Review: Simple Eye Makeup Remover Wipes

**This product was provided to me by Birchbox and Simple to review. My opinions are unaffected.**

You guys know that I just got hooked on Burt’s Bee’s wipes. They clean up nice, they smell good, and they don’t make my skin dry out like the Sahara in midsummer.

Well, ladies and gents, those have been blown out of the water. My new addiction comes in the form of something that is roughly the same price.

Luckily, I had just run out of the makeup remover wipes when these showed up in my mailbox.

The ingredients are pretty simple (as the name of the brand implies). Most of the long names in the ingredients list are just alternative names for soaps and vitamins. No sulfates, here!

These remove makeup (primer, mascara, liner, and all) in one fell swoop. There is no obnoxious rubbing at all. Despite the simple ingredients, these are still extremely effective. And honestly, I think a lot of brands could learn more from Simple.

But honestly, my favorite part is how my skin feels after using these wipes. There is no tingling, no burning, no itching. Even Burt’s Bees made my eyes feel a little sunburned after use.

These have no such issues. They’re calming and soothing, not at all harsh. They don’t make me want to claw out my eyes. They don’t leave my skin red and tender.

Effective AND not damaging? I’m sensing a win-win here. These are absolutely becoming a new staple on my makeup battlestation. These wipes are perfect after a long day of wearing makeup and working retail.

 Like a little spa wrapped in a cotton.

Thanks for reading!

June Birchbox 2013: Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo

I already have the Serge Normant dry shampoo, and while I like it, I don't usually very often. I shower every other day, and that's rarely much of a hassle. Usually, I time my showers around my work schedule. So in the even when I open and in the morning when I close.

However, every now and then, I don't want to shower. Today? I'm heading to the river park and didn't want to shower only to slather on sunscreen. And then shower again when I get home.

It was the perfect opportunity to test out this product by Klorane that I received in my Birchbox.

Overall, this is a decent product. 

The spray is really intense, so when I first used it, there was white everywhere that I couldn't get rid of. However, if you hold really far away from your head, it is a little better. The white powder brushes out easily enough. 

This isn't as volumizing as the Serge Normant one, and the fragrance really isn't as great. This smells more like clean. Just that. Nothing really noticeable. Just clean, fresh air. 

It required a little more product to dry out the oils in my hair, but it did work. 

As far as the "gentle" goes....well, I don't know what they mean by that. Isn't going to harm my hair? Well, neither has any other dry shampoo I've ever tried. Albeit, I haven't cornered the market on them, but still. It did seem to make my hair a little bit softer and a good bit less greasy.

In those aspects, this product is a decent dry shampoo. I still prefer Serge Normant's because it requires less product, has a good fragrance, and doesn't have an intense spray that makes me feel like I'm in the midst of a tornado. Still good, though. 

Thanks for reading!

June Birchbox 2013: 100% Pure Body Creams

You guys, of all people, know how much lotion I have. And how hard it is for me to get excited about a new lotion. When the market is oversaturated, y’know. Like my current burn out with sunscreen.

These lotions are, honestly, just decent.

The creams feel luxurious when they’re applied. Thick and nourishing, they definitely do the job for ultra dry skin like my elbows and knees. They softened up the skin there are good deal and helped to combat some of the constant cracking I have on my elbows. So as body creams, they did excellently.

The fragrances, as well, were superb. The coconut smelled like a fresh cracked coconut on the beach. Meaty and fruity and sweet and warm. It made me long for the Bahamas more than anything else. Similarly, the vanilla bean smelled like vanilla sugar. Really, like raw sugar that has been sitting in a jar with a freshly stripped vanilla bean pod. It was scrumptious.

The only let down was after the application. These are moisturizing, sure. But I had a problem with the creams not soaking in very well. I was left with greasy hands and elbows for a while after I put this stuff on, even after rubbing it in. I was even extra careful and didn’t use too much. I only used a third of the sample pack and had this problem.

I understand that it’s a little heavier (since it’s a cream), but I don’t want to leave grease spots everywhere while waiting for my lotion to dry.

I can see myself using this at night, however. Putting it on my tired feet and donning a pair of socks while catching up on Game of Thrones. But as an everyday lotion? I think it’s a bit much. Which is a shame, because the smells made me so very, very happy.

Thanks for reading!

Review: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Cherries in the Snow

**This product was provided to me by someone on reddit. My review is unaffected.**

First off, I think I’m noticing a trend. All of my favorite lip colors are Revlon. Hmmm…

As for this one, I’m so in love!

This buttery smooth lipstick is a rich red. Super flattering, even on someone with my skin tone. It’s sexy and sultry, but mature about it. Like a perfectly fitted red dress on a bombshell drinking the best tasting red wine at the bar.

There are slightly blue/purple undertones in the lipstick that help bring it down to earth, to keep it grown up. Like fresh picked bing cherries.

I love love love this lipstick. The staying power is pretty typical for Revlon, lasting about two hours and a meal, as long as I’m careful.

I can’t wait to wear this lipstick on a date night.

Thanks for reading!

Review: NYX Lip Color in Eros

**This product was provided to me by a friend on reddit. My review is unaffected.**

I never thought I would be able to pull off a sexy red lip. I thought that I looked too sweet, my skin color wasn’t right, it would look weird.

Boy was I wrong!

This lipstick by NYX is a super sexy Ferrari red that dries to a satiny finish. The texture is smooth and soft, but not overly hydrating. You can definitely feel it on your lips, and while it’s not troubling, it’s just…odd.

However, despite the rich color, this sits nicely on top of even my chapped lips. There is no sinking or settling here.

My cat, though, isn’t a big fan. This color, since it so heavily pigmented, leaves red everywhere. And while I think it’s hilarious, my cat doesn’t like licking a kiss mark from his white fur.

This is a really brave, daring red, and I’m glad I got it! I wouldn’t have been confident enough to try it before. But now I know that if I can look good with a bold red lip, so can anyone! And talk about a confidence booster!

Thanks for reading!

May Birchbox 2013: Amika Obliphica Nourishing Mask

I’m a huge fan of hair masks. I feel like they’re great for when I have a day off and want to make myself feel awesome. I’ll thrown on a face mask, a hair mask, and watch some Lost Girl. Maybe wash my makeup brushes or something like that while I’m relaxing.

                                 

Not to mention, most of the hair masks I’ve tried lately have been awesome. There were some duds, but the macadamia oil mask? Glorious. I’m still using that sample of macadamia oil treatment and it always makes my hair look like I just stepped away from a photoshoot.

So when I saw a hair mask in my box, I was super excited. I was already planning a spa day at home!

In the end, though, this mask was kind of a let down.

I felt like it was just a hyped up conditioner. I didn’t notice as much of a difference with this as I did with my other masks.

Sure, it made my hair soft and smooth, but no more so than the Suave Naturals that I have sitting in my shower. It smelled nice, but that smell didn’t last long at all.

About the only good thing about this product was the adorable packaging.

I honestly don’t think I could shell out so much money for this product when I can just buy a super high quality conditioner that does the same thing.

It’s a shame, but I think this Birchbox was my biggest let down thus far. The Coola sunscreen was good, the Sumita eyeliner was decent. The Runa tea (which isn’t getting its own dedicated post) was delicious and pumped me up. But the Marvis toothpaste and the Amika mask were both a little on the underwhelming side. Hopefully my next box will be better.

Thanks for reading!

Review: e.l.f. 2-in-1 Eye Primer and Liner Sealer

This is one of the products I picked up on my congratulatory makeup binges.

I already have a primer that came with one of my eye shadow palettes, but I figured that having a dedicated primer couldn’t be a bad idea. I picked up this, the lightest shade available at my Target. Needless to say, my Target was pretty wiped out of e.l.f. products.

However, despite the shade disparity, this is a pretty decent eye primer. It feels pretty thick and stays on for ages. In fact, removing it is a bit of a hassle.

It has completely solved the issues of staying power with my eyeshadows. I can apply an eyeshadow over this and it will stay put for 12 hours. No creasing, no fading, nothing. Just great color that lasts and lasts. No complaints on that end!

Application is a bit…difficult. The consistency is decent, but a little waxy. It makes putting it on just this side of painful. It’s also a little tough to got uniform coverage. Because really, it all depends on how hard you press where. It can also be a bit painful to rub this all over your eyeball.

I discovered that the best way to apply this was to basically outline my eye. Then, I do a line along the crease. Then I blend it all in with my fingertips. That way, I get smooth coverage and it’s not so thick that it feels sticky.

You could also use a sponge eyeshadow applicator to apply this, which is how I apply my other primer.

Overall, this isn’t a terrible product. It does its job to a tee. It’s just the application that makes this a pain. But for the price of $6, I’m super satisfied..

Thanks for reading!