Birchbox came first this month, so we'll start with Birchbox.  It's a $10.00 a month subscription box.  I love their points system.  You can refer friends for 50 points and if you ever want to use my link it's here.

The sample choices were a lip balm, the Hey Honey Take It Off Mask, Ren Mask, Whish Cleansing Oil, or the featured "Date Night" box.  I very rarely pick the featured box, but it had something I wanted, so I decided to go for it.

Date Night

The box was fun and brightly colored.  It reminded me that spring is around the corner and that is an uplifting thought!

As usual, the box is well packaged and pretty.  There is a card that lists the the items on the inside and the prices for the full sizes.

Catherine Malandrino

I love receiving perfume (except Harvey Prince).  This was the Catherine Malandrino Romance de Provence which is $80.00 for the full size 1.7 oz.  Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to try this.  The bottle leaked all over my box and there was not even a drop to try.

Amika

I also got the Amika Bombshell Spray which is $10.00 for the 2 oz size and $24.00 for the 8 oz.  It is formulated with sea buckthorn berry and rice starch among many other things.  It does not test on animals.  It has a nice scent.  I'm looking froward to trying this.

Cynthia Rowley

The Cynthia Rowley Brightening Illuminator is exclusive to Birchbox.  It has a subtle pink hue and is more pearly than shimmery.  I like how the little sample is, but I'm not sure I would like the full size because it has a brush and those just seem annoying and like they would be less hygienic.  The full size is .11 oz and sells for $28.00.

Whish

I also received the Whish Renewing Mud Mask.  It is $44.00 for the full sized 2 oz bottle.  It has a slightly beerish scent.  It isn't tested on animals and doesn't contain phthalates, parabens, or sulfates.  I tried it on the backs of my hands and it felt slightly cooling and had an very slight grain.  It has some exfoliating.  After I rinsed it off, I no longer had the beer scent, there was a light floral scent.  I would recommend testing this first as I've read that some people had issues with this causing redness on their face.  You definitely don't want to scrub hard, just be gentle.  I'm not sure I see paying $44.00 for it, but we'll see.

 The last item is the whole reason I wanted this box.  I have always wanted to try the OCC Lip Tars.  This was the Obsessive Compulsive Lip Tar in Strumpet.  It is a lovely raspberry color.  You only need a small drop and a lip brush to carefully paint your lips with this.  I kinda found it messy.  I had a really hard time finding this test tube online.

However the liquid lipstick form of it is $16.00 for .14 oz.  I applied a thin layer when I tried it.  I didn't find it to be especially long lasting.  Maybe the liquid lipstick is better, I don't know.  If they aren't selling the tube, but the lipstick, perhaps that's the sample we should have received?

I liked this box, I'm glad I got a chance to try the OCC Lip Tars, although I probably wouldn't purchase them in the future.  I was definitely disappointed I couldn't even try the perfume.

When Ipsy arrives, we can get down to the battle!

* I buy my own boxes.  Birchbox doesn't have a date night planned with me, nor did they send me the box until I paid for it.

If you like to try new foods, you may be interested in this subscription box, it's the Universal Yums Box.  Every month they have a different country featured.  Ever since Taylor got his first box, he waits on this box like there is a golden ticket to the Wonka Factory inside.

It comes with a little book that has some trivia about the featured country and  description of each treat on the inside.  On the back it gives clues for you to figure which country will be the focus of next month's box.  The clues aren't hard to figure out, but I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise for anyone wanting to subscribe.

Boxes are shipped the 8th through the 15th and they ship quickly.  There are two boxes to choose from, the Yum Box which sends out 6 or more snacks for $13.00 or the Yum Yum Box which has 13 or more snacks for $25.00.

This has been the box Taylor has been waiting for ever since he first subscribed.  My personal favorite of the boxes has been India.  I just loved the seasonings on everything.  Taylor can't decide which his favorite was, but he loves every box.

France

The box has tissue paper made to resemble the flag of the country they are spotlighting.  I think it is a nice detail to add.

Rochambeau

Rochambeau Cheese Puffs were the first things he saw and pulled out of the bag.  These cheese puffs have a flavor that actually tastes more like cheese than our American ones.  They are light and crisp and have a nice tang.

St. Michel

The St. Michel Mini Madeleines were another item he received.  They are a dense, slightly sweet sponge cake.  I liked these because it wasn't like bam! sugar in your mouth, go brush your teeth because you're getting five new cavities from eating this.  It was the right kind of sweet.

Rendez Vous

First off, how adorable is that little tin?  This was the Rendez Vous Pastilles Rose.  I'm not in love with rose flavoring, it is like eating perfume.  Which is generally a bad thing.  Unless you have flavored perfume...  But these had a nice, soft rose flavoring, if you don't bite into them.  If you bite, you're getting a perfumed bite with the added bonus of black licorice after taste.  Yum.

Gavottes

These could have me swearing off American chocolate forever.  They were the Gavottes Crêpe Dentelle in dark chocolate.  The chocolate was rich and melted beautifully in the mouth.  It coated a lovely crisp little wafer of a crêpe.  Sooo good.

Ker Cadélac

The Ker Cadélac Palets Britons were a crispy buttery cookie.  They are wonderful dipped in coffee as well.  Taylor said he was moving to France after tasting these.  Bon voyage.

Lutti

This caramel is the real deal.  It's sweet and creamy and buttery and beautiful.  The Lutti Magnificat Caramels taste like caramel should taste.

Malabar

The Malabar Goût Barb à papa is a cotton candy flavored gum.  It's a little hard when you first pop it in.  It may seem tasteless at the very beginning, but the flavor comes through as you chew.  It also has a little temporary tattoo.

Carambar

The Carambar Caramel is delicious.  It has a creamy goodness with a touch of cocoa.  They also have a silly joke on the inside of the package.

Dragée Pécou

Dragée Pécou LiquiCroc's are hard shelled almond shaped little dark chocolate treasures with a salted buttery caramel liquid center.

Chabert & Guillot

Chabert & Guillot nougat is soft and almondy.  It is nicely sweetened with honey and has pistachios.  I'm not normally a nougat fan, but this was pretty good.

Michel et Augustin

Michel et Augustine Lemon Meringue cookies a crisp butter cookie with a gooey lemon topping and little bits of meringue on top.

Pierrot Gourmand

Pierrot Gourmand lollipops were the last item in the box.  There were four flavors that one could have received.  The ones that Taylor got were the orange and the cherry.  I wonder what the raspberry tasted like, I love raspberry!

Overall, this was a lot of fun to try.  I love the way most of these were not overly sweet.  The French chocolate is lovely.

My thieving ways continue.  As Taylor went off to work today, I borrowed his Birchbox.  I think he knows I will because even though he was excited about certain items, he didn't use them yet.

In case, you didn't know Birchbox Man is $20.00 per month and earns points like the women's boxes.  You earn 50 points or $5.00 in the Birchbox store for referring friends.  You earn 10 points per review on items you review from your Birchbox and also from purchasing things in the store.  These points can be used towards anything in their store.  They have the best point system of any of my boxes.

This month's theme was Life Hacked.  I was pretty much expecting some bungee cords and cool stuff.  I wasn't right.  This is one of those months where the theme doesn't really follow.

Malin + Goetz

 Malin+Goetz is a sensitive skin brand founded out of new York and the provider of the first item in the box.  It's the Grapefruit Face Cleanser and it is 32.00 for the 8 oz full size.  It actually smells like grapefruit.

Blackbird

Next up is Blackbird's Pipebomb a scent created by a former men's wear company that came from Seattle.  They have some interesting names for their products.  This one is supposed to smell like salt water, amber, and metal.  It's $58.00 for the 15 ml spray.  It's a different sort of masculine scent.  It appears they use a lot of oils rather than chemical scents.

Jack Black

Next up was the Jack Black Turbo Wash Energizing Cleanser with rosemary, eucalyptus, and juniper berry.  Prices range from $10.00 for the 3 oz tube to $55.00 for the 33 oz bottle.  I have heard wonderful things about the Jack Black chap-sticks and I know Taylor likes their hand lotion (when and if he remembers to use it).  This is for the hair and body.  It does contain arnica which is good for sore muscles, sprains, and bruises, but it is also it should not in any way be ingested unless with a doctor supervision.  So, if you decide you want to eat this, call your doctor first. ☺  Also, keep out of the mouths of your pets.  Arnica may not be that good for consistent use for people with eczema.

Clinique

Clinique is a well known brand for it's fragrance free and hypoallergenic offerings.  This was the Clinique for Men Oil Control Mattifying Moisturizer it's $26.00 for the full size.  It seems that this gel does moisturize and is light weight, but it doesn't have powerful mattifying abilities.  So, you may want to use a different product if you need to keep down an abundance of male "glow."

The item Taylor was most excited about was the OCD Experience RFID Wallet.  This is the item he left today, even though I know he wanted to use it.  This wallet is leather and got a little Jack Black on it in the shipping.

It is supposed to have radio frequency identification protection, to help against people scamming your card.  It is made to be slim, has a money clip, and has a large ID slot so you can keep your ID in the wallet and not take it out for every IDing.

 It is $42.00 for the black version.  There is also a red version and a yellow version and they have similar price points.

I think that once again the men's version did very well for themselves.  For Taylor this was worth the $20.00.  Birchbox man usually ships before the women's box and has a cool item like the wallet to keep them coming back for more.

* Taylor paid for this box himself.  I borrowed it and reviewed it all by myself.  If you would like to try this out and use his referral code rather than mine, feel free to do so.

At this point I have been doing my nails since the dinosaurs roamed the earth, at which point, I used to do their nails.  You haven't lived until you've seen a T-Rex with some lace nail art.  I might be exaggerating a little.  My point is that I really don't think much of what I do, it's easy for me.

However, I get asked all the time by people how to do these things.  I decided I would attempt to make a post on how to do a simple nail look.  If you do your own nails all the time, this will be of no help to you.  If you're a nail art newb, this is for you.

I will apologize for the bad lighting, all the pictures were taken in the bathroom, with my camera phone.  I may have to redo the pics at a later date.

I started by oiling my nails after removing my nail polish.  I let that soak into my nails for about an hour before washing my hands.  Before you paint your nails, you want clean, dry nails.  If you have issues with your nail polish just peeling off, it may be because there is oil or lotion on your nails.

Nails Inc

About a year ago I was having trouble with my nails peeling.  That is something I have never experienced.  I switched to the Nails Inc NailKale Superfood Base Coat, which was an uncomfortable $15.00.  However, it is a large size and it really did help, so I would definitely buy it again when I run out.

I recently cut down all my nails because I broke one.  When I was in high school, one of my friends, Alicia, said to our other friend, "Don't her nails look amazing?  They look like fake nails."  My nails were long, but Jen told her that they didn't look like fake nails because they were uneven.  So, now I try to keep them fairly even.  

Apply your favorite nail base.  This is an important step and I recommend having a good nail base that suits your nail needs.

While you're waiting for that to dry, take a good look at your nails.  There is a reddish line in your nail.  That's where we aim for a French tip.  If you go under this line, that's where you get light showing under the line.  It will also make your nails look shorter.  The higher up you go on this line, the longer your nail will look.  

However, you need to take your nail bed into consideration.  If you have a deep nail bed, you can go deeper and give the illusion of a long nail.  If you have a shallow nail bed, going too far into the red may make your nails look stubby.  It is completely up to your personal preference there.

Take a white nail polish and paint a stripe from your starting point in the red to the tip of your nail.  As you can see, I went deep into the red to give an illusion of a longer nail.  I used the first white I grabbed, but my favorite to use is OPI Arctic White.  You want use thin, even strokes.  If you go thick, it will take longer to dry and may bubble.  You don't want bubbles in your nails.

From one side of the stripe you made, make another line from the red to the tip of your nail.  You can adjust this angle for how you like your tip shape.  You could go straight, a slightly rounded shape, etc.

Repeat this on the other side of the nail.  This polish is a little streaky, but that can be solved with another coat when the nail polish is almost dry.  You want to let the nails almost dry to fully dry between coats, because this also prevents bubbles.  

Repeat these steps on all your nails.  After you finish all your nails would be the best time to go back in with that second coat.  Don't worry about any polish on your fingers.  That stuff peels off in the shower.  

You can leave it as simple as this.  I like French tips with natural beds.  When I was married I used a shimmery sheer pink over my whole nail and then did silver tips.  It was freaking pretty.  You can also take a nail striper over the top of the high part of the painted tip.  Hold the tip of the brush at one side and roll your nail to the side.  It can be used to hide a choppy start or for a pretty finished look.

I am waiting for some nail tape, so I wanted something very simple, in case I needed to do my nails when it arrives.  You never want to take off nails you worked hard on.  I also wanted to do something because the Broncos are going to the Super Bowl.  United in Orange (white) you know?  Funny thing is that I learned to watch football (American) when I lived in Texas.  I think not watching football is a hanging offense there.  It's every where!

So, I wanted something with orange, but I don't look good in orange, so this is what I did.

I don't use orange a lot, so I used Formula X Flashy, which is described as a bright red.  It's not.  It's totally orange.  The formula is very sheer, so that's one reason I applied it over a white base.  For the blue I used the Formula X Turbulent, which makes most people think it is splatter paint.  Mine are the minis from a large set Sephora sold when it first started selling Formula X.  

I prefer OPI polishes, but that set does come in handy when I want colors that I don't normally use.  

When the nails are close to dry, I apply a top coat.  My favorite is Seche Vite.  This stuff helps my nails dry fast so I can move on to other things.  If you're using a bright color (like that orange) or you have nail art, you want to wait until it's nearly dry, get a good amount on the brush and bring it down your nails so the polish not the brush touches your nail to avoid smearing the color or art.  Seche Vite does have the issue of getting gummy at the end and it's rare that I can use the whole bottle before this happens.

I will try to fix the pictures on a day when I can get better light.  If you liked this, please let me know.  I would love to do more with nail stuff, but I went extremely simple for my first effort at this.

*I bought all my own nail polishes.  No one asked me to try their polish, supplied me with polish, or held me down and made me use their polish.

Now I might be a box kleptomaniac.  I borrowed this box when Taylor went to work.  I know, I'm a very bad woman.  I did return it though! The Birchbox Man is $20.00 per month and also earns points.  You earn 50 points or $5.00 in the Birchbox store for referring friends.  You earn 10 points per review on items you review from your Birchbox and also from purchasing things in the store.

Birchbox Man

Men get a rather plain, but manly box.  They get some cool stuff sometimes and generally makes it worth the $20.00 a month men pay.  The theme this month was Reboot.

Marvis

This month Taylor got a Marvis Toothpase in Cinnamon Mint, it's $10.50 for the 75 ml full size.  It's imported from Italy and has a wonderful scent.  It does have lots of parabens though and no fluoride, so really quite up to your personal thoughts on that.

Proraso

I can't see Taylor using too much of this.  It's Proraso Pre-Shave Cream and the full size is 3.53 oz and sells for $13.00.  It has a menthol scent.  He likes his beard, but this would be good for his neck area.  He loves his Art of Shaving, but trying new things is good for the soul or something.  Plus if he likes this, it's waaaaaaaay cheaper than the other.  This is another Italian import.

Foreo

 Next up was the Foreo Cleanser for Men it's a gel formula, the full size is $29.95 for 3.3 fl oz.  It's meant to be used with the Foreo tool, so one wouldn't receive the full benefit from just using the wash.  It does come out black from having volcanic rock and it's supposed to change colors when the light from the tool "activates" it.

Lab Series

Lab Series Future Rescue Repair Serum is the next item he received.  The full size is 1.7 oz and it sells for a whopping $60.00.  It's supposed to rebuild collagen and all sorts of useful stuff.  It smells good and felt refreshing when he applied it after a shower yesterday.

Octovo

The last item he received was a valet tray by Octovo.  It buttons up to form that tray and is $60.00!  It's a good size and make a nice tray for keys and wallets and game password push button things.  It feels like it's a good quality and is yet another neat item the men receive.

What do you think?  Did he do well this month?

* Taylor paid for this box himself.  I borrowed it and reviewed it all by myself.  If you would like to try this out and use his referral code rather than mine, feel free to do so.

As always this is an exciting time of the month.  I mean who doesn't love a big box of presents every month?  Boxycharm is one of the more exciting boxes or if you want, this is my referral link.  When you refer a friend you receive 500 points.  You also receive points just for getting a box delivered!

For $21.00 a month you get four to five full size products. The points earned take off money in the store.  The store isn't as extensive as Birchbox, but it's still pretty good.  1000 points will take off $10.00, 2000 takes off $20.00, and so on.  It also contains a card that lists the prices and information on the products you receive.

Boxycharm

Ahhh, a familiar theme.  Much like Ipsy this month, Boxycharm had a eyes theme this month, Boxycharm did it with Eyes on 2016.

First off is Blinc Mascara Amplified this was, as usual, a full size .3 oz for $26.00.  This is a tubing mascara.  It's supposed to be removed easily with warm water, although it is water proof.  It has a drier formula that lets you build this onto your lashes.  Some mascara with fibers or tubes irritate my contacts, but so far this has not done that.

 I also received the Ardency Inn Smooth Ride Supercharged Eyeliner in Lilac.  If you remember before I moderately liked the Ardency Inn liner in black.  This is also full sized and has 1.2 grams of product for $20.00. The card lists this at $19.00.  I only found it to be $20.00 when I looked.  I saw other people got a blue and I was expecting to get that, unfortunately, I already have their bright blue.  Color me delightfully surprised to get this lovely lilac shade.  It's very creamy and pigmented and so far I haven't had any issue with irritation.  I'm thinking this will be a lot of fun in the spring.

There was also a brush set by Royal & Langnickel.  This was also full sized and retails for $23.97.  There were three brushes in the set.

The first brush was the BX-80 Detail Brush.  There was also the BX-90 Crease Brush and the BX-95 Smudger Brush.  The detail brush looks to be the best brush.  They are moderately soft.  They should be worth a shot and I always love getting more brushes!

Lastly was a full sized Coastal Scents Revealed Smoky Palette.  It's supposed to be a dupe for the Urban Decay Smoky Palette.  According to the card on the inside, the CS palette is worth $39.95.

 On the website, you can purchase it for $19.95.  I think the $19.95 is closer to the actual value of the palette.  There are some good colors, but there are colors like the gold in the top row that are crumbly and patchy.  Leighannsays used the palette beautifully in a Party Time Tutorial.

If you look at the value based on the card, the value of the box would be $108.92, I think, because the value of the Revealed Smoky should be $19.95 and the Ardency Inn being a dollar more, the actual value would be $89.92.  However, I only paid $21.00 for this box.  I think getting $89.92 worth of product is a great value.

* I purchased my own Boxycharm.  It wasn't sent to me for any reason other than the monthly deduction of $21.00.