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Enter…Birchbox

I’ve been a loyal Ipsy customer for 2 years now, but I have heard so many good things Birchbox that I thought maybe it was time for a change.  Even though most people had already received their February box I ordered my first Birchbox in the middle of the month which is why I’m just now getting a review in. But this also gave me time to look at some of the products other subscribers had already reviewed.

First impressions were literally the good, the bad and the ugly…

  • The good – I love that I don’t have to look up the full-size prices. They were all listed right there on the Birchbox website. This saved me a lot of time.
  • The bad – The LAQA & Co. Avo Lip Butter I received was not the peachy “Nova” I was hoping for, but the much darker “Ninza”, which is more of a burgundy.
  • The ugly – Like many other subscribers, I was disappointed that the above lip butter came broken. When I opened the top, the stick was stuck on the roof and smashed. I placed it back in the tube, but I’m afraid it won’t stay put, and it was truly messy putting it back.
Yes, my grandma made that beautiful penguin towel. Ahh, penguins, the most majestic animal in the world.

The LAQA lip butter did have redeeming qualities – for one, it smells amazing! And after trying the shade on, I think I may actually be able to pull of the deep color. This item usually retails around $25 (although, Birchbox listed it as $15 on the site and $25 on the card that came in the box…confusing). This size is about 1/4 the size (I couldn’t find the exact size) so I would guess it comes in around $6.

The Supergoop! Daily Correct CC Cream with SPF 35+ is fantastic. It worked flawlessly under my regular powder and I like the fact that it will help protect my skin from those darn UV rays. The regular 47 mL size goes for $32 so this 3 mL will be $2.04.

If you’re looking for furthering protection, look no further than Dr. Lipp Miracle Balm. Although this item has an almost Vaseline feel and was slightly sticky, it seems to be doing its job. I put it on this morning and almost 5 hours later (and after eating) I still don’t feel like I need to reapply. The 15 mL size is $16.50. This teeny tiny 3 mL tube would be $3.30.

Read the directions before using Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk. It says to spray about 10 inches away from your head – don’t take this lightly. I love dry shampoos and have used my fair share of brands. This one made me jump when I pressed down it came out with so much pressure. That being said, it works. You would pay $20 for the regular 3.2 oz. bottle. This travel size would be $6.25 (1 oz.).

The last item, is the only one I have yet to try out – Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator. Honestly, the only reason I have yet to try it is because I forgot to use it this morning when I washed up. I’m looking forward to seeing how much more rejuvenated I feel after using it. The 4.23 oz. rings up at $34, so this 0.7 oz. would be $5.62.

I spent $10 (just like with Ipsy), but would have spent $23.21 if I had bought these sizes outright.

Overall, I like the more spa-like vibe of Birchbox (so far…Ipsy was much more make-up oriented), but with this first box down, I still feel like I got a better deal price-wise with Ipsy. Guess I’ll just have to see how next month goes.

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Hello March Glam Bag!

And Hello Spring!

First of all, can we just appreciate how cute the bag for this month’s Ipsy is?

Okay, moving on to Skone Cosmetics – Insanely Intense Tattooed Eyeliner in JetBlack (0.07 oz.). I am in heaven with this eyeliner. Liquid eyeliner always used to scare me. In high school, I tried out a friend’s once, and I ended up looking like a Picasso painting. Not an understatement! But I don’t think I have ever been so impressed by eyeliner. I will definitely be buying Skone again. It looks like I received the full-size, which retails on skonecosmetics.com for $15.

The Pixi by Petra – Beauty Blush Duo in Rose Gold (0.16 oz.) is a really pretty blush. The combination of the two colors blends really well with my lighter skin tone. The 0.36 oz. size sells on both pixibeauty.com and target.com for $18. This smaller size would ring in at $8.

I wish I could love the deep red that is NYX Cosmetics – Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick (0.13 oz.) but it just doesn’t work for me. I ended up giving this to my friend who, by the way, looks gorgeous in it. The same size retails on nyxcosmetics.com for $7.

The MeMeMe – Loose Powder Brush (2 oz.) is super soft. I’m still getting used to figuring out different brushes (other than a regular blush brush or eyeshadow brush. I know…don’t make fun of me). This same brush retails on mememecosmetics.com for 14£, which means $20.04 (this one comes with its own carrying case).

Unfortunately, I was not impressed by Nourish Organic – Rosehip & Rosewater Body Oil (0.5 fl. oz.) and I really really wanted to be. I have high hopes for products with “organic” in their names, especially if it’s meant for my face or body. It came out of the tube separated. But maybe I just got a bad batch bottle. Or maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be, but I didn’t care for it. The 3 fl. oz. is $19.99 on nourishorganic.com so this small tube would be $3.33.

I also redeemed from points the NAOBAY Natural & Organic – Oxygenating Moisturizing Cream (0.75 oz.), which retails for $47.60 on beautybay.com for the 1.7 fl. oz. so this smaller (free) size would have been $21.

Including my bonus product, I would have spend $74.37. Lucky me!

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Elementary, my dear, Watson – March BarkBox

March’s Sherlock Bones box was (almost) a complete hit with the pooch.

The chubby little Sherlock Bones (R2P Pet Ltd., $13) was a fantastic start. Sasha loved gnawing on this plaid little toy.

The Telephone Booth (Think Pet Innovations, $14) was a little harder and a different shape of toy than our mutt is used to, but she loved it anyway.

We put the safety on before giving Sasha the Smoking Gun Smoke Sticks (Sawmill Creek SmokeHouse, 3-pack). These are another one of those treats where we need to make sure she doesn’t hork them down too quickly.

The first bag of treats – EOS Turkey & Sweet Potato (Plato, $6) – hit the spot for Sasha, but the item that didn’t quite knock this box out of the dog park, were the Lamb Lung Toasters (Superior Farms, $9). I have never seen her spit out a piece of food so quickly. We tried a few times, but, alas, she would have none of them. (Honestly, I can’t say I blame her. Lung does not sound appetizing to me, but then again, I’m not a dog.)

Luckily for us, BarkBox has Scout’s Honor, so if our prized pup doesn’t like something in her box we can exchange it for another item. They will replace one item per box so we replaced the lungs with My Doggy Soft Baked Mini Cookies (Whodunit?, $8). She was in heaven! And the best part? BarkBox told us we didn’t have to return the Lamb Lungs to them and asked us to donate them to pups in need. We did…and they made some sweet dachshunds very happy.

Although, I didn’t get a price for the smoking sticks, I think we still came out on top with this month’s box. Our total would have been$50 (if we include the Lamb Lungs).

 

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Sasha is ‘Feeling Groovy’

This month’s Barkbox took our pup on a magically delicious ride. Even though her December box has barely been broken in, this pup was ready for more pawtastic treats.

jan barkbox postcard edited

Ziggy’s Disco Fries Treats (Delca) were a crunchy enjoyment. She could have eaten an entire basket-ful but we didn’t want them to go to her hips. These burger-joint inspired treats normally run $9.

The Ducky Tenders (Loving Pets) gave this canine something to quack about. The chewy treats hit the spot and the price is right at $8.

We have a tendency to keep things like the Elk Chew (Etta Says) down to minimal consumption for Sasha due to the fact that she likes to scarf them down so quickly. This can cause her to have a bit of a choking issue. So we will be saving these for a special occasion where we can watch her as she enjoys them. They rang in at $3 retail.

edited jan barkbox stuff

Not only did the Barkbox deliver tasty treats but they drop some ruvable toys off as well.

Lucy’s Magic Bus Toy (Bark & Co) took Sasha on her own fun adventure. Once again, anything with a squeaker in it sets this doggy’s heart a beating. She was in love instantly. She has even slept with the $10 bus between her paws on a few occasions already.edited January barkbox bus 2

And finally there’s Ozzie the Hippie (Bark & Co). He likes to go for rides on Sasha’s collar and she bucks until he “gracefully” thunks on the ground. I’d like to tell you he has made it a whole 8 seconds but that would be a lie. Ozzie is worth his $13.

Total retail price of these items would have been $43.

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Happy New Ipsy!

January ipsyIt’s a new year….and a new set of goodies!!!

 

theBalm Cosmetics – Mr. Write (Now) eye liner (0.01 oz.) fell right into my ready and waiting hands. After this Christmas, my digits were primed for opening little treats. Mr. Write (Now) was definitely Mr. Right! I’m already a fan of theBalm Cosmetics and it’s not a bad price for a handle little eye liner. It can be found on thebalm.com for $17.

The J.Cat Beauty – Blinkle Shimmer Eyeshadow in shade Tangerine Light (0.09 oz.) has to be one of the funkiest colors I’ve seen not only out of Ipsy but ever – it has definitely put the groove back in my step. It can be purchased at Jcatbeauty.com for $4.99.

I’ve been getting a number of brushes recently and have been having an interesting time figuring out how to use all of them. Who knew you could have a brush for shaping, smudging, gliding, tweeking, glitterizing, etc. etc. …well, some of those I may have made up, but you get the idea. Before this Beau Gâchis Paris brush I always used my finger to smudge my eyeshadow but now I’m fancy! It is regularly $12 on Beaugachis.com, but there’s currently a Christmas/End of the Year Blowout sale for $9 so get a deal while you can!!!

Anything that has serum in the title usually reels me in instantly. That word just sounds so soothing. That’s exactly what pur~lisse – BLUE LOTUS 4-in-1 Eye Adore Serum (0.24 oz.)is – soothing. As much as I love it, I am not loving the dollar signs that go with it – on shope.purlisse.com it is a whopping $65 (0.5 oz./15 mL). While this half-size bottle would be $31.20, it’s going to make a slight dent in my wallet. I think for now I’ll stick with my to-go-unnamed brand.

Mitchell and Peach – English Leaf Body Cream (30 mL/1.01 fl.oz.)…all I can say is wow.Words cannot describe how in love I am with this body cream. Truly. In. Love. I wish the price tag was more in my range. On Mitchellandpeach.com it rings in at 36£ (180 mL), which equates to $52.62, making this much smaller size equal $8.77. #sadface

My total would have been $70.96. Even though some of these little (expensive) beauties won’t be rebought by me anytime soon, I plan keeping my New Year’s Resolution to enjoy my GlamBag…well, and maybe try to be healthier and shit. Haha…Happy New Year! Here’s to 2016!