July Birchbox+GlamBag

Happy Friday everyone! This week has been another busy one for me, which explains the lack of posting on my part. Between several all-day teacher training workshops, and planning for the next school year, I've been left with zero energy for blogging. But, I did get this month's Birchbox and GlamBag, and it just makes the girly-girl inside of me squeal with excitement for some reason.  

Here's what I got in my box... 

Stila lip glaze in "Lights". It's about time they included a lip gloss, and the shade is nice. Score.

Bamboo Fade-Proof Fluide. Too bad I don't color my hair.

Jouer luminating moisture tint. This stuff is basically a liquid bronzer with sunscreen. I'm not a fan since I use powder foundation, and I've never been fond of bronzer.

Oscar de la Renta perfume. The scent is light and flowery.

Uber Nut and Fruit Bar. Tasty, but honestly I could live without granola bars, unless of course they're Chewy brand in chocolate chip.

Festive ear phones.

I liked Birchbox so much that I signed up for a subscription to Glam Bag. It's another website that sends you beauty samples based on a personal profile that you create. It's only $10 a month, and it comes in this nifty little cosmetic bag.

Here's what I got in my bag...

Juice Beauty Moisturizer with SPF. This was one of my favorite items in the bag. It smells so good, and I love that it has sunscreen. 

Nume Hydrating conditioner. Full of all kinds of yummy ingredients including argan oil, this conditioner is super moisturizing and smells divine.

Bare Essential "Buxom Lips" in Tonya. Love this lip gloss, especially the thickness and the shade. I use Bare Minerals for my foundation and blush, but this was my first time trying the lip gloss.

Circus Nail Laquer. Not crazy about white nail color, but I guess if there's any time for it, it's summer.

Yes to Cucumbers facial towelettes. I finally introduced myself to facial cleansing towelettes this summer, and I'm totally smitten. I first got them for a camping trip, since hot water is hard to find, and now I carry them around with me all the time. I've tried a bunch of different brands from Neutrogena to Burt's Bees. They're just so refreshing. And these ones are definitely on the top of the list.

Overall, I was happy with both my bag and box this month. Birchbox offers more diverse products, but they are often small, and are not always useful (a granola bar, seriously?) Glambag seems to include less samples, but in my opinion are products that I would actually use and even go as far as buying the full-size versions. And how fun is it to get a cute little cosmetic bag full of products every month?

If you'd like to try out Birchbox or Glambag, you can sign up for the wait list or send me an email and I'll invite you!

June Birchbox

I got my June Birchbox this week, and I wanted to share all the little goodies that came in it. This is just my second box, and I already love it. Even though I might not be crazy about every product, it's just a fun little surprise to get all wrapped up in the mail. This month's theme was "Summer Getaway", featuring products that are great to have in your bag when you're traveling. Here's what I got:

For some reason they included a men's cologne sample, I gave it to my man.

Cynthia Rowley designer Band-Aids. I was surprised they gave me a whole box, I actually needed these. I have a pair of shoes I'm breaking in and I get mad blisters on certain parts of my foot. Score!

Eyeko Liquid Eyleliner in Purple. I wasn't crazy about this at first because I don't wear eyeliner much. But I gave it a shot and the shade only looks purple in some lights, so it's actually very subtle. And this brush tip is so frickin' awesome.

Melvita Rose Water and tonic. Personally, I love this stuff. I've had cheap rose water from Chinatown in the past, because I love the smell of roses so much. But this stuff is so much better because the scent is lighter, less perfumey, AND it's organic. Some might think it smells a little "old ladyish", but I dig it.

Staniac Lip stain in "Beauty Queen". I actually really like this stuff. I don't wear lipstick at all, and I've been wanting to try a lip stain to see what they're all about. This one is great because it is really light and sheer.

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream. It's supposed to be from Japan and really great for your skin. It does feel lovely, but I don't know if I can get past the camphor smell, it just reminds me of Vick's vapor rub too much. 

Overall, I was really into the different samples I got this month. If your interested in signing up for Birchbox, email me at laurenteresa86 (at) gmail (dot) com, and I'll invite you!

My First Birchbox!

I'm so excited, I just got my first Birchbox in the mail yesterday! If you don't know about Birchbox, it's an online company that sends you a box of premium sample-sized beauty products, based on a personal profile that you create on their site. I had never heard of it until I saw Miss Indie share hers on her blog, anne I had to try it. I'm so happy I did because it was such a fun surprise! Here's what I got this month:

I was really happy with the variety of products because they included yummy things for my eyes, face, hair, and nails. I'm pretty low-maintenance when it comes to my beauty routine, but I still like trying new things, and I sure appreciate a good moisturizer. But I find it hard to go out and spend a fortune on products that may or may not work very well, especially with my skin that can be sensitive. That's why I like this idea, because it gives me a little taste of different products that I would have never heard about, and then I can judge for myself.

1/ Algenist Eye Renewal Balm: This stuff is delicious. And I'm 26 now so I am beginning to notice nasty little lines around my eyes.

2/ Dr. Jart Beauty Balm- A tinted moisturizer with SPF, or Beauty Balm. It feels sheer and lightweight, unfortunately there was barely any product in the tube but oh well, I use Bare Minerals anyways. However, I usually have a hard time matching makeup to my skin since I'm so fair, but this stuff comes pretty close. 

3/ Ojon Volumizing Shampoo-This stuff smells sooo good, and it has lots of wonderful natural ingredients.

4/ Color Club Polish in "Disco Nap"- This color is fun but a little too loud for me, so I just painted my thumbs with it, and now I kind of dig it.

They also gave me this cute little notecard to send to someone special. 

Overall I was really happy with my first Birchbox and I'm so excited to see what I get next month! Good riddance to eye circles! I don't know if I will be buying the full size of any of these products, possibly the eye cream. But I did by some Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream and Zoya turquoise polish, using the 20% welcome discount that they gave me for signing up. I signed up in April, and I had to wait for a bit until I could sign up for my subscription. So it seems like there's a bit of a wait, so email me or leave a comment if you would like me to invite you!