Holika Holika Wine Therapy Sleeping Masks

Today I'm bringing you into the land of sleeping masks! You've all heard how a little wine is good for you, and it has been used previously in facial masks. Holika Holika has taken that and made this sleeping mask.

The interesting purple box is just some more uninteresting cotton pads.

The packaging is made to look like wine barrels.

Red Wine- Contains 10% red wine. Jelly type of texture. If you make a hole in it, the jelly quickly reforms back to a smooth surface. This smells sooo yummy- you just want to eat it. It comes with a clear spatula (not pictured) for those of you who may be germ conscious. It is sticky after applied which makes it less than ideal. When you wash it off the next morning, there is a film like substance that comes off.

White Wine- Contains 10% white wine. Supposed to brighten your skin. Lotion type of texture. Smells even better than the Red Wine. This one doesn't leave as sticky of a residue, and it doesn't feel like anything's coming off when you wash the next morning.

Overall, these are interesting products probably best used as a novelty item. I didn't see any immediate changes from using this product. The main thing is that they smell really delicious.

Check out the Sleeping Packs from Laneige that I've reviewed HERE as well.

Highlighters!: Etude House Golden Ratio #02 Pink & Tony Moly Crystal Light Pink Beam (No.01)

Many of you have probably been highlighting/contouring with your makeup for ages now. I've just begun. We all know of Benefit's famous liquid highlighters, but I wanted to take a look at a couple korean ones.

As you can see, the Etude House one is much much larger than the Tony Moly. It's actually quite huge.

Tony Moly's highlighter comes in a quaint glass bottle. As other bloggers have noted, it does give it a more elegant feel.

Etude House also has another cream highlighter on top. I think someone said this is for the eyes or something.

Comparison: Tony Moly on the top, Etude House in the middle, and Etude House cream on the bottom.

Both have a liquidy texture.

Blended out, the Tony Moly is more visible, the Etude House has a more natural looking effect. The Etude House cream one has the most shimmer though.

I tried this on my face and decided that the Tony Moly was best for highlighting cheek area. It may be because I'm pretty light already, so the Etude House doesn't really look like much. I supposed I could try the cream Etude House instead though. For highlighting forehead and chin, Etude House worked best. The Tony Moly gave it an unnatural sheen that you wouldn't see for those areas.

The swatches are blended out to the left.

Lioele Dollish Veil Vita BB: #1

I'm not sure whether this product is a BB or a BB cream base. It's interesting. At first I read the make-up base part and thought it was similar to primer or some sort of lotion. So I dispensed plenty of product.

Notice how there are tiny dark dots in the white cream though. As soon as I began blending the cream, the color started changing!!

COLOR: Works for me hue wise. Maybe half a shade dark.
TEXTURE: Leaves a "Sticky" dry frictious feeling.
COVERAGE: Medium

I think this product will work as a makeup base/ primer because of it's "sticky" texture. This doesn't fare too well on my dry skin, but I do like it otherwise. It's a fun concept! Pick it up if you have a chance.

Review: Make Up For Ever HD Foundation +Powder, Eshiko Face Powder, & Smashbox BB Cream

I've been trying to find something for full coverage and people keep talking about Make Up For Ever's HD Foundation. Today, I spent a good hour in Sephora trying to match foundation colors (and testing other brands as well). I finally settled on #117.

Make Up For Ever HD Foundation

COLOR: The color looks to be ever so slightly too light and yellow at first (I am NW15-20). However, after giving it time to settle, the color darkens (good for NC20). Initially I thought the color being off wasn't too bad, especially for photos, but irl it looks terrible because the tone is not right.

COVERAGE: Medium. It didn't cover everything, but for a photo it will work.

TEXTURE: Blends nicely and leaves you with a matte finish.

PROS: I love how it smoothed out my pores. It's as if someone took the blur tool to my face.

CONS: Drying to my dry skin. As time passed, the makeup started showing the flakes.

I will have to return this because at $42 it cannot just sit around here. It does have my desired coverage effect, so I wish MUFE would come out with one for dry skin.

Make Up For Ever HD Powder


I have heard so much about this powder, and today I finally got the travel sized 5g to try out. It was $16 I believe, which is a lot more reasonable to try out products. I am really loving the travel sized products Sephora is offering. Some things you just want to try, and some you don't use as much of and buying the full sized is burdensome. I want to snag Benefit's High Beam travel set next ($12).

I packed the product on, and found that I did notice it smoothing out the makeup. The dry flakes of skin that were starting to show due to the HD foundation appeared a bit more blurred. This powder does lighten skin a bit. I can see how those flash photo mishaps would be glaring on those with darker skin tones. With this product you must take care to really blend the product well. I missed a couple spots in my photo.

This is a product that drys out skin and produces a matte effect, so those of us with dry skin might have to moisturize heavily. I'm not sure I want to continue using this powder because of my dry skin, but I'll hold onto it for a bit longer.

Eshiko Face Powder


I reviewed Eshiko before, but now I get to compare it against MUFE's HD powder. Again, I packed the powder on. There was not much improvement in the appearance of my makeup. In fact, I think this powder made things worse with this foundation. Areas started clumping together and it was quite unsightly. Perhaps it would fare better with a powder foundation. It did feel a little less drying than the MUFE HD powder- I'm assuming it's because it is more finely milled.

Applied on left side of face means that it is on the left side when you look at it (Left side of pic). It looked a bit too dark, so I tried using Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in No.13 as a highlight.

BEFORE:

Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream-Light

I'm really glad the sales associate took note of my skin shade while giving me the sample. However, it's still too dark for me. When he gave me the sample he said, "And the BB, you just pat *gestures* around your eyes, use as a primer or your foundation". 

COLOR: Too dark for me, maybe good for a NC20-25?

COVERAGE: Medium

TEXTURE: Easy to Blend, but drying on top. It has a certain sticking quality that is good as a primer.

Imo, it's already pretty heavy coverage-wise. Putting foundation on top of this is a bit strange to me. You'll likely end up breaking out more.

Fresh Sugar Lip Tint Treatment- Passion

You already know how much I love this from my review of the Rose one. Well, the Rose kind of melted and fell apart (don't leave in your car). So I went to Sephora and picked me up the full sized Passion. It has a good amount of color without going overboard. I can apply this in the church bathroom without fear of the old ladies judging me.

Recap of Before and After:

As a side note, I took a color vision test. Turns out I can perfectly distinguish hues (that's no mistakes!). It's kind of fun, try it. http://www.xrite.com/custom_page.aspx?pageid=77&lang=en

I also tried the L'oreal Age Perfect Advanced Skin Repair Serum that came in the Allure magazine (yes, they still send me these). It has that translucent color every serum has, and smells a bit like sweet potatoes o_O. My dry skin is left feeling non-dry and a little more touchable. Hmm, not bad. No idea if the age repair part actually works or not.

Got Some Jouer Samples!

I sent in a request through Jouer's website using the "Ask a Stylist" feature. Nobody replied to me. I'm pretty sure it was at least a month or two. I finally decided to email customer service because I was interested in a few items, but had no idea how compatible they were with my skin. I also mentioned that I had attempted to go through their "Ask a Stylist" form to no avail. The next day, I got a response from the "Ask a Stylist". Hmmm suspicious. No separate answer from customer service btw. Anyhow, the stylist sent me a form of things that they thought I would like. I did mention that I normally wore neutral shades for work, but liked something fun as well.

So she put together a sample pack for me of a few things (less than what some other ppl got, but oh well). It took 3 weeks to arrive -___-. As if that weren't enough, I deleted the pics I had for the lip glosses. Thank goodness for desktop recycling bins.

Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint

This is actually very similar to a BB cream. It wasn't drying to my skin at all, which I loved. It can be sheer or you can build it up. Unfortunately it doesn't cover the more obvious blemishes, but for evening out skin tone it's great. They sent me Golden, Pearl, and Opal. Opal is supposed to be the lightest color made for "porcelain skin". I don't think I have porcelain skin, it's more like Fair. The opal was still half a shade to a shade too dark. I guess I'm supposed to use this if I want to be more tan. Gives off a "dewy" finish.

Jouer Lip Enhancer Conditioning Lip Treatment

Leaves lips shiny. It's ok. I still prefer Sugar's Fresh Lip Treatment. This one smells chemically.

Jouer Lip Gloss 

My apologies, deleted some of the swatches by accident. Wind I guess was for when I said I wear mostly neutral shades daily. It doesn't have much effect on my lips. If it were a bit more opaque I could see it as a nice nude-ish color.

Mimosa is still very sheer, but a bit more interesting looking.

It has a faint chemically smell. My lips are shiny from the above lip treatment.

Jouer Lip and Cheek Tint

These tints can be used for the lips or cheek. I've just modeled the cheek here. They have a kind of mousse texture and glide on smoothly. Love how the color is not too intense and is easy to blend. 

Whisper looks to be the color for me. Peony seems to have been added in because I said I wanted something fun. It looks scary at first, but rubbed in is very wearable. If I pair it with a lavender pink lipstick it would work nicely though.

I kind of want to try out a couple more colors before deciding (these aren't cheap!)

Have you tried Jouer? What products do you recommend?

BB Cream Battle: Dr. Jart+ vs Hanskin

Dr. Jart+ and Hanskin are both big brands for BB cream, so of course I have to sample them.

Overall, Hanskin is more runny than Dr. Jart+. Dr. Jart+, while thick, has much less drying texture than BRTC.

Dr. Jart+


1. Black Label- Looks like the fullest coverage of all 4. Covers 4/5 of scars
2. Water Fuse- Goes on feeling like water, very thin coverage. Good for evening skin tones.
3. Silver Label- Good coverage as well. Little bit less than 4/5 of scars.

Hanskin

4. Super Light Touch BB- Looks like the most even color finish. It may be related to the color, but this one really shows up the flaky parts of my skin.
5. Mineral Magic BB- This is akin to Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse. Very thin coverage, good for evening out skin. Non drying.

My favorite of these is probably Dr.Jart+ Silver label?...It's a close call.

Review: Eshiko Face Powder

I've been on the hunt for a good setting powder. One that is able to diffuse light and make pores appear smaller and skin smoother. It's mainly brought on by seeing the unbelievably smooth finish of skin in Robert Jones' makeup book. I hate how the products are unlisted.

Eshiko claims to have particles 1/5 the size of Make Up For Ever's HD powder. People say that Eshiko is less drying and better. Make Up For Ever some have said is terrible for flash photography.

Surprisingly this product was shipped from Singapore. Was not expecting that.
It is much bigger than I though it'd be. 10g sounds so tiny and other people have pictures that don't make it seem substantial.

The sticker covering the openings is made of paper and rips into pieces- annoying! Then there's all this plastic around the rim. Neither of these things kept powder from leaking out.

Can you tell which side I applied the powder to? Yea neither can I. It's on the left side of the picture. I noticed the shine was gone from my face, and very minimal softening. The good thing is now you know it's ok for flash photography and not drying. I could try packing it on with a puff instead of applying with a brush. 

$30 is too much for such little effect. 

EDIT: See my comparison of Eshiko vs MUFE HD

Color Comparison: Missha Perfect Cover BB No.21 & No.13; Missha BB Boomer Review

I thought I had posted a swatch of the Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream No.13 that I had won. Guess not, but here it is~

First let's talk about the Missha BB Boomer. When I squeeze the product out, there's definitely a pearl finish to it. Applied, it gives the face a slightly dewy finish. The face also become slightly sticky (to help the BB cream stick better I suppose).

#13 doesn't have the gray-ish beige cast that #21 does so it gives off a "brighter" quality as you can see. Blended in fully, the colors don't differentiate too much. #13 seems to be a tidge too light for me still though so I'm working through #21.

The Missha M BB Boomer I don't think I will purchase. It just doesn't seem like something that improves the finished effect that much. This would be good for those with oily skin (need something to give BB cream extra hold).

If you haven't already, check out my review of No.23, which also has time-wear comparisons.

On a sidenote, I have so many pictures/ swatches of products to be reviewed but I never get around to them for some reason, haha. slowly but surely.

Beauty Bar + Allure: Sample Society May 2012

OH THANK YOU! T^T Let us all gather in a circle of hugs as we cry tears of joy. We finally have makeup! XD. I was really excited to get my box this month after peeking (can't help it). Not so excited to see that the price went up for me again ($16.05 -__-, each of my boxes has been a different price).

The box weighs less this month, but I'm much more excited about the items than for April's box ^^. It's like an early bday present.
Let's jump in!

Items:


1. Colorescience Pro SPF 20 Travel Puff: Illuminating Pearl Powder- provides sun protection whenever and wherever you need as well as a dose of color to keep your complexion looking its best. This weightless mineral pigment provides hours of water-resistant SPF 20 and fits easily in any purse or bag, making it perfect for travel. Each puff contains 10-20 applications for multiple uses. Once empty, use for other makeup applications.

• I was interested to try this out because these travel puffs have been popular recently.
• Tried to take a picture, but the effect was not extremely noticeable. Saw the powder poof into the air but there wasn't a huge difference to the area of application.
• Deposits shimmers onto skin, smooths out skin tone with light coverage (My finishing powder needs to get here soon).
• Not quite the product for me. Got so frustrated patting the puff on my face and not knowing if anything was depositing
• Still glad I was able to try it out. May use it if I start to look oily late in the day (seemed to sop up oil a bit)
• Full size worth $10

2. Bond No.9 New York Gift Collection Bon Bon: Bleeker Street  - For those who wanted to give the entire city of New York as a gift: Bond No. 9 first-ever scent miscellany; 18 of our fragrances in pocket spray form, packed in two enticing layers in a sturdy white box. The elegantly elongated bottles, wrapped like candles in our signature foils, are perfectly sized for travel. Plus, they're refillable!

Essential Elements: Set includes: Bryant Park, Chelsea Flowers, The Scent of Peace, Chinatown, Andy Warhol Silver Factory, Eau de New York, Bleecker Street, Broadway Nite, Nuits de Noho, Wall Street, Fire Island, Little Italy, Park Avenue, Chez Bond, Coney Island, So New York, Hamptons, West Side.

• Mine was Bleecker Street (how did you know purple is my favorite color =D)- "The scent of New York night life
  Art, fashion, seduction, and dessert in liquid form. A warm and sensual aphrodisiac that glides from day into evening.
  Fragrance Notes: Patchouli, cassis, caramel, woods, musk."
• It's a sharp/ fresh fragrance with a hint of sweetness underneath. Can totally go from day to evening.
• HATE these perfume vials because they are so hard to open. Every time I try to open these, I feel like it's just going to spill all over the place
• It's a nice scent, but doesn't particularly attract me. Could have it or not, doesn't really matter
• Full set 18ct (.25 fl oz each) $260, sample vial .057 fl oz worth $3.29

3. Alterna UV+ Color Fade Proof Fluide- combines strengthening pure Organic Bamboo Extract & color-locking, damage-locking Kalahari Melon Extract in a formula that weightlessly shields hair with a UVA/UVB barrier to fade-proofs color while enhancing vibrancy & multi-dimensional shine. With rinse resistant Color Hold® UV+ Technology for the highest level of color protection • Weightless formula 
• Enhances vibrancy & multi-dimensional shine
• Can be used alone or combined with any styling aid
• UVA/UVB shielding barrier
• Prevents color wash-out & fade-out 
• Highest level of color protection
• Contains rinse resistant UV filters that protect against oxidative color damage

• Plan on dyeing hair tomorrow so what a coincidence ^^
• At first I was thinking that applying this every single day is really tedious ( = not doing), but then I smelled how lovely it is @.@ very fruity and yummy
• Like a hair oil
• Cute pump
• Not sure whether I'd continue with the daily maintenance thing, but will try after dyeing.
• Full sized 2.5 oz $24, sample size .25 oz worth $2.40

4. StriVectin SD Intensive Concentrate for Stretch Marks & Wrinkles-  original with even more potent collagen-boosting peptides and Strivectin re-engineered the formula with NIA-114. Discovered in DNA skin cancer research, NIA-114 accelerates the rebuiling of skin layers. 

• *squeal*! So excited!!! I've been wanting to try this for so long, but never could because of the hefty price tag. Didn't want to spend the big bucks only to find out it didn't work
• Using for facial wrinkles and stretch marks
• Smells minty fresh, texture is just thick enough
• Can't wait to see what happens, will give an update in a month or two.
• Full sized 5 oz worth $135, sample size .75 fl oz worth $20.25

5. Stila Cosmetics Forever Your Curl Mascara- Featuring innovative lash-curl memory, this eye-catching wonder contains a proprietary resin that continuously curls lashes throughout the day - and holds curl for long-lasting results. A unique brush design coats and extends each individual lash, while an intense carbon black hue delivers maximum impact.

• Lashes remain soft and pliable
• Dark color makes strong impact (Eyes look better)
• Not waterproof = not so fond of. Still working my way through Kanebo Kate (they make lashes firm so some don't appreciate) 
• Noticed lashes lengthen a little bit.
• Not sure about the curl hold, could just be my short stick straight lashes. It seems like others didn't rate it well on sephora (only 2.5 stars)
• Full sized .24 oz worth $22, sample size .12 fl oz worth $11

Overall: Total Box Value ~$46.94


VALUE: Good! Really appreciate how they're all things that I can try/ use.

APPEARANCE: Each sample didn't have it's own little box this time, and it looked a bit empty upon opening but I'm happy with the items so it's ok.

ITEMS: Loved! We got makeup this time (still no color though), and everything was something I was excited to try. 

FAVORITES: Most excited to try out the StriVectin SD Intensive Concentrate for Stretch and Wrinkle & Stila Forever Your Curl Mascara


What do you think? Are the boxes luring you in yet? 


If you've been hooked, visit my first two Sample Society posts (tag link on Right Sidebar) to learn more. Be sure to use the code JMANGO when you sign up so they donate $5 to charity!

Clinique Age Defense BB Cream: Shade 1

You may remember how psyched I was about the Clinique Age Defense BB cream. it evened out skin and made it look flawless. So I went and picked it up from Sephora.

Here's a color comparison (left to right): Clinique Age Defense BB Shade 1, Missha Perfect Cover BB No.21, Missha Perfect Cover BB No.13

You can see why I say Clinique's Shade 1 is the perfect shade for me. It doesn't have that "beige/ gray" quality that the Missha No.21 does. No.13 is nice and bright as you can see, but it is a bit too light for me.

Covers 3/4 of acne scars

The BB applied nicely, but is a bit too dry for my face. It ends up showing off the dry flaky parts of my skin. I think I may have to return it since it won't get much usage at this rate. The Missha I realize has oils added to its formula so instead of drying out my skin, it gives it some oil.

I recommend the Clinique Age Defense BB for those with Normal to Oily skin. Something else that I wanted to note is how the back of the package notes that it is formulated for Asian Skin. How exciting is that?? I would have thought they would omit that when selling in US (land of diversity). No wonder the tone matched my skin so nicely.

What do you think? Will you pick this up next time you pass it?

Masks!

I finally decided to try out these Korean face masks that have been building up.

Remember the Olive Mask that I had randomly gotten a while back? Well, I attempted to try it. Pic is tiny because it's a screenshot of me on webchat with a friend. She laughed so hard and had to resist taking a screenshot of me. This mask was first off, very flimsy, huge, and way too many slits. They cut what seems like 15 slits I guess for a "one size fits all" effect, but it ended up one size fits none. The mask could not stay adhered to my face and kept coming loose. Another weird thing is that the eye cutouts had flaps on the bottom of the eyes (looks like undereye bags on the mask -__-)??? Is it to cover upwards?! It kept falling off and I was unable to assess its properties.

The Etude House Collagen Face Mask-

The mask comes with a lot of juice! I left it on for 20 minutes. Very slimy/ sticky after I took it off my face. Liked how it fit sooo much better than the one above. Usually I like the "smooth" feel after a mask. This one was sticky... not sure if it helped my wrinkles any in the long run. Not likely to purchase.

First Birchbox!: March 2012

Got majorly kicked in the butt by karma. So before I signed up for Birchbox, I was randomly thinking that if I were the owners I would use left over samples from previous months and compile them into a basket for newcomers. -___-. WELL, I was excited for this month's Birchbox because it looked as if there might be some interesting samples. They had 23 boxes, one of which was unappealing since it contained the past samples. Guess which I got? yup. NOT COOL BIRCHBOX! It just so happens the previous months were the ones with the not so awesome boxes >.>

I was trying to figure out which box I got ahead of time (I'm a peeker). Finally figured out that it's the pictured box under the "Box" tab. Wasn't too happy and was thinking it might influence my feelings after getting the actual box.

Got the box, and wasn't too excited =/. Well I was excited when I got it (REALLY like presents), but not so excited after opening. To the point of delaying this review. Reading everyone else complain, I thought, "Sheesh, you like some things you won't, stop being so negative." But... it is disappointing, lol.

Apparently there was an option to pick the Teen Vogue box instead? I don't remember seeing that option, would've chose it instead since I'm more of a makeup junkie than skin, fragrance, hair girl =/. Really have to wonder if I was the only one to get this particular box =/

Reading online, I was also frustrated seeing people signing up for multiple Birchboxes when clearly there is a line for people who don't even have one. Hopefully they have it set so that those that are not even subscribed to one can have a slight priority- if there is a way to check, like by address or something =/.

Comes in a bright pink cardboard box that unfolds. Says "Birchbox.com", which... yea some nosy people in my house. Inside is another box. It isn't as thick as the Sample Society box's paper, but cute logo stamp. Figured out why my SS box has a slight scratch- I use scissors to slice open the tape and accidentally nicked it.

I really like the small package inside, it's like a present in a present o_O

What I Got:

1. Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser-  "The impressive gel formula is made with an organic juice base of sweet cherry, lemon, and aloe, which are all rich in healing nutrients and antioxidants. Coconut and sugar extracts remove blemish-causing gunk and oil while respecting your skin’s moisture barrier. Finally, an alphabet’s worth of vitamins—including A, B, C, and E—brighten and even out skin tone."

 

• Wasn't super thrilled with this at first, mostly because I read the "Juice Beauty uses Salicylic Acid.." and "Instead of ...Benzyl Peroxide..." part. Salicylic Acid doesn't work on me. Benzyl Peroxide does. But then I realized that this product doesn't contain either ingredient.
• Decided to try anyways. It smells nice =D. You can really smell the cherry and lemon, pleasant.
• Brownish in color, runny.
• Lathers gently (I was surprised, didn't think it would lather because it was so runny).
• Gentle- skin didn't feel dry, and was soft after.
• Most importantly, it did make my huge pimples shrink a bit and they hurt less after washing O_O. I couldn't believe it. I was healing nicely, but life stress made me break out all over again. They weren't shrunk much, but a little, and less pain =D. Maybe the aloe is doing something?
• Wasn't too keen to try it at first, but after trying it, it's not bad o_o. =/ But... it's still not nice enough to make me personally buy it. Maybe when I run out of everything else?
• *EDIT* I'm having a major breakout, and although this doesn't quite solve the problem, it does make it feel sooo much better. I would say this product is for immediate pain relief- it also shrinks the problem a bit. Throughout the course of the next day the pain does return, but I think even the temporary shrinking effect this product has does seem to keep the problem from getting worse and possibly speed up the healing process a bit. I wouldn't mind having this product around. Again, another product I'd never try without these boxes. Thank you Birchbox!
• Full size 6.75 fl oz -$22, sample is 0.5 fl oz worth $1.63.

     2.   Eye Rock Designer Liner- The stick-on adhesives are super easy to apply and help you create an array of eye-catching looks. Unlike traditional liners, they won’t smudge or fade.

 

• -___- REALLY?!?! REALLY?!?!?
• When I first saw this I thought, "It looks like a sticker". Then I thought, well maybe it's not really. Like it's very thin or something, it has to be right? Then I read people saying how it's literally a sticker. Let me tell you, it's literally a sticker. Looks like  kind of a felt-like finish.
• Once you put the sticker on the black looks more solid.
• Did it all in one go since I'll not be wearing this out and was curious to see how thick liner looks on me- most people say asians should draw thicker liners. I can just imagine wearing this to a party and people asking me, "Are you wearing double eye-lid tape?!" As a matter of fact, they should market it as such. A double eyelid tape with liner predone. 
• Feels like a sticker on your eyelid- not comfortable. 
• You're supposed to cut it from the inner corner, but the inner corner never stays down. Try to not touch the inner eye corner area while applying. False lashes might come up on the ends if you don't apply with enough glue, but at least they look good!
• These look better with my eyes closed. Not impressed. If you tried to give these to me I wouldn't take them.
• Instead, whoever did this should've made a temporary tattoo.
• Possibly the most offensive part is that it just simply doesn't conform to my eye shape. Why would you give an asian person an inflexible eye product?! The Violent Lips would've been so much more fun to try imo =/
• I have to pretend like this was an extra freebie to make myself feel better about this box.
• Full size 2 pks $13. 1 pk worth $6.50.

           3.  Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien-a symphony of glistening, refreshing citrus notes
            orchestrated through the Sicilian lemon. "Winning combo of lemon, grapefruit, and
               green mandarin notes".

• =/ Definitely smell the citrus. Remember what I said about citrus scents in my Sample Society post? Not a fan of this scent. 
• Liked the little wand inside I could use to apply the scent
• It's ok that I didn't get a larger size, wouldn't use it
• Fragrance is not as heavy as the Oscar de La Renta. Does not have lasting power. I could sense the scent fading after a minute. Not a very complex scent.
• Would not buy. I'll just peel one of my sour oranges and rub the skin on my skin for this scent =/
• Full Size 50ml $85.00, sample size 1.75ml worth $2.98.

          4.  Orofluido Beauty Elixer-This serum relies on a triple-treat of standout oils:
            argan oil strengthens strands; linseed oil smoothes cuticles to leave hair
           shiny; and Cyperus oil fortifies and boosts manageability. Quick-absorbing
           and lightweight, this oil works on damp or dry strands. Take three to four
          drops between the palms of your hands and distribute evenly through damp
          hair. Style as usual. You can also work a couple drops through dry ends or
          use a tiny amount to calm flyaways.

• This is one I was not originally happy about. I don't want to stick oil in my hair. BUT...
• The design is pretty.
• Smells like vanilla. A lot of people like the scent, personally not a fan =/.
• Used about a dime size amount to run through hair in an effort to tame frizzy hair. Works to an extent.
• Absorbed fast, hair is shiny, not greasy. Hair is soft and touchable.
• Probably will not buy, the scent would eventually annoy me. >.>
• Full size 3.4 oz $29.99, sample size .17 fl oz worth $1.50.

          5. Deborah Lippmann The Stripper to Go- Each packet contain a “mitt” that
            has been soaked with The Stripper, a gentle but effective polish remover.
           The lavender formula has a soothing scent, plus aloe to moisturize nails
           and cuticles.

• Whyyyy... I rarely use nail polish right now. Plus not a fan of lavendar.
• I'll have to review these when I do get nail polish on. See, if they had given me the Color Club mini nailpolish, then I could knock out two reivews...
• I have heard people love these and go to buy the full size. Personally I do fine with a cotton ball and nail polish remover.
• EDIT: LIKE the product, check out the review HERE
• Full size 6 mitts $12, sample size 2 mitts worth $4.

          6. Hollywood Fashion Secrets Hollywood Fashion Tape- These easy-to-use
           double-sided tape strips can be applied wherever a little extra wardrobe
          help is needed. Made with hypoallergenic, residue-free ingredients, they’re
          safe for both sensitive skin and delicate fabric.

• Something that can always be used I guess. Not going to review this until I get the chance to try it out- could be a while.
• Full Size $8.99/36 = $.25 + $7.99/18 = $.44 + $4.99/25 = $.20 + $9.99/30 = $.33 , 4 piece worth $1.22.

Overall:Total Box Value= $17.83

• VALUE: it's ok. $17.61/$10 = 1.76  vs SS $54.98/$16 = 4.54. Looks like I get the biggest bang for my buck from Sample Society. Still, the Birchbox is technically worth more than what I paid, so not tooooo upset.
• APPEARANCE: Eye catching, to the point where even males in the house are attracted to see what's inside. I left the house with the lid tightly on- one pro of the Birchbox box is that the lid fits snuggly and will not lift up. When I got home, the lid was only just placed on top of the box -___-. People think I don't know when they go through my things, but I do. Love the little extra package inside.
• ITEMS: So-so really Birchbox should consider at least distributing boxes as such. 4 categories for samples: Highly coveted (includes full sized), Medium intensity, Lower Intensity, and Cheapies.
• 1 Highly Coveted + 1-2 Medium Intensity +1 Lower Intensity + Cheapies for the rest.
• 3-4 Medium Intensity + 1 Lower Intensity + Cheapies for the rest.
• All Medium Intensity
• I see my current box breakdown as: Juice Beauty (Medium Intensity), Eye Rock (Cheapie), Annick Goutal (Lower Intensity), Orofluido (Medium Intensity), Deborah Lippmann Mitts (Lower Intensity/Cheapie), Hollywood Fashion Tape (Cheapie) = 2 Medium Intensity + 2 Lower Intensity + 2 Cheapies. Total I got 5 samples and a Lifestyle Extra though.
• FAVORITES: Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser & Orofluido Hair Oil.
• Like the concept and that it's only $10/month. Dislike some of the samples, got surprised in a good way by a couple. I guess that's what this experience is supposed to be about
• Based on this box alone, I cannot highly recommend it yet. I'll have to wait until my NEXT box.

Try your hardest not to disappoint bloggers. When other people are disappointed, they just voice it to 50 of their friends. When bloggers are disappointed, they post and announce it to the world. This box wasn't a complete disappointment, but if you set it out for $5, I still would not pick it up. If you put it out for free I might. maybe...

I set my beauty profile to include most things figuring they'd send me the good stuff, but it seems it backfired and they just stuck in whatever =/. But the profile does reflect me, I like to try different styles.

Thinking of joining? Go ahead and enter your email address on their website HERE. There's a waitlist, so by the time you get in, I'll probably have my second box for you to see, and hopefully it'll be more convincing for you to decide to subscribe, haha.

One thing that I LOVE about Birchbox is their whole rewards system. You get points for referrals, but ALSO for reviewing items and signing up for subscription. This is nice because even if no one uses you as a referral, you can still accumulate points by yourself and earn discounts. 


For every 100 pts you earn, it's $10 off. You can earn 100 pts through reviews after about 2 months of box feedbacks. That's like $5 off/ month. They probably use $3 for packaging and shipping, which leaves them about $2. I highly doubt they pay for the samples, the companies probably provide them free in the hopes that you will buy the full sized and they can profit there.

And I just got a coupon in my mailbox to celebrate their Anniversary. People always say how Birchbox's customer service is good.


Birchbox is also really great as a gift. I got the 3 month subscription for a friend. The cute packaging really makes it something special.

When you sign up, please use my Referral LINK to help me get points =D.

Got a subscription box? What do you think? Is it worth it? What kind of good things have you found in your boxes?

'Til next time!