Unboxed: May 2015 Birchbox

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Beauty, Birchbox, Birchbox Review, conditioner, English Laundry, Living Proof, May, Naobay, Notting Hill Femme, Oxygenating Cream Moisturizer, Photo Finish Primer Water, Restore Instant Repair, Shampoo, shoppables, Smashbox Cosmetics, The Expressionist Bio Extreme Mascara, W3LL People

My Birchbox came unusually late and this was a busy month for me so here’s bringing you this May Birchbox review at the eleventh hour to round out the month of May and prepare you for June!

May 2015 Birchbox – Cupcakes and Cashmere

The theme of May’s box is Cupcakes and Cashmere, the name of the guest curator of the box Emily Schuman’s second book which focuses on simple products that have a profound impact. I’ll say! Looking at the contents of the box this month I was a little underwhelmed but after using all of the products I was pleasantly surprised that I liked the majority of them. All but one and it’s safe to say that of all the boxes I’ve received this year, this is definitely my favorite! Let’s get to it ladies and gents!

English Laundry Notting Hill Femme

Oh la la, where do I begin? English Laundry Notting Hill Femme has a soft, airy, scent about it. A blend of lemon, wood, peppercorn, and bergamot, this perfume is to die for! A very classic scent that lasts throughout the day, this is perfect for summertime as it isn’t overwhelming and you can catch the fragrance throughout the day which is a big deal for me because I’m a sweat factory!

Living Proof Restore Shampoo and Conditioner

Living Proof Restore Instant Repair

I’ve heard a lot about the Living Proof line however I’ve never been inclined to try it. Two words: Jennifer Aniston. The show Friends has always irritated me because seriously how do you have a show set in New York City yet none of the main characters are black and none of them seem to have any black friends. Even in the coffee shop you rarely see any black people or any diversity for that matter and I’ve always found that to be very annoying. Also I think Jennifer Aniston is sort of an overrated actress so seeing that she was the face of Living Proof I was kind of like “ehhh, I’ll pass.” If Birchbox didn’t send me Living Proof samples I would’ve never given them a try and my hair would be sad. I didn’t care much for the shampoo. The shampoo is sodium lauryl sulfate free, aren’t all shampoos these days, so good right? Well ehh, the shampoo left my hair feeling really stripped and dry. The sample size was enough for me as I don’t use too much shampoo. I did however like the conditioner, well what I was able to try of it. As usual, the sample size wasn’t enough for my giant head of hair so I had to mix it in with Aussie 3 Minute Miracle which is hands down the best conditioner ever! My favorite of all three Living Proof products however was the Restore Instant Repair, not just because of the generous sample size but holy moly talk about a product that delivers! I put a dime size amount in each section of my hair along with the products I normally use and blowdried. My hair was so soft and smelled amazing! Even my fiance commented about how soft my hair was and when your man notices your hair, you know you’ve got an A+ product in your line-up! I still won’t ever like Friends or care for Jennifer Aniston but this product I definitely can see myself purchasing!

Naobay Oxygenating Cream Moisturizer

The skin care product of this box, I looked forward to trying Naobay Oxygenating Cream Moisturizer as I had recently run out of face moisturizer literally the day before my Birchbox came. The Oxygenating Cream Moisturizer, say that three times fast, contains avocado and olive oils and is a 98% natural cream that hydrates the skin. Olive oil is a little too heavy for even my hair so I hesitated to put this on my face despite the fact that avocado oil itself is pretty light. The cream itself is very moisturizing but it’s not lightweight enough for me to want to use as a face cream, as least in the morning however I like it as a night cream.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water

When it comes to brand loyalty, there are very few that I’m 100% Ride or Die for, especially when it comes to makeup so when I say I’m loyal to Smashbox, that’s a big deal! The Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water is electrolyte infused water that you spritz on your face before and after makeup application. This is one of those “I don’t really need this” products however it makes you feel fancy and like your makeup is going to last so much longer so you buy it anyways. Y’all remember how I said I’m a sweat machine right? Well I found that spritzing a bit of this on my face about 5 minutes after I applied my makeup really helped to set my look and minimize the appearance of sweat. I don’t know if that makes any sense but basically I looked fresh faced and dewy instead of sweaty. It didn’t make my makeup stay on any longer and it’s totally an unnecessary extra step but hey if you’ve got the extra ten seconds to spritz this on your face then why not?

W3LL PEOPLE The Expressionist Bio Extreme Mascara

Last but certainly not least in the May Birchbox we’ve got W3LL PEOPLE The Expressionist Bio Extreme Mascara, an all natural pro-grade mascara that lifts and lengthens your lashes without chemicals or dyes. I like that this mascara doesn’t have all those dyes and chemicals as it made removal a cinch however the mascara sort of rubbed a bit, especially at the end of the day or when it’s very humid outside. I am always skeptical of those mascaras that claim to lengthen your lashes but W3LL PEOPLE’s actually delivered; my lashes looked so long and pretty and didn’t clump which was even better!

May’s box was great and minus the shampoo and conditioner which barely made it one wash, I’ve used all of these products multiple times and have liked them all. Here’s hoping June’s box will be just as good!

Unboxed: April 2015 Birchbox

Tags

April, April 2015, Beauty, Beauty Protector, Birchbox, Cynthia Rowley Beauty, shoppables, Supergoop!, Temple Spa, Whish

Spring. Has. Sprung. And I couldn’t be happier! Spring and Summer collections are being launched left and right all over the beautysphere and I’m here for it! Earlier this week I was rocking bright nails and now I’m getting into the April 2015 Birchbox that’s going to prepare us for warm weather ahead.

Beauty Protector Protect & Oil

Spring/ Summer means UV rays and those rays don’t only affect your skin, they can also effect your hair. Birchbox knows what’s up and in the hair product for this month is Beauty Protector Protect & Oil, a light-weight oil that protects against heat, breakage, and UV rays. Protect & Oil has a very pleasant and light fragrance and left my hair feeling shiny. I tend to put light oils in my hair and regularly massage my scalp with lavender oil so I am a fan of any oil that’s not only going to nourish and protect my hair but also one that will do both without leaving my hair feeling heavy, oily, and stringy.

Cynthia Rowley Beauty Brightening Illuminator

I haven’t had much luck with highlighters save for Benefit’s Watts Up which I use religiously so I wasn’t expecting much from Cynthia Rowley Beauty Brightening Illuminator. This illumintor produces a shimmery glow that on the right skin tone would look great but it left me looking just a little bit ashy. Ashy is never a good look. I had to play with it a couple of times but with this product I found that a little goes a long way. And the key is to BLEND! You can dab this on your cheekbones, brow bones, nose, or anywhere really that you want to illuminate but I stuck with my brow bones.

Supergoop! Advanced SPF37 Anti-Aging Eye Cream

Supergoop! Advanced SPF37 Anti-Aging Eye Cream intrigued me because I’ve never used an eye cream with SPF, that I know of anyways. Although I have copious amounts of melanin, sunscreen is super important and I learned my lesson three years ago when I got my first sunburn. It sucked, so now I use sunscreen religiously. My only issue, and perhaps you ladies of melanin can offer me some recs on this front, is that no matter how much you rub it in, some sunscreens can leave you looking sort of ashy. If you’ve got any suggestions, help me out! Anyways I was looking forward to using this eye cream with SPF. Not only does it act as an SPF, it reduces dark circles, depuffs, and minimizes fine lines. I didn’t notice any minimization of fine lines but on the days I didn’t get enough sleep and woke up tired and puffy eyed, I noticed my under eye area looked better after applying Supergoop! eye cream. Also I like that this eye cream doesn’t have that super heavy oxide smell a lot of sunblocks and sunscreens have to them.

Temple Spa Peace Be Still Calming Face & Body Balm

Temple Spa Peace Be Still Calming Face & Body Balm is a part skincare, part aromatherapy balm that nourishes skin and calms the mind. I’m all about aromatherapy. My near daily lavender oil scalp massages are not only a way to moisturize my scalp but also to help unwind from the day and get me in the right mindset before bed. I wouldn’t necessarily call this a balm; it’s pretty thin and has the consistency of lotion as opposed to a balm however that doesn’t take away from the product at all. My hands were moisturized and the smell of the balm was very soothing. For now, this has taken the place of the Eucalyptus hand lotion that I leave on the bathroom counter.

Whish Shave Cream Shaving Cream

Last but certainly not least in April’s Birchbox is Whish Shave Cream Shaving Cream in Blueberry. I have never used a blueberry fragrance body product before now that I think about it and to be honest I didn’t particularly care for the fragrance. It didn’t stink and wasn’t terrible but it was a bit weird, it made me feel like I was 13 again learning how to shave and using overly scented products from Bonne Belle Lip Smackers. Ahhh those were the days. Anyways Whish Shave Cream is packed with shea butter and as any other shaving cream, you slather on some cream and get to shaving. I found the packaging of this product to be a little awkward as you have to twist off the cap which can be a pain in the shower. Additionally I’m used to foaming creams; Whish Shave Cream came out as more of a lotion which I found either completely ran off before I could shave or clumped in areas. Also it clogged up my razor which was annoying so needless to say I wasn’t a fan of this product but I’m going to pass this off to my fiance. He really liked the smell! All in all this was a great box and there were more hits than misses. Of all of the products I enjoyed the Supergoop! Advanced SPF37 Anti-Aging Eye Cream the most and could definitely see myself buying it after I’ve finished the sample!

Review of Ole Henriksen Unwrap Your Radiance Collection

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African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser, Beauty, Invigorating Night Treatment, Ole Henriksen, Pure Truth Vitamin C Youth Activating Oil, Sephora, Sheer Transformation, shoppables, skin care, The Clean Truth Cleansing Cloths, Truth Serum Collagen Booster, Unwrap Your Radiance Collection

I’ve got my skincare routine pretty down pat and don’t often incorporate new products into the process but every now and again if I see something that catches my eye I like to give it a try. Around the end of December I started to notice some dry spots on my eyelids which annoyed me because who in the world has dry eyelids? Also my skin felt very dry and I’d get these phantom little pimples or bumps in my T-Zone. As someone who hasn’t dealt with skin problems other than the occasional pimple two or three times a year, this was starting to drive me crazy. Maybe I needed to switch up my routine a bit?

While cruising Sephora on NYE (you might ask why I was on Sephora on NYE well yeah we won’t get into that today) I came across the Ole Henriksen Unwrap Your Radiance Collection. I’d always heard great things about Ole Henriksen and wanted to give them a try. After reading reviews on each product in the Collection and seeing that I was going to get it for a decent price, I decided to pull the trigger. I was not disappointed and no I don’t have a bridge to sell you nor am being compensated for this review, these are just my experience with the products.

Ole Henriksen Unwrap Your Radiance Collection. Come to Mama!!

The Unwrap Your Radiance Collection contains 6 products: African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser, The Clean Truth Cleansing Cloths, Truth Serum Collagen Booster, Pure Truth Vitamin C Youth Activating Oil, Sheer Transformation, and Invigorating Night Treatment. All of these came in 0.5 oz. sample sizes with the exception of the African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser which comes in a whopping 4.0 oz. pump bottle. The Clean Truth Cleansing Cloths come in a pack of 10.

Ole Henriksen African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser

The African Red Foaming Cleanser as you’ve guessed in the facial cleanser in the Collection. It comes in a pump bottle and is liquid in the bottle itself but becomes foam after being dispensed. As with any cleanser, you are to massage it into damp skin and rinse with warm water. In the morning I’d use this in the shower and would only need about two pumps however at night I’d use this with my trusty never fail Clarsonic and would need about three pumps. After rinsing and patting my face dry, I was to follow up with the Invigorating Night Treatment and moisturizer, the Sheer Treatment. Overall the Foaming Cleanser did what it’s supposed to do and I really like that my skin didn’t have that squeaky stripped clean feeling a lot of facial cleansers leave you with. My skin was soft and smelled really pleasant.

Ole Henriksen truth serum collagen booster

The Truth Serum Collagen Booster is a brightening serum with vitamin C and anti-oxidants. It is oil free, supports collagen production, and smells amazing, like the vitamin C bites I take before bed and a fresh squeezed orange. The instructions to the truth serum were to apply every morning to the face, neck, and décolleté, the upper chest area. Two pumps was enough to cover the entire area however sometimes I used three if I knew it was going to be a cold or windy day. I kind of took the product to be a primer. You know how you apply primer before eye makeup or foundation to set the look? Well I felt the Truth Serum was the primer to my face moisturizer. Sometimes I felt the Truth Serum made my skin a little too taut but I found that to be the case if I dried my face completely dry rather than leaving it just a tad bit damp.

Ole Henriksen sheer transformation

Sheer Transformation is the moisturizer of the Collection and is to be applied to the face, neck, and décolleté. As an aside, I always think it funny how moisturizers always instruct you to apply to the neck. Maybe it’s just me but it seems like common sense to apply moisturizer to your neck but I think that’s because I grew up seeing my mom do it; some women I’ve spoken to never thought to apply moisturizer to their neck. Anyways I applied the Sheer Transformation after the Truth Serum Collagen Booster and my skin felt and looked so radiant! I almost felt guilty using foundation because my skin didn’t need it and oftentimes I would definitely just eschew any foundation and just stick with eye makeup instead. The Sheer Treatment is supposed to be used in the evening as well after the Invigorating Night Treatment step but after about two weeks I stopped using it at night. It felt like there were too many products going on my face before bedtime which yeah I’m just going to bed but still it seemed excessive.

Ole Henriksen Invigorating Night Treatment

The Invigorating Night Treatment is a very lightweight face gel with vitamins and minerals that promotes cell turnover to achieve youthful-looking complexion. That sounds corny but hey, I didn’t write the description! The Invigorating Night Treatment was to be used at night on the face, neck, and décolleté, as you probably guessed by its name, after cleansing. To be honest, sometimes I liked this product and sometimes I didn’t. At random times it would clump on my face a little bit and I found that the texture/ consistency changed after a few weeks of use. I don’t feel as if it had any effects on the results though. You’re supposed to follow this with the Truth Serum Collagen Booster but the instructions for the Truth Serum said it was for morning use so instead I used the Pure Truth Vitamin C Youth Activating Oil.

Ole Henriksen Pure Truth Youth Activating Oil

The last step in the night routine is the Pure Truth Vitamin C Youth Activating Oil. It is oil infused with rose hips seed oil, fatty acids, and vitamin C, obviously, to repair and nourish the skin while reducing fine lines and wrinkles. The Youth Activating Oil is applied to the face and neck and can be used alone or after the Truth Serum as a booster. I never used it after the Truth Serum though because it seemed excessive and I didn’t want anything heavy on my skin. My one complaint about the Youth Activating Oil is I never really could find a place for it in my routine. I didn’t like the feel of such a heavy oil on my face. Before using this Collection, I used Mario Badescu’s Rose Hips Seed Oil on my face at night as my moisturizer so it’s not the oil itself that is the problem. The difference however is that the MB Rose Hips Seed Oil I use is extremely lightweight whereas this oil was a bit heavier and almost felt like it was sitting on my face.

Ole Henriksen the clean truth cleansing cloths

The Clean Truth Cleansing Cloths are your average face cloths/ wipes but I don’t specifically believe they’re for the use of makeup removal. If anything they seem more so to be an alternative to washing your face as the instructions are to gently massage over face, taking care around the eye area. This is a no-no for me. I have one girlfriend who doesn’t wash her face before bed; she simply uses these types of cleansing cloths, removes her makeup, and heads to bed. I am not that kind of girl so I mostly used these as makeup removers when I traveled.

Ole Henriksen Unwrap Your Radiance Collection empties in original packaging 4 months later. I may have a problem throwing things away!

Nearly four months later I still have the African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser, the Invigorating Night Treatment, the Pure Truth Vitamin C Youth Activating Oil, and The Clean Truth Cleansing Cloths. The Sheer Transformation moisturizer was the first thing to go followed by the Truth Serum Collagen Booster.  I have written about my skin care routine before but I don’t think it’s too involved so one of my complaints about the Collection was that it was excessive. In the mornings and nights I was used to only using two products on my face; with that collection that jumped to at least three or four. All in all, I must say I was impressed with this Collection and after using it my winter skin woes were nearly gone; the dry eyelids I’m still sort of dealing with every now and again so I’ll have to shop around for something to remedy that. Out of all of the products in the Collection, the only one I would consider buying again though is the Truth Serum Collagen Booster.  I love the way it smells and how bright it made my skin look!

Have you tried any of these products? If so, what results did you have? Looking through Sephora it appears they are no longer carrying this Collection however they do have the individual products in stores and online.

Unboxed: March 2015 Birchbox

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amika, Amika Bombshell Blowout Spray, Beauty, Birchbox, Bombshell Blowout Spray, Clarifying Shampoo, Fragrance, Harvey Prince, Harvey Prince Signature, Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum, highlighter, Jelly Pong Pong, Jelly Pong Pong Glow Getter Highlighter, Jurlique, Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum, March, Number 4, Number 4 Clarifying Shampoo, Number 4 Reconstructing Masque, Reconstructing Masque, review, shoppables, spring

Why am I posting about my March Birchbox at the beginning of April? Because I was finally about to use the products a couple of times to give a balanced review. Why didn’t I post about my February Birchbox? Well it seems that every time I have the option to pick my box, I end up choosing a box that has only one thing I like. Then when it comes I’m disappointed by the other products. From here on out I’ve decided to just let myself be surprised and stop jinxing myself. Let’s get into March’s goodies shall we?

Amika Bombshell Blowout Spray

amika Bombshell Blowout Spray

This is a lightweight spray that smooths, volumizes, and acts as a heat protectant and humidity repellant! Instructions are to divide hair into sections and spray from roots to ends before blow-drying. I typically divide my hair in four for washing, blow-drying, and styling purposes so this step was already a part of my routine. I normally use Joico as a leave-in spray/ heat protectant then follow up with Big Sexy Hair Weather Proof Humidify Resistant Spray as a humidity repellant on the days I flat iron my hair so it was nice to be able to use only one product for both purposes. The Blowout Spray smells very pleasant, fruity and light, and the smell lingered for a couple days after I blow-dried my hair. I flat iron my hair about once a month and haven’t used this product for that purpose however it worked fine while blow-drying and left my hair feeling light and bouncy. I will say though that this is one of those products that a little bit goes a long way. I got a bit heavy handed in one section of my hair and I noticed that section felt a bit sticky after I blow-dried.

Harvey Prince Signature

Harvey Prince Signature

This fragrance is the perfect go-to fragrance for anyone who likes a light and feminine everyday fragrance. There are notes of grapefruit and jasmine, my favorites, and patchouli which I wasn’t expecting at all but didn’t mind! I wouldn’t say this fragrance has the best staying power, the scent dissipated after about 5 hours but I received many compliments and it’s a fragrance I definitely see myself buying!

Jelly Pong Pong Glow Getter Highlighter

Jelly Pong Pong Glow Getter Highlighter

I didn’t care for this product at all. It’s a gel highlighter with a pearlescent shimmer to be dabbed onto the cheekbones and brow bones for a subtle glow. Instead of a subtle glow, I got this bright looking gel that dried way too quickly and was not very easy to smooth. Also the texture is very goopy and I had to wash my hands two times to get it off. I normally use Benefit Watt’s Up for my everyday highlighter because it’s a very subtle shimmer but the Jelly Pong highlighter glam was too much for me. It’s a product I would definitely wear if I was going for a sexy weekend look or a date night but for your 9-5 I’d say you might want to pass.

Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum

Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum

This is a botanical based serum filled with natural ingredients to fight signs of aging. Per the instructions, I applied it to my face and neck in the morning and night. It’s not that I didn’t like this serum, I just didn’t know what to think of it other than “natural ingredients and fantastic smell? Count me in”! In terms of actual use, it made my skin feel nice and wasn’t drying but I can’t speak to its anti-aging claims. Maybe when I’m 65 and dealing with ridiculous wrinkles I’ll be like “dangit, I knew I should’ve stuck to the Jurlique serum” but with all of the serums out there and anti-aging claims, I’m a bit skeptical and am going to stick with good habits and hope genetics are on my side.

Number 4 Clarifying Shampoo

Number 4 Clarifying Shampoo

Birchbox always sends me Number 4 products and their shampoo sample sizes are very generous. I was honestly surprised by how many hair products I got this month but I am not at all complaining! Well sort of, I didn’t really like this shampoo. It is packed with vitamins and has that botanical smell about it which I love! The shampoo itself however left my hair feeling very stripped and dry even though it’s supposed to gently purify hair while restoring moisture and shine. Well I can tell you that after shampooing my hair with the clarifying shampoo it didn’t feel moisturized and wasn’t shiny. And the thing is, it’s a clarifying shampoo, that’s what they’re supposed to do! All clarifying shampoos I’ve used in the past have left my hair feeling rough and beat-up so I either returned or stopped using them but I had a little more faith in this with the promises of shine and moisture.

Number 4 Reconstructing Masque

Number 4 Reconstructing Masque

The clarifying shampoo left my hair feeling dull and stripped but the reconstructing masque that was a bonus in this month’s box completely turned it around! I have very thick hair and the sample size wasn’t enough to cover my entire head but the sections I was able to get the masque on had my hair looking and feeling great! My hair was smooth, felt strong, and was moisturized! I normally use Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque so that’s what I used on the other two sections the Reconstructing Masque didn’t cover and didn’t feel a difference. I might stick with the Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque only because the tub is so huge, lasts forever, and is relatively inexpensive but if money were no object I’d totally buy this masque!!

My favorite product in March’s box was of course fragrance followed by the Number 4 Reconstructing Masque. My least favorite was the Clarifying Shampoo. Have you used any of the products here? If so, what have been your results?

Unboxed : January 2015 Birchbox

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All of Me, Balance Me, Beauty, Birchbox, Briogeo, Chamomile Flowers, Chamomille Tea, Don't Despair! Deep Conditioning Mask, eco-friendly, Intensive Nurturing Body Balm - Shea Lavendar, lavendar, Lip Locked, Liquorice & Peppermint, Manna Kadar, Perlier, Relax & Recharge, shea, shoppables, tea temples, Teapigs, Travelmate Sheet Mask, When, Wonder Eye Cream

This month subscribers were given the option to pick their Birchbox for January. Out of the three options I went with the Relax & Recharge box, the headspace I wanted to be in to start the new year, and I was pretty satisfied with all of the products, unlike the last time I picked my box which turned out to be a letdown.

Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream

The Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream is anti-aging eye cream that mainly focuses on getting rid of wrinkles and dark circles. I’m of the mindset that no product completely removes wrinkles or under-eye dark circles, they can only minimize so if you’re looking for complete removal you better be saving up some money and hope your insurance covers the necessary procedure. I already have a go-to eye cream but I used this for about a week to see if there was any real difference and as to be expected I didn’t really see a difference. I don’t fault the product though, it’s widely suggested that to see real results you’ll need to consistently use the product anywhere from 2-12 weeks. Then again I don’t have under eye wrinkles or dark circles so this product wasn’t really for me although I do like the anti-aging claim. I’m officially in my late 20s, wow, and supposedly this is when we’re supposed to start building a good skin care regimen. I hope I’ll reap the results on my commitment to skin care 3-4 decades from now!

Briogeo Don’t Despair! Deep Conditioning Mask

I was a fan of the Briogeo Don’t’ Despair! Deep Conditioning Mask from the packaging alone because I was given a decent amount that I knew would cover all of my hair and might last me more than one wash. I got a wash and a half out of it so I count that as a win! My hair is more thick and kinky curly than it is long, it hits my collarbone, and I barely use shampoo so it annoys me when I get a whole lot of shampoo from a sample and barely any conditioner. This Deep Conditioning Mask is a hydrating hair mask restores and strengthens hair with a blend of natural ingredients. As any conditioner, you apply after washing and let it sit for 3-20 minutes. The tub says 3-5 minutes but says you can leave it in for up to 20 minutes. Yeah that’s for the birds. When it comes to deep conditioners, I leave them in for hours especially during the winter because my hair gets super dry. I left this conditioner in for about 2 hours and my hair felt very moisturized afterwards. I also enjoyed the fragrance which is light and fruity.

Manna Kadar Lip Locked – All Of Me

The only product I wasn’t a fan of in this box was the Manna Kadar Lip Locked in All of Me. This is an all in one lip primer, stain, and gloss that I already reviewed, and hated, and I’ll leave it at that.

Perlier Intensive Nurturing Body Balm in Shea Lavender

Lavender scented products are the bees knees so I was very excited for the Perlier Intensive Nurturing Body Balm in Shea Lavender. I use lavender oil to massage my scalp several times, I run it through my hair a couple of times a week because I love the way it smells, and I even put a couple drops in my bottle and tubs of lotion. An Italian skincare brand, this cream is so rich, and softens as well as moisturizes my skin. I’ve mainly used it after washing my hands and it’s great for the office because it dries quickly and isn’t greasy so it doesn’t get all over my mouse and keyboard. Shea butter is the second ingredient listed so you know this balm is chockfull of it and the lavender extract fragrance falls about in the middle although you only need a little bit of this to go a long way. This is definitely my favorite product on the Relax & Recharge January box!

When Travelmate Sheet Mask

I can never get enough of facemasks so this When Travelmate Sheet Mask also drew to selecting the R&R box. As with most masks, I applied this after washing my face and left it on for about 20 minutes. After removing the mask there was some residual serum left on my face which you’re instructed to rub into the skin rather than wiping off. I really dug this mask if not for the eco-friendliness of it but also because it contains coconut fibers which soothe and nourish the skin as well as giving me a nice glow! I have full nips and a not so tiny nose which makes some of these face masks a pain to use since the slits they cut out for the nose and lips are pretty thin. The slits in this face mask however were really generous and not only gave room for my nose and lips but also covered my whole face and almost extended into my hairline!

Teapigs Tea Temples in Chamomile Flowers and Liquorice & Peppermint

I love when Birchbox adds a bonus product to the box. This month as a bonus I got two tea temples from Teapigs – Liquorice & Peppermint and Chamomile Flowers. I wasn’t much a fan of the Liquorice & Peppermint tea but I am a creature of habit and drink chamomile tea every night before bed so I knew I was going to like the Chamomile Flowers tea better.

The products in this box were indeed Relaxing & Recharging and I was able to use three of them at the same time while relaxing – hanging out on my bed watching Harry Potter while I conditioned my hair and face masked accompanied by a hot cup of tea. If that isn’t relaxing to you then I don’t know what is!

Manicure Mondays – OPI Big Apple Red and New Perspective

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2015, Agenda, Apple Red, Big Apple Red, Kate Spade, Kate Spade New York, Manicure Mondays, nail polish, nail polish review, nails, New Years Resolutions, NYC, OPI, Planner, Sephora by OPI, Set the Stage, shoppables

It’s amazing what color can evoke and provoke, all sorts of images, emotions, thoughts, and perceptions. Red has always been associated with power, love, ferocity, lust, anger, boldness, fury, and rage, just raw emotion in general. I’ve never been a red kind of girl but lately I’ve been become more and more comfortable wearing it as far as clothes and nail polish; I got a red cashmere sweater for Christmas! Today I’m wearing OPI Big Apple Red and am feeling powerful and determined. Not too long ago I was in The Big Apple and was feeling a lot of different things. Being there sparked something inside of me and while I never make New Year’s Resolutions, I decided I wanted to make this year my best year. I want to be bold and powerful this year and it’s funny how something as small as nail polish can help put you in that mindset to do something great.

OPI Big Apple Red

OPI Big Apple Red is the quintessential classic fire engine/ tomato red that works on all skin tones/ complexions. Application was an absolute cinch and although I normally prefer reds to have a crème finish, the jellyness of this finish makes the polish stand out and look very sleek. I was able to get to bottle color with two coats and didn’t experience any streaks although there is a teeny bubble on my pinky finger which is barely visible. I think this polish will become one of my HG polishes and will serve as a reminder to be powerful this year and focus on my goals. One of the things I felt would help me work towards a lot of goals is organization and what better way to be organized than a planner!

Kate Spade New York Set The Stage Planner – ready to set the stage for success with this at my side. I’ve already got a pretty good hold on losing my head in the clouds!

I am fairly absent-minded at best and scatterbrained at worst so when someone tells me something I’ll forget it within minutes if I don’t write in down. Even if I’m good and put events in my iPhone, I will forget that I had something to attend until the alarm dings an hour before the event especially if it’s something I’m not that excited about. That gets annoying and you’d think I would’ve learned by now however with this blog and all the other things I want to accomplish this year, I need to be organized and there’s no time like the present to make some changes. Plus who doesn’t feel a sense of satisfaction when they’re able to cross things off of a list?!

I’ve got to thank NYC, that big old concrete jungle, a city of dreamers and go-getters, for this perspective and also OPI and Kate Spade New York for helping me to get back on the right track! Are there any Resolutions you’ve made this year? If so, have you broken any or are you doing well so far?

Manicure Mondays – Tenoverten in Midtown NYC

Tags

Church, Cruelty-Free, J. Crew, manicure, Manicure Monday, Midtown, nail polish, nail polish review, nail salon, nails, New York City, NYC, Pine, Tenoverten, Tenoverten Church, Tenoverten Nail Polish, Vegan, Vegan Nail Polish, Winter 2014

I was in New York City most of last week for New Years and one of the things I did while there was get manicures with my older sister. Normally I do my own manicures but I wanted to get a mani at Tenoverten in NYC so I decided to make an exception and let me tell you the experience was great! I first heard about Tenoverten when I was shopping at J. Crew and was drawn to their polishes. After doing some research, I discovered Tenoverten is more than a brand; they have three locations in NYC and I knew I had to go. I was not disappointed!

Tenoverten Nail Polish Display

The posh salon environment and quality services would make you think to prepare yourself to shill out of some major $$$ but that wasn’t the case at all, Tenoverten is very affordable. I got the signature manicure which was $25 and my sister got the quickie for $15. They have a wide variety of high-end nail polishes, RGB, NARS, and Chanel just to name a few, as well as lotions and other manicure/ pedicure tools for sale. Although there wasn’t as wide of a variety of colors as there are in most salons, the higher end selections made up for that.

 

 

Along with their own brand of nail polish, Tenoverten carries RGB and Chanel

My sister received her manicure from one of the managers, Frances, who was really sweet, engaging, and made us feel welcome. One thing that’s different about Tenoverten is rather than drying your nails under a UV light, they put on drying drops and allow you to sit for as long as you want while your nails dry. It doesn’t take too long, our nails were dry in about 20 minutes. I use drying drops when I do my manicures and find them to be effective. Also I think it’s great the salon is making a conscious decision to not use UV drying lamps because of their potential harmful effects.

Nail Polish and Starbucks, two of my favorite things!

When I made our reservations I had to enter credit card information which I thought was a little weird but when I went to pay they just charged my card right from the computer. This was great because seriously how many of you out there have ruined a manicure after diving into your purse to retrieve your wallet or to pull out your card from one of those teeny slots? I know I’m not the only one!

The end result! My sister picked Pine, a forest metallic and I picked Church, a rich bordeaux

Also fun fact – their polishes are named after streets in Manhattan. As if I need to gush anymore about Tenoverten, their nail polish is 5-free, cruelty free, vegan, and made in the USA!

Tenoverten Church, so chic!

Overall this was such a great experience as it really helped pick me up after the disappointment that was NYE. I am definitely going back the next time I’m in NYC! Have you been to Tenoverten or use their products? If so, tell me about your experience!

Unboxed: December 2014 Birchbox

Tags

Beauty, Beauty Conscious Cosmetics, Bio Brightener Stick, Birchbox, conditioner, hair oil, Lip Gloss, Liplocked, Manna Kadar, Miracle Skin, Miracle Skin Transformer Miracle Revival Mud, mud mask, No 4 Hydrating Condition, No 4 Hydrating Shampoo, Ojon, Ojon rare blend oil Rejuvinating Therapy, shoppables, W3LL People, Yu-Be, Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream

2014 is coming to an end and this year has just flown by. When I was younger and would complain about time moving so slow, older folks would always tell me “it’ll go by a lot faster when you get older and you’ll be begging time to slow down.” I guess they’re right because I cannot deal with how quickly time seems to be passing. If the passage of time however means more Birchbox then I guess I’m okay with that. Here are the products December brought us!

Manna Kadar Lip Locked in Lucky

I was not at all impressed with this lip gloss by Manna Kadar. It’s an all-in-one primer, stain, and gloss that goes on glossy and is supposed to dry matte however it went on glossy and just sat on my lips. It was actually less glossy, more wet and took forever to dry. When it finally did dry, my lips felt so dry and I looked like a clown but I attribute this more to the color. The sample I received is Lucky, a nude petal-pink, a color that was not nude at all, more like an unflattering shade of pink for my skin tone. Ah well, they can’t all be winners and I have a couple of lip products that work for me so this product being a dud isn’t that big of a deal. It just isn’t for me.

No 4 Hydrating Shampoo & Hydrating Condition

Geared toward repairing and protecting dry, brittle hair, this his No 4 Hydrating Shampoo & Hydrating Condition set was right up my alley, very hydrating, and helped reduce frizz. I also appreciated the light fragrance and how it is 100% vegan as well as sulfate, paraben, gluten, sulfate, and sodium chloride free. I have said this before and I’ll say it again, I generally feel Birchbox gets it right when it comes to products geared toward my hair type HOWEVER I will never get the conditioner to shampoo disparity. I have been using the same hair shampoo for close to 18 months however I go through a bottle of conditioner in 3-4 months because hello kinky curly HUGE 4B natural hair! Because of this I was a little disappointed to see the shampoo was disproportionally large for my needs compared to the conditioner however the instructions call for the conditioner to be used sparingly as it is a highly concentrated formula so the small conditioner sample wasn’t too much of annoyance. One thing that surprised me about the No 4 Hydrating Conditioner is you’re only supposed to leave it on for up to 1 minute. I have literally never seen that instruction before, I’ve always seen anywhere from 3-15 minutes, but again the product is highly concentrated so maybe it’s unnecessary to leave it on for any longer. Plus my hair felt thoroughly conditioned and soft so hey, guess they know what they’re talking about!

 

Ojon rare blend oil Rejuvinating Therapy

I have used this Ojon oil several times in the past and it is amazing! It’s funny, I actually started using this product because my sister used to get Birchbox and she gave me her sample because she thought it was something I might like. And like I do! It is a super-duper light oil blend that helps fight frizz and nourish dry hair while packing some shine. Ojon rare blend oil contains a whole lot of nourishing hair oils, castor, jojoba, coconut, just to name a few, and it is my go to when I want to switch up between Moroccan argan oil because man that stuff is expensive!

W3LL People Bio Brightener Stick

As a darker skinned girl, whenever I see the words “brightener”, my mind automatically goes to “ashy”. Given my experience with brightener sticks and various other brightening makeup products, I don’t have much hope when it comes to them so when I saw W3LL People’s brightener in my box I was like “ehhh…” Luckily and surprisingly I actually really like this product! It is exceptionally creamy and very light. The shimmer is not garrish but really subtle and buildable which combined with the creaminess makes this product easy to apply and blends so well. I’ve been applying it to my brow bone for just a little bit of pop and I really like the end result. Dark skinned ladies do not be afraid to give this product a try, I am here to vouch for it!

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream

I love Korean beauty products and am starting to get into Japanese beauty products as well so I was thrilled to see this Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream in the December box. It is a hydrating cream the heals and softens and can be used on your lips although I probably will pass on that. The only thing that turned me off about this product was the smell, ugh, it smelled like Vicks Vapor Rub my parents would make me rub on my chest when I was sick. The smell fades quickly and isn’t enough to deter from using the product but man it is really strong upon application so if you’re sensitive to certain odors, this may not be the product for you.

Miracle Skin Transformer Miracle Revival Mud

This Miracle Skin Transformer Miracle Revival Mud mask was a bonus product this month and I got to say it is a miracle I did not throw up. Masks are my thing, especially mud masks that promises firm skin and to unclog pores, so I was very happy to receive this however I was not at all prepared for the smell. It smells like this protein shake I got from Whole Foods a while ago that was absolutely terrible but I tried to love and gagged down several times before I couldn’t bring myself to drink it anymore. The last time I drank it I literally threw up in my mouth and that’s when I was like “nope never again” and threw it away. The only thing that has ever made me gag like that is having to touch raw meat and fish. This mask smells EXACTLY like those terrible protein shakes and the entire 15 minutes I had it on was a serious test of my reflexes and I’m proud to say I didn’t throw up and as an added bonus, I got beautiful skin out of it!

All in all this was a great box minus the lip gloss. Great way to end the year Birchbox, here’s to more fantastic products in 2015!

5 Lip Products That Are Making My Life Right Now

Tags

Almost Lipstick, Beauty, Black Honey, Bobbi Brown, Bobbi Brown Lip Gloss, Bobbi Brown Lip Gloss Nude, Clinique, Clinique Almost Lipstick Black Honey, Deborah Lippmann, Deborah Lippmann Sexyback, EOS, Fresh, Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15, Givewaway, lip balm, Lip Gloss, Lip Products, Lipstick, Nude 8, Sugar, Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15, Sugar Petal, Sugar Rose, Vanilla Mint

When it comes to lip products, I was always a lip balm kind of girl for the most part and that worked for me. Lately however, I’ve been playing around with a couple of products, some basic, some outside of my comfort zone, and these are what I’ve found that I am totally digging!

EOS Vanilla Mint

This is a basic lip balm that is automatically amazing because of its unique packaging. Give this to babies, toddlers, heck even cats and they will be entertained for a ridiculously unreasonable amount of time! As far as the quality of the product, I find this lip balm to be fairly moisturizing with a mild and pleasant fragrance although it doesn’t last for as long as I’d like. I find myself reapplying this every 45 minutes or so.

Clinique Almost Lipstick Black Honey

I received this as a sample from Sephora and was going to feature it in my “Gave It a Try, Do I Buy” series but I decided to put it in this post. As y’all know, I’m taking baby steps into lipstick and this is a great product if you’re looking to make that transition from gloss/ balm to lipstick. It’s not exactly one or another but rather a combination of both. Black Honey is buildable and sheer. What I like about it is that it’s moisturizing like a balm but gives a good bit of color that compliments my skintone pretty well.

Bobbi Brown Lip Gloss Nude 8

I’m not really a gloss girl but when I want a sleek look this is what I grab. Bobbi Brown Lip Gloss in Nude 8 is a medium pink brown which I love with my skin tone because it gives my lips just the slightest hint of color. It is a bit stickier than I’d like so if you’re not a fan of sticky glosses definitely steer clear of this however if you’re looking for just a subtle hint of color with a high gloss finish then I’d say this is it. I always wear a balm bases under this to even out the stickiness as well as combat dryness and as a result I don’t have to apply it to often. It does get a little yucky if I’ve been eating and I’ve got to wipe everything off and apply from scratch.

Deborah Lippmann Sexyback Lip

I’ve already written a separate post about this lipstick here however I included it in this roundup because it has really grown on me. I wore it out to an acquaintance’s birthday dinner two weekends ago and received so many compliments! The holidays mean seeing people you haven’t seen in forever along with nice parties/ occasions you get gussied up for and with this lipstick I feel ready to receive and put my best face forward!

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15

I feel like I have been seeing this everywhere lately. This probably has more to do with the fact I follow Fresh on instagram and they post quite frequently but I am not at all complaining! These products are so awesome and exceptionally moisturizing although I will say that it depends on which kind you get. For example, the Sugar Untitled (burgundy mini in the middle) verges on greasy, Sugar Petal (on right) just kind of sits on your lips, however just like Baby Bear’s porridge, Sugar Rose (on left) is just right. The formulas are all different and you’ll get different color coverage with each lip treatment. With Sugar Rose, the treatment is sheer with a subtle red tint and melts right into my lips. Sugar Untitled has no color and has a glossy finish that sort of melts into my lips but can be a bit greasy as well. Sugar Petal just sits on my lips and makes them feel a little dry so I always base it with either my EOS balm or the Sugar Untitled. As you can see, Sugar Rose is my favorite and I’ve all but gone through the entire tube!

Do y’all use any of these lip products? If so, tell me about them or make some recommendations below! Also, my 100th Blog Giveaway is still open however it will close tomorrow at midnight so head on over to see how you can enter and good luck to everyone!

CLOSED: 100th Blog Post Giveaway!

Tags

Beauty, giveaway, nail polish, Nail Polish Giveaway, nails, OPI, shoppables, Winter 2014

Happy Friday!! In celebration of my 100th Blog Post, I promised y’all a giveaway and here it is!

OPI Lincoln Park After Dark

OPI Lincoln Park After Dark is my favorite nail polish of all time. Pink is actually my favorite color however when it comes to my nails I absolutely LIVE for vampy, chic, timeless, and stylish and LPAD is all of those things! It is just beautiful and I’m happy to giveaway something I know polish lovers everywhere will enjoy!

Entering is easy!

1. Follow my blog.
2. Let me know what your favorite nail polish is in the comments section!
3. Voila!

I will pick a winner on December 19. Unfortunately this giveaway is US only but as I continue to grow, I promise to have an international giveaway and absolutely appreciate my readers from all corners of our vast globe! Good luck 🙂