October Birchbox 2013: Mass Review

As my November box makes its way toward me, I figure it's about time I drag myself away from work to review my October box. Honestly, I thought this box was awful when I first opened it. And in the end, I wasn't super impressed. Shame on you, Birchbox! I expect more from you after this long.

First is the Alison Raffaele Reality Base Foundation. This product was terribly packaged, for one. The label had already come off, leaving a sticky residue all over the bottle. And I think it would be impossible to get all of the product out of this sample.

Think, you say? Don't you know for certain?

No, because I didn't use this product. At all.

Do you see how dark and yellow that product is? Like, whoa. I'm super light skinned, as I stated in my Birchbox profile. And they send me something that even my tan friends think is yellow. 

So it's not totally their fault, I get it. But the product is also....mediocre, to put it lightly. It was really runny. The coverage was thick and impossible the blend. I just wasn't blown away. Especially not for a price tag of $38. I'd rather not pay an arm and a leg to end up streaky and yellow. Thanks, but no thanks.

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Next was the POP Beauty Aqua Lacquer. This may be one of the weirdest lip glosses I've ever gotten. And I'm not a fan of lip gloss to begin with. 

The applicator for this product is supposed to be a "unique spatula-like applicator brush" that makes application easy. Ha. Ha ha! It's awkward and hard to get just right. I would have preferred a doe foot applicator or even just a squeeze tube. Instead, it's a combination of squeeze tube and weird "patented" (aka gimmicky) spatula. Great. 

And on top of that, the gloss just isn't that great. It thick and sticky, unlike what all of the marketing about this product says. It also tastes awful, which only matters for people like me that lick and bite their lips constantly. 

As far as hydration goes, that part was nice. It does about as well a decent lip balm. Nothing earth shattering, but hey, you take what you can get. 

Unfortunately for me, I kind of like the color. Just enough to maybe use it once or twice before it gets forgotten at the bottom of my makeup drawer. Oh, well.

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By far, one of my favorite things in the box was the Chapstick product. ChapStick Hydration Lock is my new favorite daily lip product. At this point, I've almost used the whole stick that I got in my Birchbox. 

This stuff is super moisturizing. It makes even my chapped lips feel like butter. And as winter creeps ever onward, I'm going to be glad to have a constant supply of this in my vanity. And my purse. And my other purse. And my backpack. And my wallet. 

What? I'm a hoarder for lip balms. 

There's not a whole lot to say about this, though, other than it's awesome. Great moisture, nice scent/flavor, and the usual Chapstick quality. No complaints here.

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The last product in my box was a twofer, although that's almost a shame. I feel like since they're packaged together, it should count for one product. But eh, what are you going to do?

The Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser and Liz Earle Pure Muslin Cloths are nice quality. And they should be, for the cost. The polish is nice, although using it on dry skin was odd to say the least. Definitely different from what I'm used to. 

The polish did, however, leave my skin baby soft. I kept stroking my cheek because I was impressed at how well it had exfoliated all of those awful dry patches that come with swatching products on a near daily basis. It smoothed everything out and gave me this gorgeous glow. It also didn't make my skin red like most focused exfoliators. 

The cloth helped with that. I usually use a microfiber scrubber for my face, but this muslin was just as nice, if not better. It's become a staple in my bathroom and I use it even when I don't use the Liz Earle polishing cleanser. 

Overall, a half and half box. Two flops, two winners. Maybe Novemeber will be better? 

Thanks for reading! 

Review: Covergirl Clean Whipped Creme Foundation

***This product was provided to me for review by Covergirl, through BzzAgent.***

When I got into this BzzAgent campaign, I was thrilled. A full size product that I can actually review on my blog?! Whoohoo!

Before I got my kit, I took a chance to read some review of this foundation. And to be perfectly honest, they were really mixed. Some stated that the wear time was short, some said it was fine. Some said it made their skin oily, some said it made it dry. I was a little confused and a more eager to try the product for myself.

Once I got my greedy little hands on it, I understood the mixed reviews. This product is awesome...for certain people.

 Luckily, this product and I mesh really well. I mean, whoa. Really well. It's like we're best friends that met once when we were kids and then were dragged away from each other kicking and screaming, only to meet again in college.

Yeah, it's that good.

First and foremost, it's a little dark for me. That's fine, though, because I can always buy a lighter shade, use this for summer, or mix this with one of my lighter foundations to get the color just right.

The texture is odd. Like a mousse. I kind of want to eat it with a touch of ice cream on the side.

It blends well and easily into my skin, and even though it's dark, it looks relatively flawless with very little effort. I also found that a makeup sponge made it more difficult, so I resorted to using my fingers. The result: much better.

The foundation also made my skin feel fantastic. Even as cold weather is setting in and I am getting dry patches like nobody's business, this made my skin soft and silky like it wasn't hitting the 40s.

Wear time wasn't great, but it wasn't long lasting by any stretch of the imagination. It got me through a normal work day, and by the time I got home there was a touch of color and coverage left. It was relatively sheer to begin with, though.

Overall, this is product I'll probably be buying again. It's not as good as the BB creams I fell in love with several posts ago, but it's still a nice foundation for people who have normal to dry skin. If you're oily, honestly, this will just make it worse.

Thanks for reading! And if you're interested in becoming a BzzAgent to get in on marketing campaigns, check out their site!

Juice Beauty CC Cream Review

This was a sample that I received from my friend Patricia. She already has a BB cream that she’s in love with, while I’m having…not so much luck. I was eager to try this, though, since Birchbox sells it. With my accumulating Birchbox points, I could easily afford this.

Right out of the bottle, I knew this CC cream and I were going to be fast friends. It smells. Like. Heaven. Fruity and floral, but still natural, Juice beauty got “fresh” right on nose.

This CC cream does have a slightly thicker consistency than what I’m used to, but that didn’t hinder its application at all. In fact, this stuff applied like a dream. It wasn’t streaky or thick, and soaked right in. It didn’t look like I was wearing makeup at all! In fact, I looked like I was just naturally awesome.

It didn’t cover up freckles or blemishes, but it did even out my skin tone something fierce. Even the redness in my t-zone was pretty much gone.

This also lasted all day. It helped the rest of my makeup stay on even longer, and it didn’t feel heavy at all. In fact, it felt light and comfortable. A few times, I had to remember that I had put on makeup in the morning.

Let me tell you, this stuff is absolutely a winner. I can see myself buying this once my current foundation (Covergirl Natureluxe) runs out. Which could be a while, but I might accidentally spill the Covergirl so I can get this sooner.

Way to go, Juice. You guys did very, very well.

Thanks for reading!

A to Z: M is for Microfiber (And Minerals)

Apologies for the late post, guys. I went on a spontaneous road trip with my best friends yesterday. And let me tell you, getting out and about for the day was absolutely marvelous. I'll make up for it by reviewing two products today! That's right, two for the price of one!

Not that my posts cost you anything, but y'know...

First up is a dollar store find that has completely changed my skin. 

This little thing is about the size of my palm, made of microfiber, and is perfect as a facial scrubber. In fact, the packaging once said that was what it was for. 

Before using these microfiber scrubbies, I used my hands to wash my face. A little squirt of cleanser, some gentle rubbing, bam. Done. And during that time, I had pretty bad acne. 

Now, I didn't know this then, but apparently that wasn't cutting it for my skin. I needed exfoliation. I needed a deeper clean. And then the dollar store stepped in. 

Ever since I have started using these little green circles of amazing, my acne has mostly cleared up. The scrubs on one side are perfect for daily use. Exfoliating, but gentle about it. Not so intense that my skin is dry and red afterwards. The other side, the mesh side, is perfect for days when I feel really grimy or think my skin could use an extra scrub. It's a little bit more exfoliating. 

And the best part is, I can throw these into the washer and dryer with my regular clothes. Completely reusable, over and over again. In fact, I have rotated between the same three of these for over two years now. Once a week or once every two weeks (depending on when I remember), I toss them in the laundry and use a clean one. And on and on it goes. 

My skin is happy, and healthy, and glowing. No complaints from me, especially since I only spent a dollar on all three.

Next is my mineral makeup. Now, I know this is a hot topic right now, but here's my two cents. For what it's worth. (Two cents.)

I use the standard BareMinerals powder in fair. It's fast, it's simple, it does exactly what I need it to do. I've mentioned that I don't like wearing a lot of heavy makeup, and this stuff is about as light as it gets. 

I personally love that I can just brush some on and immediately look more put together than I did before. It's awesome before work because if I'm running behind, I will still look like I woke up brilliant and beaming.

And another great thing? It lasts all day! I don't refresh my makeup much throughout the day, but this stuff holds up to the standard work day just fine. In fact, when I wash my face at night, I still take some of it off. 

The blush that I use is also BareMinerals. It's The Natural High, one of their recent special collections. I didn't go into the store wanting blush, but after the salesperson applied some, I loved the way it looked. So I walked out of the store a little poorer, but happier. 

This blush is a nice, light pink with a slightly peachy undertone. My photos all seem to pull out that peach color. It's actually a little more pink in person than it is in the above pictures. Here's a picture from a beauty blogger I absolutely adore, Temptalia, that captures a better image of the color.

This is a very buildable color. I can apply just a little for a naturally fresh look. Or a little more to look like I'm super vibrant and flushed. It's an absolutely wonderful color. 

Now, for a mini discussion. I know that right now, there is an article circulating that mineral makeup isn't as good as everyone says. That it clogs pores. Makes your pores look bigger. Has bad chemical reactions for some people. Doesn't have enough SPF for what is advertised. 

In fact, some out there absolutely hate mineral makeup for these reasons. 

But for me, I have never had these problems. I don't notice a difference with my pores. I haven't had any bad reactions. And it doesn't make me break out (unlike some liquid foundations I've tried). I feel that just like with any makeup, you need to find the one that is right for you. Liquid, powder, cream, whatever. The beauty industry is vast and specialized. So go out there and find what is right for you. What makes your skin and soul happy. 

Thanks for reading, and again, apologies for being late!