Influenster Sunkissed VoxBox

I am still trying to figure out how Influenster really works, but basically it's a site where you can post and read reviews of tons of products.  One of the things they do is send out VoxBoxes filled with products to test and review based on how "influential" they think you are in social media and how well your answers to surveys match up to boxes they are sending out. The best part of the boxes is they are completely free.  I got a survey a few months ago to try to qualify for the Sunkissed box.  I qualified and was sent the box at end of June.

Here is what I got:

Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream in Light/Medium- I actually really liked this BB Cream. It smells amazing and it doesn't make my face feel oily. My only problem is it's too light for me right now. It's something I could see myself using in the winter but right now I'm too tan for a light/medium shade. I wish they would make a medium/deep shade because it's something I would purchase if there was one available.

Goody Ouchless Ribbon Elastics- I really don't see the point of these types of hair things. They don't stay securely in my hair and they curl up and get twisted so you can't even see the pretty colors. I will probably only use these in the future to help hold my hair out of my face when I'm doing my makeup and I don't want to get a dent in my hair from a regular hair band.

Sinful Shine Polish in Spitfire- I loved the color of this nail polish and it was really shiny. The quality was about what I expected from Sinful not amazing but not horrible. For only $2.99 I would repurchase this polish in other colors at some point in the future.

Dr. Scholl's for Her High Heel Insoles- I don't really wear heels that often and because I have foot problems so any height of heels are really uncomfortable to wear.  I did try these out in a pair of wedge sandals just to see how they worked.  They are a soft plastic and they made my feet really hot and sticky when I was wearing them.  I do feel like they might have helped make my shoes a little bit more comfortable.

 *I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

Colors of the Rainbow Tag

I saw missglamorazzi and AllThatGlitters21 do this in YouTube videos and thought it was a fun idea. You list the products you love for each color of the rainbow, could be make up, hair products, candles etc. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. Pink and Multi-Color were also been added to the rainbow for this tag.

RED- Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle Leave in Conditioner. It's a leave in conditioner, detangler, and heat protector all in one. Plus it smells amazing.



ORANGE- Clean and Clear Morning Burst Fruit Infusions Purifying Cleanser. I love the fruity smell of this line of cleansers. I'm sad because I heard they are being discontinued.



YELLOW- EOS Lip Balm in Lemon Drop. I love these lip balms and the lemon is my favorite one.



GREEN- Bath & Body Works Coconut Lime Breeze body wash. I love the smell of coconut and lime, it reminds me of summer.



BLUE-Too Faced Shadow Insurance. This is my favorite eye shadow primer. I have other ones but I always pick this one to use.



INDIGO- Maybelline The Rocket Mascara. I just bought this to try it out and it is an instant favorite.



VIOLET- L'oreal nail polish in Royalty Reinvented. I love L'oreal nail polish, it dries really quickly and goes on smooth.  I fell in love with this color in an itsjudytime video and went out and bought it as soon as I could.   



PINK- True Blue Spa 60 Second Manicure Hand Scrub. I get really dry hands at work and this helps remove dry skin and moisturize at the same time. Last time I was at Bath & Body Works I did not see this.  They have changed some of the products in the true blue spa line, I am really hoping this was not discontinued.




 
I'm tagging my friend Danielle since I think this is a fun one and because she tagged me last time.
MULTI-COLOR- Urban Decay Ammo Palette. I love that this palette has a mix of color and more neutral colors. It would be one I could bring on a trip where I don't want to pack a lot of make up.

Ipsy vs Birchbox-May

What I got in my Ipsy bag: "Spring Fling"

Zoya Nail Polish (0.5oz) It's a full size product which is always really nice.  I received the color Neely which is a minty green color. Since I already have a mint green polish I traded with my friend Danielle who got the color Jacqueline which is a creamy white color.  She wasn't super happy with that color and it was one of the ones I had really wanted the so trade worked out better for both of us.

Pacifica Tahitian Gardenia Roll-On Perfume (.33oz) Another full size product, I really wish I liked the smell of this. I've been wanting a roll-on perfume to keep in my purse. Unfortunately I really do not like floral scents, especially gardenia.

NuMe Finishing Serum (10 ml) You can put this in damp or dry hair and it helps smooth your hair and make it soft and shiny. This is really similar to a product I already use called BioSilk.  I really like this one, it doesn't make my hair feel greasy and I like the way it smells.

Yaby Concealer Refill in Vanilla I was so excited for concealer since I am always trying to find new ones. I have tan/olive skin tone and I got vanilla which is almost white, so obviously this is will not work.  Since I can't use it as concealer I have been using it as an eyeshadow base and it works great for that. So it's not a total loss. I really wish I had received the right color though because I would have loved to try this as a concealer.

Juice Beauty lip gloss in fig (.14 oz) Another full size product! I love the way this lip gloss smells, it is amazing.  I have used it once and it's not sticky and the color is really sheer which I liked.  I think this will be a great color to wear when I just want a little color on my lips.

This months bag is a super cute orange, white, and green chevron print. It's one of my favorite bags so far.


What I got in my Birchbox: "The Beauty Diaries"

Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle Leave in Conditioner  Its a spray conditioner, detangler, and heat protectant.  I love that it is one product that does multiple things it makes it so much easier to use them.  This stuff smells really good, I think it smells like sugar or cotton candy but it's not super strong.

Coola Classic Face SPF 30 Cucumber Moisturizer for Face (.23 oz) It really does smell like cucumber. I have oily skin and have yet to find a sunscreen that doesn't feel too greasy on my face. This one isn't too bad, I couldn't use it daily but if I were going to be outside by the pool or something I could use this.

Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner I'm not really sure how the color contrast part is supposed to work. I got a gorgeous navy blue color which I love. The pencil goes on very smooth and has great staying power.

Folle de Joie eau de parfume I am not a fan of receiving perfume samples because I am really picky and a lot of scents give me headaches. I don't hate this one though. I don't think I would ever purchase the full size of this but I might use up the sample. It reminds me of another perfume but I can't figure out which one.

Pilot Acroball PureWhite Pen You can never have too many pens and mine writes in pink which is one of my favorite colors. This one writes really nicely.

Ipsy vs Birchbox-April

This month Ipsy has a "Pretty in Pink" theme for spring. The bag is white with pink around the zipper and white and pink stripes inside.

What I got in my Ipsy bag-
Be a Bombshell Cosmetics blush in Beach Please(.17oz) It is full size which is awesome. It's a pretty bright pink and a little goes a long way. It's really pigmented and it's a fun spring/summer color. This is the only blush I've been using since I got this bag.
Sation Nail Lacquer in Love at First Byte (.50oz) Another full size product! It is a very sheer peachy pink color. It's not a color I would have picked for myself but I will try it out next time I do my nails.
Mica Beauty Mineral Eyeshadow in Earth (2.0g) This is almost full size a full size eyeshadow is 2.5g. The color is gorgeous it's a pink and gold shimmer. I love it and I'm very excited to try it out.
Big Sexy Hair Powder Play (.07oz) This is a really good size, full size is .53 oz. This is a volumizing and texturizing powder that you use on your roots for lift. I have always wanted to try this and I have loved every other Big Sexy Hair product I've used so I'm sure I will love this one too.
The bag also came with a coupon code to get a discount ticket to the Generation Beauty event at LA Live the first weekend of June.
Overall I am very happy with this months Ipsy bag. It definitely made up for last month.

Now onto Birchbox. This month Birchbox had a "Tiny Tweaks Big Results" theme. They teamed up with Women's Health magazine to create this months boxes.

What I got in my Birchbox-
Orbie Shampoo and Conditioner for Beautiful Color (.23oz each) These came in foil packets but they sent me two of each so that sort of makes up for it. I have not tried them yet because I am still using the Nick Chavez color shampoo I got in last months box.
Skin & Co Roma Sicilian Body Gel (2oz) It's a really good size sample. The scent of this stays on your skin after you wash it off. This would usually be a good thing but this stuff smells horrible. It smells exactly like men's shaving cream. I will not be using this product at all.
Supergoop! Daily Correct SPF 35 CC Cream (3ml) I got this in the light to medium shade and it says it's self adjusting shade. I tried a little on my hand and it doesn't seem too greasy. I will try it out and see how it does on my face.
StriVectin-SD Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles (.25 oz) This is a two week supply which is really nice. I keep meaning to really try this but I am horrible at remembering to use products like this regularly. Hopefully I can get myself to use it twice a day every day to see if it works.
Hail Merry Chocolate Macaroons (2 macaroons) These are raw, vegan, gluten-free, and made with natural non-GMO ingredients. These are also disgusting. I have a friend who also got these in her birchbox and she liked them. I'm just not into the whole vegan gluten-free thing.
Since Birchbox teamed up with Women's Health to create this months box it also came with a card to send in for a free year subscription to the magazine. If you don't want to get the magazine you can mail the card back with the original Birchbox subscription confirmation and they will send you a $9.99 rebate.
Overall I'm not too disappointed with this months box. The only real let downs are the body gel and the macaroons. I honestly wasn't expecting much from the macaroons though.

This months winner-Ipsy.

Spring Tag

I got tagged by my friend Danielle to do this tag a while ago and I'm finally getting around to finishing it.

1. Favorite spring nail polish?
Wet and Wild megalast in I Need a Refresh-Mint. It was my favorite last year and I still love it.

2. What is your must have lip color this spring?
It's my Revlon lip stain and balm in Victorian.

3. Show us your favorite spring dress?
My favorite spring dress is white with a black design along the top and bottom. I also love my yellow strapless dress I bought last year but I need to lose the weight I gained over the winter before I can wear that one again.

4. What's your favorite flower?
In the spring I love tulips. Otherwise I love roses all year especially the lavender ones, but they can be hard to find.

5. Favorite spring scarf/accessory?
My favorite spring scarf is a floral one I got a few months ago because I thought it was really pretty and its light. My favorite accessories are my rose earrings. The teal ones are my favorite but I love them all.

6. What spring trend(s) are you most excited about this year? I'm excited for bright colors. I have so many colors of eye shadow and I'm excited to experiment with them now that winter is over.

7. Favorite spring candle?
I just bought myself a Peach Bellini candle from Bath and Body Works. That is one of my favorite scents from there.

8. Favorite body spray/perfume for spring?
I just bought the Pink Chiffon body spray from Bath and Body Works and I have worn it every day since I got it.

9. What is spring like where you live? This year we had snow on our third day of spring but usually it's rainy but we get random weeks of gorgeous weather.

10. What's your favorite thing about spring?
The weather. Right now we are having a streak of amazing sunny days. I also love when the cherry blossoms bloom at the beginning of spring.

11. Are you a spring cleaner? I want to be but no I am not. I wish I could be more organized but for some reason I just can't seem to make myself do it.

12. Any plans for spring break or an upcoming vacation? I just got back from visiting family in Arizona a few weeks ago. I don't really have any other big trips or anything planned.

Ipsy vs Birchbox-March

This is the third month of receiving the beauty subscription boxes/bags. When I signed up I knew that this was the month I would make my decision on whether to continue my subscriptions or cancel one or both of them.

This month Ipsy's theme is The Great Escape.
What I got in my Ipsy bag-
Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist(1oz) I think this stuff smells so bad I can't even try it on my face. Which is disappointing because this was the item I was most excited about. I dumped out the mist and I'm keeping the bottle for traveling. The only good thing about this in my opinion was that it is a really nice size for being a sample.
Glam Rx Freestyle Mini Palette-This is the only thing in my bag this month I ended up liking. I'm excited to put shadows in this when I travel or to keep in my purse.
Yaby Eyeshadows in Azalea Petal and Seashell-These are both really similar to MAC shadows I already have in Star Violet and Shroom. I hoped they could be good dupes that were travel size, but only one of them was.  The Azalea Petal looks like it would be pigmented but it does not show up at all on me. I might repurpose this color and turn it into nail polish. The Seashell is a really pale with a slight shimmer so it makes a good highlight color. I will use this one.
LA Fresh Makeup Remover Wipes(8 wipes)-They smell like baby wipes which I'm not a fan of, but they remove makeup so they do their job. I will keep these around for back up when I run out of the ones I have, but I would not purchase these.
This is the first month this year where there has been a printed bag. It's a super cute nautical theme and I am obsessed with navy blue right now so I loved it.

This months theme for Birchbox is March Madness.
What I got in my Birchbox-
Whish Shave Crave Shave Cream in Blueberry(.75oz) This smells just like blueberries and it's really creamy. It worked ok, I will keep  this one around for travel.
Nick Chavez Beverly Hills Sulfate Free Color Saver Shampoo (2oz) First thing I noticed was that it smells really good. It got my hair clean but I haven't been using it long enough to really be able to say if it's color saving. I will be using up the rest of this sample.
MAKE Matte Eyeshadow in Burnt Umber (.03oz) It's really pigmented and feels super soft. It is a really dark matte brown so it will also make a great color for eye liner.
MAKE Face Primer SPF 30 (.18oz) Again a really small sample. Since it's a face primer you don't need much so I actually tried it out. Since it has an SPF it ended up feeling really greasy on my skin. I plan on keeping this in my purse in the summer as emergency sunscreen for my face.
Madewell for Birchbox Emery Board-This was the beauty extra this month that came in all the boxes. I can always use a new nail file so I am happy with it.

This month for the first time Birchbox won for me.  I was so excited for my Ipsy bag and it was really disappointing when I actually tried out the products. I have had low expectations for my Birchboxes since I haven't been super impressed so far, but this month made up for the first two.

I have decided to keep my subscription to both boxes for now. I have hope that Birchbox will continue to improve and Ipsy has only been a disappointment this one month so far so I will continue.

Nail Day

Today I'm spending the day with my 12yr old cousin. She is a little bit beauty obsessed so after going through all my makeup and watching me put on mine we decided to do our nails.

For mine I did two coats of Wet n Wild megalast in Through the Grapevine. On my ring finger I did two coats of Sephora by O.P.I in It's Bouquet With Me.

She decided to be a little more adventurous. She picked five colors and painted each nail a different color. Starting from the pinky she did Sinful Colors in Fusion Neon, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Lickety-Split Lime, Wet n Wild megalast in I Need a Refresh-Mint, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Lacey Lilac, and Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Snappy Sorbet.

Ipsy vs Birch Box-Feburary

Since it is awards show season both Birch Box and Ipsy had "red carpet ready" themes this month.

What I got in my Ipsy bag
Coastal Scents eyeshadow quad in Glitz and Glamour (.07 oz) I'm really glad I got this quad the other option was golds and i already have those in my Urban Decay Naked 2 pallet.  They are really pigmented and are really good colors for a smokey eye.
Pixi Flawless and Poreless primer (.5 oz) This isn't bad but it still does not work as well for me as my favorite TooFaced Primed and Poreless primer. 
popbeauty Smoky Lash Kapow!!! in Smoky Black (.17oz) I have so many mascara samples in my makeup drawer so I have not wanted to open this one yet.
Mica Beauty Cosmetics gel eye liner- it didn't come with a brush so I haven't tried it as liner yet. I did experiment with using it as a base for a dark black and grey eye and it smudged easily.
Lash Cards Mascara Shields (it came with 4 cards) These are supposed to help prevent mascara smuding but  I don't really see the point. I feel like it would be more work to try and hold one of these up to your eye while trying to put on mascara. They are also supposed to be single use which seems like a waste of money.  If I ever decided to use them I would definately use them more than once.

What I got in my Birch Box
Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara in Excessive Black (.135 oz) It has an s shaped wand which is different.  It coated all of my lashes really well and it didn't flake. I really liked this one.
Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator (20g) I have used almost this entire tube. So far I really like it. 
jouer matte moisture tint in Hazel (.07oz) Smallest sample EVER. I doubt there is even enough to cover my face so I have yet to try it.
TwistBands Headband in Gray- It's cute and really soft and stretchy. I don't wear headbands often because they never stay on my head but I do really like this one so maybe I will use it.
Ghiradelli Milk and Caramel Squares (one square) This was the Birch Box extra this month. I love these, chocolate and caramel can really never go wrong.
(not pictured with the Birch Box products are the TwistBand because I couldn't find it and the chocolate because I ate it) 

This month they were kind of equal.  I am still  dissapointed with the size of the samples in Birch Box some of them have been so small that I will not get a good enough impression of the product out of just the one use I get from the sample they send.

Travel Beauty Essentials

Right now I am in Arizona visiting family so I figured it's a good time to post about the most important things I had to bring.

Since I was determined to carry my luggage on the plane this was a perfect opportunity to use some of the samples I have laying around.

John Frieda Root Awakening Purify and Nourish Shampoo. Burt's Bees Ginger Citrus Body Wash. Clean and Clear Morning Burst Fruit Infusions purifying face wash. Yes to Cucumbers face wipes. Boscia Oil Free Moisturizer. Got2B Smooth Operator Leave-in Conditioner. Biosilk Silk Therapy. Bath and Body Works Energizing Orange Ginger body lotion. Pantene Hairspray.

Primer- TooFaced Primed and Poreless. Foundation- Cover Girl 3 in 1. Concealer-Rimmel Match Perfection. Powder- Cover Girl Fresh Complexion. Blush-Rimmel Lasting Finish in 030 Berry. Eye Primer-TooFaced Shadow Insurance. Eye Shadow-e.l.f pallet. Mascara- TooFaced LashGasm.  Brushes- Real Techniques stippling brush and blush brush and my Sonia Kashuk travel eye brushes. 

Ipsy vs Birch Box-January

I have been hearing about Birch Box in YouTube beauty videos for a while so I decided to sign up and see what I would get.  I signed up on birchbox.com and had to wait to be invited to subscribe to the monthly boxes.  While I waited I decided I would also sign up for the ipsy glam bag and I could compare the two  for a few months and stay with the one I liked the best.  I received my first shipment from each of them in January. 

What I got in my ipsy bag

Nailtini in Bloody Mary (full size) I'm not the biggest fan of red nail polish but it is a really pretty color.  It chipped pretty fast but I think it will be a really good color on my toes in the summer.
Soho Concealer Brush (full size) I use it for eye shadow and it works betterfor that in my opinion.
Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter (2.5 oz) This stuff is amazing.  It smells so good and its really moisturizing.
Josie Maran Argan Oil (.17 oz) It says it can be used for hair, body, face or as a cuticle oil.  I like it best as a cuticle oil.
Big Sexy Hair Spray and Play Hairspray (1.5 oz) I've used this before and i really like it.  I don't think I've tried and product from Big Sexy Hair that I have not liked.

What I got in my Birch Box

Model Co. Shine Ultra Lip Gloss in Showgirl Red It is a full size product and it comes with a little mirror on the side of the tube which is handy.  It's a really sheer reddish pink not too sticky and it smells really good.
No 4 Clarifying Shampoo (1.75 oz) This was the product I was most excited for when I opened the box.  my first impression was that the shampoo is really thick so it was hard to work through my hair. It smells pretty good but my hair felt kind of weird the next day so not sure how i feel about it yet. I'm going to have to try it again.
Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Perfume ( .05 oz) I don't like it.
Caudalie Vinexpert Radiance Day Cream SPF 15 (.1 oz) I have not tried this yet.  It is for dry skin which I only have in a couple of spots so it is probably not going to be the best product for me.
100% Pure Nourishing Body Cream in green apple (.066 oz) I got two of these tiny little samples.  I have not tried them out yet, but they are such small samples I don't think I will be able to get a very good impression of the product.

This month ipsy is clearly the winner. I will use everything I got in the bag and some of it I would purchase in a full size.  Birch Box had samples of more expensive products that I would not have tried otherwise, but of the five products the lip gloss is the only one I see myself using.