I Hit the Birchbox Jackpot

I thought about not reviewing my August Birchbox since everyone and their mother does every.single.month. But ladies, I've hit the Birchbox jackpot! Well, in my opinion at least. I was super happy with my July Birchbox, but August's has exceeded my expectations. I can honestly say I'm really happy with every item. Thanks for treating a sister right, Birchy.

So without further adieu, my August Birchbox goodies...

You don't have to tell me. I know you love my AWESOME iPhone pictures. I don't own a fancy shmancy camera. Sorry I'm not sorry...

1 // Beauty Fixation Makeup Remover // When I first saw these, I seriously said out loud, "Why the hell did Birchbox send me Q-tips?" But then, after actually reading the packaging, I realized I was given makeup remover gold. These little Q-tip swabs are filled with makeup remover! Just hold vertically, bend one end of the swab, and voila! Perfect for cleaning up messy eyeliner or a mascara oops. I may or may not have intentionally smeared mascara around my eye yesterday just to try these bad boys out. HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THESE?!?

2 // Schick Hydro Silk Razor // I think Birchbox read my mind. The morning before I received my Birchbox, while shaving obvi, I realized that I was going to need to buy a new razor soon. Mine is falling apart; the razor blade barely stays on. Who knew razor's fall apart?! And then I'm given this gem. A real, live razor. Not a disposable one that slices your legs like a perfectly cooked turkey on Thanksgiving. And the best part? It also came with a coupon for blade refills. It was like smooth leg Christmas over here, peeps!

3 // Juicy Couture Viva la Juicy La Fluer // I love this scent. I tried it on recently at Ulta and fell in love. And while I splurge on stupid things every now and then, $70 for a bottle of perfume is just ridiculous to me! Girls gotta pay her student loans and car payment! So I was very excited to see this little sample. I can pretend like I dropped the big bucks and smell all pretty.

4 // Miss Jessie's Original Quick Curls // I've been eying this curl cream at Target for a couple months now, but again with these ridiculous prices. I wasn't about to drop $32 dollars on a product that I didn't know if I liked or not. But once again, Birchbox did me right. And I'M.IN.LOVE. Quick curls is ah-maze-balls. My curls have never been so unfrizzy in my life, not to mention is smells so good. I want to eat my hair. I really want to try this curl cream in the winter months when my curls lack life and volume.

5 // Pixi Beauty Lid Last Shadow Pen in Shell Sheen // First, who doesn't love a free full-sized product? I was excited just for that reason. But I also really like this shadow pen. I used it as an all over lid color as well as a liner for my bottom lid, and I was very happy with the product. The color is really soft and pretty and the product lasted all day with very little fading. A+ in my book!

Well ladies....that's it, that's all! Until tomorrow. Peace, Love & Lil Wayne...

...and that is why I love Lil Wayne

June's Birchbox

You can guess how excited I was when my June Birchbox arrived at my house. I've been obsessively tracking the box since Birchbox sent me an e-mail letting my know it shipped.

This month's theme revolves around Jet Setting! June is the month to begin summer travels, so what better way to kick off vacation season than with a box full of products to help make your vacation that much better!

1. tili Bags // This adorable plastic bag is designed to hold you travel liquids and samples, especially useful for the airport. I appreciate that Birchbox sent me this, but it just makes me angry that I won't be jetting off to an undisclosed tropical location any time in the near future. I guess I'll just have to hold on to this until I find someone who wants to fund a cruise for me! (I'm taking applications just in case you were interested...but really...)

2. John Varvatos Star U.S.A for Men // Okay Birchbox, that's nice of you to throw in a sample for Justin or my dad, but I'm sometimes selfish and this box is supposed to be 100% for me, so you could have excluded this. Danka! But really, I smelt this cologne and it reminded me too much of my dad, so Justin won't be getting this...awkward! It's a blend of ginger, juniper, berries, and vetiver, and in my opinion, the perfect cologne to get your dad for Father's Day!

3. Comodynes Self-Tanning Intensive // I love that I got these European self-tanning towelettes! I've tried quite a few self-tanners, but never in towelette form. I'm pretty dark right now (thank you skin for tanning so freaking easily) so I'll be keeping these bad boys to use once my tan goes away.

4. theBalm cosmetics Stainiac in Beauty Queen // By far, the best thing I got in my Birchbox this month! Inside this little tube is the best lip and cheek stain I have tried yet. The color reminds me a lot of Benefit's Bene Tint, only so much better. Unlike Bene Tint, which is a liquid, Stainiac is a gel, making application oh so easy. You know how some liquid stains leave an awkward line 10x darker on your lower lip? Not Stainiac! The gel formula helps to make even application so easy! Its also very long-lasting! I used Stainiac on both my lips and cheeks today, and the color lasted honestly all day! At $17 for a full size tube, it sure beats Bene Tint's $29.00 bottle!

5. Number 4 Super Comb Prep & Protect // This leave- in condition smells amazing! I have to admit though, I'm pretty obsessed with Dove Nourishing Oil Hair Therapy Detangler right now (review coming soon!) so I didn't really welcome this product with open arms. This product is designed to detangle, defrizz, and protect hair from UV-rays. Now, I can't exactly determine if my hair is more protected or not and my hair is always beyond frizzy (enter Dove Nourishing Oil Hair Therapy Detangler, but that's for another time) I can't really write much about those. It did do a good job at detangling, though!

6. beautyblender blendingcleanser // Let me admit, when I first glanced at the product description card, I thought I received thee beautyblender, and was a little bit disappointed to read that I really just received the sponge and brush cleanser. But, it really is a great product. I used it this morning to rid my make-up brushes of excess make-up and oil. Would I spend $17.95 for a full-size bottle? Heck no! But I'll enjoy the sample while it lasts.

This month's Birchbox wasn't my favorite, but there were a couple of products that I'm really glad I have the chance to try out. What did you get in you June Birchbox? 

**If you haven't entered for a chance to win my Essie Giveaway, do it!! Click here to go directly to the blog post. Good luck! **

May Birchbox

Ladies, the day has finally come...

My first Birchbox arrived yesterday!!!

I was so beyond excited to open the mail box and see this little gem sitting in there. This month's Birchbox was inspired by the TV show, Gossip Girl. I'm honestly not really into the show, but I did read all of the books back in the day!

I was so excited about my very first Birchbox that I tore it open right away. And this is what I found!

Samples of six different products and an adorable note card (envelope included!). Who knows who I'll send the note card to, but it's still really cute!

(From top to bottom)


Kérastase Cristalliste Bain Cristal - Luminous Perfecting Shampoo. This shampoo removes oil from your scalp without drying out the ends.

Kérastase Cristalliste Lait Cristal - Luminous Perfecting Conditioner. This ultra rich condition is packed with hydrating aloe.

stila Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Curacao. This is one of my favorite products I received. This eyeliner is a gorgeous sparkly navy blue color. This product claims to be very long-lasting with easy application thanks to the pen-like wand. I can't wait to try it out!

(From left to right)

Color Club Nail Polish in Disco Nap. I'm a sucker for gold metallic nail polish with a summer tan, so I'm pretty excited to try this out!

Kérastase Cristalliste Lumiére Liquide. This is a shine serum that you put on your hair when it's dry. My naturally curly hair tends to get a little dull after all that blow-drying and straightening, so I'm always up for trying a new shine serum. And a plus - it smells AMAZING!

Dr. Jart + Waterfuse BB Cream. This is, hands down, the product I am most excited about! All this buzz about BB cream has really got me interested. This four-in-one mositurizer, serum, sunscreen, and skin-perfecting tint is going to be perfect for this time of the year when I wear less makeup. 

I'm not super thrilled about the shampoo and conditioner and wish I would have gotten samples of different makeup products instead, but you can't always get what you want! Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with my first Birchbox ever, and I'm already excited about my next box!

What did you get in your Gossip Girl Birchbox?

xoxo, J

P.S. Who watched The Bachelorette last night?? I honestly hate the hype of The Bachelor/Bachelorette (have any of these relationships ever actually worked out?!?) but I watched the season that Emily won and I just love her! It must be the fact that she's the Southern Belle I've always wanted to be!

Birchbox!

FINALLY! After months and months of waiting (ok, really only three weeks), I finally got an e-mail yesterday letting me know it was time for me to sign up to start receiving a monthly Birchbox!!

For those of you who may have never heard of Birchbox, here is a little information about it from the e-mail I received:

"As a Birchbox member, every month you'll receive samples from the best beauty, grooming and lifestyle brands. Plus, you'll get access to expert advice to help you get the most out of your samples. Buy full-size versions of your favorites in the Birchbox Shop and earn loyalty points with every purchase."

I first heard about the Birchbox while reading The Small Things Blog. I immediately went to the Birchbox website to sign up! Now, there is a waitlist, so I did have to wait three weeks to sign up. But you can go to the website, give them your e-mail address, and they will e-mail you when it's your turn to sign up!

There are two different options for a membership. One is a yearly fee of $110, or, the option I chose, a monthly fee of $10. With the monthly membership, you can choose to end your subscription at any time with no hassle!

I am beyond excited to receive my first Birchbox and see what gems are tucked away inside! There's nothing I love more than trying different beauty products!

XOXO
        
            Yours Truly ♥