Julep December 2013 Bombshell Review

This was a really tough month to decide what style I wanted from Julep- everything was so pretty!

I ended up picking the Bombshell profile.  You can pick whatever style you want each month, or skip any month.  You can also add on products at a discount, or upgrade to the whole collection (and now, there is an option to upgrade to just get all the polishes and not the beauty products!).  Julep is $20 per month for nail polish and beauty/skincare items.

Glittery Tissue Paper?!

I was already excited when I saw the silver holiday box and the glittery tissue paper inside.

Twistbands as a bonus!

This month's bonus item was two Twistband hair ties, which are the only things I wear in my hair now.  (Don't pay full price for these! Search Etsy for fold-over elastic and cut it down to size and tie knots in it... make 100 hair ties for like $8).

Packaging

This month's beauty item was a neutral eyeshadow palette.  I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the eyeshadow, and a little disappointed in the quality of the palette packaging itself.  The cardboard case feels flimsy.

Eyeshadow: swatched once with finger, no primer.

The eyeshadow is nicely pigmented and feels really creamy when you apply it.  Every color blends into the next very easily.  Plus, who doesn't need more neutral shadow? I know I do!

The nail colors in this month's bombshell box were Andrea and Cara.  Andrea is described as a full-coverage bronze glitter, and Cara as a cranberry frost.  I think these are appropriate descriptions, but Andrea has much more depth to it than just one color of bronze- there is gold in there, too.

Julep Bombshell December 2013
Neutral Eyeshadow Palette, Andrea, and Cara

In addition to this month's two colors, I added on another one! I had the Jules for it, and it was so pretty that I couldn't resist.  I don't own anything like Celia, so I'm glad I went for it!

Polish and Add-Ons, Top to Bottom:
Celia, Andrea, Cara

Labels

Celia is an icy green metallic and is stunning.  Sometimes with foil-looking polishes, you see every single brush stroke.  That is not the case with Celia.  It has a perfect formula and you could totally get away with one careful coat, but I usually do two anyway.  This is an amazing holiday color and I'm really glad that I added it on!

Julep Celia (2 coats)

I've been wearing Cara with Andrea as an accent nail for two days now, and I've gotten a number of compliments on the combination.  I can't stop looking at the glitter! It's so pretty!

Julep Cara with Andrea accent

I again used two coats for both polishes, as well as OPI Natural Nails base coat and Julep Freedom Polymer Top Coat.  I have some tip wear, but I can't bring myself to take this off, it's just too pretty and festive.  Even though Cara is a frost, like Celia, it doesn't show any brush strokes.  It went on so smoothly.

If you want to sign up for Julep, please use my link here.  I'll get 1000 Jules (Julep points) for referring you, which is enough for a free polish.  You can get your first box for free with the code FREEBOX.  After that, you can cancel at any time!  You can also skip each and every month and remain a Maven to get their discounted pricing on their site.

All items in this post were paid for by me, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.  No compensation or special consideration was received for this post.  This post contains a referral link, see details above.

The Week in Nails, December 1

This week was a lazy one for nails.  With Thanksgiving, I didn't bother going crazy.

I Theodora You

OPI Natural Nail Base Coat and 3 coats of OPI's I Theodora You.  No top coat.  This is a really cute sheer pink.  It is on the bubble-gummy side without being too young-looking when it is on.  I wore this for two days (last Sunday included).  I think 4 coats would bring it to full opacity, but I was fine with visible nail line.

I sadly had naked nails for the next three days.  Work got crazy, I was tired, and I didn't feel like painting my nails for Thanksgiving, only to have it chip off with all the food prep and dish washing.

My Very First Knockwurst

OPI Natural Nail Base Coat and 3 coats of OPI's My Very First Knockwurst.  No top coat.  I really love this color.  It is very subdued and makes me feel like my nails look demure.  That is the word that comes to mind.  I have been wearing this for three days, and I barely have any tip wear.  I plan on keeping this on for at least one more day.

No special consideration or compensation was received for this post and all thoughts and opinions are my own. All items mentioned within were paid for by me.

Birchbox November 2013 Review

Birchbox November 2013 Women's Box

I didn't even get a shipping notice for this month and my box arrived! Normally it doesn't come until well after they post online, so it's not a surprise.  This was!  Go me! Spoiler-free for the first time in months.

Birchbox November 2013: "More Good"

First item:

Eyeko Black Magic Mascara, 4 mL (0.13 fl.oz.)

Eyeko Black Magic Mascara

This is supposed to add curl and volume and has shea butter and keratin.  The brush seems very soft and full and is curved, so I think it will help keep lashes separated and more lush than some other mascaras I've used in the past.  The full size is 0.29 fl.oz. and sells for $24, making this sample worth $10.76.  I like the other Eyeko products I've tried, so I think I'll like this- especially if the brush works as well as I hope!

Next, I was sent Ayres Body Butter in Midnight Tango.

Ayres Body Butter in Midnight Tango

This smells like orange blossom and vanilla, a combination that reminds me of Valencia.  If I close my eyes, I am back there, walking down streets lined with blossoming orange trees.  Sigh.  The texture is rich and creamy, but not whipped like many body butters.  It's like the texture of a thin cookie icing, instead of the texture of the batter.  I wouldn't call it a body butter, but it is very nice.  

I appreciate the fact that they use high quality ingredients such as shea butter, coconut oil, and apricot kerneal oil.  They could have cheaped out and used mineral oil and water, but they didn't.

I was sent a 1 oz sample and the full size (6.75 oz) sells for $28, so mine is worth $4.15.

I had a dreaded fragrance sample this month, but I guess I can't complain, since this is only the third one I've gotten in 2013 (January, July, and November).  This one is Folle de Joie and smells citrusy and woodsy, and light on the floral.  I appreciate the lack of heavy florals, this is a scent I could see myself wearing this winter.  

Folle de Joie Perfume

At $98 for 3.4 fl.oz. it is about the same price as most other perfumes.  The 0.06 fl.oz. sample is worth $1.74.

I have two products from Wei: Pomegranate buffing beads and Golden Root purifying mud mask.

Wei Buffing Beads package

The pomegranate buffing beads are dry exfoliants that you mix with your favorite face wash to turn it into a scrub.  The ingredients include pomegranate peel and probably some kind of polymer microbead to scrub and polish.  Each packet is 0.5g and BB sent two.

I like this idea, even if it seems kind of wasteful.  I can imagine that if you really really like a particular face wash and have skin problems whenever you switch, this would be a way to incorporate an exfoliant into your routine without risking a reaction to a new product.  

20 packets sell for $20, so this is nice and easy math!  My sample is worth $2.

The second Wei product is a little pot of mud mask.  The full-size, $42, is 8 pots and a brush so that you can apply a nice even layer of product on your face.  Golden root, rhodiola rosea, is a type of succulent and has been used in many cultures as a natural anti-depressant.  I doubt rubbing it on your skin will help at all, but it's a nice thought.  

Wei Golden Root Face Mask

My single pod is worth about $4, assuming the brush would sell for about $10.  That seems pretty high to me!  I remember seeing that some people get more than one application out of a single pod, which would bring it into a more reasonable price-per-use territory.

The last item this month was a chocolate-covered pretzel that was sprinkled with toasted coconut from Fatty Sundays.  The other available flavors include smooth mint and toffee crunch.  I wish there was more of this!  I got one bite and my boyfriend got one bite and it was amazing.  So good!  I'm going to have to start dipping my chocolate-coated pretzels in toasted coconut for the holidays, because this combination of salty and sweet and nutty was incredible.

Heaven in pretzel form.  Buy these.  Seriously.

I want to order EVERYTHING from their website.  Like, now.  Mmmm.  They sell five full-sized dipped pretzel rods for $6.95.  There wasn't a weight on this package, but I'll estimate it was 1/8 the size of a full pretzel, making it worth about $0.17.  Doesn't matter; was delicious.

All together, this was a weird box.  I like everything, but I don't really love anything (besides the pretzel that is long gone and the wrapper that I've licked clean and may or may not be sniffing trying to get some kind of pretzel high).  I'm not big on face masks and I have quite a few to use up before I get to this one.  The lotion and perfume smell nice, but I'm not tempted to get a full size.  Same with the buffing beads- interesting concept, but not something I'll purchase.  I get a lot of face scrubs from my sub boxes!  The mascara sample is nice, but I have soooo many to use up.  This will be my next one, though!  The brush looks amazing.

November Birchbox Goodies

All together, this month's Birchbox had a value of $22.82.  Not the highest value, but definitely worth more than I paid.

Birchbox costs $10 a month, including shipping, and will send you 4-6 deluxe and full-sized items.  BB also gives you 10 points for each item that you review.  So, with 6 items, I will get 60 review points.  Every 100 points gets you $10 to spend in the Birchbox shop.  It's a really nice system, and one of the best reward systems out there for a sub box!  If you are interested in signing up, please use my link here.  I will get BB points if you use my link.  If you use code HOLIDAY100 and buy a 3, 6, or 12-month gift subscription, you will get an extra 100 points ($10) to spend!

No special consideration or compensation was received for this post and all thoughts and opinions are my own. All items mentioned within were paid for by me.  This post contains a referral link; details are above.

Sephora Holiday Blitz Sample Bag

I recently purchased some holiday gifts on Sephora, and conveniently they were running a promotion where you could pick out a bag containing 8 samples with any $25 purchase.  This is still going on, use code BLITZ to get your free stuff!  I picked the Holly Jolly Nourishment set.  As said in the fine print, the samples did vary a bit from what was shown on the website.

Here is what I got:

The Bag

Prime Style Extender 0.33 fl.oz. from Living Proof. Full size (5oz) $20. Sample worth $1.33
I have a deluxe sample of this already, no need for me to open the foil packet.  I'll save it for a vacation or something.  It definitely helps my hair remain less greasy than without, especially if I straighten my hair and use some oils in it to make it shiny.

Living Proof samples

Living Proof frizz nourishing style cream. 1fl.oz.  Best value for the full size is 8 oz for $36. 1 oz worth $4.50.
I used this today before straightening my hair (but after my beauty protector spray) and I definitely did not have any frizz, even though it kind of sprinkled on and off today.

Too Faced Beauty Balm

Too Faced tinted beauty balm in nude glow. 1.5 fl.oz. retails for $34. Sample is 0.17 oz. approximate value $3.85.
This color is a little dark for me, especially in the winter. It has a light coverage and didn't cover up the scar on my hand.  

Buxom Lash Mascara

Buxom Lash mascara from Bare Escentuals. Full size $19 for 0.37 oz. sample 0.2 fl oz, worth about $10.27.
I think I've tried this before, but I can't be sure.  I think I remember liking the deepness of color and volumnizing properties.  I have so many mascara samples that I don't know when I'll get to this!  I won't have to buy mascara for years, even if I throw them out after 3 months of being open like you are supposed to!

Clean Perfume

Clean (original) eau de parfum. Sample 0.03 fl. oz. best deal $69 for 2.14 fl.oz. this makes the sample worth 0.97$
This smells just like Dove soap.  It smells clean.  It doesn't smell like a perfume, but that is a good thing to me.

Fresh Sugar Petal Lip Treatment

Fresh Sugar Lip treatment in petal. Full size (0.15 oz) sells for $22.50. Sample 0.07 oz, worth $10.50.
I really like Sugar products, but they are so expensive for a tinted balm!  This is a nice color, smells like citrus, and even in 3 days of using it, has made a difference in the smoothness of my lips.  This product was the reason I picked this gift set, and it didn't disappoint.

Origins Plantscription Anti-aging Cream

Origins plantscription SPF 25 anti aging cream 15 mL. Full size 50 mL for $55. Sample worth $16.50. This is a very thick face cream, and I'm surprised Origins suggests using it in the morning.  I understand that it has a lot of sunscreens in it, and that is why, but it certainly is heavier than I like for a day cream.  It smells herbal in a good way.

Ren Hydra-Calm Cream

Ren hydra calm global protection day cream, 0.17 oz. Full size 1.7 oz for $45, sample worth $4.50.
This wasn't in the sample bag, but it wasn't one of the three free samples I chose to go with my order, so it may just be a stray that hopped a ride to my house! I'm not complaining ;)  I haven't opened the foil seal yet, so I don't have an opinion on it. 

Urban Decay b6 Prep Spray

Urban Decay B6 vitamin-infused complexion prep spray, 0.5 fl.oz.  Full szie $33 for 4 fl.oz, sample worth $4.13.
This is cornstarch in a spray bottle (plus some other fancy things that won't may any sort of difference).  It smelled much better than the other prep spray I've tried (I'm looking at you, Juice Beauty cat-pee-spray!), and the starch provided a nice smooth base for my makeup.  I would CERTAINLY not pay $33 for 4 fl.oz. of this product, though.  I could make my own for fractions of pennies!  Yeah yeah, there are other ingredients, so I'll throw in some aspirin and some aloe juice and call it even.  Same effect, much cheaper.

The samples are worth $56.55, not including the bag they came in.

Other samples I got with my order:

Evel Lom Package.  The cloth was folded up so neatly inside!

Eve Lon cleanser and one cloth. Cleanser $135 for 6.8 oz. cloths 3 for $22. One cloth and 0.17 oz worth $7.33 and $3.38, respectively and $10.71 total.
I love this! The cleanser has lanolin in it, which is one of my favorite ingredients ever.  The cloth isn't really a novel idea, but it works well in this system.  The cleanser smells like cloves and chamomile ("like ham tea" says my boyfriend.  HOT HAM WATER was my response.) and is amazing.  If it didn't cost so much, I would be all about this!  It really makes my skin smooth and soft.

Marc Jacobs Dot

Marc Jacobs Dot sample, 1.2 mL (0.04 fl.oz.).  I like Honey better, but Dot is nice, too.  It's more floral and less tropically fruity than honey.  Full size $92 for 3.4 fl.oz., sample worth $1.08.

Perricone MD Photo Plasma

Perricone MD Photo Plasma.  Antiaging SPF 30 face lotion.  59 mL sells for $69.  Sample is 2 mL, worth $2.34.

I also had 100 points, so I spent them on a Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara Sample.  The sample was 0.07 oz, and full-size is 0.22 oz for $28, making the sample worth $8.91.
This mascara  had a weird smell, but it made my lashes look fake!  I was amazed that one swipe could get me such a dramatic improvement- and I have long, dark lashes to begin with!  I couldn't get a good picture of my lashes, and my mascara is in my car at the moment so I don't have a picture of that either.  Sorry.

All together, I spent $70 on gifts (free shipping!) and got $70.68 worth of samples.  NOT BAD AT ALL.  

The Week in Nails, November 3

Julep Cleopatra with China Glaze Marry a Millionaire on Tips

Matte Black and Sparkles, no top coat, for the 3 days leading up to Halloween.

NCLA Dracula's Bride Nail Wraps

Halloween: Dracula's Bride Nail Wraps.  Everyone asked if I did this myself, and were all disappointed when I said they were nail wraps.  I guess they have come to expect great things from me? 

Julep Aisha (berry) and Cynthia (microglitter)

The final two days of the week (my nails were naked today) I wore two of my November Julep polishes.  Aisha was on my thumb, pinky, and first finger, and Cynthia on my middle and ring.  I should have used a top coat over Cynthia at least, it is semi-matte and chipped pretty easily.

Wantable Intimates Box, November 2013

This is my second Wantable Intimates box.  They always ship these a few days before the start of the month, so this is for November!  Boy, these months are flying by!

This costs $40 for a one-time purchase or $36 for a monthly subscription, where you can skip a month or cancel at any time.  You fill out a very detailed profile with what clothing items and styles you like, as well as colors, sizes, etc.  If you are interested, please use my link here!  I'll get a $10 credit for everyone who joins with that link.  

Upon first look, I wasn't thrilled:

Muk Luks Tights in Plum

Tights.  I don't really wear tights.  These are a dark plum and are ribbed and I'm not sure that I'll wear them.  Now, this label says Muk Luks and the info sheet I was sent says they are by Izabella. It seems that they are one and the same?  I'm not sure, but these sell for about $10.50 at Target, yet Wantable listed them valued at $19.

Things got better with the next item I pulled out:

Undies Couture by Lauren Copeland Lace Hipster in Black

This is a black lace hipster by Undies Couture, which seems to be part of Coobie.  Again, the tag and the info sheet don't match up except for in description.  Googling seems to confirm that Coobie is in charge of the Undies Couture line.  Either way, these are really nice!  They fit well, and unlike a lot of hipsters, they actually stay up past my butt crack.  I feel like I have permanent plumbers' crack with some of the lace hipsters I have! These fit and are very comfortable.

 Wantable lists this retail price at $14.

Next came another pair of undies:

Jockey Clean Edge Cheeky Fit Microfiber Stretch Boyshort

I am not in love with the pattern, but I love seamless and clean edge undies! These will definitely get worn, I have a few pairs like this that I wear often and it's nice to have another. I haven't tried them on yet, but the material feels soft and like it would be virtually unnoticeable while wearing.

The tag on them says $12 or 3 for $30.  Wantable went with the individual value of $12, but I'll call it $10 in my overall total.  

The last item is by far my favorite, and I'm glad that I pulled it out last!  This totally makes the box worth it to me, and I will stick around for another month based upon this item alone.

Betsey Johnson Luscious Knit and Chiffon Slip in Black, Front

Betsey Johnson Luscious Knit and Chiffon Slip, Back.

It's a Betsey Johnson slip!  It has some bow details on the front and back, some tiny rose details where the shoulder traps meet the front, and some chiffon inserts to add some sex appeal.  There is a bra closure in the middle of the back, and the rest is cut away to the hip line.  

This is absolutely something that I would have picked out for myself, but put back on the rack when I saw the price!  It fits perfectly and is very comfortable and flattering.  The material is so soft and it is sexy without being trashy or cheap-feeling.  It's just a really good quality slip that is already one of my favorites!

Suggested retail from Wantable (and the tag on it) is $65.

I paid $36 for (on the low end of the prices) $99.50 worth of wardrobe staples.

I'm really impressed with the items I received this month, and with some tweaking to my profile, I hope next month will be equally awesome, or better!

All items in this post were paid for by me.  All opinions are my own and no special compensation or consideration was received.  This post contains a referral link.  See details in post.

Birchbox October 2013 Review

If Birchbox didn't have such a great point system, I'd have dropped it a long time ago.  However, there is something to be said for $10 per month for samples and getting back about $5 per month in store credit for reviewing the products.

October 2013

I peeked at my box when they were posted yesterday, and I was even more underwhelmed when it finally showed up.

Birchbox October 2013: Beauty Buzz

First up, this box's only really excellent item: Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant.

Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfolient

This is supposed to be gentle enough for even sensitive skin, and it smells like lemonade.  Winning! I have no complaints about this, I use a facial exfoliator once or twice per week and am glad to have a new one to try.  I just hope I don't fall in love with this, the price is pretty steep!

Full size is $78 for 2 oz of product, making the 0.25 oz sample worth $9.75.


Next is yet ANOTHER giant foil packet from Miss Jessie's.  This time they sent me Pillow Soft Curls, which is described as a lotion, not a gel or creme.  Previously, I have tried Jelly Soft Curls (gel: NASTY) and the Stretch Curl Creme (creme: INEFFECTIVE), and I am hopefully through most of this product line.  I don't want any more samples from them.  (Hint, hint, Birchbox.)

Miss Jessie's Pillow Soft Curls

The reviews say this smells like fabric softener, and based upon the other MJ products I've tried, I assume it will be absolutely overpowering and will not fade all day.

Full size is $22 for 8.5 fl.oz.  This 1 oz sample is worth $2.59.


The "Birchbox Find" this month is a ChapStick Hydration Lock in Vanilla Creme.  Birchbox Finds are items that you can pick up for cheap somewhere like CVS or Target.  I don't really have a problem getting them in BB, especially since they are things I'd normally drop a couple bucks on.  This just saves me a trip!

ChapStick Hydration Lock

I'm not going to open this right away, since I have 4 kajillion open lip balms, but I'll use it when I run out of my Noya balm from my August Ipsy bag.  That one really ended up growing on me and I keep it next to my bed for night-time and first-thing-in-the-morning.  Hopefully I like this Chapstick just as much, because they don't have to be ordered online.

This is full-sized and sells for about $2.99 at drugstores.  I'm sure you can find sales or coupons, though.


I then went to open the little cardboard package that contained the rest of my items, and pulled out my lip gloss... and a hand full of eyeshadow.

Oh look, my lip gloss has a brown shimmery disease

Yeah.  I wiped off the outside of the gloss and soldiered on, all in the name of blog reviews.  You're welcome!

Pop Beauty Aqua Lacquer in Flowering Fuchsia. 

Pop Beauty Aqua Lacquer in Flowering Fuchsia

This gloss looks brighter in the tube than it does on my lips, but it is decent.  

Me wearing Flowering Fuchsia Aqua Lacquer
It's not really this bright, that's the lighting

It's not sticky at all, and the mint gives a little bit of tingle.  The applicator, though, is weird.  The company describes it as "spatuala-like" and I think that is appropriate.  It is like the doe-foot applicator, just without the fuzzy part, just the plastic underneath.  It makes for a strange application of the gloss.  Also, the flowers on the tube and the packaging in general make it seem like it's mostly marketed towards 15 year old girls.  It seems a little young, is all.

Weird Applicator

This is full-sized, 10 mL, and sells for $14 on Birchbox.


Last, but not least, is the offending eyeshadow quad from Coastal Scents.  

Coastal Scents Eyeshadow Sample Quad in set #34
Clockwise, from top left: Boca Mocha, Golden Sienna, Pinehurst, Burnished Brunette.

Upon extracting it from the powder in the bottom of the cardboard package, I found that two out of the four colors were smashed into powder.  Of course, they were the two colors I'd actually use in this sample, that's just my luck.  I emailed BB about this, asking them if they could at least send me a new one, but I don't expect to hear back until after the holiday weekend. 

:( Poor eyeshadow!

Left to right: Golden Sienna, Pinehurst, Burnished Brunette, Boca Mocha
One swipe with my finger, no primer

There is 2g worth of eyeshadow in here, and on the Coastal Scents site they sell 1.5g individual shadows for $1.95, giving this quad a value of $2.60.

Total Value: $31.93

All together, I'm not very excited about this box.  The microdermabrasion scrub will definitely get used after I run out of my Michael Todd Jojoba and Charcoal scrub (again, from the August Ipsy!), and I'll get around to using the chapstick at some point.  I am not sure if I am willing to try out the curl lotion- I've hated every Miss Jessie's product I've tried and I don't want to inflict another bad hair day upon myself.  The smashed eyeshadows and teenage girl lip gloss didn't help matters.  At least I got 50 points ($5) for reviews!


Birchbox costs $10 per month and they send you between 4 and 6 sample (and rarely, full-sized) items.  You can review each item for 10 points, and every 100 points gives you $10 credit to use in their online store.  If you want to sign up, you can use my link here.  This will give me 50 points and endless joy.

No special consideration or compensation was received for this post and all thoughts and opinions are my own. All items mentioned within were paid for by me.