Birchbox April 2013

For this month(April) Birchbox lined up with Women'sHealth to bring us a themed box: Tiny Tweaks, Big Results.

Ruby Wing - Color Changing Nail Polish in Poppy: $4.6 for 7ml/0.25floz, full size is 15ml/0.5floz and goes for $10. Super excited to try this out, both colors are favorites of mine, so I would love to see both inside and outside!

J.R. Watkins - Hand & Cuticle Salve: $1.1 for 7g/0.25oz, full size is 59g/2.1oz and goes for $8.99. These cuticles need some love and pampering, so I'm really glad I got this. I know the value is not huge, but even the full size is super affordable (which is always a plus). Also, isn't this packaging so cute? It looks so vintage! Love it!

AHAVA - Purifying Mud Mask: $6.2 for 25g/0.9oz full size is 125g/4.3floz and goes for $31. I absolutely love mud masks, so I'm glad I get to try this one.

Simple - Revitalizing Eye Roll-On: $10.99 full size. This is supposed to help with puffiness and under eye circles. While I don't get the first, I always get the second, even if I get a good night sleep. They are not too dark when I actually get a good night's sleep, If I didn't get enough sleep they get darker, they are always still there though. I'm glad I get to try this out and see f it actually works for my evil under eye circles.

Oribe - Shampoo for Beautiful Color: $2.1 for 14ml/0.46floz, full size 250ml/8.5floz is and goes for $37. I do have color treated hair(I have ombrè hair), but I don't use shampoo. Birchbox did get it right and gave me a product for color treated hair, but how could they know I don't use shampoo? I don't blame them for me not liking or not being able to use this sample. There's no option in the profile that asks "Do you use shampoo?" So, it's all good.

Oribe - Conditioner for Beautiful Color: $1.4 for 14ml/0.46floz, full size 200ml/6.8floz is and goes for $39. I do use conditioner so I might actually try only the conditioner out.

Value and overall review: 

 The value of my box for this month is: $26.39

 That is honestly not that bad, is not the highest value ever, but I actually am really excited to try out the products.

 I think Birchbox really picked great products for me this month. Out of all 5, I won't use half of one of the samples.  I know I won't use up the nail polish entirely, because I have a lot of nail polish, but I definitely will use it. Everything else I'm sure I will use up.

 For some this might not be the greatest box, or not too exciting. But it fits my needs perfectly and has products I literally never have tried thus fulfilling the purpose of a subscription box. A lot of people expect Birchbox to send them huge things and highly priced and coveted items. Birchbox is a discovery service and so far it has done what is supposed to do for me.

 I can't recommend Birchbox highly enough. Box envy(being jealous of what other people got) will ruin your boxes. Don't let it, don't peek into other peoples boxes, just enjoy your own and try the products. If you still don't like what you get, tweak your profile to better suit your taste/needs. And if that still doesn't work, try another subscription service. At the end of the day, you are only out $10 and if you didn't try the products, you can always give them away.

 I'm in no way sponsored by Birchbox, I just really enjoy my boxes and understand the service.

 What was your favorite product this month in your Birchbox?

If you want to subscribe to Birchbox, you can click here. Or copy and paste this link onto your navigation bar: https://www.birchbox.com?raf=58jbc

 Disclaimer: I purchased this with my own money, and this is my own personal opinion:)

April Sample Society 2013

 In case you don't know what Sample Society is,  Sample Society is a monthly subscription service from Beauty Bar in collaboration with Allure magazine, that sends you five deluxe - sized high end product samples to your door for $15 a month.

 With the subscription you'll get a $15 Gift Code to redeem on a $50 purchase when you include any of the products from the brands you've sampled that month.


  You also get a one year subscription to Allure magazine, as a bonus, which has a $12 value.
  This is my first month subscribed to Sample Society and I was super excited when I got my box.

 I won't be able to do a full on review on this month's Sample Society, because I don't have it with me. However, I can still share the items I got and the value of this month's box.

 Sizes look pretty decent, the only foil pack is the sheet mask, but then again, it's a mask.

Borghese - B Gloss in Fiore: $14.28 0.16floz/4.63ml full size is 0.21floz/6ml $18.50. The color seems pretty cute.

Alterna - Bamboo Style Boho Waves: $4.4 0.85floz/25ml full size is 4.2floz/125ml and goes for $22. I love my Alterna Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil, so I hope this is just as great.

Jane Tran - Hair Accessory: $3.5 I got a bobby pin and a clip. The value of the bobby pin is $1.5 and the clip's is $2. A kit of 8 bobby pins goes for $12 and so does the one of 6 clips.

CoTZ - Face Natural Skin SPF 40: $1.41 3.0g full size is 1.5oz/42.5g and goes for $19.99.

 Eve Lom - Cleanser and Muslin Cloth: $5 0.16floz/5ml full size is 50ml and goes for $50. I've heard awesome things about this cleanser! Can't wait to try it.

Hanskin - Hydro Sheet Mask: $3.6 one mask, full size comes with 5 masks and goes for $18.

Value:

 The value of this month's box is $32.19. 

 Compared to the value of previous boxes, this one is not as high, but honestly that's fine with me. The point of this is not to get a huge value out of your box, though that is nice, but as long as the value covers the price, it's all good. The point of a subscription box is to try new things and I haven't tried any of these products before. I have tried products from Hanskin, Borghese and Alterna, but not these ones. Also, the reason I got to try both Alterna and Hanskin was Sample Society. The first one in March and the second in December. So they are doing their part in introducing me to new products and brands.

 I'm really happy with Sample Society, besides including really good brands(as per previous boxes), they have great customer service. I actually have used up and still use products I got from them. I will have to cancel Sample Society for some time, because I don't have a job and well I would be away from my boxes for a while. So it's a bit pointless to have them sit for a while and not get to try out any of my stuff. It's not as fun as getting them at the doorstep. The instant gratification is definitely one of the best parts of a subscription box.

 In spite of my canceling the service at the moment, I still recommend it. I'm not doing it because there's anything wrong with it. I'm doing it because I can't afford it right now. As soon as I can, I will definitely get it back.

 You might not get a huge value all the time, but you do get to try out new products. 

 I'm sorry, this is not the greatest post, because I can't review the products, but I thought I could share the stuff I got with you, anyway.

 What was your favorite product in this month's Sample Society?

 Disclaimer: I purchased this with my own money, and this is my own personal opinion :)

March Beauty Army Review+Swatches

  If you don't know what Beauty Army is, it's a monthly subscription service that lets you choose up to 6 luxury beauty samples for $12 and also some full size products, your samples will be based on your beauty profile and then you will be able to grab 6 samples out of 9 listed. Their products could be: make up, hair care, skin care, body, fragrance, nails and men's samples.

  I was stalking my mail box all day, because I knew I was getting my Beauty Army today!(Yesterday, the 14th). Only 8 days after I chose my products!! My window opened on the 5th, but I forgot about it and logged in super late to find no samples at all and by that I mean, no samples I actually wanted. So, I logged on the 6th at 9:00 PST and found a bunch of stuff! I was shocked to get my box so quickly this month, that's the only thing I don't love about Beauty Army, the company they use to ship, *sigh* slow Newgistics. Anyways...

Blah blah spring, well if it is indeed spring, why is it still so damn cold!? Don't be teasing me with spring, Beauty Army. It's still super chilly in upstate NY, it even snowed today -.-'

Enspri - Moisture Duo, Sheer Ceramide and Beyond Moisture: $4.08 for both samples, $2.65 for the Sheer Ceramide, $1.43 for Beyond Moisture 0.068fl/2ml. Full size of Sheer Ceramide is 1fl.oz and goes for $39, full size of Beyond Moisture is 2fl.oz and goes for $42. The Sheer Ceramide serum is a bit oily, you just need a little, because it goes a long way. The Beyond Moisture moisturizer felt really nice on my skin and got absorbed quickly. Both left my skin feeling super soft and moisturized. I liked this, but not enough to buy the full size of it. Nice thing to try though.

Grand Central Beauty - Skin Perfecting Polisher: $6.46 0.17fl oz, full size is 1 fl oz and goes for $38. I tried this out today and it's a great alternative to exfoliate your skin with a non abrasive method. I liked it and will use it up, but I wouldn't buy the full size. I can use an abrasive type of scrub and there are way more affordable options out there for that. Nice to try it out though.

Ineke - Hothouse Flower: $1.9 0.05floz, full size is 2.5floz and goes for $95. I've seen so many people raving about this perfume and that's why I picked it this month, but it's just not my thing, oh well now I know that, at least.

Skinn Cosmetics - Color Touch Eye, Cheek and Lip Glow (Teen Tone): Full size $17. I swatched this on my arm and it has a really pretty peachy pink shade, but on my lips it looked like a nude shade, interesting! I will definitely wear this.

Swatches:

Skyn Iceland - Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels: $3.75 for one pair of eye gels, full size is a pack of 8 pair and goes for $30. I tried these out and did see a bit of a difference, then again my eyes are not super puffy, unless I cry. I won't be buying a full size of these because I don't really need it much.

New York Streets - Dry Shampoo: Full size, $17.99. Tried this out today too and it worked pretty well, it didn't leave any white residue on my hair, it smells nice, but not too overpowering. Definitely added volume and controlled the oil on my scalp, it worked really well. This might take the spot of my new favorite dry shampoo.

Value and overall review:

The value of my box this month was: $51.18, really high value when the box is $12 and some change.

 I really liked my Beauty Army box this month and will definitely use everything up. I hope they keep on adding new products to the selection, so I can keep on trying new things. 

 I enjoy this subscription and love the fact that I choose what I get. If you play with your profile the right way, you'll get great samples and awesome value. Though, at the end of the day, in my opinion, if you enjoy the products, the value doesn't matter that much.

 I definitely recommend this subscription, the good thing is that you can't really blame anyone, but yourself if you don't enjoy the samples you picked, if there's something in the store you don't want and there aren't enough samples for it to be worth it for you to get a box, you can always skip.

If you want to subscribe to Beauty Army, you can click here, or just copy and paste this link on the navigation bar:https://beautyarmy.com/account/registration/?referral_id=4ac4804c5a82a5427d88b75ca6031bcc  

Disclaimer: I purchased this with my own money, and this is my own personal opinion :) Link is a referral link.

March Sample Society review+swatch

  If you don't know what Sample Society is, it's a monthly subscription service from Beauty Bar in collaboration with Allure magazine, that sends you five deluxe-sized high end product samples to your door for $15 a month.  With the subscription you'll get a $15 Gift Code to redeem on a $50 purchase when you include any of the products from the brands you've sampled that month. You also get a one year subscription to Allure magazine, as a bonus, which has a $12 value.

Sample Society was a bit later than usual this month, but it's totally forgivable. They announced it would be late, way before it was even late. I was super excited, because I knew we were getting a full size Butter LONDON nail polish. I have a bunch of polish, but no Butter London, until now!
  
  I was anxiously awaiting the UPS guy all day, until he finally got here carrying my box of goodies!! I cracked it open as soon as I got it.

Love the fact that the look on the model is super close to what my makeup looks like today!

The sizes look really good! I'm sure I can get a bunch of uses out of everything here!

LashFood Nano-Peptide Natural Eyebrow Conditioner:$16.88 1.5ml/0.05floz full size is 8ml/.27fl oz and goes for $90. Sadly, I won't try this product and can't give you a review on it, because I have full eyebrows that need no help to get bigger! Either way this type of products take a while to give results, so wouldn't be able to tell after one use.

Butter LONDON - 3 Free Nail Lacquer in The Old Bill: Full size $15. OMG this color is just gorgeous, it dried super fast and  it was opaque with 2 coats. Gorgeous! I love it, it's not my usual color of choice, but that's the point, stepping out of my comfort zone and I love it!

Swatches:

Murad - Essential-C Day Moisture SPF 30: $12 0.33floz/10ml full size is 1.7oz/50ml and goes for $60. I tried this out today, it did what it should do, it moisturized without leaving a greasy feeling. It got absorbed into my skin easily and it has a nice and slight citrus scent to it, it's so slight that I don't mind it, I actually liked it. A moisturizer is never a bad thing to get, because I know I will use it up. I will always need a moisturizer anyways and adding SPF to it always comes in handy. Will I buy a full size? Hell no, too pricey, there are other more affordable alternatives that will do just the same. Either way, it's nice to have!

 Hollywood - Fashion Tape: $4.495 18 strips, full size comes with 36 strips and goes for $8.99. This will come in handy at some point, specially with my bra straps that just HATE being on my shoulders and run away all the time! Nothing exciting, but useful to have I guess!

Ouidad - Moisture Lock Leave In Conditioner: $6.9 2.5floz/75ml, full size is 8.5floz/250ml and goes for $23. I can't wait to try this out. I haven't, because it's not hair washing day, but it smells nice and it has really good reviews on the Sephora site.

Value and overall review: 

 The value of my box this month is: $55.28, wow that's crazy high value! Usual Sample Society value though!

 I was really pleased and satisfied with my products this month, the only product I won't use- I'm trading for one I will. Getting the eyelash product instead of the eyebrow one.  Everything else I will use for sure.

 I love Sample Society and I'm glad I didn't cancel when I said I would, at this rate, I don't see myself canceling anytime soon. Their customer service is amazing, the price is decent, the shipping is great, the products are definitely high end, I love this subscription!!

 Oh I just noticed something, no anti aging products this month! Wooot! Awesome, though from now on, if I get anti aging stuff, I might use it, it's never too early to start using anti aging products! 

 I definitely recommend Sample Society, it's a fun subscription service! You won't be disappointed! 

If you want to subscribe to Sample Society, you can click here. Or copy and paste this link in your navigation bar: http://www.beautybar.com/SampleSociety/LandingPage.qs

  What was your favorite product in this month's Sample Society? Mine was by far the Butter LONDON, of course!

 Disclaimer: I purchased this with my own money, and this is my own personal opinion :)

March Ipsy + reviews and swatches

 I already knew what was coming in my Ipsy bag this month and wasn't too excited about it, to be honest. I changed my mind about certain things once I got them, but others I still didn't like.

  

The bag this month is super cute and I won't deny that. You can't tell by the picture, but the blue bled out into the white in mine, which is kinda meh.

That looks like there's so little, compared to other bags, it's the same amount of items though, but it looks so small lol!

Glam RX - Mini Freestyle Palette: Estimated price: $10-12, full size has eyeliner, concealer, shine eraser powder and tinted lip balm and goes for $16.50. This is a fun mini palette, it fit my deluxe sized Hoola and Bella Bamba (bronzer and blush both from Benefit). Sadly, it didn't fit anything else. This was cute, though I kinda wish it was a tiny bit bigger, but oh well, still nice.

Yaby - Eyeshadow Refill in So Vein and Sand Dune: $6.30 for 2 full size refills, $3.15 each. I loved So Vein, it could be more pigmented, but then again maybe I'm just greedy for pigment. It looks super pretty on the lid or smudged on the lower lash line. Sand Dune is so close to my eyelid color that you can barely tell it's there. Both are not super pigmented and even a bit chalky, but they weren't hard to work with. I liked these shadows, won't be buying anything from Yaby, because their shipping is just outrageous!($11 no way!). 

Swatches:

Look:

I applied the cream shade from the Wet n Wild Night Elf palette to my brow bone and inner eye corner, Sand Dune all over my lid and blended So Vain into the crease.

LA Fresh - Travel Lite Makeup Remover Wipes: $1.49 for 8 wipes, full size is $19 for 48 individual packages. I tried these last night, lately I've been removing my makeup before washing my face, my cleanser does the job, but I do this just so it doesn't take me as long to wash my face. These wipes are supposed to be able to remove eye makeup, well that didn't work too well and left my lid with a burning sensation, really unpleasant. Also, after trying to remove all the makeup on my face it left this weird oily feeling on my face, so I decided to use my go-to makeup remover wipes(Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes Hydrating), just to see how much makeup these LA Fresh wipes had removed, I was shocked the Neutrogena wipe came out full of makeup! These wipes removed barely any makeup and left my skin feeling oily, kinda sticky :S I do not like them, at all! Maybe your experience with them will be different, I definitely hope so, but for me they just don't cut it. 

Juice Beauty - Hydrating Mist: $3.3 1fl oz/30ml, full size is 6.75fl oz/200ml and goes for $22. I wanted to like this, I really did, but the scent is something I just can't deal with, it kinda smells like lilies and I'm allergic to them, like I-want-to-throw-up-from-this-horrible-headache allergic. Sadly, I won't be able to try this out because of the scent, oh well, not really their fault.

Value and overall review:

   The value of my box is: $23.09, which is good, considering you only pay $10 for the box and shipping is included there, so pretty decent in my book.

   This month was  kinda of a "meh" month for me, not that the box is not good, it's just not the greatest for me specifically. I get what they were trying to do with this box and that's pretty cool, sadly it didn't work for me.

   I like the eyeshadows they sent, they are really pretty, I will use the bag and will definitely use the mini palette. I don't know what I'll do with the wipes, maybe I'll keep them for emergencies, but I don't like them one bit. The mist thingie will go to a trade for sure.

   I hope next month is more exciting than this one and by that i mean I hope for more makeup, because, there's never too much makeup. Or maybe skincare stuff, like a nice mask or a hair mask, or some cute hair accessory. Either way, can't wait to see what next month holds.

   I still like this sub and I still think it's worth it, I mean, you get plenty of goodies for $10! I definitely recommend it if you want to try different stuff each month.

If you want to subscribe to Ipsy, you can click here. Or copy and paste this link onto your navigation bar: http://www.ipsy.com/

What was your favorite product in this month's Ipsy bag? Mine has to be the mini palette, though I'm greedy and would want a bigger one.
 

 Disclaimer: I purchased this with my own money, and this is my own personal opinion :)