Category: Hair
Birchbox Limited Edition CEW Boxes
Every time Birchbox comes out with a Limited Edition Box…just take my money. TAKE MY MONEY, Birchbox! With the Modern Mermaid box, I acted like I might not buy it and waited a few weeks. I didn’t even bother waiting to buy the Limited Edition 2014 CEW boxes – I bought them the first day they were available – $28 for both boxes is quite a deal. All of the products were finalists in this year’s CEW Insider’s Choice Beauty Awards.
The Mass Appeal Box contains stuff you can find at any drugstore or grocery store: a travel size Dove Go Fresh Restore Body Wash; a full size Simple Protecting Light Moisturizer with SPF 15; L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Butterfly Mascara (I got one of these a while back in my Target Beauty Box, but I just opened it last week – I love it…it’s better than Urban Decay Perversion!); Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips (I hate sticking my finger in lip balm); Burt’s Bees 100% Natural Lip Gloss in “Spring Splendor”; and a full size TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Keratin Infusing Serum. What a great box!
The Prestige Headliners Box contains higher end brands: Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Crème; Josie Maran Cosmetics 100% Pure Argan Oil Light (more goat poop oil!) ; 100% Pure Creamy Nail Polish in “Seafoam”; philosophy miracle worker overnight; COOLA Environmental Repair Plus Radical Recovery After-Sun Lotion (I got this in my May Birchbox – love this stuff after a hot day at the pool); and two lifestyle extras – a pocket mirror and pedicure toe separators.
In LOATHE paying shipping, so I added something I needed to my order – another Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in “Soft Brown”. I also got 2 mystery samples that I had already gotten in boxes – a Cynthia Rowley Beauty silver eyeliner (April) and suki “Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser” (June).
Two great boxes…you gotta get these!
August Birchbox – The Everygirl Box
This month, Birchbox was bursting with options. You could choose a special “Affordable Luxuries” Box curated by the Everygirl or the “Lighten Up” box, in which you could choose one of four samples. I went for the Everygirl Box because of one specific sample, even though some of the other products were duplicates for me…
The reason I picked the box was so I could try out Benefit “They’re Real!” Push-Up Liner. I fail at eye liner on a regular basis. For 25+ years, I have been searching for “the one”. I am hopeful that the Benefit is NOT “the one” – because a full size is $24.
Also in my box were Number 4™ Super Comb Prep & Protect (which I also received in last month’s box, but I use it several times a week, so it’s not a waste); Harvey Prince “Hello” (I received this scent in my very first Birchbox – it’s OK, but likely to give this one away); Not Soap, Radio Body Wash in “Joy Inducing” (Unfortunately, this sample leaked a little, but the lemon sugar scent was so good that I didn’t care); and Acure Organics Brightening Facial Scrub Sea Kelp + CGF (I LOVE a good, hard exfoliation).
Birchbox also gave sweet little compliments when addressing our boxes this month. I’m notable…or at least Birchbox says so.
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.
Red Sticker Fever
Yup…I went again. I picked a different location to see what goodies they had left from the massive Ulta clearance…I was not disappointed.
I decided to try Ulta “Citrus Rose” Rejuvenating Bath & Shower Gel ($2.97 down from $9.50). I’m gonna be pissed if I love it, because I’ll never find it again. I also got a compact folding brush for my purse. I’m tired of rushing out of the house and realizing that my children look like Little Orphan Annie.
The best deals were in nail polish. I found Sparitual “Improvisation” ($2.97 down from $12), China Glaze “Bling it on” ($.97 down from $8.50), 2 China Glaze “Scattered & Tattered” ($.97 down from $8.50) – 1 for me and 1 for my BFF because it appears to be a dupe of her favorite Sinful Colors polish, Sally Hansen “Fruit-Ta-Ta” ($1.49 down from $2.99) and Ulta “Pinata Yada” ($.47). Including my $3.50 off coupon, I spent $9.53 at Ulta.
I also stopped by Big Lots to take advantage of their 20% off for members day. Besides Pop-Tarts and Veggie Sticks, I found My Beauty Spot “Lux Velvet Effect Nail Art Kit”. It is supposed to make my nails look and feel like crushed velvet. I am skeptical, yet intrigued. For $2.80, I can take a chance…
July Birchbox – Power Up
I got my Birchbox so quick this month – I just got the shipping notice yesterday!
July’s box is a collaboration with Women’s Health Magazine called “Power Up”. Look how cute the box is – no plain brown box this month! There’s even a card in my box for a free subscription to Women’s Health Magazine. I’ll probably go ahead and send it in, even though I’ll probably never read it. My kids constantly need pictures for collages at school and the only magazines I get are Consumer Reports and IKEA catalogs. Their collages have been pretty lame.
Also inside my box: Cynthia Rowley Beauty Creamy Lip Stain in “Sugar” (I got to pick the color – I love it when Birchbox does this!), Harvey Prince Singular Scentsations “Imperial Gardenia” (It smells SUPER old lady), NAOBAY Body Radiance Lotion (very mild smell, thank GAWD), Number 4 “Super Comb Prep & Protect” (yes! more tiny spray bottles of stuff for my hair), and Real Chemistry “Luminous 3 Minute Peel” (looking forward to trying 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.
Modern Mermaid in the Blue Lagoon
I went full mermaid this morning.
Captain Blankenship “Mermaid Mane” Sea Salt Spray in my hair – in a loose, wavy bun. After showering with Bath & Body Works “White Citrus”, I tried Atelier Cologne “Cédrat Enivrant” Cologne Absolue. I played a tense game of “eyeliner chicken” with my Vasanti Kajal Extreme Intense Eye Pencil in “Electric Navy” – luckily I won. (“Eyeliner Chicken” is when you keep putting on more eyeliner, trying to get it even. You know you’ve lost when you look like a raccoon.) The most important part was my mermaid manicure…
This is RUFFIAN “Blue Lagoon”. As beautiful as it is, it is a very unforgiving polish. I got full coverage in one coat, but it shows every imperfection. I have a few peeled tips on my right hand and they show. I also gave Sally Hansen “Diamond Shine” another try as a top coat…it didn’t dry fast enough and I got a few bubbles. Next time, I’ll use a faster drying top coat to try to avoid the bubbles. “Diamond Shine” can kiss my ass.
Modern Mermaid & More
If Birchbox keeps sending me coupon codes for 20% off my first purchase, I’m going to keep using them. Is that unethical?
I finally got a product in one of my monthly boxes that I loved enough to purchase. If you had told me a month ago that I would spend $36 on moisturizer/sunscreen, I would have laughed in your face…but then I tried COOLA Tinted Matte SPF 30 for Face. It goes on smooth – my face feel like velvet and stays matte and shine free all day. This is the holy grail of face products.
I had been lusting after the Limited Edition “Modern Mermaid” Box ($44) and I finally made the plunge. In the box: a deluxe sample of Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Genius Waterproof Topcoat (which I probably will never use); a travel size spray of Atelier Cologne “Cédrat Enivrant” Cologne Absolue (citrusy and woodsy – another scent my mother would have loved…and I love it too); Captain Blankenship “Mermaid Mane” Sea Salt Spray (I need to devote a post to all my sea salt sprays – I use them every day); COOLA Liplux SPF 30 Original Formula; RUFFIAN Endless Summer Collection – Nail Polish Trio: “Blue Lagoon” – a metallic blue, “Endless Love” – a metallic pink and “Sahara” – a metallic nude; Vasanti Kajal Extreme Intense Eye Pencil in “Electric Navy” (dunno about this one…); and a Stephanie Johnson Mermaid Round Snap Mirror, which is exceedingly cute. I think I will use everything in the box, except the waterproof mascara top coat – I don’t want all my eyelashes to fall out!
I also got 2 free samples in my box: another air repair “Rescue Balm” and eyeko “Skinny Mini” black liquid eyeliner, which I am excited to try out.
With my coupon and another $10 in Birchbox point, I only paid $54…sweet deal!
Click my referral link – https://www.birchbox.com/invite/5453f – I’ll get 50 points if you join!
Saturday Shopping Fun
Another Saturday, another shopping marathon with Lily.
First stop was Ulta. I needed another Zoya “Remove +”, because I finally created my dream nail polish remover system. Last week, I bought another up&up “nail polish remover dip-it”. I emptied it and refilled it with Zoya “Remove +” – this is the absolute best way to remove nail polish. It’s soft and gentle and doesn’t smell like Chernobyl.
I also picked up Ulta “Ultimate Brunette” Shampoo and Conditioner. I exclusively use John Frieda “Brilliant Brunette”, but I wanted to give Ulta’s version a chance – it was $4.99 and BOGO. With my $3.50 off coupon, this purchase put me at Platinum status – $400.89 to be exact. Woo hoo!
After McDonald’s, my Eye Doctor and Rack Room Shoes, we hit Bath & Body Works for my 3rd round at the Semi Annual Sale. Mini Candles were 5/$10, so I picked up “Beach Cabana”, “Pink Petal Tea Cake”, “Fresh Picked Strawberries” and 2 “Red Lava Guava”. I want to exfoliate, so I grabbed a 75% off “Apricot & Honey” Body Scrub. 3 more 50% off Hand Soaps (NOT AntiBac) – “Sea Side Bloom”, “Endless Summer” and “Honolulu Sun”. Last, I let Lily pick another travel body spray – 75% off – she chose “Tokyo Lotus & Apple Blossom”. This week’s coupon was 20% off $25, so I got all this for about $20. I’m running out of room for soap.
I did manage to go to Big Lots after that (Zone Bars!) and NOT buy any nail polish. We did look…nothing tempted us.
Pretty full shopping day and spent under $100…
June Ipsy Bag – Pretty in Paradise
Ipsy came first this month…
June’s theme is “Pretty in Paradise”. This month’s bag is OUTSTANDING. It’s a a pretty Hawaiian pineapple design, made out of windbreaker material and designed by Rebecca Minkoff. (I’d never heard of her before this.)
Inside this month’s bag: Be A Bombshell “Lash Out Mascara”, Marc Anthony “Dream Waves Beach Spray” (At first I thought it was the guy who used to be married to J-Lo, but then Google helped me figure out that it is a Salon chain in Canada. DOH.), NYX Butter Gloss in “Crème Brulee”, OFRA Universal Eyebrow Pencil and Realtree for Her, which is the single most horrifying fragrance that I have ever tried. I accidentally got some on my hand and I couldn’t get the smell off after washing my hands with AntiBacterial Soap three times. It smells exactly how you would imagine a woman dressed in head-to-toe pink camouflage would smell – like a deer in heat. BURN IT WITH FIRE.
The most exciting thing in my bubble mailer, was my Ipsy points reward – NYX “Bronze Smoky Look Kit”. It’s just a little compact with 9 eye shadows and 2 lip glosses, but I love bronzes and browns right now. Retail price is $12, so not bad for free!
If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.
May Birchbox – Freewheeling
I am overwhelmed with goodies since I got my Birchbox and Ipsy on the same day. I have no idea what I am going to try first…
May’s theme is “Freewheeling”, whatever that means. I am less excited about my Birchbox this month, but I still think I got some good stuff: Number 4 Volumizing Shampoo (a deluxe sample bottle) and Conditioner (single use packet) – which is kind of fucked up to not give the same size of both, COOLA Environmental Repair Plus Radical Recovery After-Sun Lotion (I burn easy, so this will be used), Marcelle New·Age 8 in 1 Power Serum, PIXI Beauty Shea Butter Lip Balm in “Pixi Pink” and SmartyPants All-in-One Adult Complete Gummy Vitamins + Fiber. I don’t know how I feel about vitamins that make you poop…
I used several of my shampoo/conditioner samples while traveling, so I’m happy to get more…now I just need to get sunburned…
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.
May Ipsy Bag – Fresh Picks
I got my Ipsy and Birchbox on the same day!
This month’s theme is “Fresh Picks”. The May bag is the prettiest one yet – unlined canvas with green leaves all over it. Inside my bag: Hang Ten Classic Sport SPF50, Pacifica Mineral Eyeshadow “Duo #2” (Moonbeam & Unicorn), Balanced Guru “No Frizz Organic Sesame and Lemongrass Balancing Oil”, Hey Honey “Take It Off!” Exfoliating Honey Peel Off Mask and Pur~lisse “pur~moist hydra balance moisturizer”.
I am most excited about the No Frizz hair oil. I’ve never heard of the brand, but it has argan oil in it. I love what argan oil does for my hair – goat poop or not. I also like the eye shadow – come on, one of the shades is called “Unicorn”!
If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.