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

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.