BIRCHBOX Review - September 2014

Check me out, getting my reviews done. If you knew the week I'm having, you'd recognize that as the feat that it is. Enough about me. Let's get to the review. It was a big month for BIRCHBOX. This month is their 4 year anniversary! They celebrated with these pretty keepsake boxes, and the box didn't disappoint.

Pretty, right? Another fun thing about this month was the fact that we got another opportunity to customize our own box. We could choose one sample from a list of 4 and be surprised by the rest, or in lieu of choosing a sample, you could choose the box curated by Fashionista and know all 5 of your samples. I took a peek at both options and decided I would take my chances, choose one sample, and be surprised by the rest. I liked a couple of the things in the Fashionista box, but what can I say? I'm a sucker for surprises. But let's get to it.

The good:

Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate (sample size)

This was the sample that I chose, and I'm pretty pleased with my choice. I've been impressed in the past with Shiseido products so I figured it was a safe bet. I also read in my People Style Watch that this was one of the must have products of the year. I put it on my face after cleansing, but before moisturizing as instructed and my first impression was that it smelled great. Almost immediately I noticed a difference in my face. It felt really soft and smooth. I'm convinced that this product works, but I'm not convinced of the price. $65 is a bit steep. I'm still glad I got the opportunity to try it, and I'm happy that the sample size was pretty generous.

R+Co Bel Air Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner (sample size)

This was an extra thrown in to the box, and I'm glad it was. Not only did I get to try an extra sample, but it's 2 more products for me to review on the site and get BB points for. I know there are a lot of people that don't like getting shampoo/conditioner samples but I love them. I think it's because it's easy to try (I wash my hair daily, so I know it'll get used), and I usually know pretty quickly if I like them or not. I was quite impressed with these. I let my hair air dry after trying them which has the possibility of creating a frizzy mess, but after using this, my hair really was smoother. Oh, and did I mention it smelled really good? Like exclaim "ooh" in the shower good. I felt like I was in a shampoo commercial, but I digress.

Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensee Cologne Absolue (sample size)

First off, they sent this sample with this lovely postcard. Wasn't that nice? Second, I'm totally the person that hates perfume samples. I feel like I never wear them, and I'm hard to please scent-wise. I prefer fruity or vanilla-like scents. I guess I prefer to smell like food. Any way, I actually really liked the smell of this. It's a blend of jasmine, vanilla, and lime and it smells so nice. My only complaint? The $120 price tag. Ouch.

Next, the bad:

Harvey Prince Ageless Liquid Loofah Body Wash (sample size)

I was excited to get this because again, I shower daily so I know it'll get used. And let me be straight. It smelled good. It should since it's based on Harvey Prince's Ageless fragrance. After admiring the smell, I squeezed it on my loofah and my first thought was "there's not a lot of product here". Eh. Disappointing but not a problem with the product necessarily. But then comes the bad, for something called "liquid loofah", you'd expect it to lather really well. Well it didn't. The small amount in the bottle (which is more than enough with my usual body wash), barely had enough lather to wash my whole body. I have a big problem with products that advertise themselves as one thing, and don't deliver on that. So despite the great smell, this gets a bad rating.

TOCCA Crema da Mano Luxe Hand Cream (sample size)

I'm 0 for 2 this month on hand creams. While this one didn't smell as bad as the one I got from ipsy, it was much too "soapy" smelling for me. It also left my hands really greasy instead of moisturized. Not a fan.

Lastly in the "meh" category, we have:

Pixi Breath of Fresh Air Tinted Lip Balm in Honey Nectar (full size)

Normally I'm all over lip products, and this one wasn't terrible. It wasn't great either (isn't that the definition of "meh"?). The "tint" pretty much matched my natural lip color so it didn't make a difference visually. The lip balm properties, they were meh. Not terrible, but not super impressive either.

So there you have it. This box was FULL of product and most of it was pretty good. I'll definitely finish using the ones in the good category. I'll probably even use the pixi lip balm (at worst it'll sit in the bottom of my purse until I have a lip balm emergency). Either way, I have lots of product to review which will help me rack up some BB points. I call it a win.

If you're interested in signing up for BIRCHBOX, it would be appreciated if you used my link!

Happy Shopping!

ipsy Review - September 2014

Happy September! I bring you another edition of the Good, the Bad, and the Meh. The theme for ipsy this month is Street Style. The bag is an appropriate studded, silver bag, and the contents, for the most part, fit the theme.

As usual, we'll start with the good.

Pacifica Natural Waterproof Eye Pencil in Gun Metal (sample size)

I was so happy to receive an eyeliner sample in a color other than black. This silver color was fun! It was subtle while still adding some pop to my eyes. It stayed on all day without smudging or transferring to my upper lid. I approve! It was the perfect addition to the "Street Style" theme.

Cailyn Art Touch Tinted Lip Gloss in Love Affair (full size)

This lip gloss was a bit more dramatic than I usually wear, but it looked pretty good on. It wasn't overly sticky and it went on smooth. Definitely a good product.

Crown Brush Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet Brush (full size)

I'm always a fan of receiving make up brushes in my beauty subscriptions because they are quite useful, and I'm not likely to go out and buy them myself. This one was pretty good. The crease side was good for a precise application on the lids while the shadow side was great for blending (does that sound like I know what I'm doing, 'cause I'm totally winging it).

Onto the bad:

Nourish Organic Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser (sample size)

I was excited to try this product because I may not always know what to do with makeup products but facial cleanser? I'm pretty sure I know how to wash my face. Well this stuff was...awful. Now maybe it's because I'm not used to cream cleansers, but let's just say I had to wash my face with my regular cleanser to get this off. My hands seemed to stick to my face as I was rubbing it in, and it just got worse. I generally prefer my face to feel softer and I don't know, CLEAN after washing. This just made my face feel sticky.

Mitchell and Peach Luxury Hand Cream (sample size)

I saw this and thought "Oh, a LUXURY hand cream. Well that's got to be good!" News flash: if that's what luxury smells like, I'm fine being with the unwashed masses. Seriously. I couldn't wash this off fast enough. It smelled like grass and soap, but not good soap.

Apparently I felt pretty strongly about everything in this bag because there is nothing in the meh category this month. I'm not sure if that's a good thing, but it's how it goes.

Overall, the things in the good category definitely made this month worth it. Just the lip gloss and makeup brush alone added up to triple the cost of the bag, so I certainly can't complain, and if there's ever a bag where I love every single thing in it, it'll be a miracle.

If you're interested in signing up for ipsy, use my referral link here. In theory, you would skip the waitlist, but I make no guarantees.

PS. If you're already an ipsy subscriber, be sure to check out the ipsy points page. They've updated the list of redeemable items! They usually go fast so hurry, hurry, hurry!

Happy Shopping!

What I Wore To Church - My Fashion Truth

 

Top: Pink Rose Stripe Roll Sleeve Henley
Skirt: ModCloth Breathtaking Tiger Lilies Skirt in Orange
Scarf: H&M Tube Scarf in Woven Fabric
Shoes: ShoeDazzle Omaira (no longer available)

ModCloth has a campaign going on that I absolutely love. It's called #FashionTruth. They say to "be what you want to see in fashion", and to show off your fashion truth. So I'd like to share mine.

I'd always loved shopping and clothes, but fashion and blogging has been so much more to me than I expected. I was going through a really rough time about a year and a half ago. I lost a baby at 23 weeks, and I was just devastated. It was a very traumatic experience for me, and I spent a month and a half doing nothing but grieving. I rarely left the house, and I was lucky if I got into more than yoga pants every day. I was looking for something to get me out of that slump, and my sister encouraged me to get into blogging. I chose fashion blogging because I got to showcase my styling abilities (that have come a long way since then), but I didn't have to get personal. It was a great distraction and a creative outlet.

Pretty quickly I figured out I absolutely LOVED it. It gave me reason to get out of my yoga pants and start to feel beautiful again. I gained back my confidence, and I started taking better care of myself. I don't blog a ton, but I've been realistic about how much I'm capable of doing so I didn't let myself down. I've blogged at least once a week, almost every week since then. I still look forward to putting my outfits together each week, and even though my blog doesn't get a ton of hits, it's important to me.

So my #FashionTruth is that fashion and blogging pulled me out of a rut and helped me get back to me. I'm not always on the forefront of fashion, and my outfits aren't always edgy or hip, but I love doing it. Fashion blogging helps me feel confident and beautiful.

What I Wore To Church - Heart Cut-Out Blouse

Top: HauteLook (Sugar Hill Boutique)
Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Jade
Skirt: ThredUp (LOFT)
Shoes: ThredUp (Mojo Moxy Bettie Pump, similar)

If you read my blog frequently, you may have heard me say that a pencil skirt and blouse is my "signature look". You may also have noticed for a signature look, I wear it very rarely. I'm realizing that 2-3 years ago I wore that combination almost every Sunday (I had maybe 8 pencil skirts in different colors, materials, and prints), but since I got pregnant, and after having the baby, I've had trouble buying ones that fit. You might think "well she's wearing one today. I guess she found one that fit." You would be wrong. While this skirt fit when I bought it about a month ago, it's too big now. I usually like to wear my pencil skirts a little higher-waisted, but because this one was too big, I had to sit it lower on my hips, and it was still a bit big. *sigh* I guess there are worse problems to have. Now I go on the hunt for another good (low-priced) pencil skirt.

I think if I were to style this again, I probably would've left the blouse un-tucked and belted over the cardigan at my natural waist. Next time!

The blouse has been sitting in my closet begging to be worn since I got it for a steal off HauteLook. The heart cut out and bird print are just TOO CAYOOT for words. I purposely didn't wear a necklace today because I didn't want to cover up the cut out. The minty color of the cardigan brought out the same color that was very subtle in the print.

Now the shoes (THE SHOES!) were a result of perfect timing. I'd been eyeing these shoes for awhile, but wasn't a fan of the price. Then one day I was doing my usual scrolling through ThredUp on my phone (the app is SO handy), and BAM! There they were! And for under $30! They had never even been worn. I love the cute cut outs, the scalloped trim and of course, the bows. It really helped that they were much lower than my usual heels too. I had no problem wearing them while carrying a baby around. It's odd for me to be on the constant lookout for mid heels. A couple years ago, my motto was "the higher, the better". Oh, how my collection has morphed.

If you've never shopped with ThredUp before, you can read my post about it here or just use my referral link here for $10 off.
If you've never shopped with HauteLook before, you can read my post about it here or just use my referral link here to take a look around.
If you've never shopped with ModCloth before, you're clearly living under a rock and you should check it out immediately by using my link here for $15 off $50. This cardigan is on sale in limited sizes as well as the shoes I wore last week!

Happy Shopping!

What I Wore To Church - Mustard Breathtaking Tiger Lilies Skirt

 

Skirt: ModCloth Breathtaking Tiger Lilies Skirt in Mustard
Top: LOFT Peter Pan Collar Top (no longer available)
Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Navy
Shoes: Dynamic Debut Heel in Navy

I think this is one of my favorite outfits ever. Not necessarily because I love the outfit as a whole (although I do), but because I'm kinda obsessed with all the pieces.

I have this skirt in Stem Green but have been stalking the mustard since I knew it existed (I swear it's been sold out FOREVER). I've been on the hunt for a good mustard skirt for fall; since I knew how much I loved the Breathtaking Tiger Lilies Skirt (good length, material, shape, fit, and POCKETS!), it just made sense to get it in mustard. I may have also bought it in orange. Whoops! Mustard is just such a great fall statement color, and it looks great on red heads (and anyone for that matter).

You should already be aware of my love for Charter School cardigans so I'll move on to the shoes. T-straps are definitely in right now (and through the fall) and these are so adorable! The cut-outs are such a great detail, and the thick heel makes them easy to walk in despite the 4" height. I had to stalk them as well since ModCloth was sold out for quite some time.  I even tried to find them from other retailers since I knew they were Qupid brand, but seriously, no one had them. Now that I know for sure how well they fit, I desperately want them in burgundy. I think that's going to have to be my next ModCloth purchase.

I bought the shirt from LOFT a couple months ago but have not been able to find the right outfit to wear it with. Once I got the skirt, it all came together. It was my first peter pan collar shirt, and I love the retro vibe it brings. Plus polka dots. Need I say more?

If you've never shopped with ModCloth before, clearly it's worth a look. If you use my referral link, you get $15 off $50 or more (and I get $15 too). I'd like to give a shout out to their waitlist option which is awesome. If you download their app, you'll get the notification when things come back in stock (or go on sale) right to your phone. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have been able to snag the skirt or the shoes! It's a life saver.

Happy Shopping!

ipsy Review - August 2014

Guess who got both her ipsy and BIRCHBOX reviews done this month? This girl! We'll get right to it.

Starting with the good:



The makeup bag this month is super cute. I'm a sucker for polka dots and I love that this is shaped more like a pencil bag than their usually makeup bags. I will likely actually use this one to keep my makeup organized (or at least my plethora of eyeliners).

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara (sample size)

I received a sample of this about a month ago directly from Urban Decay and loved it, so I was happy to get another one. My 3 rules for mascara are that it volumizes my lashes, stays on all day without flaking, and then comes off with minimal effort. The first 2 were definitely met. My eyelashes looked super full and it lasted all day. It wasn't the easiest to get off, but it didn't take a ton of scrubbing so I'd say that rule was met too. I can definitely recommend this one.

Jersey Shore Mongongo Organic Anti-Aging Lip Balm (full size)

I'm very particular about my lip balm so I was pleasantly surprised with this. It immediately relieved my dry lips and kept them moisturized for hours. I have issues with most lip balm making my lips feel dryer after an hour or so. That was not the case here. This stuff lasted.


Paula's Choice Clear Ultra-light Daily Mattifying Fluid SPF 30+ (sample size)

I couldn't decide if I really loved this stuff, but in the end, I couldn't think of anything bad about it except that I didn't like the way it smelled. It was a lot thinner than my usual moisturizer too, but I couldn't deny it was effective. It moisturized, mattified, and offered sun protection. It squeaked by into the good category.

There wasn't anything in the bad category in this month's bag so we'll move onto the meh:


Lord & Berry Silk Kajal Kohl Eye Pencil (sample size)

There was nothing stand-out amazing about this eyeliner, and there was transference to my upper lid, so it wasn't great. However it wasn't as bad as the Noir eyeliner from my BIRCHBOX. Also, after reading the website, it looks like it's one of the only eyeliners tested and approved safe for inner eyeline use. I guess I will have to try it in that capacity although the thought of getting that close to my eye with it scares me.


Coastal Scents Forever Blush Sample Duo (sample size)

OK. So I know I went into a long explanation on my BIRCHBOX review about how I try to make sure I try all the products, but I didn't try this one. Why? Because I don't need blush. I have naturally rosy cheeks, and I don't feel the need to do any contouring. So this sample was a waste on me, but since there wasn't anything wrong with it, it goes in the meh category.

This month they finally updated their rewards point bonus items so I picked up 2 extra items using points:


Eyetini Cordial Cream Shadow in Ambrosia (full size)

This freebie is worth $18 so I was super happy about that. I also love cream eyeshadow. I think it's because it blends easier making it easier to apply. At least this novice thinks so. This was a good color too; pretty neutral so it gives just enough oomph to my eyes (please tell me I used that semi-colon correctly).


Sugar Line n' Shine Eyeliner Pencil and Bonus Sharpener (full size)

I found this eyeliner to be longer lasting than the sample one I received, and the bonus (to the bonus) sharpener was a great add in. You can never have too many of those.

Overall it was a good month. Any month where there is no bad is fine by me, and with the add ons, this bag was worth at keast triple what I paid for it.

If you're interested in joining ipsy, use my link here!

Happy Shopping!

What I Wore To Church - Once Upon a Maritime Skirt 2 Ways

Outfit 1 (Top)                                                                

Skirt: ModCloth Once Upon a Maritime Skirt
Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Navy
Shirt: Zulily
Shoes: ShoeDazzle Marva

Outfit 2 (Bottom)

Skirt: ModCloth Once Upon a Maritime Skirt
Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Navy
Shirt: LOFT Linen Shirred Tee in Coral
Shoes: Zulily

I'm going to give you a small peek at the process of me picking out my outfits. The only thing I knew for sure when I woke up this morning was that I wanted to wear this skirt. I got it from ModCloth's last sale for an absolute steal, but hadn't had the chance to wear it yet, despite the fact that it was adorable. If you're not aware of it by now, I have a slight obsession with the nautical trend.

The first idea that I had was that I was going to play with mixing prints. I tried it with the striped shirt which wasn't bad, but I thought it was a bit overly busy. So I threw on the cardigan to tone it down. It looked ok, but I thought the outfit needed some color. I added the necklace and shoes and felt content with it. I went downstairs and took a few pictures. After looking at the pictures, I decided the red accents had become the stars of the outfit and that's not what I was going for. Also, I was having trouble getting the stripes to stay straight, so I went back for round 2.

I decided to ditch the idea of mixing patterns and use the shirt as the color pop for the outfit. Then I adjusted the accessories accordingly. I thought that in this outfit the skirt was featured better, and it was definitely more "safe". This is the outfit I ended up wearing to church, because it was safe, and because I didn't have enough time to change again.

So you tell me. Which one do you prefer? Should I have gone with the more fun, mixed print outfit, or the safe, more traditional styling?



P.S. Yay for new short hair! I cut off 12in and plan to donate it to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program.