Starlooks - March '14

Starlooks teamed up with Youtuber Ashley Hackman to curate their March box.

I was, unfortunately, disappointed with all the products I received.

The "BOSS" red lipstick looks great in the tube, but it has an orange undertone that I don't feel compliments my skin tone.

The lip pencil goes on well, and the color (Cherry Cedar) is a nice red. Thankfully, it doesn't have that extreme orange undertone like the lipstick; but it's nothing special. I rarely use lip liners, so I'm not sure how much use I'll get out of this, but I may try it as a base under another lipstick or gloss.

This is my third eyeliner pot from Starlooks. I'm happy to receive a black one, really black - this shade is called Black Hole - but I don't use this type of eyeliner, so it's not enough to make me excited about the box. It'll be a nice gift for one of my sisters or a friend though.

Overall, March was a Starbox dud for me.

If you're a subscriber, what did you think of March's curated products?

If you're interested in subscribing to Starbox, I would appreciate it if you used my referral link. Thanks in advance :)

Later gators,
M

Springing Forward & Rainy Days with Birchbox

The theme of March's Birchbox was Spring Forward - a box dedicated to welcoming Spring.

Stay as long as you want Spring! As far as I'm concerned, Summer can stay away for quite some time :)

I received 5 products, including a beauty extra.

Air Repair Rescue Balm: I was hoping to receive this from the second I saw it in the March sneak peak video. Apparently it is wonderful for healing dry skin anywhere on the body. I haven't used it yet, but I love a good multipurpose product; 

Grand Central Beauty S.M.A.R.T. Skin Perfecting Serum + Primer: I am always on the look out for good primers, and this one looks like a winner that can be used anytime, morning to night. I'm especially happy that it doesn't have a weird smell or feel too greasy on my face; 

INIKA Eyeliner in the shade Green Lagoon: I wish I was more proficient at using eyeliner pencils, because this sparkly green beauty arrived just in time for St. Patrick's Day. I'm still learning though, so I'll have to make it work another day. It goes on well, and blends well. The lid doubling as a sharpener is a bonus;

Jurlique Rose Moisture Plus Moisturizing Cream Mask: I love rose scented skin care products, so I have high hopes for this face mask. The insert card says it's "loaded with restorative rose oil for a visible radiance boost". I'll try this once some of my other facial samples are done; and

Jurlique Rose Hand Cream: I was surprised to see two Jurlique samples in the same box However, this beauty extra came in a packet containing such a small amount that I am loathe to even classify it as a sample. There was no way that I could tell if I liked the product by using this blip of hand cream. Too bad.

Lastly, I believe every subscriber also received a sample of the Ghirardelli Intense Dark Cherry Tango Bar. It's a farm chocolate with bits of cherries and almonds. I'm not generally a dark chocolate fan, and this lived up to its name. It was to intense for me, so I'm not a fan. The dark chocolate overpowered the tartness of the cherries and the almonds so much that I couldn't even finish this little sample.

My Birchbox faves from this box had to be the INIKA eyeliner and Air Repair Rescue Balm. So sad about that chocolate. I usually love Ghirardelli.

Anyway, on to April.

This month's theme is Rainy Days, and the selected items are all about celebrating rainy day, stay home where it's cozy, pamper yourself and relax attitudes.

Subscribers were also sent a card featuring one of 52 Bright Ideas for a Rainy Day. I received idea 13, which encourages me to do some serious Spring cleaning in my closet. A well timed card, as I was just thinking about older and really worn items that I need to get rid of.

Anyway, on to the goodies.

I received:

GUYandGIRL Shower Gel: The card says that this has a lemony scent, but I smelled more jasmine and a musky scent. Hubby and I both like the smell, but it didn't lather very well. We'll use up this sample, but won't be ordering more;

Color Club Gala's Gems Collection nail polish in Gold Struck: Birchbox teamed up with "style blogger Gala Gonzalez to create this exclusive shimmery shade". I love receiving polishes in my subscription boxes, and this gold tone is gorgeous, and applies evenly;

Davines Oi Shampoo and Conditioner: I was so disappointed to see these packets in my box. There is no way that these contain enough shampoo and conditioner for me to get a good idea of how the products work on my hair; and

Anastasia Clear Brow Gel: This and the nail polish made the box for me; and it came right on time. I'm almost out of the Ulta brow gel that I'm currently using, and all of the reviews I've seen about this brand have been positive.

Everyone also received a KIND Health Grains Snack Bar as a Lifestyle Extra. I don't know if there were multiple flavors sent out, but I received Maple Pumpkin Seeds with Sea Salt. I haven't eaten it yet - I'm saving it for a midday work snack - but this flavor combination has me intrigued. I've had KIND products before though, and have liked them.

What did you other Birchboxers think of your products? What's been your favorite over the past couple of months?

Later gators,
M

Two Months of Love with Food

Look at me, behind on reviews. Well, I say better late than never :)

Let's begin.

For those of you who may not already know, the Love With Food box is a monthly subscription similar to Ipsy and Birchbox. Except where those services send subscribers makeup and lifestyle products, Love With Food sends out gourmet food samples. In addition to receiving interesting food, each subscriber gets the additional happy feeling of knowing that for every box purchased, a meal is donated. The regular box costs $10/month, plus $2 shipping, and each month's box has a special theme!

March's theme was Flavors of the World.

I received:

Cassava Chips by Wai Lana: I don't like sea salt & vinegar flavored chips, so I didn't taste these. There's just something about the vinegary tartness that I find off-putting when it comes to chips. My coworkers seemed to enjoy them though, and I do like that they have 30% less fat than regular potato chips;

Shortbread Fingers by Walkers: Always a great snack, and a great brand;

Earl Grey Tea by Taylors of Harrogate: I can't stand Earl Grey Tea, so this is sitting in the cupboard until Hubby eventually drinks it or it gets thrown away;

Ginger Chews by Chimes: I adore Ginger Chews, and while these aren't as good as the selection from The Ginger People, they were pretty tasty. I will definitely buy more, especially of the mango flavor. Delicious;

Lollipops by Pierrot Gourmand: I gave this to my coworker, B. It was milky banana flavor, and he was not impressed;

Taco & Burrito Seasoning by Desert Gardens: To be held for my next taco dinner night;

Pasta Chips by Vintage Italia: These were insanely flavorful and tasted like pasta and marinara sauce. It was a bit weird, but the chips were tasty. They left me with a less than desirable aftertaste in my mouth though; and

Chai Spice Macaroons by Emmy's Organics: My coworkers and I found these to be so greasy and disgusting, we couldn't even swallow the bites we took. I hope to never receive these again. Yuck!

This month's theme is Flower Power (Yea, Spring!). I had high hopes for a better overall selection of goodies and, for the most part I was pleasantly surprised.

I received:

Orchard Blend by Sensible Foods: I hate apricots, but this blend of crunch-dried apricots, apples and peaches was so good! I would definitely purchase more of this to keep on hand as a healthier snack;

Heart-tee by Wild Hibiscus Flower Co.: Hibiscus, huh? I'm interested to try this, but I'm saving it for a rainy, perfect-for-a-cuppa-tea kind of day;

Creamed Honey with Chocolate Mint by Vintage Bee: Honey is packed with natural energy (so the insert card says :), and my coworker, B, and I needed a 2:30 pick-me-up yesterday, so we tried this out. It started out ok, but we were quickly put off by the grittiness of the honey. And the aftertaste! Oh my, the aftertaste almost made me sick. First and last time with this product;

Almonds with Cranberries, Honey + Sea Salt by Shale Snacks: This sweet, salty, crunchy nut and berry mix was amazingly delicious! I wanted to save some for Hubby, but it was gone before I knew it. Yes, I will be purchasing more of this goodness;

Popcorn by Crave Canyon: I didn't care for the taste, but Hubby loved this. He liked that the flavors were present but still subtle enough to be enjoyable. I believe I received the aged white cheddar and green chili flavor, but it was eaten and the bag was tossed before I could be sure. Lol;

Honey Waffle by Meli: This was too sweet for Hubby, which means it was perfect for me. I wish they had sent two, so I could have prolonged my enjoyment. I can easily imagine how yummy these would be dunked in a hot beverage. Unlike the creamed honey from above, this creamy honey filed waffle sandwich cookie was delightful;

Fiordifrutta Organic Fruit Spread by Rigoni Di Asiago, and an Organic Energy Bar by BumbleBar: I haven't tried either of these yet, but I'm more excited about the door spread than the energy bar. Honey has been a wild card with me this box. Hopefully it's more waffle cookie good than creamed honey bad. We'll see.

How did all you other Love with Food subscribers out there like your boxes? What were your favorite and least favorite products?

For anyone who has been thinking of subscribing, I'd appreciate it if you used my referral link and shared the point wealth. Each referral that leads to a paid subscription earns the referring subscriber a cool 500 points! Just click on this link: http://bit.ly/1dS0r3X. Thanks in advance.

Later gators,
M