April Ipsy Glam Bag - Pretty in Pink

Hey all - sorry for the absence! I just started a new job and my current commute is a total b*tch! Hopefully things will improve in a few weeks as I'm planning on relocating shortly. On the plus side, since I've received a significant raise, I can buy more stuff! Haha, not sure if that's good or bad.

Anyway, my April Ipsy Glam Bag arrived in the mail today! This month has a "Pretty in Pink" theme and lucky me because pink is my favorite color. I'm not a huge fan of the bag which is pretty meh and sure to get dirty quickly. But here's what was inside...

be a bombshell blush in beach please - I've been on a bit of a hot pink blusher kick with recent purchases including NYX Pinky, NYX cream blush in Hot Pink and thebalm instain blusher in Lace. I love the name and the formula seems pretty decent.

MICA Beauty Shimmer Powder in 72 Earth - I'm not normally a fan of loose powders and pigments as they are more trouble than they're worth. However, this color is gorgeous and I think I'm going to be reaching for this a lot in the upcoming weeks. It's a fairly sheer light pink with heavy shimmer. This is going to look great with some smudgy brown liner.

Sation Nail Lacquer in Of Corset I'll Call You - Okay, looks like this company is following in OPI's footsteps of punny polish names. This bubblegum pink shade is an ipsy exclusive. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks very appropriate for spring and summer.

Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Nourishing Styling Treatment - According to the bottle, you can use this on damp hair to speed up blow drying time or on dry hair as a frizz reducing styling product. It also contains argan oil.

So that's this month's bag! I'm a little on the fence about continuing my membership. On one hand, I feel like $10 a month is a good value for a few little treats, but on the other, I have SO MUCH STUFF that I don't know what to do with it all. I guess I'll mull it over a few weeks and decide whether to cancel or not. How do you feel about beauty boxes?

March Glossybox - Spring Fling

Another month, another Glossybox. I have to admit, these beauty boxes have been kind of underwhelming for me recently. Maybe it's time I took a break or quit completely? I mean, I spend about $30/month on my two boxes (Glossybox and Ipsy) which is money that could be well used for something else. Well we'll see. This month I received the following:

Elite Models Liner in Matt Brown (full size $15) - I'm kind of glad to have a matte brown liner. When I swatched this on my hand I was impressed with the staying power, but it's not faring as well on my oilier eyelids. Also the nib is kind of weird, not really a brush, not really a felt tip, it's more like a stick!

Koh Gen Do Cosmetics Oriental Plants Emollient Cream (full size $123) - I love expensive face creams, who doesn't?? I haven't tried this yet, but it's a decent sized sample at nearly 1/4 of the full size!

ModelCo Cheek + Lip Tint in Rosy Red(full size $24) - I was hoping this would be the hot pink color of the tube, but it is cherry red just like Benetint or theBalm one or the Body Shop one. It kind of grosses me out when I first squeeze it out of the tube because it looks like blood. I generally like these, but how do you apply them without getting your fingers all red?? Also this one smells like candy!

Prestiche Essential Oil Bar Soap in Lemongrass (full size $16.99) - I like the way this smells and I'm sure I'll use it. The company also included a $40 gift voucher, which I thought was generous until I checked out their website and realized most of their products cost more than that! That's a little pricey for body products.

Sebastian Professional Shaper Fierce (full size $17) - I'm trying to use more hairspray, but I just don't! I have literally 20 million bottles of mini hairsprays now. Thanks beauty boxes.

That's it for March. Yeah, I'm trying to figure out what to do about this whole beauty box thing. What do you guys think? Which boxes do you subscribe to?

March Ipsy Glam Bag - The Great Escape

Woohoo, my March Ipsy bag is here! I couldn't resist so I sneaked a few peeks online so I can't really say I'm surprised by the contents. I was really looking forward to this month's bag (the actual pouch!) because I love nautical things, but unfortunately, it feels cheap and the quality is a little shoddy. Oh well, it's what's on the inside that counts right?

Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist - I haven't had a ton of luck with Juice Beauty products, but I do love a good hydrating mist. I already gave my face a spritz with this and whoa the spray was powerful! My face got pretty wet, so be sure to hold the spray an arms length away lol.

LA Fresh Travel Lite Makeup Remover Wipes - I actually got a couple of individually wrapped LA Fresh wipes before from a hotel, but I can't remember which one. There are 8 wipes in this little pack which makes it great for travel.

Yaby Eye Shadows in Seashell and Azalea Petal - I'm not very familiar with Yaby (okay, I've never heard of them), but these eyeshadows are so cute and tiny, dime size or smaller! They don't appear to be super pigmented, but I'm sure I will get use out of Seashell at the very least.

GlamRX  Palette - I wasn't really sure what to call this thing, but I guess palette is appropriate! It's like a Z Palette - one of those magnetized dealies where you can put your "de-potted" items. I think this is super cool and I like that it has a mirror. I've never de-potted anything, but maybe I will now!

That's all for this months bag. I don't feel like anything was super EXCITING, but I'm happy with everything I received. The thing with these monthly subscriptions is that it makes me aware of how quickly the year goes by, which is unrelated, but still kind of depressing. Does anyone else feel that way??

February Glossybox - International Style

This month's Glossybox has a theme of International Style. I remember seeing this theme for a past UK Glossybox and reading mostly lukewarm reviews on the box. Will the US version fare better?

Bvlgari Eau Parfumee Au The Blanc soap (full size $30) - This little soap made me think of the ones you get at hotels - all wrapped up in paper. I've never used perfumed soap before, but this smells quite nice. I guess the fragrance is a bit much to use as hand soap, but I'll be happy to take this into the shower with me.

Da Vinci Cosmetics Shimmer Powder (full size $15) - I'm not really a loose pigment user because I find they are messy and difficult to use. The card says it can be used for a subtle glow under eyebrows or on cheeks, but I'm guessing people got different colors because mine is a brownish, purplish, bluish duochrome. Yeah, not so appropriate under eyebrows or on cheeks!

Evologie eSystem Duo Pack Intensive Blemish Serum and Stay Clear Cream (full size $15) - This product confuses me because it looks like 5ml is the full size, except that it is so small! The blemish serum is supposed to be a spot treatment while the cream is more like a moisturizer.

Lisi Color Glaze Lip Gloss in 4 Square (full size $7) - Just a regular old lipgloss. The color I received is a burgundy wine which looks ok, but isn't really my type of color. The weird thing is that the wand picks up very little product so you have to keep re-dipping.

Nail Rock Nail Wraps (full size $8) - I actually like my design which is a metallic gold and black Union Jack. I think it would be cute to use one as an accent and paint the rest of your nails black. I've only done nail wraps once and it was pretty easy to use.

Okay, I'm just going to stay it - overall, this box kind of sucks. I probably won't use the lip gloss or the shimmer powder and the other items were just sort of meh. I also don't feel like a lot of the brands in this months box were "high end." OH and the other really annoying thing - the card doesn't say which country the products are from! I mean, Bvlgari is obviously Italy and the shimmer powder says it is "one of America's best kept beauty secrets" (really?? America is not "International"), but the other three don't say anything. Disappointing, maybe Glossybox should stay away from this theme!

At Last... February Ipsy Glam Bag

I feel like I've been waiting to receive this FOREVER. It looks like people have been receiving their bags starting nearly 2 weeks ago. Bloggers were saying that they never received their bags so early in the month before and their bags came before the tracking number did. I also did not yet receive a tracking number, but figures that mine would be so late! It also figures that mine would come the day after I sent Ipsy an email asking for a status update :-/ C'est la vie.

I just realized that Ipsy doesn't include a product listing card with descriptions and prices. Weird, seems like that would be essential. Anyway, here's what was in my bag:

Lash Card - I'm looking forward to using these because I suck at putting mascara on and it gets everywhere. Yeah, I hate having short lashes. I hope these come in handy, although you could obviously use an index or plastic card instead of buying Lash Cards. The shadows are really pigmented, but a little too soft and powdery. Not really sure if I would wear these colors too.

Pop Beauty Smoky Lash Kapow!!! Mascara - I don't think I will need to buy mascara for a long time because I have so many samples! In any case, I will be happy to give this a try when its turn comes up.

Mica Beauty Cosmetics - This looks like a gel liner. I wonder if this is full size or a sample? The jar is quite large, but the well inside seems kind of small. I like gel liner, so I'm sure this will be useful.

Pixi Flawless and Poreless Primer - I've heard a lot of great things about Pixi, but I've never tried any of their products. Primer is another thing I keep getting loads of samples of (not a bad thing!) so I will never have to buy! The color of this one looks nude, like Benefit's Porefessional, but becomes clear as you rub it in. It feel quite light and not as silicone-y.

Coastal Scents In the Spotlight Eye Shadow Sample Set - I've never heard of Coastal Scents, sounds like it should be a fragrance company. Looks like they have inexpensive crazy huge palettes with a billion colors.

I think this is a pretty good bag! Well, not the bag itself, which is a shiny black patent with red interior that makes me think of a dominatrix. So far I've been pleased with Ipsy and I look forward to March!

January Glossybox - Man Repeller Edition

At last it has finally arrived! Glossybox - you really need to get your act together. It is February 5th and my January box just arrived. With this box we also have our first special edition Glossybox - a collaboration with Leandra Medine aka the Man Repeller. If you haven't seen her blog, I highly recommend checking it out!

The box this month is silver with a Man Repeller sticker overlay. As you can see, it was a bit messily packed compared to previous boxes, but I'm not complaining. Now on to the good stuff...

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara (full size $25) - I'm not a huge mascara wearer - my eyelashes are so puny that I've just given up and am beyond help. But I do like mini mascaras because I can never use a full size and they're handy for keeping in your purse. I'll see how I get on with this one.

Fresh Umbrian Clay Mattifying Serum (full size $35) - I love fresh, so I'm always happy to get anything from this brand. I've also been feeling a bit oily in the t-zone recently so this is perfect. I think I'm pretty set on my mattifying products since I just received another full size mattifier in my last box!

Le Metier de Beaute Replenishing Daily Solution (full size $225) - Yes you read that correctly, I did not accidently hit the "2" key twice. It is two hundred twenty five freakin dollars! This had better turn me into Gisele at that price.

Narciso Rodriguez Eau de Toilette Spray (full size $77) - Musky and quite sexy. Not really what I would call my go to fragrance, but it's nice.

OPI Liquid Sand Nail Lacquer in "Cant Let Go" (full size $9) - I really wanted pretty much any other color because I don't like purple! But I just did my nails and it looks pretty cool. You get a matte glittery, sandy, textured nail. It reminds me of these J Crew glitter loafers that I own. In my past experience with the OPI matte line, they seem to chip pretty quickly.

Sebastian Professional Potion 9 (full size $19) - This is a styling cream that is supposed to restore moisture, rejuvenate and add flexible hold to both wet or dry hair. I'm pretty sure I bought this in the past but the packaging was different. The smell and color look really familiar!

tarte glamazon pur performance 12-hour lipstick in fierce (full size $26) - I'm so glad I received this because I love tarte! Fierce is a well, very fierce true red. I don't think I will get a ton of use out of this because, well, it is just so RED! I love the way it looks, but I just feel like LIPS!!! I also really like the wood packaging although it is a bit bulky.

That's it! Wow that was a lot of stuff. This was an awesome box and I can't wait to test things out further!

January Ipsy Glam Bag

My first Ipsy bag has arrived! If you're not familiar, MyGlam Bag rebranded as an Ipsy Glam Bag late last year and I had been hearing raves ever since. I was subscribed to MyGlam Bag about a year ago, but quit after a few months because their products were a little meh and there were quite a few brands I've never heard of. Now, trust me, I love discovering new brands, but these just seemed a little too "sourced in China" if you know what I mean. The subscription is only $10/month and each month you get a makeup bag, rather than a box. I'm sort of drowning in both makeup bags and boxes so we'll see how that works out. On to the contents!

SOHO Concealer Brush - I think it's really difficult to make people happy with a brush because people are just so picky about them. Personally, I'm not that picky so I think this is just fine. Last year, MyGlam rather infamously sent out brushes over the course of a couple months and people went nuts bashing them. So all I can say is, this SOHO brush is a big improvement.

nailtini Nail Lacquer in Frappe - I'm happy I received this color (the other was a true red) because I've been looking for some neutral polishes. It's actually surprisingly hard to find opaque neutrals. I'm not sure if this one is that opaque though. I'll give it a go after I take my dogs for a walk.

Josie Maran Argan Oil - I already have the full size of this, but I'm glad I got a mini - the cap on my big bottle is a little wonky and I'm afraid it will leak if I take it anywhere. You can use this on your face, body, hair, anywhere! I use this on my face as a night moisturizer and I really like it. I think the full size bottle is $48, but since you only use a couple drops at a time, it will last forever.

Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play Volumizing Hairspray - I'm starting to get quite a stash of mini hairsprays as I NEVER use them!! The only time I use hairspray is after I curl it to hold the curl longer.  How else do you use hairspray? Why do you use hairspray?

Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter - I love orange, so this scent is right up my alley. The perfect size tube for keeping at your desk or by your bed. Ever since it's been really cold in LA (by "really cold in LA" I mean, 60's) and we've had the heat on, I've been going through body creams like a mad woman.

Finally, we have offers from all of the featured brands, which is bloody genius! I don't know why other subscription services don't do this. I guess Sample Society kind of did with their $15 off coupons. I think offering a discount with the sample is the best way to generate a full size purchase, which in the end is what I'm sure they're hoping for.

Oh and I forgot to mention the actual bag. It's rather unassuming this month - just navy nylon. The inside is super adorbs though with a stitched in ipsy tag and white stars and dots on a blue background. I have to say, I'm very happy with Ipsy and can't wait for next month!

December Glossybox Part Deux??

Okay, so this is really weird. I opened my front door and there was ANOTHER Glossybox on my doorstep! What?? It's waaay too early for the January box, considering I just got my December box about a week ago. I opened it up and it was another December box. I checked my credit card and I was only charged once, so I guess I should just say thank you? Some of the items were different and here they are.

OC 8 Professional Mattifying Gel (full size $30) - At first I thought this had a really weird smell, like incense, but now that I smell it more, it seems more like a faint Bengay scent that disappears pretty quickly. This is supposed to be used after moisturizer, but before makeup. I quite like these for days when you don't want to powder.

Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Heat Protect Spray (full size $23) - I was a little disappointed by this because I thought this was a dry shampoo. It's basically a heat protectant hair spray and I rarely use heat or hairspray!

ModelCo. Lip Duo (full size $39) - Now I'm pretty sure I was sent this box by mistake because I actually received this product in the past. I like it, but I will probably just give this one to someone else.

JewelMint ($29.99) - And finally, another JewelMint piece. This time it's like a little jar on a chain. It's cute, but again, I feel like I could get something similar for $5 at Forever 21.

Thanks for the bonus box Glossybox!

December Glossybox

This is a bit overdue, but hey, better late than never, right? I was a bit disappointed with the packaging of December's Glossybox because I was hoping it would be red or something rather than just holiday tissue and a red ribbon. Apparently January is a special silver Man Repeller edition, which I am totally looking forward to. Let's take a looksie at what was in my box.

Denise Richards Volume Extend by Christophe Finishing Spray (full size $20) - Okay, Denise Richards?? Barf. Why would anyone want to collaborate with her? I'm not sure how much use I will get out of this since I rarely use hair spray. Maybe I should start?

Heartland Fragrance Co Bath Salts (full size $10) - I also don't really take baths that often because I hate just sitting there getting hot. I meant to take this to Vegas to use in the ginormous Wynn tubs, but I forgot. I received the white tea scent which smells really nice.

mark. Lipclick Luxe Lipstick in m.powerment petal (full size $12) - I really like the pink packaging the magnetic closure which closes with a satisfying click. The color is also a nice berry pink, but I found the formula quite drying.

Please Please by Issey Miyake (full size $92) - I'm not sure what the notes are in this, but it smells very floral. I haven't heard much about Pleats Please recently, so I'm glad they're still around.

Wella Velvet Amplifier (full size $16) - This tiny packet is a styling primer. Not quite sure what to do with it, but does hair really need to be primed for more products??

Zoya Nail Lacquer (full size $8) - I received Electra which is a clear base packed full of tiny silver bar glitters. I wore this on the tips over a navy blue polish and it looked very festive!

JewelMint Ring ($29.99) - JewelMint is like the jewelry version of Glossybox. Basically you pay $29.99/month and receive a piece of jewelry each month. I'm not that into jewelry so I think $29.99 is a bit much to spend every month. I like the ring I received, but I would never pay $30 for it - it seems more like a $5 Forever 21 piece to me.

And that's all! This was another just okay box for me. I'm looking forward to January though!

December Sample Society

I'm going to call this month's box, the box of small samples in large boxes (see 3rd picture). On another note, what do you guys think about my new comforter/quilt? It was a Black Friday purchase from Anthropologie. The white blanket I usually photograph on is actually primarily used by my dog. I'm sure if you look closely, you will see tons of hair on there! LOL. Oh yeah, back to the box...

Vapour Organic Beauty Elixir Lip Gloss (full size $20) - I received color #302, Sulty. It's a pretty nudey pink and the gloss is quite nice and not sticky. It does however, have a slight scent that reminds me of the toy/play lipsticks that I used to have as a child. I don't know how to describe it, kind of plasticy and a little fruity?

Hanskin Premium Perfect Super Magic BB Cream SPF30 PA++ (full size $33) - I mentioned before that I've kind of given up on asian BB creams because they are just too light. This one isn't too bad, but it is just bordering on too light. It's fairly thick and offers good coverage. I gave this one to my Grandma. There was also a tiny sample packet of another version of BB cream.

Murad Age Reform Time Release Retinol Concentrate (full size $65) - Another one that I gave to my Grandma. I've seen the L'Oreal and Garnier versions of this product where you fill in your lines with product and hope they plump up. I don't really have any wrinkles and while I totally believe in using products as a preventative measure, this one seemed better suited for use on actual wrinkles.

Philosophy Living Grace Shampoo, Bath & Shower Gel (full size $22) - I have a couple of these Philosophy 3 in 1 shower gels, but this is my first time with the Living Grace scent. It smells feminine and soapy. I always save these shower gel minis for when I travel, but in reality, I never bring my own shower gel to hotels! Do you?

Delaney Wellness Rejuvenating Eye Cream (full size $135) - I'm all for trying out new eye creams and while this one says it is suitable for day or night, there is a noticeable shimmer (see 4th photo, rightmost swatch) which makes me think it would be better for illuminating under eyes during the day. I'm pretty excited to give this one a go.

December's Sample Society box is going to be the last one for me. I loved this service at first, but over the past 3 months, I've been really disappointed with the samples.  I'm going to be getting the Ipsy bag starting in January. I was subscribed to MyGlam Bag previously, but cancelled after a few lousy months. I'm hoping with the rebranding things will be better and I really like what I've seen in other people's boxes.

November Glossybox

Another month, another Glossybox! I was hoping to get a Christmas themed Glossybox, but maybe that's coming next month? In any case, I have to admit that this was the most disappointing Glossybox to date. Oh well, I guess every month can't be amazing! Here's what was in my box:

Illamasqua Lip & Eye Medium Pencil in Devotion (full size $20) - Devotion is a very unique mint green color. I doubt I will EVER wear this on my lips, but it looks quite cool as an eyeliner. My problem isn't so much with the color, but with the dryness of the pencil. I'm used to really soft, creamy pencils like the Urban Decay 24/7 ones, but this one is tough to work with - I really have to press hard and drag to get good color payoff.

Lierac Gommage Sensoriel (full size $30) - This is a scrub, which I'm guessing is for the body because the granules are quite large and the tube says "body hydration." It has a really heavy perfumey scent, that isn't unpleasant, but kind of unexpected. I can never say no to a good scrubbing!

NuMe Style Arganics by NuMe Argan Oil (full size $59) - I put a few drops of this on my hand and I was surprised by how viscous it was. I use the Josie Maran argan oil and it is a lot more liquidy. I can see myself using this on my hair, but I'm a little skeptical of using this on my face. I also noticed that other people received a $100 gift certificate, but I didn't get one!

Perfumies Solid Perfume Stick (full size $7) - I'm chalking this one up to getting the wrong scent. I received Honeybunch, which to be smelled like a mix of cookies and incense. I really hate sugary, cookie, baked scents so I really couldn't stand this. I checked out their website though and there are a bunch of different scents and I quite like the idea of a solid perfume stick. Just make sure not to mix it up with your lip balm!

Skin&Co Roma Truffle Serum: Hydra-Toning Day Face Serum (full size $36) - I'm always up for trying new serums and this one claims to slow down the signs of aging with truffles! It doesn't really smell like truffles, which I guess is a good thing since they sort of smell like musty dirt lol.

Yeah, this months box was disappointing, but Glossybox is still my fave. I hope we get a holiday box in December!

November Sample Society

Huzzah my November Sample Society box finally arrived! I guess that hurricane Sandy really held things up didn't it? Well, the good thing is that the box arrived. The bad thing is that it wasn't all that. Here's my loot:

L'Occitane Shea Hand Cream (full size $28) - I'm pretty happy about this one because I had been intending to purchase one anyway, but the sample is so small! I was hoping they were going to send the 1 oz size (which is like $10), but instead it is only 0.3 oz. It also doesn't smell as good as I imagined, it just smells like any old lotion. Oh well, at least it is purse friendly.

Alterna Bamboo Smooth Kendi Dry Oil Mist (full size $24) - I'll be honest, the first thing I thought when I saw this was "ANOTHER Alterna Bamboo product??" Seriously, now I have the UV spray, smoothing spray, salt spray and this. However, I used this last night and I quite liked it! The mist is so so so super fine that initially I didn't think anything was coming out. But it left my hair super soft and manageable.

Diego Dalla Palma Lipstick (full size $34) - The color I received is #29 which is a medium pink. It doesn't look too bad in the swatch photo, but it is a little too blue based for my skin tone/tastes. I've learned that I really need to be careful with my pinks because if it is too blue, I feel like I look very 80's or like Barbie. The texture is nice and creamy though.

Diptyque Volutes Eau de Toilette (full size $120) - I've always wanted to try Diptyque fragrances, particularly their candles, but after receiving two in Sample Society boxes, I have NOT been impressed.  Again, I'm going to chalk this up to just receiving scents that are not my style. I think Volutes would smell amazing on a man, but for me it is too musky and manly. The website describes it as "voyage of your dreams...redolent of adventure and spice...volute and tobacco." Yeah, not exactly my taste.

Dermalogica Precleanse Oil (full size $35) - Another one that I wasn't that excited about. I mean, do I really need to PREcleanse?? But I'll give it a shot because I'm using a cleansing oil right now that just doesn't wash off very well, so I'm curious to see if this is any better.

So that's my November Sample Society. I really hope the next box is better because the last two months have been pretty disappointing!

October Birchbox

Good Lord, how you frustrate me, Birchbox!! Now, imagine me yelling that into the Grand Canyon as Sheldon Cooper as the Flash would do.

For the first time ever, I watched a Birchbox preview video and they were talking about all these amazing brands that would be featured like Chantecaille and Eyeko and Goop, so of course I was really excited. They did mention that there was a Goop box and a "Transformations" box, so considering my horrible Birchbox luck, it figures that I received the "other" box. I guess in the end it didn't really make that much of a difference because even the Goop box recipients seemed pretty disappointed. Well, this was the last straw with Birchbox and I have cancelled the service (again). I've been really happy with Glossybox and Sample Society AND I have a glut of samples at the moment, so it won't be a big loss to lose Birchbox. Here's what I received this month...

Harvey Prince Eau Flirt (full size $55-98) - This fragrance claims to have been "clinically proven to attract men with its wickedly irresistible fragrance." Hmm interesting, I can't really say I've had men throwing themselves at me, but it does smell nice enough. The website says it has "warm, tempting notes of pumpkin pie and lavender," but I'm getting more of clean, crisp and a little fruity vibe. Oh well (or eau well?), I am awful at describing fragrances.

Mox Botanicals Pomegranate & Fig Lip Butter (full size $16) - This was alright, makes my lips smooth and has a nice scent, but nothing I'm blown away by. I also literally have a million lip balms to get through, so I wasn't that excited to get another one.

Supergoop City Sunscreen Serum (full size $20-42) - More packets of sunscreen. Woo hoo. Not. Okay, in all honesty, I really do like SPF moisturizers so I will give this a go, but I'm not thrilled about the packet aspect.

theBalm Cosmetics Mary-Lou Manizer (full size $24) - This one I was actually excited about. I've been looking for a new highlighter and Mary-Lou Manizer was on my list. It is a shimmery, golden champagne color and although you can look a little too glow-y if applied with a heavy hand, it really blends very well. What is your favorite highlighter? I'm trying to decide between Mary-Lou Manizer, MAC Soft & Gentle and Dior Amber Diamonds. Suggestions?

Luna Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter (full size 15 bars for $14.99) - I've had Luna bars before, mostly as samples I pick up from races and other events. They don't taste amazing (like for example, a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup), but they are admittedly a lot better than most (ahem, Powerbar). I think Luna bars have too many calories though - 190 for this little thing is pretty steep. My favorite protein/snack/health bars are still the Kind Bars which are delicious and made with a very good and short ingredient list.

So that's all for Birchbox. I'm a little sad to see them go, but they really need to make some improvements. I think they should charge a little more like they do for their men's box and include better items. That's my two cents anyway!

October Glossybox

After my disappointing Birchbox and Sample Society, I am having a total love affair with Glossybox. Like I said, it costs a little more ($23 something in CA, including tax), but you really get mostly deluxe to full size products from amazing brands.

I just realized that while cleaning up this morning, I seem to have thrown away the product info card so I'm going to have to wing it and do some googling to figure out the descriptions and prices! I think the theme of the month was something like a home spa day, but if it was up to me, I would have called it the month of amazing smelling products. Yeah, that doesn't sound as nice, but whateves. Here we go...

Alterna Bamboo Luminous Shine Mist (full size $22) - I always enjoy a good shine spray and this should come in handy since a sleek look is in for fall. I'm not super familiar with the Alterna brand although I have received quite a few samples of their products through beauty boxes and shops. What are your favorite Alterna products?

Carol's Daughter Almond Cookie Shea Souffle (full size $13.50) - OMG holy deliciousness! I love love love the way this smells! I love it so much that I already placed an order for the spa set which includes a shower gel, scrub, oil and another souffle. The smell kind of reminds me of the L'Occitane almond line - a little nutty, marzipan-y, and sweet. I'm not usually one for sweet/cookie type scents, but this one blew me away. The texture is reminiscent of a body butter, but as the name suggests, it is a lighter more whipped consistency.  I have so many shower products waiting to be used, but I can't think of any more appropriate for the holidays than this one.

Heartland Fragrance Co. Exfoliating Loofa Soap (full size $8) - This is an interesting product in that there is a piece of loofa inside of a glycerin soap. I'm always looking for scrubs and exfoliating products, so this will definitely be useful. I received the Secret Garden scent which smells more fruity than floral to me, but delicious none the less.

Nastassja Skin Enzyme Facial Peel (full size $40) - Another product that smell amazing - very citrusy and fresh. You just need to put a thin layer on your face and neck, let it sit for 2-3 minutes, then massage in circular motions. Dead skin is supposed to start pilling off. This is perfect because I just used up the last of my REN Glycolactic Renewal Mask so I needed a new exfoliating product.

Model Co. Lipstick/Gloss duo (full size $39) - I'm not entirely sure if this is an actual product because I can't find it on their website. I think the full size price just reflects the cost of a lipstick plus the cost of a lipgloss. In any case, $39 is pretty steep even if you are getting two products. I've never had a lipstick before that smells so good! It smells like gummy candies or something. I like that the color is a very wearable pinky brown with a peachy nude gloss. However, I will say that lipstick/gloss is really big and somewhat unwieldy when applying the lipstick side. There is also a built in mirror on the side, but it sort of defeats the purpose because you can't really use the mirror and the lipstick at the same time if that makes any sense.

Overall, another great Glossybox. I can't wait for my next one!

October Sample Society

I have to admit, I think this is the most disappointing Sample Society box I have received thus far. All of the samples are really small and there aren't any cosmetic items! Boo :( Here's what I received...

Jane Iredale Tantasia Self Tanner (full size $36) - Is it just me or does the name totally make you think of Fangtasia from True Blood?? I'm not a big fan of self tanners as I'm generally pretty naturally tan year round. Plus this sample is so small, I'm not really sure if it will cover both my legs. It's safe for use on face, but I'm kind of afraid of ending up with an orange mug.

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment (full size $85) - This is the item that I'm most excited to try. I love exfoliators, although I doubt I will ever shell out $85 for one! It must be quite strong since it says to use only once or twice a week.

Aromachology Clean & Fresh Eau de Parfum (full size $100) - Again, not a huge fan of perfume samples, but this one is pretty cute and has a cap. It smells alright, but kinda soap-y. I guess it would be good for after getting out of the shower.

Oscar Blandi Pronto Wet Hair Care Conditioner (full size $28) - I think I saw on a few blogs that this is meant for use after the dry shampoo. They must have misread the bottle because it clearly says to use after the Pronto Wet Instant Volume Shampoo. I wish they would have sent the matching shampoo because I like my hair products to match like that.

Erno Laszlo Phormula 3-9 Repair Balm (full size $245) - First of all, wtf does "phormula" mean?? And second $245?! WOW! I tried a bit on my hand and it is very thick and balm like. I'm sure it will be great for cold, dry winters, but yeah, I don't think I can spend that much on a moisturizer.

Herban Essentials Lavender Towelette - This was just a freebie hand sanitizing wipe. I'll probably keep this in my purse, but I always forget to use them and they end up dried up :P

That's it! This box was disappointing, but I'm usually very happy with my Sample Society boxes. I hope next month improves!

September Glossybox

I am so so so so soooo excited about the September Glossybox! Glossybox is my favorite beauty box and even though it is the most expensive, I also feel that you really get your moneys worth. It is $21/month, but in California you have to pay sales tax, so it comes out to just over $23. It is still WELL worth it and I am psyched to share with you what I received:

GKHair Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner (full size $20) - These were the items that I was the most "meh" about. I pretty unfussy about my shampoo and conditioner, probably because my hair is generally quite well behaved and I've never really been wowed by a shampoo. These smell quite nice though so I'm sure they will be good for travel.

Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water (full size $13) - I am so happy that I received this! I started snooping online at other people's boxes and noticed that someone received this, but most others got some kind of mattifier. Well, I really wanted to try a cleansing water like Bioderma, but couldn't bring myself to buy one until I used up my current eye makeup remover. Now I got one for free!! (well sorta, you know).

Kryolan for Glossybox Moisture Rich Lipstick in Glossy Pink (full size $14) - Pretty nice lipstick in a rosy pink shade. I don't think this is a color I would have picked for myself, but it'll work.

Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42 (full size $29.99) - I actually almost purchased this, but then I remembered that I had given up on Asian BB creams. Most of them are just too darn light for my skin color and give me a bad case of the ghost face. However, the Missha BB cream comes in 5 shades and the shade I received, 31 Golden Beige, is the darkest. I saw that some people received shade 21, which would have been waaay too light for me so I was hoping and praying that I would get 31! I guess I just got lucky because Glossybox doesn't ask about your skin tone.

Anyway, a lot of stuff to be excited about! I might do a more in depth review after giving some of these products a go. I was also really happy because on the tracking info it originally said that the box would be arriving Oct 3-4 which really annoyed me. I don't really understand their shipping system and it annoys me to no end when I see that it takes over a week to get to LA from Las Vegas!

September Sample Society

Sample Society is a(nother) monthly beauty box brought to you by BeautyBar.com and Allure magazine. It costs $15/month and promises 5 deluxe samples in every box. You also get a $15 off $50 purchase coupon to BeautyBar.com as long as a product from one of the featured brands is included in the order.

Honestly, Sample Society is one of my favorite boxes and I really feel like there are great products in every box! Last month's box had a full size Deborah Lippman nail polish! Let's see what's in store (or in box, rather) this month...

CellCeuticals Extremely Gentle Skin Cleanser - I'm not really familiar with this brand, but I'm always happy to try new cleansers. This one is a bit runny in texture, but it is also free of fragrances, parabens, and sodium lauryl sulfate.

Ahava Time to Clear Purifying Mud Mask - I'm a big fan of Ahava products, particularly their Dermud Foot Cream which is sooo ridiculously thick. I've been really into masks recently, so I'm excited to give this a go. Also, you only have to leave this one on for 2 minutes (!!), so it'll be interesting to see what kind of results you get.

Diptyque Tam Dao Eau de Toilette - I don't usually like perfume samples, but hey this is Diptyque! Would I have rather received a candle? Uh TOTALLY, but it's ok. I'm horrible at describing fragrances, but the Diptyque website says sandalwood, Orient, Asian jungle blah blah. This perfume is too strong for me and I'm not a fan of Oriental scents. Weird, considering I'm Japanese (ha ha). I spritzed some on myself and had a coughing fit. I think this might smell good on guys...

Borghese Lip Gloss in Fiore - This is a "my lips but better" color on me and goes on without being too shiny or sticky. There's a bit of a flavor/fragrance going on and it was so familiar to me, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. At first I thought maybe it was a little coconutty like sunscreen, but I just realized that it smells like Jergens lotion! You know, that cherry, almond smell?

Stila Smudge Crayon in Smoke - I love this color! I guess it would be best described taupe? It's a very nice natural alternative to black and dark brown and I think it looks awesome on my lower lash line for a subtle smokey eye. I would buy the full size, but I kind of have a huge stash of eyeliners...

That's it! Can't wait to see what next month brings :)