Birchbox - August 2013

Subscription purchased by me, affiliate links within post

{In this month's box}:

Miss Jessie's Original Super Slip Sudsy Shampoo

Violet Oasis 100% Organic Argan Oil

Mally Beauty Evercolor Starlight Watercolor Eye Liner in "Sailor"

BECCA Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation

Arangara Body Lotion

Miss Jessie's Original Super Slip Sudsy Shampoo

According to the packaging, this shampoo is best for curly hair. I've actually just ran out of shampoo, so I'll be trying this one out soon. Hopefully it works well. 

Violet Oasis 100% Organic Argan Oil

My love affair with oils and serums continues! I like to use these to help keep my frizz in check, they're the only things that work! Violet Osais' argan oil has no scent, which is a plus if you don't care for scented hair products. It left my hair feeling soft, without feeling greasy. 

Mally Beauty Evercolor Starlight Watercolor Eye Liner in "Sailor"

This eyeliner is quite pigmented! I received the color "Sailor," which is a dark navy blue. It's not too noticeable unless you are in brighter lighting which can be both a good and bad thing. I personally like that it's not so obvious, it looks like a toned down black with a bit of a punch. 

BECCA Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation

I still have not tried out this foundation, but I have to stress that I'm REALLY glad they did not send only one shade; we were sent SIX different shades to test! I received the shades: Olive, Noisette, Tan, Bamboo, Fawn, and Cafe. The only downside to this is there is less product to test, but I will gladly take this sample over a bigger one, because I can figure out which shade I match best to. 

Arangara Body Lotion

This lotion is a bit too thick and perfumed for me. I will be giving this one away. 

I'm a bit worn out on all these moisturizers from Birchbox, which is part of the reason I've decided to take a break from the service. These last few months I haven't felt very satisfied with my boxes, but mostly I've felt overloaded with samples. I may resubscribe later on in the year, particularly for the holidays.

You can purchase a subscription to Birchbox through my referral link {here} or just go to Birchbox.com

What did you think of this month's box?
-Claudia

ipsy - August 2013

Subscription purchased by me, affiliate links within post

Click below to read more!

FOTN - Ruby Red

Later that night, I decided to toss on some red lipstick. Not sure why my hair looks black here, but I like it. Don't you just love MAC's Ruby Woo?

Face & Eye list available {here}

Lips

MAC Ruby Woo

What's your favorite red lipstick?

-Claudia

FOTD - Natural Nancy

I've been trying to achieve that glowing, but not frosty, natural, but not made-up look for a while now. I think today I finally nailed it. There are so many tutorials for this kind of "natural" look, but they would tend to look artificial on me. What I realized last year and I need to keep in mind is that not all colors look the same on everyone! It took me a long time to figure out this combination, but finally! Here is my natural, glowing look.

Face

Sonia Kashuk tinted moisturizer in Tan

Laura Mercier Golden Mosaic bronzer

MAC Rice Paper highlight

Benefit Girl Meets Pearl

MAC Stereo Rose, Coppertone

Eyes

MAC Indianwood paint pot

Inglot 368 (matte neutral peach)

MAC Soft Brown, Swiss Chocolate, Mulch, Bronze, Embark, Rice Paper

Urban Decay eyeliner in Demolition
Mary Kay lash primer

Mary Kay Lash Love Lengthening mascara

Lips

Sonia Kashuk lipstick in Sheer Bronzey Nude

What are your go-to products for a natural look?

-Claudia

ipsy - July 2013

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This month's ipsy bag was all about beauty at the beach. It couldn't have come at a better time, what with Chicago being hit with heat wave after heat wave. I honestly haven't felt up to wearing makeup lately, but this heat still can't tame my excitement over this month's ipsy bag arrival!

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Birchbox - July 2013

Subscription purchased by me, affiliate links within post

{In this month's box}:
BENTA Berry G-1 Moisturizing Face Cream, matifying
100% Pure Nourishing Body Cream, Green Apple
Number 4 Super Comb Prep & Protect
Benefit "Girl Meets Pearl"
Extra: Birchbox Bobby Pins

BENTA Berry G-1 Moisturizing Face Cream, matifying

I did not like this face cream at all. It left a white residue all over my face. Not the look I normally go for! 

100% Pure Nourishing Body Cream, Green Apple

I'm not a fan of apple scented products, so I was already put off by this sample before trying it. What I did not expect upon opening the foil packet was the striking sour hint within the scent. It reminds me of the sour apple gum I would have as a child and that's not really something I'd like to smell like nowadays. 

Number 4 Super Comb Prep & Protect

This month's box was jam-packed with samples with unexpected smells. This one blew me away. This sample smells like CHOCOLATE! It's not a bad smell, but oddly pleasant. It also left my ends feeling pretty soft. I wouldn't recommend if you're hungry, haha. 

Benefit "Girl Meets Pearl"

There is so much hype on this highlighter, but I had never actually tried it. I've used Benefit's "Highbeam" highlighter in the past and loved it, so I will probably end up loving this one as well. "Girl Meets Pearl"is slightly darker than "Highbeam" and very sheer in application. I think "Girl Meets Pearl" is more flattering in its subtlety, but not great for those nights when you want to go ALL out. 

Extra: Birchbox Bobby Pins

I don't wear bobby pins much and definitely don't wear large colorful ones. The design is pretty cute, but I doubt I will get much use out of these, so I will be giving them away to a friend. 

This month's Birchbox was all about the working girl, on and off the clock. I guess Birchbox things what us working girls need is to moisturize; two moisturizing creams (one for face, one for body) in one box? This box was just OK for me. It had a few hits and a few misses. What I loved most was the unexpected smells! This box was just fun to open. I can't wait to see what next month will bring.


You can purchase a subscription to Birchbox through my referral link {here} or just go to Birchbox.com

What did you think of this month's box?

-Claudia