Birchbox - December 2014 (two boxes!)

Well, I'm really late on these and I have no excuse. But, I am getting two Birchboxes right now (I'll probably cut one out after January and I spend my points!)

The first month that I got two boxes, I got the same box on both accounts and that was a bit of a bummer. This month, though, I got two different boxes, and I like both!

Box 1:

This was the curated box this month. I chose it because I really wanted to try the Davines serum!

Ruffian Nail Lacquer in Ruffian Red - I'm not huge on red polishes, but I don't have many, and I like Ruffian polishes - I think they have a nice shiny finish and they last longer than a couple of hours on me, which is a feat!

Cynthia Rowley Beauty Creamy Lip Stain in Sugar - This is the prettiest natural pink stain. When I buy things like this, I tend to go for bold colors so it was nice to get a nice natural color...this is very much a "my lips but better" shade for me and I like it a lot.

Davines Replumping Hair Filler (with bonus shampoo and conditioner packets) - This is a leave in that is supposed to help your hair look thick and shiny. I can always use that! So far, I like it. No mind blowing miracles, but it leaves my hair looking and feeling nice. (I haven't tried the packets yet!)

Joie Folle de Joie perfume - This is a fresh scent with mandarin. I'll admit I don't love it, I'm just into different kinds of scents lately. But I passed it along to a friend who will appreciate it.

Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre - This is a moisturizer that can also serve as a primer and makeup remover. I've sampled this before, and I really like it! I only use it as a moisturizer, but it leaves my skin soft without feeling greasy. 

Overall, I'm really happy with this box, and everything is getting good use.

The 2nd box came in the special blue holiday box - so cute! 

In this box, I selected a sample - the Manna Kadar Lip Locked. I received the sample I chose! Here's everything I got:

Manna Kadar Lip Locked in Lucky - This is a combo lipstain, gloss, and primer in a pretty mauvey color. It's another really natural shade for me, which I like! I really like the light texture of this and am definitely interested in trying more of them.

Yu-Be Moisturizing Cream - This is a tiny tube of moisturizing cream you can use anywhere on your body. I've frankly gotten about a million of these samples in various places. It's not bad! But it's nothing special to me. I'm using this one up on my elbows.

Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner - This is a creamy liner in the prettiest gold/olive shade. I am really happy with this...I already had the black and love how creamy and long lasting these are. I will use this one often!

Rusk Texture Spray - I used to hate hairsprays of any kind, and I would immediately toss them. But lately I've been wearing my hair wavy/curly, and a good texturizing spray is appreciated. This one is nice - it sprays on with a fine, light mist that never feels wet and just adds some nice texture and hold.

Royal Apothic Cuppa Cuppa Firming Tea Treatment Mask - This is a mask made from tea...masks and tea are two of my favorite things, so I love this! It has a nice tingle when you use it, and it left my skin feeling fresh and soft. I'd love to get my hands on some more of this!

Overall, I'm really happy with both of my boxes this month, and I'm excited for January!

What was in your box?

If you haven't tried Birchbox yet, feel free to sign up using my referral link here! :)

Haus of Gloi - indie perfume oil review

Well, this is about two weeks later than I intended it to be. I'm going to blame it on Christmas and not at all slackerhood and procrastination. Right? Right.

Anyway, I've mentioned before that one of my newer interests is in perfume oils - specifically, unique ones. I love fragrance, but I don't just want to smell like *perfume* (you know, that scent you think of when you think of perfume? Yeah, that's not me.) After months of looking and considering and telling myself "but you don't need more fragrances", I finally gave in and ordered some samples from a company called Haus of Gloi.

Haus of Gloi is a small, two person company. They are a vegan company, and everything is cruelty-free, handmade and from scratch. They make perfume oils, but also things like whipped soap, pumpkin butter (their version of body butter), foaming scrubs, soaps, and hair oils. They have a permanent collection of scents, but they are big into seasonal collections!

This review is on perfume oils...I haven't yet tried any of their various body care products (but they're on my to-do list!)

I ended up ordering 4 samples from their Yule collection (and they threw in a 5th as a free sample), a full sized bottle from the Yule collection, and one from the permanent collection.

I am by no means a perfume expert, so I'm just going to talk about each scent I tried and how it smells to/on me.

Each sample is in a little vial with the label wrapped around it. I think the labels are adorable! The full size is in an amber bottle with the same pretty label.  They came safely packaged with a little handwritten thank you note (I love touches like that!)

Now, onto the perfumes themselves! I'll start with the permanent scent, then move through the Yule releases I tried. 

Elevenses - This is described by HoG as "Not quite breakfast and not quite lunch, it's the little sip and nibble in between... Fluffy little orange cakes, sugar coated toasty almonds and a wee steaming cup of black tea."

I couldn't say no to this one, as a LOTR fan! And besides that, it sounded delicious. This is a really nice scent! On initial application, you smell the orange. It is a tart, orange zest kind of scent. The orange is almost too strong in the vial, but it is not overwhelming once it touches the skin.

After it settles in, the sugared almonds come through a bit more, though the orange is still present. Through most of the wear, it smells like orange glazed almonds! I don't get much tea on me, maybe just a hint. This is a really unique citrus scent - it doesn't have that freshness that most have, instead, it's more warm and cozy. It lasts a pretty long time - at the end of the day, I could still smell it on my wrist. I really like this one, and am interested in trying it in other products.

Sweet Potato Treat - This is described as "Sweet potatoes with mild spices, butter and brown sugar baked off with marshmallows."

This is a delicious scent, and probably my second favorite of the Yule scents I tried. It is a very sweet foodie scent, but it doesn't smell overwhelmingly sweet like some do.  In the vial, I smell buttery marshmallows. It reminds me of making rice crispy treats! Once it's applied to the skin, the spices come out. They are nice and warm (predominantly cinnamon), but not so spicy as to completely overtake the toasty marshmallowyness.  It wears well - the spices mellow without disappearing, and the sweet potato and brown sugar come out a bit more. This is one I will buy next year, for sure, and in multiple formats!

Parkin - This is described as "Glorious ginger cakes celebrating Guy Fawkes Day! Brown sugar, black treacle, oats, a peculiar blend of white spices tossed with chopped roasted chestnuts and coated with the lightest of icings."

This is a very spicy scent - for me, a bit too spicy. It smells good, but kind of reminds me of spending a little bit too much time in the cinnamon potpourri aisle at a hobby store - it's all I can smell after a while! I don't really notice the chestnuts or brown sugar behind all of the spices - but my body chemistry tends to amp up spice notes, so it might not be quite as overwhelmingly spicy on others.  If a spicy cinnamon gingerbread scent is what you're after, this is definitely one! I will use up my sample, but I don't think I'll buy any more of this scent in perfume - it might, however, be nice as a soap.

Eggnoggin - This is described as "The Haus 'nog! Cream, sugar and a shot of dark rum topped with fresh grated nutmeg."

This does smell just like eggnog in the vial. Eggnog is something I like every once in a while, so I had to give this a try. The bad news is, on my skin, it doesn't work so well. What smells nice in the vial smells like some sort of ointment once I put it on my skin! I think it's the combo of nutmeg and rum?  After I've worn it for a half hour or so, the ointment scent fades enough for the creaminess to come out, and it's okay then. But I can't really get past smelling like diaper rash ointment for the first few minutes enough to wear this one much.  I will finish this sample in my oil burner, I think! This is another one I might try in soap form, but it doesn't work on me as a perfume.

Fancy Bread - This is described as "Ripe banana, roasted nuts and brown sugar folded into a delicious quick bread."

I wasn't sure about this one in the vial - all I could smell was that synthetic banana smell. But once I put it on my skin, it was really nice - it does smell just like fresh baked banana bread. It's warm and sweet and I think the banana, nuts, and sugar are all there in perfect amounts. This one lasts quite a while. I like it, even if it makes me crave banana bread. I am interested in trying this one as a body butter.

Rosy Cheeked - This is described as "Pink grapefruit, fir needles, juniper berries, rosemary, a sprig of parsley and bright winter lilies."

This is the free sample they sent me - it's not one I would have picked at the time, because when I made my order, I was in the mood for cozy foody scents. However, I ended up really loving this one!

In the vial, and on the skin, at first it is pure grapefruit. It's slightly sweet, tart, and fresh. As it wears, the fir, juniper, and rosemary come out. It's a bright scent, clean and fresh and not too strong. I love grapefruit scents in general, but the notes underneath make it really unique.

Hearth - This is described as "The warm glowing center of home. Autumns last apple pickings, warm bread, orange rind, various fire roasted nuts, cracked black pepper all nailed down by an oozing sticky benzoin."

This is the one full sized bottle I got. I did so because they were out of samples and I was that desperate to try this scent! I'm glad I did. This is my favorite of the bunch!

It smells a little strange in the bottle and I wasn't sure how it would smell on me. When I put in on though, it's great. It's a very homey scent. I get the fresh apples and the bread at first, and then the pepper and orange rind come out a bit. It smells warm without being too spicy.  I love that the apples are present, but it is not an overwhelming apple scent. There's a lot going on with it in a good way. It just smells cozy and homey and it feels like the holidays to me. I want to try this one in a soap and a body butter next year (I'm sure I'll still have some perfume oil!)

Overall, my first experience with Haus of Gloi was a lot of fun! I will definitely be ordering from them again.

I'll continue my venture in to indie perfumes soon - I have a ton of Solstice Scents samples coming up! That one will likely have to be broken into two posts. 

Have you tried Haus of Gloi yet? If so, how do you like them? If not, what are your favorite fragrances? Have you tried any indie oils?

I've been MIA!

Yes, I haven't been here in a while. It's partly because I started a new job in August and adjusting to new hours is always tricky for me.

But even more than that, it's because I've honestly gotten bored to death with most of my sub boxes, and standard beauty products in general. It was bound to happen!

The good news is, I have been venturing into the world of indies - indie makeup, bath and body, and perfumes, and I'm excited again. I think I'm going to be posting about more of those, here!  And while I've been trying quite a few new things, I'm always looking to discover more.

SO, have you tried many indie companies? If so, what ones would you recommend to me?

I hope to have a little review of some Haus of Gloi fragrances up this weekend!

Memebox - Superbox #41 - My Cute Wishlist review and unboxing

You all know I'm a sucker for a subscription/beauty box. Combine that with my curiosity and fascination about Korean beauty products and cosmetics, add Memebox offering to send me a box to review, and you have one very happy camper!

Have you heard of Memebox yet? They are the most popular beauty box in Korea! A while back, they started offering boxes to the US and other countries, as well!

Memebox isn't really like the other boxes we have now, For one, they're not really a sub box - you order boxes from them individually, and they do not offer a recurring subscription. They offer several different types of boxes! I'll explain a little bit about each box before I show you what I received!

Memebox Global: This is their "signature" box - it contains a range of products (skincare, cosmetics, haircare, body care, all fair game) and you receive 4-8 deluxe and full sized products. I'll say that most of the boxes I've seen reviewed have had closer to 8 products in them, with great sizes, and they are always a great value! I need to snag me one of these soon. THe downside is that you have to order these WAY in advance, they sell out quickly!

Memebox Special: These seem to be like the global boxes, with full and deluxe products, but they revolve around a theme! Some of the themes currently available are masks, tea tree cosmetics, Beauty 911, and Green Food Cosmetics (there are many more, too!) 

Superbox: A superbox is a box with ALL full sized products! They also go by theme - some example themes have been The Honey Box, Makeup Edition, Yogurt Cosmetics, and Holika Holika. These are great if you're looking for full sized products. The box I received is a Superbox!

Luckybox: A Luckybox is a mishmash box containing favorite products from previous boxes. They make a great introduction to Memebox for people who are curious, or if you want to see some of the goodies you missed out on!

The prices vary on most of these boxes! Memebox Global is $23 (plus shipping). Superboxes and Special boxes vary by theme, with most falling between $23 and $32. Every box I've seen from them has been a great value and I am pretty excited to try out some more.

Now, onto the box I received!

When Memebox said they were sending me a box, they did not tell me what the box would be! So, I was really excited and couldn't wait to see what was inside when I received that cute pink bubble mailer!

I opened it up to find that I had recieved Superbox 41: My Cute Wishlist! As a huge fan of cute packaging and products, I was overjoyed. Here's how Memebox describes this box!

We've searched and scoured through the Korean beauty scene to find you all the beauty things adorbs and irresistibly cute! From miniature beauty trinkets to cute face makeup kits and skincare potions, these precious little beauty finds will make you "oooh" because of the trademark Korean charming packaging and "aahhh" because of how cute it makes you look. Carry around these beauty treasures wherever you go and make your friends green with jealousy.

Sounds good to me! Immediately, I noticed how great Memebox's info card is - it has photos of each item as well as pricing, a description, and directions for use. This is great because the directions on the packaging of many of these products is, obviously, Korean!

See all that cuteness under there? Here's what's inside!

Etude Missing U Hand Cream - This is made with organic olive oil and shea butter. It comes in several varieties, each container shaped like an endangered species, and in four different scents! This fairy penguin contains cream scented like baby powder! I adore this. It is so cute, I love penguins and the idea of using cosmetics to raise awareness for endangered species is awesome. The handcream is nice - easily absorbed, leaves my hands soft, and the baby powder scent is soft and fresh and not overpowering. I want to collect the other 3!

Beauty People Snow White Special Edition Season 2 - This is a set of 5 creamy, shimmery, eye pencils in an adorable tin. These are in the shades Glimmer Black, Glimmer Brown, Glimmer Bronze, Glimmer Gold, and Glimmer Beige. I am being honest when I say these are some of the nicest eye pencils I've ever tried! They are so soft and creamy and very pigmented. These swatches were a single stroke with light pressure! And, once they set for a few seconds, they did not budge, even with repeated rubbing and some water! I really love them and have been using them most every day!

Pure Smile Neco Punch Point Pad in Lemongrass and Hibiscus - These pads are soaked in Vitamin E, Collagen, Hyaluronic Acid, and arbutin and they work to moisturize and control excess sebum and secretions. These are so cute. They're like sheet masks, only they're spot treatments. I've been using the lemongrass ones on a trouble area on my cheek, and I like the fresh feeling it leaves me with! They smell amazing, too.

Kokostar Split End Therapy - This is a treatment with 8 amino acids that helps prevent breakage and static electricity, as well as to protect the hair and mend split ends and damage. It is meant to be a ponytail treatment that you tie on with the included (adorable) hair band. My hair is currently too short for a pony tail, and while I'm sure you could use it another way, I think I'm actually going to save it until my hair grows out a bit so I can get the full effect. Really excited to eventually try this!

Etude Sweet Recipe Candy Stick in Sour Lemon Candy - This is a glossy lip balm/tint with a sheer color that moisturizes and contains sugarcane and sugar maple! This one, lemon, doesn't have too much tint, really just adds a hint of color, and is nice and soft and slightly glossy. It has a light lemon scent, which I love! I like the cute shape - makes it easy to pick out of my bag easily. I'd be interested to see if the other flavors have more color to them, but I really like this!

Pure Smile Muddy Girl mud pack in Red Clay - This is a mud mask that soothes, purifies, smooths, and moisturizes. It also comes in a charcoal version, but I got the Red Clay. I tried it and I really liked what it did for my skin - it made it feel nice and clean and refreshed, but not at all dried out. I'd like to get my hands on some more of these! I'm a sucker for masks.

a;t fox Creams - These are three different creams - Lifting Cream, to firm and lessen signs of aging, Water Gel Cream, to moisturize and lock in moisture, and Whitening Capsule Cream to hydrate and brighten. HOW CUTE ARE THESE? I love the little cupcake pots, and even after the creams are gone, I will be finding something else ot use them for. I like all three of the creams! The Water Gel cream is great - not too heavy, I like using it in the mornings. The whitening cream is a gel, and it feels nice on the skin. It's too early to tell if it brightens, but so far I'm liking it. I like the lifting cream in my undereye area, it has a great consistency and keeps that area feeling nice and moisturized. I am really impressed with all three and want to try more from the brand!

As a little bonus, they also sent a cute little pencil sharpener, which I can always use!

Overall, I'm kind of in love with this box! Not only is everything absolutely adorable, but I love the range of products - hair, facial skincare, hands, makeup, lips...such a great mix. I have honestly been using everything (except the hair treatment, but I will get to that when my hair needs it!) almost daily and it's all so great.

This box was sent to me for free, but it costs $23 and if I had paid for it, I would have felt like I got an amazing deal. This box is out of stock now, but they do sometimes restock boxes, and there are also new versions of the Cute Wishlist. If you like what you see, you can order boxes at memebox.com! 

What do you think? Have you tried a Memebox yet?

*Disclaimer: This post contains products sent to me for review purposes. I was not otherwise compensated and all opinions are my own.

Popsugar Must Have box - September 2014

I thought about cancelling Popsugar before September...not because I don't like it (I have actually loved it every month!) but because I really need to start saving money for a new computer, winter clothes...everything...but then they put out a spoiler. And the spoiler reeled me in. SO, here I am!

Popsugar is one of my favorite boxes, because they send out such a mix of things - beauty, fashion, home, tech, fitness, food...I really love the variety.

This month, they shipped much smaller boxes. For me, this is a good thing - I like having different sized boxes for storage. They're still cute and pink, though!

Tilo Scarves Modal Gradation Scarf in Raisin - I decided to wear this for the picture so you could see how cool it is. This is the spoiler item that kept me subscribed! It is a super soft, silky ombre scarf that goes from gray to a plummy raisin color. It is so soft and silky! It retails for $125...and I would never spend that much on a scarf. But for the price of the box, I am beyond happy! I love scarves, and most of mine are bright colors or busy prints. This is such a pretty autumnal neutral for me!

Letter C Design Gold Foil Arrow Pencils - This is kind of a weird inclusion for me, just because I don't even think anyone really uses pencils anymore, let alone ones that you sharpen. However, they are cute and I will use them, and stash them around the house for when I need them. They come with a sharpener which is handy, because I don't have one! These are the least exciting item for me this month, but they're definitely not a BAD item.

Oribe Superfine Purse Size Hair Spray - This is a great hairspray with a fine spray and great hold. It also smells nice! I used to hate getting hairspray in subs, and I gave it away every time. Then I chopped my hair off and started needing/wanting some hold for my style, and I regretted getting rid of all of my hairsprays. So this one is very welcome!

Rifle Paper Co Garance Dore Assorted Girls Set - This is a cute set of cards with four designs on them. I love Rifle Paper Co. and their products, and I love sending snail mail. I'll be writing notes to my penpals I've been neglecting for months on these!

Nicole Miller Stereo Earbuds - These are cute cobalt blue earbuds. I have mixed feelings about these. On one hand, I had been wishing for some earbuds or headphones from a sub for a while. And these are CUTE...I love this shade of blue and the shape is different. However, they are uncomfortable in my ears, and more importantly, the sound is not great. These only retail for $20, so I wasn't expecting anything amazing (I am a bit picky about headphones and sound quality and usually spend between $80 and $100 on them), but for that same $20, I could get something much nicer...even some basic Skullcandy buds sound better. So, good effort, Popsugar, but these just don't do it for me.

 

Nike $20 Gift Card - This is $20 to use on Nike's site and a tape measure (to measure yourself for their new bras!) I won't be getting a bra, but I will need new shoes soon, so I'll be using this, for sure. I love that it can be used on anything in the site, I hate when brands call things gift cards that aren't, but this one has no limitations!

Urban Remedy Almond Brownie - This is a raw, organic almond brownie. I honestly usually hate any kind of "raw" food involving chocolate because the texture grosses me out. But I really found myself liking this one! It is nice and chewy and not too dry. The downside is that the calorie content was crazy! I won't be buying any of these, but it was fun to try.

Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Sea Salt & Almonds - I love me some Ghirardelli, and these are delicious. They have the perfect balance of sweet and salty for me. Popsugar can send me some of these every month, please and thanks!

Overall, I am really happy with this month! The scarf makes the box for me, and everything else is a nice bonus. It definitely feels like an early fall box. I might have a hard time cancelling again for October!

If you are interested in trying Popsugar, please feel free to sign up using my referral link here!

What do you think of this box?

Boxycharm, September 2014 Review and Unboxing

I'm such a sucker for subs. Obviously. I'd been hearing about Boxycharm for a while, but never signed up...until I saw last month's box, which was so great, I had to sign up for September!

So, this is my first box, and I have to say, I'm pretty impressed. Boxycharm is $21 a month and offers full and deluxe sized products. When they launched, they sent out all drugstore brands, but now they send out a good mix of a bit of everything!

September's theme was "Fashion Week Fabulous" and it promised runway-ready products. I received five full sized products!

The packaging is super cute! It says "Hello Charmer" on the side!

Like most other subs, it has an info card, which I love. Everything appears to be well padded. However, there was a small amount of damage to a product (and leakage of another). But, very minor, and everything still looked pretty good.

Coastal Scents Go Palette in Beijing - They sent out these Go palettes, which are inspired by different cities! Each one has 12 shadows. I really like Coastal Scents - they are my favorite cheap/budget shadows! They're always really pigmented and nicely textured.

Beijing is rosy and gold tones. As you can see, one shadow arrived broken. However, it was easy enough to clean up. These colors are very pretty and I've used it a few times!

Tarina Tarantino Eye Dream Hyperlight - This is a cute pinky toned liquid highlighter with a cool clicky-brush applicator. Other subscribers received a mascara by this brand (and I'm glad I got this!) It is really great for brightening up the eye area and I've been using it daily! So glad I finally got to try this brand!

NCLA nail lacquer - I love NCLA! I don't wear reds very often, but this one is super bright and beautiful. I think I'll wear it with a vintagey dress soon! I love NCLA's formula, it lasts pretty well on me.

Harvey Prince Hello - This is one of my favorite scents and I was SO happy to get a full purse spray of this! It did leak a bit, but I didn't mind because it just made the rest of the box smell amazing. It's a great citrusy scent that isn't too sweet or too strong, great for everyday use.

Tarte Lipsurgence lip gloss in Tipsy - This is a cute sheer coral gloss! I love tarte, and while I don't wear gloss often, I was happy to try tarte's gloss. I like it! Not too sticky, lasts pretty well, and I like this shade a lot. I love this over a lipstain!

Overall, I think this was an amazing box! The value is so great and everything is really nice.  So glad I tried Boxycharm out.

If you haven't tried it yet, please feel free to sign up! Here is my referral link!

What do you think of this box?

Ipsy - September 2014 review/unboxing

Ipsy and I have a very on-again, off-again relationship. I have joined and cancelled more times than I care to count! However, I cancelled again this month after only 2 months back with them, and I think I'm done this time.

Don't get me wrong, Ipsy is a really cool service, and they do offer great product sizes. But I think it's best suited for either those new to makeup, or those working on building up their collections. They send out things that aren't terrible, but very rarely do they send out anything new, exciting, or unique. And my makeup collection now is to the point that yet another black eyeliner or pinky lipgloss is just not exciting unless it's from a new brand or a really great color. And I feel that Ipsy sends me the same old stuff, all the time!

That said, here's my September bag.

September's theme was "Street Style", and it is reflected in the bag itself. This is one of my favorite bags from Ipsy! Soft, in a gunmetal color, with cute square studs. I'm using it in my bag right now! 

Pacifica Eye Pencil in Gunmetal - This is a shimmery gunmetal shade. It's okay! I would have loved a fall color, but this is fine. Pigmentation is okay. It is somewhat creamy. It lasts an average amount of time. NOthing terrible, nothing to write home about. 

Alterna CC Cream 10 in 1 - This is a nice product...I love a good leave-in, and I love that this one offers heat protection as well as moisture and shine. I think the "10 in 1" promise is kind of silly. Basically, it is a leave in conditioner/cream with heat protection. Calling this 10 in 1 is like calling your shoes 2 in one because they cover your feet AND protect your soles. Marketing silliness. But it works well and leaves my hair nice and soft.

Cailyn Art Touch tinted lip gloss - Oh, yay, a neutral pinky lipgloss from a brand I've sampled a thousand times, that is drugstore quality at high end prices. THE JOY. This will be passed on to a more lipgloss loving friend.

Crown Brush Infinity Dual Ended Shadow/Crease brush:  This is my favorite product this month. It is nice and soft, and I love that the crease brush is small, I needed a much smaller one for detail work. 

Nyx Hot Singles eye shadow - I got this in an oxblood shade. It's a pretty color...but I dislike Nyx eyeshadow. I love other products by them, but I find the shadows not very pigmented and quite powdery. This will also be passed along as a gift.

Overall, I just didn't think this bag was great. It was okay. Some gifts for my sister, so that's a bonus! But I am definitely over Ipsy.

What do you think?

Birchbox - September 2014 "Fresh Paint" review and unboxing

I usually get my Birchbox toward the middle of the month, and usually about a week after I get a shipping notice. So, imagine my surprise when I came home yesterday to find my box waiting for me! Definitely the earliest I have ever gotten it, before my shipping email arrived!

The theme for September is "Fresh Paint" and it's all about saying goodbye to summer and gearing up for fall's colors, textures, and fashions. It is also Birchbox's anniversary month! They sent out cute patterned boxes this month, and it sounds like the boxes might have multiple designs. Mine is adorable and I am already using it to store some samples on my shelf!

This month, Birchbox gave us the opportunity to select a sample once again. I don't remember what all of the options were, but there were 4 options and another curated box. I selected Macadamia Healing Oil Spray as my sample. I was delighted to feel how heavy my box was this month!

Here's what was inside.

You can see the cute patterned box in the back! I'm interested to see if others get different patterns! I received five samples and a "Birchbox Find", which is a mass market product they send out as an extra.

Macadamia Healing Oil Spray - This was the sample I selected. It is a lightweight oil spray for hair that fights frizz, dryness, dullness, and protects. I've used the regular oil before and really loved it, so I was excited to try the spray version! It has the same scent as the regular oil and I love how light and easy it is to apply. I love hair oils, and this one does a great job of keeping my hair soft, silky, and shiny. Once I use up my giant hair oil stash, this is probably the one I will repurchase!

TEMPTU S/B Highlighter in Champagne - This is a liquid shimmer that adds some shimmer and glow to your look! The color is called champagne, but it is actually a bit darker than what I generally think of when I think of that shade. I'm very fair, and on me, this is too dark to be a highlighter. I am going to try it out on my eyes, as a base under bronzey shadows, perhaps! I do like the shimmeryness and it is not sticky. 

Harvey Prince Hello - This is a perfume featuring meyer lemon, mandarin, other citrus, and floral notes. Harvey Prince is one of my favorite perfume brands, and I already have a rollerball of this scent. It is one of my favorites, so the sample is more than welcome! It is citrusy, and not too sweet...it is great for a hot sticky day, but not out of place for fall, either. It isn't heavy or overwhelming. 

Avene Cleanance Soap-Free Gel Cleanser - This is a cleanser infused with French thermal spring water. It is great for oily or blemish prone skin, which is exactly what I have these days! I really like this. It makes my skin feel clean and soft without feeling dry or tight. It also seems to be helping my current breakout, so bonus!

Tocca Crema de Mano in Bianca - This is a hand cream featuring a green tea and lemon scent! I have been lusting over these Tocca hand creams since the first time BB sent them out, ages ago. So excited to finally get one! This is great - the texture is moisturizing without being too heavy - it is quickly absorbed. The scent is delicious and citrusy. This made its way immediately into my bag.

BIRCHBOX FIND: Chapstick Hydration Lock - This is a double ended chapstick! One side is moisturizing, and the other is renewing. Both sides feel nice on the lips with no nasty flavor or scent. This is a great extra for fall.

Overall, I am SUPER happy with this month's Birchbox! The sample sizes are amazing and I am happy with all of the products! I am not sure how much use I'll get out of the highlighter, but the other items have already made their way into my routine. Awesome. 

If you've read my blog long, you probably know that subscription boxes are my addiction, and I've tried so many. Birchbox is the one I always go back to, and the first one I recommend to people. If you haven't tried it yet, feel free to sign up using my referral link here..

What was in your box this month?

Birchbox August 2014

Wow, it's been a while since I've been around! It's been a busy few months, and blogging unfortunately took a backseat to moving, leaving a job, starting a new job, etc. BUT. I'm back and hoping to do a better job!

To start things off, I finally cracked into my August Birchbox and tried most of the items inside. This month, Birchbox did something they've been trying lately - letting subscribers pick a sample! For August, we had a choice of a cream eyeshadow, a bronzer, a lip/cheek tint, an eye pencil, and a curated box called the "everygirl box". After some debating, I chose the Laura Gellar cream eyeshadow in "Silver Sands". I had trouble selecting my sample at first, due to site traffic, but I did finally get to make my selection and I received what I chose!

For some reason, my computer refuses to rotate my images and save them today! So, it's on its side and I'm sorry.

The theme for this month was "Lighten Up", and it was all about doing just that. I received five items, including my selected sample.

Laura Geller Cool Lids Cream Eyeshadow in Silver Sands - This is a shimmery silvery cream shadow designed to shimmer like the inside of a seashell. I chose this color because I thought it'd be a great base for other shadows, and I was right. But it is also beautiful on its own! It has the perfect amount of shimmer and the texture is great. I prefer to apply it with my fingers! I am really interested in getting my hands on a few more shades of this.

Harvey Prince Ageless Body Cream - This is a nice moisturizer with the Ageless scent, which is a fruity grapefruit and mango fragrance. Harvey Prince is my favorite perfume company, and  I actually have a huge bottle of this perfume, so getting the body cream was pretty great! It smells just as good as the perfume, and the texture is nice - not too heavy, but rich enough to work. I might be seeking out the cream versions of all of my favorite HP scents.

nugg Beauty Revitalizing Face Mask - This is a cute little pod containing a white mask. It has peppermint, olive, and several other oils and it really did make my face feel amazing. It was nice and cooling without being tingly or harsh, and my skin felt soft, plump, and hydrated afterwards. I love the little pods, so the mask will be fresh each time. I plan to pick up a few more of these. This was my surprise favorite of the box!

Neil George shampoo and conditioner - Okay, I wasn't too excited to get these. I have enough shampoo and conditioner stashed to last a lifetime. BUT, the sample sizes are really nice, and these are a cult favorite. They boast vitamin C and botanical extracts. I haven't tried them yet, but I am pretty excited to see what all the hype is. They smell nice!

Overall, I'm pretty happy with this Birchbox! While it wasn't my favorite, the shadow and mask especially are awesome, and everything will be used.

What was in your box this month?

As always, if you haven't tried Birchbox out yet, feel free to sign up using my referral link!

Beauty Box 5 - April 2014

I love April! Things finally start getting color again, it is usually a bit warmer than freezing, and it's my birth month. So, I was especially excited to get my subs this month...birthday presents!

Beauty Box 5 is a great monthly sub. For $12 a month, they provide a great mix of beauty products - makeup, skincare, and tools.

For April, they used a theme of "shades of beauty" and they've focused on looks that allow you to slow down and do a bit of leisurely layering. Interesting!

Here's what I got.

First glance: The box is nice and full! I love that they don't use excess packaging - as much fun as pretty packaging is, sometimes it's really nice when a company is kind to the environment. Here are the goodies!

BH Cosmetics California Collection eyeshadow sampler - This is a sampler of 3 eyeshadows...a brown, a purple, and a gold. I haven't opened this, because I actually already have the entire collection, so I figured I'd pass this along to someone who hasn't tried them!

I love BH Cosmetics shadows. They are nicely pigmented, but not crazily so...so you can make them as bold as you want, but they can also be worn more sheer for fun subtle color.  They are such a great value for the cost - beautiful colors, good quality, and they have a huge range of shades, from super brights to subtle neutrals. I hope the person I give this sampler to loves the shadows as much as I do!

Bonne Bell Lip Definer in Warm Brick - This is a nice soft lip pencil. I like the shade a lot, it is a very wearable color, and it is versatile enough to be worn with several different shades of lipstick or gloss.  I tried it out and it lasted most of the day without drying my lips.  I didn't even know that Bonne Bell made makeup other than Lip Smackers! I'm definitely interested in trying out more.

Jergens Natural Glow 3 Days to Glow Moisturizer - This is a gradual self tanner. Now, I will just say that I never, ever use tanners. I am very light skinned and I am unable to tan...any tan, therefore, looks super unnatural on me. So, I will not be trying this sample. However, I will happily pass it along to a friend who loves tanners and I'm excited to see how she likes it!

Nicka K New York Hydro Lipstick - This is a hydrating lipstick in a pretty peachy shade. I really love the texture - it isn't too drying, but it sets and lasts a pretty long time! I only had to touch up a couple of times in the day, and I am generally hard on lipstick. I'm really happy with this!

Blum Naturals All Purpose Cleansing Wipes - These are handy wipes that can be used to remove makeup or for nearly any purpose! They smell like grapefruit and are not irritating on the skin at all. I love wipes and use them daily for all kinds of things. These are great, and one of my favorite things in the box!

Overall, this is another good month of BB5. There are a couple of items I won't be using, but that isn't a reflection on the quality of the products, just my personal needs. 

Here are swatches of the lip liner and lipstick, in order. Such pretty, wearable shades! BB5 always sends great, useable products.

Have you tried Beauty Box 5 yet? If not, you can check it out at http://beautybox5.com :)