Sorry for my random departure from the world of the internet. Last week John and I actually moved in with another couple and though we were really wanting a place of our own I think we will be really happy here. The one problem is we wont have internet until the 12th. Honestly its not the end of the world but it's been a challenge. We've mostly used our data for when we absolutely need to check emails or whatever but for the most part i'm living off of sex and the city dvds and writing blog posts on paper. Trust me I will have posts up the wazoo up when we have wifi. Anyway, our week offline has been refreshing to say the least. It's nice to get to know our new roommates over dinner and board games and have each others' full attention instead of being glued to phone and tablet screens. But I'm looking forward to getting to use my new blogging corner and updating more regularly. Right now I'm actually Sitting in the lobby at Johns work using the free wifi. But worry not, I win be back soon with some reviews and whatnot. So until then,
xoxo,
Courtney
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Why I Cancelled Ipsy
After over two years of Ipsy I finally cancelled. Why? Well I want to start off by saying that I love it. I do actually enjoy getting beauty samples every month and I think Ipsy is the best way to go for that.
So the problem isn't that I don't enjoy it, it's actually that I have too much right now. Because we've been moving so much lately I needed to downsize everything, unfortunately that means, for the time being, cancelling ipsy. Along with that I will be cancelling Birchbox. John will be keeping Birchbox Man and I will be starting a new subscription, just the one- Pop Sugar Must Have. I have decided that this will be the best box to give me a nice treat every month as well as keep my collection of things at a minimum.
So What started this? Well, I was actually pretty satisfied until John started getting his Birchbox Man for $20 a month. The thing was, I realized I was more excited by the neat things in his box than my my beauty items. I realized I wanted something that would not only give me beauty items but also lifestyle, things for my home and for my well-being.
I think eventually I will want to get back into ipsy, my best friend has it so I'm sure it will make me jealous enough to resubscribe. For now I just need a break until I get settled into a more permanent place so I turned in my points for items and my last month for my annual subscription is October.
That's all for today,
xoxo
Courtney
So the problem isn't that I don't enjoy it, it's actually that I have too much right now. Because we've been moving so much lately I needed to downsize everything, unfortunately that means, for the time being, cancelling ipsy. Along with that I will be cancelling Birchbox. John will be keeping Birchbox Man and I will be starting a new subscription, just the one- Pop Sugar Must Have. I have decided that this will be the best box to give me a nice treat every month as well as keep my collection of things at a minimum.
So What started this? Well, I was actually pretty satisfied until John started getting his Birchbox Man for $20 a month. The thing was, I realized I was more excited by the neat things in his box than my my beauty items. I realized I wanted something that would not only give me beauty items but also lifestyle, things for my home and for my well-being.
I think eventually I will want to get back into ipsy, my best friend has it so I'm sure it will make me jealous enough to resubscribe. For now I just need a break until I get settled into a more permanent place so I turned in my points for items and my last month for my annual subscription is October.
That's all for today,
xoxo
Courtney
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Benefit Operation Pore-Proof Review
Hey there Peaches! So as promised I am reviewing the Operation: Pore-Proof kit sold exclusively at Sephora and on Benefit's website.
The kit is sold for $34. It includes deluxe samples of:
so what about the porefessional products and Dr. Feel Good?
Dr. Feel Good: So this is the other product in the box that is not part of the porefessional line. This product has been on the market for quite some time. It's marketed as a complexion balm intended for use either under, alone, or on top of makeup. It is supposed to mattify the skin, smooth away lines and touch up makeup as well as contain vitamins A, E and C to be good for the skin. I find tha application feels nice, and it's got a mattifying effects but I really don't like this to touch up makeup, I feel like it just moves it around. MaybenIm doing something wrong, but I didn't like it for that purpose.
The Porefessional Primer: In my late teen early adult years I've tried quite a few pore-minimizing primers, my favorite being from Dr. Brandt. The Porefessional feels a bit similar and has the same effect and it's actually a bit cheaper. I really feel like it makes a huge difference on the appearance of pores, it's smooth and applies colorless which is great since I'm almost paper white so its noticeable when things have a slight tint on my skin. I feel like you could wear this without setting it, but I always do. The wear time is wonderful. My only gripe about this is that if you have an abundance of black heads, I have some really stubborn ones on my nose, it can make those a little more obvious. Otherwise I love this primer and I use it almost every day.
- The Porefessional Primer
- Dr. Feel Good
- The Porefessional Agent Zero Shine Powder (+ brush)
- The Porefessional License to Blot blotting stick
- Shy Beam!
so what about the porefessional products and Dr. Feel Good?
Dr. Feel Good: So this is the other product in the box that is not part of the porefessional line. This product has been on the market for quite some time. It's marketed as a complexion balm intended for use either under, alone, or on top of makeup. It is supposed to mattify the skin, smooth away lines and touch up makeup as well as contain vitamins A, E and C to be good for the skin. I find tha application feels nice, and it's got a mattifying effects but I really don't like this to touch up makeup, I feel like it just moves it around. MaybenIm doing something wrong, but I didn't like it for that purpose.
The Porefessional Primer: In my late teen early adult years I've tried quite a few pore-minimizing primers, my favorite being from Dr. Brandt. The Porefessional feels a bit similar and has the same effect and it's actually a bit cheaper. I really feel like it makes a huge difference on the appearance of pores, it's smooth and applies colorless which is great since I'm almost paper white so its noticeable when things have a slight tint on my skin. I feel like you could wear this without setting it, but I always do. The wear time is wonderful. My only gripe about this is that if you have an abundance of black heads, I have some really stubborn ones on my nose, it can make those a little more obvious. Otherwise I love this primer and I use it almost every day.
The Porefessional Agent Zero Shine Powder: This product in its full size is actually pretty travel friendly. It comes in a tube with a cap on top and a build in brush on the bottom, I would assume this would make it an easy product to pack for a trip or just for touch ups throughout the day. As for the powder, its not colorless which I dislike.While most translucent powder is white, this is more beige. I found it actually showed on my pale skin but I think it might be fine on slightly darker skin tones, and still be transparent. I think the functionality of this was decent. I used it on my nose and found that it stayed pretty matte, and my nose tends to get pretty oily on occasion. The trial brush they give you is not really like the one on the full size product. The full size brush is more dense and short where the trial is kind of like a flimsy blush applicator you might find in a cheap drugstore blush. I like this powder but not enough to buy it. Although I would definitely reccomend it to anyone looking for a nice travel friendly mattifying loose setting powder.
The Porefessional License To Blot Blotting Stick: I'm not really one who had ever used blotting paper, although maybe I should have in high school, I was crazy oily. However in my young-adult years I havent needed it I did try it around my nose over the summer months and it seems to function well but I don't really feel like I can review this completely since I don't really use its I will say I love the packaging and I feel like even the full size would be convienet to carry in a bag or purse for on-the-go touch ups.
That's all for this review, sorry it took so long to post.
xoxo
Courtney
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Benefit Shy Beam Review
For those you of you who don't know Benefit Cosmetics has pre-released their newest highlighter in a deluxe sample size exclusively in the Operation Pore-Proof Kit. The kit, which I will do mini-review on later, includes 4 other pore-minimizing deluxe sample products, making this a steal at only $34. But that's not the point of this post.
So Shy Beam, what is it? It's a Matte nude-pink highlight, in a similar formula to Highbeam or Sunbeam. However I find that the shade is almost, upon first glace comparable to Benefit's Eye Bright pencil, one of my favorite pencil highlights. The main difference is that this appears to be slightly more on the nude side than a light pink.
Not going to lie, when I saw this on my instagram feed a few nights go and realized it was already being sold in only one kit I ran out and got it the next day.
Pros: Since it's a matte highlight if you're one of those who get particularly oily, this is a good option for a highlight, plus so far I haven't seen any issues with it caking over a basic translucent powder, I have not tried it with a mattifying powder yet. I also think this would be suitable for almost any skin tone, it sheers out nicely and doesn't leave a streaky or oddly pink smear like I've had with a few liquid highlights.
Cons: I did find that it can settle a bit into fine lines and wrinkles, a problem, again with some liquid highlights. however I would imagine this could be fixed with a silicone based primer? I also found that while it doesn't cake with a powder under it, it can begin to look cakey with one over it. My last complaint is that though it's suitable for many skin tones, I feel that it may be a tad too dark for those of us who are exceptionally fair skinned.
The Bottom Line: I like this highlighter. I feel like it's good to have in my collection and I am not disappointed in my purchase. It's not my favorite but I think it has it's place. It's a good alternative to a shimmery highlight.
So that's all for this review my peaches! I'll post a review on the Operation Pore-Proof kit in the next few days.
xoxo
Courtney
So Shy Beam, what is it? It's a Matte nude-pink highlight, in a similar formula to Highbeam or Sunbeam. However I find that the shade is almost, upon first glace comparable to Benefit's Eye Bright pencil, one of my favorite pencil highlights. The main difference is that this appears to be slightly more on the nude side than a light pink.
Not going to lie, when I saw this on my instagram feed a few nights go and realized it was already being sold in only one kit I ran out and got it the next day.
Pros: Since it's a matte highlight if you're one of those who get particularly oily, this is a good option for a highlight, plus so far I haven't seen any issues with it caking over a basic translucent powder, I have not tried it with a mattifying powder yet. I also think this would be suitable for almost any skin tone, it sheers out nicely and doesn't leave a streaky or oddly pink smear like I've had with a few liquid highlights.
Cons: I did find that it can settle a bit into fine lines and wrinkles, a problem, again with some liquid highlights. however I would imagine this could be fixed with a silicone based primer? I also found that while it doesn't cake with a powder under it, it can begin to look cakey with one over it. My last complaint is that though it's suitable for many skin tones, I feel that it may be a tad too dark for those of us who are exceptionally fair skinned.
The Bottom Line: I like this highlighter. I feel like it's good to have in my collection and I am not disappointed in my purchase. It's not my favorite but I think it has it's place. It's a good alternative to a shimmery highlight.
So that's all for this review my peaches! I'll post a review on the Operation Pore-Proof kit in the next few days.
xoxo
Courtney
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Beating The Post-Breakup Blues
First of all this sucks, you're going to cry and it's gonna be hard and
even though these things may not fix how you're feeling right now I
promise it does at least make a difference. I wasn't sure I wanted to be doing a post about this but I was...inspired in a sense to share what I do to at least make myself feel a little better, especially on the really bad days. So let's get into it:1. Pamper yourself. Now I thought about putting cry down for number one but chances are you're going to do that anyway so I thought I'd skip that. I know it's tempting to sit on the couch and not shower for days on end and feel sorry for yourself, trust me I've wanted to do it myself. But the best thing really is to pamper yourself. Take a bubble bath if you can, if not then a hot shower. I like to use a body scrub and nice-smelling soaps then to top it off fancy lotions. It's really important to take care of your body, especially when you're feeling down. simple tasks like washing your face, brushing your teeth and showering on their own make a huge difference, so going the extra mile can make you feel that much better. Of course pampering yourself isn't limited to bathing, give yourself a pedicure or (if you have the money) book a massage.
2. Change your look. You don't have to cut your hair or get a crazy piercing to change your look. Consider painting your nails a color you wouldn't normally pick or getting some new clothes and fixing your hair differently. Even these small changes can make feel a little better and you don't have to dye your hair to do it...unless you want to and that's okay too. Remember hair grows back and piercings heal so if you decided you don't like it later you don't have to keep it.
3. Mind-numbing movies...or TV shows. Just because you shouldn't sit on the couch for days at a time doesn't mean you shouldn't watch some movies. Seriously chick flicks and mind-numbing TV shows are the way to go when your mind is running in circles...oh and it you can get your hands on a tub of ice cream it's even better...
4. Hang out with friends. You still have those you know. Chances are if you started spending less time with them or even pretty much stopped spending time with them to be with your significant other a good old fashioned apology will do the trick. At this point you probably mean it too since you realized you can't lose everyone in your life to be with one person. I figured that out the hard way when I went through my first break up. Just hanging out with some people you're close to can really brighten your mood. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, chances are they'll be up to talk about whatever you are. Just don't get mad or upset when someone asks what happened, they're just curious and want to help you.
5. Pack it up. I don't mean move, I mean put all those pictures in a box as well as everything else they gave you. You don't have to get rid of it just yet, just put it away. It's going to be easier to move on when you're not constantly reminded of them with things like stuffed animals and jewelry. You can decide what to do with it when you're ready. For now just put it all out of sight. This is actually something I learned from a teacher in high school after my very first break up. I'm also going to add that you change any passwords that may remind you of that person or other personal things your worried about. You can also put pictures on the computer on a cheap jump-drive and keep it in that box. Sometimes it's easier to put it away for later than to get rid of it. Personally I put the persons name on the box and the amount of time we dated, not sure why, it just makes me feel like it's the last thing to do so once I do that it's done.
6. Write a couple letters. One if for future you, the other is for your ex. Even if the letter never makes it to them, write it. Don't ask for them back just tell them what you need them to know. This will help give you closure. The letter to future you needs to remind you why when they ask for you back, you will say no. This one is more specifically for you to move on. You can't get stuck on this person. So write yourself a letter with all the things that used to bug you about them or why the relationship didn't work. If they ever ask for you back look at the letter and really ask yourself if this person could have really changed all that.
7. Throw yourself into something. With my first breakup that was school. I worked really hard in all my classes and brought up all my grades. However if you aren't in school then concentrate on your job or a hobby. You need to occupy your time with something productive, so NOT a rebound. Be yourself and do whatever makes you happy.
Alright that's all I've got so I hope I helped you out in some way. This doesn't make the pain go away but it might help you feel better. Unfortunately the only thing that heals a broken heart is time. One day you'll wake up and realize you don't love that person the same way anymore and that's okay. So until then just take it day by day because there is always a tomorrow and things are going to be just fine.
xoxo (from me to you)
Courtney
Monday, May 11, 2015
Loreal Straight Effect System Review
When was the last time I did an individual review? I can't remember but I figured I try these bad boys out. I received them complimentary of Influenster Voxbox but as always my reviews will be honest. So let's jump into this:
So these are packets, which I'm not a fan of but they did give a decent amount of product in them. This is what they looked like straight out of the box. The set includes a Shampoo, Pre-conditioner, and a Conditioner. So that's steps one through three. Now it looks like there was a step four which was some sort of "Straight Perfecting Balm" or something for after the shower but that was not included. So I'm going to go through these one at a time and review them each for you.
Shampoo- As far as shampoo goes this seemed pretty basic. I did notice it foamed up really nicely and once rinsed out my hair felt very soft and smooth. It does claim to be for "Frequently Straightened or Unruly, Rebellious Hair" which really just made me think of my hair as a teenager. The shampoo also claims it has an advanced formula with Keratin and Tourmaline which I think is supposed to help it stay straight longer. The shampoo by itself was nice but probably not something I would go out of my way to buy.
Pre-Conditioner- So the idea of a pre-condition is kind of new to me. However I followed the instructions and after rinsing my hair felt very nice. But I feel like its basically just a conditioner. However it does say to use once a week in between shampooing and conditioning so it's not for everyday use. To me this idea does seem a little gimmicky though. This also is supposed to have Keratin and Tourmaline so I'm not sure exactly what this does.
Conditioner- In all honesty I pretty much just use leave in conditioners. But I did give this a shot and as a conditioner I actually kind of like it. Although I'm not crazy about in-shower conditioner and I probably wont be purchasing this.
Final Thoughts: I don't really have unruly hair nor do I straighten it often if ever. However this did make my hair really soft and actually helped the dandruff issue I was having, although I'm pretty sure that isn't what it was intended to do. I also want to point out how hard it was to open these packets in the shower! I swear I needed scissors. That's really not all that relevant but I seriously struggled with that. So as a whole line I'm not really sure how much it does to help keep your hair straight longer. So I'm not sure how to rate this.
That's all for now,
xoxo
Courtney
So these are packets, which I'm not a fan of but they did give a decent amount of product in them. This is what they looked like straight out of the box. The set includes a Shampoo, Pre-conditioner, and a Conditioner. So that's steps one through three. Now it looks like there was a step four which was some sort of "Straight Perfecting Balm" or something for after the shower but that was not included. So I'm going to go through these one at a time and review them each for you.
Shampoo- As far as shampoo goes this seemed pretty basic. I did notice it foamed up really nicely and once rinsed out my hair felt very soft and smooth. It does claim to be for "Frequently Straightened or Unruly, Rebellious Hair" which really just made me think of my hair as a teenager. The shampoo also claims it has an advanced formula with Keratin and Tourmaline which I think is supposed to help it stay straight longer. The shampoo by itself was nice but probably not something I would go out of my way to buy.
Pre-Conditioner- So the idea of a pre-condition is kind of new to me. However I followed the instructions and after rinsing my hair felt very nice. But I feel like its basically just a conditioner. However it does say to use once a week in between shampooing and conditioning so it's not for everyday use. To me this idea does seem a little gimmicky though. This also is supposed to have Keratin and Tourmaline so I'm not sure exactly what this does.
Conditioner- In all honesty I pretty much just use leave in conditioners. But I did give this a shot and as a conditioner I actually kind of like it. Although I'm not crazy about in-shower conditioner and I probably wont be purchasing this.
Final Thoughts: I don't really have unruly hair nor do I straighten it often if ever. However this did make my hair really soft and actually helped the dandruff issue I was having, although I'm pretty sure that isn't what it was intended to do. I also want to point out how hard it was to open these packets in the shower! I swear I needed scissors. That's really not all that relevant but I seriously struggled with that. So as a whole line I'm not really sure how much it does to help keep your hair straight longer. So I'm not sure how to rate this.
That's all for now,
xoxo
Courtney
Monday, May 4, 2015
Update and Changes
Sometimes life throws you curve balls. This one in particular I was not expecting. This past Saturday John and I's relationship ended. Along with that I've decided a new career path and my life is changing in ways I could not have predicted. A month ago if anyone had told me this was going to happen I would have laughed. Even though Makeup Live Grow started close to the same time as John and I's relationship it always was and always has been my project. I plan on taking a small break from blogging to figure out my new direction and (hopefully) get comfortable in a new job. Fear not, I will be back in June with an Ipsy post and some fun new material. Even though I am undecided on a lot of things right now I know that I have poured so much of my time and love into this blog and I couldn't dream of giving it up. I'm going to get up what I can and finish a few posts for the Campus voxbox campaign. I also have one other post coming up in a day or two that I think will be helpful to other people as well as sort of therapeutic for me. This change also means the person who was editing my blog will no longer be tasked with that and I will do my best to edit on my own, so my apologies for any mistakes. I will have my last few posts up within the week and then I will be back mid- June with some new posts. That's all for now.
xoxo
Courtney
xoxo
Courtney
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Influenster Campus Voxbox
So I haven't even gotten tracking information on this box yet but I got this in the mailbox today. All of these products were sent to me in the Campus Voxbox complimentary of Influenster voxbox for testing purposes. That being said, as always my reviews will be my honest opinion and nothing else. So let's jump into it.
L'Oreal Paris Advanced Straight System: SO hair washing day is my least favorite. I only wash my hair about once or twice a week or it produces too much oil at the roots and is too dry at the ends and it's just gross. It will be interesting to see how my hair reacts to this especially since I already have pretty straight hair. So I will try this on hair washing day and update then or do a review individually.
Softlips Cube In Pomegranate Blueberry: I was hesitant to try this but I've also been wanting to try them for a while. The only reason I hadn't was because I'd heard that they were more drying than the EOS. I don't like EOS lip balms for their formula but they have super cute packaging. The Softlips Cube is heaver than I thought. I expected it too feel a little more cheap but the packing is surprisingly high quality. I love that it's so small and compact and it's actually really cute. As for the product itself I'm not huge on pomegranate but I really like this. It smells a little sweeter than I usually like but it works for this. It feels really moisturizing and sinks in pretty quick. I don't feel like I have a waxy layer on my lips. From what I've seen in stores they have a great selection of scents/flavors so I think I will be picking up some more for myself and even one to replace John's mint EOS lip balm. Seriously, this is going straight into my purse...and then we'll get one for the bathroom and one for the car and a couple more just because.
Sour Punch Rainbow Straws and Punchies candies: Don't get me wrong. I love candy....just not sour candy. I think I wold have loved these as a kid when I loved sour stuff but anymore it's just a no go for me for both kinds. The straws are really overpowering to me and all I can taste is the powder that makes it sour. The Punchies are okay and I think I would really enjoy them if they didn't have a sour kick to them. I might still eat those since they aren't awful but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy these. All of that being said I gave these to some friends of mine and they really liked them. So I really think it's all about personal preferences.
St. Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub: I've actually had this before. John has the full size of this I believe, my dad used this for a long time, my mom used it. I've used it before. I actually personally prefer the Green Tea scrub because it's so gentle but I'm definitely not complaining about a full size of this bad boy because mine is almost gone. This leaves my skin so soft and makes my face feel really clean. I especially like it when I have dry skin because it exfoliates really well. I recommend using a scrub no more than three times a week so as not to irritate your skin but this is really gentle and smells great!
JERGENS Natural Glow Instant Sun Tanning Mousse In Deep Bronze: Not gonna lie. I actually laughed when I saw this. Not because the concept was funny or I have anything against sunless tanners. I actually think it's safer than tanning. HOWEVER I am ghostly pale and this is in Deep Bronze. I applied a bit of this to my inner thigh where my shorts cover because I wanted to test the product but this color looked like it was just way too dark for me.So this apparently last up to a week with the extending moisturizer? Honestly I tried to follow the instructions but I really just wasn't seeing much in the way of results. I think to get a tanned look you really have to layer it. So I feel like for that reason it could look a little patchy? I think I will try this again later in the week since we should get getting some much needed sun around here. I'll do an individual review on this in the coming weeks.
So that is what was in the Campus Voxbox. I will most likely be doing a separate review on the L'oreal Advanced Hair Care system. I will also have a skin care routine up hopefully soon and it will feature the St. Ives Apricot Scrub. I hope you enjoyed this post or found it helpful!
xoxo
Courtney
L'Oreal Paris Advanced Straight System: SO hair washing day is my least favorite. I only wash my hair about once or twice a week or it produces too much oil at the roots and is too dry at the ends and it's just gross. It will be interesting to see how my hair reacts to this especially since I already have pretty straight hair. So I will try this on hair washing day and update then or do a review individually.Softlips Cube In Pomegranate Blueberry: I was hesitant to try this but I've also been wanting to try them for a while. The only reason I hadn't was because I'd heard that they were more drying than the EOS. I don't like EOS lip balms for their formula but they have super cute packaging. The Softlips Cube is heaver than I thought. I expected it too feel a little more cheap but the packing is surprisingly high quality. I love that it's so small and compact and it's actually really cute. As for the product itself I'm not huge on pomegranate but I really like this. It smells a little sweeter than I usually like but it works for this. It feels really moisturizing and sinks in pretty quick. I don't feel like I have a waxy layer on my lips. From what I've seen in stores they have a great selection of scents/flavors so I think I will be picking up some more for myself and even one to replace John's mint EOS lip balm. Seriously, this is going straight into my purse...and then we'll get one for the bathroom and one for the car and a couple more just because.Sour Punch Rainbow Straws and Punchies candies: Don't get me wrong. I love candy....just not sour candy. I think I wold have loved these as a kid when I loved sour stuff but anymore it's just a no go for me for both kinds. The straws are really overpowering to me and all I can taste is the powder that makes it sour. The Punchies are okay and I think I would really enjoy them if they didn't have a sour kick to them. I might still eat those since they aren't awful but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy these. All of that being said I gave these to some friends of mine and they really liked them. So I really think it's all about personal preferences. St. Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub: I've actually had this before. John has the full size of this I believe, my dad used this for a long time, my mom used it. I've used it before. I actually personally prefer the Green Tea scrub because it's so gentle but I'm definitely not complaining about a full size of this bad boy because mine is almost gone. This leaves my skin so soft and makes my face feel really clean. I especially like it when I have dry skin because it exfoliates really well. I recommend using a scrub no more than three times a week so as not to irritate your skin but this is really gentle and smells great!
So that is what was in the Campus Voxbox. I will most likely be doing a separate review on the L'oreal Advanced Hair Care system. I will also have a skin care routine up hopefully soon and it will feature the St. Ives Apricot Scrub. I hope you enjoyed this post or found it helpful!
xoxo
Courtney
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Beauty Subscription Smackdown Part 3. Birchbox vs. Ipsy March 2015
Ha! One was at least on time! Mostly...My Birchbox had a billing issue this month so it was sent out a little late which is why this is only just getting up now.
So Ipsy arrived first therefore they will be first in this post.
The theme for this months bag is "Floral Fantasy" which I think is nice for the spring. I really liked the bag itself as well it looks really classic in a way. Not too overdone.
So here is what I got:
NYX Cosmetics Butter Lipstick (color) $6 - So even though I haven't really been into lipsticks lately I like this color. Its pretty comfortable and It's really creamy. I can't wait to wear this out on a date.
Boo Boo Cover-up (medium) $7.64 - Can I just point out a major flop on Ipsy's part? I'm extremely fair skinned and this just isn't gonna work. I was psyched to try this but I'm very pale and this color will never work for me even in the summer. So I am pretty bummed about that. However I think I can mix this with my Maybelline Master Conceal to make this wearable.
Gilchrist & Soames London Collection Body Lotion $5 - Even though I wasn't all that excited about this brand because I got two products from this brand in my last birchbox I really like this lotion. I also feel like the packaging looks and feels really sturdy so I wouldn't mind displaying it. I think the lotion itself feels a little thin but moisturizes pretty well without feeling super greasy. John also likes the smell so I might get him the full size.
VINTAGE by Jessica Liebeskind Illuminating Face Highlighter $10 - As far as I could tell this was a sample sized item. Though I couldn't find a size on the full size product, I guessed on the price. About the product though, I do love the shimmer and its so soft. I love this and I think its a great product, I might actually buy the full size.
Also I spent my points on a bonus item. Malin + Goetz Mojito Lip Balm I have a full size of this already but its one of my absolute favorites so I snagged this for 500 points.
Total Value: $35.06 (without bonus item) I really enjoyed this month's bag. I felt like it was well rounded and well within my comfort zone. I enjoyed the brands that were in here and look forward to what April's bag will bring.
Now onto Birchbox.
This month's theme was "creative" As far as I can tell there was little variation in the design of our boxes this month. I really like all of it and I'm pretty excited to at least have another cute box. As for products this month I wasn't super excited about the selection of stuff to be sent out but there looked like there were some interesting products in the mix so lets get started:
Vasanti Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvanator $5.62 - Honestly I was pretty hesitant about using any sort of microdermabrasion product. Recently whenever I use them I break out really badly and I get big red angry pimples...Not sexy. So I've been steering away from them. Right now my face is remarkably clear except my blackheads and so I'm really trying to find a way to get rid of those and keep the big pimples away too.
Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle $1.37 - This is one of those products I just haven't had a chance to try. I don't really need anymore hair protectors. So it may take me a while to get around to this.
Harvey Prince Imperial Gardenia $1 - Again with perfume samples? I really don't want them. I don't have any sort of issues getting my hands on those and its actually pretty darn cheap in my opinion. They aren't worth a lot product wise and I just don't wear perfume very often so I have no desire to own these.
Jelly Pong Pong Glow Getter Highlighter $12.75 - I was super excited about this. I really like cream-consistency highlighters.This kind of reminds me of High Beam from Benefit but I actually think this is easier to blend. I don't like the applicator but I love the product.
Temple Spa Peace Be Still Calming Face and Body Balm $4.83 - Most likely I wont use this on my face but I think its nice for body. I'm just really particular about what I put on my face when it comes to lotions. I think it has a nice subtle scent and it absorbs really quickly but I don't love it enough to buy a full size.
I felt like the selection of types of items was similar to my ipsy. So again I really liked the box. It was also well-rounded and I'm pretty excited. Total Value: $25.57.
And the winner is...Both! It's a tie. I really felt like both of my boxes were similar. I got a highlighter, a cleanser, and a lotion in both. I also got a product I didn't like in each and a product I like but wont get a ton of use out of. I'm choosing not to take my ipsypoints item into the mix because I picked that with my earned points. The box and the bag were equally cute and I really liked both and couldn't pick one or the other.
So originally this was supposed to be my last Birchbox but I forgot to cancel. I will be getting a April box and I'm actually considering keeping Birchbox for a while but I haven't decided yet. Either way I don't think I will be posting reviews for April since I'm working hard on a couple other projects. This is really late so I have even looked at what I'm getting from Ipsy and Birchbox already and just based off of that I may do an Ipsy review but we'll have to wait and see. So I hope you like this review and if your interested in signing up for either of these companies my referral links are in the side bar.
xoxo
Courtney
So Ipsy arrived first therefore they will be first in this post.
The theme for this months bag is "Floral Fantasy" which I think is nice for the spring. I really liked the bag itself as well it looks really classic in a way. Not too overdone.
So here is what I got:
NYX Cosmetics Butter Lipstick (color) $6 - So even though I haven't really been into lipsticks lately I like this color. Its pretty comfortable and It's really creamy. I can't wait to wear this out on a date.
Boo Boo Cover-up (medium) $7.64 - Can I just point out a major flop on Ipsy's part? I'm extremely fair skinned and this just isn't gonna work. I was psyched to try this but I'm very pale and this color will never work for me even in the summer. So I am pretty bummed about that. However I think I can mix this with my Maybelline Master Conceal to make this wearable.
Pūr~lisse beauty Pūr~delicate gentle soymilk cleanser & makeup remover $6.42 - I actually really like this brand so I was excited to see another product from them. I really like trying new facial cleansers and I have tested this one and it seems to work nicely. It doesn't foam and kind of has the feeling of a cleansing balm so I think I'm going to take this on trips with me instead of my expensive cleanser.
Gilchrist & Soames London Collection Body Lotion $5 - Even though I wasn't all that excited about this brand because I got two products from this brand in my last birchbox I really like this lotion. I also feel like the packaging looks and feels really sturdy so I wouldn't mind displaying it. I think the lotion itself feels a little thin but moisturizes pretty well without feeling super greasy. John also likes the smell so I might get him the full size.
VINTAGE by Jessica Liebeskind Illuminating Face Highlighter $10 - As far as I could tell this was a sample sized item. Though I couldn't find a size on the full size product, I guessed on the price. About the product though, I do love the shimmer and its so soft. I love this and I think its a great product, I might actually buy the full size.
Also I spent my points on a bonus item. Malin + Goetz Mojito Lip Balm I have a full size of this already but its one of my absolute favorites so I snagged this for 500 points.
Total Value: $35.06 (without bonus item) I really enjoyed this month's bag. I felt like it was well rounded and well within my comfort zone. I enjoyed the brands that were in here and look forward to what April's bag will bring.
Now onto Birchbox.
This month's theme was "creative" As far as I can tell there was little variation in the design of our boxes this month. I really like all of it and I'm pretty excited to at least have another cute box. As for products this month I wasn't super excited about the selection of stuff to be sent out but there looked like there were some interesting products in the mix so lets get started:
Vasanti Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvanator $5.62 - Honestly I was pretty hesitant about using any sort of microdermabrasion product. Recently whenever I use them I break out really badly and I get big red angry pimples...Not sexy. So I've been steering away from them. Right now my face is remarkably clear except my blackheads and so I'm really trying to find a way to get rid of those and keep the big pimples away too.
Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle $1.37 - This is one of those products I just haven't had a chance to try. I don't really need anymore hair protectors. So it may take me a while to get around to this.
Harvey Prince Imperial Gardenia $1 - Again with perfume samples? I really don't want them. I don't have any sort of issues getting my hands on those and its actually pretty darn cheap in my opinion. They aren't worth a lot product wise and I just don't wear perfume very often so I have no desire to own these.
Jelly Pong Pong Glow Getter Highlighter $12.75 - I was super excited about this. I really like cream-consistency highlighters.This kind of reminds me of High Beam from Benefit but I actually think this is easier to blend. I don't like the applicator but I love the product.
Temple Spa Peace Be Still Calming Face and Body Balm $4.83 - Most likely I wont use this on my face but I think its nice for body. I'm just really particular about what I put on my face when it comes to lotions. I think it has a nice subtle scent and it absorbs really quickly but I don't love it enough to buy a full size.
I felt like the selection of types of items was similar to my ipsy. So again I really liked the box. It was also well-rounded and I'm pretty excited. Total Value: $25.57.
And the winner is...Both! It's a tie. I really felt like both of my boxes were similar. I got a highlighter, a cleanser, and a lotion in both. I also got a product I didn't like in each and a product I like but wont get a ton of use out of. I'm choosing not to take my ipsypoints item into the mix because I picked that with my earned points. The box and the bag were equally cute and I really liked both and couldn't pick one or the other.
So originally this was supposed to be my last Birchbox but I forgot to cancel. I will be getting a April box and I'm actually considering keeping Birchbox for a while but I haven't decided yet. Either way I don't think I will be posting reviews for April since I'm working hard on a couple other projects. This is really late so I have even looked at what I'm getting from Ipsy and Birchbox already and just based off of that I may do an Ipsy review but we'll have to wait and see. So I hope you like this review and if your interested in signing up for either of these companies my referral links are in the side bar.
xoxo
Courtney
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Beauty Subscription Smackdown Part 3: Ipsy vs. Birchbox February 2015
February was a busy month for me (sorry I suck at being on time with these guys). Several birthdays to remember (including my own and Johns), Valentines day and some other important dates in my life are in February but I'm still as excited as ever to get my subscription boxes so let's get into it!
I'm going to start with Birchbox, now for the last boxes I've gotten I've noticed one things that has really bothered me--they keep showing sneak peeks of amazing products to be in the box but then I get stuff that I'm not all the excited about. However I peaked this month (unable to contain my excitement) and I'm pretty excited to say that this month Birchbox may give ipsy a run for their money.
Keeping up with their promise of beautiful boxes, the February Birchbox has put a modern twist on their theme "Friendship" with this box using text blurbs. I think it's pretty cute so like the others I will be keeping this box.
Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser $2.63- I'm not sure if it was hormones or the product itself but I broke out so bad while I was using this. I was excited to see this brand and the sample size is decent. It was lightly foaming, which I like, but I just wasn't that impressed. I think I may try this again in a few weeks and see if it makes a difference.
Gilchrist & Soams Spa Therapy Body Wash $2.53- So I haven't tried this yet, but I do like that I get travel-convent sizes in subscription boxes. I will most likely save this for a trip with John.The scent is nice and pretty gender neutral so we'll probably share it.
The Balm Cosmetics Read My Lips Lip Gloss (BAM!) $4- As much as I've always wanted to try some The Balm products I rarely wear lip gloss. I like the color and the texture but I just don't wear things like this to work or running errands, so it doesn't get a ton of use. Still it's a great color and texture and the size is fantastic for a lip gloss sample.
Beauty Blender and Mini Solid Cleanser $25- I was very excited when I saw this was coming in my box. I have had one beauty blender in my whole makeup life and when it died I was unable to justify a new one. Since then I have been searching for a cheaper dupe but no such luck yet. I defiantly love this product and I'm glad to have a new one. As for the cleanser I haven't tried that yet but I'm excited to get the chance.
BeeKind Conditioner (1.87) $- Again this is another product I will most likely keep for traveling. I'm not really one for conditioners that I use in the shower so I couldn't really tell you how well this works. However I do have to say that I'm very disappointed in the packaging since it isn't resealable.
Box Total:$36.03 So I wasn't super excited about this box but it wasn't necessarily a miss for me either. I think I will eventually use these products but for the most part I'm just going to travel with them at some point. Obviously I liked the Beauty Blender and that definitely made up for the other not-so-exciting products.
Now Onto Ipsy...
This Month's Theme was #IpsyLove. Quite frankly the theme wasn't all that exciting to me and it did sound pretty cheesy but I did like the bag design. I thought that it was really cute and it feels super sturdy.
So here's what came in the bag:
City Color Cosmetics Creamy Lip Stain (Flirtini) $4.99- The texture if this is a lot thicker than I was expecting. It still feels light weigh which was surprising as was how comfortable this was to have on. I wish the stain lasted a little longer on the lips but it does stay fresh looking for a few hours. Overall the product was good for what is was but not something I would purchase in the future.
Emite Makeup Professional Eyelash Curler $25- The reviews I saw on this made me nervous because everyone was talking about how it chopped off their eyelashes. Ipsy did send out an email about some being defective. I have not had any such problems with this. It actually fits really well to my eye shape and is comfortable to use. I wouldn't say it changed my mind about spending lots on a lash curler since it didn't curl my lashes a lot and I much prefer my Andrea's Choice one.
Eva NYC Up All Night Volumizing Spray $10- Unfortunately I haven't been able to try this yet.
On the directions it does say to use before blow drying to add volume or on styled hair to revitalize the look. I haven't blow dried or styled my hair since I got my bag but I didn't need another blow dry thing. I have 3 but I guess I'm stocking up. Regardless I'm still excited to try.
Mitchell and Peach Fine Radiance Face Oil $17- I wasn't sure if I was excited to try this or not. On one hand my skin is very sensitive and I break out easily. On the other hand I've been interested in face oils for a while since they are supposed to be good for your skin. I ended up loving this. I use it after my nightly cleansing mask to hydrate my skin and it leaves my face so soft. I will definitely be buying more.
Model Co. Blush Cheek Powder (Cosmopolitan) $9.42- This is such a pretty color. Lately I've really been into softer pinks for blushes and this is no exception. It sheers out beautify for a more natural look or it can build up nicely to a very barbie pink color. This is definitely my new favorite blush.
Bag Total $66.41 As a whole I really enjoyed this months bag. I think I got some products that I will continue to get great use out of. I liked that I got a mixture of makeup, skincare and hair and the value is hard to beat!
The winner is...IPSY! Again I just think that Ipsy had the better month. I got some awesome samples, great spring colors, a tool, skincare that works great, and some more hair products to try. I think they had some quality products and a great mix this month. Birchbox also sent out awesome brands and I am still very excited about it but it just wasn't as exciting to me as Ipsy.
If you are interested in signing up for either of these boxes my referral links can be found to the left of this post! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!
xoxo
Courtney
I'm going to start with Birchbox, now for the last boxes I've gotten I've noticed one things that has really bothered me--they keep showing sneak peeks of amazing products to be in the box but then I get stuff that I'm not all the excited about. However I peaked this month (unable to contain my excitement) and I'm pretty excited to say that this month Birchbox may give ipsy a run for their money.
Keeping up with their promise of beautiful boxes, the February Birchbox has put a modern twist on their theme "Friendship" with this box using text blurbs. I think it's pretty cute so like the others I will be keeping this box.
Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser $2.63- I'm not sure if it was hormones or the product itself but I broke out so bad while I was using this. I was excited to see this brand and the sample size is decent. It was lightly foaming, which I like, but I just wasn't that impressed. I think I may try this again in a few weeks and see if it makes a difference.
Gilchrist & Soams Spa Therapy Body Wash $2.53- So I haven't tried this yet, but I do like that I get travel-convent sizes in subscription boxes. I will most likely save this for a trip with John.The scent is nice and pretty gender neutral so we'll probably share it.
The Balm Cosmetics Read My Lips Lip Gloss (BAM!) $4- As much as I've always wanted to try some The Balm products I rarely wear lip gloss. I like the color and the texture but I just don't wear things like this to work or running errands, so it doesn't get a ton of use. Still it's a great color and texture and the size is fantastic for a lip gloss sample.
Beauty Blender and Mini Solid Cleanser $25- I was very excited when I saw this was coming in my box. I have had one beauty blender in my whole makeup life and when it died I was unable to justify a new one. Since then I have been searching for a cheaper dupe but no such luck yet. I defiantly love this product and I'm glad to have a new one. As for the cleanser I haven't tried that yet but I'm excited to get the chance.
BeeKind Conditioner (1.87) $- Again this is another product I will most likely keep for traveling. I'm not really one for conditioners that I use in the shower so I couldn't really tell you how well this works. However I do have to say that I'm very disappointed in the packaging since it isn't resealable.
Box Total:$36.03 So I wasn't super excited about this box but it wasn't necessarily a miss for me either. I think I will eventually use these products but for the most part I'm just going to travel with them at some point. Obviously I liked the Beauty Blender and that definitely made up for the other not-so-exciting products.
Now Onto Ipsy...
This Month's Theme was #IpsyLove. Quite frankly the theme wasn't all that exciting to me and it did sound pretty cheesy but I did like the bag design. I thought that it was really cute and it feels super sturdy.
So here's what came in the bag:
City Color Cosmetics Creamy Lip Stain (Flirtini) $4.99- The texture if this is a lot thicker than I was expecting. It still feels light weigh which was surprising as was how comfortable this was to have on. I wish the stain lasted a little longer on the lips but it does stay fresh looking for a few hours. Overall the product was good for what is was but not something I would purchase in the future.
Emite Makeup Professional Eyelash Curler $25- The reviews I saw on this made me nervous because everyone was talking about how it chopped off their eyelashes. Ipsy did send out an email about some being defective. I have not had any such problems with this. It actually fits really well to my eye shape and is comfortable to use. I wouldn't say it changed my mind about spending lots on a lash curler since it didn't curl my lashes a lot and I much prefer my Andrea's Choice one.
Eva NYC Up All Night Volumizing Spray $10- Unfortunately I haven't been able to try this yet.
On the directions it does say to use before blow drying to add volume or on styled hair to revitalize the look. I haven't blow dried or styled my hair since I got my bag but I didn't need another blow dry thing. I have 3 but I guess I'm stocking up. Regardless I'm still excited to try.
Mitchell and Peach Fine Radiance Face Oil $17- I wasn't sure if I was excited to try this or not. On one hand my skin is very sensitive and I break out easily. On the other hand I've been interested in face oils for a while since they are supposed to be good for your skin. I ended up loving this. I use it after my nightly cleansing mask to hydrate my skin and it leaves my face so soft. I will definitely be buying more.
Model Co. Blush Cheek Powder (Cosmopolitan) $9.42- This is such a pretty color. Lately I've really been into softer pinks for blushes and this is no exception. It sheers out beautify for a more natural look or it can build up nicely to a very barbie pink color. This is definitely my new favorite blush.
Bag Total $66.41 As a whole I really enjoyed this months bag. I think I got some products that I will continue to get great use out of. I liked that I got a mixture of makeup, skincare and hair and the value is hard to beat!
The winner is...IPSY! Again I just think that Ipsy had the better month. I got some awesome samples, great spring colors, a tool, skincare that works great, and some more hair products to try. I think they had some quality products and a great mix this month. Birchbox also sent out awesome brands and I am still very excited about it but it just wasn't as exciting to me as Ipsy.
If you are interested in signing up for either of these boxes my referral links can be found to the left of this post! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!
xoxo
Courtney
Monday, March 2, 2015
Beauty Subscription Smackdown Part 3: Ipsy Vs. Birchbox January 2015
I'm so sorry I'm late with this one guys and yeah, I know. I know. This is probably one of the most overdone competitions in Beauty Subscription history. Who hasn't done Ipsy vs Birchbox? But I felt like I had to do it, if I really want to explore all the options that are out there. If you want to know a little more about the companies, you can find my post on that here. But other than that let's get started.
VS
Starting with Birchbox....This month's theme was "Let's Do This!"
So in case you didn't know, this is actually my second Birchbox. My first one was December, but since I had already completed the smackdown for that month and I was in the last month of Ipsy vs Lip Monthly (update coming soon) I decided to hold off on that review. Birch Box has announced that every box this year will be decorative so that is cool and I am very excited. I have so far not been too impressed with Birchbox, but it hasn't been a total let down either... so let's get to this!
Wish Shave Cream (Acai Grapefruit) $2.93- As horrible as this is going to sound, I haven't shaved with anything but my electric razor in several months. I've honestly just been way too busy and it takes a lower priority. I will probably just keep this in my travel toiletries, since I generally use conditioner to shave with anyway as a cheaper alternative.
Number 4 Non-Aerosol Hairspray $4.50- This was a decent hairspray and it didn't leave my hair too crunchy, but it also didn't have too much hold so it wasn't too impressive for our weather. However I really do like non Aerosol hairsprays, especially in this format with the pump for travel. I will be keeping this for an upcoming trip.
Tocca Cream Da Mano Hand Cream (Grapefruit Cucumber) $5- I love little tiny hand cream samples and this one is very nice. It is highly perfumed and has a strong scent but I enjoy it although it's probably not for everyone. It seems to soak into my skin fairly quickly and it fits nicely into my purse. This is quite possibly my favorite item out of the box.
Coastal Scents Revealed Palette Sampler (Latte) $1 (Estimated Price)- Seriously? A Coastal Scents sample? Admittedly the colors are a nice neutral selection and I could create some really great looks with it, but I have a lot of similar products so I think this will be held onto for traveling since it's so small.
Harvey Prince Sincerely Perfume $0.55-This was a major let down. I hate perfume samples like this. It's just so disappointing because I can go into a store anywhere where I live and get these for free. Plus I don't wear perfume a lot so this was a huge bummer. It doesn't smell bad but I'm just not interested in trying perfume.
Total Box Value $13.98- I was pretty let down by this box. I expected to be wowed and really happy, but it turns out I'm really only happy about one item, the rest are going into a tub full of stuff I take on trips. Except the perfume, that's going to a friend. The theme this month was really inspiring and sparked a conversation between John and I- we've decided to join a gym and finally shed those extra pounds. But the products were kind of forgotten.
Now onto Ipsy:
This Month's theme was "Fresh Start"
The idea of this theme wasn't all that interesting to me considering we did "Fresh Picks" last year. I definitely see what they were going for, but I wasn't all that excited about it. As for the bag...eh, not my favorite. I'm actually using it to hold some old costume jewelry that I am going to remake.
Bellá Pierre Shimmer Powder (celebration) $14.99-Lately I haven't been too big on shimmer products but this is a nice gold color. It's very flattering with my blue eyes and looks nice against my skin tone, I probably wont use it a lot but it would be nice for date night.
Elizabeth Mott All Over Shadow Brush $9.99- I'm always happy to have another brush and I really love this brand so I'm always excited to get something from them. This brush is very soft and dense so it packs on shadow nicely. I'm actually pretty impressed, plus it's not a bad price point and it feels really sturdy.
La Fresh Eco Beauty Be Good. Good Day. Day Moisturizer. $12- Is it just me or is this brand getting more and more expensive? I'm really not a big fan of their products and my skin is very sensitive. It breaks out often with new products, and I have not had good luck with this brand in the past. I did end up passing this onto John.
Pacifica Natural Mineral Coconut Eyeshadow (Ethereal) $2.80- Honestly I wasn't super excited about the Pacifica, we've sampled this formula before, and though it's a beautiful color I just don't like how chalky it feels. It's got a subtle shimmer which is pretty but I will probably pass this along to a friend.
Probellè Nail Lacquer (Into The Blue) $6- Lately I've been gravitating away from the bright colored nail polish in place of some nice neutral more nude colors, however this broke that pattern. I love the color and I've gotten so many compliments while wearing it. It did chip within a few days which is a bummer, but I'm really hard on my nails. I wasn't excited about this at first but now it's one of my favorite products from this months bag.
Total Bag Value $45.78- Even though I don't like the bag itself, I really felt like we got a good selection of products this month. I'm enjoying 3/5 products this month which in my opinion is a win. I also think the bag value for January is amazing. I can't wait to see what February brings.
And January's winner is...Ipsy! Between the two, I feel like Ipsy actually offered better samples. I was happy that nothing I got in my Ipsy bag was something I could walk into a store and sample for free. Though I'm not thrilled with everything in the bag, I feel like I got a much better value and more products that I will get use out of. Birchbox has yet to really impress me, but we have two more boxes to go for this part of the smackdown series.
Hope you enjoyed this month's smackdown. If you want to sign up for either of these boxes feel free to use my referral links below:
Ipsy Birchbox
xoxo
Courtney
VS
Starting with Birchbox....This month's theme was "Let's Do This!"
So in case you didn't know, this is actually my second Birchbox. My first one was December, but since I had already completed the smackdown for that month and I was in the last month of Ipsy vs Lip Monthly (update coming soon) I decided to hold off on that review. Birch Box has announced that every box this year will be decorative so that is cool and I am very excited. I have so far not been too impressed with Birchbox, but it hasn't been a total let down either... so let's get to this!
Wish Shave Cream (Acai Grapefruit) $2.93- As horrible as this is going to sound, I haven't shaved with anything but my electric razor in several months. I've honestly just been way too busy and it takes a lower priority. I will probably just keep this in my travel toiletries, since I generally use conditioner to shave with anyway as a cheaper alternative.
Number 4 Non-Aerosol Hairspray $4.50- This was a decent hairspray and it didn't leave my hair too crunchy, but it also didn't have too much hold so it wasn't too impressive for our weather. However I really do like non Aerosol hairsprays, especially in this format with the pump for travel. I will be keeping this for an upcoming trip.
Tocca Cream Da Mano Hand Cream (Grapefruit Cucumber) $5- I love little tiny hand cream samples and this one is very nice. It is highly perfumed and has a strong scent but I enjoy it although it's probably not for everyone. It seems to soak into my skin fairly quickly and it fits nicely into my purse. This is quite possibly my favorite item out of the box.
Coastal Scents Revealed Palette Sampler (Latte) $1 (Estimated Price)- Seriously? A Coastal Scents sample? Admittedly the colors are a nice neutral selection and I could create some really great looks with it, but I have a lot of similar products so I think this will be held onto for traveling since it's so small.
Harvey Prince Sincerely Perfume $0.55-This was a major let down. I hate perfume samples like this. It's just so disappointing because I can go into a store anywhere where I live and get these for free. Plus I don't wear perfume a lot so this was a huge bummer. It doesn't smell bad but I'm just not interested in trying perfume.
Total Box Value $13.98- I was pretty let down by this box. I expected to be wowed and really happy, but it turns out I'm really only happy about one item, the rest are going into a tub full of stuff I take on trips. Except the perfume, that's going to a friend. The theme this month was really inspiring and sparked a conversation between John and I- we've decided to join a gym and finally shed those extra pounds. But the products were kind of forgotten.
Now onto Ipsy:
This Month's theme was "Fresh Start"
The idea of this theme wasn't all that interesting to me considering we did "Fresh Picks" last year. I definitely see what they were going for, but I wasn't all that excited about it. As for the bag...eh, not my favorite. I'm actually using it to hold some old costume jewelry that I am going to remake.
Bellá Pierre Shimmer Powder (celebration) $14.99-Lately I haven't been too big on shimmer products but this is a nice gold color. It's very flattering with my blue eyes and looks nice against my skin tone, I probably wont use it a lot but it would be nice for date night.
Elizabeth Mott All Over Shadow Brush $9.99- I'm always happy to have another brush and I really love this brand so I'm always excited to get something from them. This brush is very soft and dense so it packs on shadow nicely. I'm actually pretty impressed, plus it's not a bad price point and it feels really sturdy.
La Fresh Eco Beauty Be Good. Good Day. Day Moisturizer. $12- Is it just me or is this brand getting more and more expensive? I'm really not a big fan of their products and my skin is very sensitive. It breaks out often with new products, and I have not had good luck with this brand in the past. I did end up passing this onto John.
Pacifica Natural Mineral Coconut Eyeshadow (Ethereal) $2.80- Honestly I wasn't super excited about the Pacifica, we've sampled this formula before, and though it's a beautiful color I just don't like how chalky it feels. It's got a subtle shimmer which is pretty but I will probably pass this along to a friend.
Probellè Nail Lacquer (Into The Blue) $6- Lately I've been gravitating away from the bright colored nail polish in place of some nice neutral more nude colors, however this broke that pattern. I love the color and I've gotten so many compliments while wearing it. It did chip within a few days which is a bummer, but I'm really hard on my nails. I wasn't excited about this at first but now it's one of my favorite products from this months bag.
Total Bag Value $45.78- Even though I don't like the bag itself, I really felt like we got a good selection of products this month. I'm enjoying 3/5 products this month which in my opinion is a win. I also think the bag value for January is amazing. I can't wait to see what February brings.
And January's winner is...Ipsy! Between the two, I feel like Ipsy actually offered better samples. I was happy that nothing I got in my Ipsy bag was something I could walk into a store and sample for free. Though I'm not thrilled with everything in the bag, I feel like I got a much better value and more products that I will get use out of. Birchbox has yet to really impress me, but we have two more boxes to go for this part of the smackdown series.
Hope you enjoyed this month's smackdown. If you want to sign up for either of these boxes feel free to use my referral links below:
Ipsy Birchbox
xoxo
Courtney
Friday, February 13, 2015
An Open Letter To Lip Monthly
Dear Lip Monthly Team,
First off, I would like to thank you for finally pushing me into the realm of Youtube. Secondly, I wish to inform you that this is not a letter intended to bash or put down Lip Monthly, merely to allow for insight into a customer's experience with said company. Thirdly, I think it's important to point out to you the way that some (not all, but a fair number) of your customers have been feeling, and how some of us feel we've been treated by your company. Now I'm not saying that all of your customers are disappointed, but it's become more and more frequent that I see angry and frustrated customers on your social media. I have to say that I personally am very upset by the treatment I have received, and I no longer choose to recommend people to your company. To explain why, I will give you my first hand account of what I have experienced with Lip Monthly.
In August of 2014 I heard about a new subscription service. It seemed to fit well into my "smackdown series" on my blog, which compares and contrasts two beauty subscription boxes. For $10 a month and free shipping, I would receive four lip products and one non-lip item. Since there wasn't a whole lot I could dig up on the company, I decided to take a leap of faith and give it a shot. It was through the Lip Monthly Facebook page that I started speaking to a fellow blogger who was a big supporter of the company. I got my first bag in September of 2014 along with a lot of promises of greater things on the horizon. I enjoyed that bag quite a bit and along with the rest of your subscribers made a few well-received suggestions.
The next month you declared you would be switching bag designs every month, something most subscribers found very exciting. When the bag arrived I was extremely happy with the progress that seemed to be happening. At some point soon before my November bag I recall asking on your social media if I could still redeem points for an extra bag. The answer I got was yes and that I simply needed to contact customer service. After my November bag, I had enough points so I sent an email as previous;y instructed. The wait for a reply was longer than it should have been, but not painful. However the reply was very annoying. After being told I could redeem points for a bag via Facebook, I was told by customer care that this was no longer an option and I needed to spend my points in the shop.
Reluctantly I browsed the shop for something interesting, and finally decided on the deVine Lip Shimmer in Merlot since in a previous bag I got the same product in Pinot Noir, and I thought I could do a review on them. On November 31st I made my purchase and was a little peeved that I had to pay shipping.
I then waited and mostly forgot about my purchase when I saw promises of new features on the site, and got caught up in the holiday season. It was around Christmas when I realized I still hadn't received a package. I decided to contact customer service after I got on my account and realized I never even had a tracking code. Customer care again took too long to respond and when they did I got a very uncaring person telling me they'd refund my money and points and that was the last I heard from them. I actually suspect that if I hadn't said anything that they wouldn't have refunded my money or points.
At this point, I had already cancelled due to lack of funding (it was actually a Christmas gift that got me a Birchbox subscription) and I intended to resubscribe at a later date. Even though I was upset I decided to give you another chance and spend my shop points on some lip balms. I purchased two items and I have not seen any evidence that they were ever sent out. On top of that I hear stories about how people were charged for bags after they cancelled, have never received bags from months back or have had just as much if not more difficulty getting a hold of customer service. It was also around this time that I heard you were discontinuing the monthly mix up and putting more high end products in the bags. As far as I could tell the monthly mix up was brought back. I'm not sure how I feel about this anyway, but it definitely didn't motivate me to resubscribe.
On multiple occasions it took me around a week if not longer to get a response from customer support. I want to make it clear that I do not think Lip Monthly is a bad company, but I also have not had very many good experiences with them either. I will continue keeping tabs and hoping to see improvements. I'm writing this with the hope that it will make you take a closer look at your company and think about how your customers feel.
Sincerely,
Courtney
First off, I would like to thank you for finally pushing me into the realm of Youtube. Secondly, I wish to inform you that this is not a letter intended to bash or put down Lip Monthly, merely to allow for insight into a customer's experience with said company. Thirdly, I think it's important to point out to you the way that some (not all, but a fair number) of your customers have been feeling, and how some of us feel we've been treated by your company. Now I'm not saying that all of your customers are disappointed, but it's become more and more frequent that I see angry and frustrated customers on your social media. I have to say that I personally am very upset by the treatment I have received, and I no longer choose to recommend people to your company. To explain why, I will give you my first hand account of what I have experienced with Lip Monthly.
In August of 2014 I heard about a new subscription service. It seemed to fit well into my "smackdown series" on my blog, which compares and contrasts two beauty subscription boxes. For $10 a month and free shipping, I would receive four lip products and one non-lip item. Since there wasn't a whole lot I could dig up on the company, I decided to take a leap of faith and give it a shot. It was through the Lip Monthly Facebook page that I started speaking to a fellow blogger who was a big supporter of the company. I got my first bag in September of 2014 along with a lot of promises of greater things on the horizon. I enjoyed that bag quite a bit and along with the rest of your subscribers made a few well-received suggestions.
The next month you declared you would be switching bag designs every month, something most subscribers found very exciting. When the bag arrived I was extremely happy with the progress that seemed to be happening. At some point soon before my November bag I recall asking on your social media if I could still redeem points for an extra bag. The answer I got was yes and that I simply needed to contact customer service. After my November bag, I had enough points so I sent an email as previous;y instructed. The wait for a reply was longer than it should have been, but not painful. However the reply was very annoying. After being told I could redeem points for a bag via Facebook, I was told by customer care that this was no longer an option and I needed to spend my points in the shop.
Reluctantly I browsed the shop for something interesting, and finally decided on the deVine Lip Shimmer in Merlot since in a previous bag I got the same product in Pinot Noir, and I thought I could do a review on them. On November 31st I made my purchase and was a little peeved that I had to pay shipping.
I then waited and mostly forgot about my purchase when I saw promises of new features on the site, and got caught up in the holiday season. It was around Christmas when I realized I still hadn't received a package. I decided to contact customer service after I got on my account and realized I never even had a tracking code. Customer care again took too long to respond and when they did I got a very uncaring person telling me they'd refund my money and points and that was the last I heard from them. I actually suspect that if I hadn't said anything that they wouldn't have refunded my money or points.
At this point, I had already cancelled due to lack of funding (it was actually a Christmas gift that got me a Birchbox subscription) and I intended to resubscribe at a later date. Even though I was upset I decided to give you another chance and spend my shop points on some lip balms. I purchased two items and I have not seen any evidence that they were ever sent out. On top of that I hear stories about how people were charged for bags after they cancelled, have never received bags from months back or have had just as much if not more difficulty getting a hold of customer service. It was also around this time that I heard you were discontinuing the monthly mix up and putting more high end products in the bags. As far as I could tell the monthly mix up was brought back. I'm not sure how I feel about this anyway, but it definitely didn't motivate me to resubscribe.
On multiple occasions it took me around a week if not longer to get a response from customer support. I want to make it clear that I do not think Lip Monthly is a bad company, but I also have not had very many good experiences with them either. I will continue keeping tabs and hoping to see improvements. I'm writing this with the hope that it will make you take a closer look at your company and think about how your customers feel.
Sincerely,
Courtney
Birchbox December 2014
Ok, I know, it's February now. What the heck is this? I received two different subscriptions for the month of December already. Ipsy vs. Lip Monthly What happened? Well, I signed up for Birchbox as part 3 of the smackdown series, but I did end up getting a December box. So I figured I'd post this as it's own individual review since December's smackdown already happened. But don't worry, January and February's smackdown will still happen. To find out more about Birchbox check out their FAQs here!
So instead of doing this like a smackdown I'm going to do this more as a first impression style post. starting with...packaging:
The December box was decorative in spirit of the Holidays, I think the color combination of blue and gold is very pretty. I like this a lot, and I intend to keep it.
Now onto what I got in the box:
Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream $1.28- This little guy was quite a small sample. However the product itself was nice and absorbed into my skin quickly. I did end up giving this to John to use at work during the cold season, since it wasn't all that impressive to me compared to less expensive drug store brands that I have.
Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner (Jaipur Gold) $4.81-This was a nice sample to receive, it's a decent size for a liner and the formula is nice. it's soft and creamy but sets well and lasts a long time. It also has great pigmentation. It reminds me a lot of the Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners and the BH Cosmetics waterproof eyeliners. I'm considering purchasing this one.
Manna Kadar Lip Locked (Lucky) $0.20- Admittedly the packaging for this tiny sample is super cute. It has a rhinestone on top. The color is pretty neutral so it's not that exciting but it's nice and wearable which I like. This product does claim to be a "priming gloss stain", though I'm not really sure how much it primes your lips and it doesn't really seem to stain them. For this reason I don't think I will be purchasing the full size of this.
Rusk Texture Spray $3.37- Okay, I really liked this one. No I didn't need another hairspray but this one actually worked really well. It's a texture spray so I think that helped. It claims to have medium hold, but it lasted me all night and didn't make my hair have too many crunchy pieces, so I am pretty darn impressed. I'm considering buying the full size of this. My only complaint is the product comes out super fast on the pump. But other than that it smells nice and works well so I'd say this is a win.
Royal Apothic Cuppa Cuppa Firming Tea Treatment Mask $9.66- Ahhh...I was excited to try this but I put it on the back of my hand to test it first and boy am I glad I did. It irritated my skin pretty badly so I didn't end up keeping it. I passed it along to someone else and that was the end of that, so unfortunately I can't really give a review on it.
Box total: $19.32
So as a whole, my first Birchbox was pretty good. I'm not overly impressed with it, but I feel like it will be one of those things that gets better with time. I will have another couple Birchbox reviews up soon. I have already opened my January box and started reviewing products for the smackdown, so keep your eyes peeled for that!
Interested in Birchbox? Feel free to use my link here.
xoxo
Courtney
So instead of doing this like a smackdown I'm going to do this more as a first impression style post. starting with...packaging:
The December box was decorative in spirit of the Holidays, I think the color combination of blue and gold is very pretty. I like this a lot, and I intend to keep it.
Now onto what I got in the box:
Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream $1.28- This little guy was quite a small sample. However the product itself was nice and absorbed into my skin quickly. I did end up giving this to John to use at work during the cold season, since it wasn't all that impressive to me compared to less expensive drug store brands that I have.
Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner (Jaipur Gold) $4.81-This was a nice sample to receive, it's a decent size for a liner and the formula is nice. it's soft and creamy but sets well and lasts a long time. It also has great pigmentation. It reminds me a lot of the Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners and the BH Cosmetics waterproof eyeliners. I'm considering purchasing this one.
Manna Kadar Lip Locked (Lucky) $0.20- Admittedly the packaging for this tiny sample is super cute. It has a rhinestone on top. The color is pretty neutral so it's not that exciting but it's nice and wearable which I like. This product does claim to be a "priming gloss stain", though I'm not really sure how much it primes your lips and it doesn't really seem to stain them. For this reason I don't think I will be purchasing the full size of this.
Rusk Texture Spray $3.37- Okay, I really liked this one. No I didn't need another hairspray but this one actually worked really well. It's a texture spray so I think that helped. It claims to have medium hold, but it lasted me all night and didn't make my hair have too many crunchy pieces, so I am pretty darn impressed. I'm considering buying the full size of this. My only complaint is the product comes out super fast on the pump. But other than that it smells nice and works well so I'd say this is a win.
Royal Apothic Cuppa Cuppa Firming Tea Treatment Mask $9.66- Ahhh...I was excited to try this but I put it on the back of my hand to test it first and boy am I glad I did. It irritated my skin pretty badly so I didn't end up keeping it. I passed it along to someone else and that was the end of that, so unfortunately I can't really give a review on it.
Box total: $19.32
So as a whole, my first Birchbox was pretty good. I'm not overly impressed with it, but I feel like it will be one of those things that gets better with time. I will have another couple Birchbox reviews up soon. I have already opened my January box and started reviewing products for the smackdown, so keep your eyes peeled for that!
Interested in Birchbox? Feel free to use my link here.
xoxo
Courtney
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
A Note About Beauty Subscription Smackdowns:
I want to start off by saying that I know I
have been doing smackdowns with Ipsy for a while now. This part 3 will
make 10 months at the end of it. Ipsy has won fair and square these last
two times. I started this series with the intention to help me decide
on a box to stick with for a year, as well as to show you [the reader]
what there is to know about the different boxes out there in a low-budget price range. So after
renewing Ipsy, I decided to continue with the smackdown series.
So then what happens when/if Ipsy doesn't win a
smackdown? One of two things probably, I will do a round two, or I will
keep that box in mind when my Ipsy gets close to renewing and reevaluate
whether or not I want to keep Ipsy. If not, then I will start the
smackdown series using the winning box instead.
Another thing I wanted to touch on was my "The Scoop On..."
series, these are my thoughts and research that are to be informative
and read in conjunction with my smackdown series. I didn't start off
doing these, but I actually went back and wrote out one for the first
part with Beauty Box 5. These are in no way meant to answer all of your
questions, they are not updated regularly, so if you want to be sure you
are getting the latest information on that subscription service make
sure you check their FAQs out.
As I stated previously the point of these smackdowns is to
inform you on what boxes are out there in this price range ($10-$15/month). For me it really isn't so much
about the competition between boxes, but the fun of getting them and
sharing my thoughts with you. It can be really hard to pick what box is
right for you, so even if something isn't for me I still try to be
fair. That being said, this can be a difficult task when you get so
invested in these boxes.
At the end of the day I'm spending my own money to
do these reviews because I want to. That also means that I am a paying
customer in much the same situation as the average person getting these
boxes. The difference is that I put mine up on the internet to share it
with you as I would share it with my friends. My blog doesn't get a ton
of attention, so it's not like I'm getting any special treatment, which
is important to me. I want to show you how the average person is being
treated by these companies whether that's good or otherwise. I find
those types of reviews to be helpful.
I try and provide honest reviews, and I pride myself on
giving the best review I can, because I'm not here to sell you a product
or a service, I'm not being paid. If I don't like a product I will tell
you that I don't like it and I'll tell you why. I want more than
anything to have trustworthy reviews and not only to be helpful but to
entertain you as you read through these things. So whether you're
following me or not, thank you for stopping by. Come back soon!
xoxo
Courtney
The Scoop On Birchbox
I have avoided Birchbox for so long. When I first
explored the idea of Subscription services I dismissed this one almost
immediately, at that point it was quantity over quality. Though at this
point I don't feel like the subscription I chose does not provide
quality, you still don't tend to see higher end brands, something
Birchbox is known for.
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| Photo Credit: Birchbox.com |
Price: Staying in the budget friendly price range at $10 a
month or $110 for an annual subscription, this box makes it easy to try
luxury items for a fraction of the cost!
What you get: 4-5 Deluxe Size Luxury brand samples. On
occasion a 6th bonus sample may be included, this sample might be a foil
sample but does not replace anything in your box.
Where They deliver: From what I could uncover, they
deliver to the US, France, Spain, the UK and recently to Canada. That is
pretty awesome.
Customer Support: What I think is cool about Birchbox
Customer Support is that they have a phone number. Where most boxes
(with the exception of a few) only have support emails, there is the
option of calling Birchbox for assistance. However, there email support
is very efficient and even after a Holiday weekend they got back to me
very fast. Now another great thing is the confirmation email. I know
it's common practice nowadays but some companies still don't do this.
It's extremely nice to know that your email was received and when to
expect a reply. Birchbox does this and when on a holiday weekend let you
know when they would resume working.
Rewards system: Unlike Ipsy, there aren't a million ways to
earn points on Birchbox, however they do start you off with 10 points
when you start a monthly subscription and 110 when you start a annual
Subscription. They also offer promotions, so with my monthly
subscription I got 60 points instead of 10. You also earn 1 point for
every dollar you spend in the shop. Another couple ways you can earn
points is by referring friends (50 points) and reviewing samples (10
points). For every 100 points you earn in the shop you get $10 off of a
shop order. This is redeemable only if you have 100 points or more. I
actually like that you can redeem the points for anything in the shop. I
feel like it makes the points system superior to any I have
experienced.
There have been a few new updates though! For one thing,
starting in January you can now earn an additional 10 points when you
share that months box on Facebook, after completing the reviews. The
other thing being a policy update that affects the billing situation.
Now if you sign up no matter what date you will be billed on the first
of every month. So where I was billed on the 25th of the month in
December when I signed up and my next billing date was to be the 15th of
January, I was then billed January first because of the policy update.
Have more questions about Birchbox? Check out the FAQs here. Interested in Signing up? Please use my referral link. :)
I hope you found this short overview helpful.
xoxo
Courtney
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Covergirl Full Lash Bloom Mascara Review
Wow was this exciting for me. Before we get too far, I do want to let
you know that this mascara was sent to me courtesy of Influenster Vox
Box, to test. As always I will do an honest review of the product on
hand.
What we got: CoverGirl Full Lash Bloom Mascara by Lash Blast Retailing from $6.99-$8.99
First Impression: I actually thought the brush was
so pretty I didn't want to put it in the mascara, but I got over that
when the excitement to try the new formula hit me. So normally, I'm a
"one coat of mascara" type of girl. I do like the way this defines and
covers with one coat, but I decided to bump it up a notch just a bit. I
found that with two coats though my lashes were still pretty defined,
they started to clump together a bit, but nothing a lash comb couldn't
fix, and it layered well. Once the mascara had a couple minutes to dry
it still felt pretty soft and comfortable. My only complaint is the
feeling of the bristles is a tad uncomfortable at first, but my eyes
soon adjusted. I should note that I have been using a different type of
mascara applicator for a while now too so that may have affected that
judgment.
Update 1/10/15: After using the product for a few more days I have found that it starts to deposit large amounts of product onto some lashes, again, this can be fixed with a lash comb. I'm not a huge fan of the brush I'm not seeing a super even coat of mascara without a lot of extra combing and redistributing the product with my fingers. I'm also finding the wear time to be iffy. Though it holds up well for a few hours and I haven't noticed any raccoon eyes, it's starting to flake beyond that point and get into my eyes. I don't think I will be purchasing this mascara.
xoxo
What we got: CoverGirl Full Lash Bloom Mascara by Lash Blast Retailing from $6.99-$8.99
Before I even saw that I was getting this from influenster,
I was excited to see a new addition to the lash blast line. Having
previously tried all of the other mascaras in the line I was pretty sure
that this would be at least decent.
Packaging and applicator: The packaging itself is very
feminine and girly. So it definitely stands out the most for that reason
in the line of lash blast mascara. The applicator, like the others, is
plastic(my preference). It's got bristles on the end, and my guess is
that it's to reach the corner lashes easier. It contains 13.1 ml of
product.
Claims (directly from card): "Bloom delivers gorgeously
soft and full lashes without the flaking or smudging you can get from
other volumizing formulas"
Wear time: The wear time on this mascara seems fairly
decent, I didn't notice any major flaking or smudging, which through a
few minor tears was pretty impressive (yes, I know, I'm a cry baby). It
stayed feeling pretty soft and comfortable to the touch. I did also
test this with only one coat as that is how I usually wear mascara.
Did it meet its claims? Though I'm not sure it gives a ton
of volume, my lashes did look pretty full. Volume isn't a huge thing got
me anyway so I didn't really mind that. For the rest of it's claims I
feel it totally met my expectations and is a great addition to the
lashblast line.
Have you tried the Full Lash Bloom Mascara? What are your thoughts?
Update 1/10/15: After using the product for a few more days I have found that it starts to deposit large amounts of product onto some lashes, again, this can be fixed with a lash comb. I'm not a huge fan of the brush I'm not seeing a super even coat of mascara without a lot of extra combing and redistributing the product with my fingers. I'm also finding the wear time to be iffy. Though it holds up well for a few hours and I haven't noticed any raccoon eyes, it's starting to flake beyond that point and get into my eyes. I don't think I will be purchasing this mascara.
xoxo
Courtney
The Scoop On Beauty Box 5
So this ones a little late but I didn't start doing
this until Lip Monthly so I figured I could at least put this out there.
However I may rejoin BB5 in future months to test out their new systems
and see how they've improved. For now here is what I've got:
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| Photo Credit: www.beautybox5.com/ |
Price: In my opinion this is one of the
better priced beauty boxes, though the monthly recurring price is $12,
the price per month gets better as you go higher. Not only do they offer
monthly recurring subscriptions, but also quarterly for $30 ($10 per
month), and Annually for $99 ($8.25 per month). *Canadian Subscribers
are charged an extra $3 per month to cover shipping charges.*
What you get: Just like the name states, you get a box of 5
(deluxe to full size) beauty samples delivered monthly. These samples
include a range of makeup, hair care, body products, nail stuff and
more! They partner with all sorts of brands like luxery, drugstore and
niche, and vegan brands so you get a variety of products to test. Though
not everyone gets the same box the amount they vary is actually quite
small. Boxes are not customizable but they do generally send out
products that work for most people.
Other things to note: Boxes arrive mid month and, in
my experience, generally in a timely manner. Customer service is
helpful and I didn't have to wait too long.
I actually really liked this subscription. I felt like it
was a nice way to try out beauty boxes, but it isn't very
individualized. They give a variety of brands and products so you never
know what you're getting, but if you want a little more control over
what you might get then this is NOT the subscription for you. It's quite
randomized.
Hope you found this helpful. You can find the Beauty Box 5
FAQs here. To learn more about Beauty Box 5 visit there "About" page here.
xoxo
Courtney
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