Birchbox & MyGlam Bag for November 2012

November 29, 2012 By StephanieLouise 638Leave a Comment2012-11-29+00%3A42%3A00StephanieLouise

So my Birchbox arrived awhile ago but I’ve held off reviewing. I have some personal issues with this box & I wanted to decide how I felt about it. I STILL recommend Birchbox to everyone who asks what beauty service to try fist. I just wanted to say that. But let me tell you, MyGlam has been blowing me away. Like POW BAM. I’ve skipped reviewing the past month because I pretty much just lost everything I worked on. ANYWAY. This is a Birchbox VS MyGlam (I don’t know if I should call it Ipsy so that’s what I’m calling it) & it is just so you can see the difference.

Let’s do Birchbox first. So my issue with this box isn’t even that I didn’t feel like it fit Birchbox. So many people got some wonderful things & I felt like my box was kind of a stab in the dark. The theme was pretty gimmicky to me & the new mini magazines feel a bit like a Glossybox rip off. 3/6 (so 50%) of the items are in foil packets AND from the same brand. On top of that, the brand is Masqueology which gave me a horrible allergic reaction awhile back. So these weren’t even a great value but I can’t really use them anyway. I don’t mind throwing out or giving up something here & there but half my box? Bummer.

Another item is a decent size sample of a body serum (which feels like straight oil to me…) was absolutely so overflowing that they had to put it in a plastic bag. Gee…thanks? Why didn’t they just get better packaging? It is a mess…I can’t even bring myself to use it. Birchbox made a HUGE deal about a MCMC Fragrance called Phoenix so I thought; “Yay finally a fragrance sample that isn’t tiny! They wouldn’t rave about a tiny one!” Well, they did…& the scent is just kinda meh to me. Not worth the hype for me.

The last item is a Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer in Rose Gold. I like this product, I really do. I like luminizers in general. But being that it isn’t a full size (it is a full size according to Birchbox BUT it is a full size from a set of 3 MINIS) this wasn’t exactly blowing me away. As always, I count my Birchbox points as $5 because I do shop on their store (I just bought some Zoya Exclusives) so that brings my box total down to $5. For the first time in a really long time…I don’t feel like my box was worth $5. I usually buy Stila during ridiculous sales so $5 for one sample is kinda a whatever thing.

Now let’s do MyGlam / IPSY!

I am blown away by this $10 bag. No, they don’t have a loyalty program, affiliate options, or even a referral code. Want to know why I don’t care? Because this bag rocked my socks. With items from 2 new brands & 3 I buy from consistently, the value was amazing. No skincare. No hair. Just makeup + a nail polish…& I think if you read my blog you know I love a new nail polish. This month the contents were contained in a chocolate bag with a gold zipper. I think they have actually been uping their bag quality.

The one maybe item in this bag was the Benefit They’re Real Mascara because some people got the Chella Eyebrow Defining Gel. I would have been thrilled with either honestly. I have been using the Chella Mattifying Day Cream & I adore Benefit. I’m adding this to my mascara stash to try!

The full size nail polish is from a brand that is new to me called Nailtini. I got the shade Millionaire. Glitter-rific & on trend for the upcoming holiday season! I LOVED getting a polish that wasn’t from the Circus by Andrea line…those just weren’t good quality on my nails. This is a big step in the “makin me happy” direction. I’ll swatch this once I get through some of my accumulating holiday polishes.

TheBalm snuck a perfect little eyeshadow single from their Meet Matt(e) palette in Matt Batali. I love this shade, the mini-adorable-ness of it, & TheBalm in general. Smittened.

Another brand I am unfamiliar with is Starlet Cosmetics. They included a full sized Intense Eyeliner in Chocolate but unfortunately I found it a bit hard. I will try working with it a bit more before I decide but man is this packaging cute!

The last item is a Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss from Bare Minerals…which just makes me so happy. The shade I received is Daredevil which is a beautiful purple toned berry. Full of winning, I just love these, especially to layer. I adore purple leaning berries so this was especially nice.

They also added a bonus $20 off for JustFab. This site is similar to the site I received called Little Black Bag & I actually just ordered from them. I haven’t tried them yet but I had a hard time not overbuying like everything! I’ll be sure to haul stuff for you guys when I do get my 2 items in!

WOOSH! So much writing! Sorry guys, I know this post was long but it was also overdue! I am in love with MyGlam at the moment but I know some people got some great items as well. Pink Sith better watch herself, I want her Birchbox something fierce. Clearly my boxes are quite different this month!

What do you think? Have you tried either MyGlam or Birchbox? Canceled either of them? Have you tried anything I got?

**Affiliate Links have been used. Using them helps to support this blog!

NEW L’Oreal Colour Riche Quad in So Over It! Swatches + Review!

November 28, 2012 By StephanieLouise 639Leave a Comment2012-11-28+14%3A03%3A00StephanieLouise

So hopefully you got my review featuring the brighter quad Neon Skirt but if not, this is the other new L’Oreal Colour Riche Quad I’ve purchased & this one is called So Over it! This is definitely the more neutral & wearable of the two I picked & I had high hopes. Sometimes brands have issues getting more vibrant shades right but I tend to love drugstore neutrals!

If you read my prior post then you know I don’t care much for the packaging of these quads so I won’t delve into that again. Basically…I’m not a fan of the packaging or the palette layout itself.

The L’Oreal Colour Riche Quad in So Over It! is swatched below without primer & I used one medium pressured swipe each.

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Top Shade: This is a bronzy copper with the same texture & great pigmentation as the gold in the Neon Skirt palette. Love this shade & it applies like butter with nice density.

Shade #2: Again, a shade similar to the Neon Skirt palette & this appears to be an identical somewhat frosty white. Upon application, however, this is a bit warmer & a bit less sheer.

Shade #3: Super dark plum with fine purple shimmer. Not much shimmer, but definitely visible. I like this shade but I wish it was brighter or warmer to give the palette some variation. This applies with almost some chocolate-y base tones.

Bottom Shade: Black with antique gold shimmers. The shimmer is kind of in the middle & this shade applies a bit more sheer than I personally prefer.

This palette is just alright. Again, I love the top shade. Super pretty & pigments. A great neutral. The white is better than in the other palette & looks much less harsh. The plum, in my opinion, is just alright. It doesn’t blow my mind. Same with the sparkly black. Swatched…the top shade really doesn’t seem to paid with the others or is that just me? Again, I picked up So Over It! & Neon Skirt at my local Walgreens!

What do you think? Did you like Neon Skirt? Do you prefer So Over It! or neither at all? Have you picked up any of these quads? Intend to?

NEW L’Oreal Colour Riche Quad in Neon Skirt Swatches + Review!

November 27, 2012 By StephanieLouise 640Leave a Comment2012-11-27+23%3A34%3A00StephanieLouise

I’ve been anticipating these eyeshadows for quite some time. I also picked up some of the new L’Oreal lippies which will be coming in a later post. I picked up this quad as well as So Over It! which I will be reviewing next. Let’s dive into our first quad!

Neon Skirt definitely pops against the other shades available because it is so vibrant! You get a gold, white, teal, & purple. Not shy shades!

I find the packaging to be a bit disappointing. I love the new lippies packaging which feels a bit more new while these feel like they are a cheap vintage. I wish I liked it better but the metallic gold outter packaging isn’t very thick & doesn’t feel all that sturdy. I am also not a fan of the way the shades are laid into the palette. Sure, it LOOKS cool…but it isn’t all that easy to use day to day. The wave like shape made it hard to swatch & harder to get a fluffy brush into the middle shades.

Let’s look at the shades from top to bottom! All of these shades are one medium pressured swipe without any primer:

Top Shade: My favorite (by far) is the gold shade. So metallic & shimmery! This one applies like butter & is soft but blendable.

Shade #2: The white is also very shimmery & comes off frosted. Not as dense as the gold.

Shade #3: The teal shade actually has white micro shimmer in it but it isn’t very dense. This color can be packed on & I don’t think it would look very good sheer.

Bottom Shade: This is a red leaning bright purple/pink with a blue flash. This applies a bit grainy but it can be smoothed out. Super sheer application as well. When you blend it in, you can wipe away pretty much the entire shade except the shimmer.

There you have it! I’m not impressed. I LOVE this gold & find it to be very comparable to my Too Faced Return of Sexy shadows. The rest of the shades? Eh. Maybe I had too high of hopes that these bright shades would be great because you don’t see many from L’Oreal. My other palette is much more neutral so we’ll see if they got that one right!

These should be available at your local drugstore soon if not already. I found mine on a top display at my Walgreens. I’ll have the next quad up soon! What do you think? Was this worth the money or will you be passing?

Maitri Garden Handcrafted Jewelry Review +INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY!

November 19, 2012 By StephanieLouise 651Leave a Comment2012-11-19+15%3A01%3A00StephanieLouise

So today I’m showing you some products from Maitri Garden…& you can win some at the end! This is an INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY! Finally right? I’m so excited to give EVERYONE a chance to win!

About Maitri Garden:

Maitri Garden is an inspirational apparel company dedicated to fostering
mindfulness, loving kindness, and compassion, to help heal one another, and thereby help
to heal the world. From powerful quotes throughout history, to wise sentiments
from some surprising sources, we love empowering words! And even more, we love
combining them with powerful art. Something as simple as what we choose to wear can
plant the seeds of change–so join us in the Maitri Garden.
Let’s grow something beautiful together!

Our mission is to inspire one another to express ourselves and live life with
passion,purpose and positivity. We believe that practicing mindfulness and loving
kindness throughout daily life can enhance our whole being – body, mind and spirit.

First, let’s look at these beautiful “Garden Gami” Crane Earrings in the option Purple & Green. I love these SO much! How pretty, how delicate, & how absolutely cute! Every earring made to be completely unique. There is just something so amazing about having something no one else does! You can pick these up from Maitri Gardens for $20.00.

Each of these amazing origami earrings from our “Garden Gami” collection are handcrafted and one-of-a-kind. The earring are sealed, so they are water resistant. Size of bird is approximately 1″x1″. These make a great conversation piece to wear or an amazing gift for a special person.

Now, the bracelet! I have totally fallen for wrap around, stackable bracelets. I had a small obsession this summer & it seems to still be alive & well this fall! This bracelet is so pretty & comfortable to wear. You can pick up a similar bracelet from Maitri Gardens for about $28.00.

This is a triple wrap bracelet; the leather is white and the beads used are natural glass. It has 3 adjustable closures that measure at 21″, 22″ & 23″. It is approximately 3/8″ in height. If you have any requests or would like something similar but with your custom changes, just let me know!

Now, onto the International Giveaway! This obviously couldn’t have been possible without Maitri Gardens, a huge thanks to them! They will be shipping the winner their prize as well which is worth nearly $50! Enter on the Rafflecopter Widget below. Don’t see it? Wait a few seconds for it to load or try to refresh the page. Remember, the more ways you enter, the more chances to win!

The prize: You will win a set of earrings & a wrap bracelet, both in the black & white theme! My favorite! I love the mini dots on these cranes & the versatile shades in the bracelet! Love them!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Not Your Mother’s Kinky Moves Curl Defining Hair Cream Review

November 18, 2012 By StephanieLouise 652Leave a Comment2012-11-18+21%3A52%3A00StephanieLouise

I am not super familiar with Not Your Mother’s but I love little hair care items so I was happy this was included! Being the only hair related item in my Influenster Beauty Blogger Vox Box it stood out. By just reading the front, I was pretty sure I’d like it. Anything containing Jasmine I am usually in. I just have an obsession.

My con with this product, oddly enough, is the scent. It smells like grape candy…& it just isn’t my thing. I prefer my hair care to smell like hair care or fruity…but apparently that excludes grapes. Also, I don’t like hair care items that smell like candy…so overall the scent is not for me…& it lingers.

Looking past the scent, this product is alright. It didn’t blow me away. Wish it did! Some people say it made their hair crunchy but I honestly think they used too much. This left my hair quite soft & manageable although not more curly. Not even more wavy. Bummer.

Just because it isn’t for me doesn’t mean it isn’t for you! I have really thick fine hair & am quite picky! Everyone likes different things! Have you tried anything from Not Your Mother’s? Thoughts? If you’re interested in trying this out, you can snap it up for only $6.00 at CVS, Walmart, and ULTA among many other retail locations.

My 2 Favorite Dry Skin Finds from Cleanlogic!

November 17, 2012 By StephanieLouise 653Leave a Comment2012-11-17+14%3A43%3A00StephanieLouise

I absolutely love trying new products to combat dry skin & these definitely did the trick! For me, it is all about balance. You have to use something to slough it off but if you use something too harsh daily, it messes up the whole chemistry. I tend to use a dense scrub at least 1-2 times a week & some kind of sponge/scrubber to slough it off manually as well. Here’s what I have been using from Cleanlogic!

Cleanlogic Foam Sea Sponge– $2.99
I absolutely love this sponge! It has a cloth string to hang it up (so it doens’t get all gross) but you can remove it if you like. I find it dries out much better hung up. This gives me just the right amount of slough for day to day & the sponges washes clean. Love it! I’ve been using it over a month & it doesn’t show any signs of wear yet!

Cleanlogic Exfoliating Body Scrubber– $3.19
I usually use something with a handle or a salux cloth for my back & for really dry areas. This worked significantly better! First of all, it is built to be tugged on & moved around. Instead of flimsy handles or unwashable cords, you have nice sturdy plastic grips. Sweet. This also feels VERY similar to my salux cloth, but in a more padded way. This allows me to wash my back without looking like a gymnist. Sweet.

I think I definitely need to check out some more products from Cleanlogic. These were sent to me to try, but these are a steal so I definitely want to check out some more!

Christina Choi Cosmetics Review: Martini Olive + Black Forrest Eyeshadow, Jetsetter Luxury Gloss, & Contour Crease Brush

November 12, 2012 By StephanieLouise 658Leave a Comment2012-11-12+20%3A33%3A00StephanieLouise

Whenever I check out a new brand, I try to get my hands on some original shades. Do I love nude gloss? Yes, but I also have quite a few! I like checking out colors unique to my collection & all 3 of the Christina Choi Cosmetics products I’m going to be showing you definitely are! Along with the Contour Crease Brush, I have 4 products to share with you & soon a tutorial perfect for a dramatic fall look! Swatches at the bottom of the post!

I really like the packaging on these, super sleek while not being your standard black. The packaging is also really smart, I don’t have to dig them out. Just take the cut out on each side & remove it! The compacts themselves are also really sleek & flatter than a lot of other eyeshadows.Think more the Sephora brand shadows & less the MAC shadows.

Christina Choi Cosmetics Eyeshadow: Our silky smooth pressed eyeshadows will be your new best-friend. The collection comes in a wide range of pigments.You can customize the intensity you desire by using the products wet or dry. They contain vitamins C and E that hydrate and protect the eyelids. It is a non-drying formula that conditions during wear and provides amazing rich color payoff.

– Hypoallergenic
– Cruelty Free
– 100% Fragrance Free
– Not Tested on Animals

Martini Olive Eyeshadow LIMITED Shade $17.00

Khaki mossy green with a golden luster. Soft shimmer pearl finish offers an ultra-reflective finish.
Christina’s Pro Tips:
– Use wet for intense and luminous finish.
– Great color to frame around the eyes as an eyeliner.

My Take: I love this luster shade, especially paired with a dark green or plum for fall. I love this as a base shade & it could easily be used alone because it catches the light so beautifully.

Black Forest Eyeshadow LIMITED shadow $17.00

A rich black smoky-green with golden shimmer flecks. A dual finish has both a soft matte base and a sparkling surface for an exciting, multi-dimensional effect.
Christina’s Pro Tips:
– Apply wet for intense high shine payoff.
– Great color for a smoky eye or eye lining.
– For a liquid liner effect, apply wet.

My Take: This is definitely one of the most beautiful dark green eyeshadows I’ve ever tried. I love this as a dark crease shade & as a dark eyeliner in the outter corner. Seriously pigmented, just touch your brush to it & tap lightly. If you don’t want to use it wet as a liner, use it to set black liner for a great effect.

Jetsetter Luxury Gloss $18.50

A vivid orange coral gloss with an opaque finish. This feather-light formula imparts superior shine and provides long lasting hydration in a single sweep.
Christina’s Pro Tip:
– Dot the gloss on lips for a “stained” sheer appearance, then blend with finger tip.

My Take: I am in LOVE with this gloss. You can see my camera rejected it a bit int he tube as it often does with bright colors. This is shiny, opaque, & the perfect color. I like it worn sheer or opque but obviously sheer it quite a bit easier. This is an awesome bright orange leaning coral…which has me yearning for spring again!

Contour Crease Brush $23.00

The tall tapered bristles are perfect for creating an airbrushed appearance to the eyeshadows. This long-handled brush diffuses color and buffs out harsh edges.
Christina’s Pro Tips:
– This brush is great for contouring a larger crease line.
– If you have a small crease or creaseless eyes, this brush is great to smooth out color at the lash base or middle eye area.

My Take: I LOVE this brush! This applies product perfectly to my crease area, not too much or too little. This really buffs the color in but also places it perfectly for a dramatic look.

Left to right: Christina Choi Cosmetics Black Forrest Eyeshadow, Martini Olive Eyeshadow, & Jetsetter Luxury Gloss.

You can pick up these products at http://www.christinachoicosmetics.com/ & check out their other shades. Some of them are limited edition so that is also something to keep in mind! I really love these shades & I honestly can’t imagine running out of either eyeshadows, you just dot your brush in & you have amazing pigmentation. If you’re looking for a nicely pigmented gloss or eyeshadow, I highly recommend checking these out!

Products were provided for unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

Starlooks Starbox October 2012 (A Subscription with ALL Full Sized Products!)

November 6, 2012 By StephanieLouise 664Leave a Comment2012-11-06+14%3A41%3A00StephanieLouise

So the Starbox is from the makeup company Starlooks & everything inside the box is from their brand. I got my first box last month (click here to view my September Starbox) & was very impressed. For $15, you know you’ll be receiving full-sized items…no foil packets here!

Here are the cards that came with this Starbox, pretty right? Plus it gives you a sneak peek for December. if you have been considering signing up I think it is the perfect time!

Inside my October Starbox
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Starlooks Eye Dust in Posh: This is a loose pigment that can be worn both sheer & built up to be brighter. I love purples so this shimmering shade is right up my alley! I always use a primer with loose product & this lasted all day!

Starlooks Eye Pencil in Gold Dust: This is a really blendable yellow-toned gold shade. Again, this is buildable. Use a little to have a slight golden sheen or another layer to make the gold really pop.

Starlooks Lipstick in Masquerade: This is a warm orange/pink toned red base packed with orange shimmers! This looks a lot more dramatic in the tube than on the lips/swatched. I love this shade! Such a pretty wearable orange shade for fall!

Extras: We always get the crystals in our box which I love. Plus we got a kind of eye tattoo? I’m sticking this in my costume drawer. How fun is that though? Great extra!

Swatches left to right: Eye pigment in Posh, Eyeliner in Gold Dust, & Lipstick in Masquerade.

I get so many questions asking me which beauty boxes are the best & this one is definitely making that list. Sure, it is only my 2nd box, but this encompasses the requests I so often get. When someone asks me what kind of box they’re looking for I always ask what THEY want out of a service. Often they want all makeup, bug samples, & nothing too expensive. I think this definitely fits the bill!

What do you think of the products I got in this Starbox? Have you signed up? What services are you currently signed up for?

**This Starlooks Box was provided for an unbiased review. This is not sponsored & all opinions are my own. No affiliate links have been used.

Causes: My Pink Polishes Purchased in October + Swatches!

October 31, 2012 By StephanieLouise 667Leave a Comment2012-10-31+15%3A56%3A00StephanieLouise

To close out one of my favorite months of the year, I thought I’d show you the “Pink Awareness” polishes I picked up! Pink isn’t a big color for me so I don’t go too wild but I do really like the ones I got this year! This is also my first mani since chopping my nails in quite awhile! I also got a request to shape them square so there you go! I probably won’t keep them square because they feel odd but they look better than I remember!

I found this Seche Duo including one Seche Vite polish & one China Glaze polish in Naked. The purchase went to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure & also included this cute little heart keychain. I believe Naked is a new polish correct?

This trio is from a new brand to this blog called Dr.’s Remedy. I was pleasantly surprised! These polishes contain Tea Tree Oil, Vitamins, & Wheat Protein. These applied really nicely but Hopeful was the standout. This only took 2 coats & tried super fast. Both Nurture & Purity run more sheer, especially Purity! I couldn’t even swatch it because it is one of those “my nails but better” type shades..& my nails got stained like crazy only yesterday…so no go. Nurture is swatched below though although you can’t quite see the lovely pink flash!

Last up is my Nails by Laura polish in Know Hope which I bought awhile back. I swatched it this last week (see the swatches, they’re pretty fun!) & am still in love. I wore this for about 5 days & had strangers grabbing my hands telling me how pretty it was & asking about it. This is extremely limited (only 300 bottles will ever be created!) so if you want it, grab it while you can!

Here they all are swatched with my index finger being a mix of China Glaze Naked + Dr.’s Remedy in Hopeful then a fabulous top coat of Know Hope. My middle finger is Dr.’s Remedy in Nurture, ring finer is Dr.’s Remedy in Hopeful, & my pinky is China Glaze in Naked. All of them were topped off with the Seche Vite from the duo pack.

What do you think of these shades? Did you pick any pink polishes up for Breast Cancer Awareness month? What is your favorite pink?

*The Dr.’s Remedy polishes were provided in consideration of review. Everything else was purchased by myself. All opinions are my own.

Beauty Box 5 for October 2012

October 30, 2012 By StephanieLouise 668Leave a CommentBeauty+Box+5+for+October+20122012-10-30+16%3A20%3A00StephanieLouise

So after the brilliant box last month from Beauty Box 5, I think I had my hopes up too high. This box wasn’t bad, but it just wasn’t as fitted to me personally. I also wish they had thrown in some Halloween or Breast Cancer awareness type products (this goes for all the boxes this month!) because I feel like they missed out! Themes like this can be so fun!

What was in my box this month:
-Margania Pure Argan Oil : I think I must have said this many many times int he video, but I seriously love this little bottle. How perfect is this for travel? This oil is alright, but at $32 per 2 fl oz I feel like it is a bit overpriced. This oil is definitely much thinner than my others & without much scent.

-City Lips Lip Plumper: This definitely plumped my lips with that burning kind of sensation which is what I expected. This is quite thick so although this sample is pretty small, I should get a few uses out of it. It has kind of a weird smell though, although I can’t quite place it somewhere between chemical & plastic. I wish this had come in Spring/Summer since dry lips should NEVER used these.

-Show Stoppers Fashion Tape: Your standard clothing tape. I’ll save this for the holiday season with those silly sweaters that won’t stay exactly where I want them.

-Goat Haus Dairy Lip Balm: I love the bath melt but didn’t fall for this balm. It smell good & tastes a bit like sugar cookies but it isn’t very strong. The balm is moisturizing but I didn’t find it long wearing. Plus, my label was all askew.

-Furlesse Elevens: I reviewed Frownies which I expect to be about the same. Eh. I didn’t feel like they went with the flow of this box.

-Lash Card Lash Cards: I just don’t get these. I would have much rather gotten something like a mini eyeshadow or similar item. If you like these, try an old gift card behind your lashes…or find a new mascara that is a bit drier!

+ the $100 discount for NuMe which has a few restrictions (you have to spend at least $100 & it is only valid on tools & hair extensions) but I think that is pretty great. I wish I was in the market for something new but I just got a bubble wand curling iron!

I’m so sorry I don’t have photos of the card! My dog dumped a whole soda on it…seriously? True story.

So all in all, this wasn’t a bad box at all it just wasn’t as up my alley. For me, I’ve already tried items similar to the Furlesse Elevens & even if I hadn’t I don’t think they work that fast so you would need to try more. I’ve tried the fashion tape & although it is handy when you need it I don’t think it is a great sample but more of a bonus. The Lash Cards just aren’t something I quite “get” apparently. I do like the lip balm even if it didn’t blow me away. Plus it is afforadable! The lip plumper also wasn’t for me.

Do you get Beauty Box 5? What did you think of this month’s box? Anything in here catch your eye?

*This Beauty Box 5 was provided in consideration of review. All opinions are 100% my own. Affiliate links have been used.