Birchbox July 2012 - Glamour

For July, Birchbox teamed up with Glamour Magazine to bring us some fun surprises.

The theme for July was: The 5 Senses - Sight, Sound, Taste, Touch, & Smell

I thought I got a great box this month.  I wasn't able to use everything, but all in all it was a good box.

My "SMELL" item was the Harvey Prince Hello perfume.  I'm not a big perfume user so I have to be madly in love with it for me to keep it, but I have several friends who LOVE it.  They always get excited when I get a new perfume in my birchbox because 9 times out of 10 it means they get it.  This scent was not bad, but it wasn't me either.

Full Size: 50 ml - $55.00

Sample Size: Sample Vial (no size on vial)

Sample Worth: Not Much 

(I get samples like this for free all the time so to me they are not worth much)

My "TASTE" item was a Larabar Uber Roasted Nut Roll.  Believe it or not, I actually really liked this one.  I don't like Larabars normally, but this thing was just FULL of nuts.  It was great.  I would definitely buy more of these if they weren't SO EXPENSIVE.

Full Size: 5 count for $12.69

Sample Size: 1

Sample Worth: $2.53

The "SOUND" item in my Birchbox was the Birchbox Exclusive Earbuds.  Although I think these are as cute as cute can be, they were very cheap & the ear pieces broke off the first time I tried putting them in my ears.  But I do have to give them kudos for such cute colors.  Just make them better quality next time.

Full Size Sample: 1 set - $10.00

(Not worth it. . . they felt like they came from the dollar store)

My "TOUCH" item was the Klorane Shampoo with Camomile.  I actually liked this a LOT.  I like the gentle Camomile scent & I love how BRIGHT it makes my blond highlights look.  This shampoo is definitely for BLONDS.  But my hair feels great afterward.  I didn't think I was going to like this one, but it was one of my favorite items this month.

Full Size: 13.4 oz. - $18.00

Sample Size: 0.8 oz.

Sample Worth: $1.07

My very favorite item this month fell into the "SEE" category.  I loved the Blinc Mascara.  I'm a mascara addict so I was SUPER THRILLED to get this in my birchbox this month.  It was a LARGE sample size too.  I love this mascara.  It makes my lashes longer & fuller with the tube technology.  I will definitely be purchasing this in the future.

Full Size: 0.21 oz. - $26.00

Sample Size: 0.141 oz.

Sample Worth: $17.45

I felt extra lucky this month because I got a bonus "SEE" product.  I got the Ada Cosmetics Bronzer in the Peach color.  I'm not much of a bronzer user because I'm so fair, but with just a little bit of this, it made my face look AWESOME.  This was a FULL SIZE SAMPLE too.  Thank you Birchbox for introducing me to something I would have never tried on my own.

Full Size Sample: 3 grams - $12.45

I paid $10.00 for July's Birchbox & it was worth $43.50.

That's incredible.  Thank you Birchbox for a great month.

If you are interested in being a birchbox subscriber go here to be part of the funnest beauty subscription out there.  It's only $10 a month for a pink box of fun beauty samples delivered to your door every month.  Review your products to earn points.  Use your points to buy beauty products.  It's a win/win.

Until, next month. . . 

MyGlam July 2012

I'm SO happy with MyGlam this month.  Their bags have progressively gotten better & better over the last couple of months.  I just wanted to give a shout out to the MyGlam team & say THANK YOU for listening to your customers & providing us with awesome products!

Without much further ado. . . here's what I got:

July's Theme was "A Day at the Beach"

The bag was ADORABLE.  I love that it's mesh so it can get wet.  PERFECT for showers at the pool. I put my travel shampoos & conditioners inside every time I go swimming now & just keep the whole bag in the shower with me.  It dries off quickly because it's mesh & it's GREAT.  Plus it's cute too.

I like Yes to Cucumbers.  The ravel towelettes are great for traveling when you don't want to bring your entire skin care regimen.  They clean pretty well (although I wish they'd do a little better taking waterproof eyeliner & mascara off) & they make your skin feel & smell fresh.

Full Size: 30 towelettes - $5.99

Sample Size: 10 towelettes 

Sample Worth: $2.00

I'm in LOVE with the CIRCUS nail polish.  The color is bright & fun & I'll definitely be buying some more of them when Andrea's Choice releases them this fall.  I'm dying for the pink one.

Price: Unknown

The Juice Beauty SPF 15 Moisturizer smells AMAZING.  Unfortunately it broke me out terribly so I had to put it aside so I can give it to my mom who has very dry skin.  I loved the smell though.  (It's pretty expensive too so this is a GREAT value sample if you liked it.)

Full Size: 1.7 oz. - $38.00

Sample Size: 0.5 oz.

Sample Worth: $11.18

I am completely & totally IN LOVE with the Josie Maran Magic Mark Lip & Cheek Stain.  I got the color Jitterbug & it's the bright neon pink I've been looking for.  The sample was a full size too.  I would have been happy with my MyGlam bag if this was the only thing in it.  These stains stay on for 12+ hours for me which is unheard of.  Lipsticks & stains usually only last 2-3 hours on me.  I LOVE THIS STUFF.

Full Size Sample: $19.00

I'm on the fence about the Nume Hydropunch Hydrating Conditioner.  It works well enough, I just don't like the smell.  I was just telling my sister-in-law the other day (while she was cutting my hair) that I really don't care what the hair product does to my hair so long as it smells good.  I know that's awful, but if it doesn't smell like I would want to eat it, I won't use it.

Full Size: 8.45 oz. - $24.99

Sample Size: 0.67 oz.

Sample Worth: $4.41

So overall, this was a GREAT bag.  The total value equaled well over the $10 I paid for it, but it was stuff that I liked & that I'll actually use which is WAY more worth it to me than really expensive things I'll never use.  My mom will love the moisturizer.  I'm using the conditioner for my travels, & I love everything else in the bag.  Great work MyGlam Team.

July MyGlam Bag Value: $36.59 + unknown value of the nail polish

Cinco de Mayo Julep Mystery Box

Why is it so stinkin' hard to resist those Julep Mystery Boxes?  I tell myself EVERY time they come out with one that I don't need it, but somehow I always end up ordering one. And I ALWAYS love them.  This was my 3rd mystery box & once again, I found a new color that I would NEVER buy on my own, but fell madly in love with.  I guess that's why I keep buying them.  

So. . . here's my box of goodies:

Julep Crystal Nail File - $6

Age Defying Hand Brightener - 1 oz. - $10

Drew - $14

Jessica - $14

Emma - $14

Alyson - $14

Total Value of my Mystery Box: $72

I paid $19.99

FABULOUS DEAL if you ask me.

The Age Defying Hand Brightener is one of my favorite products.  It was the first Julep product I ever got & now I can't keep enough on hand.  I always get giddy when I get one of these travel sized guys.  They are perfect for my purse.  I also adore their crystal nail file.  They last forever & since I already have one, I'll be gifting this to my dear friend for her birthday.

Emma is a beautiful sheer shimmery pink color.  I have her already & love putting her over some of my other polishes.  She adds just enough sparkle to make them amazing.

Alyson was a newbie for me.  She's almost an brownish peach color.  I think I'm going to lover her when I get in one of my neutral moods.  (Right now I'm bright & summery, but I'm going to save her for fall when I wear more neutrals.)

Jessica is another one of my favorites.  My original bottle is almost out so I'm VERY happy to get another one to replenish my stash.  She is a GORGEOUS pastel blue color.  I wear her all the time.

And my little diamond in the rough this time around is a color named Drew.  At first glance I couldn't tell if I was looking at a coral, a red, or a pink.  It wasn't until I actually painted her onto my fingernails that I realized she was one of the most beautiful pinks I've ever seen.  She is BRIGHT, SUMMERY, & DARK. . . yet very pink.  You almost want to say she's red, but she isn't.  I LOVE HER.

Well, that's it until next month when another Mystery Box rolls out & I fail to resist the temptation to NOT buy one.  ;-)  Who knows, maybe I'll just start buying 2 every time.  ha ha ha.

For all of you who are trying to decide whether to sign up to be a Julep Maven or not, they have a REALLY GREAT DEAL going on right now. You can get your first box for only$0.01. Try it out, see if you like it, & if you don't just cancel. . . but I'm almost positive you won't.

Every month you will receive a Maven box filled with $40 of AWESOME manicure/pedicure products as well as some FABULOUS polishes for only $19.99. You have the option to SKIP as many months as you want if funds are low or if you just don't like your box. This is the only subscription service I know of that allows you to see your box before it's shipped & then allows you to decide if you like that box or if you want to trade it for one of 4 others. There's ALWAYS one you'll love.

And then the PERKS. Each month, Julep sends 100 lucky maven's a GOLDEN BOX that has $100+ worth of products just because! And then there are contests & sweepstakes you can enter all the time not to mention all the fun coupons they send out. And then there are MYSTERY BOXES! Those are the BEST. They offer mystery boxes every few months & they are worth anywhere from $60-$200 in product. It's just a fun company & their customer service is the best I've ever seen.

So if you want to get in on this great deal, just go to the Julep website here & take the style quiz. Put in the special code SHAREONMAY to get your box for just ONE CENT. I know you're going to LOVE IT.

May 2012 - Julep Maven Box

Okay, so I'm TOTALLY LOVING the new ADD-ON perk Julep Maven has started doing every month.  You get your monthly box worth $40 for $19.99, but they they allow you to add on 2 MORE colors for $5 each or you can add 2 pedi products for $10 each.

So I got the PRODUCT box this month & opted for 2 of the new polish colors as my add-ons.  It was a FABULOUS Julep month!

Here's what I got:

I am "Classic With A Twist" so I got the Product Box this month & I couldn't be happier.  The Best Pedi Prep Ever is amazing.  It came with a fun little foot file to help get those crazy callouses off your feet so you'll be sandal ready in no-time.  This product is normally $20 by itself + $6 for the foot file.  So this alone is worth more than what I paid for the box.

I love the roller ball on the tip of this product.  You simply roll it along your heels or any areas of your feet that are hard & calloused, let it sit for a few minutes, & then file all the dead skin away.  It's truly amazing.  I couldn't believe how soft my feet were after this.

The other big product in my box was the 

Sicilian Orange Foot Soak.  

This is probably my all-time favorite Julep product EVER.  This retails for $26 putting my box worth at $52.  I paid $19.99.  How awesome is that?

You can actually see the orange peels inside the foot soak. The whole thing smells citrusy & fabulous.  I gave my tired feet a bath in this the other night & not only were they soft & smooth afterward, but my husband even commented on how good I smelled.  It's GREAT stuff.

And of course I added on 2 fabulous colors from the other boxes this month for only $5 each.  You can't beat that since these polishes retail for $14 EACH. 

I chose Fina (a blueish silvery chrome) & Kylie (an eggplant magnetic polish).  

Fina is a new favorite.  I absolutely loved the way this looked on my fingers.  I Have SO MANY CLOTHES this color & I just couldn't get over how cool the chrome finished looked.

Kylie is fun too.  It's pretty on it's own, but it's really fun to get the magnet out to make stripes in your polish.  (You can see the stripe effect in the photo of the 2 polishes above.)  I had a hard time getting it to work on my toes, but I'm still learning.  This was my very first experience with a magnetic polish.  It was really fun.

For all of you who are trying to decide whether to sign up to be a Julep Maven or not, they have a REALLY GREAT DEAL going on right now. You can get your first box for only$0.01. Try it out, see if you like it, & if you don't just cancel. . . but I'm almost positive you won't.

Every month you will receive a Maven box filled with $40 of AWESOME manicure/pedicure products as well as some FABULOUS polishes for only $19.99. You have the option to SKIP as many months as you want if funds are low or if you just don't like your box. This is one of the only subscription services I know of that allows you to see your box before it's shipped & then allows you to decide if you like that box or if you want to trade it for one of 4 others. There's ALWAYS one you'll love.

And then the PERKS. Each month, Julep sends 100 lucky maven's a GOLDEN BOX that has $100+ worth of products just because! And then there are contests & sweepstakes you can enter all the time not to mention all the fun coupons they send out. And then there are MYSTERY BOXES! Those are the BEST. They offer mystery boxes every few months & they are worth anywhere from $60-$200 in product. It's just a fun company & their customer service is the best I've ever seen.

So if you want to get in on this great deal, just go to the Julep website here & take the style quiz. Put in the special code SHAREONMAY to get your box for just ONE CENT. I know you're going to LOVE IT.

Birchbox - April 2012

I don't know what was up with Birchbox this month, but I hope it was a one time error. Shipping took WAY longer than it normally does & they were WAY late in updating our pages on the website. Having said that, I got a really good box this month. This is the first box I've been truly happy with. I felt like I got my money's worth this time around & I enjoyed my box.

Here's what I got:

* Alima Pure Organic Nourishing Lipbalm in Rhubarb

* Befine Skincare Sampler - Exfoliator & Moisturizer

* Willa Gentle Cleansing Lavender Facial Towelettes

* Wonderstruck Taylor Swift Perfume

* Dropps Laundry Detergent

The Willa Gentle Cleansing Towelettes were great. I don't normally like to use these wipe type products to actually take my make-up off on a regular basis, but they are WONDERFUL for traveling & for keeping in the car for those days you just need to freshen up. They smell great & they are REALLY refreshing on your face. I'll probably buy a full size to keep in my car. They're pretty cheap too.

Sample Size: 10 wipes

Full Size: 30 wipes - $7.00

Sample Worth: $2.33

I'm totally hopping on the bandwagon of the laundry detergent pouches. I do 3 loads of laundry a day (I have 5 kids after all) & I'm all for anything that makes that horrendous job easier. I was happy to find the Dropps Detergent in my birchbox this month. I used them on two of my dark loads & they worked just fine. They don't have any dyes or any scent & they clean great. I kind of wish they had a little smell (I like my clothes to smell fresh & clean), but that's my own personal preference. I liked these a lot.

Sample Size: 2 Dropps

Full Size: 20 Dropps - $6.00

Sample Worth: $0.60

I'm NOT a perfume person. I sneeze & my eyes water & all sorts of bad things like that. So I give most of my perfume samples away. The Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift wasn't a bad smell at all. It was floral, but fruity too. I actually liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Too bad I'm so allergic to it.

Sample Size: .04 oz.

Full Size: 3.4 oz - $59.50

Sample Worth: $0.70

I'm a BIG lover of Burt's Bees lip balms. I'm REALLY a BIG lover of their lip balms that add color to your lips like lipstick. I was SO excited to have the Alima Pure Orgainc Lipbalm in my Birchbox. This is kind of the same concept. . . a natural lip balm that adds color to your lips. I'm a little on the fence with this guy though. He doesn't smell the best, but he feels really good on your lips. . . kind of a nice tingle which I loved. This particular color, Rhubarb, is the same color as my natural lips so it didn't add any color to my lips. I REALLY wish it would have been a more concentrated color because I think I would have loved it a lot more. I'm tempted to try another color to see how I like it. I'll probably just stick with Burt's Bees because I know I already love them, but this product was pretty good.

Sample Size: .07 oz. - FULL SIZE

Full Size: .07 oz - $7.00

Sample Worth: $7.00

The Befine Skincare Sampler was definitely a DELUXE SAMPLE. It's about time I got REAL SIZED samples in my Birchbox instead of teeny tiny foil packets that don't even have a single use in them. I was VERY pleased this month with what I got.

I got 3 sample packets of the exfoliating cleanser & 2 sample packets of the moisturizer. (good size sample packets too.) I did NOT care for the exfoliator. It was a little rough on my face (which is good because it's exfoliating) but it stunk like nothing else. Oh, it was bad. I was gagging as I was rubbing it on my face which is unfortunate because I think it was a pretty good exfoliator. If it smelled better I would buy it in a heartbeat, but I seriously can't even use it anymore because it stunk so badly.

The moisturizer was great. It has a VERY refreshing smell, SPF, & it's light going on. I hate heavy moisturizers & this wasn't. I would probably buy this. I really enjoyed it.

Sample Size of the Exfoliator: .34 oz x 3 = 1.02 oz.

Full Size: 4 oz. - $25.00

Sample Worth: $6.36

Sample Size of the Moisturizer: .34 oz x 2 = .68 oz.

Full Size: 1.7 oz. - $25.00

Sample Worth: $10.00 (too expensive in my opinion)

Total worth of my April Birchbox: $26.99

Not bad for $10.00

Now I'm anxiously awaiting my May Birchbox. They are teaming up with Gossip Girl to give us a FUN box. Sign up now so you can get in on the fun by going here.

Enjoy!

My Glam - April 2012

For the first time in 3 months, I was stalking the mailbox for my

April MyGlam bag.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on the goodies they put in it this month. Wahoo! It arrived yesterday.

This was the best MyGlam bag so far. . .

* Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil - Ransom

* DermStore Lip Quench

* All-Belle Eyelashes

* MyGlam All-Over Eyeshadow Brush

* MyGlam Eyeliner Brush

I have NEVER worn fake eyelashes in my life, but I've always wanted to try them. I can never justify buying them so I was kind of excited to get the All-Belle Eyelashes in my Glam Bag. I was kind of hoping for the natural looking eyelashes, but got the SUPER THICK SUPER FAKE & YOU CAN TELL eyelashes. But that's fine. They'll be fun to play with. I haven't tried them out yet. . . after all, I'm a stay-at-home mom of 5 kids. Where in the world would I wear them? ha ha ha. I'm saving them for a date night with my husband & for special occasions. (I'll need them for Halloween for sure.)

* Sample Size - One Pair

* Full Size - One Pair - about $2.00 on Ebay

* Sample Worth - about $2.00

My favorite item in my Glam Bag this month was the

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil in Ransom.

I had my fingers crossed for the purple one & I actually got it. I was SO excited. I've never tried an Urban Decay liner before & they are heavenly. It goes on smooth & creamy & it doesn't pull your eye all over the place when you apply it. The color is bright & vibrant & lasts ALL DAY. Yes, I'm in love & will be buying LOTS more of these in MANY different colors.

* Sample Size - 3/4 Length Pencil

* Full Size - Full Length Pencil - $19.00

* Sample Worth - about $15.00

I'm loving my MyGlam brush set. Now I have 3 brushes & a beautiful pink case for them. The Eyeliner brush is fantastic to line your eyes & also for your eyebrows & the all over brush is soft & wonderful.

* Sample Worth - at least $5.o0, but I'd guess closer to $10.00

I'm kind of back & forth on the DermStore Lip Quench. Part of me LOVES it & part of me doesn't. It's REALLY thick & I can hardly get it out of the container. You have to push & push & push & barely anything comes out because it's SO SOLID. It also clumps up on my lips which isn't the best feeling in the world. However, it smells absolutely DIVINE. The minute I put it on my lips, I'm in a strawberry field enjoying the sweet juicy smell of fresh, ripe strawberries. It's honestly one of the best smelling lip balms I've ever had in my life. It doesn't tint your lips as much as I'd like it to, but it's still fun. It makes my lips really moist & soft for a really long time. So I think I like it more than I don't in the long run.

* Sample Size - .21 oz. (full size)

* Full Size - One Pair - .21 oz. $12.00

* Sample Worth - $12.00

I didn't like the actual bag this month as much as I have enjoyed previous month's bags. I've never been a metallic type of gal. But I can see a TON of other ladies out there LOVING this bag. I'm still putting him to good use of course, but he won't be making any debuts in my purse anytime soon. ;-)

I loved the theme "Girl's Night Out." It made me take out some of my polka dot pink heels out of my closet. Yup, I definitely need a Ladies Night & SOON.

So the value of this Glam Bag was AMAZING. Thank you MyGlam for listening to your fans & giving us what we wanted. You guys are GREAT.

Price I paid for the bag: $10.00

Worth of the bag: somewhere between $34-$40

Julep - Spring Mystery Box

Wahoo, my little black Julep Mystery Box arrived on my doorstep today. It's like Christmas morning whenever this happens!

I was REALLY nervous about this one because I have SO MANY Julep colors now that I was certain to get a bunch of duplicates, but I just can't pass up the urge for a box of mystery. ha ha ha

Much to my amazement & delight, I didn't get any polish duplicates. Talk about an awesome mystery box. . . & it was one of the small ones. I get excited pretty easily. So here's what I got. . .

* 2 Chocolate Coins

* 2 Chocolate Eggs

* January - $14.00

* Hayden - $14.00

* Pippa - $14.00

* Melissa - $14.00

* Cuticle Oil - $18.00

* Julep Nail File

Price Paid for my Mystery Box - $19.99

Total Worth of my Mystery Box - $74.00

I've been eyeing Melissa for a little while now, but just couldn't bring myself to buy it. Hooray for it appearing in my mystery box. I can't wait to try it out. Julep describes Melissa as a sheer opalescent shimmer that adds a soft glow when used alone & a high-fashion holographic when used over another color. How exciting does that sound?

Pippa has been on my want list since the day I joined Julep Maven. I've been DYING to have her & was SO SURPRISED that she showed up in my mystery box. Julep describes her as an updated neutral camel, sure to upstage. I've been wanting a nude polish for ages & this was it.

I seriously couldn't get Pippa on fast enough. I'm totally in LOVE.

I was secretly hoping to find Hayden in my box. A lot of the other Spring boxes had it & so I had my fingers crossed. There she was & I couldn't be happier. Julep describes Hayden as a neon peach. I think it's more of a neon tangerine color, but it's just SUPER FUN.

I'm a total red polish lover, but I don't have very many reds from Julep. I was very happy to finally add January to my collection. I love anything vintage & this is just perfect. It reminds me of the classic pinups from the 40's. I just couldn't be happier with my box. Julep describes January as a retro, tomato red with a modern shine. LOVE HER.

And last, but certainly not least, was my cuticle oil. I do have this already, but boy am I glad to get some more. I use this twice a day on myself & twice a day on my 7 year old daughter who suffers from crazy hangnails. This stuff has been working miracles for her & I was almost out. Hooray for replenishing my stash.

So. . . I was extremely happy with my Spring Mystery Box. Thank you Julep for being so awesome. I'll be a customer for life.

For all of you who are trying to decide whether to sign up to be a Julep Maven or not, they have a REALLY GREAT DEAL going on right now. You can get your first box for only$0.01. Try it out, see if you like it, & if you don't just cancel. . . but I'm almost positive you won't.

Every month you will receive a Maven box filled with $40 of AWESOME manicure/pedicure products as well as some FABULOUS polishes for only $19.99. You have the option to SKIP as many months as you want if funds are low or if you just don't like your box. This is the only subscription service I know of that allows you to see your box before it's shipped & then allows you to decide if you like that box or if you want to trade it for one of 4 others. There's ALWAYS one you'll love.

And then the PERKS. Each month, Julep sends 100 lucky maven's a GOLDEN BOX that has $100+ worth of products just because! And then there are contests & sweepstakes you can enter all the time not to mention all the fun coupons they send out. And then there are MYSTERY BOXES! Those are the BEST. They offer mystery boxes every few months & they are worth anywhere from $60-$200 in product. It's just a fun company & their customer service is the best I've ever seen.

So if you want to get in on this great deal, just go to the Julep website here & take the style quiz. Put in the special code COLOR2012 to get your box for just ONE CENT. I know you're going to LOVE IT.