Ipsy's theme for May is Fresh Picks. Very Springy!
The Glam Bag had a nice, spring, fresh look. Very fitting.
I got a Pacifica Duo 2 Eyeshadow palette. I got purple and white shades. I like the colors! I do wish that it had come with a little application brush, though.
I also got a little sample of Calvin Klein Euphoria. I had never actually smelled it before, and I enjoy the scent. I also like that it isn't a spray bottle, its a roller. I guess I feel like I will be able to get more use out of it this way.
The Sans Tan Pure White Mineral Suncreen (SPF 35) is another nice product. I have not tried it yet, but I am looking forward to using it the next time I will be in the sun for an extended period. I did read that it can be difficult to apply without a moisturizer, so I'll see how that goes.
I am looking forward to trying the eva-nyc Therapy Session Hair Mask. It is a decent sized sample (the $12 size according to the eva-nyc website). That's not too overly expensive for a once a week use. I wouldn't use it every day though. I wouldn't mind using a product like this once a week to give my hair a little therapy!
The last product in the May Ipsy Glam Bag is the Avene Thermal Spring Water. It is essentially water in a can. It apparently can be used for skin redness, irritations, razor burn, etc. We'll see how I like it. I am skeptical about having to pay for water in a can...
May's Birchbox was unfortunately rather disappointing for me this month. I wasn't very excited by the products and samples I received this month.
Here is a video of my Birchbox opening, or just continue on to read my review!
My favorite item from May's Birchbox is the Shea Butter Lip Balm from Pixi. Its a dual-purpose balm that hydrates with shea butter while giving your lips a pretty wash of color. I got the Coral Crush shade, and I like it a lot! Not a color I may have normally chosen, but I like it. It is a lovely summer color that is a little bolder than what I am used to. It retails for $8. (The color is brighter in person than in the picture)
I also got CoTZ Face Natural Skin Tone SPF 40. $20 for a full-size. This is an oil-free mineral sunscreen that blends in sheer for a matte finish. I will certainly be able to use this now that spring has finally arrived in Wisconsin! I just wish the sample size wasn't so small!
The Lifestyle Extra in the Birchbox is the Greenleaf Candle Co. in First Blush. A full-size candle goes for $17. I unfortunately do not really use candles, so this will likely be something I give someone else. It is a lovely scented candle!
The final two items in the Birchbox were disappointing. I unchecked the "Haircare products" box on my Birchbox account awhile ago, and yet I still received Shampoo and Conditioner....boring. I got the Beauty Protector Protect & Shampoo and Protect & Condition. Full sizes are $21.95. I keep getting hair care products in my Birchbox, and I'm just not really interested in them. Oh well.
So, overall not a very exciting box in my opinion. How did you like your Birchbox?
This is my second Beauty Box 5, and so far, they are one of my favorite subscription boxes! This is the May 2014 Fresh and Focused Review. You can also watch me open the box, if that's something you enjoy :)
CATTIVA Precisione Eye Liner. Retails for $20. I love a good eyeliner! I am hoping this is a good one. As I have stated in previous posts, I have bad luck with liquid eyeliner, so I'm excited to try out this pencil one!
I unfortunately sweat quite a lot, especially when I am in social situations. I guess I have a little social anxiety and I can often use a little refreshing. I am interested to see what the Ban Total Refresh Cooling Body Cloths can do for me! 10 Clothes retail for $2.97. Not a bad price, so if they work, I might be purchasing more.
I am not a huge user of perfumes, but I do like to have a little bit of a spray of some sort in my purse just for refreshers. So, I will be able to use this sample of Harvey Prince Hello perfume. It retails for $55 for 5.7 ounces, but I doubt that I will purchase more of it even if I like it a lot. I'm just not big on perfumes.
I can't recall the last time I used a facial mask, so maybe I am way overdue! Excited to see what the MaskerAide Hydrating Facial Sheet Mask will do for me!
I am not as excited by the H20 Plus Aqualibrium Marine Cleansing Gel. It retails for $18. I just can't get too hyped about about a face wash.
Overall, I am pretty excited about this month's Beauty Box 5!
This post is going to do an overview of my Birchbox and Ipsy reviews from this month (April). April's Birchbox is my 3rd one, and probably my least favorite so far. There are only 2 products from it that I am actually happy about. The rest I will just use for the sake of not wasting it, or give it to someone else. Oh well!
The product I am most excited about it the Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner. It goes for $11. I got the Jamun (Deep Purple) color, which I love! I've only tried it out once so far, but I am a fan. Goes on nice and smooth, doesn't seem to smudge to easily. This makes me happy since I have been stuck on the same eyeliner for years, Wet n' Wild because it was the only one I could get to stay on. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to last long. Hopefully this eyeliner does the trick! I'm also happy that it is purple. I usually only wear black eyeliner, but this might be a nice transition color for me.
The other product I am truly excited about this month is the Color Club Nail Lacquer from Gala's Gems Collection. A set of 4 is $13, which I can get on board with. I got the Breakfast at... color. I have more recently gotten into nail polishes, and this is a nice addiction to my new collection. I tend to purchase more pink and red colors, so I was happy to get the green color that I might not have picked out on my own.
This next product, I also enjoy because I think I will actually use it. I got the Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum. It goes for $20-42 for a full-size. I am a fan of anything sunscreen, especially for the face. I don't like putting regular sunscreens on my face because they tend to make my face feel like it is burning, especially when mixed with pool chemicals when I go swimming. So, hopefully this works well for me. I won't try it out until later in the year when it is actually sunny outside here in Wisconsin!
The rest of the stuff in my Birchbox I found to be "meh...". For instance the N.4 Lumiere d'hiver Clarifying Shampoo. Sorry, shampoo just doesn't excite me. Especially when a full bottle of it goes for $32! I can't imagine spending that much on one bottle of shampoo, but that's just me. Unless it magically styles my hair for me when I get out of the shower. A N.4 Lumiere d'hiver Reconstructing Masque came along with it as well. This stuff is supposed to purify and restore lost moisture and shine. I've always had pretty oily hair, so moisture doesn't seem like a real issue for me....
My least favorite item is the KIND Healthy Grains Gluten Free Non GMO Granola Bar. 15 of these cost $11.88. Not bad pricing at all. I got the Maple Pumpkin Seeds with Sea Salt flavor. I would have preferred the chocolate flavor. I am not a big fan of granola. I have heard that these are good, but they just aren't really my thing. Plus, this particular flavor just doesn't interest me at all. Not really sure why I got it either since I asked to not receive snacks in my Birchbox. So that was a little disappointing
And now, on to April's Ipsy Glam Bag...
After last months awesome Ipsy Glam Bag, I was a little disappointed by April's. Especially since it is my birthday month, but oh well.
My favorite product from this month's Ipsy is the 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil from Urban Decay. I got the Black Velvet color and I really like it! I am very picky about my eyeliners because I have terrible experiences with them, liquid eyeliners especially. This one really does glide on smoothly and it is a great color! This is something I may actually purchase in the future.
My second favorite is the lolli tint from benefit. I got Candy-Orchid. I will likely not use it as a cheek tinter, since my cheeks are naturally rosy against my very fair skin. Its a decent lip tint, though. It goes on a little weird in my opinion, but I enjoy the color.
I didn't care too much for the rest of the items in my Ipsy, unfortunately. I like the packaging of theCailyn Tinted Lip Balm. I didn't care for it at first, but then I realized the brush comes off the top, and that is cute! I got the Apple Pink shade, and yikes! I haven't used it because it is a VERY bright pink, which isn't my color. I will likely give it as a gift or sell it to someone else.
The City Color White Gold Mousse Eyeshadow, I'm not so sure about. I don't care for white eyeshadows, as I don't really think they look good on anyone. That is just my opinion. I haven't tried wearing it, but I noticed just from opening the lid that it feels a little greasy. This may be another gifter.
I was disappointed to get the KISS fake eyelashes. I have never worn fake eyelashes and I don't plan on ever doing so. I wear glasses, which seems to me would not go well with fake eyelashes. Also kinda pointless since the glasses usually cover that area.
Overall, I was disappointed with April's Ipsy Glam Bag. I'm still looking forward to May's though!
I was disappointed by both Birchbox and Ipsy this month, but Ipsy still beat Birchbox by a little bit. I just think I will get more use out of the items in the Ipsy compared to the Birchbox. Plus, Birchbox including the granola bar really hurt it since I asked to receive no snacks.
What did you think of the April's Ipsy and Birchbox?
I got my first Beauty Box 5 box this month. I was a little surprised because I think I just signed up for it at the end of March or early April, so I wasn't expecting it. Nice surprise!
My favorite item that I got this month is the Nicka K New York Lipstick. I got the Daring shade. It retails for $4.99. This isn't a shade I would likely buy on my own, but I love it! I tend to shy away from bold colors, but that is why I signed up for subscriptions like this. I want to be surprised by things I wouldn't typically choose myself.
Next is the Blum Naturals All Purpose Cleaning Wipes, which are $2.49 retail for 30 wipes. I chose this as my second favorite because I know I will get use out of it. As a bonus, they are not tested on animals!
I also got a California Collection Eyeshado Palette from BH Cosmetics. It retails for $18.95. There are 16 eyeshadows and 4 face powders. This is basically a tie for 2nd place. I got the Hollywood, San Francisco and Malibu colors in my palette. I like all the colors, though the Hollywood purple may be a bit bold, I'm excited to try it out.
The Apple Cider Lip Definer from Bonne Bell is another product I got this month. It retails for $3.95. I like the color I received, I'm simply not a lip liner wearer, so I'm not sure how much use I will get out of it.
My least favorite item this month is the Jergens Natural Glow-3 Days to Glow Moisturizer (Retails for $9.99) That is ONLY because I got the Medium to Tan skin tone, which I am not. I'm afraid if I used this, I would become orange and that is NOT a good look. I have some Jergens Natural Glow for my skin tone and have used it before with fairly decent results. So, the product being last on my list has nothing to do with the effectiveness of the product, only that I think I got the wrong skin tone.
And that is all for my April Beauty Box 5! Looking forward to my May Beauty Box 5 already!
April's Birchbox is my 3rd one, and probably my least favorite so far. There are only 2 producst from it that I am actually happy about. The rest I will just use for the sake of not wasting it, or give it to someone else. Oh well!
The product I am most excited about it the Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner. It goes for $11. I got the Jamun (Deep Purple) color, which I love! I've only tried it out once so far, but I am a fan. Goes on nice and smooth, doesn't seem to smudge to easily. This makes me happy since I have been stuck on the same eyeliner for years, Wet n' Wild because it was the only one I could get to stay on. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to last long. Hopefully this eyeliner does the trick! I'm also happy that it is purple. I usually only wear black eyeliner, but this might be a nice transition color for me.
The other product I am truly excited about this month is the Color Club Nail Lacquer from Gala's Gems Collection. A set of 4 is $13, which I can get on board with. I got the Breakfast at... color. I have more recently gotten into nail polishes, and this is a nice addiction to my new collection. I tend to purchase more pink and red colors, so I was happy to get the green color that I might not have picked out on my own.
This next product, I also enjoy because I think I will actually use it. I got the Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum. It goes for $20-42 for a full-size. I am a fan of anything sunscreen, especially for the face. I don't like putting regular sunscreens on my face because they tend to make my face feel like it is burning, especially when mixed with pool chemicals when I go swimming. So, hopefully this works well for me. I won't try it out until later in the year when it is actually sunny outside here in Wisconsin!
The rest of the stuff in my Birchbox I found to be "meh...". For instance the N.4 Lumiere d'hiver Clarifying Shampoo. Sorry, shampoo just doesn't excite me. Especially when a full bottle of it goes for $32! I can't imagine spending that much on one bottle of shampoo, but that's just me. Unless it magically styles my hair for me when I get out of the shower. A N.4 Lumiere d'hiver Reconstructing Masque came along with it as well. This stuff is supposed to purify and restore lost moisture and shine. I've always had pretty oily hair, so moisture doesn't seem like a real issue for me....
My least favorite item is the KIND Healthy Grains Gluten Free Non GMO Granola Bar. 15 of these cost $11.88. Not bad pricing at all. I got the Maple Pumpkin Seeds with Sea Salt flavor. I would have preferred the chocolate flavor. I am not a big fan of granola. I have heard that these are good, but they just aren't really my thing. Plus, this particular flavor just doesn't interest me at all. Not really sure why I got it either since I asked to not receive snacks in my Birchbox. So that was a little disappointing
That was my Birchbox for this month. Like I said, not my favorite, but oh well. Looking forward to May's Birchbox and I hope it is more exciting for me!
Check out my video opening/review if you have the time! Thanks for reading :)
After last months awesome Ipsy Glam Bag, I was a little disappointed by April's. Especially since it is my birthday month, but oh well.
My favorite product from this month's Ipsy is the 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil from Urban Decay. I got the Black Velvet color and I really like it! I am very picky about my eyeliners because I have terrible experiences with them, liquid eyeliners especially. This one really does glide on smoothly and it is a great color! This is something I may actually purchase in the future.
My second favorite is the lolli tint from benefit. I got Candy-Orchid. I will likely not use it as a cheek tinter, since my cheeks are naturally rosy against my very fair skin. Its a decent lip tint, though. It goes on a little weird in my opinion, but I enjoy the color.
I didn't care too much for the rest of the items in my Ipsy, unfortunately. I like the packaging of the Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm. I didn't care for it at first, but then I realized the brush comes off the top, and that is cute! I got the Apple Pink shade, and yikes! I haven't used it because it is a VERY bright pink, which isn't my color. I will likely give it as a gift or sell it to someone else.
The City Color White Gold Mousse Eyeshadow, I'm not so sure about. I don't care for white eyeshadows, as I don't really think they look good on anyone. That is just my opinion. I haven't tried wearing it, but I noticed just from opening the lid that it feels a little greasy. This may be another gifter.
I was disappointed to get the KISS fake eyelashes. I have never worn fake eyelashes and I don't plan on ever doing so. I wear glasses, which seems to me would not go well with fake eyelashes. Also kinda pointless since the glasses usually cover that area.
Overall, I was disappointed with April's Ipsy Glam Bag. I'm still looking forward to May's though!
