February Birchbox

The latest Birchbox showed up in my mailbox a couple of days ago and contained the following:

• Balance Me Congested Skin Serum
• Davines SU Hair & Body Wash
• Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45+
• Juliette Has a Gun “Not a Perfume”
• LAQA & Co. Avo Lip Butter in “Ninza”

Since the Avo Lip Butter is, well, called a butter, I was thinking it was going to be pretty sheer.  I was wrong.  This is a full-coverage lipstick!  Applied straight outta the tube this deep berry shade is way too dark for my liking, however after heavily blotting with a tissue it made for a beautiful berry pink lip stain.  The other makeup item I received was a BB Cream from Dr. Jart+ in shade “01 Light-Medium”.  Here’s to hoping Dr. Jart+ comes out with a shade “00 Fair” or something because I found “01” to be a bit too dark unfortunately.

Juliette Has a Gun “Not a Perfume” is definitely intriguing.  It contains only a single note: Cetalox.   It is very unobtrusive and ideal for those who are sensitive to fragrance.  I find it pleasant enough but as I prefer fragrance with a bit more “oomph” (like gourmand or woody scents) this one won’t be a purchase for me.

I’m definitely looking forward to using Davine’s SU Hair & Body Wash this summer!  It’s supposed to prevent and treat hair damage from the sun and also soothe sun irritated skin, so it’s certainly something this fair skinned girl will be reaching for.  I don’t get breakouts often anymore (knock on wood), but they do still happen so I’ll be reaching for the Congested Skin Serum from Balance Me as soon as one does.

Overall a great box with lots of new-to-me products and a $10 off promo code!

February Allure Beauty Box

I know I’ve raved about the Allure Beauty Box before (probably several times actually) but I just can’t help it.  It’s my favorite for good reason!  This month’s box contains 2 full-size products (with a combined value of nearly $60), a beautiful smelling candle, and skincare to make you glow!

As far as the skincare goes, I have already tried and loved First Aid Beauty’s Facial Radiance Pads.  They instantly remove dry and flaky skin without any irritation and are a major last minute rescue.  I also received Olay Eyes Pro-Retinol Eye Treatment to reduce the appearance of the lines and wrinkles I’m really starting to notice.  (Eek!  Let’s nip these in bud shall we?)

The full-size cosmetics I received are the Cargo Colorstick in “Champagne” and Beautycounter Lengthening Mascara.  Can’t wait to see how the Cargo stacks up against my current favorite highlighter, Watt’s Up by Benefit!  And I know I’ve mentioned I have what may be the world’s shortest lashes so I’m happy to put this lengthening mascara to the test too.  Also included was a deluxe sample of GrandeLips Hydrating Lip Plumper. I was blessed with full lips so I personally have no need for this, but I have several friends who are always on the lookout for great new lip plumpers, so I’ll be gifting this to one of them!

Last but certainly not least, my nose was greeted with the scent of roses the second I opened the box.  A tea light sized Red Flower Moroccan Rose Candle was inside!  I used to use their body oil all the time and this little candle smells just as lovely!

January Allure Beauty Box

Allure proves once again why they are my favorite beauty box and consistently the best valued.  This month’s box contains 2 full-sized products along with other products I’m over the moon for too!

The full-sized products are a Doucce Freematic Eye Shadow Palette with shimmery plum, matte black, pearly white, and slate gray shades, and a Burt’s Bees Lipstick in “Blush Basin” which is a very neural and wearable shade described as “rosy-nude”.

Next up are two products I have already tried and liked!  I received dry shampoo (which is a major hair care staple of mine) from Oscar Blandi and Dr. Brandt’s Microdermabrasion to help me deal with my dry and flaky winter skin.

Finally, who doesn’t love face masks and new makeup brushes?!  I received a sheet mask from BioBelle in #Beautyscoop which is their hydrating and line-reducing mask, and a travel-size Sigma E70 Medium Angled Shading Brush.

Absolutely love!

January Birchbox

January’s Birchbox theme is “New Year New Perspective” and is described as being full of products that will make you “feel like the greatest version of your (already great) self.”  Let’s see what what we’ve got! 😀

• ARROW Endure Water-Resistant Mascara
• Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo
• NUXE Moisturizer Cream Crème Fraiche de Beaute
• PARLOR by Jeff Chastain Moisturizing & Repairing Shampoo (plus bonus sample packet of conditioner)
• Sunday Riley Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment
• ORIGINS GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream (bonus sample packet)

The things I’m most excited about are the Living Proof Dry Shampoo (I believe I’ve discussed my serious love dry shampoo previously.  Several times probably.) and the Sunday Riley Lactic Acid Treatment.  The Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment gets rave reviews from people with problematic skin so I’m hoping it does something, anything, for the cyst I’ve got on my chin right now!

Described as being a drink of water for the skin, the NUXE Moisturizer Cream will be the first thing I slather on tomorrow morning!  Lately I have just been a dry and flaky mess.  My face feels like it’s going to crack and even my scalp is getting in on the dry and flaky action.  I guess I should count myself lucky to have received the Parlor Shampoo  since it’s sulfate-free and thus not as moisture stripping as traditional shampoo.

Last but not least is the ARROW Mascara.  It’s vegan!  I don’t typically seek out vegan products but I appreciate them and will happily add them to my routine when the opportunity arises.  It’s also water-resistant which means I can be my sappy self and tear up while watching tv, reading, scrolling through Pinterest…  and not end up looking like a raccoon!

 

 

Target Beauty Box – January

Target released two beauty boxes this month but I was only able to get my hands on the $10 one.  There was a couple of things in the $5 version I would’ve liked to try, but these always sell out very quickly so I’m just happy I even managed to get the one!

This box contained:

• Beautiful Nutrition Lemon Clarifying Treatment
• Nexxus Comb Thru Finishing Mist
• Burt’s Bees Intense Hydration Day Lotion
• Chapstick Total Hydration Sugar Scrub
• AmLactin Moisturizing Body Lotion
• eb5 Facial Cream
• Revlon Kiss Balm in “025 Fresh Strawberry”
• L’Oreal Revitalift Volume Filler Serum & Cream (sample packets)

Overall I really like this box! I always enjoy trying out new lotions and skincare but I’m most excited about the lip scrub, tinted balm, and hair care this time around.  I wish Target would do a subscription program!

December Allure Beauty Box

My December Allure Beauty Box arrived and contains the following:

I love lemon scented anything so I’m happy I received Coastal Salt & Soul Heavenly Hand Cream in Mediterranean Citrus!  It’s described as an uplifting scent where “sea salt and warm ocean accords mix with fresh Grecian citron and earthy verbena.”  It smells amazing and will be a great spring/summer scent!

I adore universal highlighters and though European Wax Center’s Oh My Brow! Brow Highlighter is, well, labeled for brows, both the mini mag and website declare that it’s amazing on your cheekbones too.  I’m excited to try it and hope it’s as creamy as it looks!

I think I’ve mentioned before that “turkey neck” seems to strike early in my family.  One of my goals in life is to prevent this for as long as possible so needless to say, I embrace neck cream with open arms any time I receive one.  Tula Advanced Neck Cream is no exception.

Unfortunately for me, I’m worrying about aging skin and still worrying about breakouts.  Fortunately for me, SkinCeuticals understands and has Blemish + Age Defense serum to battle both at the same time!  I intend to use this solely on my chin (which is the only place I ever breakout) so a bottle should last for eons.

Also for skincare, I received Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentre. I’ve heard fabulous things about it and it’s been on my “to-try” list for awhile.  I’ve hesitated in trying it though because some acne-prone reviewers say it caused quite a few breakouts.  I guess it’s time to give it a go!

Last but not least, I also received Beautyblender Liquid Blendercleanser .  I thought that Beautyblender’s solid cleanser did a great job of cleaning both sponges and brushes so I’m certain the liquid version will as well.