Birchbox Review: June

Posted in Beauty by C.

Birchbox June Products Individual

A few weeks ago, Birchbox users got an email cheerfully announcing some branding changes that included a new website design and logo.

Personally, I’m all for wanting to change things up, to keep things relevant and fresh; but I was seemingly in the majority of people who were less than thrilled with the re-design. Birchbox’s aim to present a more “sophisticated” branding lost much of the playful femininity that made Birchbox fun.

I suspect part of the now more gender neutral approach in branding is to appeal to the masculine and gain more subscriptions for Birchbox Men. I’m sure they’re paying all the right market researchers and top advertising companies to help streamline this new way of presenting their brand, and while they should trust these agencies over a humble gal from LA with an opinion; somehow in the long run I just don’t think many men will buy into the brand and it’s core goals the way women ultimately do. Perhaps there’s more to come that might change my mind or prove me dead wrong, but typically men don’t buy into the beauty business the way us ladies do.

Here’s how June’s samples shaped up…

{1.} Davines Love Smoothing Shampoo – I was surprised by how much I liked this shampoo (and later the conditioner and hair oil). It has a wonderful scent and my hair instantly felt moisturized and soft as I worked the product into my wet hair. This shampoo’s claim to fame is that it helps tame frizziness. I can’t tell if it’s because of the shampoo or the fact that I caved and bought a CHI flat-iron recently (or both combined) – but it’s been a good hair week and I can’t complain. I’m not saying I was convinced enough to purchase this expensive shampoo, but I am saying I didn’t hate it.

{2.} LAQA & Co. Fat Lip Pencil – In theory, I like what LAQA & Co is doing with this lip pencil. The color is long-lasting and vibrant and you won’t ever have to bother with a pencil sharpener. These are all pluses in my book. However, I found that the color I was given was extremely bright and went on as a matte finish. I’ve been experimenting with a bright pink lip lately thanks to this sample, and found that the best way to get any use out of this product was to use it lightly and blot like hell. It works well when I mix it with a new lip butter I bought from Revlon so I can play with the texture and the adjust the color more to my liking, but at $16 and the extra work I have to do to tailor it to my skin tone – this is a pass.

{3.} Color Club Wanderlust Collection in London Calling – This is part of what makes Birchbox fun! I likely wouldn’t have ever gambled with a lime/mint green-esque nail polish. It’s a welcomed change of pace.

{4.} Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser – I think this is, by far, my favorite product EVER in all of my now 5 Birchbox experiences! I am in LOVE with Suki’s Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser. This delicious lemon fragrant scrub comes out of the jar with the consistency of a serious sugar scrub, but once mixed with water turns into a gentle foaming cleanser. When researching more about this product, I was ecstatic to learn that it’s also filled with organic ingredients, it’s synthetic free, and alpha hydroxy acids within the raw sugar are what make this product a must-have powerhouse. Caution: this should only be used once a day max. I typically use it in the morning to take in the wonderful scent (read: to wake my ass up) and prep my freshly exfoliated skin for an even smoother makeup application.

{5.} Davines Love Smoothing Conditioner – At the risk of sounding redundant, this conditioner is a wonderful compliment to the shampoo. It gave my hair moisture and softness. Enough said.

{6.} Davines OI/OIL Absolute Beautifying Potion – Davines lightweight and fantastically scented hair oil was great during those times when my hair needed a quick burst of moisture. An added benefit was a nice sheen that instantly took my tresses from dull to glam. As with the rest of the Davines’ line, it’s expensive and this deters me from buying full-sized products at this time. I’d be curious to see if my good hair week was in fact attributed to Davines’ line. I’m going back to my tried and true Aussie brand products with my new CHI to find out.

Happy Primping!

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30May2013

Birchbox Review: May

Posted in Beauty by C.

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May’s Birchbox arrived during a particularly chaotic week, so it was a welcome moment to myself to open the small cardboard box with the pink embossed logo that I have come to know and love. The one word that comes to mind with many of this month’s selections is “fragrant.” As I experimented with each sample, I was delighted at how wonderfully fragrant each product was in addition to their purpose. Here’s how May shaped up…

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1. Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle – I’m a huge leave-in conditioner user and I’ve used the same brand for years. This product was great at detangling wet hair and I’m sure it helped protect against my blow drying and heat usage when testing the sample. It did what it was designed to do, but not in any special way for me personally that left a lasting impression. I’m happy with what I use in this area and at $22 full-sized, I wouldn’t trade my tried and true Infusium 23 for this. At best, this convenient sample-sized detangler will be a great thing take along when I travel.

2. amika Obliphica Nourishing Mask – Since I am African-American, conditioning is a MUST to help hydrate my naturally dry strands. I typically deep condition once a week leaving the product in my hair for at least an hour. amika’s nourishing mask was a welcome change to my normal routine. When reading up about the product, I wanted to know more about “Obliphica.” Essentially, this oil from buckthorn berries is filled with lots of natural vitamins that penetrate the hair follicle repairing it from the inside out. After using the sample, right away I was extremely into the smell of my hair. While I can’t say my hair looked shiny as promoted (this came more from the hair treatment oil noted below) the results were good. Great news for those that are sticklers about ingredients? This mask is free of parabens and sulfates.

3. amika Obliphica Hair Treatment – This hair oil is simply divine smelling. While it can be applied on wet hair, I opted to use it after blow drying and just before flat ironing since it not only contains shine properties, but protects against heat styling. The texture of the product is smooth and light and great at not weighing the hair the down. What was particularly cool is that amika encourages you to mix the oil into other styling products, increasing its versatility and allowing its amazing hydration factor to carry on. Note: you don’t need much, I learned this the hard way!

4. Isaac Mizrahi FABULOUS Eau de Parfum – Of all the perfume samples I’ve received from Birchbox, hands down this is my favorite. At first spritz it is strong, but once the perfume settles into the skin, the fragrance is fun and flirty. Peony, citrus, mandarin, nectarine, musk, sandalwood, vanilla, and tuberose are just a few of the notes found in this long-lasting scent. Simply put, as Isaac Mizrahi did, it’s “FABULOUS” and will be added to my collection.

5. COOLA Classic SPF 30 Cucumber Moisturizer – Again, the first thing I noticed was the light fragrant cucumber smell as I applied Coola’s Classic SPF Moisturizer. The formula is extremely lightweight and refreshing as it easily melts into the skin. I am a big fan of its use of organic ingredients (about 70%) and how soft and hydrated my skin looked. This is a great moisturizer if you’re in the market for something new, but it is pricey.

6. Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner – I don’t wear eyeliner everyday but when I do, it’s typically brown or black. My first time experimenting with gray came from Sumita and I have to say, I liked it…a lot. The pencil glides on smooth and I found I liked using it most when lining just the bottom lid. It gave my eyes a slight pop without the extra drama that comes when lining the entire eye. My only complaint is that it’s extremely difficult to get a thin line with this pencil, it goes on pretty heavily, likely due to the fact that it is a soft wax and constantly needs to be sharpened to get a pointy tip. While not bad in comparison to other brands, this did smear slightly – something that I am trying to avoid with all eye make-up in general. At best, Sumita has gotten me to think about working with gray eyeliner more.

If you’re a Birchboxer, I’d love to hear your thoughts on your May goodies! Please drop me a line in the comments section.

11Apr2013

To Prime or Not To Prime

Posted in Beauty by C.

I’ve had a change of heart, girls. And it involves the use of a base primer before applying your make-up for the day. I always thought of primers as not very necessary if you use foundation and other beauty products that are already designed (though admittedly oftentimes fail) to have a “long-lasting” effect. If you recall, I reviewed Lancôme’s La Base Pro Primer in my first Birchbox two months ago and didn’t think much of it, not because I didn’t like it; but thought it was just another expensive something that I could live without. That’s until…

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…this last week or so. I’ve been grabbing the La Base Pro Primer every morning to finish up the Birchbox sample, and realized not long after that when I really looked at my make-up toward the end of a busy day; my cheeks still had a subtle glow from the cream blush application I’d applied that morning, and most noticeably, my concealer was still managing to hang in there. My biggest beauty complaint is how flawless my eye make-up looks when it’s first done, but by 3:00pm, dark circle central returns under my eyes and my mascara and eyeliner seem to smear no matter what I do!

Even better, I’m noticing that my skin isn’t as oily by the end of the day. The primer glides on in an oil-free manner creating a matte texture on my skin providing the perfect canvas before adding my favorite MAC concealer and Estee Lauder foundation. At $42.00 a bottle, it is an expense, but one that I’m willing to overlook since a bottle should ideally last you for months.

So sincere apologies girls, I spoke way too hastily on this one. Lancôme’s La Base Pro Primer IS worth the hype!

You can take a look inside my make-up bag by reading about my favorite products here.

Happy Primping! xx

{Here’s a great how-to video to get the most out of your make-up primer.}

8Feb2013

Highlights

Posted in Accessories, Explore, Fashion, Film, Fun, Handbags by C.

Hello Friday! Very happy to see you. It’s been a week of exploring, trying something new on the blog-front, and a bit of splurging. I finally joined the legions of gals who’ve been raving about the Birchbox and treated myself to a new handbag I’ve been eyeing for weeks. Details below. I’ll be anxiously stalking FedEx.com tracking where my new goodies are in the world until they hit my doorstep. So excited!

Here are this week’s happy highlights. Have a beautiful weekend…

EXPLORE| chemosphere

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On a dreary Saturday afternoon we headed up to the Chemosphere house to see the L.A. landmark perched in the Hollywood Hills. I first saw this unique octagonal home in Brian De Palma’s Body Double (1984) and was struck by how unusual and cool the architecture was and wanted to see it for myself.

FASHION| superbowl sunday

Sporting 49ers jerseys to a Superbowl Party for added festiveness. Since they lost, I’ll just leave it at that.

BEAUTY| birchbox

I’ve heard several girlfriends rave about the Birchbox and this week I joined in. For a $10 subscription fee and after completing a short profile, each month you’ll receive the best in beauty and lifestyle in sample size right at your front door to try out a range of new products. If you love your sample, you can head to the Birchbox Shop to purchase a full size version of your fav new product. The best part? Each box is customized to you. I’m excited to see what comes in a few short weeks. If you’re interested, check out the video above and register to join their wait list. It took me about 3 weeks to receive an invitation. Looking forward to my monthly surprise and exploring new products! I’ll keep you posted.

BAG| urban expressions

My handbag splurge from Urban Expressions, this Sinclair Woven Hobo. I went with the cognac color. It’s perfect for all seasons and looks oh so chic on the shoulder.