A Decent Start to the New Year with January 2016 Birchbox!

Yay Birchbox! If you're just not familiar with Birchbox, click here. For those of you who do know about Birchbox, I had high hopes for this box. It isn't a straight up bad box, but it could've been much better. From the picture it just looks very bare, but then again my samples are more than generous in size. Hell 1 is even full size! Really I shouldn't be complaining.

Eyeko Fat Liquid Liner/Full Size $16 "This eyeliner delivers the same smudgeproof, rich color in a thicker, bolder line than the original skinny liner"
This was my sample choice and I was so excited for it! I'm awful at liquid Liner, and this product is supposed to make it simple. I have the perfect shadow to try this with, so I'm excited to use this. Update: While it was easy to use, I was not into the thickness of the line. I'm more of a tightline type of gal, so while I wasn't in love with the final look. It will be nice to experiment with. Final Grade: B

IPKN Flash Cream Radiant Primer/Full Size $26 "Rich in fruit extracts, this nourishing SPF 15 primer creates a smooth, luminous canvas for makeup" BB was all about the Korean beauty products this month (this sample was actually in the curated box as well). I know that a lot of Asian beauty products are about radiance, and this is one of them. I like that it has SPF and there's no noticeable glitter. This is a very generous size sample, so I'm happy. Final Grade: B

nügg Beauty Revitalizing Mask/ Full Size $16.50 "With the help of essential oils, this 95% natural treatment works to restore skin to the peak of radiance"
I'm not super into revitalizing masks, but I'm all up for trying new skincare! I also like the odd design, its interesting. I guess it's more sanitary then dipping your hands into a jar use after use like I currently am for my Sephora mud mask. This will be put to use. Final Grade: TBD

Ouidad VitaCurl Define & Shine Styling Gel-Cream/Full Size $26 "This ultra hydrating, non-sticky formula enhances the texture of curls and waves while leaving a luminous finish"
I'm over curl creams. I get way too many from BB. This won't go into rotation for months. No Final Grade.

PARLOR by Jeff Chastain Detangling Leave-in-Conditioner/Full Size $24 "Sweet almond extract delivers softness, sleekness, and volume without adding weight " Detanglers are my BFF. I have massive amounts of super fine hair, so anything to keep the knots at bay gets used quickly. It works fairly well, I'm not sure it beats It's a 10 or my Suave Kids, but it's pretty decent. Love the smell too (same smell as the moisturizing sea salt spray if you were wondering). Final Grade: B+

Not the best month, but it's a start for the year. Although I'm not into the choices for next month. I did end up choosing the Hey Honey Take It Off Exfoliating Honey Peel Off Mask. We shall see.how well that works out for me. I'm also thinking about getting add-ons to my box. That means I can add on select products at a "special price", they're really not a special or discounted price, just so you know. Perhaps, we shall see what's up for grabs. That's all for now!

P.S. We also got stickers to add to our box and fill in a blank. We had to lay out what we hoped to accomplish this year. I chose 'Risks", because I need to take more of those. Who knows maybe this just might be the year of a riskier Steph. Probably not though.

The Selection Series by Kiera Cass

I don't think it's any surprise that I love meself some YA! I think I was introduced to a blurb about The Selection series in Newsweek ...kidding it was an issue of Seventeen I was reading at the Dentist? Whatever it doesn't matter, all you need to know is that its awesome! A Dystopian America that's now a smaller fragile absolute monarchy and has a caste system??? Uh yes please! The series (originally a trilogy) is narrated by America Singer, a 5 (there are 8 castes) who lives in post WW3 (could be WW4 I honestly don't remember) Illea province named Carolina. As Artists, 5's are 3rd from the bottom in the caste system. I would equate them to the typical American family today, not well off, but they feel the struggle of staying afloat throughout the year. As per tradition with all the Princes of Illea a selection is held, where 35 girls throughout the kingdom compete for his hand in marriage. Kinda like The Bachelor meets The Hunger Games with less bloodshe...

Memoir of the Sunday Brunch by Julia Pandl

Woo Woo 2014, a month late but hey I'm a busy girl. So I've tackled the first book of the new year and it was Julia Pandl's Memoir of the Sunday Brunch. Pandl a stand-up comic originally from the Milwaukee area tells, personal family tales of her sweet, but often failed childhood memories. From being the youngest of nine to free child-slave labor at her father's restaurant. Told in two parts, the first of funny brunch serving, sibling squabbles, and a lot of twitching; The second of more recent memories of caring for someone who once cared for you. Photo Courtesy of Goodreads.com "I thought my dad was just like every other dad, until the day I worked my first Sunday Brunch" Be prepared for the second half of the book to shock you emotionally. It goes from a funny eye rolling recount of childhood, transitioning into being an adult child with rapidly aging parents. The second half was particularly heartwarming and sweet. Of course there's still som...

Putting Some Positive Force Into My Life with my October 2015 Birchbox!

Birchbox yay! Not too bad of a box this month I have to say. Usually I have a lot of gripes about them, but I think 5 out of the 6 items (yes 6! I got a bonus this month) were really nice finds and I've already incorporated them into my beauty routine. So enough blabbering let's get to it! Borghese Fango Purificante Clay Cleanser/Full-size $30 This gentle foaming formula deep cleans like a mask as it soothes skin. I've never used a clay cleanser before, masks weekly, cleanser nope. I've always wanted to try Borghese, so this is the perfect sample for me. It comes in at 1 fl oz, which is your typical cleanser sample size, and I've been using it everyday since I got it! Which is odd because I typically just throw the cleansers I get from BB in a box of stuff I use for the gym or travel, I mean I didn't even use the Acure cleanser yet, sorry Acure. I was surprised that this was very liquidy, and it has a slight perfumey scent. Nothing overwhelming though and...

Desperately Seeking Bookworm

Search This Blog