March 2015 Monthly Favorites

Until recently this month has been all about keeping up with my busy schedule and the constantly changing weather. Most of this is timeless stuff that I can reach for without fear of what its going to look like, just a fair warning though that this month is kind of obscenely pricey and I didn't realize this until I finished writing this post and looked back over it.

 Josie Maran Argan Color Stick in Happy $22

This is a gorgeous color and a wonderful product. It is pricey at 22$, but I'm pretty sure I ended up purchasing this one Hautelook for like 10$ or 12$ which is much more affordable.

It smells citrusy which I am kind of meh about but what I love about this product is that it feels moisturizing on the lips but I don't feel disgusted when putting it on my cheeks. A lot of all over color sticks like this end up either being drying on the lips or disgustingly emollient on the cheeks. I reach for it regularly, if it doesn't go on my cheeks it will likely end up on my lips in the morning.

Unblended

Blended

Pros
- Happy is a beautiful pink nude shade, I'm sure it would be a My Lips But Better (MLBB, an alternative name for the controversial 'nude' which doesn't really apply to lips the same way it does the face or body) shade on some ladies out there.
- Doesn't feel gross to put on the cheeks or the lips

Cons
- Pricey
- Wide applicator is good for cheeks but difficult if you have small lips
- Heavy and large, definitely not purse-friendly

Notes
- Citrusy scent
- Pink, shiny, difficult to photograph packaging
- Blends out pretty sheer, perfect on my basically translucent skin but may not show up on darker skin tones

 Rouge Underground Luminess Air Foundation $30
I have been running late a lot this month and when I want to wear foundation but don't have the time to break out the sponge and apply it this is perfect. Bonus, you can avoid purchasing that airbrush machine which, at least to me, is an intimidating investment.

Pros
- Fast and easy to apply
- Sold at Ulta so you can shade match and test

Cons
- Pricey
- You will choke on aerosolized foundation if you have a small bathroom




Notes
- Natural looking light to medium coverage
- No SPF

Elf Bronzer in Glow $3

Despite its name this is actually a matte bronzer. I thought it was going to be way too dark for my fair skin, but it is perfect when blended out and doesn't pull too orange on me. Bonus, its 3$.









Pros
- 3$
- There are darker shades if this is too light for your skin

Cons
- It does come with a brush, but the brush is kind of lame.
- It looks like a three dollar product, so if packaging is your thing you probably won't appreciate this

Notes
- Matte Bronzer

 Mirenesse iCurl Mascara $40 (for full size)

I got this as part of one of my Birchboxes but I've seen this sample size on Hautelook for 7$. This mascara would never be worth 40$ to me ever, nor will I ever buy a full size because it would go rancid before I finished it.  However, this is a great mascara for when you need nice lashes in one coat. It lasts all day, the only time it smudges or flakes is when I rub at my eyes enough to pull out an eyelash or two and even then it is incredibly minor. It is also washable and removes more easily than any of my other smudgy mascaras I already own.






Pros
- Stays all day
- Minimal smudges and flakes
- Still washable
- The most beautiful balance between volume, curl, and length I have ever seen

Cons
- HOLY MOLE THE $$$
-  Absolutely terrible for layering
- The tip of the wand (you know the part for your tiniest lashes) likes to hoard mascara.

Notes
- Sets super fast, great for running out the door, terrible if you get even a single clump
- Tubes. So they gave me a little paper with instructions for this, but basically what they were talking about was that the mascara works by forming like a sheath or a tube around each lash, and you remove it by breaking the bond at the base of your lash with water

Colourpop Lippie Stick in Bound $5

I can feel some of you cringing right now because of how hyped up they are. I have four of the lippie stix in my possession, two of them are from trades, and two of them I got in a Valentine's Day exchange. I have been meaning to place an order myself, but 5$ is not nearly as affordable as people think when you want all the things.




This is a beautiful dusty rose color, I wore it for my graduation head shots. While it isn't very natural looking nor is it the color of my natural lips I find that no matter what state my lips are in (dehydrated and pale, just bitten and flushed, etc.) this color compliments my lips and fades beautifully.


Pros
- By far one of the longer wearing traditional lipsticks I've tried

- Smudges but is not smudgy. I am a clumsy person, and there are lip products where I have accidentally brushed my fingers across my lips and BAM, suddenly I am running around Gotham city trying to come up with ways to kill Batman. This is not one of those products.

- 5$ is actually very affordable considering that many people, myself included, pay 4 times that much for inferior product.

- Slick packaging. They nailed it with the design, large enough to have presence but sleek enough to fit into small places or pen holders, plus the applicator is the perfect size and shape, the tip of the container is slanted like a traditional lipstick so that the product doesn't lose its shape as easily and can still be used for detailing.


Cons
- They only sell them online
- I find the caps on the bottom to be somewhat inaccurate. Crayola would not let this past quality control.
- Also, because I would like to collect a lot of these it would really help me out if the indicator of what color each lippie stick was was indicated on more than just the bottom cap. I know this is common for lipsticks, but so far I'm kind of liking this brand and think they could do better.

Notes
-Bold color. Even if you found a MLBB color in this line it will always look like you are wearing lipstick.
- There is a sweet scent to it, and I find it delicious, but heads up because it is not an unscented product

Innocent and Twisted Alchemy March 2015 Subscription

This is a little late in being posted because I forgot my nice camera at school (we were turning two years worth of independent art study). I was however rather impatient, so a few of these photos are just cell phone quality, sorry about that.

 To the left is the little bag which everything came packed in. It is adorable and sealed with bear tape and says "Especially for you". On the other side, it is pink stripes! Pink is my favorite color, so I was very pleased.



Also, if you were wondering why I didn't review last month's its because I forgot I hadn't purchased a recurring subscription so I was waiting for weeks all excited about getting my bag only to realize I wasn't going to because user error.  I have remedied that now.

 Above is everything laid out all together to show you the contents of the previously displayed bag. This month's collection was based on Mirror's Edge, which is a game I do not play so I can't tell you much more than that. This month includes samples from My Pretty Zombie, Corvus Cosmetics, Brija Cosmetics, Darling Girl and Detrivore Cosmetics. I had a ridiculous amount of trouble photographing the other side of the full colored drawing of Faith (the game's main character) which explains all of these things and tells you what you get in better depth.

Apparently Corvus Cosmetics and Darling Girl Cosmetics created special shades just for the Alchemist's box, and Linda has a speed drawing video of her making this month's image here.


First I thought I would show off the shadows from this month's collection, and then do the samples. The jars came packed full and sealed with colorful tape that matched the color that were supposed to be represented in the game (apparently minus red).










This is the yellow jar, but as you can see, the color is not yellow, so that was a bit confusing as the others matched. This color is called Leap of Faith. It's a gorgeous silver though, it has a very slight green shift to it and it applies nicely even without a primer.





This is the orange (Critical Objective), it is a carrot shimmery orange color. I was worried about how this would turn out, but it looks really pretty.






The blue shadow is labeled Runner Vision. It looks like a royal blue matte base with some interspersed shimmer. This is the only shadow I have a legitimate complaint about as it had a rather patchy application.




Finally, all three of them are swatched on one hand. I was trying to redeem the blue a little bit, and so I ended up not grabbing all the shimmer in the orange, and not showing off the prettiness of the silver.

 The top left swatch is The Shard by Corvus Cosmetics. I am in love with how complex and beautiful it is.

The Boy Who Lived by Brija Cosmetics is the far right swatch, it is a very pretty antiqued gold. It is not only a part of their permanent line, but also Harry Potter themed. I am actually slightly disappointed I did not get a sticker with their logo on it, because they have the prettiest company logo I have ever seen.

 The bottom swatch is Celery and Bile by My Pretty Zombie (more on it below). It is a pale green with a gold sheen.

Celery and Bile by My Pretty Zombie. It is a very pretty pale green with a golden shimmer, but the name kind of skeezes me out. Now to be fair, all things bodily, unpleasant and questionable is the entire premise of the company, and if they had an eyeshadow named Anxiety or ADD a package would already be on its way to my house. My mental illness struggles are a part of me and help to define me but they are not all of me, and makeup and beauty follows in the same vein.

Anyway, the left swatch is with primer, and the right swatch is one bare skin. I'm going to actually play with this as a highlight.

Finally, Nymph and Adorned. Nymph is the top swatch and is a matte and slightly purple red. Adorned though, which I initially thought was purple is more of a sparkly old brick color.

Cost, Value, and Personal Value 

The Subscription itself costs 12$ including shipping for the Deluxe Size subscription (which I have). Each jar of the month's collection is labeled with an exclusive monthly label that was hand drawn by the shop owner herself. It includes samples from various indie companies which vary from month to month. 

This also came with a 30% of i+ta cupon code, a 15% DG code (I have been considering a purchase for a long time and took this as a sign from the universe I needed to purchase from them), and a 15% off code from Brija Cosmetics. So keep that in mind as well. These are price estimates based ONLY on the amount of product you get from each company, this does not consider that some shades are LE or come with discount codes or come in special packaging

3 eyeshadow samples from i+ta cost 3$ each (we get jars in the subscription, which are more expensive). That means these three shades would cost 9$ at least.

A petite jar from DG costs 2.50$ 

The sample baggie of The Boy Who Lived costs 1.25$

A sample baggie from Corvus cost 1.50$

Finally the samples from Detrivore costs 1$

Total value: 15.25$ which is 3.25$ more than what you paid for, not including shipping. 

For me personally, I won't use Runner Vision, and I probably wouldn't have bought Adorned or Nymph, but we'll count Adorned because of the coupon code. That works out to being a personal value of  11.25$ which is .75$ less than the cost of the box, and I didn't have to pay shipping which would have cost more than seventy-five cents. 

The value is there, the quality is there, I get to try indies from several different companies for even cheaper than they already are, I love the themes of this brand even if I can't personally relate to this one, and it's not nearly as competitive as other indie subs. This month I think all the subs sold out in 12 hours, but I came in 7 hours after release time and still managed to get one. A lot of subs sell out in under ten minutes. 

Birchbox March 2015 Unboxing

Last month I got my Birchbox, but I did not review it because the only thing I enjoyed was the sample I had personally selected. I am however interested in 3 different products in this month's box, and the box itself is absolutely adorable. There were a ton of possible box combinations (the tops and bottoms for each box were randomly selected, but I think I got the best possible one for me).



 I am a complete sucker for creativity themed things as well, I am a crafter and I love making things, so the box theme appealed to my soul, the products were functional, but didn't quite match the theme. I was expecting more cosmetics and more oddly colored cosmetics in a creativity themed box.





Again, I adore the packaging this month. Look how perfect and adorable the pillow box is! Bonus, it is polka dots and the sides are my favorite rose pink color.

This is what the box looked like when I opened it.




My hair oil leaked. It still leaks, unless kept upright. There is a minor oil stain on the bottom of the box, but luckily the tissue paper managed to absorb most of it. I will eventually get some use out of it, but I have a ton of other hair oil samples as well. People do rave about Beauty Protector though, so I am excited.

 Next, we have No. 4 clarifying shampoo and repairing hair mask. I will use the hair mask, but the clarifying shampoo will only get used if I go swimming.

 Jouer Moisture Tint Lumizing Sunscreen. It has a really good SPF and matches my skin tone nicely, I'm excited to use it for more dewy looks.

WEI Manuka Bee Venom Anti-Wrinkle Mask. This is where I begin to doubt the personalization of Birchboxes because there really should have been a question about age and skin concerns where wrinkles were not specified as one of them because I am not even old enough for my skin to have stopped producing more collagen.

Far left is the Jouer Luminizing sunscreen,  and on the right Mirenesse Cheeky Kiss

 Mirenesse Cheeky Kiss Mini Lip Crayon. I love my Mirenesse mascara, so I was excited to try this. It is a good product in a beautiful color, and this was the only thing that lent itself to any creativity at all because it gave instructions on different ways to use it.  The stick itself is adorable and tiny, they say you can use it on your cheeks, blot the color down to a matte shade, or leave it glossy. However, you can do this with a lot of lip crayons like the Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Lip Colors.





Overall, I would say the personal value of this would be 10$, at least for me. I LOVE lip crayons, and Mirenesse. I have been in search of good hair oils forever, so a hair oil sample from a well loved brand is fine by me. I only go swimming a few times a year anyway so the clarifying shampoo is the perfect size, and I am always looking for great hair masks. The sample sizes are usually large enough for me to get a few uses out of each product, and then that combined with the points system is what really makes the box worth it for me.

If you review every product (review meaning answer a few quick questions, you don't need to have tried the product, and you don't need to review publicly) two boxes will get 10$ off in the Birchbox shop. They don't have EVERYTHING but they do have a very wide selection of higher end brands. I like to splurge on my base (foundation, concealer, skin care) and Birchbox points are a good way to find base products you like and get good discounts on them.

Most Recently Failed Product(s)- OBT Prompt #4

"This week's prompt from OBT network is Name the Last Beauty Product That Was a Failure for You!'!  Our Beauty Talk is a beauty forum community where we talk about subscription boxes, beauty skincare and more!" Now, since I cannot seem to force myself to write about only one thing, there are also short reviews on two of my other recent fails below. 

Macadamia Healing Oil Spray (2oz Travel Size which is enough for several weeks of regular use can be purchased for under 10$)

So, I don't have an issue with my hair getting weighed down, in fact it usually helps with my frizz. This oil doesn't make my hair feel greasy, I think this could be a really good oil for some people, but I hate the smell and it contains silicone.


Now, I am by no means trying vilify silicone. Silicone is the bomb for a lot of things, particularly temporary fixes. That's why it is so commonly used in primers and such because it masks flaws safely and temporarily. The reason this is an issue for me is because I'm not in search of a hair oil that will make my hair look nicer temporarily, especially if I don't like the scent. What I was in search of was a treatment that would actively work to make my hair better without extra and unnecessary ingredients.

If you have thick or coarse hair, intend to use this to make your hair look nice for going out on a day-to-day basis, and do not have overly sensitive skin I recommend that you find a place where it is sold in stores and if you like the smell of it, you should try it out.

Some other memorable (and expensive) fails include:

It Cosmetics CC cream- The only thing greasier that I have put on my face is pizza. The coverage was good, I heard such great reviews, I wanted to love it so much, but unless you have extremely dry skin I don't think this will work for you. However, if you do enjoy a lot of the Asian snail skincare, the second ingredient on this is snail secretion filtrate. 

Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Bronzer- THE ORANGENESS, how is it that a three dollar elf bronzer isn't too orange, but a twenty dollar one turns me into an oompa-loompa? I am never paying 20$ for a bronzer again. Also, I apologize for not having a photo, apparently I didn't photograph it before I returned it. 

Model Co Volume Eyes Mascara- To be fair, this one was kind of my fault. I know that I hate volumizing mascara, but this clumped and flaked and didn't do anything for my lashes at all length wise.  

Solstice Scents Review

I have heard raves upon raves upon raves about Solstice Scents on every indie forum ever, so I finally decided to pick up some samples, including the cult favorite: Blackburn's Parlor. I had very high expectations of this brand, and it is a good brand, but it doesn't quite live up to the hype the way I thought it would.

These are all well made super high quality perfumes (and beautiful packaging and customer service), but I was expecting some magical otherworldly experience. Instead, what I got was something ordinary in the best kind of way. I think everyone can find perfumes they love in this catalog even if every scent isn't its own Jan Van Eyck Arnolfini Wedding (zoom in on the mirror below the chandelier). 

Shipping and Packaging 

LIGHTNING FAST SHIPPING. My samples were shipped the next day, and in my hands three business days after ordering, the emails actually felt repetitive because everything happened so quickly. Also, I got an order confirmation (with my notes and what I ordered from the shop), a rewards points notification, an order processing confirmation, and a shipment notification. 

Adorable and secure packaging. The stray wad of tissue paper was a little odd because it didn't actually have anything in it, but not anything to be upset about. I have never in my entire life been given so many extra pieces of (beautifully printed, aesthetically pleasing) papers before though. 

The bottles are easy to open but don't leak, the labels are nice and handwritten (she even gives instructions not to touch them with oily hands, which I have already managed to do). This is some of the best shipping and packaging I have ever seen. 

Price

$2.80 per sample, they come in sample packs of 5 or 10 and then they have themed collection sample sets. However, you get a free sample (of your choice) with every order so its more like $2.30-$2.50 per perfume sample. 

Scent Reviews

Nightgown ★★☆☆☆

Company Description: Vanilla, White Chocolate, Tuberose and Tiare Flowers

In the Bottle: Fairly similar to how it is on the skin
On the skin: whiteboard marker, with some floral, and just a touch of sugar. For the people who want to huff Expo products without seeming like some sort of junkie.
Sillage: ✦✦✦✦✧

Blueberry Muffin Batter ★★☆☆☆

My expectations of this were that it was going to smell like out-of-the-box blueberry muffin batter, so I thought I would mention this as it is an important bias. 

Company Description: None given

In the Bottle: It smells like sweet bananas with some batter, but not what I had expected

On the skin: Good dehydrated blueberry, terrible batter, it is sweet but whole grainy like when my Home Economics teacher had us make bran muffins. 

Sillage: ✦✦✦✦✧

Can I make this one discontinued in exchange for Cocoa Mallow?

Cocoa Mallow ★★★★★

Company Description: **also this is discontinued because apparently everything I love needs to be taken from me** Chocolate and Marshmallow 

In the Bottle: When you open it up you are hit in the face with the smell of Swiss Miss Cocoa Mix, and then you start smelling the marshmallow once you adjust to the intense chocolate scent. 

On the skin: I  think because of how strong this is in the bottle, it diffuses a bit better on the skin than other cocoa scents I have tried. It is exactly like if you put marshmallows in hot cocoa, and I think because of its sillage and lack of other notes that take away from this perfection, it surpasses my other chocolate perfume samples. Also, once it has dried down some, the marshmallow becomes stronger, not cloying, just more prominent. 

Sillage: ✦✦✦✧✧

Lasting Time: safely 6-7 hours but it can last all day if you aren't working out or anything like that. 

Black Burn's Parlor ★★★☆☆

Company Description: Vanilla Waffle Bowl, Vanilla & Chocolate Ice Creams, Banana, Caramel, Whipped Cream

In the Bottle: It smells like banana laffy taffy, I do enjoy banana laffy taffy, it is the only fake banana I like, but not so sure if I want to smell like it. 

On the skin: The banana mellows out, and I get a bit of caramel and waffle cone (which do smell nice from the distance, they are the scent you get right at the edge of the perfume's sillage). I'm honestly not that into it though? It smells so good from a distance, and it isn't cloying at all, but one of my favorite things about perfume is being able to smell my wrist when I tuck my hair behind my ear or otherwise nervously play with my hair, and up close it is just the wrong combination of banana and caramel and waffle cone. 

Sillage: ✦✦✦✦✧

Lasting Time: 4-5 hours

Cardamom Rose Sugar ★★★☆☆

Company Description: Brown Sugar, Cardamom, Moroccan & Bulgarian Rose Absolutes

In the Bottle: So in the bottle it has a very lemony tinge to it, very spicy with a background of sweet

On the skin: It is like my mother's french toast but with a spicy and lemon note in the background. I have yet to find the roses in this. 
Edit: I know why it smells like my mother's french toast now. She always makes brown sugar syrup to go with it. 

Sillage: ✦✦✦✦✧ this is a pretty strong fragrance, if you get fragrance headaches I can't recommend it. 

Lasting Time: safely 7-8 hours, the scent is still there at that point, and usually lingers, but I don't think it has the same throw anymore (I say think because you eventually stop noticing any stimuli that you are constantly exposed to)

Pharaoh ★★★☆☆

Company Description: Egyptian Musk, Honey & Frankincense Essential Oil.  SOFT MUSK

In the Bottle: Sharp, deep, some green to it.

On the skin: I'm wondering if this has a base of resin or amber to it because it has a very rich deep sharp smell to it, with just a hint of green. Petrified tree sap seems like it would match this description. I think I get a touch of floral and talc in the background (but this is a blind smell test so I could be terribly wrong). 

Sillage: ✦✦✦✧✧ The strength of the scent is fine, but it is very present and distinct. It doesn't blend well into the background, people will get this scent in their nostrils and pause to wonder what it is. 

Lasting Time: Safely 7-8 hours, this lasted me all day though. After twelve hours, it is still there faintly. 

Black Rose Minerals Angry Rant

So I made an order with Black Rose Minerals on December 16th. I received no order invoice, just my notice of Paypal having paid them. Her TAT had a maximum time of 35 days, which was fine because she was upfront about it. For future reference, there is this handy-dandy business day calender  which has confirmed for me that this meant that the order should have shipped on February 6th at the latest.

 Then after her TAT had passed I was starting to get concerned. I sent her an email (stupidly through her contact me page though so I can't look up the date) a few business days before asking politely about where my order was because I get it, life gets in the way, she's human. I waited several  business days, no response.

Then I filed a claim with Paypal (February 12th was when Paypal confirmed its existence),emailed her again this time perhaps not as polite as I should have been because honestly, I was angry and I had read way too many horror stories about this shop at this point. I asked to cancel my order and have my money refunded, and I told her that this kind of behavior and complete lack of communication was unacceptable. I then waited another 4 business days with no response before I escalated it to a dispute with Paypal (February 18th).

I finally got confirmation of a tracking number (which was not what I had asked for) on February 23rd. The label was made on February 24th, and it was checked into an actual postal facility a couple of days later (which is good, because I had heard that many times she did not actually ship the orders at all). It finally arrived the following Monday, and the products are good enough, but there are places with way better customer service where I would much rather have spent my money instead.

Honestly, all I wanted was communication. She sent me a note with the package and in the Storenvy email with the vague and cryptic explanation of "life gets in the way sometimes", and that's not good enough. There were so many other ways to handle the situation, and she went ahead and chose one of the worst paths she could take.

Products I Would Bring Back from Extinction- OBT Prompt #2

"This week's prompt from OBT network is 'Name one or more discontinued beauty, skincare or nail products/shades that you would bring back if you could!'!  Our Beauty Talk is a beauty forum community where we talk about subscription boxes, beauty skincare and more!"

This is difficult topic for me, because even with products I love, I tend to understand why they were discontinued. I did manage to put together a little list, though there is probably more justification than is absolutely necessary:



The vast majority of Innocent and Twisted Alchemy's collections- most particularly though I would LOVE for Live or Die and Lovely Tomie (read the manga here) to become permanent. And a lot of her sub shades, because I won't wear Wintertide very much, but it is the most beautiful and complex aqua color and I want to shout from the rooftops that everyone who likes blue eye shadows needs to purchase it immediately. 

However, I do know that making collections for such tiny niche fandoms permanent may not be feasible, and that subscription specific shades are a big plus for a lot of people (not me personally, but I assume other people). It would be super cool though if one shade from each sub box became permanent.


And of course swatches so you can see the gorgeousness of the actual eyeshadows. In these swatches I did my best to capture the sheen,but not so much the base. One of my favorite things about Flaming Antidote (left) is that it is a pretty wearable pink on the base but then suddenly shifts into this bright amazing color. Wintertide is actually just that shiny, but the camera didn't quite grab the scattering of sparkles throughout. 






Bath and Body Works Anti-bacterial Hand Lotion- I am trying to move away from handsanitizer/anti-bacterial products because more and more studies are showing that they are bad for you. However, I will always use them camping, and I will always keep one or two around but I don't want to be constantly using them. Anyway, these were moisturizing, and sanitizing and for the most part they smelled really delicious and I'm going to miss them. 

It should be noted that they were discontinued because triclosan is not entirely filtered out of the water, and so it gets washed back into rivers and causes environmental issues. So, while I loved them I won't be starting a protest or angrily contacting customer service to get them back to anything.

Revlon Beyond Natural Cream to Powder Quads- I 100% understand why these were discontinued. Their texture and actual performance is absolutely terrible, but the colors are spot on. I had no idea how many colors are actually used on a quality nude eye, but these are so intuitive and easy to use. I love cream products especially because they are easy to blend and super quick to apply and don't need any sort of primer. 

Spice

Buff

The Weekly Roundup

Because this is a part of a blog network, other people do these prompts too. The weekly roundup is a collection of all the blogs that did the same prompt. 

Formul8edphrase
The Makeup Monologues