November's Birchbox Review

So I haven't been even the least bit impressed with the past few Birchboxes I've received so thank god this one had some redeeming stuff in it. Still wasn't the BEST box I've had since being subscribed but not the worst either. 

The box did include a gift card to CHROMATICgallerie which I haven't ended up using. Also included was a holiday gift guide including products available in the BB shop. Another little extra was a little gift box since the theme this month was Give. I will probably end up using it to stick a friend's gift in for Christmas. Here's what it looks like:

Birchbox also included a men's perfume sample so subscribers could give it to a man in our lives, whether that's a boyfriend, dad, brother, whatever. I haven't given mine away yet and might not. I love the smell!

John Vavartos Artisan

I'm not even going to try to describe the scent because we all know I'm not good at that. BB card says "It's a modern blend of energizing citrus and warm woods." Honestly, that's what is smells like.So good.
(full size price: $62.00)
(value: $1.24)

LA Fresh Eco Beauty Waterproof Makeup Remover

You know what these are. Wipes that remove your makeup, whoopdee doo. Actually though, these are more than that. They are different than other makeup wipes in that they do not include and nasty, harsh chemicals whatsoever. Which I am all for. Why not buy the brand that is better for you and everything else around you? Less chemicals = better health, right? And they're biodegradable  YAY!! These definitely get the job done, too. And with very little irritation. They're super convenient because you can either buy a whole pouch of them for your house or you can buy the individually wrapped ones so you can stick them in your purse for on the go. Perfect!
(full size individually wrapped wipes (18 packets): $9.99)
(value: $1.11)

Mox Botanicals Lip Butter in Pomegranate and Fig

This is an exclusive flavor but it is quite delicious and I would imagine their other flavors to be just the same. This has definitely become my new favorite lip balm. It adds the right amount of moisture and hydration without feeling super heavy or thick on my lips. I will definitely by purchasing the full size when this one runs out (Peppermint!!!) or possibly even their sampler pack so I can try the solid perfumes as well. I'm all about it! I think it's great too because this company is still very small but bound to get larger and I'm more than willing to support them in their endeavors. 
(full size: $16.00)
(value: $8.00)

Oscar Blandi Pronto Texture and Volume Spray

This was the perfect thing for me to get in my box because I've been thinking about trying out a texturizing product for a while but haven't gone out to actually research and buy one. I really like what this one does to my hair. It definitely adds texture and volume. I have to be careful not too keep it in one place for long though (Too much texture!). The only downside to this is that I absolutely loathe the smell, and I'm definitely not super sensitive to smell. This is just like a dry aerosol-y nasty smell that I hate. It's not that it necessarily smells bad. It's just that I cannot stand this particular smell. If that makes any sense whatsoever. I will continue to use it because the smell only lasts for a minute and I can get over that but I probably will be purchasing a different product that has the same effect but doesn't make me gag and cough when I use it.
(full size price: $25.00)
(value: $6.25)

ModelCo Fibre LASHXTEND Lengthening Mascara

I really like this mascara but it's not what I was expecting it to be. It has fibers in it that are supposed to cling to your lashes and make them longer. I always end up with fibers sticking off my lashes in all sorts of direction which, in my opinion, just looks weird. I also expected this to be a thicker formula. I really love the formula minus the fibers. It give me really natural looking lashes that are still defined. I will definitely use this up but I can't see myself purchasing this particular mascara in the future. I might have to try out some of their other ones though! I am intrigued by the Australian based brand!
(full size price: $24.00)
(value: $24.00)

Overall I was pretty pleased with this box. I can get good use out of all the products and will end up purchasing a couple of them. So, success! Total box value: $40.60. Pretty decent!


Til next time,

B

November's Glam Bag (Ipsy)

So I usually post about my beauty subscriptions earlier than this but I really wanted to get some good use out of the products beforehand so I could give you guys some in depth reviews.

The theme for Ipsy this month was Party Perfect!

I'm just going to warn you right now, I love love love this bag. 

I don't know what I was thinking but I neglected to get a group photo of all the products contained in the bag this month. Oops!

Here is the bag. I'm kind of "Meh" about it. It's a fine little makeup bag but I though it was going to be black and it's actually a chocolate brown. Still not bad. The quality is good and they've started including their own little label on the inside which is cute. I love little details like that. It's made of some semi-water-resistant material on the outside and inside with a pleather zipper casing. The zipper itself is gold.

First little wonder:

Starlet Intense Eyeliner in Chocolate

I am a lover of a good brown eyeliner so this tickled my fancy. It's perfect for when I want to define my eyes but keep them natural looking. It's full size and does exactly what you would expect a pencil liner to do. Was hoping it would be a good brow color for me as well but alas, it wasn't a very good match for that purpose.

 (full size price: $11.00)

(value: $11.00)

Nailtini Nail Lacquer in Millionaire

I LOVE this nail polish! I have been wearing different variations of this all month. It's absolutely beautiful. Firstly, it's full size. It has gold and greenish tinsel like pieces with pinkish micro-glitter. My favorite combination is to put this over top of Essie Chinchilly. It makes my nails look like Mermaid scales! Sounds way creepier than it is! Will have to do a NOTD post on it soon. I am also quite in love with this formula. It's extremely easy to apply and work with. It feature a flat brush which I'm a huge fan of. I promise, this is the best thing the enter my nail collection for a while. 

(full size price: $13.00)

(value: $13.00)

Benefit They're Real! Mascara

I've been wanting to try this mascara for a long, long while so I was ecstatic when I saw I was getting it! I had heard many good things about it and let me tell you, they're all true. It makes my lashes long and voluminous but still very natural looking. The wand is great. I believe it's rubber. It isn't too fat and it has a cool spiky ball tip that has the ability to go where normal wands wouldn't dare. The formula is great however, the very first day I wore it I did notice some flakiness but haven't had any since and I've used it almost every day. I definitely will purchase this full size when I get through my mascara stash.

(full size price: $23.00)

(deluxe sample size value: $8.05)

TheBalm Meet Matt(e) Eyeshadow in Matt Batali

I didn't start using matte shadows till recently and not ever as much as I did when I go this one. I can't get enough! I've been wearing it almost daily! My favorite combo has been Tease from the Naked 2 with this in the crease and outer v. The color is a purplish brown that brings out the green in my eyes. It's fabulous. Ipsy also did a promo with TheBalm where the whole

 Meet Matt(e) palette was half off. I would have bough that in a heartbeat if I had had the money for it. Honestly, I will probably end up dropping the $35. Not only does the palette have some really great matte shades, the quality of the shadow is awesome too. Soft but not too soft and very pigmented. I'm in love with Matt(e).

(palette full size price: $34.50)

(single shadow value: $3.12)

BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in DareDevil

I've been wearing this literally everyday. I think it's the perfect color for this time of year. It doesn't go on as dark as it looks in the tube but still produces a gorgeous plummy color which eventually, if you let it wear, fades to a pinkish tone. It last FOREVER too. It's a tad bit sticky but nothing that makes me shy away from it. It's definitely become my go to lip product.Will be buying more of these for sure.

(full size price: $18.00)

(value: ~$9.00)

All in all, I am extremely please with this bag. I find myself reaching for these products almost everyday and getting really good use out of them. It feels nice knowing that my measly $10/month isn't being wasted on products I will never use. 

Total estimated bag value: $44.17 

What a steal!

Til next time,

B

How to: Depot Cardboard Palettes. Too Faced and Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV

It's been a while, I know. I apologize. I was taking Summer classes and have since started Fall classes and thus have been super busy! 

Today, I wanted to show you guys how to "de-pot" eye shadows from a cardboard type box palette, such as Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV and the Too Faced small eye palettes or something similar. 

What you need:

• Knife, I used a cheap crappy one I had lying around
• A place to store they eyeshadow, some type of magnetic or metal palette. A few examples are: Unii, anothersoul on etsy, or you can make your own! I ended up finding the perfect tin at a thrift store, mod podging some textured paper on the top, and using that.
• Scissors, I used these for cutting through various scraps of cardboard
• Rubbing alcohol and q-tips, used for removing the glue on the back of the pans
• Superglue and magnetic strip tape, depending on what type of palette you decide on, these will be used to secure the shadows to the palette. 
• Eye shadow Palettes to de-pot!

This is my empty palette:

I was lucky enough to find a tin that was super thin. It was originally used

 to store labels of some sort.

I decided to start with a cheap copycat palette I got from Rue 21. This palette set me back about $7.00 so I figured if I ruined it (my first time depotting this type of palette), it was no big deal.

Here is the palette

As you can see, it's a bit of a knockoff palette of the Too Faced 

eye shadow palettes.

I first started by inserting my knife into the side to pop out the cardboard that holds the shadows.

The cardboard popped right out and I was left with this:

I took off the layers of cardboard until I was left with just one layer left, the one that held the eye shadows.

From here, it was pretty easy to just peel the cardboard backing away from the face. The longer shadows on the left side of the palette popped right out. The smaller ones were left glued to the cardboard.

From here, I just twisted the pans and they popped right off! The glue was not very strong on this palette but I'm not surprised.

The next step is to clean off the back of the pan.These ones didn't have much glue residue so I just wiped off the eye shadow dust with a cotton round. Again, depending on what type of palette you choose to store the shadows in, you will need to add magnets to the back. I use magnetic tape like this:

I got mine at Michael's but any craft store should have some.

Next, just add a tiny drop of super glue to the back of the magnetic tape. I found that the tape itself is not very strong so super glue works to keep the magnet on the pan.

The finished product:

Still have room for Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV.

The process is similar to above.

The packaging.

The eye shadows are in a drawer in the palette so you just have to pull the drawer out.

The picture I took of the next step didn't turn out but on the back there's a flap where they closed the whole thing up. I cut along the seal with a knife and peeled up the sides.

Peeled the back off:

Lifted the face off the shadows:

From here, I had to pry the pans off with my knife and bending the cardboard slightly.

The glue on these was really strong but when you pry off the pan, the glue will either stick to the pan or to the cardboard so the more you can get to stick to the cardboard, the better. Especially since the glue is pretty difficult to remove even with the rubbing alcohol. Acetone will also get the job done but rubbing alcohol is what I had on hand!

Voila!!! All done and my eye shadows are much more portable now! I hated to ruin the UD palette but it was so bulky and I use some of the shades daily so it was such a pain to have to pull out that big honking thing every day.

Hope this helps you guys with all you de-potting ventures!!

Til next time,

B

Super Cute DIY Makeup Bag.

I recently stumbled across this tutorial for a mini makeup bag and decided I would bust out my sewing machine and try it out. 

Unfortunately I neglected to take pictures during the making of but I do have photos of the finished bag!

Isn't she a beaut!?

It's a little rough around the edges but I still love it. I can't wait to make more and give them as gifts!

Just thought I'd share my little craft.

Til next time,

B

June Birchbox

Birchbox's theme for June, "Jet Set."


This month's box was packed with items that are perfect for travelling, wherever you're going.

Comodynes Self-Tanning Intensive

I haven't tried these yet but I am really excited to see how they perform. I have never used a self tanning product before and I'm glad that the first one I try will be one that seems to be pretty popular.


The Birchbox card reads, "Who needs the sun when you can get a safe, buildable, and natural-looking tan with these bestselling towelettes?"




Coola Cucumber Matte Mineral Face SPF 30

I have only used this once so far but I like it. I like when products are mattifying because my skin is more on the oily side. A few things that appeal to me about this sunblock: non-greasy, made with organic and natural ingredients, matte finish, and a cucumber scent. I didn't notice a smell at all which is good in my opinion. I don't particularly like wearing facial sunscreen that have that super strong SPF scent.


Birchbox card reads, "SPF is non-negotiable, and the eco-friendly facial sunscreen stands out for its antioxidant packed formula, fresh scent, and grease free finish."




theBalm Cosmetics Stainiac in Beauty Queen


"hint of tint for cheeks and lips"

I love lip stains but have never used a cheek stain before. I really like this one and I feel like it's a good introductory cheek stain for me. I love the color and it works so well on both the cheeks and the lips. I haven't been able to truly test out how long this lasts but I've heard/read very good things about it.


Birchbox card reads, "We're crazy about this two-in-one lip and cheek stain: the sheer gel formula delivers a subtle, long-wearing flush."




Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint

I have not tested this one out on my face yet, mostly because I feel that a darker shade would suit my skin better as I received the lightest shade. It sort of looks as if it may work as a highlighter though. I will definitely have to try it and find a way to make it work. It does have a bit of shimmer to it as it is a "luminizing" tinted moisturizer.


Birchbox card reads, "The votes are in, and this award-winning tinted moisturizer tops the list. It's our daily shortcut to dewy, glowing skin."




Juicy Couture Perfume

This is not a smell that I would typically find myself wearing but I really really like it. The more I wear it, the more it grows on me. I definitely will not mind getting a whiff of this throughout the day.




And last but not least, (my favorite item in the box!)


Modcloth Headband


Here is how I wore mine today.

Isn't it so freaking adorable!?! The moment I saw this in my Birchbox I got super excited. I am going to probably buy all the ones I can possibly get my hands on. The best thing about it is that it has a flexible wire running through it so you can twist and style it whatever way you want... and it will stay that way. I absolutely love the print as well. It's a grey-blue color (as you can see) with cute little dainty deer on it. It was love at first sight for me. New staple item for sure. I seriously cannot get enough of it.


Birchbox card reads, "Pair this retro-inspired accessory with a big pair of sunnies and a two-seater."




Overall, I could not be more pleased with this Birchbox. I am tremendously happy to continue to use these products and see what next month's box has in store.




Til next time,
B