March Birchbox!

Oh folks, it is March Birchbox time! 

This is - you won't believe it - my 25th Birchbox. 

This means that I have been receiving these for TWO YEARS and I honestly can't believe it has been that long. I have really loved having this subscriptions so keep them coming secret sender (a.k.a. mom). 

 This is a really good sized sample of Michale Todd's citrus cream moisturizer. It smells truly divine - I am a big things of most citrus things - and the perfect size to throw in my purse. My hands and arms have been crazy dry with this spring/winter/spring/winter weather we've been having so its perfect!

 This is a sample of the OmniPotent Duosity Hair Treatment. You actually tear open both sides and mix them together before you put them on your hair. I am pretty excited to try it - I have some dry ends from taking my time waiting to get a haircut (ahem...embarrassed to say it has probably been over a year since my last one and I might have trimmed it myself two weeks ago...or maybe not...?). I really like the Fekkai product in my January box but I will put it aside long enough to try this one too!

 This is a small sample of Benefit's Big Easy product. I think it is sort of a foundation/BB cream so I'll try it. I use their Fake Up concealer and I really like it (in fact, about to purchase my second one!) but I don't love their "They're Real" mascara (I think it flakes and gives you dark circles under your eyes after a few hours)...so I will definitely give this a go and see if I like it!

 This is Air Repair's Rescue Balm. I am excited because it says you can use it on lips, cuticles, elbows, etc. You have to trim the tip off under the cap to use it so I haven't actually opened it yet but it will be nice to put in my purse too. Depending on the smell/texture, it might be a cuticles only thing or it might end up on the lips too!

Finally, I was hoping to get a sample of this product from theBalm. I have had other products of theirs before and really liked all of them! This is a "How 'Bout Them Apples? Cheek and Lip cream" and I already love it. It is perfect smudged on as a cheek color and just enough pink to give your lips some color. Not sticky, just smooth. I would consider buying the full size of this once I use up the current cheek color I already use (which is also a cream from one of my FIRST Birchboxes!). 

And of course, I'm happy anytime I get chocolate so Ghirardelli is always awesome. I haven't already eaten this but I can't say it will last until tomorrow. 

As usual, this was a pretty good box. Some things I am really excited to try!

If you want a Birchbox of your own (and you probably do!) and you want me to earn the points for referring you, use this link! 

September Birchbox!

It's September Birchbox time!

As always, it is so exciting to see this pink surprise in my mailbox.

 

This month's theme was heritage...

Upon first opening, this is what I saw. I have heard other things about this "Yes to..." brand...

This is a pack of 8 travel towelettes which I am really excited about trying. It is their "Yes to Blueberries" and they smell lovely. It'll be something nice to toss in the gym bag for the post workout face wipe down!

This is a pack of 8 but the full size is a pack of 30 and only costs $7.99. I was excited to see something that was much more reasonably priced in my box this month...lots of things that I receive samples for are more high end.

I've never heard of this manicure hand mask but I am really excited about it. They are basically gloves that you put on during a manicure to moisturize then you can tear the fingertips off to paint your nails and leave the glove on to continue moisturizing.

The most interesting part is that they are UV blocking so if you decided to go get one of the gel/shellac manicures, you could wear these and protect your skin from the UV rays that the lamps put off! Cool!

This is another sample from the "Yes to..." company...their grapefruit CC cream. I am excited that it came in two different shades so I could get a little closer to an accurate sample. Sometimes with the makeup samples it is hard to tell if I will love it because it isn't the right color...can't wait to try this stuff!

And finally, these two goodies were in my little blue box.

A nail polish sample from the Ruffian brand - in Birchbox exclusive color of "hedge fund" - a green-ish fall color with a little bit of reflectiveness in it. I think I will bravely try it on the fingers soon!

The eyeshadows are in the Moroccan Sunset shades and are from the Coastal Scents brand. I haven't ever heard of them so it'll be interesting to try it!

 

Oh Birchbox, you pick up my week!



Going places.

My mom asked for a blog post so here it is. Not news to her but maybe to the rest of the world...

Chad's sister M has been out in Oregon for the last two years working on her Master's at Oregon State (the Beavers, by the way - which I find hilarious). We kept saying that we were going to go out and visit her because it is a good excuse to go somewhere we haven't been before (and I can mark more states off my "See all 50" bucket list. We kept putting it off and finding excuses (like, no money!) but now she is graduating this spring and we are running out of time. We really want to go out and see her so we are biting the bullet and buying tickets (correction: they are already bought!). We are going to fly out to Portland in mid-March and spend a few days hanging out with M and seeing Corvalis (where OSU is actually located). We are then going to take the Amtrak - which I have never done before and I am crazy excited about - up to Seattle for a few more days. Coincidentally, my childhood best friend's younger brother lives in the Seattle area - on an access-only-by-ferry island - and we are going to stay with him and his wife for a couple of days before flying back home.

I am super excited about seeing the Pacific Northwest. I have had family live up there for years and never made it out there and now that particular family lives in New Zealand (which, is additional cause to want to go visit). I am really looking forward to a little trip with my guy - I really love to travel with him. Because of finances and work, this will pretty much be our only trip this year so we are going to make the most of it and really try to enjoy ourselves. Once we get back, I gear up for a crazy busy spring season at work (my busiest) where I will work every weekend in April and May with the exception of Mother's Day weekend. I am desperately looking forward to this trip!

March Birchbox.

In case you missed yesterday's blurb, I'll say it again...my sister got me a year's subscription to Birchbox! If you don't know what that is, I am about to give you more information than you every could have wanted!

Kate, over at "The Small Things Blog" (one of the blogs that I check out pretty faithfully...mostly for GREAT hairstyle help!) talks about her Birchbox all the time so I had to check it out (well - I've finally done it. I'm talking about a complete stranger like I know her because I read her blog...awkward?) . I will probably never be as cute and put together as she is (come on - she is a hairstylist...of course she has great hair!) but I've always loved trying new products on my face and hair to see what works best so I figured Birchbox would be something super fun to try. Only downside - no disposable income for things I don't really "need" (though frankly, I can justify almost anything!).

Birchbox has been on my wishlist for a while now but I think my sneaky sister - who is the best gift-giver ever - saw it on my Facebook page and got me on the waiting list. She didn't tell me - only that I had something coming in the mail when she finally saw that it shipped. So...what is a Birchbox? Only magical I say! You go online to their website, sign up, and fill out a beauty profile. The profile asks a few questions about your skin care habits, what hair type you have, make up preferences, etc. Then, once a month, you get your Birchbox in the mail! It is full of sample sized products that "fit" you based on what you picked on your profile. You never know what you will get and you might get things you love and things you don't love. If you find a product that you really like, you can go on their website and order the full size edition...easy peesy. You also earn points towards products too, by ordering other things. Pretty cool huh? It is super girly and fun and totally a splurge and I am super duper excited. Can you tell?

Right, right. Enough talking...what was in the box right?!?

So it comes like this...this is the inner box and the outer shipping box is hot pink. I am already excited about seeing that pink goodness show up in my mailbox for the next 12 months.

Everything was wrapped up all cute but I was too excited to see what was in there to take pictures first. Maybe next month...yeah...we'll see.

Inside:

Petite Cheri perfume - Annick Goutal  - Paris ~ already used it this morning. LOVE the way it smells.

Orofluido hair oil ~ really looking forward to using this when I shower tonight

Juice Beauty organic skin care Blenish Clearing Cleanser - totally gonna try this tonight too!

Deborah Lippmann's The Stripper to go fingernail polish remover - it is a mitt style doo-dad that fits over one finger and is preloaded with fingernail polish remover.~  There were two in my box and I already used one this morning. It worked great and the lavender based scent didn't smell all chemical-like!

Hollywood Fashion Secrets - fashion tape assortment ~ I think I will tuck these in my glovebox for when a "fashion emergency" strikes like a loose hem or gapping blouse. Awesome!

Eye Rock stick-on eye liners ~ this is the only item I am hesitant about. I know other Birchbox gals were like "what the heck!?" so I am going to try to get the guts to use them sometime (they are funky and cool like cat-eye look, etc.) when I have an occasion. Be brave, P, be brave!

So, I sort of stole Kate's  idea of telling what was in her box but I want you all to have fun with me so I will probably do it every month. They should totally pay me for advertising!