Saturday, July 14, 2012

July 2012 Birchbox




My July Birchbox has arrived!  It's always fun to see what new products I get to try out!  There were some really fun items out there in July's boxes like Eyeko eyeliners and Stila lip glazes.  I was excited that I got Laura Geller's lip stick!  If you're not sure what Birchbox is, it is a monthly beauty subscription where you get to try out deluxe size (some times full sized) products.  I have a previous post here that you can check out that tells you all about Birchbox.  Here is more information about what I got in this month's box:

 This month, Birchbox teamed up with Glamour magazine.  The theme is based off of the 5 senses.  While I think it is an incredibly clever theme, I wish each box would have contained something from each sense.  I got two 'see' products, but no 'taste' item.  The little icon next to the product on the info card shows what sense the item goes with.


 Ahava is a brand that I have become familiar with through Birchbox.  I have received lotions and facial cleansers through other boxes.  I really like the brand and I am excited to try out this mud mask!  Who doesn't like to pamper their face?! 



I was looking forward to this item the most!  Not very many boxes had this lip stick and I have never gotten a lip stick through Birchbox before.  This is Laura Geller's Double Dipped Lipstick in the color Carribean Kiss.  Laura Geller is another brand that Birchbox has introduced me to.  I really like her products and I think I'm going to really like this lipstick too.  The neat thing is that it is double sided.  You can use one color, or both!  I swatched it on my hand.  The top color is the two colors combined.  The center color is the bronze color by itself and the bottom is the pink color by itself.



 Next is Manna Kadar's Sheer Glo Shimmer Lotion.  I really like this, it will make for a great highlighter.  Birchbox suggests mixing it into foundation, but I'm not a fan of having my entire face shimmer. 



Birchbox is usually VERY good with their shipping.  I have only had ONE issue with a product being damaged in my box in over a year of being subscribed.  When my box arrived this month and I opened it, I thought, wow, my box smells really good.  Come to find out, it was because my sample of Oscar de la Renta's Live In Love perfume had spilled.  I don't know if you can tell that there is nothing in the vile and there is some liquid remains on the lid.  I'm not too torn up about it.  It did smell nice, but it wasn't a perfume I'd probably wear, so no loss there.  I'm sure if I contacted Birchbox, they'd straighten it out (they have GREAT customer service), but I think I'll be fine without a new sample.



For the "lifestyle extra" this month, most subscribers got these adorable headphones in neon colors.  They also created a fun playlist on Spotify.

Overall, this wasn't one of my favorite boxes.  I like the theme and I like the products that I got, but I'm not sure if there is anything here that I would re-purchase just at first glance.  After using them for a little while, maybe I'll change my mind though.  If you are thinking about signing up for Birchbox, I highly suggest it!  It is only $10 a month and the boxes are well worth it!  Use my referral link here to sign up:  https://www.birchbox.com?raf=gafkf

If you are a Birchbox subscriber, what did you all get in your box this month?

-polish. impress. repeat.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Essie - Swept Off My Feet

This is 'Swept Off My Feet' by Essie.  It is a dusty rose color that wears beautifully!  I think this is a great color to wear in the Fall.  It is still a bright color, but it is a little darker which is nice for the Fall season.  This is two coats.

For my accent nail, I used Color Club's 'Disco Nap' which I got in one of my Birchboxes a while back.  I LOVE IT!  I might have to paint all my nails with this color.  It is a bright white gold color.  Like true metallics, it is a little difficult to remove when you are ready to take it off.

You can find Essie polishes at Target and Ulta.  Color Club nail polishes are for sale on Birchbox's website.


What colors are you excited to wear in the Fall season?

-polish. impress. repeat.

Friday, July 6, 2012

China Glaze - Under the Boardwalk


Hello readers!!!!  Under the Boardwalk is another polish from the China Glaze Summer Neon collection.  It is a beautiful purple-y fuschia color.  I wouldn't quite call it a 'neon', but it is pretty bright.  I added a coat of So 70's by Sally Girl for an accent nail.  This is a fun color to wear that is fun, but not tooooo crazy.


It wears almost like a jelly nail polish, but it isn't.  This is two coats and it is still a little see through.  If you want the color to stand out more, I would suggest putting a coat of white nail polish under it.  You can still pick these up at your local Ulta, Sally's Beauty Supply, or China Glaze's website.

-polish. impress. repeat.

Monday, July 2, 2012

China Glaze - I'm With the Lifeguard

Readers, let me introduce you to China Glaze's "I'm With the Lifeguard" from their 2012 Summer Neons collection.  I have a few from this collection, but I've been enjoying wearing them on my toes!  I figure I needed to do some manicures with them.  I'm With the Lifeguard is a STUNNING neon green.  It reminds me of a glow-stick lime green color.  Pictures cannot capture how much this really 'glows'.  I attempted with the 'vivid' setting on my camera below.  This truly is a NEON green, so don't expect any thing less than that. 



Unlike most neons, many of the polishes in this collection have a shimmer to them.  Which I LOVE!  I'm With the Lifeguard is one of those polishes.  Because it is neon, it dries to a semi-matte finish, but nothing that a little top coat can't do to help make it shine!  I used Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri on top of two coats of the polish.



I tried to capture the color as best as I could.  I put my camera on a 'vivid' setting and while it makes my skin look super tan (no complaints there), it is as close to what the polish really looks in the sun.  See how it GLOWS!


I'll try to get some of the other polishes I have from this collection swatched and posted soon.  I wouldn't quite say that this is the easiest polish to match clothes with, but it sure is a fun color and I do love this neon trend!

What is your favorite neon color to wear?

-polish. impress. repeat.

Friday, June 29, 2012

Favorite Travel Items of Summer 2012

Sorry I have been AWOL for a few weeks.  My amazing big brother flew me out to visit him and to see good friends from high school.  On my trip I brought some products that I love and that were great to have on my trip.  One product, I bought while on my trip and it has quickly become a daily favorite of mine.  Of course, when traveling, it is nice to use up foil packet samples and travel size products so the full sized products don't take up all your suitcase room.  I had quite a few facial moisturizers and toothpaste packets I was able to use and get rid of.  I still have a huge pile of foil packets that didn't get used mainly because I liked these products better.  Here's a look at some of my favorites from my recent trip:

First is my Strawberry EOS LipBalm.  I've pretty much been in love and addicted to this for a few months now.  This is my second one of these I've gone through.  This lip balm is incredibly moisturizing, it smells AND tastes amazing, and it doesn't have gluten, parabens, petrolatum, or phyhalates.  The only thing I wish it did have was SPF.  This little ball of joy is a staple item in my purse.  When traveling in an airplane with recycled air, your skin can get the moisture sucked out of it and this will help keep your lips hydrated.  You can get these at Ulta and Target.



Ponds Wet Cleansing Towlettes is my go-to for make up removal.  They get all of my make-up off and leave my skin feeling smooth and clean.  I've been using these for 9 or 10 years and I haven't tried anything else because these work THAT good.  I found some travel size packets at Target that were perfect for my trip.  I was gone for less than a week so I didn't need the huge package they normally come in.  This was the perfect size.



When you travel, your clothes are folded inside a suitcase.  This can cause wrinkles in your clothing.  This handy little travel sized Downy Wrinkle Release was a life saver.  When I didn't have time to iron something this actually did a pretty decent job of getting the wrinkles out of my clothes.  You spray it on and then smooth out the wrinkles with your hands.  I'm taking this on all my future trips.



****  UPDATE***  I no longer 'love' this brand.  I bought the full size and after a while, I had more hair loss than normal and I guess this has happened to many other people after looking at reviews of this brand.  As soon as I stopped using it, the problem ceased.*****This is probably my favorite thing I discovered/used on my trip.  I had always seen these little Organix Coconut Milk travel sized shampoos and conditioners by the check out counters at Ulta, and they always intrigued me.  I got some for my trip and I might just end up buying the full size next time I need shampoo and conditioner.  My hair hasn't felt this good in a long time.  It is smooth and light.  Not to mention, my hair smells good enough to eat.  If you like the smell of coconut, this is yummy.



My hair does not hold curl well and Paul Mitchell's Round Trip is the only stuff I have found that keeps the curl and doesn't leave my hair feeling gross or crunchy.  I found a little travel size version a few years ago and now I just re-fill it with my full size bottle when necessary.  It comes out like a gel texture, but dries and leaves your hair soft and moveable.



DRY SHAMPOO!  As amazing as this stuff is, I am suprised that the craze with this stuff just started a year or so ago.  Dry shampoo is nothing new to this world.  I was in the MidWest, and with all the humidity, it was nice to be able to dry up some of the oil in my hair throughout the day.  This is a travel sized can I got from Target.



I received this in my Spring VoxBox and since it was a nice travel size bottle, I took it on my trip.  This body wash is incredible.  I have sensitive skin and this left my skin feeling clean and smooth.  It doesn't really have a smell which is a bummer, but it gets the job done.  I recommend this if you have sensitive skin.



Let me just start out my saying that this is one of the best things I have ever smelled in my entire life.  It smells divine.  This is Amika hair oil treatment.  It is a hair oil, but it doesn't leave your hair feeling greasy.  I got this in one of my first Birchboxes almost a year ago and I am STILL using it.  It is seriously like the never ending bottle!  I brought this as something to protect my hair from my flat iron.  I use about a dime sized drop and spread it throughout my hair after I get out of the shower.  It makes my hair frizz-free and nourished.  It is a lot like Paul Mitchell's Super Skinny Serum (but better).  This was the perfect size to take with me; It hardly took up any room!



This is what I brought to wash my face with.  The Philosophy sample of Purity face was was from a Birchbox and I used my Clarisonic Mia.  The Clarisonic is the best thing that has happened to the skin on my face.  I had heard really good things about Purity, but I had to try it for myself.  I like the way it leaves my skin feeling.  I can see where the good reviews come from.  The MidWest and the humidity makes for a oily mess on my face so this was my night time regiment that got my skin feeling clean and fresh on my trip.  *Sorry the brush on my Clarisonic has been used and so it doesn't look all new and clean*



I could rave about this all day long.  I love any type of scrub.  Face, body, and lips.  I hate chapped lips, but it happens.  This lovely little pot of sugar and oils scrubs off dead skin on your lips and leaves them smooooooth.  Plus, this stuff tastes great.  The ingredients are edible and this one is deliciously minty.



Alright, so this product isn't travel sized, but I discovered it on my trip.  I had originally brought a travel sized hair spray with me, and it made my hair crunchy and nasty.  Dove came to the rescue!  This stuff is amazing.  It is my new favorite hair spray.  It leaves your hair in place, but your hair can still move (if that makes sense).  It smells fantastic and it doesn't dry your hair out like most other hair sprays.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE this stuff.

Leave me a comment and say what products you recommend for traveling! 

-polish. impress. repeat.