Sorry for the delay, but here are this week's makeup picks! As I'm so late in the week, and I have today and tomorrow off to be snowed in, I don't have high hopes for using all of the products in this week's selection. Wish me luck! :)
January 2013 Man Repeller x Glossybox
I find beauty subscription boxes to be kind of a mixed bag. For those who love to try new things, I think subscription boxes are an amazing way to keep up with what's new without spending a lot of money. On the other hand, I'd say those with very particular tastes or too many products in general don't need to spend their hard earned cash.
In January, I was quite tempted by the Glossybox collaboration with Leandra Medine. Thoughts on her aside, I do quite like how this box was put together. The box itself is quite sizeable, and made of a nice cardboard with a shiny finish - I could definitely see these boxes being used for storage, or to collect products for friends! :)
I also really enjoy the star patterned tissue paper, and the magazine itself has some great content. I felt like the one that comes in Sample Society is quite small and doesn't have a ton of content, while this one feels like it is packed with useful content for a mini magazine. Here are the products that I received.
Narciso Rodriguez for Her Eau de Toilette I have always liked this perfume, but always forget about it, so I was happy to get a sample. In my mind, I've always categorized it as something of a blend of Stella and Chloe. I think this grabs the nice floral notes of Stella and the powdery sweetness of Chloe quite well. It is delicate and long lasting, I'm happy to have this sample to play with. When this arrived I realized I had a purse spray size that I got from a Sephora promo code a while back!
Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara I think this is a handy sample to have, but as I prefer to only have 1 or 2 mascaras open at a time, testing this one out will have to wait!
OPI Liquid Sand in Can't Let Go (Full Size) I wasn't sure what to think about this nail polish based on the description, so I did wait quite a while before I applied it. It applies well, and the "sandy" glitter texture makes it easy to apply without streaks. One coat makes quite a nice light purple finish, while 2 coats results in a nice medium purple. I'd like to think of this as a new take on glitter polish, and quite like it. I'm definitely curious to try more shades in this line.
Living Proof Prime Style Extender I'm absolutely in love with this stuff, and I already have a tube of this size from a Sephora promo code. I love the scent of Living Proof styling products, and this just gives my hair such a nice reboot on those mornings when I don't have time to wash my hair. For me, it is really a replacement for dry shampoo, though I still stick to my handy Oscar Blandi Invisible Dry Shampoo when my hair is particularly oily.
Fresh Umbrian Clay Mattifying Serum I love Fresh, and I've heard so many good things about the Umbrian Clay skincare line in general. I love the Umbrian Clay Concealer, and the foundation is quite good too. I'm not really looking for anything mattifying right now, but I'm definitely going to make use of this in the summer. I bet it would make a nice primer too!
Vincent Longo Lip Stain SPF 15 Lipstick in Belle Etoile (Full Size) The shade Belle Etoile is a deep, brick red sort of shade that I would never purchase on my own but am very happy to now have in my collection. The lipstick itself is surprisingly creamy, and offers a glossy shine. It is not opaque in color, and upon the first application I would even say it is a bit sheer, but the color can definitely be built up. The lipstick itself has a standard lipstick scent/flavor that is very slightly vanilla to me. Pretty awesome, and I was happily surprised by it, even though I originally wished I got a Tarte lip or cheek product like many others did. I'm glad I got this!
Le Metier de Beaute Replenishing Daily Solution SPF 30 I wish this wasn't just a sample packet, as I find using sample packets to be a bit inconvenient most of the time. I'll be saving this one for when I travel.
So there you have it! This box was packed with products, and even though I'm not using a few of them right now, I'm glad to have them for later.
For $21, I think this box is well worth it. Additionally, you can fill out surveys on Glossybox's website to earn "Glossydots" - 20 dots per product and the occasional extra survey. There are also dots available for referrals, and once you get to 1000 Glossydots, you can redeem them for a free box!
While Glossybox seems to be a pretty substantial service, I won't be subscribing on a regular basis at this time. As you may be aware, I have far too many sample size products that I need to play with already, and spend too much time following what's new anyway that beauty subscription services often don't introduce me to anything I haven't heard of, LOL. I'll be sure to keep my eye out for any special boxes and collaborations though, as they do seem quite good!
What do you think of my Glossybox? Are you a subscriber to beauty boxes? I'd love to know your favorites! :)
♡ Lush Happy Hippy Shower Gel ♡
In January, Lush sent me Happy Hippy Shower Gel. I was SO excited, as I love citrus, and I love it even more in the dreary winter.
Filled with the scent of grapefruit, this shower gel also contains citrus and bergamot oils, and I just love it. For whatever reason, my Olive Branch Shower Gel was more watery in consistency, but this one is like a normal shower gel in texture. It lathers up quickly, and smells great, but what I love is that the scent is not so strong and doesn't linger all day as many other Lush products do, as I know not everyone wants that all the time!
Out of all the soap/shower gel products in my shower right now, this one is probably most moisturizing. (Not counting Lush Ro's Argan, which I was so sad to finish!) A sales associate also showed me how great this shower gel mixes with Lush Ocean Salt Scrub - together, they make quite a creamy exfoliator that leaves skin looking and feeling smooth. I'm in love!
Here are the ingredients if you're curious - I will definitely be purchasing this once I finish up this little bottle, but I'll definitely be trying to make it last as long as possible!! I really want to get my hands on Ocean Salt too, and I'll be sure to post when that happens.
Have you tried Lush Happy Hippy? Do you have a favorite citrus shower product?? I'd love to know! :)
This product was provided for review.
Chanel Beryl vs Benefit Eye Bright
Last month, I debated for quite a while if I should pick up Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Beryl, a brightening lilac shade that is a limited edition release for the Spring 2013 collection. I quite liked it when I swatched it in store, but then realized it may be quite similar to Benefit Eye Bright.
So at that point, I was quite unsure of what to do! Finally, I bit the bullet and bought Chanel Beryl, and thought I ought to offer my thoughts on the liner as well as a comparison.
On my skintone, Chanel Beryl is a lilac that is nearly nude. The pencil itself is quite creamy, and wears on my waterline decently well. In general with Chanel Stylo Yeux pencils, I can get at least 6-8 hours of wear before minor fading - this one is about the same, perhaps just a bit less in the waterline.
Benefit Eye Bright, on the other hand, is a bit more stark in its lilac tone. The pencil itself is also larger, so for some it may be more difficult to use for the waterline. In this process, I decided that Benefit Eye Bright isn't as creamy or natural looking (at least for my skintone) when applied to the waterline, even though I imagined the bright color would offer more brightening properties. For me, I like to blend it with my fingers just a little to make it more natural and smooth out the texture a bit. As you can see, Benefit Eye Bright is not an exact dupe of Chanel Beryl - it is actually quite a bit brighter, and obviously the pencil itself is wider!
So, the big question is, did I need both of them?? I'd say yes! :) (Phew, what a relief!)
I love Benefit Eye Bright blended into the outer and inner corners of my eyes. It really lifts that droop in my outer corners, and that was the original reason I bought it! While it does work for brightening in the waterline, I find that I need to pay a bit more attention than I would with Chanel Beryl, so I quite like Beryl when I don't have time or energy to sharpen Eye Bright or pay attention to my lining! (LOL)
As mentioned previously, Chanel Beryl is a limited edition liner from the Spring 2013 collection. If this looks good to you, I'd recommend grabbing it as soon as possible! Have you tried Chanel Beryl? Do you have any favorites for brightening? Do share! :)