This month was one of those months where it was hit or miss. The theme of the June Birchbox was “everyday kind of magic.” The products were supposed to have “presto-chango payoff.” The concept was cool, but some of the products just didn’t work well.
This fancy stuff retails at $44. Yikes! That’s a lot for a dry texturizing spray. I had heard of the brand before and wanted to try it. I received a perfume from Birchbox before in the scent. It’s supposed to be a cult-favorite. Thus far I haven’t had a chance to use it. I just don’t use dry products very often. But I will…eventually. Bonus: it smells good!
When I saw this, I was so excited. It’s bright and I love the packaging. Well, it came kind of melted since the weather was hot. I get that. No problem. But, the consistency and color was awful. The product didn’t go on smooth and made me look like an oompa loompa. It contains sweet almond oil, which is cool, but the color was way off. In fact, I will probably toss it. (It’s that bad). I wouldn’t buy it for $5, much less $14.95
Woohoo! A skin care product I’ve debated buying myself! This product by Paula’s Choice is an exfoliant that retails at $28. I’ve had this in my cart before online. It’s pricey, so I’ll try it before I consider buying it. My skin isn’t too great so hopefully this will help with redness. It says, “This leave-on exfoliant wipes away impurities to reveal smooth, even-toned, glowing skin.” Sign me up!
I’ve tried Coola products before in a beauty box. They work well and are perfect if you hate greasy sunscreen. This sample is for your face and is SPF30. I haven’t had to use it yet since I haven’t been out in the sun!
The very last item included in June’s Birchbox was the Gimme Brow sample from Benefit. I’ve tried a version of this product before and was actually sent a full size free on behalf of Ipsy three years ago. I like it a lot. The wand helps you color in your brow and it stays put for quite some time. The only issue is that I found a NYX version a lot cheaper. For $6.99 NYX’s Tinted Brow Mascara seemed to work just as well. The full sized Gimme Brow is $24. I don’t see that big of a difference in the quality other than it may stay longer. Either way, these products are super nice and give your face a “finished” look.
Overall the box was just OK. I hope July’s is better.
Love & Laughter,
Tiffany
Ps- I don’t receive anything from writing this and I paid for the box myself. If you click on this link and sign up I will get referral points though 😉 If you put FREE100 and sign up for a subscription you’ll get $10 to spend in the Birchbox store!
I about peed my pants when I found out I was selected to try the latest makeup line from Yves Saint Laurent! For those that don’t know, the brand is pretty pricey and is offered from the world-famous luxury brand. Personally, I’ve tried a handful of samples from YSL, but I’ve never tried any full sized items.
So, how did I receive this crazy nice makeup swag? Well, I’ve been a member of Influenster for about three years now. This program is online and allows different people to try new products and give feedback. Now, it helps that I have a lot of Facebook friends and have my own beauty blog. I think that’s why they send me more makeup than others. The program is completely free and I’m not paid to say anything in particular about the brands. In the past I’ve tried razors, makeup items, and even vitamins! This package is by far the highest valued item I’ve been sent and it made my day! I plan on writing a post later about how to become an Influenster and what to do to get sent some of the higher value items to sample. In the meantime, if you’re curious, just click here and begin working on your profile and connecting your social media to the site.
Before I received this box, I received an email with a set of questions to answer. I answered that I loved makeup and was a Very Important Beauty Insider at Sephora (I send $350+ per year there). Once I finished the set of questions, I received a confirmation email that I was receiving the box. It came a few days later and looked like this.
When I opened the packaging I swear I had hearts in my eyes. The compact is beautiful and very luxurious to hold. The packaging is a pale pink with the iconic YSL logo in gold. Once you open the rectangular compact, there is a mirror and then the product. So, what in the world is this pink formula supposed to do?
According to Sephora, the product is a blur perfector. This means that the formula will help matte-ify your skin, blur overlarge pores, and give you a warm glow. The exact description says
“This portable perfector is Yves Saint Laurent’s first ever blur perfector encased within a compact. It transforms from a balm to a powder upon application to soften the skin’s imperfections—creating a transparent yet subtle, rosy-glow effect. Use it alone as an allover complexion perfector, to set makeup, or as a mattifying touch up to sweep away shine and hide imperfections. Featuring one universal shade that complements all skin types, it instantly minimizes the look of pores so that skin feels smoother and the complexion appears more even. ”
So, what did I think? Even though the packaging was beautiful…I didn’t like it. As soon as I opened it, I applied it on top of my Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo foundation. The formula from YSL didn’t mix well and basically made my makeup come off. I noticed the liquid makeup separated and drew even more attention to my large pores (sigh).
I thought maybe it was how it mixed with my foundation. I tried another day by wearing it alone. I didn’t notice a big difference, but my husband said my pores around my nose did seem smaller.
You use a sponge to apply the cream which then turns into a powder. The formula feels great going on and seems to eliminate oil. Unfortunately, I wear liquid makeup almost everyday. This type of product doesn’t work well with my go-to foundation so I won’t have a need for it. Along with trying it all over on top of my foundation, I also used it under and it did the same thing. Another time I only used it near my oily t-zone and again, it didn’t deliver. It was super disappointing for such an expensive and beautiful product. On Sephora, a lot of beauty lovers are saying they’re addicted to it. Perhaps it works better with other foundations? I may try to mix it with my Clinique Almost Powder Makeup on a day when I’m not doing a full face of makeup.
YSL Touch Eclat Blue Perfector cam be purchased at Sephora for $55. If you didn’t get the hint already, I won’t be purchasing it. I feel as if there isn’t a need for this in my day-to-day makeup routine.
Yves Saint Laurent Touch Eclat Blur Primer
I think I’ve found my new favorite primer! After the disappointment of the compact, I was beginning to think Yves Saint Laurent products weren’t as great as I thought they were supposed to be. Thankfully, the primer proved me wrong. I received the primer from Influenster and it was a small sample size. The container has a gold top and has small flecks of gold suspended in the liquid. You apply it with a small sponge applicator. Overall, the product is supposed to help your makeup go on smooth, blur complexion imperfections, and give you a healthy glow. Sephora says,
“Touche Elcat Blur Primer preps skin for foundation application, creating an improved, refined appearance: pores seem to be minimized, skin texture feels smoother, and skintone is more even. It’s enriched with four nourishing oils—corn oil, apricot kernel oil, passiflora oil, and rice bran oil—to leave skin feeling incredibly soft without a greasy residue. Packed with blur technology, this universal primer provides a subtle, golden shimmer for ultimate luminosity. ”
Boy, did this help my makeup stay put! It worked beautifully under my Kat Von D foundation (unlike the compact version) and made my skin look flawless. I even received a few compliments on my skin when wearing it. The gold flecks are interesting. I didn’t see them on my skin. I suppose they blend in? The formula is very silky. I felt like I needed a lot to cover my entire face. It absorbs quickly and helps acne stars look less noticeable. I’ve purchased Lancomes’ LA BASE PRO for $42 in the past. I would say the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Blur Primer works a tad bit better. It seemed to keep my makeup on just as long and go on just as smooth. The difference is that the YSL product helped my skin have a healthy glow. The Lancome primer didn’t.
Touche Eclat Blur Primer is $52 for one ounce of product. It’s a little bit larger than Lancome’s (.2 ounces more). I think trying this through Influenster has definitely won me over. I saw a promotion at Sephora to receive a deluxe sample of the primer. I spent some money just to get another container of it! Now, can I get myself to invest in a $36 YSL lipstick? 😉
I received both products FREE through Influenster for testing purposes. My opinions are, of course, my own. If I like something, I’ll let you know. If I think it’s a waste of a dollar…I’ll let you know that, too.
I received the April Glambag this past month and I was super disappointed. Even before getting it in the mail, I received an email that said that the MICA Beauty eye primer had some discoloration in it. Nonetheless, I held out, hoping the bag would still deliver.
Spoiler Alert: It didn’t.
I’ve always heard other beauty lovers complain about their subscription purchases and I thought it was absurd. It’s cheap makeup and risk is involved…so don’t complain. Just cancel. Well, after this month I was a little more understanding. Here’s what I received in my bag, and why I can’t be too happy with it this month.
Mullein & Sparrow All Natural Tinted Lip and Cheek Balm, Sample Size, Valued at $8
This product had me really excited for this bag. I really like anything from Etsy sellers and love supporting small businesses. Unfortunately this product didn’t have any pigment. As you can see in the swatches, there wasn’t any color. The smell was delicious. It reminded me of citrus. Some members of Ipsy said they were going to use it as a perfume. I think this was an OK idea. Unfortunately I haven’t even reached for it since I reviewed it. The design on the front is beautiful and the concept is cool but it just didn’t work.
Wind Blown 05 Dry Finishing Spray by Redken, Sample Size, Valued at $10
This sample was probably my favorite item in the bag. I like Redken products and I’ve used this a few times since receiving it. The finishing spray is supposed to hold your hair and also help it look more polished. Overall it wasn’t something I’d purchase myself, but I’m glad to have it.
theBalm Cosmetics Eye Shadow in Flirty, Sample valued at $1.50-$2
I was bummed about the size of this sample. I like theBalm, which is sold at Ulta and other stores, but this sample was so tiny. The color was ok but I have other shades similar. The individual eye shadow comes in a magnetic little package. Of course I think the packaging is cute though.
MicaBeauty Eye Primer, Sample Size, Value $12
Oh, this was a big oopsidaisi from Ipsy. Right before I was mailed out my bag I received a message saying that the MicaBeauty Primer was discolored. I’m a member of an online makeup forum and many members were saying they found mold in their product. Now, Ipsy swears that it’s just discoloration but I wasn’t too confident. Once I received it I looked it over. Even though it looked alright to use, I was weary. I emailed the help desk and was responded to quickly. They told me that they understood my concern and offered another sample with its own shipping tracking code. I threw the primer away and within a week had another item in the mail. I was shocked that they sent me a full sized Oscar Blandi Pronto Texture and Volume Spray. I plan on offering a full review on this product later. I was really pleased with the quick response and customer service. This has made me more confident with my subscription and I’m super glad I haven’t cancelled.
JulieG Nail Color in Damsel, Full-size $3.99
The color is pretty for spring but I’m not a fan of the formula. It has formaldehyde in it, which is pretty bad for you. Now, I do use a lot of different nail polishes, some of which may not be 100% natural, but this worried me. It’s a cheaper brand from Wallgreens and I’m picky about what I put on my nails. Overall, I decided not to use this. I’ll probably give it to someone. The color is pretty though, too bad I don’t know what it looks like on.
Overall: It Was the Worst Bag I’ve Ever Received
I was shocked when I received this. It was the worst bag I’ve ever received from Ipsy. The bag itself was cute but the items just didn’t seem worth the price. Some people loved this bag and I think it might be a matter of preference. I won’t really use the eyeshadow, the primer, the tint, or the nail polish. I’ve used the hair product and liked it and I also used the bag when I went to the beach. It’s been a few months since I’ve taken the pictures and I still think this is a pretty bad bag…but I’m happy with the full-sized product they sent me.
This made me keep subscribing and of course I’ve been super happy with the products ever since.
