Ipsy Bag | April 2013

I finally got off the waitlist for the Ipsy Glam Bag subscription and received my first bag this month! What is Ipsy you ask? Well, it's a great subscription service where you pay $10 a month to receive a stylish bag full of deluxe and full sized samples! Below is what I received this month.

• Two Cosmetics Duo Eye Shadow in "Heartache" (Full Size - $5.75)
• Be a Bombshell Blush in "Sweet Cheeks" (Full Size - $16)
• Sation Nail Lacquer in "Of Corset I'll Call You" (Full Size - $5)
• Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Nourishing Styling Treatment (.85 fl. oz sample)

Below is what the Sation Nail Lacquer looks like applied with two coats. When I first saw the color all I could think was, "Oh great, another pink"...but I actually like the color on. It's a very faint, almost neutral pink. Not too bright or overwhelming. I actually went back and added a third coat and liked how it was bit more of a sophisticated baby pink. The only downside is I noticed it would get weird smudges even after I let it dry for a long time....nothing too noticeable though. It also takes a lot to make it appear very pigmented.

Below are the eyeshadows and blush swatches (sorry for the not so great photo :/) From left to right: the lighter half of the Two Cosmetics duo eyeshadow, the darker half of the Two Cosmetics duo eyeshadow, and the Be a Bombshell blush. You have to apply quite a lot for the eyeshadows to pop, but they are overall pretty good. The blush is a bit bright/pigmented, so I have to apply it sparingly, but I love the bright pink shade a lot and find it refreshing!

I haven't had a chance to try the Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Treatment, but it smells really good and I already have some Sexy Hair Leave in Conditioner, so I have high hopes :) Overall, I am very satisfied with my Ipsy Glam Bag!

Birchbox | March 2013

I received my first Birchbox in the mail today! I pre qualified late in the month, but was lucky enough to get the March Birchbox. If you don't know what Birchbox is, it is one of the many beauty subscription boxes offered that delivers hand picked beauty samples straight to your door each month for $10. You receive 4 -5 samples, learn tips and tricks, buy what you love, and earn points.

This month was all about March Madness and Birchbox is hosting beauty face-offs on their Facebook page and teaming up with Birchbox Man to run their own March Madness bracket.

My box came with the following beauty samples:

Juice Beauty | Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream

"This color corrective cream is the ultimate multitasker. The lightweight cream natuarally improves skin tone with vitamin C and grape-derived resveratrol."

I've never used a repairing cream before, but from the description, it sounds like something I'd like. I'll have to give it a try and see if it can improve my skin tone.

Juicy Couture | Couture La La

"Meet the latest addition to our fragrance collection: a heady mix of mandarin, red currant, lily, and orange blossom."

I'm not the biggest fan when it comes to "traditional" perfumes. I have a very sensitive nose and therefore if I wear anything with scent, I will continuously smell it...so it has to be light, fruity, or something simple to not cause me to have a major headache. This perfume sample is definitely in the no category for me. It is really strong and smells a lot like perfume an older woman would wear, so I just know that it would cause me problems if I wore it.

Serge Normant | Meta Revive Dry Shampoo

"The A-list stylist created this volume-boosting mist to give second-day locks a lift. Bonus: The subtle fragrance leaves hair sweetly scented."

Believe it or not, I still haven't tried out a dry shampoo. I've heard a lot about them and have seen so many of them out there. I actually have another sample I received from Beauty Army that I need to test as well. I'm hoping that it works well, so super excited to try it!

Whish | Shave Crave Shaving Cream

"The organic shea butter in this foam-free shaving cream makes for an insanely close shave and leaves skin incredibly soft. We love the exclusive blueberry scent."

This is the one product that I have seen in a lot of the Birchboxes for March. Now, I would never pay $20 for a shaving cream, but I will definitely give this sample a try. It smells really nice and makes me crave blueberry dessert lol.

BEAUTY EXTRA

Madewell for Birchbox | Emery Board

"We teamed up with Madewell to create this adorable mini savior, patterned after a print from the new spring collection."

This box came with a beauty extra, which was a cute emery board. Nothing too special, but I can always use a spare emery board. I forgot to take a picture of the pattern, but it does have a cute spring floral pattern on the back.

For my first box from Birchbox, I wasn't super impressed, but I think I missed out on some of the good stuff since I got my box so late in the month - just my opinion though. Just hoping for a better box next month :)

Subscription Box Beginnings

Have you heard about the new subscription box craze? I have! There are tons of them, ranging from beauty to food and everything in between. First off, a subscription box is basically a fun way to try out new products for a fee. Most of them are monthly subscriptions, but you usually have the option to skip months if you'd like. Some are "surprises" and some let you pick the items you want or they give you an idea of what you'll receive. Below I will show you the subscription boxes I have decided to test out. I will also be doing review posts about the boxes as I receive them and let you guys know what I thought about the products and the boxes in general.

Julep Maven Box

The Julep Maven box is $19.99 a month. You take a fun maven style quiz that helps them pick colors they think will be right for you. After you take the quiz you receive a style profile. You can decide to keep your style profile or pick and choose from different style profiles every month. After you pick your profile, you receive your introductory box. You will receive 3 full sized products and a surprise in each box. You also get to save 20% on everything in the store and receive free shipping on every order. You can skip and/or cancel at any time.

Cravebox

Each Cravebox costs around $10 - $18 and is based around a theme. They have boxes with themes such as beauty or food. Each box has a variety of fun products. They offer instant boxes, which you can purchase right away, and they offer boxes that are only available via drawings. You get to decide if the box is right for you before purchasing or entering a drawing.

Birchbox

Birchbox is $10 a month. You will receive 4-5 high end beauty, grooming, and lifestyle samples. You also earn points as well. For every 100 points earned, you get $10 off a full sized product order. The monthly fee is a recurring fee and the only way to skip a month is to cancel your subscription.

Beauty Army

Beauty Army is $12 a month. With Beauty Army you take a beauty profile that selects 9 personalized items for you to choose from. The cool part is you get to see the products before you order your box. You are allowed to select up to 6 for your box. You also have a choice between samples, deluxe samples, and even full size products! You can also retake your beauty profile as many time as you like to see different products. You can skip and/or cancel the subscription at any time.

Goodies Co. Taster's Box

The Goodies Co. Taster's Box is $7 a month. You get to taste new foods, earn points for reviewing products, and purchase full size products. This was the cheapest food related box I've found.

Those are the boxes that I have subscribed too. Once I receive the boxes, I will write more detailed reviews of the products and my thoughts on the value of the boxes. I tried to join a few other subscription box services, but I am on wait lists or need a special invitation. Hopefully I'll find some more to join soon :)