Kayla's April Birchbox Review

I was super excited when I got this Birchbox in the mail, but due to a crazy month full of toddler swim lessons, extra shifts on the job, an unexpected funeral, and a much needed girls day on what I think was my one day off in April, this review is a tad bit late. However, I believe all products deserve their review, so better late than never! I've said more than enough about my love for Birchbox packaging with my first box back in March, but I was pretty tickled to see this box had a change in theme. We went from hot pink in March to sky blue in April. This makes me excited to see what the marketing team over at Birchbox does over the next few months. I love things that have a changing theme, and any element of surprise just adds to the cracker-jack box, Christmas morning feeling I get any time that Matthew texts me at work with a "Hey one of those box things came in the mail for you." 

Beauty Protector: Protect & Detangle (Full Size $21.95) 

Not only does this leave in conditioner come in a super cute bottle, but the scent really could be addictive. I absolutely love the way this smells. I was really put off at first, because it comes in a spray bottle, but my sample did NOT spray. I tried numerous times to fiddle with the spray head and the little hose on the inside trying to make it work, but it just wasn't having it. I'm not sure if I just got a faulty bottle, or if this issue was due to the small size of the bottle and the thickness of the conditioner, but I eventually gave up and just worked this stuff into my hair from the palm of my hand. Since then I've gotten the bottle to work and I'm much happier with it now. 

Whether or not this is effective as a protectant against heat is honestly hard for me to tell. My hair is rather healthy because even though I DO curl my hair, it is only an occasional thing and I more often than not suffer from a bad case of "mom hair." As far as detangling goes, this product is absolutely excellent, and that is coming from somebody with extremely thick hair.

It gave my hair a nice healthy shine, and I was really happy with it until the end of my day. After wearing my hair down and blown out straight for a long day though, my hair felt unnaturally bogged down and a little matted. Nothing too serious or that a wash couldn't cure, but I'm typically the type that can go a few days without washing my hair, and I don't think that's the case with this product. I have considered the definite possibility that due to the faulty spray head I just simply used too much conditioner, but my hair is very thick and I used a nickle sized amount and worked it into my hair fairly evenly so I'm not completely convinced. 

All in all the only complaint I had was the thick residue in my roots at the end of a long, successful hair day. The price for a full sized bottle doesn't seem too outrageous by any means, and I give this product a 8/10.

Color Club: Gala's Gems Collection in Aquamarine Azulino (Set of 4, $13)

I was kind of excited when I read that this product was a joint effort between Birchbox and style blogger Gala Gonzalez, because even though I had never heard of her before I always think it's pretty neat when a beauty blogger or a company like Birchbox begins to market their own products rather than just review.

I'm not a huge fan of the color that they sent me, I've never been big on pastels in nail polishes, I tend to go more toward bright but opaque colors like a teal or a coral, or I'll go for a classic red or pretty neutral tone. However that is just a personal preference, and I do think that the underlying jewel tone to this polish is quite pretty, if not for me. The lacquer itself was a lot more transparent than I like and it took two coats to get a thick, even color due to this polishes watery nature. With just one coat it showed all of the imperfections on my natural nail. It did spread very evenly and easily and didn't clump like some cheaper polishes do. I work in an industry that involves a lot of hand washing, so I was actually surprised that this polish didn't chip away too dramatically through a night at work. Typically I'll get a shellac manicure, otherwise there's just no saving my nail job. 

All in all, I was neither impressed nor sorely disappointed by this product. I personally found it to be on par with your typical drugstore brand nail polishes, it kind of reminded me of a larger version of those bon-bon polishes I used to get as a kid. If it were another color, I would definitely keep it around and wear it. Four polishes for $13 is actually a really good price for this polish, but being that I really do prefer a thick opaque polish, I doubt I'll be purchasing seeing as the other colors in the set are much on par with this one. They're all pastel and look like they would have the same pearly finish that I'm not a huge fan of. However, I will say that I look forward to seeing a different color collection from this brand, and I think my mother is really going to love this polish. I'm adding it to her Mother's Day goodie bag because I know she'll appreciate the color much more than I do. After all she's a Tarheel born and a Tarheel bred. 

Polish itself was great, but I can't get over the color, which to me is the most important part of a polish. I give this product a 6/10 but I can't wait to see something more opaque from Color Club. 

Supergoop!: Daily Correct SPF 35 CC Cream (Full Size $32)

This is the second product from Supergoop! that I've received from Birchbox, and I couldn't decide if I was more excited that Birchbox had given me another sample from them so I could give their brand a fair second try, or if I was more disappointed that I didn't get something new after having already seen this. In my March box, I got the City Sunscreen Serum which I gave a 5/10 review. I liked the product but found it to be ridiculously over priced for being so comparable to the lightweight SPF moisturizer that I already keep on my counter. 

I was excited to try a new CC cream though. I do already have a CC cream that I use but I love trying new products. I was unimpressed with how small of a sample size this is, because I felt as if I would only get one possibly two uses out of it if used as my foundation for a day. Then I realized there was no use in being upset over the sample size, because I wouldn't wear this color on my face anyways. I was sent a light-to-medium sample, and my skin is much fairer than average. This is an issue that I also ran into with BB5 in April, and I think I'll come to expect it in the future, at least regarding skincare samples. It's rather disappointing to have this same thing happen twice from two different companies, but I also understand that the average subscriber has more color to their skin than I do. I do hope that in the future Birchbox manages to send more user specific shades. I checked my profile though, and I have my skin listed as Light with Birchbox. I adjusted my profile so that my skintone is listed as Fair, which is the palest option and originally I had thought that would be too pale as I do have some color to my skin, but now I'll look forward to seeing if that adjustment ends in some more appropriate products for me.

Due to the shade of my sample, I tried this product out on the back of my hand where I have an ugly burn scar that I've never been too fond of. I was excited to see that for a product with an SPF, this wasn't as greasy as I expected it to be, and it blends quite easily into my skin. This is one of those products with a powdery scent to it, and I can't help but imagine I would be a little sneezy if I were to purchase this product for facial use. 

As you can see here, the coverage is actually quite impressive, neither of these images have a flash or filter, and for such a deep scar, it definitely does a good job of covering the imperfection. I really do like this product and would be excited to try it as a foundation if I had the correct shade, but at $32 for a full sized bottle, I'm looking at the same issue as before, I think this product is over priced. I actually am amused because both the moisturizer and the CC cream that I use as my go-to products are from the same company, and both Supergoop! samples I've been sent have been SO comparable to them it's almost as if they're emulating each other. I've considered the possibility that Supergoop! could be an impressive extended use product, but I just cannot justify spending the money on this. 

Overall, I'm going to have to give this a 6/10 it's a great product, and definitely fulfills it's purpose, but once again the outcome is not worth the cost. 

Sumita: Color Contrast Eyeliner in Jamun (Full Size $11)

Let me start by saying, I love eyeliner. I was super excited to see this one in my April box, because last month Birchbox let me down a little in regards to cosmetic samples. Don't get me wrong- I loved the skincare in March's box, but I'm a color junkie and it's a little upsetting to me that Birchbox has only sent one cosmetic item each month thus far. 

This eyeliner is the perfect color for me, I absolutely love purple and this is a deep enough purple that it almost looks black, but still has that underlying tone to it. The liner itself is quite brittle and breaks much easier than most pencil style liners I'm accustomed to, but it glides on SO smoothly and is super pigmented. I paired this with a few shades from a UD palette I've had for ages and got a gorgeous purple smokey eye for the day. The wear is awesome too, it dried quickly and didn't give me the dreaded eyeliner mishap in my crease, and it last me an entire day of strawberry picking, and playing in the pool with the kiddo. 

 I really don't have anything bad to say about this product. It's comparable to Urban Decay's 24/7 glide on eyeliner, but at almost half the price. Sumita has done great things with this and I have every intention of exploring their color options. I did notice however, that on their website these full size is listed for $15, so I'm going to take advantage of the $11 price from Birchbox while I can.

Definitely my favorite product from this month's Birchbox. I'd seriously have to give this a 9/10 and I do hope this is one of Birchbox's repeat brands as I would love to try more of Sumita Cosmetics. 

All in all, I'm still super excited for my Birchbox to arrive each month, and since this post is so late I'm expecting to get my May box in just the next couple of days. However I'm seriously considering closing the lid on my subscription. I've been mostly disappointed with the samples I've been sent, and even though it's only $10 a month, my first Beauty Box 5 impressed me a lot more than Birchbox has done thus far. I've definitely found a few products that I've really enjoyed from Birchbox, but I've got a list of beauty subscription boxes a mile long that have been suggested to me, and I think I can find something I like better. The few samples I've really enjoyed have been over priced, and there have only been two, possibly three, products thus far that I would even really consider buying at full size. I haven't fully made my decision yet, but after my May box arrives, I'm confident that I'll have come to one. 

Kayla's April Beauty Box 5 Review

Wow, can I just say that I am absolutely thrilled with Beauty Box 5? Absolutely thrilled. The month of April is the beginning of my BB5 subscription, and if they continue to impress me like they did this month, Beauty Box 5 will undoubtedly be my favorite subscription service (thus far, I am becoming rather addicted to online shopping and subscription boxes). During my March Birchbox review, I mentioned that I was impressed with how Birchbox provided USPS tracking numbers, which BB5 also does, so a round of applause for both companies in that regard. I'm also impressed with how quickly BB5 arrived, literally the day after my notification email saying it was on its way. I didn't actually get that email until a few days after it had shipped I noticed, and I'm not sure if that was purposeful or not, but if so I think the people at Beauty Box 5 know me way too well and knew I would be checking the mailbox twice a day until it got here. They saved me the obsession induced headache by letting me remain blissfully ignorant to the fact that my new goodies were in transit.

Packaging- honestly, packaging can make or break a beauty product, I'll be the first to state this as a fact. Women are extremely visual creatures, and if a product doesn't stand out to us, why would we stop to investigate? Especially if there's a similar product on the shelf next- oh shiny! (You get my point). Beauty Box 5 has super cute graphics and I absolutely love their logo, however the packaging used for shipment could use some improvements. The thing I dislike is that the box used for shipping, and the box that my products were stored in, is in fact the same box. In comparison, I loved that Birchbox sends it's products in a cute little shoe box styled container, and then repackages for shipping. I feel as if my products are a lot less likely to get shaken around and possibly spill with Birchbox's shipping methods, however I will say that it is also extremely evident that Beauty Box 5 takes the time to artfully arrange their products within a tight packed cushion of confetti before shipping.

Upon opening my Beauty Box 5, I was beyond ecstatic to notice that I'd gotten a few samples as well as THREE full sized products. It might just be me, but I'm sure there are a lot of ladies reading this who will agree- size DOES matter. The quality of the samples I received has definitely been noted, and I'm impressed with BB5's efforts to provide their customers with things they'll get more than one use out of. Now, on the products!

Jergens: Natural Glow - 3 Days to Glow Moisturizer (Full Size $9.99)

I'm not unfamiliar with the Jergens brand, as I remember my sister using an earlier version of this product back when I was younger and she was in high school. However, I am the palest of all pale human beings. When I say ghost-like, I legitimately mean that in the dead of winter my skin is so pale you can sometimes see my veins through it. Absolutely translucent. Therefore, I've never really had much luck with self tanners. I have used a product from Urban Decay before that was called Santa Tanita, it's been discontinued, but even mixing the foam with my regular lotion, I still kept an orange tint. 

Now with the three day sample I got from Jergens, I was determined to apply it as evenly as possible and get good results. After the first day however, I already had orange ankles and the tint was way too dark for my skin. I realized after the second day of applying that BB5 had sent me a sample for medium skin tones, and I made a comment on our Instagram about needing to update my BB5 profile, because obviously I mistakenly listed my skin tone as being darker than it actually is. I was super impressed with BB5 because they actually responded to my Instagram post, informing me that they had sent the same shade to ALL of their subscribers because it's a "gradual" tint. However, I'm not impressed with their reasoning or the fact that they didn't try to take differences in skin tone into account, but I feel like is something that may change over time. In my experience with BB5 thus far, they seem to be an awesome company that are making efforts to improve and expand the experiences that their customers have with them.

The Jergens moisturizer itself was a nice consistency, I managed to spread it fairly evenly over both of my legs even with the somewhat small size the sample was. The smell of the lotion was pleasant and not too over powering like some self tanners can be. It definitely had a hint of that "sunscreen" scent to it, but overall not bad. It washed right off my hands and I didn't have any issues with orange palms like I've experienced in the past, and none of my clothes seem to have any stains from wearing them after applying the self tanner. 

After realizing the sample I'd been given was probably too dark for my skin tone, I mixed the Jergens with a normal, unscented, dye-free lotion that I had at home, and the color evened out a LOT in comparison to where it had been, my results after day three were definitely the most pleasing. 

Before application, and after the third day. 

Application of self tanners is always so tricky, because it's incredibly easy to apply too much to certain areas and end up with splotches, streaks, or super orange knees and elbows, and I for one would much rather have a nice even pale complexion, then have an uneven tan. This brand was no exception, but I think I applied it fairly well, however, no matter how evenly a color is applied, it will still be orange if it's the wrong color. Another thing I dislike about this particular self tanner is that after my three day trial was over and the color began coming off, it didn't fade away evenly by any means, I had patches of orange and white all over my legs, not attractive. 

Honestly though, I don't feel like I can give a good enough review of this product since it truly isn't the right product for me. I'm of the opinion that self tanners are all about the way you apply it. I feel as if I would have been much happier with this product if it were the right shade for my skin, and if I used it sparingly. Either by skipping days, or by mixing it with a normal lotion, otherwise the effect is nowhere near natural, and more of a pain and an embarrassment than anything, especially since it's the type of product that takes a few days to scrub off if the results aren't desirable. Overall, I really wasn't happy with this product, but I truly do try to give the products a fair chance and a thorough try. I can't honestly say that I'm interested enough to go out with the intent to purchase this product in the correct shade, but if I happen to stumble across it at a drugstore, it's cheap enough that I may do a follow up review. Overall I give this product a 4/10 though that is subject to change. Even if I were to purchase this product in the correct shade, I still feel as if I would have to alter the application process in order to get good results, as well as commit to continuous use for the summer, or spend three days scrubbing it off when I no longer want that summer glow. As far as drugstore self tanners go, Jergens delivers a decent product, I don't feel it's over priced, but I also stress that this is the type of product where you get what you pay for. A $10 tan.

Nicka K New York: Hydro Lipstick (Retail $4.99)

This Nicka K lipstick was one of the two full sized products I received in April's Beauty Box, and I was super thrilled with that because if there is one thing my loved ones know about me, it's that I absolutely love lip products. BB5 automatically won my heart a little upon discovering this tube of Begonia colored goodness.

I love the color they sent me, not too red, not too blah, and it's got a good pigment to it, a little bit of sparkle. The lipstick itself is super hydrating and left my lips feeling soft and nourished at the end of the day. Nicka boasts that their Hydro line is paraben-free and long lasting, and I wasn't disappointed. It certainly did last me an entire day, and that was without the lip primer that I typically apply under my lipsticks. Of course much of my lipstick did rub off over the course of my day, but my lips held a nice stain, and reapplication wasn't overly necessary. I love that the lipstick itself has a nice creamy texture, but in a light enough layer that I don't feel as if I've got to cake it on in order to achieve full color. I love creme lipsticks, and this one definitely fits the bill. I used this lipstick in combination with the lip liner I received in this months Beauty Box and a few other tools to create the black-to-begonia ombre lip look featured in the photo below. The only issue I had using the Nicka K lipstick to create this look is that it doesn't want to play well with other textures. The lipstick got a little crumbly, and I probably won't use it much in combination with other products, but it's an awesome even lip color for solid shades and solitary use. 

Black-to-Begonia ombre lips

I love the packaging of this lipstick, I'm a big fan of companies that colorize the end of a tube, because I like to store my lipsticks standing up, and having the color swatch there in my lipstick caddy staring at me saves me the trouble of digging through a pile of lipsticks in the morning when I'm late for work. The packaging actually seriously reminds me of the tube that Covergirl uses for their LipPerfection line. I'm actually a fan of the LipPerfection line, and Nicka delivers an extremely similar, maybe even better product, for $1.50 less. All in all I'm really pleased with this product, and I look forward to trying more of their lipstick shades, possibly even other products by this brand. I give the girls at Nicka K a 8/10 and blow them a begonia colored kiss. 

Bonne Bell: Lip Definer (Retail $3.95)

The second of my two full sized products was this Bonne Bell lip pencil. The color is Rose Cendre and I can't find it anywhere on their website, which leads me to believe this is either a discontinued item or something you can only stumble upon in a drugstore. I can't even find it on Beauty Box 5's website. That doesn't exactly please me, as I'm of the opinion that BB5 should provide it's customers with products that they will definitely be able to find again, otherwise what's the point of sending me something I may fall in love with? The packaging of this lip liner is a little dated and tacky, though to be honest I think that may just be Bonne Bell's packaging in general. I definitely think their logo could use a face lift, and there's nothing about this product that would make me jump to grab it off a shelf upon first inspection. 

Moving forward however, I definitely loved this lip liner. I'm a bit old school with my lip tools, and I can't stand the type of lip liners that you twist out of a plastic tube. I much prefer to sharpen my lip pencils, because what I've noticed is that the free standing liners that you twist crumble much easier due to the fact that there's nothing supporting the actual liner. I also loved the color of this liner as it is an awesome natural blush that I feel will blend well with almost any color of lipstick, as well as look good on anybody's lips. 

The application of this lip liner is nice and even, and I used this to create my black-to-begonia ombre lips that are pictured earlier in this post. Here's an image of the lip liner alone. 

A nice solid line that clearly defines the shape of my lips. I feel confident that this liner could be used to achieve a lot of different looks, and I personally love any product that proves itself to be versatile. At $3.95 a stick, I would happily purchase more shades of this product line, however I'm going to probably have to comb through different drugstores before I can find it. Something that seriously bothers me. All in all I was really happy with the product itself, and I give Bonne Bell a 7/10. This is a product that I believe deserves better marketing, and I won't hesitate to try another shade of their lip liner.

Blum Naturals: All Purpose Cleansing Wipes (Retail $2.49) 

If you hadn't figured it out based on my Avocado Face Mask post, I love things that are natural and organic, and I really do believe that a lot of the chemicals found in cleansers and make up products can be detrimentally harmful to your skin. It's for that reason that I was really happy to see BB5 sent me a sample of these organic face wipes. Blum Naturals boasts that their wipes are hypoallergenic, paraben-free, and never tested on animals. Kudos to you Blum Naturals. 

I loved the packaging for these wipes, the cute little keychain-like container is extremely convenient and snaps right onto the inside of a zipper in my purse so I know exactly where these babies are at any time. The wipes that I was sent are citrus scented, which was perfect because only my boyfriend realizes how much I prefer citrus to just about anything else. They did a really good job of removing my makeup, but the texture of the (what I'm assuming is) cotton based wipes isn't the best I've seen. They aren't very thick at all and even though it's only $2.49 for a container of 30 wipes, I'll go through them quickly because it took me four wipes to clean my entire face. 

I do love having them in my purse though, especially with the three year old running around making messes all over herself. They're safe on babies and don't irritate the skin, so she's just as unbothered as I am. All in all I would love to try another product from Blum Naturals, and I will use these wipes until they're gone, but I can't see myself ordering more of them. There are similar makeup removing wipes that I can find at the drugstore, which come in a much higher count, are sturdier, and some of them are even cheaper than these. They're a great product, but not an amazing product, and there isn't anything super memorable about them. I give these wipes a 6/10.

BH Cosmetics: California Collection Eye Shadow Palette (Full Size $18.95)

I loved seeing this little sample of eye shadows, because I'm a big fan of color and any palette that impresses me almost always ends up on my bathroom counter. The California Collection as far as I can tell is actually three different palettes, all with 16 eye shadows and 4 face powders. The sample seems to be the namesake shadow for each of these three palettes: Hollywood, San Francisco, and Malibu. It was interesting to me that each of these three colors worked so well together in this three shadow mini palette that I was sent as a sample. I love the packaging, it's fun and beachy and perfect for coming into summer. Makes me excited for palm trees and the pineapple juice that will inevitably be mixed into my coconut flavored vodka every time I'm poolside this summer. I'm also really excited to see that if you buy these palettes from BH Cosmetic's website, they're on sale at the moment for $8.95. Not sure how long that will last for, but I will most likely be purchasing at least one of the three.

Love these colors together

The colors are awesome and vibrant, but the shadow itself is nowhere near as pigmented as I like my shadow to be. I'm a big fan of Urban Decay eye shadow palettes, and as such I'm used to touching an eye shadow and my entire fingertip being fully covered. These eye shadows from BH are definitely more subtle than I like, and it takes either lot of build up to get the colors to be as bold as they seem to be intended, or eyeshadow primer is an absolute must. A great product for those that like more subdued color, and definitely worth the low price, especially since you get so many different shades and the added bonus of face powders for the low price of $18.95. I will definitely be taking advantage of the current sale on BH's website, but I don't think I would be purchasing otherwise. I give this palette a 6/10 without eyeshadow primer. 

All in all, I'm really happy with my Beauty Box 5 subscription thus far. In comparison to Birchbox, I love that I got so many full sized products, but I definitely appreciate that Birchbox sends higher end products. I feel as if Birchbox does more of what it intended, letting me sample great products without forking out a large amount of money for something I may not like. However, Beauty Box 5 sends lots of great things, that are worth the $12 I spend each month, and since the products are more affordable, I probably will end up purchasing more from the brands that I discover through BB5. It's really a toss up. I can't at this moment say which I prefer between the two, because they truly are two very different subscriptions for being so similar. Not to mention the fact that I firmly believe that if you can't pick between two items, it's always better to have both. What can I say? I'm addicted.

Xoxo Kayla

Avocado Facial Mask

 

Here's to avocados! While the most important factors of having good skin are making sure to keep it clean, moisturized and staying hydrated, I can't help but to pamper my skin regularly. Here is an awesome home made facial mask that I whipped up. 

1 Avocado

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup honey 

2 tbsp coconut oil 

Mix everything together in a blender, I used my rocket blender that I mix my protein shakes in, make sure to get this to a nice creamy consistency and then put it in the fridge for about 20 minutes to let it thicken. Apply generously to your face, wait 30 minutes, then wash off with warm water. It's completely edible and tastes great! 

I'm planning on doing this every other night for a week and posting before and after photos.

The avocado nourishes your skin naturally, it's packed with vitamins B and E as well as amino acids. It can help reduce redness, puffiness, and dry and itchy skin. 

Honey is an awesome ingredient for your homemade masks. Honey is used to slow down the aging process, suck impurities out of your pores, naturally hydrate your skin, and reduce irritation. Honey has many antibacterial properties which help to fight acne and reduce the appearance of pimples. The antioxidants produced in honey can also help to heal facial scars, age spots, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. 

Lemon juice not only aids in the reduction of your pores, but also reduces dark spots, and helps to brighten your skin tone, evening your complexion. 

Yogurt has tons of antibacterial properties as well, which makes it another awesome cleansing factor in this recipe. It degermanizes your pores, giving your skin a deep clean. The lactic acid in yogurt soothes irritation, reducing puffiness and acne. Finally the probiotics (live cultures- let's not forget yogurt is a bacteria) in yogurt are a powerful, natural home remedy for basic skin infections and diseases. It can even help eczema. 

The last component of my mask- coconut oil, has endless uses. It hydrates, cleanses, and smells great. You can honestly just use coconut oil alone in place of your daily cleanser and see great results, or use it on the soft skin around your eyes to moisturize naturally without heavy creams or eye gels. 

I left my mask on for 30 minutes and the effect after one mask was extremely noticable. My pores are visibly smaller, my skin is super soft, and Matthew won't stop kissing my face. Sounds like a win win to me. 

Xoxo Kayla

Kayla's March Birchbox Review

I was super excited when I saw that my first Birchbox subscription had come in the mail today. I absolutely could not wait to rip open that pink box and dive into my goodies. First thing I did when I got home from the mail box was pull out the kitchen scissors. First, I will say that I'm really happy with the way that Birchbox provided me with the USPS tracking number so that I would know exactly when my Birchbox had arrived. Being that I live in an apartment complex, I have a love hate relationship with walking to the mailbox to receive my subscription boxes. I love the excitement of new presents in the mail, but I hate when I think there's something there just to find I walked to the office for nothing. Plus one point for Birchbox.

I'd also like to mention that I personally love the packaging. I love the simple design, and the box that my samples arrived in is sturdy enough to survive shipping, and then still be useful at home as knick knack storage. The cute simple design makes me feel confident that Birchbox puts my $10 a month towards providing me with awesome new beauty products to try rather than fancy advertisement and packaging, yet the presentation is still clean cut and attractive. 

Now on the the products!

I was really excited to see that Birchbox seems to take the seasons into account when choosing products for me to try. My skin doesn't always lock in moisture the way that I would like, and coming out of winter I'm definitely in need of some awesome chap-repair and skin healing products. Birchbox seems to have read my mind in that regard. 

Air Repair: Rescue Balm (Full Size $12)

The first sample I pulled out of my box is an all purpose skin salve from a company called Air Repair. I've never heard of them before, but I'm always game for something new, otherwise I wouldn't be a Birchbox subscriber. The packaging on this sample is severely lacking and not at all something that would catch my eye in a supply store, I can confidently say that if the full sized version is as aesthetically displeasing as the sample version, then I never would have stopped to even try this. 

Being that it's an all purpose product, and I'm like a kid on Christmas morning when it comes to new things to try, I tested this one on my cuticles. I wash my hands a LOT in my line of work and as such, my hands and cuticles are hard to keep soft and healthy. I love the way this product smells, it reminds me a lot of my favorite scent from LUSH which is called Karma. I'm big on spice and citrus when it comes to scents, but this is an extremely strong scent and while I'm a fan, I know there are a lot of people who don't appreciate how overpowering scents like this can be. 

As far as repair power goes- my cuticles looked instantly healthier once applied, but this is the type of product that I think takes a few days of use to REALLY see the benefits of it. I'll probably be taking a before and after image of my cuticles for comparison, and we'll see how they look and feel a week from now. My only issue with this is that the sample is so small that I might not get to truly experience the full potential of this product. I will say that a small amount seems to be going quite a long way though. 

The only complaint that I have with this product is that it is definitely greasy in comparison to products that I tend to favor. I definitely made sure to wipe my fingers off on a paper towel after applying this product as I'm not sure how it would affect my clothing if I were to spill some on myself.

All in all, I do like this product, and at $12 for a full sized bottle it is far from outrageous. Personally I give this salve a 7/10 with a chance to impress me further when I see what a week of use looks like.

Supergoop!: City Sunscreen Serum (Full Size $20-$42)

With an SPF of 30, this is a powerful little skin protectant, which is something everyone needs coming into the summer months. Lightweight enough to use in place of moisturizer underneath my foundation, and it has a water based lotion kind of texture that soaked right into my skin making it feel smooth and well moisturized. 

The packaging is neat and simple, with an attractive logo, but very basic and would not stand out in a line of moisturizers. The anti-aging benefits are probably the most exciting thing about this product. Another from this months Birchbox that requires extended use to form a thorough opinion. 

I like this product a lot. In fact, it seems to be almost exactly like the moisturizer I already use- but I can't see myself ever purchasing this product. At $42 for a 1.7 oz bottle, this product seems to be ridiculously over priced, especially when I have an extremely comparable product sitting on my bathroom counter, that came to me at $24 for a 3 oz bottle. As much as I like this product, I've got to give it a 5/10. The product I experienced is great and something I would use, but it's not worth the cost.

theBalm: How 'Bout Them Apples? Cheek & Lip Cream (Full Size $32)

I absolutely adore the cute packaging on this little sample. It's whimsical, attractive, and perfect for entering into spring. It flips open like a little book to reveal a sneak peek of all six colors in this product, as well as a good sized sample of one stain. My sample is in "Pie" and it's a super cute apple red. 

Not to mention, what lady doesn't want to look at that view every time she goes to touch up her face? My favorite thing about the presentation of this product is that the little flip book has a magnetic close that will keep this from opening in my makeup bag. 

As a stain, I loved the way this product worked on my lips, it's a nice natural looking stain that gave me some color and also felt nice and moisturizing on my chapped lips.

Even better, was the effect this product had on my cheeks, an excellent lightweight stain with a healthy looking natural blush. I was expecting it to feel a lot more greasy than it did, but it sank right into the apples of my cheeks and even made my skin feel velvety smooth. At $32 for the entire palette featuring 6 different shades? I can't wait to get my hands on this one. A 9/10 and a round of applause for theBalm.

Skinfix: Body Repair Balm (Full Size $18.50)

At .28 oz this product is the biggest sample that I received in my Birchbox, and I'm always impressed by a company that let's the product sell itself, therefore I appreciate that I'll get a good bit of use out of this sample. 

It has a light almost clinical scent to it that I wasn't a huge fan of when I first breathed it in, but it's subtle enough to where it isn't anything that will actually bother me or be noticed. I used this product on my elbows and it instantly improved the look and feel of them. So far- it really does seem to be a skin fix, and it boasts that it's a repair balm for eczema, which makes me believe it's heavy duty enough to be my favorite of the three skin care products I received by the end of a week trial. 

I was amused to find that my boyfriend Matthew wanted to try this one out. He's the GM of a well known auto-service store and his hands stay dry and dirty with all that brake dust flying around. He didn't like the texture at all and quickly retreated back to his man cave after trying this on his knuckles (probably for fear that I try and do his makeup next) but his only comment was that it was too greasy for his liking. This is something I'm going to have to disagree on. It rubbed right into the skin around my elbows and though there is definitely a light greasy feel to it, I've experienced much worse.

All in all, this is another that I'm going to have to sample for a bit before making a final judgement. At $18.50 for a full sized jar, it's easily on of the more affordable of this months products, and so far gets an 8/10 from me.

I'm really happy with Birchbox thus far. Clean packaging and thoughtful samples for some good products at just the right time of year. I look forward to next months finds and I'm ecstatic to have written this review over a cup of Mighty Leaf tea that was sent with my beauty product samples. Birchbox- it's like you know me. 

A pretty cheek stain in natural light. My favorite product from this months box goes to theBalm.  

xoxo Kayla

Product Review: Helen of Troy Hot Tools (Tapered 1 1/4 inch Curling Wand)

Recently I purchased a new curling wand from Sally's Beauty Supply. Up until now I've always used my flat iron to curl my hair, and can I just say- I think my life has changed. I don't have much to compare this wand to, but so far I absolutely love it. I love it so much in fact that it has replaced my flat iron on my top ten list. 

Mine is a limited edition, and I've looked as hard as possible to find the exact model online, but unfortunately I couldn't find it. However, aside from the fact that the one I purchased has a pink and purple plaid designed handle- this model seems to be exactly the same. It comes with a heat resistant glove, but I'm all for danger so I ignored it, however I absolutely love the extra long cool tip, I did burn myself once, but I'm blaming that on my less-than-graceful fingers, not the tool. 

I'm still experimenting with my wand, but for somebody with SUPER thick hair, I was extremely pleased with the results I got the first time I used it. This wand created nice tight curls that, with a little bit of hair spray to finish them off, lasted me not only an entire day, but through the night and into a cute curly pony tail that held through my entire night at work on day number 2. 

I'm really happy with this purchase, I got mine on sale, probably because they were clearing out the limited editions, so I only paid $20 at Sally's, but it's well worth the $39.99 that it's listed for on Sally's website. Definitely something I would recommend to a friend, and I'm looking forward to trying out some other styling tools from the same company.

xoxo Kayla

Blogging for Beauty

What happens when two best friends share a common appreciation for any and all things makeup? Lots and lots of makeovers. Especially when one of them is an Independent Beauty Consultant and the other is gainfully employed by an extremely well known beauty supply store. Workplace aside though- our friendship has always been painted pretty with the different products and beauty tools that we've shared with each other over the years, and we're always stumbling across something new to share with the other. 

We've both developed our own styles and preferences as we've gotten older, but the one thing that always holds true, is that there's no time like girl time, and while we don't think either of us can claim the title of professional beauty guru- we've logged enough makeup hours between the two of us to make Helen of Troy's stylist bend at the knees and admit defeat. 

The idea behind this blog has been building for years, and between the men in our lives making jokes about the sheer amount of beauty products residing on and in our bathroom counters, and the dreadful need for a good excuse to feed our shopping addictions- it just makes sense to start recording our finds to share with the rest of the world. Product reviews in abundance are the one thing we can definitely agree on posting here, but as this blog matures I'm foreseeing plenty of how-to videos, as well as some good old fashioned girly gossip and advice. Who knows? Maybe we'll help somebody find a new favorite product, or even help somebody out there feel more beautiful. No matter where this goes though, we're going to enjoy doing it, makeup and friendship is a recipe for success after all. 

xoxo Kayla & Paula.