Birchbox Man December 2013

A couple of months ago, wanting my husband to share in the subscription box fun, I signed my him up for Birchbox Man.  When you sign up as a man (or for a man), you are asked a variety of questions about your interests, likes, etc., in order to personalize the box.  I had hoped that my quiz answers (that I did for my husband) would assure that he would receive things he would actually use, and not think were not "manly" enough.  I feel the need to say that my husband is a "macho" guy, for lack of a better term.  While he's not out in the garage working on his car all the time, or riding a motorcycle and wearing black leather, he's a fairly old fashioned and masculine fellow. I knew that chances were, that he would not be too excited about getting grooming product samples, but thought I'd try it out.

Well, as I predicted, he just wasn't into it.  He was a good sport about it, and enjoyed opening the boxes, mostly because he knew that I was excited about it.  However, each month after opening, he never used any of the samples, except for the tiny little cologne vials. Since that $20 a month is money that I can put towards a new subscription for me (what can I say? I'm addicted!), I recently cancelled his subscription.

Apparently, I cancelled too late, because we recently got his December box in the mail. Here's what he/we got.

First up, is a pair of Jonathan Adler socks.  Now, I honestly don't know why my husband doesn't like these. (C'mon-stripes? What's un-manly about hunter green and gray stripes?) I like them! In fact, I wore them yesterday.  Sure, they went nearly up to my knees, and were a little big on the foot, but I loved the soft texture, and the weight of the socks.  (And I'm very picky when it comes to socks-I think I have some sensory issues when it comes to my feet and socks.) These will make nice boot socks for me this winter!

Next, is a pair of boot laces from Benjo.  Yes, boot laces.  In a Birchbox.  That was kind of his reaction, too. They are orange and yellow, and...well, they are boot laces.  Rather short ones, too.  Ho hum.

Moving right along, we have a bottle of Lucky Tiger Liquid Shave Cream.  I'm more impressed with this product than he is.  It is in a cool bottle, that looks like glass, but isn't.  With the old fashioned label, this would look nice sitting on the bathroom counter.  The shave cream has a pleasant, fruity smell.

The black bottle is Real Men Go 24 7 Body Wash.  My husband's reaction? "Wow.  That really stinks." I don't think the scent is that bad, although it's certainly a masculine smell.  Maybe a tiny bit too Brute aftershave-like, though.  My 10 year old son will probably use it and love it.

A product that already has gone directly to the 10 year old, is the American Crew Alternator Styling Spray.  Hubby has a flat top (and thinning hair), and doesn't need a product like this, but it works well to style my son's thick, "messy look" hair.

Billy Jealousy Liquid Sand is the last product.  A couple of months ago, he received Billy Jealousy moisturizer, which I have been using as a hand cream.  It has a pleasant, light scent, as does this product.  The moisturizer absorbs quickly, and feels silky on.  Sadly, this product will go unused.  I happened to mention "You might enjoy using this to exfoliate", to which my husband replied, "I might enjoy it to what?!" Let's just say he's not the exfoliating type.

There was one more thing in the box that isn't pictured.  It was a dumb little clingy thing with the Birchbox logo, that you are supposed to clean your phone screen with.  It doesn't work.

So, there you have it.  If you are a man who enjoys sampling various grooming products, and doesn't mind getting a few other odds an ends, then you'll love this.  Otherwise, tell your wife that you would love for her to use the money to get herself another subscription! ;-) (You're welcome, ladies!)

This product was purchased with my own money, and all opinions are my own..  By clicking on the link in the post, and then signing up for Birchbox, I would receive Birchbox points.  Otherwise, I am not compensated for this post.

OPI I Have a Herring Problem Review

I tried out my new OPI in I Have a Herring Problem on Sunday.  It is now Wednesday, and I just had to do a touch up coat, as I've had some wear at the tips, but really, not too bad. This is a pretty blue gray,  with a tiny hint of shimmer.  At least, it's this color in the bottle, or after MANY coats on the nails.  On Sunday, I ended up having to apply 4 coats to get opaque coverage on my nails.  The first few coats went on very streaky and light.  I could even see my pink-tinted base coat through in places, until I got to layer 4.  Usually, I'm very pleased with OPI, but I wouldn't recommend this one, unless you enjoy having to apply multiple layers of polish in one sitting.  Ain't nobody got time for that! I think I'll stick to Sephora Formula X!

Here's a picture-keep in mind, this is on Wednesday, after doing a touch up layer (5 coats-not counting top coat!), so my nails aren't in the best of shape.  These hands work hard throughout the week!

New Stuff This Month

Let me preface this "haul" post by saying that I don't normally buy this much stuff over the course of a month! It's just been a good month for me. ;-) Also, I apologize in advance for the crappy pictures-I'm so not a photographer!

First up, from a trip to Sephora, I got some Anastasia Brow Gel and Formula X for Sephora Nail Polish in Rocket Fuel.  I've been wanting to try Anastasia Brow Gel for a long time, but was unwilling to just bite the bullet and pay full price for it.  I know that some subscription box companies have sent it out, so I kept hoping that I'd get some to try.  No luck.  Isn't that how it works, though? You never get sent the samples of the things you really want to try-at least I don't! Anyhow, I finally just decided to buy it.  My unruly brows have been needing this, because no amount of plucking or trimming keep my brow hairs where they ought to be.  This works pretty well, but I don't like that I can feel it on my eyebrows throughout the day.

Next, the nail polish.  I have to say that Rocket Fuel is a very out of the ordinary color for me.  I tend to stick with the more traditional pinks and reds, and usually go for orangey-pinks and orangey-reds in the summer.  I've been trying to step out of my comfort zone a bit, so I thought I'd give this sage green color a try.  I've never used Formula X before, and I have to say that I am impressed! I love how easily it applied, and I could have been done with one coat, although I did add more.  I've never used a polish that applied so nicely with such great coverage. Polish always chips on me within a day, but this stuff did pretty well, just a tiny bit of wear around the tips of my nails. I'm excited to try more of this brand. Below is a (scary!) picture of the color.

Earlier this month, I used the Birchbox points I've saved up, to purchase this Nude 'Tude palette from theBalm. I was able to get it for just $16 with my points.  I've used it several times now, and while the pans are tiny, the colors seem to be nicely pigmented, go on smoothly, and have decent wear time.  I like that the shades can be mixed and matched, and that they aren't just a bunch of boring browns.

I have a hate-hate relationship with eyeliner.  I feel like I need it, but I hate applying it.  I must have the world's oiliest eye area, because I have a heck of a time getting eyeliner to "write" on my eyelids! I've wasted a lot of money on eyeliners that either never do work, or stop writing after a couple of weeks.  (I've since found that pouring a little rubbing alcohol over the tip of the pencil, and then allowing time to dry, helps out with this problem a little.)  I also have itchy, watery eyes, so I hate when my eyeliner smudges. Having finally found a brown eyeliner that is working for me, I purchased a Maybelline Unstopables eyeliner in pewter a few weeks ago.  I've only worn in 3-4 times, but so far, it is working well for me.  Today, I purchased a Jordana Made to Last 12 Hour eyeliner in Jade Jewel.  Green eyeliner used to be a staple of my beauty routine when I was younger, because I felt like it brought out some green in my hazel eyes, but I've leaned more towards brown and black for a long time.  I feel like "branching out" again, so I'm going to give this a shot.  I haven't tried it yet, so we'll see!

Today at Beauty Brands, I purchased an OPI Base Coat, and OPI I Have a Herring Problem.  This shimmery, slate blue shade is another very out of the box shade for me, actually.  Before going to Beauty Brands, I was at Lowe's, picking out paint samples for my living room in similar shades to this, so I blame it on that.  I'm sure my first graders at school will love my blue fingernails! Haven't tried it yet, so no frightening hand shots to post!

I think between the sub boxes and my frequent trips to the drug store, I need to slow down on my makeup purchases! After all, I do only have one face.....;-)

That's all for this weekend-I need to go back to reality and work on my never ending supply of papers to grade and lesson plans!

November Birchbox

Yep, another box review.  Maybe eventually I'll blog about something other than my subscription boxes! (I still have one other I haven't reviewed yet, so don't hold your breath.) I've had Birchbox for maybe 4 months now.  I usually end up with a few things I like from these boxes. In fact, one of my unexpected "Holy Grail" products has come from Birchbox! I received a sample of Juice Beauty Oil Free Moisturizer in my first box, and much to my surprise, my sensitive skin loved it! I've since bought a full size.

I forgot to take a picture of my Birchbox this month.  I usually receive it and my Ipsy Glam Bag on the same day, and in my excitement, I forgot to take a picture of either box. Here's what I received, and my thoughts.

Vasanti Brighten Up Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator-This is an exfolliant product, in a fairly decent sized sample tube. I've only used it once, as I have plenty of similar samples to try out at the moment.  It seems to be a very fine grained exfolliant, and felt pretty sharp and scratchy.  Since I've only used it once, I can't really vouch for it's effectiveness, but my sensitive skin didn't get upset about it, either.

Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips-Yes, the first thing you noticed about this was the name.  Me too. This was originally created to be a lanolin healing cream for nursing mothers, thus the "Nipple Balm". Unfortunately, the good doctor's name just makes the product name sound funnier.  Or not.  Maybe I just have the sense of humor and maturity of a 13 year old boy.  I didn't think I'd like this, especially after squeezing and squeezing the teensy tube to get anything out of it, and finding it was at least half way full of air.  However, after wearing this a few times, I kind of like it.  It leave my lips glossy like petroleum jelly would, but the glossiness lasts longer, and the stickiness is more bearable.  It actually works well under lipstick, and somehow doesn't create a glopy mess, as I would have expected.  I may actually buy this, but I'm just not sure how I would feel about pulling it out of my purse in public, due to the name.  I know, I know-grow up already, right?

Eyeko Black Magic Mascara-Yet another mascara sample. I'm actually keeping and wearing this one, though, since it's water resistant. This stuff is apparently supposed to be a big deal, that does fabulous things to your lashes, perhaps due to the wand shape, or some such mumbo jumbo. Ehhhh...it's a decent mascara. I like that it doesn't clump, it doesn't run, and it doesn't make my eyelashes feel stiff.  But then, I only wear a tiny amount.  I'm fortunate to have dark, long eyelashes, so I only wear a bit to re-darken my lashes when some concealer or eye shadow has gotten on them.

Folle de Joie Eau de Parfum-I received a small sample vial of this perfume.  This seems to be a very popular perfume among sample box subscribers, so I was happy to try it out.  It has a nice floral smell, but I'm not sure how well it works with my body chemistry.  The jury is still out.

Miss Jessie's Original Leave-In Condish-Despite the obnoxious, Rachael Ray type name of "Condish", which annoys me way more than it should, I like this stuff.  It came at the perfect time for me, as I've been on the hunt for a silicone free leave in conditioner that actually helps me get the tangles out of my hair, which is pretty darn hard to find!  It came in a generously sized, foil packet.  Birchbox often gets a bad rap for it's foil packet samples, but really, I've already gotten 3 uses out of this, and I'll probably get 3-4 more generous sizes uses out of it.  When I rub this on my tangles, and then comb with a wide tooth comb, the tangles comb out so much easier-almost as easily as they did with my old favorite, but silicone laden, leave-in (which gunked up my hair-story for another post).  The smell is strong, and reminds me of off-brand fabric softener sheets, but it doesn't last too long, so I can deal with it.  I actually ordered a full size of this, however, I just noticed that my scalp is getting that gunked up, oily feeling again.  I've read the label multiple times searching for overlooked silicones or build up causing poly-quats, but I don't see any. I hope it isn't this product causing it!

Ghirardelli Toffee Crunch Candy Bar-Sometimes Birchbox sends out food items.  I have my profile set to not include food items, but this month, everyone was sent some type of snack or tea.  This a a huge, full sized bar, unfortunately, no one at my house likes toffee.  Birchbox doesn't know that, though.

So, all in all, it was a pretty decent month for Birchbox! I'm excited to see what December will have.

I purchased this box with my own money, and all opinions are my own. By clicking on the Birchbox links, and then signing up for Birchbox, I would receive Birchbox points.  Otherwise, I am not compensated for this post in any way.

November Beauty Box 5-aka the Boredom Box 5

This month's Beauty Box 5 will be my last, at least for a while, anyway.  I've had 3 (or is it 4?) boxes from them.  I can't remember exactly, because they really aren't that memorable, sadly.  While I always ended up using some or most of the items, they just aren't that interesting or fun, in comparison to Ipsy or Birchbox.  For $12 a month, the price is similar, but fewer well known, higher end brands are included in the boxes.  Boxes contain a mix of 5 skin care, makeup and apparently, other body care type items.  After receiving an especially boring box in September, where I received a pair of cheap, dollar-store type, pedicure toe separators, and a teeny, tiny bottle of Aveeno lotion as two of my 4-5 items,  I decided that I would cancel if November wasn't more exciting. Sooooooo.....

Here's what I received.

Secret Clinical Strength Antiperspirant-So Secret is the only brand of deodorant I'll use, although I've never tried the Clinical Strength.  So, this sample will get used, but seriously? Deodorant in a beauty subscription box? How dull is that? It's kind of like giving a kid socks for Christmas-who cares? I prefer to buy my own.

Aveeno body wash-(Sigh). More Aveeno.  Aveeno may be perfectly lovely, in fact, I hear it's very nice for dry, winter skin, but I'm just not enthused to receive another drug store, Aveeno product for a second month. At least this body wash bottle is at least twice as big as my sad, little lotion sample was last month. (Disclaimer: I'm totally not a drug store product snob! The majority of products I use come from the drug store. However, this is why I like subscription boxes-so I can try new things!)

Be a Bombshell Eye Crayon in Hang Over-Now this is what I'm talking about! Finally a makeup product! Be a Bombshell is a makeup line that seems to be popular with subscription boxes.  I've received products from them in Ipsy and Wantable.  This eye crayon is a medium brown, and applies pretty easily.  It creased within a couple of hours on me, but then again, most creamy eye shadows do.  Packaging seems a little cheap, but honestly, I'm just glad to get a makeup product that I might use every once in a while out of this subscription.

Bella Pierre Eye Shimmer in Ha Ha-Ha ha is right.  I shouldn't complain, since it IS makeup-two makeup products in a Beauty Box 5, this might be unprecedented! But, as a 39 year old, brown eyed, midwestern woman, who leads a pretty conservative (read: boring!) lifestyle, I just don't see myself wearing electric blue, shimmery eye shadow. The product is a nice size, so it's a shame I can't use it.

Glacial Clay Spa Mask-Now this I didn't mind receiving, although it's yet another drug store product that I could go to Walgreen's and get myself for cheap.  I used the mask, and don't really have a definitive review to give.  It didn't do anything bad to my sensitive skin, but after only one use, it's hard to determine any benefits.  It was a little messy and drippy, and the nose hole in the mask was cut into the wrong place, so it was a little funny to wear. 

So, there you go. After receiving this boring Beauty Box, I cancelled my subscription, and subscribed instead to The Sample Society. If I hear about Beauty Box 5 improving, then I may resubscribe, but I thought it would be fun to try out something new instead.  I think for Beauty Box to stay afloat, they will need to attract better brands.  Ipsy and Birchbox are two dollars cheaper and seem to put together much more interesting boxes.

I purchased this box with my own money, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Ipsy Glam Bag November 2013

I have been an Ipsy subscriber since I received my first bag in July.  I have to say that I generally feel pretty "meh" about what I receive in my Ipsy bags.  There are always one or two products that everyone wants, but not everyone gets.  I never get these most coveted products.  (Wah, wah, wah.) For example, in July, Benefit Benetint was a sample that was really hyped up on the Ipsy site, and I've been wanted to try it for years, but lots of people did not get it, including me.  The next month, the coveted product was an Urban Decay lipstick sample.  Those of us who didn't get that got a lip balm instead. (Now, I must admit, I use that lip balm everyday, whereas I wouldn't use the same lipstick every day, but still.....) If I didn't stalk the Ipsy site, and keep up with the monthly bag spoilers to see all the product variants that are going into some bags, I probably would be less disappointed each month when I get my own bag.  However, the hype and spoilers and build up of excitement are part of what makes it fun for me, so I keep at it.  (Yes, I'm easily amused. What can I say?)

Anyhow, to put it all into perspective, it's only $10 a month, and there are usually at least $10 worth of products that I end up using.

I totally forgot to take a picture of my bag this month.  If you are dying to see one, I'm sure you can find a picture on Instagram, but here is what I received, and my thoughts on each product.

em Michelle Phan Lash Gallery Mascara in Black
As you may have heard, Michelle Phan is highly involved with Ipsy, and she recently created her own (quite expensive) makeup line.  Ipsy folks have been begging to sample em, and this month Ipsy added a full sized em product as a sixth product in our bags.  (We usually only get 4-5).  Subscription services apparently love to send out mascara, and I already have more than I can use.  I have contact lenses and sensitive, watery eyes, so I only use waterproof mascara, so I won't be using this.  I also just don't wear mascara often, anyhow.  I would have loved to receive one of the lipsticks, lipglosses or eyeliners that were sent out instead.

Pixi Bronzer in Subtly Suntouched
I'll try this product out eventually, I suppose, but I really don't use bronzer.  Especially in November.  Some people contour with bronzer, but I generally just look like I have a dirty face when I try it.  Anyhow, this shade isn't much darker than the mineral powder foundation I use, so I may experiment with it at some point. Who knows, I may love it.

Be a Bombshell Lip Crayon in Shameless
This is another brand that I've never heard of outside of subscription services, but I've now received products from them in three different subscriptions.  Shameless is a slightly shimmery dark pink, and I was thrilled to discover that this color is perfect for me! It's dark enough to not look like a nude on my already fairly pigmented lips, but not dark enough to be all "Hello, lipstick!" The color goes on smooth and easy, and while it looks quite glittery in the stick, it doesn't apply that way at all, thankfully.  The only thing is that it smells like Band-aids! Odd, but the smell goes away after application.  I can't vouch for the longevity yet, but we'll see!

Nailtini Straight Up Color Nail Lacquer in Champagne
I'm pretty picky about nail polish colors, so I have nail polish selected as something I don't like to receive in my Ipsy Match profile, but everyone received a nail polish this month.  This is a color that a lot of people wanted to receive, but it just reminds me of the type of shade my Mom always wore in the '80's. It's a basic, shiny nude color.  Blah.  I'm going to try to trade it, or give it to Mom.

Starlooks Gem Eye Pencil in Amethyst
There is usually at least one product in each box or bag that I receive that I really don't think I'll like until I try it.  This was it for me.  This is a silvery eye liner with a hint of purple.  Soooooo not something this 39 year old would even consider purchasing! But, I tried it yesterday over a bit of green eyeliner, and the colors looked so good together! I may not wear it often, but it's fun to have a more "adventurous" option.

BH Cosmetics Galaxy Chic Baked Eyeshadow Shimmer in Sun
This color seems to be one that lots of people wanted to receive, but I don't understand why. I mean, on it's own, it looks pretty in the container, but I can't imagine using orange-y eyeshadow on my eyes without looking ill.  It's a nice, big sample, so I'm bummed that I didn't get a different shade.  I'll try to trade it or give it away.  I'm comforting myself with the fact that I received some BH cosmetics eyeshadow in my first bag, and the quality was not good.

So, 3 out of 3 potentially useful things in this bag for me.  That's not too bad for $10.  Ipsy comes in a different makeup bag each month.  This month's bag was a wristlet style, in a shiny gold faux snakeskin with a pink zipper. It's pretty flimsy, and a wee bit tacky, but c'mon.  $10, remember? ;-)

I paid for this Glam Bag with my own money, and opinions expressed are my own. By clicking on the Ipsy links, and then signing up for Ipsy, you would be helpign me earn Ipsy points.  I am not otherwise compensated for this post.

Wantable November

Wantable is a monthly beauty subscription service.  You can also choose to receive monthly boxes of accessories or intimates (aka underwear).  For $36 a month, you receive 4-5 full sized makeup products.  If you don't like the products you receive, you can send the whole box back for a refund. You can also choose to skip boxes, which is a nice option if you need to save some money, or don't think you'll like the products that month.  When you join Wantable, you take a beauty profile quiz to set your preferences.  If you state that you dislike a product, Wantable guarantees that you won't receive it.  I don't know of any other services that actually promise not to send you something you don't want, so I love this feature.

I think that this is my third box with Wantable, and after tinkering with my profile last month, after receiving some colors that were really unsuited to me, I am happy.

First up, is The Great Face Contouring Kit from Stockholm.  It contains four shades of concealers/contourers.  I was very impressed with the size of this-it's as big around as a Cover Girl powder compact, and the pans of product are really deep.  This will last me a long time.  The concealing shades are terribly impressive at coverage, but are ok.  I have terrible dark circles under my eyes, and have tried just about everything to cover them, so I am pretty hard to impress when it comes to concealer.  I've actually been using the white contouring shade with the darker concealer over it on my circles.  While it doesn't totally hide them, it brightens up the area.

Next, is a blush from Girlactik Beauty, a company I've never heard of outside of the sampling services I'm subscribed to. I received the shade, Star Blush Milan, which is kind of a dusty rose.  After two months of receiving hot pink blushes, I am very happy with this shade.  The mirrored compact is fairly small, and the actual blush pan is about as big around as a fifty cent piece.  Kind of tiny, but it doesn't take much product to get a nice color pay off.  It seems to be fairly long wearing, too.

Next up is a Starlooks eyeshadow.  I'd never heard of Starlooks, either, until I got into beauty subscriptions.  Starlooks actually has their own sampling service, but their products frequently turn up in Ipsy bags and Wantable boxes, and probably other boxes, as well.  My eyeshadow is in the shade Beach Nut, which seems to be a matte medium brown with a slight grayish cast.  I really like the color in the container, but when I tested it, I wasn't thrilled with how it looked on me.  I'll try it again later, though.  The color is very pigmented, so a little goes a long way.  I can't comment on the staying power, as I washed my makeup off soon after testing.  The eyeshadow is a reasonable size-about the size of a silver dollar.

Last, is nail polish by...ummmm...well, I can't tell you who it's by because I sort of can't find it. Yeah. I've got way too much stuff lying around.  It's not a brand that I'm familiar with, but that doesn't say much, because I've only just recently started branching out from OPI and Essie.  It's a dark royal blue color, which is totally not a shade I would pick out for myself.  39 year old teachers just don't typically gravitate toward royal blue nail polish, you know? But, I will try this out on my toes, as it is a pretty shade of blue-just not for my fingers.  When I find it, that is. (Edited to add: I found it! This is Baldwin Blues by Color Club.  Some people received this in their Birchbox this month.)

So, all in all, I'm fairly pleased with this month's Wantable box.  I've got a couple of products that I've added to my rotation, and a couple of others to experiment with!

Sound like fun? Check it out!

Disclaimer-All opinions are my own, and I paid for this product with my own money. By clicking on any of these Wantable links, and then signing up for Wantable, you would be helping me earn discounts toward future Wantable purchases.  I am not compensated otherwise for this post.

Is there a five step program for beauty subscription boxes?

Because I may need one!

I had been aware of monthly sampling subscriptions for a while, but finally got around to signing up for one in June.  I received my first Ipsy Glam Bag in July, and I've been a subscriber since.  Not a super thrilled subscriber, mind you, but I'm certainly not planning on cancelling my subscription any time soon.  The next month, I signed up for Birchbox, and then Beauty Box 5.  Not being content to stop there, I bit the bullet, and subscribed to a more costly subscription, Wantable. I recently signed up for a skin care only service, One Radiant, and then another beauty one, The Sample Society (after cancelling Beauty Box 5). Yes, I am practically swimming in makeup and sample sized products, but I love it!

I'm constantly stalking blog posts and forum threads about beauty subscription services-not that I should really subscribe to any more, because while most are only around $10 a month, the cost does add up fast! My excuse is that I have a stressful, pretty much all consuming, job as a first grade teacher, and this is my form of relaxation.

I'll be posting pictures of the boxes I've received this month (except Ipsy and Birchbox which I forgot to take pictures of-yeah, it's my fist post, and I'm already a crappy blogger, LOL), and giving my reviews of the products soon.  If you'd like to sign up for any of these, I'd love it if you'd click on the links I post to subscribe under me.  I could earn points, and you can help me feed my addiction!