March Birchbox

Another month, another Birchbox. I can't believe it, but we're coming up on my two year birchbox anniversary (something else has an anniversary this week too, stay tuned)! I was absolutely thrilled with this month's box! So many great products and fantastic samples! 

Wish Shave Crave Shaving Cream

This is a blueberry scented shaving cream. Perfect because spring is coming, so I need be a tad more vigilant about shaving. It's super creamy and smells SO good. Plus my legs stay super moisturized after I use it! Loving this stuff so far, but not sure it's really worth $20 price tag for the full size, but I'm loving the sample!

MAKE Satin Finish Eyeshadow

I got this sample in the gorgeous grey color called: great lakes. Now we all know how much I love grey, so this is perfect! Plus I don't have a single mid-toned matte grey in my collection. Thanks Birchbox! I really love the formulation of this shadow. It's not hyper pigmented, but it blends well and is very buildable for more color impact. Plus 30% of every MAKE product goes straight to charity! Love that.  

MAKE Face Primer SPF 30

More MAKE stuff. I'm really impressed with this new brand because this primer is right up my alley. I love that it has 30 SPF, because this girl doesn't want any more wrinkles or skin cancer while were at it.  This primer is awesome. It's kind of tacky when you apply it, so it doesn't blend super well. You need a decent amount to properly cover your face, but I feel like the texture really binds with my foundation, so that stuff is not moving! Definitely considering buying this in full size.

Nick Chavez® Beverly Hills Color-Saver Sulfate Free Shampoo

Once again, birchbox knows me so well. I'm almost out of my super expensive shampoo that I was talked in to last summer. MAN was I stingy with that stuff. 1-2 times a week MAX. Anyways, I'm super excited to try this stuff out!

Plus they send me a great floral emery board! and lord knows I always need more of those. So what did you get in your box this month? Have you gotten it yet?

New Year New Skin-care Routine

Neutrogena Face Wash | Clarins Toner | Blistex | Fabulips | Juice Beauty Peel | Olay ProX | Clinique Moisture Surge | Philosophy Hope in a Jar | Juice Beauty Mask

Adding to the New Years Resolutions Floating around the blogosphere I wanted to talk to y'all briefly of my skin care plans for this year. I have always battled with my skin. Always. I used to have super oily skin. Then horrible acne. Then it got super dry. Somewhere in the last few years the acne has mostly dried up (thank goodness) but the oil is back--- and long days at a desk tend to make a gal forget to reapply her powder. I realized a few weeks ago that my skin routine was really non existent. Whatever face wash happened to be in the shower would suffice in the morning... at night I might use a washcloth and some warm water-- if I bothered to take my makeup off at all. Horrible I know. I know. I spend far too much time in front of the mirror applying makeup, and more than that... far too much money on my makeup, to waste on a poorly maintained canvas. 

So it's time to turn over a new leaf. Washing with my ProX. Toning to keep away oil. Moisturizing. Adding eye cream to fight bags and wrinkles. Gentile at home peels and regular exfoliation. That's my plan. Any suggestions? Or product ideas? These are a few I've tried samples of, or have used over the years. But I'm always looking for new ideas!

Happy Thursday!

Novemeber Birchbox

stila all over shimmer liquid luminizer 

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Review: LOVE LOVE LOVE. This is a gorgeous cream highlighter. And you can get all three for just $20! This would be a perfect stocking stuffer or just little just because gift. They're all gorgeous shades too!

Masqueology 7D Moisture Cream

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Review: really gentile scent. Super creamy. but other than that... ehh. A solid moisturizer but for me, it's not worth the $$.

MCMC Fragrance Phoenix Eau de Parfum

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Review: I think I'm one of the only people who LOVE getting perfume samples in their birchboxes. They are always big enough to last a few weeks and now I have so many I can switch up my daily scent all the time (which I love). This has to be one of my favorites. Ever. It's super floral, but it's very light at the same time. 

Masqueology Revitalizing Eye Mask

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Review: Okay--- I got this weird face mask from these people a few months ago--- and was less than impressed. Needless to say I was disappointed when I saw this in my box. but OH how I was wrong. These are this cool gel pad that you put below you eye and let it dry. First of all, I was obsessed with looking at these. They're like a mesh surrounded by gel and it's awesome. Second. They totally worked. I've been fighting fatigue like no other lately (mostly because my body hates me because I've put it through the most ridiculous sleep schedule the last 4 months), and bags are gone! Yay!

One Love Organics® Aromatic Body Serum

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Review: I'm kind of obsessed with this body serum. It's essentially just a scented oil but I've never really used an  oil to moisturize. I'm in love for real. AND, I apologize if this is TMI, but I've been dealing with some winter eczema on by legs and after only 3 days of using this... it's gone! That has NEVER happened to me before. 

Masqueology Masque Cleanse

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Review: More Masquology? I mean--- I know you're trying to sell this stuff in the store Birchbox--- but three products in one box is a little much. I want more of a variety. Needless to say this was a bit of a miss for me. Lightly scented. Cleaned my face. Not worth the price. But I appreciate the sample.

Birchbox Brag

Holy Heck. Two blog posts in one day? What is the world coming to? Well. I forgot that today was the wonder Tara's monthly Birchbox Brag. woops. I've had this post ready to go for a few days now, but didn't know when to pull the trigger. Hope y'all enjoy a double dose of Blue Dog Belle today :)

stila one step bronze

Birchbox Breakdown: The formula uses a trio of complementary pigments: coppery bronze adds warmth, pink-toned bronze evens out skin tone, and Kitten (one of stila’s best-loved shades) brightens and conceals with its soft shimmery champagne hues. When you push down on the applicator, these pigments swirl together to create a lightweight serum. In addition to sheer coverage, it delivers an anti-aging mineral complex that helps regulate oil production while shrinking the look of enlarged pores, fine lines, and wrinkles.

Blue Dog Belle Breakdown: Okay. SERIOUSLY. I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS PRODUCT. It's an all in one primer, bronzer, oil control, pore minimizer, life changer. I cannot express to you how much I am LOVING this product. AND. Birchbox gave me a full size sample. y'all are the best. seriously. 

tili bags

Birchbox Breakdown: Made of durable plastic, each quart-size zip and seal bag can hold a variety of belongings—from paper clips and sandwiches to makeup and toothpaste. Especially great for those on the go, they make life easier by keeping things organized.

Blue Dog Belle Breakdown: they're cute, but aren't you supposed to use clear bags for the airport? so they can see whats in them? I guess I'm just not that much of a diva. I'm not concerned about cute zip lock bags for my exotic travels. 

comodynes self tanning towelette

Birchbox Breakdown:  Made of natural viscose fibers, these napkin-sized towelettes come pre-soaked with a paraben-free, moisturizing formula that works with the natural proteins in your skin to give you a convincing tan. Dehydroxiacetone—a naturally occurring sugar with a fancy name—acts as a pigment-depositing agent, while transcutol helps with penetration. The individually wrapped wipes offer a safe alternative to sun bathing or (worse yet) lying under a tanning bed, and they’re also way easier to use than messy bottles of lotion. 

Blue Dog Belle Breakdown: other than a minor mishap during application I'm in love with these. I guess I had gotten used to a self tanner that you could see as it goes on. I don't know. but I missed major swatches on both arms, and one of my legs. I was a tad pre-occupied when I was applying it, so I'm sure it was my fault, but the product itself is great. It dries quickly, which is wonderful, but that means you have to move quickly too so the towelette doesn't dry out. While the price tag is a little too high for me ($15 for 8 applications) I do think this is a great product. 

John Varvatos USA colgne for men

Blue Dog Belle Breakdown: I don't really need a Cologne for men, birchbox. I get that you're trying to plug your other product, but this box is for me. okay?

masqueology pore minimizing masque

Birchbox Breakdown: Each single-use mask may look like, well, wet paper, but it's actually dripping with complexion-saving ingredients. For starters, sodium hyaluronate prevents water loss and enhances your skin’s ability to soak up moisture. Next, panthenol calms red, irritated skin, while mushroom extract is a natural brightener that fades the look of acne scars and brown spots alike. Finally, ceramide 3 hydrates and helps skin look smoother, with less visible pores.

Blue Dog Belle Breakdown: Ehh. It feels really strange on. I felt compelled to lie down so it wouldn't slide off. With that said it was super moisturizing (but I don't really need a ton of moisture). My skin was noticeably glowing the next morning, but I'm not loving it so much that I'm jumping to order it again. cool idea, but not the right product for me. thanks. 

Stainiac by the Balm

Birchbox Breakdown: The tinted gel leaves a lasting stain on lips and cheeks. Since it’s water-based, it has a longer setting time than most quick-dry stains, which means it won’t leave any unsightly streaks behind as long as you take care to blend well. Use a single coat for a subtle look or layer it on for a more visible (yet still discreet) hue.

Blue Dog Belle Breakdown: LOVE IT. I've been wanting a cheek stain for a hot minute, but just haven't been able to justify shelling out $30 for a tarte one when blush could kinda do the same thing. Well let me tell you, this is not blush. The color blends into your skin so well and it stays on for a LONG time. I'm seriously going to cash in some bb points to get the full size of this puppy. 

{Beauty Tuesday} DIY Body Scrubs

First of all I want to say thank you to the wonderful Julie I just won a sweet giveaway, and I'm so excited for my sparkly earrings to get here :) Thanks love!

It's summer time and we all want that glow that comes from spending the day in the sand and surf. Since I'm beyond fair skinned I've tried to re-create the look, just from my bathroom. First I started off by thinking about what creates that glow exactly? my answer was salt, sand and sun. So what better than a DIY salt scrub and a little sunless tanner to get the job done? This is a two part project. Lets start off with the salt scrub.

I just kind of winged it, and now I'm completely obsessed and will be making these like crazy (slash I was BEYOND crazy to pay so much for those fancy scrubs from bath and body works). You need to just keep in mind this basic ratio. 2 parts grit (salt/sugar) 1 part oil.

I used a combo of sea salt, sugar and epsom salts. Each of have a slightly different size so my thought was they would combine to make a more efficient scrub. The epsom salt is definitely larger than my sea salt, so it wasn't the most gentle scrub (but I liked it). The sugar and the salt I used were pretty much the same size, but I felt that the salt dissolved a little faster than the sugar.

To mix up the scrub I simply filled a bowl with equal parts sugar, sea and epsom salts (about 1 cup). Then I added 1/2 a cup of olive oil. stir together and maybe add your favorite essential oil (I'm definitively thinking lavender, maybe lemon? the possibilities are endless). Stir it all together. bottle. and your ready to go.

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Seriously y'all. that's its. so easy. and I was REALLY happy with my results.

*I will note that if you do not use enough oil, shaving AFTER exfoliating could potentially be painful. I say this from experience (round 2 with more oil went MUCH better)

 So now you're clean shaven on your legs. They're glowing with baby smooth skin. Now apply your favorite sunless tanner. I'm still just getting into the world of sunless tanner but I am loving this one in particular

Sublime Bronze

This one goes on dark, so you can see where you're putting it. This goes for any sunless tanning lotion but BE CAREFUL with how much your using. A little really goes a long way. You can always do two coats if  you're not happy with the results. I like this one because it doesn't get you super dark on the first application, though it's certainly build-able. One thing I don't like it that it has glitter in it. It's kind of fun for going out, but I'm more of a shower at night, sunless tan then rinse off in the morning before work. The glitter doesn't really come off that first shower though. Not so work appropriate. It's subtle enough that I'm probably the only one that notices, but still.

So there you go. Look like you just stepped off the beach (well in my case I never look like that when I get off the beach, HELLO SUNBURN) but save the cancer causing UV exposure for another time.

Now I have a question for y'all. I NEED sunless tanner recommendations! I don't like being super dark, but the Jergens daily lotion isn't fast enough for me. I'm a klutz with the sprays, so lotions or some other rub on products only please! What sunless tanners do you love/hate?

{Beauty Tuesdays} Juice Beauty Peel

Happy Tuesday everyone! I'm sorry if the blog has looked a mess the last few days. I've been debating if I should get a new layout, social media buttons, etc. I pulled this together myself, and have been playing with photo shop a ton. What do you think? I'm pretty happy with it, but I may still make a few adjustments over the next few days.

Anyways, it's been a while since I did a beauty Tuesday, but I've been trying a few new products lately and I am beyond excited to tell you about this one. I have been on and off trolling birchbox for a peel to help get off some of that dry skin that you build up over time. I talked about my full skin regimen here but I've added the Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Sensitive  and it has made such a difference.

 I've been using it for 3 weeks, 3x a week and can tell such a difference already. My skin is smoother, pores are smaller, and my skin seems to soak up my moisturizer a bit more.

It's all natural and organic, made of apples, grapes, lemon, aloe and algae. It smells like unsweetened apple sauce (which is a bit odd). There is some raw sugarcane which helps to exfoliate, but its not rough at all.

On a clean face, rub on a generous amount being careful to avoid the eye area. It will tingle a bit when you first put it on, but nothing that's uncomfortable.  Leave on for 10 minutes, then rinse off. It's as easy as that.

I know it's kind of expensive, but compared to a real chemical peel it's about 1/3 of the price. I really think this will keep you out of the dermatologist's office and your skin looking great.

As always, if you have any suggestions or if you use other juice beauty products I'd love to hear about it!

Have a lovely Tuesdays!!!

Beauty Tuesdays: Getting the Skin you want

So I have a confession. I am addicted to make up. I blame my bff the Lawfully Wedded Wife. It started YEARS ago when we visited the Clinique counter one fateful trip to Lenox Mall in Atlanta. But during my brief unemployment last year my addiction was re-triggered with the discovery of YouTube Make up gurus. I have to say in the last year I've learned A LOT about make up, different techniques, what works for my skin and what doesn't. I do not claim to be a beauty expert or guru in any way whatsoever, but I can say that I know what I like and what I don't. I'm going to share some of those products on here with you.

The most important thing to having flawless makeup is having flawless skin. Let me start by telling you a little bit of my ongoing battle with my skin. I am very fair. I wouldn't be surprised if I got a sunburn at night. On top of that I've battled acne, SERIOUS acne for most of my teens and well into college. I still don't have it completely under control, but its getting there. I've done it all, from Pro-Active to Accutane, so I feel like I can give you some pretty solid advice here ladies. But I do want to say, this is what I've discovered works best for my fair and sensitive skin, this routine may not work for you.

1. You NEED to WASH YOUR FACE. I know, beyond obvious. Seriously though, in the morning and at night. I switch up my products based on the time of year, what my skin has been doing of late etc.

2. Exfoliate. I use a daily exfoliant by Dermatologica which I LOVE, but if I feel like I really need a scrub I use my St. Ives.

3. You Need  to Moisturize. I don't care if you have super oily skin, if you have horrible breakouts, or if you just like the tight feeling your skin gets after you wash it. If you don't moisturize your skin will freak out and produce more oil to compensate... leaving you shiny and more likely to breakout. I tend to look cakey if I layer too many products on my face, so I'm trying out tinted moisturizer and mixing my fuller coverage foundation with my sunscreen and moisturizer... so far so good.

It seems that spring is finally here for good, but before you run out into the sun (like we all do) PLEASE put on some sunscreen. Skin cancer and wrinkles are SO not worth the bronzed glow now. ESPECIALLY considering all the amazing bronzers and self tanners on the market now a days. I promise, you will thank yourself later. Or you could just be cool like me, wear a hat and like SPF 85 whenever you go out... I'm just saying... its a pretty cool look.

Do y'all have any suggestions as to how I can improve my routine?