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Tag Archives: Birchbox
Final Thoughts: January ipsy Bag and January Birchbox
I am finally getting back into the swings of things. There are some posts I definitely need to get caught up on.
The theme of the January ipsy Bag was Super Stars. My bag consisted of:
- Soho Crease Brush
- Sexy Hair Hairspray – deluxe sample
- Josie Maran Argan Oil – deluxe sample
- Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter – deluxe sample
- Nailtini Nail Lacquer in Latte – full size
With the exception of the hair spray, I used everything in the January ipsy bag. I really liked the Soho Crease Brush. The handle had an ergonomic design. This brush was also very effective as a blending brush. The Josie Maran Argan Oil worked wonders on my hair. I was skeptical about the Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter. My skin is drier during the Winter months. The body butter did a good job of moisturizing my skin. The Nailtini Nail Lacquer in Latte is a shade that looks good on everyone. What stood out for me the most from the January ipsy Bag was the crease brush and the argan oil. The Soho Crease Brush was very versatile. I used this brush as a crease, blending, and fluffy shadow brush. The Josie Maran Argan Oil was great. A little goes a long way. My hair is normally drier in the Winter. I could use this oil everyday and not worry about oily buildup.
The theme of the January Birchbox was the Best Year Ever. My box consisted of :
- Amika Color pHerfection Shampoo – deluxe sample
- Harvey Prince Skinny Chic – sample
- My™ Multi-Purpose Mattifying Moisturizer – deluxe sample
- theBalm Cosmetics Hot Mama – deluxe sample
- Deborah Lippman the Stripper to go – one mitt
I have definitely seen an improvement with the January Birchbox. I wasn’t sure if I was going to renew my beauty subscription. I really liked the amika Color pHerfection Shampoo. My hair is dark brown so I couldn’t tell if it prevented my color from fading. The shampoo smelled wonderful and was really gentle on my hair. I liked the Skinny Chic Fragrance. The scent wasn’t overpowering, something I could actually wear everyday. The Multi-Purpose Mattifying Moisturizer really worked. I was impressed with how well the moisturizer controlled the oily shine on my t-zone. The Hot Mama powder worked great as a highlighter on my darker complexion. The last item from the January Birchbox was Stripper to go nail polish remover. One mitt was enough to remove the nail polish from both hands. There were two items that stood out for me The My™ Multipurpose Mattifying Moisturizer controlled the oily shine without drying out my skin. That was a concern since my skin in normally drier in the Winter months. The item was theBalm® Cosmetics Hot Mama Blush and Highlighter. I used this mostly as a highlighter on my cheekbones and browbone. The color wasn’t ashy on me.
Posted in Beauty Reviews
Tagged beauty subscriptions., Birchbox, ipsy, Nailtini, theBalm
Final thoughts: December ipsy Bag and December Birchbox
December brought a Holiday themed ipsy Bag and Birchbox.
The theme of the December ipsy Bag was Haute Holiday. The bag definitely lived up to that name. My bag consisted of:
- Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil in Zero – deluxe size
- NYX Ultra Pearl Mania in Silver Pearl – full size
- Mai Couture Highlighter Papier – 25 sheets
- Be a Bombshell Lip Gloss in Hot Mess – full size
- Mirabella Prime for Face and Eyes – full size
- $20 Gift Card to JustFab – for new members
I loved everything about the December ipsy Bag. This bag contained everything you needed to look fabulous for the Holidays, whether it was an office party or a Holiday gathering with friends and family. The Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero is my all time favorite eyeliner. The NYX Loose Pearl eyeshadow in Silver Pearl was the first time I ever tried a loose eyeshadow from NYX. What a great introduction to this product. I will be buying more loose eyeshadows from NYX in the future. I didn’t know what to expect when I saw the Mai Couture Highlighter Papier. I’m glad I tried it. The highlighter papier gave me a nice luminous glow. The Be A Bombshell lipgloss ended up being a great color on me. I was a little apprehensive at first because it’s red. I never know how red is going to look next to my darker complexion. I can easily wear this color everyday. The Mirabella Face and Lip Primer gave my skin that extra layer of protection needed during the Winter time. It prepped my skin nicely for foundation.
The theme for December’s Birchbox was All Wrapped Up. My box consisted of:
- Benefit Cosmetics it’s potent! Eye Cream – deluxe sample
- Juicy Couture Fragrance – sample
- Kerastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique – sample
- ModelCo SHINE Ultra Lip Gloss in Striptease – full size
- Emily’s Chocolates Dark Chocolate Peppermint Holiday Fortunes – one cookie
I was rather pleased with the December Birchbox. The Benefit eye cream had a nice rich texture to it. I received a sample of the original Juicy Couture fragrance. This scent is actually my favorite out of all of the fragrances Juicy Couture released. The Keratase leave-in conditioner made my hair soft and easy to comb. I liked the fact the ModelCo SHINE lip gloss came with a mirror. The Emily’s Chocolates fortune cookie was delicious. There were two items from the December Birchbox that stood out for me. The Benefit Cosmetics it’s potent Eye Cream did not disappoint as it minimized the fine lines around my eyes. The ModelCo SHINE Ultra Lip Gloss worked great by itself or over lipstick. The fact I received a full size was a bonus.
Posted in Beauty, Beauty Reviews
Tagged beauty, beauty subcriptions, Benefit, Birchbox, ipsy, makeup, Mirabella, NYX, Urban Decay
Final thoughts: October ipsy Bag and October Birchbox
I am at the halfway point of my beauty subscriptions. Now is the time for me to starting thinking about whether or not I want to renew my subscriptions.
The theme of the October ipsy Bag was “Hello Bombshell”.
My bag consisted of:
- The Balm What’s Your Type? “the body builder” Mascara – deluxe sample
- Mirenesse Lip Bomb Glossy Lacquer Stain in Bomb 4 – full size
- Couture Colour Pequi Oil Treatment – deluxe sample
- Be a Bombshell Eye Liner in Onyx – full size
- Coastal Scents Eyeshadow Quad in Set 7
- Antique Lilac
- Wisteria
- Lemon Chiffon
- Raspberry Tart
Another awesome bag from ipsy! For starters the “body builder” mascara really delivered. I don’t need to wear false eyelashes with this mascara. The lip bomb was very pigmented. At first I was concerned if the color was too light. I applied the lip bomb with a little help from a lip liner that was a little darker and the color was fine. The Pequi Oil treatment worked on my natural hair and gave it a nice shine without being greasy. Rocking the winged eyeliner was easy with the Bombshell eyeliner. The Coastal Scents eyeshadow looked nice next to my darker complexion. It was nice break from wearing neutral eyeshadow colors. There were two items from the ipsy bag that really stood out for me. Those items were the Balm What’s Your Type “the body builder” mascara and Be a Bombshell Eyeliner. This was a great combo for dressing up my eyes.
The theme of the October Birchbox was Goop.
My box consisted of:
- Chantecaille Faux Cils Mascara – deluxe sample
- DDF Wrinkle Resist Plus Pore Minimizer – deluxe sample
- Embryolisse Anti-Age Firming Cream – sample
- Orofluido™ Beauty Elixir – deluxe sample
- Luna LemonZest Bar
I actually liked the October Birchbox. Hopefully they can remain consistent in providing decent product samples. The Chantecaille mascara gave me full natural looking lashes. I saw a difference in the way my skin looked after using the DDF serum. My skin did appear smoother. I wish there was more of the Embryolisse sample since it worked great on my combination skin. The Orofluido™ beauty elixir smelled wonderful. I applied it to my hair after I washed it and it made a great leave in conditioner. The Luna bar was actually delicious. I was expecting the bar to taste like cardboard. There were two items from this box that stood out for me. The DDF Wrinkle Resist Plus Pore Minimizer and the Orofluido™ Beauty Elixir. Since the weather in my area has gotten colder, these products prevented my hair and skin from drying out.
Posted in Beauty, Beauty Reviews
Tagged beauty subscriptions., Birchbox, ipsy, makeup, skincare



































