Category: Hair
November Birchbox – BuzzFeed Life
My Birchbox got here yesterday, but it was my night to cook dinner and frozen pizzas don’t magically cook themselves!
Instead of the regular box, I chose the special BuzzFeed Life curated box. Inside my box: amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo (I know, I know – I have a dozen of these and I never use it); Dr. Jart+ Pore Minimalist Mask (it has charcoal serum – I’ll be using this soon); Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips (Uhhhh…); Greenleaf Signature Candle in “Silver Spruce” (OMG, I could smell it THROUGH the box and outer shipping box – it’s like an entire 9 foot Xmas Tree); and Mirenesse iCurl Secret Weapon 24hr Mascara. There is also a cute sticker that says “cute” – cute!
If you would like to try Birchbox, click on my referral link – https://www.birchbox.com/invite/5453f – I’ll get 50 points if you join.
November Beauty Box 5 – Gracefully Grounded
Just like last month, I got my Beauty Box 5 on the same day (Saturday) that I got the shipping email. I understand them hedging their bets – why not send the emails a bit later than they day the drop them in the mail? No matter what, I get them pretty quick since they are based in Austin.
“Gracefully Grounded” is November’s theme. Inside my box: L’Oreal Paris Nail Color (Really – another polish without a name? I thought L’Oreal always names their polishes? I call this one Bright Ass Tomato Red…); DenTek Floss Picks + Case (perfect for my purse); HASK Macadamia Revitalizing Shine Oil; Laura Ashley Body Butter in “Cherry Blossom” (Is Laura Ashley still around or is this product left over from the 80s?); and Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash (I got a full size in my Allure Beauty Box, but haven’t tried it yet.)
My BFF didn’t get hers until today – I FINALLY got one of my boxes before her!
Target Beauty Box – October 2014
The Target Beauty Box is back! The price went up – $7 instead of $5, but I still got 5% off with my Target Red Card and free shipping.
Elnett Extra Strong Hold Hairspray – I don’t use hairspray often, but the only one I have is an Aveda one that my sis gave me, so I kind of needed this.
Fekkai Professional Blowout Hair Refresher Dry Shampoo – Ugh, another dry shampoo. I haven’t tried ANY of the ones I’ve gotten yet.
LANEIGE BB Cushion Sample – I am most excited about this one. The sample card comes with 3 different shades – yay! I comes with an antimicrobial cushion to apply it – no more dirty makeup hands.
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in “Milk” – Lots of beauty blogs suggest using “Milk” as an eye shadow primer to make the color pop, so I’m going to try it.
L’Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire Lipstick in “Nude Ballet” – Not a stick, but a liquid with a doe’s foot applicator – I LOVE those.
As before, there’s also a $3 off $15 coupon – it will not go to waste. The box still appears to be available online, so git ya one!
Fall 2014 Freeman Beauty Mystery Bag
I couldn’t resist another box filled with a mystery assortment of beauty products! This one is from Freeman Beauty is only $30 for over $100 of products – and it’s STILL available on their website!
Here’s what I got in my box: Freeman Facial Creamy Scrub in “Apricot”; Freeman Facial Purifying Clay Mask in “Acai”; Freeman Vita-K Professional for Deep Facial Lines; Freeman Barefoot Moisturizing Massage Cream; Freeman Barefoot Repair! Overnight Foot Cream; Pssssst! Instant Dry Shampoo; c. Booth Milk Bath & Shower Cleanser; eclos Night Booster Fluid; eclos Daily HydraPrimer SPF 30; and a stack of 7 different samples of masks and creams. I am gonna be sooooo smooth! My only disappointment was that I didn’t get a Charcoal scrub – my little sister uses Freeman’s charcoal sugar scrub and highly recommends it…Alas and alack.
This box of goodies was finally the last straw with my husband…as I was opening it, he issued an ultimatum about all the boxes that I get in the mail…HE wants a box, too. Muahahahahaaaa….I knew he would get sucked into my evil trap…
I Swear…I Only Went in for a Haircut
Really! I hadn’t gotten my hair cut since February, so I figured it was time…OK, I kind of knew that I would probably buy some stuff if I actual went to the salon in Ulta to get my hair cut. Shhhh,,,
Ulta was running a special on Zoya polish – buy 2, get a free gift – “A Matte Story”, which came with Zoya Matte Velvet Top Coat (I’ve been needing one!) and Whore Red Matte Velvet Lipstick. the two polishes that I got were Zoya Matte Velvet “Harlow” and Zoya “Remy”.
I went to the fragrance section to sample “Stella” by Stella McCartney. There was a placard for it, but no bottles. A clerk offered to go check the back and came back with a single bottle – saying they had discontinued carrying it. I made a split second decision to go for it and buy it…not realizing that it was the $72 50 ML size. Uhhhhhh…I got it anyway and in my excitement, I totally forgot to use my $3.50 off coupon. The blow was softened, however, by a VISA gift card I had gotten as a “thank you” from my AVP last week.
I was so excited, that I opened “Stella” in my car and started spraying. I LOVE the way it smells on me, but I was a bit disappointed in the scent’s staying power. It’s just a few hours later and I can barely smell it on me. I had read online that the new 2014 version has less staying power, so I guess I need to be on the lookout for one of the old bottles. Trader’s Village, maybe – or one of those Indian perfume places?
I Want Dry Hair and Fleek Eyes
All I needed were bread crumbs and tortillas…and well…
I couldn’t resist the $1 off Milani Coupon – I picked up another Milani Baked Shadow in “Intermix”. It’s a shimmery copper cream color.
I also picked up a cheap Conair Shower Cap in the most old lady looking flower pattern I could find. (I heard this rumor that men find shower caps irresistible. Like if a dude sees you in a shower cap, he is overcome with a passion he cannot control…an ANIMAL, if you will.) No, seriously…I just wanted to keep my hair dry when I take a shower.
September Beauty Box 5 – Balancing Act
My BFF and I felt like we weren’t just getting enough samples in the mail, so we both signed up for Beauty Box 5! It’s $12/month, $30/quarter or $99/year for 5 beauty product samples. I signed up for the 3 month pricing, because I wanted to check it out first. My BFF signed up first and gave me a code to get the August box free!
September’s theme is “Balancing Act”. I received a Nicka K New York Eyelight Crayon in “Violet”; 2 foil packs of Natural Style by FUBU Deep Conditioner & Co-Wash; Sally Hansen Toe Spacer (Ugh, another pair); a bottle of My Beauty Spot Nail Polish (color not labelled, so I’ll call it Gunmetal?); and Revlon Bold Lacquer Mascara in “Blackest Black” (plus a $1 off coupon).
August’s theme was “Radiant and Remarkable” I received yet another Pur~lisse “Pur Protect SPF 30”; La Fresh Travel Lite Facial Cleansing Wipes; Nancoco Lip Gloss in “First Kiss” (SO DAMN PINK); a foil pack of Novex Brazilian Keratin; and a bottle of Style Essentials Nail Polish (again, no name on this one – white and aqua glitter).
Although there are a few Dollar Store Brands (Style Essentials, La Fresh, My Beauty Spot for sure) in the boxes, I am not freaking out yet. I’m pretty annoyed by polishes without names – what the fuck is up with that? I’ll give it a few more months and see what else pops into the box. Ipsy and Birchbox have me spoiled!
If you’re interested in trying Beauty Box 5, let me know and I’ll get you the code for a free box that I got. Their referral program isn’t live yet, so I cannot beg for referral yet!
September Birchbox – Fresh Paint
I feel like I had to wait FOREVER for my Birchbox this month. I am not mad at Birchbox – I am mad at the mail people. I’ve noticed a trend that I get my Julep, ipsy and Birchbox 1 or 2 or 3 days after my BFF – and she lives LITERALLY 10 minutes away. My mail people are loose butthole.
I picked the regular box option this month instead of the curated Fashionista box, since I already had most of the products in the curated box. September’s theme is “Fresh Paint”. In my box: Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Starter Kit (This is just weird – I am excited to try it!); Macadamia Professional Healing Oil Spray (I am becoming a hair oil connoisseur); RUFFIAN Nail Lacquer in “Naked” (YES!); Temptu S/B Highlighter in “Champagne Shimmer” (hmmmmmm…); and Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream.
This is a really high value box – so lucky this month! I also love the special box it came in – definitely keeping it.
If you would like to try Birchbox, click on my referral link – https://www.birchbox.com/invite/5453f – I’ll get 50 points if you join.
September Ipsy Bag – Street Style
I was so psyched to get this month’s ipsy bag. Not only did my BFF and cousin receive theirs DAYS before I did, I had forgotten what was actually in my bag until I opened it.
The theme for September is “Street Style” and it has the cutest bag I’ve received yet – pewter vinyl with tough metal studs. the contents, however, may be the lamest that I’ve received yet: Crown Brush Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet Brush (I am actually MOST excited about this brush); NYX Hot Singles eye shadow in “Asphyxiation” (Sparkly Midnight Blue – not sure about this one); Pacifica Natural Waterproof Eye Pencil in “Fringe” (I need another brown eyeliner like I need a hole in my head, but I’ll give it a spin); Briogeo “Don’t Despair, Repair” Deep Conditioning Mask (it’s for hair?); and Cailyn Art Touch Tinted Lip Gloss in “Basic Instinct”.
I really wanted the Be A Bombshell “Smooth Criminal” Powder that my cousin Jess got! She was nice enough to give me the lowdown:
My review of Smooth Criminal Powder: So, I have had it on since 6am, it is now 12:15pm and skin still looks nice and feels great. Yes I can tell it has slowly come off but it looks better than a normal day. Putting it on was easy, used a small powder brush, I think it was a bare minerals one, just tapped off the extra and put it on over my foundation and before blush. Freaking face felt like silk!!!!!!!! And it looked like I had “instagram filtered” my face when I was done. LOL! I like it, great for humid weather, keeps you from getting shiny. BUT……….. In the winter when it starts to get cold and you may need to make sure to moisturize.
I also wanted the Pacifica fingernail polish instead of the eyeliner. My BFF gave me hers though – “Red Red Wine” – because she would never use it. Score!
If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.
Allure Beauty Box – September 2014
The Allure Beauty Box is kind of a big deal. It’s not a subscription box, but a gigantor box of full size beauty products that’s sold once a quarter. It’s $44.95 (plus tax and $10 shipping) for over $250 of stuff. This is the first time I’ve tried to get one and I got lucky and managed to snag one…even though they sold out in less than an hour!
Get a load of what was in this box: Aloxxi Dry Shampoo; Arm & Hammer Spinbrush Truly Radiant Battery Powered Toothbrush (I cracked this baby open this morning – it was AWESOME! It was like I just left the dentist. My husband and son use electric toothbrushes, but I had been resisting. I am now a firm believer.); Arm & Hammer Truly Radiant Toothpaste; BAN Total Refresh Cooling Body Cloths (weird); Burt’s Bees 100% Natural Lip Crayon in “Hawaiian Smolder” (So lip crayons are the “in” thing right now? I used it today and it actually looks natural on me – not nauseatingly pink.); Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser; Clean & Clear Advantage Daily Soothing Acne Scrub; Curel Rough Skin Rescue Lotion; Dove Deep Moisture Nourishing Body Wash (I’ll probably use this for shaving my legs); e.l.f. Studio Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths; Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Oil Nourishing Styling Treatment (I used this after my shower – so soft!); Jergens Natural Glow + Firming Daily Moisturizer (This will probably be given away – I don’t need my ass to be browner or firmer); John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Color Protecting Shampoo (Brilliant Brunette is ALL I use!); John Frieda Frizz Ease Go Curlier Heat Activated Spray (I’ll break this out the next time I use curlers); John Frieda Precision Foam Colour Intense After-Color Conditioner (I just ran out of this); Make It Straight; Neutrogena Triple Repair Fortifying Leave-In Treatment; Organic Doctor Organic Dead Sea Mineral Bio-Plasma Mud Mask; Organic Doctor Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Restorative Treatment Conditioner; Organic Doctor Tea Tree Face Wash (I used this this morning – cooling and clean); Real Techniques Blush Brush; Redken Blonde Idol BBB Spray (I’m not blonde, but I’ll try it); Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in “Shock Wave” (SQUEE!); and TRESemmé 7 Day Keratin Smooth Heat Activated Treatment.
Dang…my fingers are TIRED! I’m gonna go play with my new stuff!