BirchBox September: Beauty Protector Shampoo and Conditioner

I already have a shampoo that I am in love with, but I'm always happy to try something new! It helps that I adore Beauty Protector's UV Spray.

This shampoo and conditioner combo smelled just like that spray. Beachy, soft coconut. It smells like breezes on islands and summer memories. It's a gentle smell, not one that lingers all day, but enough to give me a little pep in the morning.

As far as product goes, these were all right. Nothing really amazing about them.

I feel like if you were to pair these up with a whole line of similar products, it might make a difference. But as stand alone products, they were just kind of meh. I didn't notice  a disitinct difference in my hair's texture or shine. Just clean and a little softer than when I don't use conditioner. Which makes sense.

Although I have to say, for the price tag of $22 a pop, I'd look for something a little more sensational.

Nice try, Beauty Protector, but not for me.

September Birchbox: Ruffian Polish in Fox Hunt and Bonus Review

Let me start by saying that I totally voted for this color on Birchbox's website. So I'm a little bit biased. I loved it on the website and I love it even more on my nails.

Ruffian, from what I understand, is a high-end fashion brand that is just now stepping into the world of nail polish. And from my experience, they are having a hell of a good start.

This polish went on smooth as butter. Better, even, then some of the other high end brands that I have tried. It was perfectly opaque in two coats, which is stunning for a color this vivid. Means that I can save more polish for later. 

There was absolutely no streaks with this Ruffian polish. And the color is amazing. It's a burnt orange with hints of gold shimmer, and just a touch of pink if you look at it in the right light. Perfect for fall, it screams pumpkins and (of course) foxes. 

I also have to say that I was dubious about the chip free aspect of this polish. I work my hands pretty hard, and I wasn't expecting it to live up to the hype. However, I'm on day four of wearing this polish and my nails look just like they do in that picture. Minimal tip wear, but no major chips. My nails also aren't peeling, which is completely new to me. 

It might help that I'm also using Deborah Lippmann's Gel Lab Manicure set, which I purchased from Birchbox a while back and absolutely adore. 

This kit contains a tough as all get out case coat and a high gloss top coat. It adds impressive lasting power to any polish. But even this isn't perfect. It takes a really great polish to get the kind of wear that I'm experiencing with this Ruffian polish.

I have to say, if this one mini bottle is anything to go with, Ruffian is definitely in it to win it. They're a brand to look out for in the nail polish world. 

Thanks for reading!

August Birchbox 2013: uniqONE All In One Hair Treatment

This is a product genre that I'm starting to get tired of. 

Just for reference, I usually don't mess with my hair. I let it air dry. I don't blow dry it. I don't add any product. I just let it do its thing so I don't end up looking like a disaster. 

So when I saw ANOTHER hair treatment in my box, I sighed a little. Another product to cramp up my counter until I give it to my best friend. Figures.

Aaaaand another BB picture because of camera issues.

Over all, though, this isn't a bad product. 

It smells alright, but the smell fades quickly. I'm fine with that. I don't necessarily want to catch huge whiffs of floral smell all day. It was just pleasant enough that I didn't mind using it. Sweet, but not girly. Fragrant, but not overpowering. 

This was also very easy to apply. Unlike some issues I've encountered with similar bottles, this created a fine, even mist that didn't leave clumps of shine in my hair. It combed out easily and thoroughly, leaving every hair protected.

The hair treatment also left my hair feeling soft and silky, as promised. My hair didn't dry out when I hit it with my blow dryer. It stayed shiny and soft all day. However, once I stepped outside, the Southern humidity took its toll and I had frizzies like you wouldn't believe. 

In the end, this isn't a terrible product. It's just not one I'm going to use. I don't style my hair enough to use something like this every day. 

Time to shuck it off on a friend!

Thanks for reading. 

August Birchbox: Whish Deodorant Swipes and Coconut Milk Correcting Gel

Since these two products are made by the same brand, they are going to share realty on my blog.

First and foremost, the disappointment.

Image stolen from BirchBox's website, because my camera is having a hissy fit.

I was really excited to try these deodorant wipes. They smelled excellent out of the package and I always love the promise of using something natural on my sensitive underarms. I was also lured in by the promise of hair removal over time.

I should have known that too many promises lead to heartbreak.

This product smelled great on, although it was odd to apply deodorant with a wipe. Great for travel, I suppose, but wasteful for everyday use.

But hey, I smelled nice and my skin was definitely softer and cleaner than when I started.

So I go about my busy day, which is when the problems started. At around noon (I had applied the Whish wipe at 8am), I started to smell funky. And not the jazzy, cool kind of funky. I mean I smelled like I hadn’t applied deodorant in weeks.

I smelled dirty and sweaty and everyone noticed. It was like I was walking around in a funk cloud.

Needless to say, I pulled out my spare stick of deodorant that I keep with me for just such occasions and banished the cloud forever. Unfortunately, the damage was done. My shirt smelled off and even with the promises Whish gave me, I found myself putting this particular product on my “Never Try Again” list.

Again, picture courtesy of BirchBox.

Enter the Whish Coconut Milk Correcting Gel. It’s meant for after sun, which makes sense for most people when it’s the middle of summer. But I don’t get out much. Or even if I do, I apply loads and loads of sunscreen. However, I did use this morning and night, as directed, anyways.

It made my skin feel a little bit tight at first, which I assume is the aloe. I always have that feeling with aloe.

Afterwards, my skin was soft and smooth, if a little stiff feeling. It tingled a little for a while, and I imagine that the feeling would intensify if I had gone out in the sun. It’s not terrible by any means. But the smell. Well, that’s another thing entirely.

The smell is…intense. It’s fruity and fragrant. In fact, it smells exactly like this perfume that I have called Mango Tea. It smells like summer and drinks on the beach. Which is awesome, except that the smell wouldn’t go away. It was strong enough to make my nose burn at first, but it eventually died to just a ghost. But it lasted. The. Whole. Day. This face gel has better lasting power than most perfumes that I’ve used.

But in all honesty, that’s not exactly a compliment. I don’t necessarily want my perfume to have to compete with my skin care regimen. So this product will be used, but it will be relegated to days when I actually go out in the sun. 

Korean BB Cream Mass Sample Review

About a month ago, I purchased a large selection of BB Cream samples from Cosmetic-Love. Over time, I have been testing each and every one of those twelve samples extensively, plus the two free samples they included in my purchase.

First off, let me state that Cosmetic-Love is awesome. I loved the samples I got, shipping was free, and the selection was amazing. Their store is easily one of my new favorite places to buy Korean cosmetics. Especially because they include tons of free samples with each purchase.

Next, let me say that Korean BB Creams are, without a doubt, the best thing I've ever tried. They were all amazing. Some were better than others, obviously, but they were all excellent. My American foundation just didn't stand a chance.

So what follows is my review for 14 different Korean cosmetics, in no particular order.

Etude House Nymph Aura Volumer

I still can't tell you what a "volumer" is, but I can say that this product didn't really do it to me. It left my skin oily and smeared with a fake floral scent that stuck around for far too long. It did, however, give my skin a nice, pink, dewy finish. I can see this product being more useful during the dry spells of winter. 

Skin Food Platinum Grape Cell Essential BB Cream

This was one of my favorites. It smelled excellent, blended frighteningly well, and provided moisture without being oily. It had sheer-ish coverage that made my skin look naturally flawless. 

Lioele Dollish Veil Vita BB Cream

This startled me at first because it was white, not tinted. Basically, it worked like and HD powder, but in a cream. It was soft, moisturizing, and perfecting. It gave my skin a natural glow and a soft finish.

Skin Food Aloe Sun BB Cream

This was a very thin, moderately fragranced BB cream with sheer coverage. It felt revitalizing, and I can only imagine that it would feel more so after a day spent in the sun. 

InnisFree Eco Natural Green Tea BB Cream

While this cream wasn't as moisturizing at was implied, it was delightfully blendable and color smart. It was thick, but didn't look like I had just layered on tons and tons of makeup. The fragrance was similar to the German cosmetics that I use. Very natural and earthy, but pleasing. 

Missha Signature Real Complete BB Cream

This was a very thick BB cream with excellent coverage. The smell was hardly noticeable and the color looked natural. 

Skin 79 Snail Nutrition BB Cream

This one surprised me. I was scared to put snail ick on my face at first, but it turned out to be an awesome idea. It was very blendable, sheer, and moisturizing. It made my skin feel amazing the day after and every one noticed that I looked like I was glowing and gorgeous. 

Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint

This was the only thing in my package that I wouldn't use again, and it's the only thing that can't be classified as a BB cream. This lip stain came out more as a gloss, which is fine. But it was heavily fragranced like the fakest cherry imaginable. Like cough syrup gone south. It lasted a decent amount of time, but not as much as I would expect from a lip tint. But the nail in the coffin was the taste. It was like chemicals and sugar and cleaning supplies. I don't know how people stand it. Definitely not a winner. 

Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream

This stuff, I kid you not, smells like sunscreen. Not overwhelming, but just summery. It's a little on the darker side, so it looked odd on me, but it had good coverage. It was a little difficult to remove at the end of the day, however. 

Lioele Triple Solution BB Cream

This was a very dark BB cream. It had very solid coverage and was difficult to remove. Excellent for those who are trying to cover up any sort of scarring. 

Skin 79 Super+ BB Cream

This BB cream was thick, but easy to apply. It blended very well and provided sheer-ish coverage. It just gave a flawless finish. It is worth noting that this product gave my makeup extreme lasting power. I had zero fading the whole day through. And when I applied my blush on top of it, it stuck like crazy. I actually had to wash a little bit off because it showed up so well. 

Skin 79 Super+ Triple Functions BB Cream

This, like the one above, was thick but smooth. It provided heavier coverage than the above BB cream. There was no fragrance to speak of. Just nice, clean feeling skin. 

Tony Molly Expert Triple BB Cream

This was very thick. Almost clay like when coming out of the tube. It looked darker, was much less so when applied. Kind of threw me for a loop, to be perfectly honest. It has a strong chemical smell at first, but  that fades relatively quickly. Again, my makeup had amazing wear time. 

Skin 79 Super+ VIP BB Cream

This was very, very thick when applied. It felt a bit heavy, but then soaked in a bit and was tolerable. It had great coverage and was dewy and moisturizing. This was another that made my makeup apply better and stay longer. 

Over all, these BB Creams are all excellent. For anyone who is new to the world of Korean cosmetics, I say that you should visit the Cosmetic-Love site. Get some samples and play around. I know I've found a few favorites, and I can't wait to try out some more. 

Thanks for reading!

August BirchBox: (MALIN+GOETZ) Vitamin E Face Moisturizer

First off, sorry for the lack of updates. I've moved recently, and it's been a little hectic. Luckily, I'm pretty much settled now, so this should be more consistent. And more detailed. As I write this, I am sitting at my desk basking in the joy of overhead lighting. Wide windows let in tons of sunlight. I have an entire breakfast nook just for blogging purposes! It's glorious, and I can't wait to get more writing done. You guys can expect lots of things in the future. So keep an eye out!

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This is one of the first things that I tested once I got my August Birchbox. I love Vitamin E, and I'm always looking for ways to work it into my skin care routine.

This moisturizer is honestly leaving me on the fence, though. 

It certainly does its job, don't get me wrong. It is soft and gentle, leaving my skin feeling supple for the entire day. It goes on easy, absorbing quickly into the skin without leaving any trace of greasy residue. 

One thing that should also be noted is that it didn't make my face oily later in the day. And that's saying something, since I live in the Southern US and it's August. For those of you who don't know, that means it's an average of 80 degrees Fahrenheit every day with a humidity of close to 100%. Having a moisturizer that doesn't make me oily or acne prone is a boon. 

The only thing that I don't like about this particular cream is that it smells. Really strongly. And, honestly, it smells a bit like a chemical factory. I think it's supposed to be fragrance free, but as such it smells like I just walked out of a plastic factory. 

This is really unfortunate, because I feel like (MALIN+GOETZ) really hit the nail on the head as far as moisture goes. I just don't think I could stand to smell this every day. 

Thanks for reading!

Birchbox July 2013 Uber Review

Since July was crazy for me (and August is looking to be crazier), I figured I would save myself some time and review my entire BirchBox at once. Hopefully this won't become too much of an occurrence. I like to pace things out and get the full scope of a product. July's, however, is going to be one of those wam-bam deals. So buckle up, kiddos, it's gonna be fast.

These bobby pins...what can I say about them? They're bobby pins. I only wish they weren't so straight, since they tend to stick up on my head. They're also insanely difficult to get on there just right without bending them out of shape. They're cute, though, and decent for certain occasions. 

This blush, however, is awesome! It's become my new, go-to color. It's bright and fresh without being obvious. It lasts forever, even in the middle of summer. In fact, I wore this for a 13 hour workday and it stayed put then and for drinks afterward. It's a nice, peachy color that looks amazing with my complexion. This is going to be a full size purchase from the Birchbox store.

Benefit's It's Potent eye cream was kind of a let down. I was expecting something that would drastically reduce my under eye bruising and sagging. And it helped. A little. But even after two weeks of use, there wasn't a significant difference. Not significant enough for the price tag, anyways. Maybe it works better on people who aren't always on the go, but it was still a bit disappointing. However, it is moisturizing and feels nice on the skin while it soaks in.

Another let down this month. No. 4, a brand I generally really like, missed it with this one. The product does sort of detangle, but not as well as the Beauty Protector I got in my box a while back. It smells like fake flowers, like they were trying too hard to smell fresh. It also doesn't make my hair nearly as flawless as many of the other (cheaper) products I've used. 

This product made me change my preferences on my Birchbox profile. Why, you ask? Because the past several boxes I have gotten tons of acne centric product. And that's a shame. I put acne as a skin concern because I get occasional zits and blemishes. I wasn't expecting to have nothing but those products for at least three months in a row. 

However, this product is great. It does exactly what it's supposed to do by controlling a blemish and reigning it in. Less redness, less pain, less icky. I've found that it's awesome for my husband's severe acne (which is great). I've only used it a couple of times, but it's well worth the price tag. For someone who actually has an issue with acne. 

Overall, this box wasn't as wowing as the rest have been. It tried, but it missed the mark on more than a couple of items. I'm hoping my boxes get better from here, now that I've tweaked my profile a bit more. 

Thanks for reading!

Review: Coastal Scents Go Palettes

Alright, everyone. I have a new makeup love affair. And it’s the brand Coastal Scents.

I heard about this brand through Eat Your Kimchi, a blog I’ve been following for years about Korea. Martina swears by Coastal Scents, so it’s always been in the back of my mind.

Well, recently I discovered that their products are for sale on Amazon….and they’re super affordable. Especially the ultra portable Go Palettes, each themed after a country. So I was gifted one palette (Cairo) and bought another (Sydney).

And it really is true love. Deep, passionate, heart wrenching love. The love where you hate being apart from the object of your affections.

These palettes are stunning. The colors are rich and dramatic, each one heavily pigmented. They are complimentary and beautiful, unique and yet still harmonizing.

 Cairo is a neutral palette with deep purples, luxurious tans, and earth tones. There are mattes, satins, and shimmers in this palette, so it is exceptionally versatile.

Sydney is a palette of bright pinks, yellows, greens, and blues. These are the happiest of colors, perfect for a warm summer. Again, there are mattes, satins, and shimmers. And again, the pigments are intense without the need for anything extra.

This brand is standing out because the colors are high quality without being expensive.

My only complaint is the lasting time. Even with primer, I got about 6 hours of wear before I noticed some creasing. But still…six hours with no need for reapplication? That’s still pretty amazing. Especially with the richness of these colors. I’ve also noticed that they last longer if I’m careful about touching my eyes. Duh moment, I know, but I have contacts, so I’m always rubbing at my eyes through the day.

Overall, this is a brand I’m going to be coming back to again and again. In fact, I’m longing for the Ultimate Palette with a whopping 252 colors. Soon….Very soon….

Thanks for reading!

Review: Covergirl Lash Blast Length

This was one of my necessity buys once I hit the beach a while back. I had left the house with absolutely zero mascara, let alone waterproof mascara to last me through a day of frolicking in the sun and sand. So late that first night, I ran over to a nearby CVS to grab some essentials. This was one of those products.

To be perfectly honest, I was looking for something super cheap. I wasn’t planning on using it past the week and thoroughly expected to just dump it. I’m not a fan of waterproof mascaras because they usually irritate my eyes to no end. Red, runny, painful eyes is just not a great experience.

Enter, LashBlast. It was cheap, it was “water resistant,” and it came from a brand I know. I opted for the brown/black color in the hopes that it would look more natural at the beach.

Well, this stuff exceeded my wildest expectations. I’m still using. And when I run out, I’m probably going to buy some more.

For something so inexpensive, it gives great length. No clumping, no “spidery” lashes. Just nice, soft color. I love wearing this on days when I’m opting for a more natural look. You know, that no-makeup makeup look. Or when I just don't want to have anything super dramatic to take away from my lips, cheeks, or shadow. 

The wear time is a little less than I was expecting, but that’s ok for me. By the time I get home, it’s not as noticeable. It’s a breeze to remove. And there are no raccoon eyes when I wash my face.

Overall, a very good purchase for being so inexpensive.

Thanks for reading!

Review: Lancome Color Design Shadow Palette

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

This eye shadow is simple and straight forward, and I love that. No fancy pants designs. Just good, pretty color. Trust Lancome to make a great product with simple, elegant packaging. 

The bright metallic pink, Makeover, is fun and funky. The metallic Pink Zinc is flattering and mature. The Pink Pearls is an excellent highlight matte. And It List, the black, is great for matte smoky perfection.

These colors go on super pigmented. Even without primer, I was able to wear Pink Zinc all day without having to reapply. The others are pretty similar to that, although they become even more sturdy when applied over primer (like with any eyeshadow).

These colors go well together, but they also look nice on their own or mixed in with other palettes. Very versatile as far as colors go.

Thanks for reading!