All Things Beautiful XO

Stephanie Louise Telford & her guide on beauty, style, & glitter!

JUNE 2012 Birchbox: Jet Set Box –featuring Stila & theBalm!

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Because I was traveling, I totally missed the box perfect for…well…traveling! Way to time it right? But seriously, this is a fab Birchbox that really fits the theme. In fact, I enjoyed this one so much I hope they do another one soon!


The perfume sample is normally something I completely gloss over in these boxes usually. Normally they are freebie type items in my mind & although I use them, I also find myself hoarding them UNTIL use which isn’t the best use of one of my samples in a box. This sample, however, is fabulous. For one, its a bit bigger & didn’t leak all over everything in my box (Glossybox drama, but I shall save that for another post!) & has the perfume name on the outside. I HATE when they don’t include any info on the outside…like I’m supposed to know what every tiny vial contains from memory? ANYWAY so this is “Not a Perfume” from Juliette Has a Gun & its brilliant. Read more about it in the photo below.

As for everything else…I’m hoping the video pretty much covered it! I love Stainiac from theBalm, I have yet to true the Stila BB Cream, the Melvita Rose Floral Water is fab, & I do very much so enjoy the headband from Mod Cloth. Overall, a very solid Birchbox! I’ve had a few stinkers & was starting to get very scared I might need to cancel, thank goodness this one was a winner! I’ve had Birchbox for over a year & have had very few duds so hopefully my boxes are back on the right track! Probably the best $10 I spend every month, I love beauty surprises!

Do you get Birchbox? How was your June one? Anything here you’d like to see reviewed?

This post contains links to Birchbox. Should you choose to purchase Birchbox through these links, I receive points. This box was paid fr with my own funds & any points obtained go towards buying beauty products to feature on this blog.

Travel: Where To Get Travel Sized Items

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Has anyone else noticed the ridiculous prices on travel items lately? I mean seriously, minis are like 1/2 the price of a full size lately! When did that happen?

I stumbled onto a site called Minimus.biz recently & was blown away. Here’s a few reasons why:
#1 They actually had travel items I needed, not things I would settle for.
#2 They even had some brilliant things I wouldn’t have thought of & want on me at all times.
#3 the minimum for free shipping is only $20 which is like, unheard of.

I feel like I was thrust into a brilliant travel world full of things I didn’t even know I needed. Packable toilet set covers for airport bathrooms that always seem to be out? Mini nail files? Tiny slip on tooth-cleaners? In, in, & IN.

Here’s what I picked up, all for $20 + some change.

1. Puffs Ultra Soft + Strong Tissues
2. Charmin To Go Toilet Seat Covers
3. Deep Cleaning Finger Dental Wipe in Mint (I got 6! I want to have them on me all the time now!)
4. Round Mirror + Collapsible Brush (much better quality than the one I got for a few bucks at Walmart!)
5. Ms. Manicure Strike to Smooth 12 Mini Emery Boards (They’re packaged like matchbooks!)
6. TUMS Peppermint Antacids
7. Q-Tips Travel purse Pack (I have a few of these & I use them for bobby pins too!)
8.  Charmin Basic To Go Bathroom Tissue (I ALWAYS have one in my glove box for camping just in case!)
9. Downy Wrinkle Releaser (I’ve heard amazing things about this!)
10. Neutrogena Make-Up Remover Cleansing Towelettes (Travel Size)
11. Badger Organic Stress Soother Balm (Tangerine & Rosemary)

I HIGHLY advise you check them out before your next trip! There’s so much more I could have gotten if I didn’t already have minis in my stash. They also have loads of mini food (& mini sauces like the classic mini glass ketchup bottles!), games, & camping items. They also have some pre-made kits like the “Public Restroom Survival Kit” which I picked a few items from since I didn’t need everything. I love the idea of this & the simplicity. They even hand pack it & sign the card which is a nice touch. On top of that, the stores around here are pretty slim pickings since everyone is going on vacation…something else to keep in mind!

What do you think? Any minis you especially thought were cool? What are YOUR favorite minis to take with you on a trip? I leave Monday! Also, if you have any questions about these products just let me know!

*I was given a discount on items so I could blog about them. I would have gladly put up my own money for everything though!

May 2012: First Official Glossybox featuring Zoya & Burberry!

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Remember when I showed you the specialty Glossybox I was sent to review? I showed you guys what kidn of brands to expect from Glossybox in the future & what they had sent me. Well,  happily shelled out my own money & bought one so I could ACTUALLY review the service for you. If you want to see what I got & my impressions, continue on!
This arrived a box within a box like the one I received before. I love these boxes, I will be finding many uses for them if I continue with the service. They are extremely sturdy & quite lovely. I prefer these to the cheap bags MyGlam sends each month! If you want to see this box in more detail, check out my video on youtube so you can see it in real life.
What’s in the box: 
 1. Burberry Lip Mist in Copper No. 202: This is meant to be a dewy lipcolor & I am glad to have it. This is a lovely sample with great, sturdy packaging. This comes off as a brown toned orange. This is from the UK.

A full size is 0.12 oz for $30. This sample is .028 oz which I believe is a decent size & worth about $7.
2. Marvis Whitening Mint Toothpaste: I’ve actually heard of this brand which is a surprise to me. Sure I love a good toothpaste but I was surprised to have heard of it! I didn’t know this was from Italy either! I’m excited to try this.
This is a full size sample which is 1.23 oz & retails for $7.50.

3. Meg from Zoya Nail Polish: When have you ever heard me complain about a Zoya polish being included in one of my subscriptions? I think if anything you’ve heard me complain about NOT getting them! I love Meg & swatched it when I did the Beach & Surf collections in its entirety. My only issue with the entire box laid on this one item though because some of it had leaked around the top 🙁 No major harm done but still a bummer though. This is the US based product.

This is a full size nail polish which is .5 oz & retails for $8 each.

4. Moisture Bound Refreshing Hydra-Gel from Amore Pacific: This product is from South Korea & has some pretty unique packaging. That top bit is a thin mirror but its actually metal & not exactly a circle. No big deal, but odd. It is a small sample but a full size is $100 so I’m not complaining…much. I’ll probably use it around my cheeks where they get dry.
A full size is 1.7 oz & retails for $100. This sample is .27 oz so that makes this sample is $15.88.
5. Phytojoba Intense Hydrating Mask for Dry Hair from PHYTO: This is a large hair sample which I appreciate. Sometimes I feel like my thick/long hair is discriminated against! The tube is actually one of those metal tubes like the toothpaste above or some of my oil paints. Different right? I always love a great deep conditioner so I’m always happy to have one…especially since I can use it more than once! This product is from France.
The full size product is 6.7 oz for $38. This sample is 1.7 oz which makes this sample $9.64.
Extra: A Glossybox Blush Brush created from goats hair. This is one of those brushes I have to feel for awhile before I decide if I like it. I do by the way. This is kind of stiff but that’s actually what makes it different. I can see myself getting a nice amount of blush on the stiff tips for a brighter look before buffing out.
Overall value of the box is approximately $48 plus the blush brush which I don’t have a definitive value for.
Overall, I’m very happy with this box. The price is more than twice as much as Birchbox which is a bit of a burn but this box was definitely a joy. I love the fact that each product in this box is based in another country. Shall I hold out hope for products in the UK & Germany that I don’t want to pay an arm & a leg for? Maybe! This leaves me with high hopes honestly which is a rocky road. I love the nail product, makeup product, hair product, dental product, skincare product, & the brush bonus. Very well rounded! If Glossybox can continuously bring me wonderful boxes like this, I’ll continue subscribing. But remember, $21 is twice as much to lose!
As always, please let me know if you want to see anything particular reviewed in the near future. What do you think of this first Glossybox? Does this get you interested in this service?

May 2012: My Gossip Girl Birchbox

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I waited so impatiently for this Birchbox. I mean really, I felt like a 15 year old waiting for prom. When Gossip Girl first started, I loved it. I still enjoy seeing the fashion from the show as its all really varied but seriously striking. I’m always happy to see Serena (Blake Lively) & Blair (Leighton Meester) gracing the pages in my many (MANY) magazine subscriptions. When Birchbox managed to team up with Gossip Girl I expected something incredible.


Perhaps that was my fault. Maybe I expected too much. If I had run things, there would have been a Blair  box & a Serena box filled with fabulous items dedicated to your favorite GG character. I would have gone classy but fun & really aimed to outdo the other boxes. I mean, this is Gossip Girl after all. Although some people did get fabulous boxes with full size Stila items, I did not. However, I am not reviewing those boxes, I am reviewing my own. Here is what I did receive.

– A small sample of Miss Dior Eau de Parfum. This is a very girl scent that I actually quite like. A small sample though so I only get a few tries to judge longevity.


– Diorshow Extase mascara in a sample size.

– Miracle Skin Transformer Body SPF in Glow. I have tried this. I instantly knew it was super sheer & although I tried to layer it over a scar, it just didn’t work for me at all. It has a strange sheen as well which would be fine except that I didn’t expect it to.

– Cleansing Oil Shampoo from Shu Uemura. This only had about 2 uses in it for my thick hair but I got the gist of it. I don’t feel like it was incredibly mind blowing (which for $55 it needs to be) but maybe its only because I got two uses. My hair feels clean but  it didn’t do anything brilliant.

-A baby poop colored notecard. I saw this phrase on Pink Sith’s blog & have not been able to get it out of my head. Its just too fitting. I doubt I will ever use this, at least not on someone Ilike.

I will say, the below card ticked me off. I mean, if I watched the show, I would have been livid about the leaked information. I don’t really know what this card pertains to because I don’t watch it but if they ever include a True Blood card like this before a season finale, there will be hell to pay.

Overall, this box is meh. I mean, its not awful but not great. If I hadn’t seen other boxes (but how could I not?) maybe I would be a tad happier but still not beaming. For $10, I’m not dying about it. I think the issues I have mainly are that the shampoo & the DIOR items are pretty much freebies. I feel like overall, this box is lacking & doesn’t compare to many of my former boxes. I’m not dropping out yet, I’ll give it another shot. I just hope I get a glimpse of the wonderful boxes I used to look forward to every month.

BzzAgent: Garnier Triple Nutrition Shampoo & Conditioner Review

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I love trying shampoos & conditioners so it shouldn’t be a surprise that I agreed to participate in the Garnier Bzz Campaign. I have had a love hate relationship with Garnier over the years. I honestly don’t think I’ve had a so-so product, just excellent or awful for my hair. Its rare I declare a hair product excellent so I don’t mind doing the work to find it! Most of my beloved Garnier products have been discontinued over the years but I still await my next golden product.

Garnier Triple Nutrition Shampoo & Conditioner has been something I’ve been waiting to try because it claims to be great for dry/damaged hair. My hair tends to get dry & I do love my hot tools so this is what I tend to go for.

About Garnier Triple Nutrition:

  • Work best on dry or damaged hair
  • Nourish hair to the core so it shines from within
  • Formulated with Fortified Fruit Science – three weightless nutritive fruit oils (olive, avocado and shea)
  • Packed with ultra-rich and nourishing conditioners that rinse clean — we dare you to find something that treats your dry damaged hair better

My Take:
After I got this, I convinced my husband to try it with me. I always appreciate a second opinion & he’s pretty sensitive to scents in my hair…I’m way short haha. We both smelled it in the bottle & really liked it. In the end, we decided it smelled like melons & apples. YUM! So clean & wonderful smelling. All in all, things looked good. We especially liked how you popped the top: it has ridges which made it way easy to open in the shower. Big thanks to Garnier for that.

So, this is where things get weird. This shampoo is slippery…really slippery. I seriously almost ate it multiple times in the shower as did my husband. It was borderline scary to be honest. I used the average amount I do with other shampoos/conditioners, but this was crazy difficult to wash out. This took quite a long time for me, longer than average. This bummed me out.

After having this all out of my hair & my hair being dry, we did notice a difference though. Both of us started compulsively touching our hair: it was crazy soft. The scent was an issue though, hobby does not like it at all. It smells so different from it did in the bottle, more sour. I don’t hate it & it doesn’t bother me, but it definitely isn’t as nice as it was in the bottle. My husband did comment many times about how wonderfully soft his hair was for many days though, & so was mine!

I guess what I can say is that although this wasn’t for me in the long term, I can definitely see this being a favorite of others. My hair is really fine but very thick & the softness was truly awesome.

Where to Buy: 
These have a suggested retail price of $3.99 (13 oz.) and $6.99 (25.4 oz & are available at grocery stores, drug stores and mass retailers like Target and Wal-Mart so they should be relatively easy to pick up!

Disclosure: I received free product samples from BzzAgent for the purpose of a review. All opinions and thoughts are mine and 100% honest.

Quick Post: Fixing My Haircut

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So it finally happened: I left the salon without first parting my hair all 3 ways to make sure it was even. After all these years of being so careful to check that my cut looked good from all sides…I didn’t. So can you guess what I’m doing today? Yep, taking it in to get fixed. I parted it on the side when I left which looked fine. Then I had a busy week. Saturday came by & we went over to a friends house but before that I learned that parting my hair down the center wasn’t an option. Dang girl.

I called the salon & they were so nice which I think a lot of people don’t expect. They let me know their hours & that they’d fix it free of charge when I come in. I think whenever someone calls about something like this they expect get to get attitude but it just isn’t so. They offer a service & they want to keep you coming back so they are more than happy to fix it. Thankfully because now the lack of even on the front of my hair is all I can see!

I just wanted to drop you guys this quick little reminder in case anyone is ever nervous about asking for a redo. My other job is writing about hair so it is constantly on my mind! I get asked about stylists like they are lions lying in wait quite often, waiting to pounce on your hair & attack.

Moral of the story: When you get 8 inches of your hair cut off, don’t be so distracted that you forget to check symmetry.

For more tips on similar matters, check out How to Communicate With Your Stylist. Have you ever had a bad haircut? I’m lucky mines not BAD just not quite even. Whenever people try to send me out with a bad one, I point out where it went wrong so it can be fixed! How about you guys? Any bad haircut/hair color/hair do stories?

It Factor Quick Blow Dry Shampoo & Conditioner Review

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So what would you change about your morning routine?  Well for me its being too busy to blow dry my hair. When I do have the time, it is time consuming. More like a time sucker really. It may be hard to tell, but  have crazy thick hair. I curl & straighten it in layers, one of mine is about the same as most people’s whole heads. Its a lot of work! So when someone told me I could cut my blow dry time in HALF, I jumped at the chance to give it a shot.

Being the skeptic I am I was unsure. I mean, I really have a love/hate relationship with the blow dryer after all. Plus if it made it dry faster, would it change my hair texture? Would it make my hair dryer to compensate? That’s something I do not need! But like all exciting new things in the beauty world, I’m willing to give it a shot.

 What It Factor says: It FactorTM Quick BlowdryTM shampoos and conditioners are nothing short of a hairstyle revolution: the first and only shampoo and conditioner system combination to reduce drying time by up to 50%.
Available exclusively through professional salons, It FactorTM is safe for all hair types and free of harsh sulfates, parabens, sodium chloride and alcohol. It FactorTM“s proprietary VaporBoost SystemTM speeds up the natural process of evaporation by reducing the bond between water and the hair shaft. When heat is applied, the water releases from the hair more easily and turns to water vapor more quickly, creating extraordinary hair in a fraction of your normal blow-drying time.

My Take:  When given the option of choosing between their two types, I hit the dilemma I often do. For “Fine Hair” & “Medium to Coarse Hair” always bites me in the bum. My super fine but thick hair is so darn difficult. In the end I got both & have been using the “IT Factor Quick Blowdry Shampoo & Conditioner for Medium to Coarse Hair” & love it. I use a shampoo/conditioner for at least a few weeks before I review it because I don’t always notice issues right away. These smell great & the conditioner is SUPER thick, so no moisture issues here! I’m happy to report, this leaves my hair healthy, smooth, & cuts down on my blow dry time! I timed myself 3 days in a row (I should’ve taken video, I looked a fool)& averaged 14 minutes off my original time. Woohoo!

Is this a type of product that interests you? You can check out more info on the IT Factor website to do the whole salon location dealio. I this becomes more available. The packaging is a gorgeous light pink with a somewhat pea/olive green & gold detailing. Love the look & feel of these bottles. How long does it take you to properly blow dry your hair in the morning?
*Product provided by PR for consideration.

H2PRO Vivace 1″ Flat Iron Review, Demo, & GIVEAWAY!

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So, do you want to win your very own H2PRO Vivace 1″ Styling Flat Iron? Then you have come to the right place! One reader will win one just like I’ve reviewed here in the video! This giveaway is open to US & Canada only please!Pictures are from the Hair Products Pro site!

Enter on my Rafflecopter Widget Below! Good Luck Everyone! Don’t forget to visit Hair Products Pro for more great styling options!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Birchbox October 2011 Overview

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My October Birchbox arrived a few days ago, and the video went live last night! Here’s my accompanying blog post, including my video below.

So I know some weren’t as happy with their Birchboxes this month, but you won’t be finding that here. Was it my favorite? No. But certainly worth the $10 I paid.
Here’s what I received  in October 2011 Birchbox:
-Amika Obliphica Hair Treatment 
-Laura Geller Spackle Tinted Under Makeup Primer in Bronze
-Clark’s Botanicals Intense Radiance Mask 
-Anastasia Beverly Hills HydraFull Gloss –
-Extra: The Laundress Wool & Cashmere Shampoo
 Amika Obliphica Hair Treatment
First Impression: Nice quality sample bottle, sealed, 0.34 fl oz. I love getting these kinds of items because I have only started using argan/Moroccan oils within the past 2 years and now there are tons of different specialties. I also use certain varieties on my skin! Probably going to be using this within the next few months, when my hair is its most dehydrated. Smells more fragrant than a lot of my other oils though, kind of similar to a sexy solid perfume.
Full Size: $34.00 for 3.38 fl oz.
Laura Geller  Spackle Tinted Under Makeup Primer in Bronze
First Impression: Was SO excited to see this in my Birchbox! I love Laura Geller, but there are just some products I am hesitant to buy. Bronzers fall into this category because I’m light and pretty picky. I really think its a fine line between dewy/sexy and oily/slimy. One reason I love her products so much is because everything I own from Laura Geller is multi-functional, this being no exception. I used this as a soft bronze highlight on my cheekbones and as an eye primer for a natural eye. Loved it. Super soft, blendable, & you only need a small amount!
Full Size: $25.00 for 2oz.
 
Clark’s Botanicals Intense Radiance Mask
First Impression: Ok let me remind you I dropped this in my video when I saw the price….but Birchbox is all about trying new things right? I don’t use white clay masks very often, but this one is nice and thick. So far, I’ve only swatched it on my arm to test for an allergic reaction, as I always do. Hello…its going on my face! But it tightened a lot, but not as much as my Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask, but it also washes off a lot easier so less redness or irritation for most. It smells really floral to me, which surprisingly I didn’t mind. What  do mind is how I’d be too scared to use up a tube!

Full Size: $72.00 for 1.7fl oz.

 Anastasia Beverly Hills HydraFull Gloss
First Impression: Honestly, you can see in my video what my first impression is. “This is one tiny sample!” And it truly is. I get its not super cheap, but its also not the priciest on the market either so I think they could have done a lot better. ANYWAY the product! Weird applicator, like in the video. You can see its a clear spatula which didn’t make much of an application difference except that it freaked me out. Nice gloss, pretty shine and color, but not moisturizing or long lasting. Its supposed to plump, smooth, firm, and hydrate but I found it to be really similar to a few of my Sephora brand glosses.
Full Size: $21.00 for 0.07 fl oz.
 
The Laundress Wool & Cashmere Shampoo
First Impression: I haven’t tried this yet because my favorite sweaters are still packed away. However, I am interested to see if it works any different than my Woolite…’ve been using it since birch pretty much. Its pretty pricey but if it helps me clothes last longer and look better, it migh tbe a worthy splurge for fall/winter. Cashmere isn’t cheap!
Full Size: $19.00 for 16 fl oz.

There you have it! What was in your Birchbox if you had different items? Have you tried any of these?

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