May Favorites 2012

I've just gotten around to this so sorry for the tardiness of this post. I finally had time to decide on my May favorites.

Estee Lauder's Invisible Fluid Makeup. This is their newest formula for foundation. I really love this stuff. It goes on lightweight and sheer but, is build able. I don't have too much to cover except some sight redness on my cheeks and chin. I won't go into too much here since I will be doing a full review soon. The color I use is 2CN1. Which I will say the color is dead on. I didn't think there would ever be a foundation that would be the exact color of my skin tone. Retails for $35

The next item is from Estee Lauder as well. It is their signature silky eyeshadow duo in Cappuccino N 02. I really like how this applies and it goes on so creamy and you only need a little. The colors are highly pigmented. I picked this up on Ebay. I'm not sure if it's in there permanent line. This has been my go to shadow all month. It's so quick and easy and goes with almost every look. So I highly recommend their shadows. Their duos run about $30 anywhere that sells Estee Lauder.

An eye cream I finally finished was my sample of Clinique's All about Eyes. I used this for several months now and I really liked it. It is a cool and refreshing gel formula for the under eye area. I liked the slight scent it had. It wasn't bothersome at all. The only complaint is that sometimes it migrated near my eyes and made me tear. This was only when wearing it at night. This formula absorbed quickly so it made easier when applying my concealer. I really did like this but, I didn't see too much improvement in my under eyes as in the fine lines diminishing. It did reduce my puffiness and as for eye circles it didn't do much. Overall it is a nice eye cream 0.5oz is $29.

In my Birchbox I received the Yes to Blueberries facial wipes to try. I really liked them they have a fresh and clean scent of blueberries and had some moisturizing properties to them as well. Now that's great as an added bonus to someone suffering with dry skin. As for me I have oily skin and I had to rinse my face off a little to get the film off. Now don't get me wrong they weren't bad at all. I just don't like that kind of feeling to my face. They did take all my makeup really well and on my eyes as well. Now when it came to mascara it did take some slight wiping but, it did come off. I didn't get any bad reactions to this nor did it irritate the skin. I will repurchase this in the future. I still have many wipes to use and try. A 8 pack is $2.99 at Ulta & a 30 pack is $6.99 at Target.

The last item to make my favorites is the real techniques expert face brush. This brush has replaced my Sigma Sigmax F80 flat top kabuki ($16). Which I thought couldn't be replaced ever. Well this brush is great a applying my liquid foundation like a glove. Sorry for the Ace Ventura reference. I couldn't resist. Anyway this brush really buffs out the foundation to an airbrush finish. It is lightweight and not as dense as the Sigma. But, still dense enough to make the face look great. I was also impressed with the price. It is $8.99 at Ulta or Ulta.com. Samantha Chapman from Pixiwoo has really done well with this brush line. It's super affordable and the quality is great. I have really come to love her brushes. I highly recommend them. These are all my favorites for the month of May. If you have any questions or comments please leave them below.

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.