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My May Birchbox

Melanie — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:48:16 +0000

I’ll be honest…not my favorite Birchbox (especially since I’ve been loving them recently).

Here’s what I got:

May 2013 Birchbox

Cargo Water Resistant Blush in ‘Bali’ This was probably the one redeeming product in this box. I really love this blush! The color is a super pretty “doll” pink and applies really nicely. The pigmentation is very strong, so only a little bit is needed. I’m not really sure about the waterproof claim because I haven’t really payed attention to it, but it does seem like it would last for awhile because of the texture.
COOLA Classic SPF 30 Cucumber Moisturizer for Face I don’t really like receiving moisturizers, so I haven’t tried this yet. Fortunately, its SPF 30 which is what I use on a daily basis, so I could see this coming in handy for travel.
Marvis Toothpaste Toothpaste?? Okay. I mean…I’ll definitely try this and it will be great for travel as well, but I’d really have preferred something different.
Miss Jessie’s® Original Jelly Soft Curls Okay, I LOVE Miss Jessie’s and use Quick Curls regularly (which I discovered through Birchbox), but this is the 3rd Miss Jessie’s product I’ve received from them in a fairly short time period so I’m not too thrilled. I’ll definitely try this, but I’d be more excited about it if it were at least in a tube and not in the foil packets which are difficult to use. I could also get these exact packets for free off Miss Jessie’s website, so I don’t feel like they are a “deluxe” sample.
Pilot Corporation of America Acroball PureWhite® (in purple) This pen was actually my second favorite product in the box, oddly enough! The color I got is purple…and I was totally surprised to find out it actually wrote in purple (as opposed to just a purple pen that wrote in black/blue). It writes really nicely as well, unlike a lot of pens that are funky colors. I’d love to try the pink one!

How were your Birchboxes? Did you make out better than I did?

Lilly Brush Review – Save Your Sweaters!

Melanie — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:06:43 +0000

I first found out about the Lilly Brush through Kristin’s blog, Meet Me on the Bright Side! I saw that she sampled it through iFabbo, so since I’m a member as well I was able to try out this brush too. I’ve been looking around for something like this because I have so much clothing that seems to have fuzzies and piling all over the place (sweaters, pants, etc).

The Lilly Brush in graphite gray.

While trying to figure out what piece of clothing I’d try the brush out on for this review, I realized the leggings I was wearing (from intiMint) would be the perfect candidate. After washing them a number of times, they’ve begun to start piling and loosing their softness. Enter the Lily brush!

Before using the Lilly Brush

After using the Lilly Brush

As you can see, BIG difference from before and after using the Lily Brush. It does take a little bit of time (and a little bit of arm work…but its good exercise!) to get all the piling off, but it does indeed work! While its meant for sweaters, I’ve actually used it on all kinds of things, including a little rug that I have which never seems to get clean with a vacuum (hairs just stick to it constantly). The Lilly brush was able to remove them so that it looks nice and clean. Kristin’s blog that I linked above actually has a great before and after of a sweater, if you’d like to see how it works on sweaters.

The Lilly Brush is also pretty inexpensive ($12.95) and comes in the grey (shown above) as well as bright red. I also love the fact that it has a little case/top…perfect for travel. Check out the Lilly Brush website for more information and to pick one up for yourself!

* Product provided by Lilly Brush, reviews and opinions are my own

April Favorites

Melanie — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:10:01 +0000

Time for April Favorites! I actually have quite a few favorites this month since I’ve been shopping a great deal more (and I also forgot to do a March Favorites last month).

Here’s what I’ve been loving!…

April Favorites by marshmelly featuring urban decay

Urban decay
$30 - debenhams.com

Korres lip care
$12 - asos.com

Tocca body moisturizer
nordstrom.com

2% BHA Liquid – AHA & BHA Exfoliants: Paula’s Choice Skincare &…
paulaschoice.com

What products have you guys been loving this month?

Birchbox Home: From the Garden

Melanie — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:47:22 +0000

Hello all! I received an email a couple weeks ago from Birchbox advertising their new limited edition Birchbox Home: From the Garden Box. I loved their previous Birchbox Home box (review here) that I placed an order pretty much instantly! Unfortunately the box is now sold out, but you can still buy the full size products separately.

Sarabeth’s Legendary Spreadable Fruit: I received two mini jars of this spreadable fruit in “Peach Apricot” and “Strawberry Raspberry”. I’m honestly not a huge preserves/jam person, but I did try out the Peach Apricot and it was pretty good. The jars are quite small though…I would say one would last for maybe a 2-3 slices of toast, but maybe I just put on too much =p
Gift Republic Grow Me: Mini Herb and Vegetable Growing Kits: This was one of the main reasons I decided to pick up this box! I tried growing basil last year, and although I ended up with some it wasn’t too successful. I used this little kit over the weekend and its currently sitting on my window. Its verrrry small but should still hopefully work. I wish the instructions were a little more detailed though for those of us with black thumbs haha.
BAGGU® Market Shopping Bag: Living in the city without a car, I’m always using these little reusable bags! They especially come in handy for grocery shopping. The design I got kinda looks like its from a 90′s sitcom, but it still gets the job done. lol
Birchbox Shopping List: This is a cute shopping list and I love that it has lines, unlike post notepads I have. I really wish it came with magnets so I could put it on the fridge though. I might buy some and add it to the back.
Core Bamboo Radish Print Utility Knife: This is an adorable little knife! (I never though I’d use “adorable” and “knife” in the same sentence but there ya go). I used it to peel some ginger the other day, and it was very easy because of the small size and sharpness of the knife.
TOCCA Crema da Mano Luxe: This cream was a huge surprise, because I was expecting a tiny little sample size hand cream. Instead, this cream is FULL size and the packaging is so gorgeous! The scent I received was “Cleopatra” (grapefruit & cucumber), which is light and refreshing. The cream itself works well enough. Its not super moisturizing, but it gets the job done.
LAFCO Little Luxuries Candle Tin: The scent I got was “Mint”, which is awesome since I’m totally on a mint kick. The tin is really pretty and has that apothecary look to it. It has a little indentation on the top, which happens to fit the matches that also came in the box perfectly (guessing its supposed to). I don’t use matches, though…always seem to light one then freak out that my fingers are going to burn off so I blow it out. haha. The scent fills small areas very nicely but isn’t too overpowering.
L’OCCITANE La Collection de Grasse: I love the scent I got (“Jasmine & Bergamote”) since I’m a huge jasmine fan and most of my perfumes include jasmine. However, I’m super disappointed that this isn’t a spray top, especially since its huge a large sample size. *sigh*

I hope they keep releasing these limited edition Home boxes because I’m loving them!

Sephora Birthday Haul

Melanie — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:59:53 +0000

Stopped in at Sephora a couple days ago to use their Beauty Insiders 15% off coupon (if you have the same coupon, you can use it through 4/21!) as well as pick up my birthday sample set. I also happened to have a $25 gift card to use so I picked up a couple full size items:

Urban Decay Brightening & Tightening Primer Potion I haven’t used a primer regularly for awhile. The last one I used was by Revlon which I loved but I couldn’t stand the bottle design which made it difficult to use. I did some research on Beautypedia, and this primer came up as one of the best options. I’ve used it for a couple days now and I’m hoping it doesn’t break me out like other primers do (it doesn’t have an overly silicone feel to it). Will review it when I’ve used it a little longer!
Korres Lip Butter in “Pomegranate”: LOVE!! I’ve reviewed Korres’ lip butter in “Quince” before so you know I love these lip butters! “Quince” was a tad too red for me for everyday use, but the “Pomegranate” is perfect! Its that “your lips but better” color that I always try to find but can never get quite right (either the color is to dark or I don’t like the formula). It also doesn’t have an overly glossy finish. The only downside to these lip butters is having to dip your finger in the container, but that won’t stop me from picking up more. I’m glad to finally have an alternative to the Fresh Sugar lip treatment in “Rose” which is twice the price.
Benefit Cosmetics “They’re Real” Mascara: This is a pretty hyped mascara, and with good reason. The bristles are very long and sturdy, so they really do a great job of separating your lashes as well as lengthening without having to work for it or apply a ton of coats. I still stick to drugstore mascaras because of the price and how often they need to be replaced, but if you were to go high end I would totally pick up a full size of this!
Benefit Cosmetics “Watt’s Up?” Highlighter: I’ve been dying to try this highlighter so I’m glad that it was part of the sample set! I haven’t had time to use it yet, but the little swatch I did on my hand is nice…a little more sparkly than I would like but I haven’t tried it on my face yet so we shall see.

Sephora always has the best birthday sample sets…last year was the Fresh Sugar lip treatment minis which I love, and this year is my favorite brand, Benefit. Hopefully the trend will continue! =p

China Glaze – “Unplugged”

Melanie — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:56:19 +0000

Sorry about the lack of posting lately…I’ve been going through some things in my life and haven’t really been focused on posting here. BUT I should have a couple new posts for you this week (stay tuned for an April Birchbox post)

Shoutout to my friend Cara for getting me this awesome polish color as a birthday gift!

Seriously love this color so much. Its a bronze with a little bit of sparkle. Its dark but still perfect for the office! I think its also the first China Glaze polish I have. I’m pretty impressed with the formula because it was basically opaque after one coat. Just added another one on out of habit =p

Paula’s Choice Moisture Boost Moisturizers

Melanie — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 01:58:35 +0000

Back with another Paula’s Choice review! This is actually going to be on two different moisturizers, but they are both part of the same “Moisture Boost” line. I was previously using CeraVe, which I love, but I wanted to try some of the moisturizers from Paula’s Choice since I’m a huge fan of her toners and exfoliants.

Moisture Boost Hydrating Treatment Cream
This is my PM moisturizer and I’ve been using this the longest out of the two (a couple months now). My favorite part of it is the texture. Its so silky and easy to blend. And you only need a little bit of it. While its nice and moisturizing, I haven’t broken out at all from it. I feel like its just the right amount of moisture. It contains antioxidants and is labeled as being great for those with sensitive skin and eczema. I wouldn’t suggest it if you have really oily skin, since its more formulated for normal/dry skin. My skin is combination and I haven’t had any problem with it, though! Only downside I can think of is that the tube seems quite small (which is true for both of these moisturizers unfortunately).

Moisture Boost Daily Restoring Complex SPF 30
I’ve only been using this AM moisturizer for a couple days, but so far I’m loving it! The texture of it is a bit thicker than the nighttime moisturizer and it goes on a little white due to the SPF, but it blends away very nicely. Wish it were just a tad bit thinner in texture, but as long as I dot it around evenly before blending I don’t have a problem. This moisturizer has also helped considerably in reducing some of the dry patches I can sometimes get with foundation. I love that it has a strong SPF of 30.

Like I mentioned previously, the only real downsides to both of these are the size of the tubes (2 oz I believe), but I actually like that they don’t have a pump because I feel like I won’t waste any of the product. I’d highly recommend the Moisture Boost line from Paula’s Choice if you have dry skin or combo skin that leans toward the dry side. Be sure to check out her other lines, too, because she has some great lines for oily/acne-prone skin as well as very dry skin. I’ve just started using her 2% liquid BHA exfoliant and I’m super impressed so far…will use it a bit more before reviewing

Friday’s Fancies: Pastel Pretty

Melanie — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 18:27:14 +0000

This week’s Friday’s Fancies theme is pastel! I’m a sucker for pink and mint

Don’t forget to link up with the Friday Fancies Blog Hop to share your look!

Spring Wishlist

Melanie — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 19:36:04 +0000

Hello all! Thought I’d share my current wishlist since there are a few products on it. Its been awhile since I’ve actually wanted to try some new stuff!

tria laser hair removal system At $450, this is a hefty item to have on my wishlist, but nevertheless its at the top of it. I’ve struggled all my life with unwanted hair, and have considered getting laser hair removal but the cost is always a factor. I’ve been doing some research on this little gadget, which promises to have the same effect as laser hair removal treatments, but at home (I imagine its essentially the same thing). Reviews for it have been really great as well. Still, I’ll probably do a bit more research on it before taking the plunge. Not having to wax again in my life would be so worth it!
Benefit watt’s up? This highlighter has been on my wishlist for awhile. This year’s Sephora birthday gift actually includes a little sample of this so I can’t wait to try it! A lot of the highlighters I’ve tried recently have been very liquidy, but this seems more creamy which I prefer.
Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Petal I LOVE the lip treatments from Fresh, although the price deters me from buying them too often. This color looks so pretty, though, and I would love to try it. Perfect for Spring
Sigma flat top kabuki brush While I usually use my Beauty Blender, I do prefer to use a brush for my foundation when traveling or if I wanted a fuller coverage look. I currently use the Round Top kabuki from Sigma, but have been wanting to try this flat top one!

Any products on your wishlist for Spring?

Birchbox Haul

Melanie — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:39:35 +0000

Eek I have been so MIA this week! Sorry about that!

I placed an order on Sunday from Birchbox, but hadn’t received a notice of it being shipped or anything yet so I figured it was still processing. To my surprise, it was waiting for me when I returned home yesterday! Here’s what I picked up (most are samples that I added for FREE!):

BODUM® BISTRO salt and pepper grinder This is pretty much why I placed an order to begin with. I was out of a pepper grinder (usually buy the disposable ones). I saw this awesome gadget, which is both a salt and pepper grinder! It works really well and the red matches the rest of our kitchen really nicely. Plus, it comes pre-filled with salt and pepper which was a nice surprise.
LA FRESH® Eco Beauty Waterproof Makeup Remover This was moreso to make my order free shipping. I always add a free shipping product, because I’d rather just get another little product than pay almost the same amount for shipping anyway. I was out of makeup remover wipes for travel, so I figured I’d give these a go! I like that they’re individually wrapped so they won’t dry out like other ones. Hopefully they work well!
Miracle Skin Transformer™ Hydroactive Microderm I chose the Sample Pack Duo, which you can get free with any order over $25. Both the samples I got were generous sizes! I tried out this scrub last night and liked it, though its a bit harsher than the Vasanti one I was using. I might limit it to once or twice a week.
TIGI Catwalk Your Highness Root Boost Spray This was the other product in the Sample Pack Duo. Since I have flat, fine hair, I figured this would be a good product to try. Haven’t tried it yet, though!
Benefit BADgal Mascara In addition to the above samples, I was able to apply another code for a free Benefit BadGal sample (with orders over $25)! I have tried this sample in the past, and I think it’ll be great for travel.

All that was only $19.99 since I used $10 off from my Birchbox points!