October Beauty Box Five 2012

So this months Beauty Box 5 was themed Tricks of the Trade. This box contained 6 items and one card with a code from NuMe for $100 off. So it was similar to the My Glam one we got months ago.

• Margania/ Pure Argan Oil- With naturally high levels of Vitamin E and skin-supporting fatty acids, this "miracle" oil is perfect for healing skin ailments and protecting against premature aging. Use alone or mix with your moisturizer. (A little goes a long way)
• City Lips/ Lip Plumper- This luscious lip plumper's are packed with antioxidants and moisturizing ingredients. Apply alone or over lipstick for fuller, plumper lips in an instant.
• Showstoppers/ Fashion Tape- Lost a button on your shirt? Does your bra strap keep showing? Keep your "fashion fashioned" with these ingenious, purse-sized packets of double stick designer fashion tape. Now while they only sent one small foil-packet they could have sent several more not enough in my opinion.
• Goat Haus Dairy/ Lip Balm- Your lips will lust after this light-weight soft and silky goat's-milk lip balm. This is the second product from them. Last months box contained a bath cube to add to the water. While I think this is much better. I'm not quite fond of goat's milk. So I'm not sure about putting it on my lips. I may try it not sure yet. If anything I will give this to El Hubbs he will like it. He's in need of a new lip balm. This company is based in Bryan, TX so that's great with me being a native Texan. So buying items that are made in state is a plus as well. I'm all for supporting my local businesses.  
• Furlesse/ Elevens- Relax frown lines in a gentle, natural (no needles) way. Simply apply the clear patch while you sleep and a few hours later you'll see fewer fine lines. It's that easy. Okay I'm not sure how I feel on this either, but I just may give it a try. Sounds interesting.
• Lash Card/ Lash Cards- Great for maximizing curl, separating lashes and avoiding those bottom lash mishaps, these discrete little cards are your lashes new best friend. I received two cards with about 4-8 uses from them. While I've seen these before I have never wanted to try them. I also thought that these cards were made from a type of reusable plastic so that you can use them over and over. Oh well, maybe they will make one like that in the future where you can just wash it off and use it till it can be used no more. What a shame.

If your interested in trying Beauty Box 5 please check out this link. https://www.beautybox5.com/home.php?key=4f3f58d0b6240

April Birchbox 2012

 

Well several days ago I received my April Birchbox. I had already peeked as to what I was going to get. So it wasn't a huge surprise. Well I was not as excited this month. This is my 7th month with them. So I expected something different and more Wow.

This months box was themed Natural Wonders.Which I guessed was kinda Earth Day inspired. I was loving the green toned paper a welcome break from their signature hot pink paper.

 So included in my box were the following items. Alima Pure organic nourishing lip balm in Rhubarb. This lip tint is made with plant butters and delivers a natural flush of color. Full-sized is $7. This kinda reminds me of the Bert's Bees lip tints which I already have . The packaging reminded me of the Soft lips brand same size and concept and also the same smell. So this was OK for me but, not a Wow. 

The other item was from J.R. Watkins which was a Foot Repair Salve in a travel size. This salve says rough heels are no match for this restorative balm. The zesty scent perks up tired tootsies. A full-sized is $8.99. I figured this sample was around $2.50 give or take. It is alright but, not something I needed or wanted to try. So I'll give it a shot I guess.

Then I got yet another perfume sample. I'm so tired of receiving these. I wish there was an opt-out button because I'm allergic like I've said, time and time before to many perfumes. Any who this perfume or as they call it parfum. It is from LIV GRN it's a Natural Eau de Parfum. It is made from sustainable ingredients, this bright scent is filled with orange and neroli. A full-sized is a whopping $60. My tiny signature sample is valued at around $2.00.

The next product is from Weleda it's a Pomegranate Firming Night Cream. This Swiss brand's new anti-aging cream overhauls skin with a potent blend of Turkish pomegranate, Jojoba, and macadamia nut oils. Wow! another face cream I have so many to choose from. So that I can do future reviews. YAY! Anyways full-size is $37 which makes my sample at around $7.70.

The last product was what they call a Beauty Extra. Well this extra was one I already have many of. Yes to Blueberries Brightening Facial Towelettes. These nifty wipes remove all signs of makeup and grime. Plus, they refresh the skin with a fruity blend of apple, blueberry, and lemon peel extracts. Now I'm wondering if they are really brightening because my face does need it. Full-sized is a 30 pack for $7.99 my sample pack of 8 was $2.99. I've seen this 8 pack at my local Ulta for the same price.

I of course have yet to try any of these goodies. I'm not sure when I will. Since I keep getting similar items from all my boxes and also when I get a gift with purchases at Macy's and Nordstrom. So with that I guess it was an OK box but, nothing to knock my socks off. Well there is always next months box. Which I'm really excited about because I just found out the May's box will be a Gossip Girl sponsored box. Which if it's anything like the Teen Vogue box in March then it should be awesome. The total value for my box this month was about $22.19.

My March Favorites 2012

Well another month has come and gone. I have several products that have stood out above all the rest. These products are not in any particular order. These are the items that I used the most in the month of March. I feel that they deserve a pat on the back.

The first product that I liked alot and is a stand out. Is so inexpensive. This item is the Sephora precision pore cleansing pad. This handy little product is gentle on the face. It is really a great value for only $5. This little pink wonder cleans your face like nothing else. It also will leave it soft and smooth. Which is No. 1 in my book. I usually use my face sponge or Clarisonic to cleanse my face daily. But there are some days I just want to give my face a break. I now use my Clarisonic 3 times a week instead of everyday. I read somewhere that using it too much may cause premature wrinkling. If this is true who knows but, I don't want to be the first one to find out. Here is a little information on this wonder gizmo. It is a flexible silicone pad that gently massages the face and helps deliver a deep clean, radiant result. This pad has tiny bristles to invigorate the skin and clean pores, helping to exfoliate and soften the skin. This is available at www.sephora.com and at most Sephora stores.

The next product is the Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24h SPF 15 foundation. This retails for $44 and can be found at just about any Department store that carries Lancome or at Sephora. This is my new miracle foundation. I really love how it applies and makes my skin look. It doesn't settle in my fine lines and doesn't transfer. It provides medium to full coverage with no more than one pump. It also has a velvety matte finish.  If you want to know more on this foundation I will be posting a review on it very soon. The color shown is in 210 Buff N.

My favorite tool is the Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki brush. This has been my go to brush for the last 8 months. I truly adore it. I even loved it so much that I purchased several as backups. This brush is so soft and dense that it really blends your foundation to an almost airbrush finish. Without streaking or removing the foundation as you blend. If you really want a good foundation brush for a great price then this is the one to get. It retails for $16 on Sigma's website www.sigmabeauty.com or you can get one on Ebay but, it may cost a little more. I feel that this is a great investment and with weekly cleaning and care this brush will last you for years to come. I will be doing an in depth review on my favorite brushes soon.

My favorite eye product is the Physician's Formula Nude Palette. This was a palette that was an impulse buy. I have a weakness for nude lipsticks, glosses and eye palettes. Why? Well I'm not sure maybe because they tend to look better on me than other colors do. Well this palette was purchased at Wal-mart for less than $10 dollars. I know that Ulta, Walgreen's and CVS carry it as well. I was watching a you-tube video by emilynoel83 and she was reviewing it. So I decided to buy it that same day. It is a winner it has great colors that blend well. I love the fact that it's so small and portable to carry everyday or to use while traveling. If you like nude eye shades or just like small cute palettes then check this one out.

Lastly the lip product that I adore lately. Is the EOS round lip balm in Sweet Mint. I really love this formula it glides on smoothly and lasts a long time. It feels cooling and hydrating at the same time on the lips. It comes in a cute round container. I got this one at Target for about $3. I also got two others a Lemon flavor and a Summer Fruit flavor. Well lets just say I like the sweet mint better. The other two weren't the same at least in my opinion. The lemon was too drying on the lips and the summer berry well the smell was awful. I couldn't stand it. As for the mint flavored one my cats seem to like it very well. To use as toy and also the smell and taste drives them wild. So when I wear it I have to be careful because they tend to stalk me. No really they do.

So these are my March favorites. If you have any questions or comments or want me to review any of these in depth then please email me or leave me a comment down below.