Birchbox Review!!

Here's my birchbox review! I've been awful about writing about them but I didn't want to write about them without having a review. So here are the past 4 birchboxes-



Here is a link to my blog on my first birchbox from March-



Here's a follow-up to March's birchbox-



I loved the color club bright purple nail polish! It stayed on really well and you could layer it up to get a great bold color or just do one coat and have a nice wash of color on your nails.



Another thing i loved from my first birchbox was the Jouer luminizing moisture tint. It went on great and added an unbelievable glow to my skin! If you're looking for that dewy, highlighted glow-then get this!!



I still use the Ahava Essentials Day Moisturizer most mornings and it's really great and it doesn't clog my pores. Just a great overall moisturizer with no fuss.



Orifluido is still something I use as well. I find it very comparable to Moroccan Oil and I can't really tell a major difference so since Moroccan Oil is easier to buy-I'm going to continue using that one. But it was awesome to try out and learn about a new product.

The other stuff was good but these were my main ones I wanted to bring attention to.

Once again- To see pictures of what products were in the birchbox and to hear the full descriptions of them, check out my previous blog.

http://thethriftymakeupartist.blogspot.com/2012_03_01_archive.html

April's birchbox-

This birchbox was natural themed. That's what I love about birchbox they have themes and I really like that!

This was a good birchbox here's what was in it!



Atelier Cologne- this is an orange-scented perfume. I really liked it! It wasn't too over-powering and it didn't smell too fruity or sweet. It had the perfect blend of essential oils like jasmine and sandalwood and it was wonderful. The full-size bottles range from $55-150.



Marula The Leakey Collection-I have never heard of this stuff before but I loved it and used it all up already! I went a little overboard this month with facial peels and was so dry and flaky so I used this at night and by the next morning my skin was back to normal! It is so hydrating and feels amazing! This product costs $78 for full size so unfortunately I will not be purchasing this again but if you have extremely dry skin all the time and can't find the right product to fix your alligator skin, this will be your life saver. This product is from the East African Marula fruit. This oil has high levels of antioxidants and omegas so it's awesome for stopping the signs of aging.



Weleda Pomegranate Firming Night Cream-this is a great all-natural firming night cream. This line is super affordable, a full size of this anti-aging cream is only $35! It feels so rich and creamy and I most likely will add this in to my skin care routine in the winter time. I'm at the age where I am starting to be proactive towards my skin and aging and this will be the perfect addition to my Skincare routine, but only during the winter time! This is super rich so I will not be using this during the summer!!



Zoya True Spring Collection-this was a nude nail polish that is supposed to last 50% longer but the color was too nude for my taste. It almost blended with my skin and it freaked me out so I don't know if it lasts 50% longer because I took it off! It never gave me the color name so here are just a few colors I could find online. But, I really don't know who this nail polish would look good on so I'm moving on.



Bonus product!!! Yes To Blueberries Brightening Facial Towelettes- love them!!! I used these when I went to Indiana for a weekend and I love these babies!! Great price, $7.99 for a 30-pack I suggest everyone get these!! I still washed my face first and then used these afterwards just to get that extra clean or I use these before I work out or when I want to start fresh with some new makeup. These are a must-have for everyone!

May Birchbox-Gossip Girl Themed! I have never seen this show but all I know is I opened up this box and gasped!! It had one of my favorite products in a cute little sample size in a new flavor so that was it, I'm sold! I LOVE birchbox and I am SO glad I got it!!! Soooo worth the $10 a month!!

XOXO,

Gossip Girl

First off the product that made me gasp in such a crazy, dramatic way was-



Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Treatment SPF 15. The original Sugar lip treatment is my absolute favorite but I hadn't tried the Rose so I was THRILLED!!! I love this!! It's in my bag right now and has the perfect light color to the lips! This is a water-based lip treatment so it naturally plumps the lips by hydrating them. It's amazing!!! $22.50



BVLGARI Omnia Crystalline Eau de Toilette Spray-this is nice but it's a little too perfumey for me. I can't really judge this because everyone is so different and everyone has a particular smell that they like and what works for them so I'm just going to say that it's so cool that once a month you can try out awesome perfumes to see what works for you and what doesn't without dropping a lot of money. This full-size bottle is $64. Check it out!



Kiehl's Abyssine Cream+ this was created when Scientists were in Galapagos and found Abyssine. This molecule thrives in the darkest parts of the ocean and Found that Abyssine protects the skin. This molecule can soften wrinkles and gets rid of free radicals which cause aging. It goes on soft and creamy and it is really gentle and great for most skin types. A full size jar is $48.



Sarah McNamara Miracle Skin Transformer Body SPF 20-this is like s primer and foundation for your body!!! I love that it has a SPF 20 and it evens out your skin all over your body!! This cream hydrates, masks scars, evens out ski tone, and is awesome for the warm weather when you wear shorts and summer dresses. This costs $34, awesome for people who want that flawless ski look without going to the tanning bed or even using self tanner.

I also got notecards in this birchbox which I threw away...oops. I wasn't going to use them anyways.

Speaking of throwing things away, I threw away the card that came with this birchbox that gives you a little blurb about each products and discusses the theme of the box, which I love and try to keep them, but I lost this one and while I was writing this I could not remember what all was in this box and what is another cool part of birchbox is you can hop online and look at your past birchboxes and reorder what you had and refer back to what I got.

This months is pretty awesome too!

June's theme is travel and here's what's in it. I'm not going to explain it all yet I'm just going to show pictures and prices



Ada Cosmetics Bronzer, $12.45, this is the best picture I could find...sorry!



Likewise Facial Moisturizer + Sun Protection SPF 50, $44, perfect for summer!!!



Masqueology Brightening Mask, 3 masks $24, I'm ready to try this baby out! This aesthetician's skin is completely neglected!!



theBalm cosmetics Stainiac in Beauty Queen, $17, so excited to try this!!!



Extra Bonus gift!!! Cynthia Rowley Dress Up Band-Aids!! They are SO cute! These band-aids have fashion-inspired prints all over them so even when you hurt yourself you'll look cute and fashionable!





Hope you enjoyed!! I'll review these products from this month's box soon!

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Hairspray!!!

So I'm not a huge hair girl, I'm awful at styling and I never put enough effort and time towards drying it. But after getting pinterest and just paying attention to hairstyles in photographs and magazines I was inspired to put a little more effort towards this rat's nest on my head. When I started trying out different styles and when I watched how-to videos online I realized hairspray is a must!! So I have tried a few at work:




the Moroccan Oil Hairspray ($20) smell delish and gives me enough hold for just every day hairstyles. And when I say every day hairstyles I mean like straight and down-nothing fancy at all!!!! I pretty much use this as a perfume. If you need strong-hold this is not the one for you. But if you just want your hair to smell good and your hair is down and you just want to spritz this just for good measure go for it!

Oribe Superfine Hairspray




This is $29 and smells like heaven!!!! The whole entire line smells amazing!! But this hair spray will hold a lot but still be nice, fine spray that isn't sticky. This one isn't the strongest hold but messy up-dos and stuff like that will work great with this. I loooove this one!!

If you need a stronger hold there is the Oribe Superfine Strong Hairspray





This is around $35 and it is an awesome, major-hold hair spray. I sprayed it in my hair once right after I washed my hair and I was SO mad at myself because my hair felt kinda sticky and I thought, "oh great!! Now I have to wash my hair again tomorrow!" and if you know me you know I do NOT wash my hair every day! So I was a little worried about what my hair was going to be like once I got home and took my hair down. I was honestly so pleasantly surprised by my outcome!! I took my hair down and combed through it and viola! My hair was soft as could be and no sticky!!! I didn't have to wash my hair for 3 days!! Yay!! (my hair is so dry I only wash it twice a week, don't judge) so-obviously this is great for super strong hold and then all you have to do is gently comb through your style at night and you're good to go!

*after proof-reading I am realizing I obviously love this hairspray. I'm shooting exclamation points all over the place in that last paragraph. It's like I'm just screaming the whole time!

I'm going to have to write a blog strictly about Oribe because I like a lot of stuff in their line!

Now on to the more affordable side here is L'Oreal Elnett Satin hairspray




This stuff stinks!!!!!!! Oh my gosh I am SO sorry if anyone loves this smell I don't meant to disrespect your olfactory nerves but wowie! I HATE this smell! It's like instant grandma scent-no offense to you grandmothers out there either! It is very powdery and strong!! The hold is awesome and I love everything else about it so I hate that this stuff stinks because it's awesome besides that!! Once again, I am SO sorry if you love the smell!! We are all different, we all like different things I just have a super sensitive nose, all my other senses suck, so my sense of smell is out of this world!! So I think just spraying that so close to my nose it really bothers me and it stays on the hair quite a while. So if smell are your thing (they're my thing) then this might not be the one for you. It's a little pricier for drug stores as well, it's about $14.

This is Pantene Pro V Anti-Humidity Hairspray




This hairspray is really affordable, about $4, but it's very sticky. It holds really well but it is sticky so if you like a soft-touch to your hair you might want to pass on this one. This one doesn't blow me away or anything I'm pretty neutral towards it.

So the jury is still out on some affordable hairsprays, I'm still on the hunt! I'm going to Target tonight for some research and development!!

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Stay Fit!

I have been on the hunt for a great, affordable concealer and I have found one worth writing about! I have been trying this one out for about a month now and it has already turned into a must-have from now on! I use this concealer to help cover the dark circles under the eyes and I also use it to help contour around my nose, in between my brows, and around the mouth and chin. This concealer is really creamy and a little goes a long way. I love this concealer because of the texture and because of the finishing look. The end-results after using this concealer is a really beautiful even, flawless look. This is one of the few concealers that I have found that really gives that flawless look that you would see in editorial work. I always look at celebrities and models and always wonder if there is any way to get that look without breaking the bank and I truly believe that I have found it! Here it is!!

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

about $5.00

I bought mine at Target, but all drug stores carry this fabulous concealer! I hope you try it out and enjoy! Remember-little goes a long way!!! My next blog I will show you where I put my concealer (which is a lot of places) to really give the illusion of a perfect complexion. I don't do too many makeup artist tricks for an every day look but I always use my concealer tricks every single day because it can really make a huge difference!!

Warm of Cool? What skin tone are you?

A main factor in picking the perfect foundation is what undertones you have in your skin. People are either yellow skin tone or red skin tone. People also have warm or cool skin tones. Warm and cool skin tones help people base what colors to use for your foundation and blushes etc. Here are a few ways to find your skin tone. Yellow-orange goes for more warm tones and blue-red are more for the cool tones.

Vein test-This is one way to determine your skin tone. I have never tried this one before but I wanted to at least put this one on here to give a lot of options-

***Flip your arm over if your veins are greenish then you have yellow skin tone and you are a warmer skin tone.

*** If your veins are bluer than you are a cooler skin tone with blue undertones.
I have never used this test before, but I wanted to give you the option to try it out. I hope it works for you!

Towel Test-Pull your hair back and wash your face. After you have washed your face keep your hair pulled back and place a white towel across your neck and chest.

***If your face looks yellow against the towel-guess what? You have a yellow undertone and are a warm tone.

*** If your face looks blue against the towel you are a cool skin tone and have blue undertones.
I have not tried this test either---sorry I will get to my preferred tests next :)

Jewelry Test-Sometimes people determine their skin tones by seeing how gold or silver jewelry looks against their skin. I do not use this method either, and I like both types of jewelry even if one looks bad against my face. But really, what I would do instead of jewelry would be a piece of metallic fabric. I would put it against your clean skin and see which one brings your skin to life with a rich, vibrant color and which one washes you out and makes you pasty.

***Ok so-if silver looks better on you than you are a cool tone. If the gold looks better on you then you are a warm tone! Yay!

Scarf test-Pull your hair back and wash the face. Stand in front of a mirror and have your shoulders bare. Put a piece of yellow material across your shoulders and see if it brightens your appearance and really draws attention to your eyes then you are a warm, if it makes you look blotchy and very yellow then you are a cool. When you place a blue piece of material around you then if you’re cool the blue will really brighten your skin and draw attention to your eyes and if you’re warm it will basically look the opposite :)

Warm tones tend to have a yellowish-orange cast to the skin.

**Usually warm tones have naturally black or brown hair and your eyes are brown and you have olive or golden complexion and you tan easy.

***You could also be a warm tone if your hair is naturally golden to dark blonde, your eyes are dark brown and your skin is golden or olive and you tan easy.

***If you had red or light auburn hair with maybe a bit of dark blonde, your eyes are green or brown and you skin tone is more beige, and you tan easily you have a warm tone.

If you have warm tone then I would say go for earthier colors for a normal day-to-day basis. Look for words like mocha, bronze, caramel, browns, taupe. For more dramatic looks you can go for bright navy, oranges, light greens and olives, moss, jade, grass-green, celery and Granny Smith Apples green. For lipsticks you can pick colors in brick reds, dark tomato red, burnt oranges. Always look for gold undertones.

Cool tones will not have a yellow-orange tone (obviously) Cool tones have more pink undertones.

***Cool tones usually have a natural hair color of light to medium brown and you have greenish-hazel eyes or blue eyes, your complexion is usually very fair to pale as well or you burn easy.

***If your natural hair color is dark ask blonde and you have hazel or blue eyes with a fair complexion.

***Dark brown hair with blue eyes and pink tones to your skin tone which is usually very fair or pale, you have cool tones.

***If you have naturally light to medium brunette hair and your eyes are blue-gray to light green and your face is fair to pale with a rosy cheek, you are cool.

***If you have red or dark brunette hair with very dark brown eyes and your skin is pale with rosy cheeks, you have a cool tone.

So, if you have cool tones look more for ivory colors when picking foundations. When you’re choosing lipsticks go for more blue-red colors, you can even do bright pinks. Cool tones can do all shades of blue, all shades of green, deep purples and rosy pinks.

I hope this helps. I know a lot of it was very repetitive but, I just wanted to give a few of the options that I do hear about all the time even if I don’t do those tests. I hope you enjoyed, sorry it took so long to write this blog. I will have a new blog up very, very soon and it will be about all the different option of foundations and which ones will work best for you!

http://www.carefair.com/Makeup/Are_You_Warm_or_Cool_1463.html
www.womenshealthcaretopics.com

To splurge or not to splurge-That is the question.

I love to shop and I love buying make up, purses, and especially tops and dresses! But what I hate is spending a lot of money on one item! I can shop til I drop, but I rarely spend over 25$ on any clothing item and I definitely do not spend more than $10-$15 on make up. But, there are just a few things that I will spend more money on make up-wise. I have been on the hunt for the perfect foundation and that is one item that I will spend more money on.

This subject will change and I will write more blogs about foundations the more I try and go through! If you are curious about a certain foundation that you want to try but you don't want to risk your skin or your wallet let me know! I'm up for the challenge and I'm here to help you!

Foundation is the most important make up you will use. It will base how your skin looks for long periods of time and it lays out the canvas for your masterpiece :) I will just give my opinion on what I've tried and what I love and what I do not love so much. Now remember-this is just my opinion.

Before we get started, I am going to say again, this is just my opinion. I love hearing what different people like and don't like, that's why I am here. Everyone's skin in different and this is just from my past experience. Another thing is take some extra time to find that perfect foundation. I know at drug stores you won't be able to take a sample home and try it out for you (that's what I'm here for :) I will try it and let you know before you have to spend your money) but, if you are looking into more expensive make up lines that you can get at a cosmetics store or at a department store, make sure the make up expert matches you up and gives you a sample to take home and try for yourself. If they are not willing to do that for you, go somewhere else!! I always encouraged my customers to take a sample home and use it for the next few days and I would always apply the foundation they were interested in on their face and told them to run around and test it out for the day to see how it wears, how your skin reacts and adjusts to it, and how you like it. So, once again, don't worry about asking for someone's help to apply some foundation on you and don't be afraid to get a sample, and if they're rude, leave and go elsewhere!

I do like the new mineral make up craze. I think people cannot put time and effort into washing their face and moisturizing and then using some heavy, pore-clogging make up. It completely defeats the purpose of taking time and effort into taking care of your skin.

First line I will write about is---Bare Escentuals foundation. I have used it and sold it at the store I worked at and I for one did not like it. I felt it was a little heavy and it created a mask-like appearance on my skin. Now, I do have some friends that use it and it looks amazing, the mask look and the heaviness is not there with them. For me, I do have clogged, blemished skin and it is kind of dry so I think the Bare Escentuals was just a little heavy for me. I feel like older women want to try to mineral line as well and I do feel like if you have wrinkles or larger pores, I do not think that Bare Escentuals is the right fit. I also feel like it is kind of shiny and metallic on the skin. I used to work at a cosmetics store and I could usually look at people's skin and I could tell if they used Bare Escentuals. Now, like I said this is purely my opinion and again, I do have a couple of friends who wear Bare Escentuals and it looks amazing on them! One thing I do like is that Bare Escentuals has a starter kit which has two small foundations, a mineral veil, and some brushes and bronzer. I do like that, it's a good way to try it out and it's a good price. Plus-even if you hate the make up you get some brushes! Words of the wise---if you choose to purchase the foundation in this line, make sure you buy the mineral veil as well. It finishes the whole foundation look, it seals in the foundation, helps buffer fine lines and wrinkles, it's weightless, and gives you a flawless finish.

Bare Escentuals Run Down-
Prices---$25 for large foundation
$18 for mineral veil
www.bareescentuals.com
Pros-all natural, doesn't clog pores, good for acne-prone/sensitive skin, natural finish, love the mineral veil!
Cons(remember just my opinion)-too heavy, weird shiny finish, bad for large pores and people with wrinkles

I have used Therapy Systems mineral powder foundation and I think it's great! It's a little pricey so that is a major downfall for me. Plus, in the summer time the mineral foundation works great for me, winter time I get dryer and I cannot wear the Therapy Systems foundation, it feels heavy and my dryness gets very noticeable. If you purchase this one I definitely would suggest purchasing the finishing powder. It is fantastic!!! I use this even when I'm not using their mineral foundation. The Therapy Systems make up line is triple-milled which means this mineral line has been ground down 3 x's more than other mineral make ups. I think this is why I love the feel, look, and texture of it. This line also has silk powder in it which I think leaves your skin fresh and healthy looking! The finishing powder is amazing and really sets the foundation. So once again, if you buy the foundation definitely get the finishing powder. I like the sunlight, it has a yellow-tint to it and it helps reduce redness which I think everybody needs! Another pro to this line is that you can get the foundation and finishing powder in loose or pressed powder. I still prefer loose :)

Therapy Systems Run Down-
Prices---$34 for foundation
$25 for finishing powder
www.therapysystems.com
Pros-great finish, light feel, super-fine texture so great for large pores, and wrinkles
Cons-not the best for oily skin, dry skin, slightly pricey

I used MAC Mineralize foundation around November of last year. It was about 32$ and it was great! It didn't last as long as I would have liked but honestly, it was great. It was a little sheerer than I wanted but overall I was pleased. I usually associate MAC with heavy coverage but this wasn't like that at all! My skin felt and looked great! Like I said, it is sheer coverage so if you're wanting heavy coverage--this is not the one for you! I also feel like if you're one really prone to breakouts or has very sensitive skin, I would not suggest this one for you!

MAC Mineralize Foundation Run Down-
$29.50 for liquid foundation
www.maccosmetics.com
Pros-fabulous finish, lightweight, looks great, does not clog pores
Cons-needs a little more coverage, didn't last too long


I have tried L'Oreal True Match Foundation and I will say the coverage is good but I did not like the way it went on. You could tell their was a medium coverage but---it made my skin look very dry and it almost rolled off my face. It looked awful! It looked like my skin was super dry and peeling. That is not a look we want right girls?

L'Oreal True Match Foundation Run Down-
$10.95
Any drug store or you can go to lorealparisusa.com
Pros-affordable, lightweight, good coverage
Cons-made my skin look dry and flaky

Jane Iredale has some amazing foundations! I really like their pressed powder foundations and their Liquid Mineral foundation. Usually I would prefer a loose powder, which Jane Iredale does offer, but I really prefer their pressed for some reason. It lasts such a long time and it gives a great look and feel! I also really like the Liquid Minerals. It has A LOT of coverage so if you're one for minimal coverage-this is not the one for you! Pointers on the liquid foundation---take a few pumps and put on a make up palette plate and get a foundation brush and smash and blend it together or take a few pumps and put it on the back of your hand and just press and mix together with your fingers. You must make sure to blend well because all this foundation is is pigmented mineral powder shaped in little balls and it is suspended in hyaluronic acid. So, if you do not blend well it will look awful on the skin! So make sure you blend well and then apply to skin. Hyaluronic acid is wonderful for your skin, it keeps hydration up and helps with anti-aging. This foundation looks weird-but it's great! Major downfall-it's expensive but I love it!

Jane Iredale Foundation Run Down-
$36 for pressed foundation, $42 for loose foundation, $46 for liquid
www.janeiredale.com
Pros-great coverage, does not clog pores, good for all skin types, stays on all day
Cons-very expensive, hard to find in some locations

Right now I am using CoverGirl Clean liquid foundation for normal skin. I am really, really enjoying it! I was so weary of using CoverGirl just from past experience many, many years ago but I am really loving it. It's light but has great coverage and the price you cannot beat!! They have one foundation in the same line for sensitive skin and they have one for anti-aging. I would always stick with either normal or sensitive skin. If you tend to breakout easy go for the sensitive skin! It's just a safer bet!

CoverGirl Clean Liquid Foundation Low Down-
$4.50 at drug stores
www.covergirl.com
Pros-great coverage, light-weight, stays on all day, amazing price!
Cons-I can't think of anything right now!

I am so sorry this is so long but foundations are so important! I will continue to keep trying new brands so keep checking back!

Next blog-----how to match yourself when you're at a drug store!