Birchbox June 2015 First Look

My Birchbox arrived! It's $10.00 for a monthly subscription.  They have both men's and women's boxes but the men's box is $20.00.  I showed it in this post, in case people were curious about what the boys get.  I love their points system.  It's easy to rack up and spend the points.  You can refer friends for 50 pts, my link is here.  You also get points for reviewing products.  You can spend the points on anything in the store 100 pts = $10.00.

I wasn't completely fired up about last months sample choices but this month?  It looks great!!  You get to pick your shade of Stila Stay All Day Lipstick!  The plus items almost make me want them too!

Liking the box

The box this month was nice.  The theme this month was adventure and they also have a special give away that you have to enter a code that you got in your box.

Can you see the foil pack?

While I'm not into pink or orange, I really did like the box.  It just felt summery and like a sunset or sunrise.  Or a fruity drink.  Something fun like that.  They had two other box types you could get.

Klorane

My first item was a Klorane shampoo with mango butter.  It came with a bonus foil pack of their conditioner.  This does smell very much like mango.  So, that right there feels summery and fresh, although you may want to refrain from drinking the product.  The full size of this is $19.50 for a 13.4 fl oz bottle.  It is for dry hair and doesn't use silicones, SLS, or sodium chloride.

Clean

Speaking of fresh!  I also received a sample of Clean Fresh Laundry perfume.  It literally smells like clean laundry.  I both like the scent and kinda don't get it.  I love the smell of fresh laundry, but I wash my clothes to get that smell.  I also get it prolongs the scent and makes you smell good without being overly perfumed.  It is $38.00 for a 1 oz bottle.

A hair tie...

I know.  You're rocking the jealous face right now.  I got a hair tie.  It was a bonus item, so I shouldn't go too hard on this.  The L. Erickson Grab and Go Ponytail Holder is $18.00 for a full size container with 15 ponytail holders.  They are comfortable and are holding my fine hair very well.  I've heard they are also great for people with thick hair.  The material is soft and strong and doesn't feel like it's tugging on my hair and it doesn't look too bad on my wrist.  On the down side, I just taught my boyfriend's cat to play fetch and his favorite thing to play fetch with are my hair ties.  We'll see how long he lets me keep this.

Okay, I know I've been saying that blue doesn't look that great with my eyes, however that doesn't apply to eyeliner.  You have to have dark blue liners, they make you look more awake.  I received the Marcelle eyeliner in the color Indigo (a color that is supposed to be "in" for nails right now).  It isn't highly pigmented and was quite sheer when I applied it to my water line.  It's supposed to be water proof, gluten free, and fragrance free.  It's $11.00 for the full size.

Caudalie

I'm already a fan of Caudalie, the first time I used a micellar water, I used theirs.  I haven't met a product of theirs that I wasn't a fan of, although their toner is a bit brisk.  This is the Caudalie Vinoperfect Day Perfecting Fluid.  It's supposed to give you a radiant completion and do well as a primer.  It does not contain parabens, phenoxyethanol, phthalates, SLS, mineral oils, or animal ingredients.  It is $49.00 for a full size 40 ml container.  Ouch.  Oh I'm worried I may like it!

Dr. Jart+

So, this was the sample I chose.  It's the Dr. Jart+ Dermaclear Micro Water, which is a cleansing water that brightens the skin.  It is $32.00 for the 8.4 oz full size.  Oh ouchies.  Another product I hope I don't fall in love with.  It does not contain parabens or sulfates.

I am having such a hard time deciding who won this month!  Oh fine!  Birchbox and Ipsy tie!  Birchbox: 3 Ispy: 4

Oh so every box was supposed to receive an Eyeko liner.  Unfortunately, they are stuck at customs right now.  Which is why we got the Marcelle.  What's up with the weird things being held at customs right now?  At Sam's Club you can't get the jalapenos, they're at customs as well?  So weird.  Anyways, the Eyeko pencils will come in a later box.

* No one paid for my adventure.  I took the plunge on my own with my own hard earned money.

Boxycharm June 2015 First Look

I haven't had Boxycharm long, but I'm pretty excited about receiving boxes.  The value on these boxes is usually pretty good so far.  Boxycharm is a monthly subscription box that you pay $21.00 a month for and so far I've received mostly full sized products.

Attack of pink worms

This month had the theme of Sea la Vie, which was a cute play on words and had my imaginiation going.  I was imagining a box full of Deborah Lippmann's Mermaid's Dream nail polish type things.  Maybe a little French twist or something.

Eslor

My first item was a full size mask.  Yay for that.  It was the Eslor Chlorophyll Lifting Mask and is $38.00 for a full size .5 oz container.  It's supposed to improve circulation, tighten, and fade those fine lines.  It doesn't have the most amazing scent ever, but it's not perfumed.  It's a gel consistency and a bright green.  I'm pretty excited to give it a go, I like masks.

Bellapierre

Next in the box was a brush, again, yay! It's the Bellapierre Kabuki Brush, it's a full size and sells for $29.99.  It's soft and dense with synthetic bristles.  It's also cruelty free.  I do like getting brushes, so I was happy about that.  It's a reasonable size, not very large or small.  I'm just not sure I'd pay that much for this brush.

My next item I thought was a deluxe sample.  It's actually the full size.  It's The Beauty Crop Lighting Crew, it's $18.00 for this full size which is .34 fl oz.  It's a pretty rose gold color, does blend out well, and shows up well, even on my pasty skin.  It's cruelty free, fragrance free, doesn't contain phthalates, mineral oil, or parabens.  It has a very light scent that is pleasant.  The packaging is very cute.  My package did explode all over me when I opened it, I guess it was happy to see me.  You don't need much of this, but it would be pretty in so many ways; mixed in with foundation, as a cheek or lip high light, mixed in with moisturizer for a light makeup day, in the corners of the eyes, on the collar bone, etc.

There was also a Cargo eye-shadow.  I was excited by the pretty pinky beige color they showed in the spoilers.  I ended up with the Cargo Eye Shadow in the color Babylon, which was also full size and sells for $16.00.  Blues might not be the best with my green eyes, but this pretty cobalt color is in so many make up looks on YouTube right now (mostly as a bottom liner.  But many are using it on the top or as an all over shadow).  Unfortunately, while the high lighter was excited to see me, this was broken up at the thought of coming to live with me.  I'm sad because I was going to give this away to a friend because I really don't need another blue eye-shadow right now.  On the plus side, I can fix it and the crumbles that fell out all over my bed sheets appeared to be quite pigmented.

Lastly, there was a nail polish, the NCLA Los Angeles Nudes nail polish in the color Volume IV, to be specific.  I really love nail polish, if I had a YouTube channel there would be tutorials!  I might not have received a pink beige eye-shadow, but I got it in nail polish, so that's nifty.  It's a pretty sandy color with a hint of pink.  I was happy with the pigmentation.  It two took coats to hide the nail design I had and there was black in it.  It's also 5 Free, vegan, and not tested on animals.  They have some really nice looking nudes on their site.  This is a full size and is $16.00.


This wasn't my favorite box.  It was sad that I have broken or exploding products.  However, I can fix the eye-shadow and the highlighter explosion was more funny than anything else, so I'm sure I'll survive.  If I would have bought all of these products, it would have cost me $117.99, since I paid $21.00, I'm pretty happy.

* I shelled out my $21.00 from my bank account to Boxycharm.

Makeup Geek Baby Face Eye-Shadow Review

I know I'm going to break your heart today, but I won't be reviewing a ColourPop product.  I know, you're devastated.  How about I make it up to you by throwing in some Makeup Geek?

I was watching vintageortacky's May Favorites video.  She mentioned a Makeup Geek eye-shadow that just...  I wanted it so bad.  So, I made an order because there were a few things I wanted.

Much like Hanky Panky by ColourPop, it's not one of those shades you're going to see and die because it's the most stunning thing of life.  It is just a super useful shade, back to that whole bread and butter thing.

When I did martial arts we were told that all of our knowledge was in our tool box and those were things we could use at any time.  But we also had our bread and butter and those were our tools that we excelled at, things we could use often and they just work.  It could be all you need.  That's why this is bread and butter, it just works well.

It's the new Makeup Geek shade in Baby Face.  It's $5.99 for a 1.8 g tin of the eye-shadow in a refill pan that fits nicely in a Z-Palette.

Baby Face

It is a pale shade of creamy brown with a grey under tone.  It is cool leaning and matte.  You would think nothing of this shadow.  You would pass this by but it's wonderful!  Like MAC's Grain but in no way even remotely a dupe.

On some people this will be a nice matte high light or even a basic lid color.  On me this almost blends into my skin and is the perfect shade to blend out eye-shadows and it takes my blending to the next level.  It blends very well.  I actually like the formula of this matte, it's very creamy and will make a mess in your palette, make sure to tap out your brush.  It has the Three Little Bears of pigmentation, it's just right.


I really like this color.  It might be a touch too cool for some people or turn ashy.  But for me? I ♥ this!

* I bought my Baby Face with my own money with only the unwitting influence of Cora.  No one sent me a baby face or wanted me to play with baby face.

June 2015 Ipsy First Look

I have so much fun getting monthly subscription boxes.  I think I just like getting mail.  The first to arrive this month was my Ipsy bag.  Ipsy is a $10.00 a month subscription service that gives you about five items a month that are sample size.  You can get points for reviewing your items and for referring people.  There are not usually things I can get in the point thing and my points are already expiring and I haven't even had my Ipsy a year.

The bag

 Many people weren't wild about the bag this month but I kinda like it.  It reminds me of a swimsuit or wet suit, which goes with the "Swim into Beauty" Theme this month.

 My first item was from J. Cat Beauty and was their Hydrating Lip Stain in the color LLS117 (Hikilicious), the full size is $5.99.  I'm not sure the size of the full size product.  J. Cat is a big believer in quality not needing to be expensive.  They are cruelty free and don't use phthalates, GMOS, sulfates, and triclosan.  This is a pretty color and smells minty.  It is comfortable on the lips but boy is it messy.  Transfer city and somehow on my teeth.

LaVanila

My next item is the LaVanila Healthy Body Butter in the scent Pure Vanilla.  The full size is $19.00 for 6.7 oz.  It is apparently always out of stock on their website (the first link) but Sephora does have it in stock (second link).  They do not test on animals, use silicones, aluminum, mineral oils, phthalates, petrochemicals, etc.  It does smell like vanilla but not super sweet vanilla.

Smashbox

Next I got a sample of the Smashbox Photofinish Primer.  The full size is $36.00 for 1 oz or $16.00 for .5 oz.  In this case, the math follows getting the smaller size.  This is definitely a silicone primer and will give that "slip" that helps your makeup apply more smoothly and should glide over imperfections.

After that I pulled out a TrèStique Mini Shadow Crayon in Kona Coffee.  This is a new brand and the pencils are coming soon but will be $26.00 for the full size.  Again, I'm not sure what that size will be. It blends out very well, so don't let my dramatic swatch of erm...rich brown scare you.  I do like shadow sticks, I have a couple and was thinking about doing a post about them.  The packaging on this is very cute.

It Cosmetics

I'm not going to lie.  I totally peek every month, the second Ipsy and Birchbox allow me to.  I was so excited when I found out that this was in my bag.  Don't get me wrong.  I love my Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade (I have such delicate brows I can't make them look over-powering with it, unless I really try, especially since I use the brush they made which is very fine) and the pencils and the gel.

When this came out, I really wanted to try it. You never know if something could be better until you try it.

It is a harder pencil, which is good because you don't want a soft pencil on your brows.  I was unsure of the color as I have almost black hair (thank you hair dye) and naturally dark brows.  It shows up almost too well, but in a good way, I tend to do my brows too light anyway.

You would totally think I went at it with the Dip Brow Pomade.  Apparently, you adjust the pressure you use for the pencil on the shade of your brows (press lightly for blonde) and it is a little thicker than I am used to.  I do like the spooly on the other end and the packaging is nice.  Not to the part where you feel as though you are paying for the packaging, but nice and functional.

Oh!  The full size of the It Cosmetics Universal Brow Pencil is $24.00.  It is paraben, sulfate, and phthalate free, and for every brow pencil purchased, It donates a pencil to the American Cancer Society's Look Good, Feel Better program.  So, another way to justify an expensive new toy ♥

I'm not sure if you can tell, but I am loving this Ipsy bag.  Birchbox is totally going to have to bring it to compete.  Especially with the brow pencil.  Only thing that would have made this better was a make-up brush.  Does the spooly count?

* I have money deducted each month to receive my Ipsy bag.  Ipsy neither knows nor cares about me reviewing their bags :)

ColourPop Fern Lippie Stix and Pencil

Once upon a few months ago purple lipsticks scared me.  So, I tried Brills.  It was a great way to try purple without going full on crazy purple.  A gateway purple if you will.  So, I decided I would try another purple after all of the compliments I get when I wear Brills.

ColourPop Fern Lippie Stix and Pencil are part of ColourPop's Spring Collection and as such they may not be around forever.  They are each $5.00.  ColourPop does not test on animals.  Their products are made in California.

 All of their Lippie Stix and Pencils are supposed to be vegan.  When I noticed carmine as one of the ingredients, I was concerned as that is not a vegan ingredient.  I contacted ColourPop and they quickly let me know that what they have listed is a "composite list" as to do full list with all of their products might get insane.  There is a small +/- before the coloring ingredients and after that little note it is all stuff the product "may contain."  If they actually use carmine in a product they include it in their FAQ's.  So, hey, the more you know, right?

Gotta say, I love that they took the time to email me back so quickly and didn't just send some stock letter.  PS Thank you Delaney!

The cat kept knocking these over so I just went with what I could get in a pic.

Fern is a cool toned violet in their cream formula.  It is very comfortable on the lips.  It will transfer like no one's business.

Fern

The pigmentation is good and two coats will make it fully opaque.  It has a lovely vanilla scent that does fade quickly.

It lasts all day on me.  But I think it's actually slightly staining, so when the lipstick wears, you're left with the color and not looking weird and faded.  I adore this color and I feel this might prod me into the deep end of purple lips.

I really think that unless you're already a purple pro, you need this color.  If you're already all over the purple thing, this color won't rock your world.  By that I mean it isn't total drama purple.  It's very wearable.  So, if you're looking for a shocking purple this won't be that color.  This is an every day purple.  It's a great color for spring and summer and I really hope they keep this in the full line up.

* I got tried to get fern for free in the garden.  Bees weren't as friendly as I'd hoped.  I decided to order this and pay for it instead :)

ColourPop Hanky Panky Super Shock Shadow

Hanky Panky from ColourPop is one of those colors that you see online and are just underwhelmed by.  In a sea of bright, beautiful, shimmering colors, this kinda gets lost.

It's $5.00 for 2.1 g container of the product.  It's made in the US and they do not test on animals.  This product is vegan.  It is a mousse cream powder formula.

As always, they include a cute little card.  It's just a nice touch.

Hanky Panky

Hanky Panky is a basic cool toned matte taupe.  It's a bread and butter sort of shade.  You know, not anything dramatic or special, just one of those things that you find yourself using every day.  

I wasn't wowed but the matte shades.  They are not highly pigmented for the most part, but at the same time it kinda works with the formula.  It's very confusing.  This color probably won't work on everyone.  For people with skin tone like mine it's great to blend out the crease color.  It can even work as a contour color if that's how you're feeling. For people darker it will either not show up or be okay as a lid color.  

I think this is a color that will be either a utility shade or a waste of money to you.  For me it works, but I can honestly see it just not showing up on everyone.

* No hanky panky came to me without a trip through my bank account.

ColourPop Swan (Rumer Has It) Super Shock Shadow

After Tassel, I was pretty sure I didn't need another white glittery shade.  How many do you really need?  Apparently, more than one.  I was watching YouTube and Victoria totally convinced me, I needed this other color ><

Are you a Swan?

BiohazardousBeauty is someone who has the same super pale with pink undertones skin that I have and has told me when she comments back in her YouTube videos that she is over bronzer.  I feel that.  She has a droll tone that I like.  She had a haul and then I was like...I just bought a ton and I told myself that I didn't need any more.

I didn't think I needed anything from the Rumer Has It collection.

 I must have been lying to myself.

 Grey tones have this tendency to look too blue on my skin and while I like blue, it doesn't work 100% with green eyes.  Or if I want a grey smoky eye, it looks like I went all blue up in that.  The Rumer Has It collection is built to be a grey smoky eye.  So I was like...ehhhh.

Swan

Plus, I just bought Tassel.  Tassel is a white glitter and Swan is a white glitter.  I mean they are so different!  Swan is slightly more pink and a touch less glittery.

Left to Right: Swan vs Tassel

ColourPop's Swan is $5.00 for 2.1 g and is in their Satin Luxe formula.  It is long lasting, decently pigmented, and has only a small amount of fall out.  Once the glitter is gone, it has a pretty opal sheen.

Lonesome Swan

It's a little more friendly on the inner corner than Tassel but they aren't so different that it would matter a huge amount.  Either way you'll like it, you might not need both though!

* I got swanned all by myself.  No one sent me swan for fun or glory.

ColourPop Topanga Lippie Stix

I'm not going to lie.  I totally had to have this because of the name.  It was pure nostalgia.  If you don't know, Topanga was a main character on a show called Boy Meets World that aired on TV in the '90's.  Completely unrelated but Danielle Fishel, the woman (then girl), who played Topanga had the most amazing hair.  I remember reading back then that she used Bumble and Bumble thickening shampoo and I always wanted it.  Gotta say, I didn't get her hair when I finally got to try it.  Stupid genetics!  Although, my sister has wonderfully thick and gorgeous hair, so the gene is there, it just skipped me.  Stupid luck!

Lonely box

So, back on subject!  Unlike most of the ColourPop's Lippie Stix, Topanga does not have a matching pencil.  It is $5.00 for a 1 g stick.

Did you know Topanga means "where the mountains meet the sea?"

ColourPop is made in California and cruelty free.  Although ColourPop does say that all of its Lippie Stix and Pencil are vegan, Topanga does contain carmine.  To me that's not a big deal, but for some people it might be. *EDIT* I did message ColourPop about the carmine and they explained that it is a "composite list" and that any product that does contain carmine will be mentioned in their FAQs.  I also mentioned the whole thing in my Fern review.

Topanga

Topanga is a beautiful dusty coral.  It is in their satin finish and is very comfortable to wear.  It is long lasting and I still had this on eight hours into my day although it was some what faded.  It faded well though, not patchy or weird.

The character name came from a canyon the executive producer was driving by when production called

The color has good pigmentation and nearly covers my birthmark.  It has a lovely glow to it that just looks fresh and summery.  It is wearable by people with cool undertones, but would be gorgeous on medium skin tones, especially those with warm undertones.

* No one decided to indulge my nostalgia by giving me Topanga.  I bought this myself.

ColourPop Erotic Pressed Pigment

I've mentioned before that I have big plans for an over the top look for the 4th of July. I want red, white, and blue eye-shadow.  When I saw Erotic I had a whole moment of excitement.  You know the one where you've found what you're looking for and you want to bask in that moment.

ColourPop's Erotic Pressed Pigment is described as a "neon candy apple red with sparkling pink and copper glitter."  Sounds like what I wanted, no?  No.  It's more of a bright watermelon pink red.  It's still pretty, but it's not the candy apple of my dreams.

It is that lovely mousse powder formula and is $5.00 for a .07 oz container.  It is made in California and is not tested on animals.  This particular color is vegan, most are supposed to be but there are a couple hand fulls that are not.  They ship to the US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.

Erotic

This is the second pressed pigment I've tried and like the previous one, the pigmentation isn't quite what I would have hoped.  It needs some layering to really bring out the red and to bring to full opacity.

It's a pretty color and I do like it, however I was disappointed that it wasn't actually red and the pigmentation isn't really there.  I'm thinking it might be a pressed pigment formula issue.  If you want more of a pink red, this will be a good color.  It has good lasting power and may stain just a tiny bit.  It doesn't have much fall out.

* I paid for my own Erotic moment.  No one surprised me with this.