I Received The Allure Red Carpet Bonus Beauty Box Free Worth $88!

2 / 26 / 16

We just got back from Europe and the February Allure Beauty Box was waiting for me. I loved almost everything in it and still think it’s one of the best beauty boxes out there. Well, I was confused because a few days later this past Monday there was ANOTHER box at the door. I assumed it was March’s beauty box…until I did a quick search online. Other bloggers were saying that this box is a completely free bonus box! It’s called the Allure Red Carpet Bonus Beauty Box. I remembered entering a sweepstakes and didn’t realize I won. The box is valued at $88!

How Stinking Cool!

So, I began this blog post writing about what I thought was the March box to find out it was just a free, just-because box. Aren’t ‘just because’ things the very best?

The box came with a mini magazine like usual and a lot of products. What caught my attention right away was Allure’s collaboration with Cover Girl. I’m not a big fan of Cover Girl, but the products included were full sized and were inspired by Katy Perry’s Grammy’s look.

As I was opening the box, I did find it strange that there wasn’t much variety, but I assumed that since the value of the full sized products was so high, it was a special box. I didn’t realize it was a freebie! There was no indicator on the box that it had been a bonus box.

Here’s what was included:

Covergirl Plumpify Blast Pro in Very Black, $8.99

Covergirl Tru Blend Primer for Combo Skin, $9.99

Covergirl Intensify Me! Liquid Eyeliner, $8.00

Covergirl Colorlicious Oh Sugar! Lip Balm in Candy, $8.99

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence, $33

SK-II Facial Treatment Mask, $17

Wella Oil Professionals Oil Reflections Smoothening Oil, $10

SK-II is a brand I’ve heard of but haven’t tried anything from. Some quick research on Sephora revealed that the brand is from Japan. Actresses like Cate Blanchett swear by their skin products. The box included two expensive items. (Oh, yea, that’s why I hadn’t tried it!) The first was the brand’s Facial Treatment Mask. The masks I usually buy at Sephora are about $8. This mask is a whopping $17! It’s supposed to be a part of wedding rituals. Sephora says,

“This 100 percent cotton mask drenches the skin with pitera’s fusion of vitamin, amino acids, minerals, and organic acids, while working to revitalize, comfort, and provide intense hydration. It immediately replenishes dehydrated skin, leaving it refreshed and cool.”

The other item included was SK-II’s Facial Treatment Essence. This product seems so ambiguous. What’s facial essence? Well, of course, I looked it up.

#1 it’s super expensive

#2 it looks just like good quality H2O

#3 it’s supposed to change your skin and be worth the price tag

Hmm. Sephora explains it like this

“Facial Treatment Essence is enriched with more than 90 percent Pitera—the main ingredient used to enhance the skin’s renewal process—plus nourishing vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and organic acids to promote a healthy skin cell renewal cycle. With daily application, this essence moisturizes, improves texture and clarity, and contributes to a more beautiful, balanced, and glowing complexion. ”

We shall see. I haven’t tried either.

The other product that wasn’t Covergirl was the Wella Oil. I rolled my eyes when I saw this product. Another hair oil? You bet! I have enough to bathe in twice a day for a year. Ok, ok ok. This product does work. I did drop $40 with Birchbox points for Bumble and Bumble’s Hairdresser’s Oil, but this stuff seems to work just as well and it smells delicious. All you need is a small drop in the palm of your hands and it smooths out every frizz on your head. I think this will last me a very long time since you don’t need a lot. The size that was included was one ounce which is worth about $10.

The rest of the products included in this fabulous free box were from Covergirl. The mini magazine included a picture of Katy Perry from the Grammy’s. The products are supposed to be products she used for her look.

I really love the picture of her!

rs_634x789-150208163843-634.Katy-Perry-Grammys-Hair-020815 — Photo Credit: www.eonline.com

Since I’ve gotten the box, I’ve had a chance to try all the Covergirl products! Some I liked and others I’m not sure about.

The Intensify Me! eyeliner is interesting. It’s a liquid eyeliner, but it has a paddle-shaped applicator. I liked how pigmented it was but I found it difficult to apply. Now, it may just take some practice. I did notice the shape made cat eyes pretty easy to achieve. Again, this product is for a more dramatic look. You wouldn’t use it for a simple black liner look. It’s impossible to make it thin-lined. Since I messed up a bit, I went back over it with my holy grail tattoo liner from Kat Von D.

The mascara was much better than I expected! The massive brush reminds me of a DNA strand. It also comes separate from the base of the mascara. When you put the applicator in, you can really tell how black the formula is because the brush is orange-red. This mascara is really reasonable at $8.99. I think I could use this instead of my Marc Jacobs mascara!

I used the primer under my Kat Von D liquid foundation. I didn’t notice a big difference because I already mix my foundation with a primer. It says it’s for combo skin. This product I wouldn’t purchase since I’m sold on Kat’s.

Lastly, the Covergirl Colorlicious Oh Sugar! Lip Balm in Candy was really cool. I loved the smell and the packaging was pretty and sleek. The only drawback is it didn’t have any pigment. It said it was supposed to have some color, but it’s more of a clear balm. It seemed to me as if it was Covergirl’s version of Fresh’s Sugar products. Overall, it was a good clear balm that I’ll use over lipstick or on days I’m not wearing lip color.

Did you receive this box free? What do you think of Covergirl?

Love & Laughter,

Tiffany

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick Vox Box

10 / 23 / 1510 / 23 / 15

Hello darlings! I’ve waited a bit to give a full review on the YSL Vox Box because I wanted to really use the lipsticks and give an in-depth assessment. A month or so ago I received two full sized YSL Rouge Pur Couture lipsticks in the mail. These lipsticks were sent from Influenster as part of their testing. I’ve been a member for a few years now. These are the highest value items I’ve received yet! I plan on writing a post about how I became an Influenster and what it’s been like for me.

Here’s how it went down: I reviewed some other YSL products in the past. I didn’t think I’d be lucky enough to receive more…but I was wrong! I received an email with a quick survey. I filled it out and within a week I received an email saying I was chosen to try the Voxbox! I seriously jumped up and down, smiling ear-to-ear. In a week, this black box was at my doorstep. Here’s that it looked like!

Once open, there was a card from Influenster and YSL along with the two lipsticks. I love Cara Delevingne. She’s the “face” of the Rouge Pur Couture Collection and is always killing it in their ads. The lipsticks were wrapped in black tissue paper.

Each lipstick was packaged in a shimmery gold box. I’ve learned that higher-end lipsticks don’t typically put names on their products. Instead, they’re recognized by numbers. I’m not sure why this is, but I later had to look up the name of the shades on Sephora’s website. I received both 19 and 9. They are full sized. Each is worth $36, placing the box value at $72!

Here they are chilling with Cara! At this point I was squealing and doing a happy-dance.

I opened the boxes carefully and held each lipstick. The “oohs and awws” took place as I twisted the lipstick up and down. Some things I noticed right off the bat:

The lipstick cases were super heavy

The YSL logo wasn’t slapped on, but instead is part of the design on the side

Even the lipstick product has YSL on it

The closure isn’t magnetic, but holds the lipstick closed really tightly

The lipstick smells like Roses and reminds me of past elegance

The #19 lipstick is in the shade Fuchsia. This is a bright fuchsia pink. It’s bright and cheery. It makes your teeth look extra white. I wore this with a black dress and purple heels to church one Sunday and received a lot of compliments. It’s not for the faint of heart and is more dramatic. Below is a swatch of it on my wrist. When wearing this shade, I keep the rest of my face makeup minimal. I applied black liner, mascara, highlighter, and just a little blush to help the color stand out.

See the bottom of the lipstick? It doesn’t say the shade, just the number!

The other shade I received was #9 and it’s called Rose Stiletto. This shade is described as a rich berry rose. It’s a beautiful shade that’s classic and under-stated. It’s not near as bright as Fuchsia, but it does demand attention when it’s on your lips. I’ve been wearing it a lot more than the other shade because it compliments a number of different makeup looks. It’s perfect for Fall, too. I’ve been wearing it with a slightly smokey eye and then a bronzer.

The formula for the YSL Rouge Pur Couture lipsticks is unlike any I’ve tried in the past. It’s moisturizing and goes on like butter. The smell is fantastic and the lipstick bullets themselves are works of art. When I apply the lipstick, I only need one swipe to get the color pay off I expect. You don’t have to keep going over it and you don’t need to add a primer or any gloss. I appreciate that the formula doesn’t feather or smear off my lips. I’ve worn it in hot weather and it doesn’t budge. The only thing is, you need to reapply it after you eat or drink coffee. I don’t mind that, since it’s not supposed to be a lip stain.

I’ve also noticed a little goes a long way. Since you’re not reapplying the product every few hours, it lasts longer. Rose Stiletto doesn’t even look used and I’ve been using it off and on for about a month! The packaging keeps the lipsticks from opening in your purse and the luxurious feel makes you want to grab them and apply them nonstop (even though you don’t have to).

I had never really considered purchasing YSL lipsticks as a collection. I had hoped for Christmas I might get one last year. Now, though, after receiving these for free, I’ve determined I’d like to collect a few more. The quality is unlike other brands and they look stunning on my makeup vanity. Along with regular finish (like the ones I received), YSL offers satin and matte versions of the shades. I think I’ll stick with the regular since it’s treated me so well.

Overall, my rating is a 10+/10. I hoped these would be as luxurious as they looked, and I wasn’t let down. Influenster kindly sent them to me for free to try out. Everything in this post is my own personal opinion. I’d tell you if they were a flop. (See my review on the Touché Eclat Blur Perfector which kinda sucked.)

Each lipstick in the Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture collection is $36. You can order them from Sephora, Nordstrom, Barney’s and YSLBeauty.com. I just saw that Nordstrom has them 10% off and they’re only $32! That’s pretty rare, so take advantage of the discount if you’re interested in trying a more luxurious lipstick.

Love & Laughter,

Tiffany

What a BRIGHT July Birchbox!

10 / 13 / 15

Without further adieu, this is what I received in my July Birchbox! If you can’t tell, the theme was BRIGHT. This has been one of my favorite boxes. I fell in love with the Stila lipstick. Also, who doesn’t love hair products that smell like blackberries? Sorry it’s such a late post. I just thought, better late than never. No?`

Love & Laughter,

Tiffany

I purchased this box with my own money! The post does include a referral link though. If you sign up, I’ll earn some points. I appreciate it!