Review: April 2013 Birchbox Unboxed

Finally received my April Birchbox in the mail today, yay.  I guess. 

The theme of this month’s box is “Tiny Tweaks, Big Results”, and offers a selection of items that aren’t entirely worthless, but still nothing I am going to go crazy over.  Apparently this is a special box; I’m not exactly sure what is special about it, aside from the theme, but it does indeed blow March’s box out of the water.  Which really isn’t saying much. 

In my excitement, I checked a bunch of beauty blogs this week, just to see what was in everyone else’s box, and I have to say that I liked everyone else’s better than mine, for the most part.  Hahaha.  Isn’t that the way it always goes?

This month included a “free” subscription to Women’s Health magazine.  Send no money, receive no bill.  Free, right?  Well, it says right on the card that if you do NOT want the magazine subscription, you can send the card in to get a refund of $9.99.  Which means it isn’t free.  Somehow, someway, I imagine this magazine is going to get money from me, or else they wouldn’t be offering me a refund.  It simply doesn’t make sense.   Unless Women’s Health just gives free money away to people for no reason.  Sounds legit, right?  Yeah, no. However, I did check my bank account statement, and no money has been taken as of yet.  I think I will send the card in (I could care less about the magazine, but I love the ads!), and just keep a close eye on my bank statement to see if money ever gets collected for it in the future.  I admit I am a bit skeptical of internet scams, because they are EVERYWHERE.  Almost everything is a scam on the internet, and I honestly would not be surprised if this was, too.  

I will definitely be using the color changing nail polish (yay!), the eye cream, and the shave cream from this month’s box, but the rest I’m not really sure about.  But I do know that the tea is going straight in the garbage.  I wanted the fucking macaroons.  

Whish Shave Crave Shaving Cream - Full-size: $20

Ruby Wing Color Changing Nail Polish in "Peony".  Full-size: $10

Lifestyle extra!  Mighty Leaf Tea pouches.  15 pouches: $9.95 

Supergoop Adanced SPF 37 Anti-Aging Eyecream (left) Full-size: $45

(Malin + Goetz) Peppermint Shampoo (right) Full-size: $20

Potential scam!

Please note:  I do not know that the magazine offer is a scam, nor do I know it's not.  I would advise everyone to proceed with caution when sending this in.  I don't mean to badmouth Birchbox for said potential scam, but at the same time, anything that sounds too good to be true usually is.

Rave: April 2013 Ipsy Glam Bag Unboxed

Spoiler alert!  Below is the April Ipsy "box" "unboxed".  Quit reading if you would rather be pleasantly surprised when opening yours.

Everything was securely packaged in this cute little make-up bag.

Full size nail polish. "Love at First Byte" by Sation

Full size blush.  "Sweet cheeks" by Be a Bombshell Cosmetics

Full size eyeshadow duo in "Heartache" by Two Cosmetics

Deluxe sample of "Soy Renewal" Argan Oil Treatment by Healthy Sexy Hair (Sexyhair)

There you have it!  

Much better than what I received from Birchbox last month, at least in my opinion.  I am very impressed with the size of the samples; three out of four products were full-size, or else very large samples.  I wouldn't normally purchase some of these colors, but I'll still try them out.   I can't wait to see what will be in May's box!

Rave: Try Physicians Formula FakeOut Mascara for FREE with rebate!

I found this while browsing through various freebie sites, and it was too good not to share.

Try 100% Natural Origin FakeOut mascara by Physicians Formula for free!  Offer expires 10/31/13.  CLICK HERE to view and print the rebate form.

Review: Rimmel ScandalEyes Show Off Mascara - New for Spring 2013

This is my first experience with Rimmel products, so I didn't have any real expectations.

Description (From ulta.com): The first mascara that combines lash plumping and defining bristles with a unique play-ball brush. Flat side plumps lashes with show-stopping volume. Not a clump in sight. Ball side lifts and curls lashes for eyes that truly show-off. Flake-proof, smudge-proof formula lasts morning to night! Scandalous volume and lift, for lashes to really show off!

Great things may be possible with this mascara. 

The brush is kind of awkward.  Basically, it’s a standard mascara brush, with a ball brush at the end. The first time I applied the mascara, it did not go well; I used the brush like I would on any other mascara, and the results were not impressive at all.  The second time, I used primarily just the ball end tip to define each individual lash, and my results were much better. 

Perhaps I am a bit crazed, but when I hear that the mascara is from a line called “ScandalEyes”, I expect the mascara to provide bold, dramatic results.  Such is not the case, unfortunately.  I did get length and lift, which is what the mascara does indeed advertise, but the effect is more of a fluttery, doll lash look than anything that would be considered bold or dramatic.  At least by my standards.

Immediately before application

After application

Pros: Provides decent length, lift, and separation thanks to its unique ball end.  Helps achieve a natural look.  Dry “fiber” formula that dries quickly.  No smudges, flakes, clumps.  Cheap - $6.99 or less.

Cons: Application can be tricky at first, and may require a few practice runs.  Not very bold, not very dramatic, not very scandalous. 

Bottom line: While this is not my favorite mascara ever, it is decent (especially for the price!), so if you’re going for a doll-lash look or just a more subdued, natural look, you might want to give this a try!

Review: Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter

I received a sample of this body butter from Sephora.com. 

Pros: Very nice texture, goes on beautifully, a little goes a long way.   Great for sensitive skin!  Might be used as a shave minimizer; I woke up the morning after application with much smoother legs than normal.

Cons: Heavily perfumed.

Yes, perfumed.  Not just a light, fruity or gourmand scent like most body butters and lotions I’ve tried in the past, but a thick, cloying, perfume.  I would personally put it into the “chypre” fragrance category, as it did in fact remind me of Miss Dior.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s not that I disliked the fragrance of this body butter.  (I was not a fan of it, by the way, in case you were wondering.)  It’s just that the fragrance was so thick and so heavy that you could not possibly wear a perfume with it, unless the perfume was none other than the aforementioned Miss Dior.  Wearing this body butter on my legs was about as strong as 5 spritzes of perfume, and the fragrance lasted longer than anything I’ve ever put on my body.  I smelled it constantly.  It’s all I smelled. 

Although this product was amazing other than the smell, I would highly recommend smelling it before purchasing it, or else try to get a sample like I did.  Chances are, you will love this body butter, or hate it.    Because of the smell, I will definitely not be using it again. 

If anyone wants the sample pictured above (I had actually received 2), leave me a comment!

Review: Maybelline Volum'Express The Rocket Mascara

  I have mixed feelings about this mascara.

At first, I loved it.  Then I tried L’Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions, and I haven’t really looked back.  Until now!  

Here’s the scoop, in a nutshell:  The mascara, when applied correctly, is amazing.  You get incredible volume and length, and your lashes will be bold, black, and beautiful.  Unfortunately, the formula is extremely wet (maybe the wettest I’ve ever tried), so it is messy, and a bit more difficult to apply.  Since I’ve been using a mascara that is fool proof for daily wear, I got The Rocket pretty much all over the place when applying it for this review.  With other mascaras, you can really take your time to apply the formula to every individual lash, but with The Rocket, I’ve found short, quick strokes work the best; if you labor and linger over this mascara, you may end up with three incredibly fat lashes.  I’ve had it happen.  It’s not pretty.  

Basically, if you put your mascara on swiftly and with the tactical brilliance of a female Napolean, I highly recommend this mascara to you.  If you don’t, or if you just don’t like wet formulas, don’t waste your time.  If you wear glasses, don’t waste your time; this mascara takes FOREVER to dry, and if you put your glasses on within five minutes of applying your mascara, you will get it all over your lenses.  It will also cause the curl of your lashes to “fall”.  I’ve found L’Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions the best option hands down for eyeglass wearers.  

From Maybelline.com: Explosive Volume In Rocket Time! 8X Bigger, Smoother. Now, the most explosive, beautiful lashes ever! Maybelline's Volum' Express The Rocket Mascara's patented Supersonic Brush with micro bristles loads on big, sleek volume instantly. The fast-glide formula keeps lashes smooth. Zero clumps guaranteed!

Note how I got mascara all over my eyelid during application.  Messy!

Pros:  Doesn’t smudge/flake/clump IF applied correctly.  Cheap – under $10.  Cute packaging.  Can produce amazing results.

Cons: Can be difficult to apply due to its wet formula.  Can be messy.  Takes a long time to fully dry.  

I predict that most people will either love this mascara or hate it. 

Two Minute Teal Eyes

I met my husband on Good Friday two years ago, so in honor of that momentous occasion, I decided to do my make-up as close as possible as to how I had it that day.

Two minute teal eyes:

Pop Beauty Eye Cake palette in “Teal Eyes” 

Urban Decay 24/7 Liquid Eyeliner in “Perversion” (Black)

Ulta Eyeliner Pencil (Black)

L’Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions Waterproof Mascara (Carbon Black)

2011:

Today:

Make-up used: 

For the shadow, I use color 1 on the entire lid, color 2 blended into the crease, and color 3 in the outer corners blended in.  This palette blends super easily, so it’s fairly goof-proof, and takes only a short time to apply.  It also smells reminiscent of Band-Aids if you’re one of those weirdos that loves the smell of them. ;)