My September 2015 Birchbox

Hello beauty lovers,

My September 2015 Birchbox just arrived and I love it. I received the following samples:

* Malin+Goetz cleanser = 15 ml tube (value = $2),

* Malin+Goetz face moisturizer = 3 ml foil (value = $1.15),

* Davines Love shampoo = 75 ml bottle (value = $7.4),

* Davines Love conditioner = 12 ml foil (value = $1.4),

* Acure cleansing gel = 30 ml tube (value = $2.5),

* 100% Pure eye cream = 8 ml tube (value = $7.5),

* Japonesque eye shadow duo = 1.6 g (value = $12).

I seem to have the best boxes during September each year. Last year's September box was also a great 7-item one.

I picked the Davines Love shampoo and conditioner during the sample choice period last month. I haven't used Davines before and was dying to try something from them. I am glad I picked this one, I got to review for 20 total points instead of 10 and the shampoo size is really good. 

Actually, all of these products are new to me and I am very excited to discover new skincare. Also, special thanks to Birchbox for sending me this beautiful full size Japonesque eye shadow duo which came in my favorite neutral shades (Shade 8). Its case looks beautiful and the size is just perfect to carry around in my purse. The shadows are very pigmented and buildable. These two tones of brown work great together for a soft smoky-eye look. 

Malin+Goetz cleanser feels nice on my skin and cleans well. I like the refreshing grapefruit scent. 

Malin+Goetz moisturizer also feels soft and light on my skin. Although the sample size was a bit small, I still was able to get one use out of it. It is absorbed well and does not leave any residue.

Davines Love/Shampoo smells so good and feels great on my hair. Lather amount is nice, overall it is lovely indeed.

Davines Love/Conditioner also smells great and makes my hair so soft. I like how nourishing it is. I like how this pair works so well together. These were my first Davines products to try and now I know why the Brand is a sensation.

Acure Organics face cleanser is really gentle on my skin, yet cleans really well. I like that all the products of Acure are fair trade, natural, and certified organic; They are also very easy to find in places like Whole Foods and Target.

100% Pure coffee bean caffeine eye cream is a gentle eye cream. It is absorbed well and does not leave any residue. Brand website describes their products as 100% free of artificial colors, artificial fragrances, synthetic chemical preservatives and all other toxins. This is an approach I like very much as it gives plenty of cosmetics&skin care options to people with fragrance, etc allergies. 

I don't know if you noticed too, but over the past year I noticed a strong effort by Birchbox to include more organic and cruelty free brands in their boxes. I appreciate it very much that they are putting an effort for better without increasing the costs.      

Overall, I like every single item in this box and am glad I picked the Davines samples as my PYS.

If you think of subscribing or resubscribing please use the code "5BOX" to get your first box at $5. It is even better if you use a referral link to make another person happy too (referring person will get $5 in BB shop if you subscribe through their link). So, please ask your BB subscriber friend for a referral link. If you don't know anyone who subscribes you can also ask me to send you a referral, if you wish ;)

For those of you who are not familiar with Birchbox yet: It is a monthly cosmetics&skin care subscription service that costs $10/month (including shipping). They usually send 4-5 deluxe samples (and sometimes regular foil ones :/ ) of usually new and trendy brands.

For more information you can check the official page here for US or here for Canada.

Disclaimer: I am not paid for this review. All opinions in this review and all of the other review in this blog are my own.

My September 2015 Beautyfix

Hello beauty lovers,

My September 2015 Beautyfix just arrived and I love it. I received the following samples:
* Dr. Brandt BB Cream (full size - $39.00)
* SkinMedica TNS Eye Repair – 2 g (Value $13.80)
* Sanitas Lemon Cream Scrub – 60 ml (Value $9.60)
* Nick Chavez Starlet Shine Spray – 3.5 oz (full size - $19.00)
* SkinCeuticals PHLORETIN CF – 1 ml? (Value $5.40)
* Avene Retrinal 0.1 intensive cream – 3 ml (Value $6)
* Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip and Cheek Stain Mini in forever peach
* L’Occitane Shea Butter Soap Verbena – 50 g (Value $3.50)
* NIA24 SPF Lotion SPF 30 – 1 oz (Value $19.60)
* Raw Spirit Summer Rain perfume sample

The box was so empty, they had to fill it with air pillows. To better illustrate, I was able to put my filled Birchbox box in and close the Beautyfix box :/ I still like the curation of this box.

I am especially excited for Dr. Brandt, Sanitas (smells great), and Nia24. The rest will be used or swapped away. All in all, I think this box is worth $24.99+tax or $34.99+tax since the Dr Brandt alone is $39+tax in Sephora (and Nick Chavez is $19+tax), but it is an even better deal for %50 off. So, if you are not subscribed yet but considering, I would say go for it.

Dermstore seems to send great boxes every other month now, so I hope the October box will be even better.

For those of you who are not familiar with Beautyfix yet: It is a monthly cosmetics&skin care subscription service that costs $24.99/month (including shipping) if you subscribe or $34.99 (including shipping) if you purchase a single box by Dermstore. If you subscribe nowadays, you can get the first month 50% off at $12.48. They usually send 10 full size products and deluxe samples of high end and usually dermocosmetics brands. You can find almost all of the products/brands in Dermstore. 
For more information you can check the official page here.

Disclaimer: I am not paid for this review. All opinions in this review and all of the other review in this blog are my own.

My August 2015 Birchbox

Hello beauty lovers,

I received the following lovely samples in my August 2015 Birchbox:
* Rene Furterer LISSEA Leave-In Smoothing Fluid
* OPI Venice Collection My Gondola or Yours? (black)
* Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant
* St. Tropez Gradual Tan In Shower Lotion
* LAQA & Co. lip & cheek tint crayon in Humble Brag (blush pink) shade.

I picked the Candidly Nicole curated box during the sample choice period last month. I was excited to get especially Dr. Brandt and LAQA & Co. samples in this box, also none of the other options caught my eye. I haven't tried 3 out of 5 items in this box: St. Tropez, LAQA & Co., and Rene Furterer. I regularly use and love OPI nail polishes and Dr. Brandt microdermabrasion cream, so it was the best option for me. 

Rene Furterer LISSEA Leave-In Smoothing Fluid smells nice and leaves my hair soft. This fluid works well on tips to protect from heat, also reduces frizz nicely.

OPI Venice Collection My Gondola or Yours? (black) was not exactly the shade I was hoping to receive, I'd rather receive the Amore at the Grand Canal (red) shade that was originally listed under my box. I used to use a lot of black and indigo nail polishes during my teens and twenties, but in thirties I tend to go for more classic shades like red or nude. In general, OPI polishes apply evenly and give rich color, but they tend to chip so it's better to use a top coat with them.  

Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant is one of my skincare staples. I was happy to receive this sample size to keep in my travel kit. I like how gentle it is even on sensitive skin, but exfoliates so well. This cream also smells so good and a little goes a long way. I definitely recommend this exfoliator.

St. Tropez Gradual Tan In Shower Lotion is completely new to me. I tried it once but found the application a bit bothersome. It requires applying evenly on wet skin after rinsing the shower gel out and waiting in the shower with no water running for a minimum 3 minutes which gets boring. The time I tried I applied some hair mask at the same time to utilize the waiting time better, but still I can't see myself using this in shower tanner on regular basis. 

LAQA & Co. lip & cheek tint crayon is a nice matte lip and cheek tint. It applies evenly and gives out a good amount of color. I found it a bit difficult to blend the color on cheeks, so I mainly use it as a lip color. This color looks natural, it is especially good for gym (yes, I wear colored lip balm or natural lipstick shades at the gym :) ).

Overall, I like every single item in this box and am glad I picked this one.

For those of you who are not familiar with Birchbox yet: It is a monthly cosmetics&skin care subscription service that costs $10/month (including shipping). They usually send 4-5 deluxe samples (and sometimes regular foil ones :/ ) of usually new and trendy brands.
For more information you can check the official page here for US or here for Canada.

Disclaimer: I am not paid for this review. All opinions in this review and all of the other review in this blog are my own.

My July 2015 Birchbox

Hello beauty lovers,

My July Birchbox arrived earlier than usual this month (Hurray!).
I received the samples of:
* Stila look at me liquid lipstick in Venezia (Coral)
* Amika Un.Done Texture Spray
* Macadamia Professional™ Weightless Moisture Leave-In Conditioning Mist
* COOLA® SPF 30 Organic Makeup Setting Spray
* theBalm® cosmetics Balm Desert® Bronzer/Blush

I am quite happy with my July 2015 box. Luckily, I did not receive any foil samples this month. Sizes of my samples were pretty generous, especially the Macadamia hair mist is huge and I love their products :)

I picked the color Venezia for my Stila stay all day lipcolor during the sample choice period last month. This seemed like the least bright color among the three (others were bright pink Bell and bright red Beso). I can't work Barbie pink and I already have so many red lip colors, so having a coral-red warm color is nice. This lip color really does stay all day. I put this on around 3pm on our anniversary before we went out and it stayed on all day through the end of a cheese and chocolate fondue dinner :O I heard others complain about how difficult it is to remove it, but I find it quite easy to remove it using some Vichy Purete Thermale micellar water on a cotton pad.

Amika un.done texture spray is my first Amika product, so I am happy to try them. I like their packaging. I didn't expect the spray to make my hair crunchy or mattify it, but this is exactly what it did :/ I like volume on my thin, straight hair but I also like the shine and softness to come with it. Sadly, Amika was a no go for me.

I like Macadamia Professional products and this weightless moisture leave-in conditioning mist was also a winner for me. I like the way it smells and feels. Plus the size is so generous, I will be able to use it for long time. It's also TSA friendly, so yay! for a new addition to my travel toiletries.

I like Coola products, too. Although I do not use make up setting sprays, this organic makeup setting spray was intriguing because of the SPF in it. I like the idea of having a facial mist with high SPF. Sometimes I forget to put SPF on before powder and blush and it's either "go out without SPF" or "remove and redo", such a hassle, I hate it. I will definitely order the full size of this spray.  

The Balm has the cutest packaging, but their samples are so tiny. The surface area of this Balm Desert bronzer/blush sample is as big as a dime and I didn't want to bother trying to apply it with a shadow brush. So, this went into the swap pile.

For those of you who are not familiar with Birchbox yet: It is a monthly cosmetics&skin care subscription service that costs $10/month (including shipping). They usually send 4-5 deluxe samples (and sometimes regular foil ones :/ ) of usually new and trendy brands.
For more information you can check the official page here.

Disclaimer: I am not paid for this review. All opinions in this review and all of the other review in this blog are my own.

Influenster Bella VoxBox

Hello Beauty Lovers,

My Bella VoxBox from Influenster was full of goodies! This is my first multiple item VoxBox and I am so happy to get a chance to try each one of them.

My box included the following items:

Sally Hansen - Airbrush Legs: This is the first time I tried the medium shade of this cream. I always thought it would be too dark for my skin tone but the result was a nice tan shade. Cream put an instant veil on my legs and the flawless finish did not go away all night long. All in all I am happy with the performance of this product. 

Rimmel London - Scandal Eyes Mascara by Kate Moss: I like how this mascara creates a full-lengthened look on my lashes. There is no smudging, flaking or clumping. That is more than enough for me to classify a mascara as winner ;)

Rimmel London - Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss: This semi-matte lipstick glides on so smoothly, is highly pigmented, stays on long even with drinking and eating, and also does not smudge/bleed even without a lip pencil. I love it!

Not Your Mother's - Déjà Vu 'Do Style Extender: This lightweight cream smells delicious. I just apply a small amount on my towel dried hair and style as usual. It really does extend the time my style stays put. I like it.

Dove - Whole blueberries chocolate: This box has everything to make a girl happy, including these delicious chocolate goodness! They are basically whole blueberries inside a layer of dark chocolate, double antioxidants from berries and cocoa. Totally healthy and delicious! These are so good, I totally recommend them ;)

Ecotools - Mattifying finish powder brush: This is my first Ecotools brush and I am totally in love! Hair is so soft and there is no shedding. The brush arm is comfortable to grip and the pattern looks chic. I tried it with both loose and compact powder and it performed perfectly with both. Application is even and there is no falling/residue. I can't wait to try the other brushes by Ecotools.

You can find more information on how Influenster works by visiting their website at www.influenster.com

Disclaimer: This product was given to me by Influenster, free of charge, for testing purposes.

Quick-e drying drops (Essie)

Hello beauty lovers,

I have been using this Essie Quick-e drying drops for a few months now and I think it's time to review it. I was a bit skeptical when I purchased this because of all the good and bad reviews online. I wasn't sure if this would work at all, so I wanted to see it for myself.

I usually apply a few coats of nail polish which makes the drying time longer. Also, just a few minutes after I apply my polish I always remember something extremely urgent (!) to take care of, which cannot wait until my nails are dry, so I usually mess up my manicure :) 

I use 2-3 drops on each of my nails right after applying my top coat and stay still for just 5 minutes at the end of which my nails are completely dry. The trick here is to do not touch anything for these 5 minutes after applying the drops, because this is how long the drops take to work their way.

All in all, I think it's a good product that I would recommend.

You can find Essie Quick-e drying drops in Essie's online shop under nail care and top-coats category and cosmetics stores (like Sephora) as well as drugstores (like RiteAid) for MSRP $10.00  

For more information you can check the official product page here. 

Disclaimer: I am not paid for this review. All opinions in this review and all of the other reviews in this blog are my own.

My November 2014 Birchbox

Hello beauty lovers,

My November Birchbox is shipped out quite late actually on November 11 and arrived on November 17.

I received the samples of:
* Jouer Matte Moisture Tint
* Chuao Chocolatier Assorted ChocoPod
* TONI&GUY Classic Shine Gloss Serum
* Gilchrist & Soames Spa Therapy Body Lotion
* Laura Mercier Full Blown Volume Supreme Mascara
* Royal Apothic Cuppa Cuppa Firming Tea Treatment Mask

I am quite happy with my November 2014 box. Luckily, I did not receive any foil samples this month. I received one full size hair gloss serum which works great, one mascara sample in black, an effective antioxidant mask that I picked during sample choice, a body cream sample which is so so, and a chocolate sample which is yummy. This box definitely worth the 10 bucks I paid, even the serum alone is $15 and I got $6 back on BB points by filling out sample reviews.

Jouer Matte Moisture Tint is an okay tinted moisturizer. It does not cake during the day and does not create an uneven, streaky look. The coverage is not full, but other than that it is fine.

Chuao Chocolatier Assorted ChocoPod is YUMMY! I love the combination of dark chocolate, honey, and rice-crunch. I also like the tasteful packaging and the shape of the chocolate.  

TONI&GUY Classic Shine Gloss Serum is the full size product in pump bottle. It's the first time I tried this product and I like it. I will probably order the full size when I finish the sample. I can't get over the amazing fact that I got this $15 full size product (and more) by paying just $10 for my Birchbox :)

Gilchrist & Soames Spa Therapy Body Lotion looks and feels completely generic. The scent is not so special, packaging reminds me of the cheap hotel toiletry, and it hydrates okay. I will save this sample for the next time I travel, but I don't think I will order the full size product.  

Laura Mercier Full Blown Volume Supreme Mascara is good on paper but it made my lashes fall while taking it off and it's never a good sign. I don't know what is wrong with it but I am not going to risk my lashes by trying to figure it out. I did not notice any lengthening or volume-boosting effect when I tried.  

Royal Apothic Cuppa Cuppa Firming Tea Treatment Mask is a winner by all means. I love the sample packaging. It smells and feels great. It leaves my face feeling so soft and fresh. One tube is good for 5-6 times maybe, which is a good amount. Although it is a bit pricey, I might actually purchase the full size product when I finish my sample. 

For those of you who are not familiar with Birchbox yet: It is a monthly cosmetics&skin care subscription service that costs $10/month (including shipping). They usually send 4-5 deluxe samples (and sometimes regular foil ones :/ ) of usually new and trendy brands.

For more information you can check the official page here.

Disclaimer: I am not paid for this review. All opinions in this review and all of the other review in this blog are my own.