Two Special Birchboxes

Recently, Birchbox sent out an email stating that they had a couple of special boxes (CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women) Limited Edition boxes) available for purchase. 

I, of course, jumped on the offer, and ordered right away. 

Am I happy I did? Absolutely :)

I love that they each came in cute, slightly oversized boxes, and looked really sleek. 

The pink box - Prestige Headliners - contained the following:

Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Crème: I've heard good things about this product, but have never tried it. We'll see how it works out with my coarse hair type;

Josie Maran Cosmetics 100% Pure Argan Oil Light: There are so many uses for Argan Oil. This is definitely my favorite thing in the box;

100% Pure Creamy Nail Polish: I received a cute pale pink color. Nothing too exciting, but I do love trying new brands, especially ones that are 5-free;

philosophy miracle worker overnight: this has already been gifted to a friend who absolutely loves, and swears, by all things philosophy; and

COOLA Environmental Repair Plus Radical Recovery After-Sun Lotion: this was gifted to another friend, who can't seem to escape getting a sunburn no matter how little time she spends in the sun.

The box also included two lifestyle extras - a pocket mirror, and a pair of pink toe separators. Cute :)

The blue box - Mass Appeal - contained:

L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Butterfly Mascara: I recently developed a love for mascara, and was so excited to try this. The packaging is sleek, and the wand looks interesting, but it smelled HORRID :( So bad, that I literally gagged when I initially opened the tube. Thank goodness I smelled it before applying it to my eyes. I hope that I just got a bad sample, and this isn't the norm for this product. Either way - trash;

Dove Go Fresh Restore Body Wash: I'm already a fan of Dove products, and this is a nice travel size product to put away for future use;

Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips: I love this. I use regular Vaseline on my lips everyday, and this one adds the barest hint of color. It's the perfect size to drop in my purse too;

Simple Protecting Light Moisturizer with SPF 15: I have yet to offer this, but I do like that it contains SPF. I have to use sunscreen everyday, and, if the moisturizing aspect is on point, would be a great easy source of extra protection;

Burt’s Bees 100% Natural Lip Gloss in the shade Spring Splendor: This was my favorite item in this box. I've never tried any Burt’s Bees products before, but everyone I know who has, loves the brand. The color is wonderful, with a hint of shimmer, and it feels great on my lips. I'll definitely be purchasing additional colors of this new favorite; and

TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Keratin Infusing Serum: Oh la la, this smells so good. I don't never know how things will work in my hair, but TRESemmé is a good brand, and I'm excited to try this.

Did anyone else purchase these Limited Edition boxes? If so, what does you think of the product selection, and what was your favorite product? Even if you didn't purchase the boxes, what 1 or 2 items, from those listed above, would you most want to try?

Later gators,
M

August Stunners

This month's gorgeous sunglasses are called The Mariposas. 

Beautiful creatures float they don't fly. 

Delicately traveling through the air you

enhance the beauty of your

surroundings everywhere you land. 

Collection: Wildlife / Level: Easy

These glasses are gorgeous and, like most of the Stunners I've received, feel well made. Keep 'em coming StunMo!

Later gators,
M

P.S. Stunner of the Month recently updated their website, and increased their pricing. The monthly fee is now $9.95, instead of $9. Purchasing multi-month subscriptions, however, cuts down on the per pair cost (e.g. a 12 month subscription costs $90).

A quartet of Birchboxes

Birchbox has been a bit of a disappointment over the last several months. Maybe it's just me being a bit more critical of the products in receiving, but I could be happier. I leave reviews of each product every month, and recently updated my profile (again), so hopefully September's box will be a pleasant surprise.

Anyway, on to what I've received over the last few months:

May / Freewheeling

Fun and freewheeling, this month's box claimed to take a more playful approach to beauty.

Caldera Body Wash and Body Lotion: The packet of lotion was barely enough product for me to really test the product, so that was a loss. The scent of the body wash wasn't my favorite, so I gifted it to my friend P, who loved it;

Marcelle New Age 8 in 1 Power Serum: "[t]his peptide-packed antiaging gel hydrates, firms, lifts and plumps fine lines." I'm not up for antiaging products just yet, but apparently results can be seen after just one week of use. I'll keep that in mind, but for now, I've gifted this to a coworker;

Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm: I received this in the color Pixi Pink, which is FAR too pink for me. I gifted it to my sister, who also thought it was too pink, but will find a way to make it work;

Supergoop! Everyday SPF 30 with Cellular Response Technology: yet another Supergoop! product (a bit blah), but I'm not mad at receiving a good SPF product; and

Votivo Candle in Azure Garden: this candle actually ended up being the item that I liked the most in this box. I'm on a scented candle kick right now, and this little travel sized one is portable and has a subtle fresh and clean scent.

The box also included a shopping offer from Kate Spade Saturday. I didn't use it, but, I passed it on to a coworker.

June / Away We Go

This box featured a partnership with JetBlue, and included a travel quiz. I got Chicago, which I've always wanted to visit, so this may be a sign for the hubs and I to plan a mini vacation :)

Antica Farmacista Bergamot & Ocean Aria Body Wash: this body wash is made with almond oil, and has a supposedly "captivating" seaside scent. I don't like the scent at all, so this week be gifted away at some point;

Cynthia Rowley Beauty Creamy Lip Stain in the shade Valentine: this is a Birchbox exclusive, unfortunately I don't like the feel of this on my lips. The color is ok, but there is a weird grittiness to the formula that I don't like;

Evologie Stay Clear Cleanser: always happy to try a new face wash, and this is a prefect travel size;

phyto Phytolisse Ultra-Glossing Finishing Serum: this is supposed to calm hair frizz and tame flyaways. I don't generally use this type of product in my hair, but as you only need to use 1 or 2 drops, and I don't feel it would weigh my hair down, I may try it out; and

The Aloe Source Vitamin C Antioxidant Crème: this can be massaged onto the neck and face twice a day to help smooth fine lines. My sure yet, if I'm going to keep this or gift it to the same coworker who got the previous months Power Serum. It smells good though :)

July / Power Up

For this box, Birchbox teamed upwith Women's health to provide goodies designed to boost and energize.

LAQA & Co. Sheer Lip Lube Pencil in Menatour (Purple): this smells amazing - minty and fresh - but it is much too purple for my liking. It's supposedly a semi-sheer product, but it came off as an intensely purple lipstick on me. Unfortunate, because it feels amazing on;

Ruffian the Rapture Collection - Birchbox allowed subscribers to select which color, from this new metallic polish collection, they wanted to receive. Slick marketing Birchbox ;) The other colors were cute, but I had to have Relic, a gorgeous silver shade. I haven't used it yet, but I'm a big fan of Ruffian polishes, so I'm confident I'll love it. Birchbox also included a single packet sample of Ruffian's acetone-free towelette nail polish remover;

Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream: this antiaging cream has good reviews online, and a pleasing orange scent. I'm always leery about what I put on my face, but I'll definitely try this eventually;

suki exfoliate foaming cleanser: this 2 in 1 is both a cleanser and gentle exfoliator, with a fresh lemon scent. The sample is small, but only a little is needed for each rinse. I've only used this a couple of times so far and, while it did a nice job, I still prefer the Vasanti product I regularly use; and

Beauty Protector Protect & Treat Mask: I love that Birchbox sent two small containers of this. Now that my hair is shorter, this I'll actually be able to test this out twice and get a good idea of how well (or not well) it works. It contains Argan Oil and has a cotton candy smell, that I really like. Hopefully, it actually works well with my hair type.

August / Lighten Up

This month I received:

Aloxxi Thickening Serum: I'm not sure this will work with my hair type, but the sample size of this volumizing, anti-frizz, hair strengthening product is decent. I'll get around to trying it one day;

SeaRx Birch Sap Moisturizing Lotion: this contains ingredients to hydrate and smooth the skin. The grapefruit scent is nice, but too intense for my use, especially on my face. In addition, the sample is so small, that there would be no way for me to get a good idea about the product. I've already passed this on to a friend;

Harvey Prince Ageless perfume: I adore this perfume. I spritzed a bit on the card before reading anything about the scent notes, and immediately picked up on grapefruit (of course) and mango (my favorite). It's a fruitful scent that's perfect for Summer;

Whish Shave Crave Shaving Cream: I received the Acai Grapefruit scent. While I have yet to use it, it feels silky, and smells nice;  and

ModelCo Shimmer Bronzer: Birchbox again allowed subscribers to pick one of the products this month. I not super excited to receive this, but it was the product I disliked the least from the available options. I have a ton on similar products, many of which are still unopened, but who knows, I may end up loving it once I start using it. Who wouldn't like "a natural-looking glow with a hint of shimmer"?

What do you other Birchboxers out there think about the products you've been receiving over the past few months?

If you are not yet a subscriber, but would like to be, I'd appreciate it if you used my referral link (share the love and all that goodness). Just click HERE :)

Later gators,
M

Simply Stunning

Of all the subscription boxes I have received over the past year, Stunner of the Month may be my favorite.

I love ipsy, Birchbox has some good months, and my newest box - Onyx Box - is off to a great start, but if I had to name one that I consistently look forward to every month, it would be StunMo. 

April

The Nü Metals

Let your freak flag fly. Born in an

industrial club somewhere deep in heart

of Bushwick, these witch house frames

are back from 1989 with a vengeance. 

Collection: Enhancer / Level:Mezzanine

May

The Plane Jane's

Slip away without being seen. Great

For a walk of shame, or slipping out of

a terribly awkward situation. 

Collection: Diva / Level: Mezzanine

I have to say that these are my favorite frames that I've received from StunMo. I've made them my standard sunglasses, as they really go with everything. Love 'em.

June

The Sunday Driver

It's 9am on Sunday and you head down to the

garage. Your shining cruiser is staring at you

waiting for a ride. You don your ill Stunner

shades, and own the roads, cruising, chilling, 

riding, stunt'n.

Collection: Simple / Level: Mezzanine

July

The Illusions

It's a bird, it's a plane are you kidding

me...no? Put on these Stunner's and

you will never be fooled again. 

Collection: Enhancer / Level : Mezzanine

Receiving a pair of sunglasses every month seems like such a little thing, but the price is right, and it makes me happy.

Any other Stunner of the Month subscribers out there? If so, how do you like your selections? If you're not already stunt'n, would you ever subscribe to a service like this?

Later gators,
M

Rock and Roll with ipsy - April '14

April's ipsy bag rocked out, with its various beauty products out :) The theme was Beauty Rocks, and for the most part I'm happy with what I received. 

First, I have to say that the bag itself (which is too cute with its glorious purple self) reeked when I first took it out if the mailer. Did anyone else have that issue? I had to put a dryer sheet inside it and leave it on a bookcase, unzipped, to air out. It took about 2 weeks to air out well enough for me to stand holding it. Crazy! Thank goodness whatever the smell was didn't transfer to the products inside.

Now onto the goodies! I received:

City Color White Gold Shadow and Highlight Mousse: when I first saw this, and saw the airy, mousse-like consistency, I was a bit hesitant to use it. Now, I think this may be my favorite product that I received in this bag. As the name implies, it goes on white, but blends to this gorgeous golden shimmer. Definitely not an everyday look, but I'm glad to have it in my collection;

Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant: I'll be gifting this to one of my sisters or a friend. I've read that it has a pleasing lemon smell, but I'm leery of the actual microdermabrasion aspect of the product. I've found a few face products that age worth my skin, and I'll be sticking to those for now;

Sexy Hair Root Pump Volumizing Spray Mousse: this is another product that will be gifted away. I don't use mousse in my hair, so this one's wasted on me. I have lots of friends that seat by Big Sexy products, so I'll have no problem finding someone to take it off my hands; and

A Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm in the shade Apple Pink: this is a full-sized product and is very pigmented which is great. Stylishly, it comes off as more of a lipstick, then a tinted balm. The nude/pink shade, however, is not the best for me. I can work with it if I keep it light and maybe layer it worth another shade. We'll see.

Lastly, I received an Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Black Velvet. I'm always happy to receive an Urban Decay product; especially when it's such a generous sample size. I have yet to use this since I so rarely use eyeliner, but I've been hearing/reading good things.

What did you other ipsters think of your April bag?

If you don't yet subscribe but would like to, I'd appreciate it if you used my referral link at http://bit.ly/154vUAf :).

Later gators,
M

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

Ipsy - March 2014

This month's ipsy theme is Destination Beauty. 

The insert card actually welcomes subscribers to Palette Island. I like the theme, but I'm a bit underwhelmed by the bag itself and products I received. We only received four products too :(

The bag's bold print is a selection from artist, and ipsy subscriber, Klari Reis. It's based on the geography of her hometown of San Francisco. It's an interesting pattern, but the thick plastic feel is odd, and it had a ridiculously strong smell when I first took it out of the pink mailer. I had to air it out for a couple of weeks, before the silly putty-like smell went away. The bag feels like it would do well being thrown in a beach bag though; so that's probably what I'll end up doing.

My bag contained:

An eyeshadow quad from Be a Bombshell, I the shade Bora Bora: The colors (Starlet/a gorgeous bronze, Bora Bora/a very beachy turquoise, Risky Business/a gold tone, and Rock Bottom/a perfect sunset-on-the horizon copper) all have a bit of shimmer, are very pigmented and blend well. I really like this quad;

Nicole by OPI's Roughles textured nail polish in the shade On What Grounds?: I'm not a fan of this textured polish. I looks like a robin's egg, asphalt hybrid. I usually love the polishes that I receive from ipsy, bit this one is no bueno;

An adorable mini Marvelous Moxie lipstick from Bare Minerals in the shade Get Ready: The packaging is adorable, the sample size is decent, and the lipstick goes smoothly, but the shade is simply too pink for me. I wish I had received the gloss instead; and

Indian Coconut Nectar Body Butter from Pacifica: This is easily my favorite item this month. I adore a good body butter. This one smells divine, and I don't even like coconut! It works well as a moisturizer without being greasy. I'll definitely be purchasing more of this, and checking out the other available scents.

What did all you other ipsters think of the March bag and selection of products? As I said, I was less than impressed. Hopefully next month is better... and we get back to receiving 5 product bags.

If you don't yet subscribe but would like to, I'd appreciate it if you used my referral link at http://bit.ly/154vUAf :).

Later gators,
M