Things I'm dying for

So I thought I'd do a "wanted" post of items I'm dying to try!

Photos courtesy of Sephora.com

Stila Countless Color Pigment in Light Show
     Oh my god. How could you absolutely not love the look of this item? I do. I really wanted to buy it but I didn't know about the quality. Lucky for me, I stopped by a Sephora and they had them out. They were awesomely pigmented and I could swatch all three colors! Sooo, yeah. I want this. The only complaints I hear is that it is kind of hard to get each individual shadow. That's ok, I love the overall color too. Of course The marble effect is different for each one made so I have to make sure I get a good one.

Kat Von D Everlasting Blush
     I'm in love with these blushes. So the packaging is cute and I wanted it first off because of that, but then I fell in love with the product. I talked my mom into trying out the color Heartgram while at Sephora and she really like it and ended up buying it. Then , I tried that color and fell so much in love. I am actually tempted to buy my own since I loved that one so much. Actually I want a few of them. All of the would be preferable, but that's not in my budget. D: Whhhhhhhhy?

Guerlain Meteorites Powder For The Face
     I have no idea why I want this product to be honest. I've heard it's pretty good, but yet, I don't know. It's so beautiful and cool looking and I've been lusting after it for months, but the price tag is so high for me for what it would do. I was actually going to get this from my boyfriend for our anniversary, but I got a super amazing deal on a 3DS XL so this didn't happen. One day, maybe.

Kat Von D Ludwig Palette
     So I already have 3 of her other palettes that I am absolutely in love with. So, naturally, I want this one. It's the greens that draw me in. I just NEED those greens. I've literally been eyeing this baby for months. Honestly I should probably just splurge and get it because I been longing for this longer than I should have for something of that price. Plus it's an eyeshadow palette. I maybe (possibly, yes) might have a obsession with palettes. So I might just buy this soon. You know, when Sephora actually has some good point perks, dammit!

     That's all for now. Stay tuned for next time!

Why I cancelled my Birchbox

     Birchbox was my introduction to the world of beauty boxes and I enjoyed them immensely at first. Every month I would get it in the mail and be all excited about what I was going to get to try. If I didn't like some of the products, I would pass it to my mother and she would try it out for herself. So what happened? I had two big issues when it came to cancelling my box.

1) I was tired of itty bitty samples.
     Now, I totally didn't expect full sized all the time, but I really was expecting deluxe sample sizes for mostly the rest. Or at least for the products that you need to use more than once to decide on it. But that didn't happen. I would get a sample of skin cream in a tiny foil packet good for one use. Oh that's great to make sure this 40 dollar cream works for me by giving me a sample that will barely cover my face once.
     This is not all Birchbox's fault, I blame the companies too. I am not going to buy your product, unless there is enough to get a good feel for the product. I mean my skin is super sensitive and trying something once doesn't always prove if it will hurt my skin or not. I think skin care companies would know that since, you know, they are marketing a skin care product.

2) I feel like Birchbox didn't listen to my beauty profile at all.
     My second to last box, which is my last BB review on here, contained 3 different anti-aging products. I have never ever expressed interest in anti-aging products, so why give me three. Yeah, I wouldn't care if it was just 1, but 3? The only skin care box I had highlighted was the sensitive skin. So why give me a box containing these products? I look like I'm in high school, I don't want this stuff.
     Before anyone says anything, I do think anti-aging starts when you're young, but I believe staying out the sun, applying sunscreen, moisturizing, and drinking water is the best way to prevent aging. I feel like anti-aging stuff is mainly a gimmick, which some of it is. I am not spending 40 dollars on that crap.
     To top that box off, I had one time use sample sizes for anti-aging stuff. So, I'm not sure what that is suppose to prove to me. It's not like I would see any difference with one use. Completely pointless.

     So those were my big disappointments with BB. Now it wasn't all bad! I got to try new things and discovered my go-to scent. Below is the list of items that I did enjoy getting from my boxes:

Viva La Juicy Sample (Favorite Fragrance!)
Pangea Organics Lip Balm (Fullsize)
Twistband Hairties
Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner (Favorite Eyeliner and fullsize!)
Beauty Blender Cleanser
Cool looking Bandaids (Fullsize)
Schick Razor
Model Co Lipgloss (Fullsize)

     Great products, a few I actually repurchased! Of course that was 8 items out of 64 items I got that I actually liked. 12.5% I actually liked and were happy to get compared to my 33.3% satisfaction rate with Ipsy items. Not to mention the stuff I didn't like were still awesome to get and I liked what they gave.

There you have it! This is why I cancelled. BB is a great program, but wasn't for me at all. I will probably gift my mom a subscription for Christmas again and bond together over the items. We both have different taste and it works well for what BB gives. (:

theBalm Instain Blushes swatches and more!

So theBalm had a 50% off sale so I decided to take pictures of what I got!

In order: Mai Billsbepaid, Down Boy, Argyle, Lace, and Toile.

Mai Billsbepaid: This color is super pretty. It's actually really subtle on the lips and doesn't look so dark. I put a picture below for reference. The smell has a hint of mint and the lipstick made my lips the tiniest bit tingly. It's not bad at all. It's has your typical lipsticky taste. Which again, it's not in a bad way. It's a really smooth lipstick and goes on lovely even on dry lips. Guess who found a MLBB color! Meeeeeee.

Down Boy: I have been eyeing this blush for AGES. Seriously, ages. Something always happened to prevent  me for actually buying it. But now I have it! It's a really lovely light pink with cooler tones to it. It was everything I expected. It's perfectly pigmented but not too much and it blends so great! Glad I finally got this!

Argyle: First of the new Instain blushes! I took a plunge and bought three. I figured I would most likely love them since theBalm makes amazing pressed pigments. Guess what, I do! So it actually does stain a little when I swatched it on my fingers. On my arm, it wasn't bad at all. When on my face, on top of my make up, it was easy to remove. The only slight downside to this is that you have to be light handed with this compared to their other blushes because it can go on dark. But seriously, lovely product! And the color is a more flushed pink.

Lace: Lace to me reminded me of a brighter Down Boy. I really like it. I'd say this one stains the most out of the ones I got!

Toile: This is a beautiful strawberry color. This one is interesting because it has flecks of darker color in the actual pressed powder. Kind of like a strawberry!

So basically the blushes are awesome. I might pick up two more or maybe even the last three for the hell of it. But that'll be down the road!

Not pictured was Cabana Boy. I ordered the first day the sale came and they missed it. But I just sent them an email and it came a day later!

Before I forget, here is a picture of Mai Billsbepaid on my lips.

What did I tell you. Subtle! Thanks for reading!

My March Favorites

So after being all lame and not posting. I decided to post every so often. So I thought I'd share some of my favorite products for the month of March.

Holika Holika Clearing BB Cream: I know I've talked about this one before, but it really is amazing. It dries matte, which is great since I can add simmer myself. It's medium to full coverage which is what I prefer. It also is a great color for my skin since I'm very pale and neutral. So it's an all around win that I am in love with.


Eucerin Redness Relief Daily Perfecting Lotion SPF 15: I just bought this stuff and I love it. It has a green tint to it to help my redness. It's a moisturizing lotion that also has SPF in it. So it helps my redness and my dryness, but it also has some SPF in it which is great!

SMASHBOX Photo Finish Foundation Primer: I found some of my moms and decided to use it. It really helps smooth out my skin and create and nice base for my foundation. It holds it really well! It was worth the price for me. I use it everyday.

e.l.f. Studio Powder Brush: I've had this one for a while. I really love it. It's soft and dense and perfect for buffing out my foundation. After I put my BB cream on, I just use this to blend it perfectly in. Come out great every time!

e.l.f. Eyebrow Lifter and Filler in Light: I totally picked this up on a whim while looking for brow products and I'm surprised at how amazing it is. It has a perfect waxy consistency and color for my sparse brows. Sometimes I use it on it's own, other times I add some powder on top. Either way, my brows look better than ever!

Boots Blush in Soft Damson: Wow. I picked this up at Target because it looked like a beautiful natural flushed color. Guess what? IT is! Perfect for my pale skin, not too pigmented and not to light. It's hard for me to grab other blushes now.

NYX Taupe Blush: After trying to find a good contour powder for AGES, I found this. I had already tried the Too Faced one and NYC Sunny, but they just seemed too orange on me. I picked this one up and fell in love. It looks perfect on my skin. It's my HG contour color now!

Too Faced Boudoir Eyes Palette: When this launched, I knew I wanted it. The colors just seemed so me, the packaging was cute, and I have an obsession with eyeshadow. So I went to Ulta and got it. Wow, talk about buttery and pretty! I am in love. Everything goes on great, my only issue I've had with it is one of the colors has some slight fallout, but it's no worse than the Naked palette. It gives me such sexy eyes, there is such a huge place in my heart for this product now. I reach for it multiple times a week.

So that's it for March! (:

Ipsy vs. Birchbox November 2012

So I'm back with my opinions for this months of boxes!

(Straight from the Ipsy website!)

Ipsy November 2012:
This month they were offering a small sample of they're Real! by Benefit. I was really hoping to get that, but alas, I did not. Was very sad. Anyway, here is what I got in my box.

theBalm Meet Matt(e) in Matt Batali: It's a very beautiful brownish shadow. Goes on really well and it is suited for many skin types! I like! :D Honestly, it's hard to go wrong with theBalm.

bareMineral Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss: This one was a darker color for me, so I wasn't too thrilled about that. It was your average lipgloss for me, not sticky, sheer, glossy. Cool, nothing special, but something about it made my lips kinda hurt/tingle. So, meh.

Starlet Intense Eyeliner in Brown: This was ok, not the biggest fan of this medium brown color. It was also kind of rough to use. Ended up giving it away.

Chella Defining Brow Gel: As I said, I wanted the mascara, but this was ok. I'm not really big into brow gels, since my brows are pretty easy to tame. It's cool to have, but I won't be using it a lot. Good product, not for me!

Nailtini Nail Color in Millionaire: Ack! So much long, glittery confetti. I didn't like the color and it made me think of hair. I gave it away asap. I love nail polish, but this wasn't a color for me! Oh well.

(Straight from the Birchbox website!)

Birchbox November 2012:
I was so disappointed when my box updated. Does this look like a box you would give to someone who is 22 but looks 16? No. It looks like something my mom would get. What the hell Birchbox. I said my only concern with skin is sensitivity so why am I getting so many skin care products in my box? Such a disappointment.

Masqueology Revitalizing Eye Mask: What is this? Stuff to make me look awake? I already look awake. I don't have under eye circles. I had no reason to use this so I gave it away.
MCMC Fragrance Phoenix Eau de Parfum: Perfume? Alright! I like perfume. Unfortunately this was too strong for my tastes. No big deal.

Kiehl's Creme de Corps: This is a lotion. Decent sample size, good smell, very moisturizing. I like! The only problem is the price tag. 70$? Haha, no. I use other things just as nice for waaaaaay cheaper.

Masqueology 7D Moisture Cream: Another thing for under eye circles, that I don't have. Again, gave this away asap. Why do I need items that do the same thing in my box? Not to mention the sample size is tiny. How do I even know it'll work when it's only good for once use?

Masqueology Masque Cleanse: A lot of cleansers hurt my face. I was not about to put this on my face either. Plus, the sample was only good for one use. How do I know if it'll hurt my skin if I can only use it once. I'm not pleased at all. :/

stila all over shimmer liquid luminizer: I'm not really big into liquid luminizers, but I thought I would give this a try. Too dark and orangy for my skin. Well, that's lame. Decent product, but I can't use it. Wouldn't buy it anyway.

Verdict: Even though I didn't like much in either box, Ipsy did 1000x better than Birchbox. I am pissed I got three facial products that I don't need nor ever hinted I needed. They need to look again at my profile. If December isn't good, I'm cancelling for sure.

MyGlam vs. Birchbox October 2012

First up is the Birchbox!

I did not op in or out of the Goop box, but I ended up with one anyway. This is what it contained:
(MALIN+GOETZ) cilantro hair conditioner: This was a deluxe sample size. I like good conditioners, so I was pleased to see this.
(MALIN+GOETZ) grapefruit face cleanser: After getting the deluxe sample of the conditioner, I was disappointed to see this was a little packet only good for one use. I literally need at least 3 uses out of something to tell if it's going to hurt my skin or not. So this isn't useful to me.
Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum: I don't really care for this stuff, but I'll use it. Although the sample is small, it'll be good for a few uses.
LUNA Fiber Chocolate Raspberry: Everyone seems to hate the Luna bar. I don't mind, but I don't want one everything month since the flavors aren't my type. It was a nice added thing though!
Sprout Lip Balm Flights: This was the size of a chapstick. The product is nice, but I can't stand the smell of raw cocoa, so I'm giving this away. It was a good pick to see in my box though!
Supergoop!® City Sunscreen Serum: Last but not least, the Goop product! Unfortunately, it came in two tiny packets. It might work out for a few uses, but I was disappointed in the size.

Overall not bad, but I had three main issues with the box, which I ended up contacting their CS. So I will update when I get a response. My issues were:
1) My box came hella late. It was suppose to arrive the 19th, but it came the 24th. Of course that might be the post offices fault. So that's not the biggest deal.
2) I got the wrong card in my box. That was a little weird. But again, not a big deal.
3) Um, the Goop sample was pathetic. I really think that if Goop pairs up with Birchbox, they were going to toss in some deluxe sample sizes, or at least not pitiful sizes. Was really not impressed with this.

On to the Glam bag!

The bag this month was AMAZING! They outdid themselves for sure. What did I get?
Couture Colour Pequi Oil Treatment: I really like this stuff! It makes my hair feel so smooth and silky! And the bottle retails for 12$! Already paid for my bag, and the product is fabulous. Already better than my BB!
Coastal Scents Eye Shadow: I ended up getting set 1 which was two bluish/teal, grey and white! Not my colors, but it still works for sampling. I actually ended up really liking the shadows, plus they are cheap! Nice thing to have in the bag.
Mirenesse Lip Bomb Glossy Lacquer Stain: Full size product alert! Oh my gosh, was so stoked to see this. It's a beautiful stain. It's actually kind of like a liquid lipstick stain. It's great! And retails for like over 30$. Holy crap. The only downside here is that it's number 4 and I was wanted the lighter one. Oh well. I've only used it once so if anyone wants to trade me for 9, let me know! :D
Be A Bombshell Eye Liner: Full sized liner! Whoooo! Black, felt tip liner that works well. I like it, it will be added to my black eyeliner collection. Fabulous!
theBalm What's Your Type? "the body builder" Black Mascara: Mascara! I always love trying out mascara. I am forever searching for the HG mascara. While this was not it, it's a great product and am happy to see this in my bag.

It's pretty obvious what I liked more. I mean, I didn't hate my BB, but it wasn't anything amazing. The Glam bag killed it! Dang. I mean, I'm not expecting for everyone to give me a full size product every month, but I do want to get good sample sizes so I can try out the product! We shall see what happens come November.

MyGlam vs. Birchbox September 2012

I thought I'd do a comparison for this months BB and Glambag.

This was my Birchbox this month. I wasn't too thrilled with it, but I'll give a quick breakdown:
BVLGARI Mon Jasmin Noir: Perfume. It was really strong smelling and not my type. Went straight to the garbage.
WEI™ to Go Sleep Over Kit: Real Clean and Ideal Skin: Make up item! Cool to try, but not interested in it. Something that I could easily get for free. Not really impressed.
Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator: A face thingy. Some sort of brightener? What? Basically used as a wash. It's interesting, but I do have a good face routine. I'm also hoping this doesn't hurt my sensitive skin.
Birchbox and Color Club® Custom Collection: A light pink metallic! It's a tiny size, which I didn't mind. The color just isn't me. And the last polish they gave me was metallic. Boring.
twistband™ Lace up for Fall: This was cool. I bought some before and I like them, but I just got a single one. I'm probably a bit picky about this, but I just looks silly in the box with everything else.
The Brush Guard Variety Pack: This is a cool idea! Was an interesting concept. I might get some use out of them when I travel. We shall see. 

Honestly, this is the lamest Birchbox I have ever received. Looks like it cost them nothing to put together and it all just fell flat.

So I don't have a picture of my GlamBag because I'm lazy, but it's the same for everyone. So here's the quick breakdown:
SOHO Smudge Brush: Yay! A brush! This is fab! I can never have too many brushes! I haven't used it yet, but I am quite interested in trying it out!
Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Split End Sealer: Who has split ends? This girl. That's the trouble with fine, frizzy hair. This product will be great to use. I am so happy with it!
Jane Sparkle Gloss: Although this gloss doesn't last very long, it's a very nice color. And, I happen to love lip products! Another win for me!
Mirabella Eye Colour: This is a pretty neutral pinky-brown color. It's slightly pearlize and silky. I like it a lot. I could never have enough eyeshadow so this made me super happy!
Circus by Andrea's Choice Nail Color in Tightrope: Another circus polish? Yes please! I love me some nail polish! While I'm not sure about the color, I am pleased to have another full size polish in my collection!

How amazing is this bag? This is by far the best month of GlamBag I've gotten. Kind funny considering it was my worst Birchbox month. Oh well. (: