal they always include is there, too (after a hiatus last month, due to the size of the palette). I think this is a pretty amazing box, and with a retail value of $63, definitely an amazing deal. So excited to wear my pretty new colors! 

Have you tried Starlooks yet? If not, you should!

graze.com - new healthy snack sub in the US.

I've been seeing UK-ers post about their graze boxes for a while and I've been jealous - they always look good and fun.

Graze is a little different from the other food subs I have tried - they deliver weekly. For $5 a week, you get a little box of four healthy snacks. They have a current selection of around 90 options. You rate the options, choosing those you'd like to try, those you like, those you love, and those you never want to try.

They currently have a selection of dippers, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, savory snacks, and mixes. Excited to see how they taste!

It's currently invitation only, but you can get your first box for free if you are invited. My invitation code is DFN9NYY or you can join using this link.

Little Black Bag - January 2013

I got yet another LBB shipment today! I have one more bag on its way to me, and then I am taking a break for a few months...now that I've refreshed my accessories for a bit!

This bag, I went into with some goals - I was determined to end up with this Pink Cosmo Studded Satchel and the two Love Nail Tree necklaces. They were all three super popular items, so I had to trade myself stupid...but I did it! And I also ended up with this Big Buddha satchel that I liked, but didn't love...until I got it. Really happy with this bag!

Both of these necklaces are by Love Nail Tree. I am in love with them both...so cute.

This is the Big Buddha satchel I got last minute. This picture does it no justice! It's much bigger than I thought, and a very pretty grey. It feels nice and looks really cute and classy. It's a very different shape for me and I'm excited to use it!

The entire bag is two compartments that zip. It's deep and also has smaller pockets in each compartment. The lining is cute and satiny.

And the bag I was dying to get - the Pink Cosmo studded satchel. I adore this bag! It is huge and simple. I have no brown bags, so this is a welcome addition to my collection. It has a thick, sturdy strap and several pockets.

I didn't realize that the studded part is actually a little zipper pouch! Love it...perfect to drop my phone and keys into! This might be my favorite bag I've gotten from LBB yet.

What are your favorite accessories right now?

Conscious Box - January

Conscious Box is a monthly subscription service that focuses on natural, sustainable, green products. Unlike most others, Conscious Box is truly a variety box - in any given month, you might receive food/snacks, supplements, beauty products, cleaning products...it is $19.95 a month, and that includes priority shipping.

They sent me a free box to review this month, and I was really excited to receive it!

As usual with Conscious Box, this month's box is full of a ton of little things, so I hope I don't miss anything!

January's box was very fitting for the new year, as this box was focused around food and edibles. The box itself is cute and a great size for reusing. Here's what I got!

1. Hail Merry Macaroons. These are raw, gluten free, and vegan with no refined sugar. They're dehydrated at a low temperature to preserve the organic oils!They are chocolate coconut bites, and they are surprisingly tasty.  They are literally made with 6 ingredients, all organic, and they're sweetened with maple syrup. Mmm!
2. Pamela's Products Chocolate Brownie Mix - This is a wheat free, gluten free, dairy free mix that you prepare in the microwave in under a minute. Cool! Excited to try these.
3. TeeChia Super Seeds Cereal - This is a mix of chia, flax, quinoa, amaranth, ramon, and pumpkin seeds with currants, dates, and blueberries. It's to be prepared as a hot cereal. Sounds awesome!
4. Nutiva Organic Hemp Seeds - These are shelled hemp seeds. I'm going to add them to a salad!
5. The Chia Co - Chia Shots - a little packet of chia seeds. These come with a soup recipe attached and I'm very interested in trying them that way!
6. Larabar Uber in Roasted Nut Roll - I generally dislike Larabars, but the Uber bars are actually very good! This is full of nuts and honey and has that salty sweet thing going. I like it!
7. Whole Grain Indulgence Minty wafer cookies - These are awesome. MInt wafer cookies covered in dark chocolate, plus they're whole grain. Yum!
8. Amazing Grass kidz superfood drink mix - this is a blend of a huge number of fruits and veggies to be mixed into water or juice. A really cool way to get then into your system!
9. Nordic Naturals DHA fish oil tablets - These are fish oil tablets, but with a strawberry flavor and scent. 
10. Waxelene petroleum jelly alternative. I'm excited to try this on my dry heels, as I try to avoid petroleum products!
11. Minteas Lime Mojito tea mints - These are tea mints with a lime flavor. Love the cute little tin!
12. Maakoa Koopuwa - This is a blend of cupuacu, acai, and other superfruits in a juice form. I love acai so I'm very interested in this!

Lots of healthy goodies in this month's Conscious Box! If you're looking to try the best pure, sustainable products, Conscious Box remains a great way to do so!

Edgar certainly enjoyed it!

*I received a box for free for review. I was not compensated, and all opinions are my own.

Birchbox - January 2013

After a few lackluster months in a row, I decided to take a 3 month break from Birchbox and explore other services. I found myself really missing their points system, though - I really like being able to use those points to splurge on items I know I wouldn't otherwise buy. So, I came crawling back to Birchbox. January's box is my first box after my hiatus.

January's box is themed around helping 2013 be the best year ever. They included a fold out poster based on this theme this month, as well, which I won't be using, but it's a cute touch. I received four items and a bonus this month.

This is the item in my box I'm most excited about. It's an Acne Control Treatment by DDF and it is meant to be used while you sleep. It contains salicylic acid, aloe, and witch hazel. It's a good sample size and I look forward to seeing how it helps my hormonal breakouts.

This is 24 Hour Miracle Cream by Embryolisse. It's a moisturizer that can also be used as a primer. It's a pretty tiny sample, but it's enough to get a few uses out of. I've been curious about this brand, so I'm happy with getting this.

This would probably be my favorite sample, BUT I already have the full sized version of this.  It's Hot Mama by theBalm, and it's actually my all time favorite blush, it's a perfect peachy pink with a golden glow. The little sample is a perfect size to keep in my makeup bag.

This is Shimmer by Aerie. I like getting perfume samples, and this one sounds nice - a blend of bergamot, peony, and vanilla. I can't smell it right now thanks to an epic cold, but it sounds right up my alley! We'll see.

And this was my bonus this month - La Fresh makeup remover wipe. I've used these before and they work well enough. This wipe will be great to throw in my makeup bag.

In all, I think this is a decent box. While the samples are so tiny compared to those I have received from other companies, I have found that the points system makes it worth it and this is a selection of products that suits me.

What was in your Birchbox this month?