Goody Simple Styles Spin Pins

These are actually my favorite items from the Beauty Blogger VoxBox from Influenster! It's so simple to just throw your hair into a bun, twist, and go.

They do have different colors to more easily blend into your hair color and for $7.29 you can't go wrong. In my opinion, that's a semi-high price for only two pins but you really don't need more than two! To use, I just simply gather my hair like a pony tail, swirl around into a bun, and place both spin pins on either side of the bun and twist in (1 at a time) and there you go, your hair is all locked in. They even held through a 1-hour pilates session!

I highly recommend :)

*I got this item for free to review in my Beauty Blogger VoxBox from Influenster

Kiss Ever Pro Lashes

These lashes. THESE LASHES. You don't even understand, these lashes, guise, these lashes are amazing.

The lashes are so soft and with them being so plush I was imagining they would look very fake and caterpillar-like but they didn't whatsoever. I did have to fill in some extra eyeliner to blend in the thick band but that's okay. The only thing I wasn't too happy about was the '24hour' glue didn't last more than 3 hours on the inside corners of my eyes. Granted, that could have been my fault. I could have not put enough on. I'll be wearing these again and using more glue so I'll be able to give another review on that issue. Other than that I absolutely LOVE these lashes and the whole kit is sold for $5.99 at Walgreens.

The lashes in use.

*I got this kit for free in the Beauty Blogger VoxBox from Influenster.

NYC New York Color IndividualEyes Compact

I was lucky enough to receive this product in my Beauty Blogger VoxBox to try out for free and write a review on. It comes with a little double ended sponge applicator, eye primer, illuminator, and 4 shades of eye shadow ranging from white to black, all shimmery.

illuminator

I really actually love this illuminator. It blends out so well and matches my skintone perfectly. It adds a nice highlight but doesn't make you look like a disco ball which is really nice! Plus it's sooo creamy.

primer

The primer is okay, nothing super extravagant. I'm always going to be biased by Urban Decay's Primer Potion but this primer is okay for the price you pay. It's kind of cakey to me, finishes a little too 'dry' to me and doesn't really lock in the color as well as it could.

shadows

 For a cheaper compact of shadows the payout is decent. These swatches were without primer so they might show differently with some primer underneath but I just wanted to show the initial payout from silver, silver-grey, dark grey, black. Surprisingly the dark grey is darker than the black, which is actually two layers while the dark grey is only one. The silver is nice, very shimmery but not overly glittery. I definitely approve of the silver.

All in all, it's a decent compact/palette for the price you pay ($4.99) but I'll always be biased and lean more towards higher end brands for the color payout you get. It's a lovely starter compact for someone just getting involved in the makeup world.

*I got this product for free in my Beauty Blogger VoxBox. These images are my own.

Beauty Blogger Voxbox 2012

Recently I was lucky enough to be selected to receive Influenster's Beauty Blogger Voxbox. No lie, this box was filled with AMAZING goodies!! I was so excited!

The box included the following:

• Vitabath Fragrance Mist in Ivy & Lily 8 fl oz worth $9.99 (full size received)
• Not Your Mother's Kinky Moves Curl Defining Hair Cream 1.5 fl oz worth $2.25 (full size 4 fl oz worth $5.99)
• Bath and Body Works Mini Candle in Mahogany Teakwood worth $3.50 (or 2 for $5 in store)
• NYC IndividualEyes palette in Dark Shadows worth $4.99 (full size received)
• Kiss Ever Pro Lashes Starter Kit worth $4.99 (full size received)
• Goody Simple Styles Spin Pin worth $7.29 (full size received)
• E-boost sample packet
• 2 Bath and Body Works coupons for 3-Wick Candle for $10

This mist smells so delicious. It's very clean and fresh and not over powering at all! In all honesty I probably won't use it as a body spray since I tend to stick to my perfumes but it will be a GREAT bathroom/room spray.

After taking me forever to figure out that there was something covering the opening I finally got to try this cream out. Not only does it smell amazing but it didn't leave my hair quite as "crunchy" as other curl creams have. My hair was left very soft and it wasn't weighed down by a whole bunch of gook. I have a feeling I'll be buying some more of this as Christmas presents!

This little candle is so potent it smelled up my entire mailbox! Now that it's out in the open I don't even have to light it for it to get an entire room smelling like it. This candle is a part of Bath and Body works new line of White Barn candles. I don't even want to light it and waste it it smells so yummy! Maybe I'll give it to my mom at Christmas?

I was shocked to find such a big eye shadow palette in this box. It was something I wasn't expecting at all. I actually already have this exact one so I may use it for a giveaway or a Christmas gift. Maybe I'll just keep it until my other runs out? I'm not sure yet. The colors blend VERY well together and have a minimal fall out. The primer is okay, I'm still biased to my Urban Decay ;) I'd recommend this as a great starters palette though! Fun to experiment with.

I haven't had a reason to try these out yet and I don't want to waste them but they look very pretty! I'm a bit afraid they'll be so thick I'll look like I have caterpillars on my eyes but who knows, they could look 10x better on! I'm going to a concert tomorrow night so maybe I'll give them a try then! If I do then I'll take a picture and update this with how they look!

These are the coolest things ever. You just twirl your hair into a bun, swirl one clip at a time into the base of your bun and voila! Your hair is stuck snug. I may have to pick up a few more of these.

I'm not a huge fan of the E-boost packets so that'll probably go in my trade bag but the coupons will most definitely be used. A 3 wick candle for only $10? Yes please!

So what'd I tell ya? This box was so full of amazing goodies! If you'd like an invite comment below with your e-mail and I'll invite you, otherwise go on over to the Influenster website and click 'request invite'!

www.influenster.com

Influenster

What is Influenster? Influenster is a website you have to be invited to in order to join where you can earn badges based on your likes and interests. The more badges you have, the more of a chance you have to earn a Voxbox! Voxboxes are like little kits filled with products based on which box you get that you can review and share with Facebook and Twitter. They have varying boxes based on interests. I've received the Spring Beauty Voxbox and the Beauty Blogger Voxbox both in 2012. Voxboxes are free and filled with awesome goodies, you just have to earn them!

www.influenster.com

Polish of the Week: 6/17/12

Right now I'm wearing Zoya in Kristen & Color Club in He Loves Me. I really wanted to try out both of these colors so decided to put a 'highlight' on my ring finger. I really LOVE these colors because they cover so well but they definitely fit Springtime a little better than Summer, but oh well. :)

What are you wearing these days?

Sircle Samples

Has anyone heard of Sircle Samples yet? It's a new concept where you fill out a beauty profile, answer small surveys, and ear 'Sircle Coins'. The Sircle Coins you ear can be redeemed in their shop for REAL samples. It's not one of those scam websites that you order a sample and never get it, they actually partner with real companies and you get REAL samples.

At the moment you can only get in by invite since they're in beta testing mode but here's a link for an invite: Sircle Samples Invite

So far I've 'bought' Simple Pleasures Lip Balm, RAW Color Brush Set, Apothederm Moisturizing Cream, Bring It Up "Reusable" Instant Breast Lifts, and E.L.F. Hypershine Lipgloss with my Sircle Coins but they have a number of other companies working with them as well like Napoleon Perdis, and Glamour Doll Eyes.

The usual cost for a sample is 300 or more Sircle Coins which you can easily earn back by reviewing the products you 'purchase' and adding more products you want to try to your 'makeup bag'. Seriously, the concept is great!

For the ...

• Simple Pleasures Lip Balm I received a full size lip balm
• RAW Color Brush Set I received 3 brushes
• Apothederm Moisturizing Cream I received a small sample size + a sample packette of their stretch mark cream
• Bring It Up "Reusable" Instant Breast Lifts I received a packet of 1 set of lifts
• E.L.F. Hypershine Lipgloss I have not received yet

I definitely recommend getting in on this amazing deal. Don't be shy, check it out!

Get your invite now!

*disclaimer: i was not paid to make this review/ad. all opinions are my own.

  

Dr. Scholl's For Her Ball of Foot Cushions Review

*disclaimer: this is not my image. i got it from google images.

This is one item I was very excited to receive from Influenster as a part of my Spring Beauty VoxBox. Surprisingly, it was the first item I tore into right away. I had never had the chance to use any form of insole or shoe cushion before so I was very excited to give these a try (after I played with them and squished them a little, shh!). 

These came in at the perfect timing. Just in time for my friends and I to go out for a night on the town! I figured out where I wanted to place them in my heels, tore the plastic backing off, and stuck those babies. You would not believe the difference they made in a night out where you're stuck in heels for hours on end (ladies, I know you're with me on this!). 

I'm the kind of girl that usually packs a pair of flip flops in my purse so when my feet start dying I can switch shoes but with these Ball of Foot inserts a pair of flip flops just wasn't necessary. We stayed out for hours dancing, talking, standing around and my feet just didn't hurt anywhere NEAR where they usually do. Typically about an hour and a half to two hours into the evening my feet start cramping but with these lovely things my feet didn't start to get tired until 4 am, granted I had been standing all day at work too!

If you go out a lot ladies, do yourself a favor a pick up a couple of these for your heels! You definitely won't regret it. Your feet will be thanking you.

Pick Up A Pair Here!

*disclaimer: influenster is a free box i received from taking surveys. i did this review to give my own honest opinion and receive a badge on influenster's website. all opinions are my own.

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Review

One of the products I received in my Spring Beauty VoxBox from Influenster was the Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail polish in Kitty, Kitty. The style isn't exactly what I would have picked for myself but it was fine for a trial.

   

The kit comes with a wooden cuticle stick, a 3 textured nail file, instructions, and two air-tight packettes of the nail polish 'stickers'.

   

The set up and application process is really simple once you get the hang of it. First you get your nails ready just like you would prior to any at home manicure. File and shape your nails, push back your cuticles with the provided wooden cuticle stick, then smooth out the top of your nail with the white side of the provided nail file. Lastly, wipe clean the tops of your nails with nail polish remover to remove any stray dirt or dust particles. That part is very important to make sure the polish sticks correctly!

Now, you're ready to adhere your nail polish. Go ahead and open one packette and size out all of the strips you'll need for each nail. When you have all of the correct sized lined up in front of you, peel the clear plastic backing off of one, place it on the appropriate spot on your nail (I like to start with the pinkie and work my way to my thumb) then smooth out the surface to make sure you get a custom fit. Be sure not to pull too much, though! You don't want too much stretching and warping. Once the polish is secured, use the orangey part of the nail file to bend the polish over the edge of your nail and file the excess off. Do this for the rest of your nails. Voila! You're done.

This product is pretty nifty if you're looking for a complex design and don't want to pay big bucks at a salon. Would I pay the $10 for a regular wear any old day of the week? No. Would I pay the $10 for a special event? Sure, why not. I was pretty impressed by the fact that I could use my hands immediately after putting these on. That was a mega bonus.

My nails grow pretty quickly as it is so in about 4 days time the polish had grown out a considerable amount and the part near my cuticles was catching on my hair/clothing so I had to go ahead and take it off. I was pretty impressed with the fact that it only had minor chips in it considering I work with my hands at a dry cleaners and am constantly tagging, typing, and using soaps. 

The tricky part to this product was the removal. If anything kept me from purchasing it again it would be the removal process. I tried using a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover but it wasn't taking it all off no matter how long I left it on for. I even tried scraping parts off with the wooden cuticle stick. I eventually broke down and soaked my nails in a bowl of nail polish remover. After probably a minute or more of soaking each nail I was able to use a clean cotton ball and scrape most of it off but the texture was very gummy and sticky. It got ALL over my other fingers and didn't want to come off. It probably took me about an hours time to get it all off; way longer than it should have to remove nail polish.

If you want to give them a try (why not? it's a pretty good, lasting product!) then you can order them here :

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Website

I may end up buying a box of these again for a special occasion but I just don't have the financial means to spend $10 every time I want to change up my nail polish. (which is pretty frequently)

*disclaimer: i got this product for free as a part of influenster's voxbox program. i reviewed this product for a badge on their website. all opinions are my own. all pictures belong to me.

  

Sheer Cover Duo Concealer Review

Recently I received a mini Sheer Cover Duo Concealer in my Spring Beauty VoxBox from Influenster. Some of you may know of Sheer Cover from infomercials on late night TV or from MyGlam (they sent out a full size a few months back). I actually decided to give this one to my mom since I already had a full size but nonetheless, here's my review! :)

*disclaimer: this is not my image. i got it from google images.

At a first glance I absolutely LOVE the packaging. The clear case really gives it that sleek, elegant look at to me personally, it doesn't feel cheap at all. The concealer comes with two shades, a lighter and a darker shade so you can wear one, the other, or mix! Since I got the 'medium' toning I actually have to mix the light and dark together to get a color that works well with my skintone. That's not a big deal to me, that's why they give you two shades!

The concealer is actually very creamy. A tad bit too creamy for my taste. It works well enough on under eye circles but I had a pretty difficult time getting decent coverage on any blemishes. It's pretty hard to 'build up'. It more or less just blends into your skin rather onto it. It got a little frustrating at times when I would try to put my liquid foundation on top of it and then the two would just blend together. What's the point in a concealer then? Perhaps it would work better with a powder foundation. Also, I have one fine crease under each eye and the concealer took no time at all working itself into that crease making it very prominent and bright. I constantly had to blend my foundation and concealer together through to day to ensure I didn't have a bright line under each eye. (I wouldn't recommend wearing on a hot or humid day)

Another thing that kind of bothered me is the fact that this product is part of a subscription program. In order to buy this product you have to sign up for a monthly shipping program that automatically charges you and ships out your products like Pro-Activ.

A 30-Day Starter Kit is $30 for a full size Duo Concealer, Bronzing Tan Minerals, Mineral Foundation SPF-15, Studio Foundation Brush, Studio Concealing Brush, Extra Length Mineral Mascara, Base Perfector Primer, and an Ultimate Makeover Kit.

Buy Sheer Cover 30-Day Supply Kit Here

All in all, it's a pretty OK product to me. I have a few other favorites that top this product but it's a nice backup to carry along in my purse.

*disclaimer: influenster is a free program where i take surveys, earn badges, and am occasionally sent a box of free products to review for more online badges. all opinions are my own.

  

What is Ipsy (formerly MyGlam)?

What is Ipsy?

Ipsy is the beauty product sample service that was started by YouTube guru Michelle Phan along with the “stylists” Promise Phan, Jessica Harlow from MissJessicaHarlow, Andrea from AndreasChoice, and Bethany of MacBarbie07. Together, the girls combined their knowledge of beauty and created Ipsy.

Previously, Ipsy was formerly known as MyGlam and earlier this year MyGlad underwent a huge rebranding overhaul and became Ipsy.

While registering, you take a style quiz much like that of Birchbox. While taking the quiz you answer questions pertaining to your personal style (club-goer, natural, sporty, etc), which stylist you best relate to, how comfortable you are with makeup, how adventurous you are with makeup, which brands you love, which products you love the most and the typical skin/hair questions you would expect to answer. The quiz is available on the website to be retaken any time you'd like to change up your answers.

Now, Ipsy uses a program called IpsyMatch that works with algorithms to put together bags that match your product reviews and style quiz. With some bags, some Ipsters aren't too convinced IpsyMatch is working 100% due to receiving items they said they didn't like but at the same time, it could be due to how adventurous you said you were in the style quiz. So far, my bags have been greatly catered to my likes and style and I have zero complaints about it. Then again, I'm pretty easy to please as long as I know I'm getting my moneys worth.

For only $10 a month, or $110 a year, paying subscribers get mailed a cute makeup bag full of 4-5 deluxe samples and sometimes even some full size items. Each month's products get mixed reviews, especially as they've started to do more and more "either-or" products. In the beginning everyone got the same products only some may have gotten different colors. As Ipsy gets bigger and bigger with more companies to work with, they've been doing more "either-or" products in each bag. Usually, there's 5 or so products and each subscriber will get 2 of those products. There are no guarantees to which products you will get but that's were IpsyMatch supposedly comes in to play.

After their rebranding, Ipsy's website is much more interactive. You still have your "Glam Room" that lists out that month's bag and the items you received in your bag but now you can review each item individually  and give your input on how interested you are in receiving product similar as well as that brand and color.

As far as a points/referral program goes, they have finally started to give you points for each referral you get. For each referral, you get 250 points. When you save up enough points  you can earn an extra item in your next monthly bag. Personally, the items are kind of ridiculously priced in points currency (an OPI Nicole nail polish for 1000 points) and unless you manage to get a ton of people to sign up, you'll never get a bonus item, let alone two or more. I'm sure this system will work itself out in time and get better.

On the new interactive website you can also make "looks" for others in the community to like using products from that month's bag. Each month, you also get discount codes for each company that is in the bags. The codes can range anywhere from free samples, free shipping, and a certain percentage off of your purchase.

All in all, I absolutely love Ipsy. I highly recommend them and love watching the company grow. I've been with them since their first month (Dec. '11) and now we're nearing their two year mark and it's so incredible to see how much they have grown.

Overview:

• $10/month or $110/year (1 month free)
• No online shop, does give discount codes, link to shop
• Points/referral program
• 4-5 Deluxe samples. Occasionally a full size product
• Ships between the 10^th and 15^th of every month

        -Great product/sample sizes
        -Good mix of samples

        -Cute makeup bag

        -Fun community on FB/Ipsy.com

www.Ipsy.com

What is Eco-Emi?

What is Eco-Emi?

Eco-Emi is  an organic-based, sample subscription service that ships out once a month for a recurring fee of $15. This service provides subscribers with a monthly box of a minimum of 5 organic, “green”, natural, Earth-friendly products all wrapped up in cute bags and tissue paper.

The whole company is run by Christine and I’m not sure if she has many employees, or any at all, that help her out with things. She usually takes a few days to reply to e-mails but when she does you can be assured that it’s actually a person responding, not an automated response from a computer so that’s a big plus. Each bag is hand-packed and sprinkled with a little bit of confetti to brighten up the box.

My first experience was okay, nothing spectacular, but nothing too terrible. Apparently there was a shipping mishap and some boxes did not go out on time but I was never notified through e-mail, I had to find out through Eco-Emi’s Facebook that some boxes were going to arrive later than usual. Like I said, not really a huge deal but it would have been nice to be notified of a delay. Also, I never got a shipping notification of any kind, or any e-mail that my box was going out for that matter. That kind of bothers me like I’m sure it would any of you. Now, none of that is too terrible but I have heard something about Eco-Emi and one of their sample providers sending out expired chocolates in one of the boxes. The response people got about that was, “It’s still good past the expiratory date.” That’s irresponsible and just wrong to send out expired products.

Eco-Emi doesn’t have any referral or points program in place at the moment but they do have somewhat of an online shop on their website. You can look through the past boxes/bags and their items, then when you click on an item it redirects you to the main website for that item. It is kind of frustrating having to order items from multiple websites and pay shipping separately, but whatever.

Usually, Eco-Emi ships out towards the end of the month so subscribers should have their boxes by the last few days of that month.

Overview:

• $15/month
• Sort of an online shop
• No points/referral program
• Minimum of 5 organic samples
• Ships towards the end of the month

Pros:-Very personable customer service

        -Good health-conscious products if you’re looking for that sort of thing

        -Cute packaging

        -Charges through PayPal so each transaction is secure

Cons:-Very little e-mail notifications of shipping/problems

         -Takes a while to hear back e-mail wise from Christine
         -Past boxes have included items past their expiry date (chocolates)

www.ecoemi.com

January 2012 Beauty Army

If you don't know what Beauty Army is then go check out my post What Is Beauty Army?

January was Beauty Army’s first month and they sure held themselves together quite nicely! Up until their opening, potential customers were able to submit their e-mail address in order to be notified of when Beauty Army officially launched on January 1^st, 2012. When they finally opened their website to the public I don’t think the company was ready for the huge amount of traffic that was swarming the URL almost immediately. The servers actually kept shutting down and the company had to install a new server just to accommodate all of the visitors! Talk about overwhelming. They started out with only offering an initial 300 kits to whoever was lucky enough to get through on the website first. I’m extremely happy to say I was one of those 300 :)

The box everything comes in is so flippin cute and useful! It’s got a flip open top and it’s extremely sturdy. Needless to say, I’ll be putting these boxes to good use around my house! My fave products from January’s kit were the lip balm and the eye cream (eye cream? I feel like I’m getting old now!)

This month I chose for my kit:

• Cellceuticals Neocell Micro-Resurfacing Skin Treatment
• Chella Anti-Fatigue Eye Mask Kit
• Lift Lab Lift & Firm Eye Cream
• Shea Terra Rose Hips Black Soap Deep Pore Facial Cleanser
• LaRocca Skincare Shield Multi-Active Lip Balm in Proseco
• MyFace Cosmetics Blingtone Eyeshadow in Sp’ice’y

Cellceuticals Neocell Micro-Resurfacing Skin Treatment

• Received Size: 0.33 oz.
• Full Size: 2 oz.
• Full Size Price: $47.50
• Sample Worth: $7.92-ish
• This stuff is very gentle and leaves your skin feeling soft and fresh! I actually used it on my lips and it got all that nasty dead lip skin gunk off.

Chella Anti-Fatigue Eye Mask Kit

• Received Size: 1 Eye Zone Matrix Mask, 1 Anti-Fatigue Mask Activator
• Full Size: 4 Eye Zone Matrix Mask, 4 Anti-Fatigue Mask Activator
• Full Size Price: $45.00
• Sample Worth: $11.25
• This eye mask kit is a great little idea. It was nice and refreshing to try out during my spa day. I couldn’t really tell too much of a difference after I used it but My eyes weren’t as puffy as they were so that’s a good thing!

Lift Lab Lift & Firm Eye Cream

• Received Size: 0.17 oz.
• Full Size: 0.5 oz.
• Full Size Price: $95.00
• Sample Worth: $32.37-ish
• Honestly, I feel extremely old now saying that I like and use an eye cream on a regular basis but boy, oh boy is this stuff incredible. I use it nightly before bed and have already noticed it starting to help the two fine lines I have under my eyes. Although, my mom who has very oily eyelids to begin with tried this cream out for a week and she said it made her eyes even more oily, causing her mascara to bleed under her eyes. I would say, if you don’t have too oily of eyelids then give it a try and if your eyelids are oily? Stay away.

Shea Terra Rose Hips Black Soap Deep Pore Facial Cleanser

• Received Size: 1 oz.
• Full Size: 4 oz.
• Full Size Price: $18.00
• Sample Worth: $4.50
• At first, this stuff smelt a little weird to me and I felt REALLY weird having a black soap on my face but it did the job! It’s got tiny srubbies in it to make your skin feel all smooth and soft and your face really glows afterwards! I really appreciated being able to try this stuff out and think it’s great for a once-a-week deep scrub.

LaRocca Skincare Shield Multi-Active Lip Balm in Proseco

• Full Sized Product Received
• Full Size Price: $15.00
• This stuff is great. It’s got a very sheer tint to it and it makes your lips feel AMAZING. For a lip balm/gloss-ish it’s got a pretty decent wear time too. I make sure to carry it with me everywhere.

MyFace Cosmetics Blingtone Eyeshadow in Sp'ice'y

• Full Sized Product Received
• Full Size Price: $12.73
• You wouldn’t think so, but this shadow is actually very creamy when you put it on. I actually found it a lot easier to use my fingers to apply it rather than a brush. It’s also very pigmented so you really almost don’t even need a primer underneath it!

I was actually really pleasantly surprised after I calculated how much all of the samples would be worth. All together, my kit this month came to around $84. Considering I only paid $12, this is an outstanding deal! Can’t wait for February’s box :)

Go sign up and get your own kit to report to duty! www.beautyarmy.com

*Disclaimer: All of these opinions are my own and I did not get paid or endorsed in any way to write these reviews.
**All photos belong to me.

What is Beauty Army?

What is Beauty Army?

Beauty Army is a new beauty product based monthly subscription service that let’s YOU choose up to 6 deluxe or normal size samples (and sometimes there’s even some full size products in the mix!) out of 9 products that are chosen by the results of your beauty profile. (You can also re-take your beauty profile as many times as you want to get more desired products but sadly you can’t pick and choose from multiple results)

This has to be one of the best monthly beauty sample subscription services out there. Their customer service is not only incredible but the samples are pretty darn good, too! Whoever is in charge of BA’s Facebook and Twitter pages is constantly on top of their posts and always replying quickly to whoever Tweets them or posts on their FB page. Also, the e-mails get answered unusually fast. Normal response time from a business is at least 24-48 hours but these guys get back to you in a matter of hours!! Now THAT is impressive.

Beauty Army has two shipping times. Depending on when you register and select your samples, your kit will either be shipped in the beginning of the month, or in the middle of the month. The first day you sign up is the day you will be able to select your samples again in the coming months. They send you an e-mail reminder stating that you have a window of 5 days to choose that month’s samples or your samples will be chosen for you by a style expert based off of your beauty profile. (Sign up Jan 1^st, pick samples again on Feb 1^st-5^th, then again on March 1^st-5^th, etc)

Overview:

• $12/month
• Online shop
• No point/referral program
• YOU get to choose up to 6 deluxe or normal size samples each month. Occasionally there will be a full size product in the mix!
• Ships either at the beginning of the month or the middle of the month

Pros: -Outstanding customer service

          -Affordable monthly price

          -A nice mix of new beauty product companies

          -Ships in a timely manner

          -Freaking adorable packaging

Cons:-Some people may not be happy with the lesser-known or completely new brands of beauty products they offer

          -You can’t choose your 6 samples from a list of all available samples, only what your beauty profile shows you

www.beautyarmy.com


*Disclaimer: All of these opinions are my own and I did not get paid or endorsed in any way to write these reviews.

What is Birchbox?

What is Birchbox?

If you guys haven’t heard of Birchbox before it is a monthly (or yearly) beauty subscription service that sends 4-5 deluxe samples based on your profile right to your door for only $10 a month (or $110 a year, you get one month free!)

As a whole, I think the company is great. Their customer service is up to par with quick responses and not to mention their points/referral program is awesome!

For every subscriber you refer, when their first box ships you receive 50 points. Also, any time you make a full-size purchase in their online store you get points! Plus, after you get your monthly box you can go to the Birchbox website and write a review. Each review earns you 10 points. What do you do with all of these points you ask? For every 100 points you acquire, you get $10 off in their online shop (you can also save up points for more $$ off your purchase: 200 points = $20 off, 300 points = $30 off, etc). Their shop has some pretty good stuff and with discounts like that you just can’t say no.

Birchbox sends out their boxes on or around the 10^th of every month and the owners are great about keeping up with shipping mishaps and making things up to their subscribers when something goes wrong. (Last month some boxes were not shipped anywhere near the ship date so they gave those affected 100 points to use in the store.)

Overview:

•       $10/month or $110/year (1 month free)
•       Online shop
•       Points/referral program
•             4-5 Deluxe or normal size samples. Occasionally a full size product (Stila Smudge Stick)
•       Ships on or around the 10^th of every month

Pros: -Great customer service

         -Affordable monthly price

         -Good mix of beauty products (lotions, washes, cosmetics, hair, perfume, etc)

         -Awesome points program

         -Ships in a timely manner

Cons:-A wide range of beauty products may not be everyone’s cup of tea

         -Somewhat small-ish sized samples but still good for the price you’re paying

www.birchbox.com


*Disclaimer: All of these opinions are my own and I did not get paid or endorsed in any way to write these reviews.

January 2012 Birchbox

I know it’s a little late but it took forever to get the pictures taken/edited.

If you don't know what Birchbox is then check out my post What is Birchbox?

Out of this box my favorite items had to be the Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy perfume sample and  the Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner. Why the perfume sample? ‘Cause Viva La Juicy is my favorite perfume and I needed a little container of it to carry in my purse! ;)

This month my box had:

• Birchbox Magnet
• Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy
• LARABAR Mini Bar in Coconut Cream Pie
• ORIGINS Checks And Balances Frothy Face Wash
• VMV Hypoallergenics Re-Everything Face-Hand-Body Lotion
• Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner

Birchbox Magnet

• Not too sure why they gave us a magnet but oh well, now I can hang something else on my fridge!

Juicy Couture - Viva La Juicy Perfume Sample

• Received Size: .05 fl oz
• Full Size: 3.4 fl oz
• Full Size Price: $89
• Sample Worth: Free at a department store
• I actually was really excited that this was in my box this month. This is one of my favorite perfumes and now I have one to carry in my purse without having to tote around a clunky glass bottle with a pink bow on it. This perfume has such a light, sweet scent to it. I always make sure to spray a tiny bit in my hair after I shower before it finishes drying so every time I shake my head that day I get a whiff of the sweet scent. Ugh, I absolutely love this stuff.

LARABAR Mini Bar in Coconut Cream Pie

• Received Size: 0.78 oz (mini bar)
• Full Size: 1.6 oz (full size bar)
• Full Size Price: Roughly $1.75/bar
• Sample Worth: $0.88-ish
• To be honest, I didn't even eat this. I'm not a fan of coconutty things other than lotions but I HAVE tried the LARABAR full bar in Cherry Cobbler and it was good. The Cherry Cobbler bar was very sweet; I could only eat about half of it at one time then I would have to eat the other half a little bit later. I did notice a little boost of energy after I ate half of the bar. It was just enough to push me through the day but wasn't too much to where I felt like I had the jitters all day.

ORIGINS Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash

• Received Size: 1 fl oz
• Full Size: 5 fl oz
• Full Size Price: $19.50
• Sample Worth: $3.90-ish
• This face wash is very creamy and leaves your skin feeling very clean and refreshed. I've only used it once because I have really sensitive skin and don't want to risk getting it off kilter from my Clinique but the experience I did have with it was very refreshing.

VMH Hypoallergenics Re-Everything Face-Hand-Body Lotion

• Received Size: 1.02 fl oz
• Full Size: 4.06 fl oz
• Full Size Price: $45
• Sample Worth: $11.25-ish
• This is a great lotion for just all over. It was a great item to include during the cold weather months because it definitely knows how to nourish dry skin! I used it on my elbows and knees and they feel brand new! No more dry, ashy (yeah, white girls can get ashy too!) elbows or knees!!

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Peacock

• Full Size Product Received
• Full Size Price: $20
• When they say waterproof, they mean it!! In the image above, the left shows a fresh mark on my hand while the right shows the smudge after I rubbed it like crazy and even rubbed it under running water. That stuff did not want to go ANYWHERE. If you're looking for an eye liner that won't leave you hanging then definitely look into the Stila Smudge Stick. They have a nice array of colors that will make any eye color pop. 

After calculating about how much the samples are worth, this month's box comes to a worth of about $36. That's well over the $10 a month fee. I'd say that's a pretty good deal to me!


Now, go sign up and get some goodies! :) www.birchbox.com


*Disclaimer: All of these opinions are my own and I did not get paid or endorsed in any way to write these reviews.
**All photos belong to me.