Target Beauty Box October 2014

Target is jumping on the Beauty Box bandwagon. (I guess WalMart has one now too.) Target releases a beauty box kind of whenever they want. This is only the second beauty box I've seen from Target, but I guess there have been a lot. I've read that it used to be free and come with a makeup bag, then it was $5 for shipping, but this one was $7 with free shipping. They tell you exactly what you're going to get (although, maybe not the colors you'll get) so you can decide if you want to order it. The first one I saw was back in March or April and sold out right away so I couldn't get it. This one didn't jump out at me right away but I noticed that it was still on sale a few days later so I finally ordered it. I did really want to try the Laneige BB Cushion since I'd heard about it a few months ago from Ipsy. 

Like other Beauty Boxes, this one comes with a card that tells you what you're getting. This box also included a $3 off coupon!

L'Oreal Elnett Extra Strong Hold Hairspray: ($6.69 for 2.2oz - which is what this is) I haven't used this yet, but I imagine it will be like any other hairspray. I will update once I have an opinion.

Fekkai Professional Blowout Hair Refresher Dry Shampoo: ($7.99 for 1.7oz, $19.99 for 4.9oz) I don't use dry shampoo that often, but I do like having some just in case. This is really nice. It has a very fine spray and a nice clean scent. It doesn't seem to leave any white residue and has a kind of cooling effect. 

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk: ($4.49) I already have one of these in a gold color and I really like it. I guess Milk is like a cult product in the beauty world. A lot of people use it as a base for eyeshadows and to line their bottom waterline. So I decided to try a bunch of stuff one day. I used it as a shadow base, and it really did make my eyeshadow color stand out. Then I used it in the corners of my eyes and my waterline and I think it really did brighten my eyes. Since trying this, I have gone out and bought another JEP. I did notice my gold color crease one time that I used it, but the white with shadow on top didn't seem to crease. Maybe it needs a sort of setting powder?

L'Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire Lipstick in Ruby Opera: ($8.99) A lot of people got this in the color Nude Ballet. I think I would've liked that better, even though I don't really like nude lipsticks that much. This red just seems a bit unwearable to me. First of all, it's more like a lip gloss than a lipstick and it's very pigmented. Secondly, it doesn't have any staying power. I put it on and it was so glossy and sticky that it would come off onto anything it touched. So I tried to take most of it off and just have a thin layer. I think that worked a little better, and it maybe had a little bit of stain to it, but I just don't think I'll be able to wear this. I would like to try a more natural color in this though, as it does feel really nice going on. The wand is very fluffy and smooth.

Laneige BB Cushion: ($34 for 2 cushions - 0.5oz) I've heard that each box comes with 2 cushions of product so when you're paying $34, you're actually getting one cushion in the compact with one refill so it's not as expensive as you think. This BB Cream has an SPF 50 and claims 5-in-1 benefits. It's supposed to cool and hydrate, prevent shine and brighten skin by reducing dark spots. The sample came with a small puff to apply the product and 3 colors: Light, Medium, and Dark. I haven't had a chance to use it yet, because I don't want it to go to waste if I can't close up the sample again. I will update once I use it.

Birchbox October 2014

Birchbox is a monthly subscription box service. For $10 a month, they will send you 4-5 'Beauty and Lifestyle' samples. 

They also have a points system, which is the best I've seen. 100 points = $10 to spend in the Birchbox shop. Earn 1 point for every dollar you spend (monthly boxes don't count, except for the first one) and they offer a lot of promo codes to get extra points. You can also earn 10 points for each review of your monthly samples. That's like getting $4-5 back each month! You also get 50 points for each person who signs up through your referral. If you would like to try Birchbox, please consider using my link: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/pdwbx

This month's theme: Fan-tastic

This month's theme was all about pop culture and what people are reading and watching this fall. I don't even think the beauty products really match with the theme that month, but usually an extra card or something does. Like this one:

I think I saw about 4-5 different cards like this, asking what we were reading, binge-watching or listening to. I wasn't actually watching Gilmore Girls, but because my card had "for the millionth time" on it, that's what I had to put. I could seriously watch that show a million times and not be bored. It's usually what I put on for background noise when I'm cleaning or baking. I own all 7 seasons but it was just added to Netflix so it's even easier to watch whereever I am. Side note about my love of the show: my mom and I used to watch the whole season after it was released on DVD when I was home for Christmas. We have a close relationship similar to Lorelei and Rory. (Another side note: I also got to meet Lauren Graham and take a picture with her last Spring. She's incredibly sweet and I wish I had more time to chat with her)

beautyblender Sponge + mini blender cleanser solid: It's hard to put a price on this sample because, as far as I know, they don't sell a set like this. Birchbox sells the PRO single (the black sponge) with solid blendercleanser for $32.95 and if you wanted to buy them separately, like at Sephora, the sponge is about $20 and the cleanser is about $17 I think - which is what I did. I already own both of these products but I was SO EXCITED to get this in my box. I seriously love my beautyblender. I bought some dupes before and they don't compare. I really wouldn't even call them dupes because they're nowhere near as soft. For those that don't know, the beautyblender is a soft sponge for blending makeup. You run it under water, where it expands twice its size, and squeeze it out. The water helps the product sit on the surface instead of being absorbed by the sponge. I wouldn't think of doing my makeup any other way. I'm so glad to have another one as a backup. And the cleanser and seriously magical. My sponges and brushes would never get fully clean until I started using this. So I'm really happy to get another one of these.

Camille Beckman Glycerine Hand Therapy: ($13.95 for 6oz) I fell in love with a different Camille Beckman lotion I was sent and this one is really good too. I love having small lotions like this. It's pretty thick, more like a body butter, but maybe a little greasy. You really have to rub it in. Overall, I really like it though.

dr. brandt pores no more vacuum cleaner: ($45 for 1oz) This is a mask that, when ready to wash off, turns blue (or at least a white-ish blue). It's supposed to suck out all your blackheads, but I read that it takes using it 2-3 times a week for about 2 weeks to notice anything. I've only used it a couple times and it seems to help a little. Maybe I'll actually try it a few times a week like it says.

SAGE + fasten Onward Eau de Parfum: ($50 for 50ml) I think some of the text was rubbing off my package... unless it's supposed to look like that? I can't really tell. But I really like that this is a rollerball instead of a spray. It's a nice fruity scent, but I haven't used it often enough to see if I really like it.

ModelCo Party Proof Lipstick in Kitty: ($24 for a trio, so $8) Oh the issues I've had with this. I can't give you a real review of it because I don't have a usable product. If you look in the top right picture, there is a small crack to the package. I didn't think anything of it until I opened it and smelled it. Everyone has been raving about how amazing this lipstick smells. That it smells like strawberries and blah blah blah. Mine smells a tiny bit like strawberries, then it changes and an overpowering smell of unwashed armpit takes over. Even my swatch smelled bad. I also think the color is off. It's supposed to be a pinky MLBB color, but mine seems really brown/orange, not pink. I think it turned bad because of the crack in the plastic. I emailed Birchbox customer service because they're always really good about fixing stuff like this. I got a response fairly quickly saying they would send a new one. 9 days after that email, I got a white envelope with Birchbox written on it. But sadly, it was very flat. I opened it and my assumptions were confirmed - the envelope was EMPTY! WTF?! So I emailed again, but they told me they were out of this sample so they couldn't send me another one. I think that's a bunch of BS. They did give me 100 points to make up for it, but this was my Sample Choice this month and I really wanted to try it. I'm not happy and am considering not partaking in any of their "extra" stuff anymore - sample choice, Birchbox extra, promo code bonuses (ones for an actual product), etc so I won't keep getting disappointed :(

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm

I had never heard of cleansing balms before my Birchbox this month. I received a sample of Cailyn Dizzolv'it Makeup Melt Cleansing Balm and I loved it! I've been using makeup wipes for years now and it wasn't until this past year that I realized how much makeup was left behind. I started using an astringent after the wipe and the cotton pads just kept coming away with more makeup. When I tried the Cailyn balm sample, there was nothing left on my face. I really want to buy a full size of it, but it's $36 for 100ml on the Birchbox website and I have to wait for shipping... blah blah blah... So I checked out my other options. I found this Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm on the Sephora website for $28.50 for 125ml so I figured I would give it a try, since I was going to Sephora that weekend anyway.

The product comes in a large squat container that is a lovely shade of purple with a silver cover. The original texture of it is very stiff, some people have said it looks like lard. I think it reminds me of a solid coconut oil, but at the point that you can still scoop it out with your fingers. The first time I used it, I used a spatula that I have. Some people prefer this because of possible contamination, etc... I am not one of those people. It's much quicker for me to just dig in with my fingers. I wash my hands before touching it anyway. There is no scent with this product whatsoever. That may make this a better product for some people than the Cailyn balm with a very distinct (though, amazing!) scent.

This balm should be applied with dry hands to a dry face. The thick product will melt into an oil to rub into your skin. Wait! An Oil?! On my Oily face?! ... Yes. Don't be afraid. The oil takes off all the makeup then rinses completely off your skin. If you want, you can follow it with a toner or other cleanser. What I do is take some out of the container, about the size of a quarter, then rub it between my hands to spread it out - not so much that it's a liquid, just to get onto my fingertips, then rub all over my face. This is a great time to give yourself a facial massage. It's safe to use around eyes and works wonderfully at getting all of your eyeliner and mascara off, though it does make a mess. Sometimes I will use a different cleanser to take off most of my eye makeup first (if I'm wearing a lot) then let the balm get the rest of it. Then rinse my face with warm water and pat dry. I usually follow it with a quick swipe of witch hazel on a cotton pad, just to make sure the oil is gone, then my night moisturizer. It's actually a lot faster than what I was doing.

I am officially a cleansing balm convert now. I used to not want to take the time to put my hair back, get my face wet, etc... but it just works so much better taking off all my makeup that I take the time now. This is a really gentle product that is available everywhere, since it's Clinique. This will be very easy to travel with too, since I can just put some in a smaller container to take with me.

Beauty Blender Micro Minis!

These little cuties caught my eye when I was browsing the Sephora app on my phone and I saw the "What's New" section. I knew I was going there that weekend so I had to put them on my list.

I bought the original Beauty Blender a few months ago and I absolutely love it. I had bought some dupes, but they were nowhere near as soft and squishy as the real thing. I don't really wear liquid foundation, so I mostly just used it for concealer. So when I saw these little blenders, I knew I had to try them!

I should mention, that when I went into my Sephora, I had to ask someone about them because they weren't with the Beauty Blender display. I had another question about becoming a VIB (Very Important Beauty Insider... meaning, I've spent way too much money at Sephora this year :P) that trip and a promo that I had seen online. She told me the promo was over, then I asked about these. She said that they weren't actually released yet but they did have some in the back and could go get me one. I had seen online that, at first, they were only for VIBs to add to their cart so I'm guessing since I had told her I was becoming one that day, she made a special exception.

Dry vs Wet size

Wet Micro Mini vs Wet Original BB

Each container comes with two Micro Minis and they are held in place with a piece of plastic shaped like a Z in the round container. This little piece of plastic is great because you can still set the Micro Minis on top to air dry if you choose. They only come in lime green, but they just get covered in makeup anyway, so I don't care about the color. I didn't do a comparison between dry Original Beauty Blender and dry Micro Mini because I had just washed my Original before going out shopping so it was still a bit wet. (I also used the card from my Ipsy bag because they was the closest thing I had for them to rest on. I didn't want to put them right on the countertop, so please excuse the weird background.)

The Micro Minis are very small. You can see the size of my fingers holding it, and my ring size is only a size 6, so that should tell you something. I will admit, I dropped it into the sink the first time I used it. After it almost slipped the next day, I started to realize that it was almost like there was a bit of a coating on it? When I got it wet, it seemed to be a little more slippery than my Original. I finished putting on my makeup, then cleaned the Micro Mini with my solid Beauty Cleanser (amazing cleanser for sponges and brushes BTW). The next day when I got it wet again, it didn't seem as slippery and I haven't had a problem since. Some people have said that it removes more makeup while you're smoothing it out than the Original does. I haven't noticed that. They are made from the exact same material so I don't see how that could be an issue.

It's funny, because now I pretty much only use my Micro Minis... and really just one of them so far. I have been using BB creams and tinted moisturizers more, which I use my fingers to apply, so I've been using the Original just to smooth out the edges of my face and around my eyebrows so it doesn't look too streaky. The Micro Minis are perfect for concealer and highlighters. I also think it will be great for traveling - I just have to figure out something smaller to keep it in.

Ipsy Glam Bag August 2014

Each month, subscribers will receive a beautiful Glam Bag with deluxe samples and full-sized beauty products. Members can watch and play along with the stylists with the same products that they are using. All for only $10 a month. 

When you sign up, you take a "beauty quiz" to let them know what you like. I guess Ipsy is kind of a social network-type beauty website, but I don't do all of that. There's also some sort of points system that I haven't quite figured out. You get 10 points for each review, but you usually need 1000 points to get some kind of bonus product, of which they only have 3 to choose from at a time. There are points for referrals too, but I don't badger my friends into signing up. If you would like to sign up, please consider using my referral link: http://www.ipsy.com/r/4q7r

This month's theme: Beauty Schooled

School is back in session (I can tell... LA traffic has gotten much worse! :p) so the theme this month is Beauty Schooled. I dunno... I don't think the items ever really fit in with the theme, just the bag. Speaking of...

I didn't think I would like this bag when I was seeing people's pictures online, but I really do. The problem with the rectangular ipsy bags that we've been getting, is that they're too small to actually be a makeup bag for me. They've all been flat and smaller. Since this one is round, it can hold a lot more products, and it's longer than the usual bags, which means mascara and eyeliners fit better. Yay! The only thing I don't like about this bag is that it kind of smells like a pool raft... that synthetic plastic smell. At least it seems waterproof then right?

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara: I was so excited to get this product! Everyone got either this or a purple eyeliner, and I'm allergic to all the purple eyeliners I've used lately. I really like this formula. I don't think it's quite "Bigger. Blacker. Badder." or whatever their tagline is, but it's nice. The brush is nice and fluffy and the formula is thick, but not clumpy. It's good enough for now, but I don't think I'll be buying the full size.

Jersey Shore Sun Mongongo Lip Conditioner in Mandarin Green Orange Ginger: Very smooth and moisturizing. Interesting flavor that I actually really like. Orange ginger is not something I expected on my lips, but I like ginger. I have so many lip conditioners though! Guess I'll just have to put this into rotation.

J. Cat Beauty Flying Solo Eye Shadow in Half Naked: I love pale shimmery eyeshadow. And this is no exception. It looks more orange in the pot but is a very nice shimmer, almost highlight, color. The design of the package is really cool too. They've put an applicator underneath the color with a small mirror for ease when traveling. The mirror is too small to work really well, and the plastic hinge is very cheap, but they're thinking and I like that.

Dr. Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner: This is actually a duplicate from a previous Birchbox. I did like it, but I hardly use primers anymore since I finally found a couple BB creams that work for me. I might have to revisit it for days when I just want to use powder.

Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk: This is also a duplicate item from Birchbox, from last month actually! But I guess you can never have too many dry shampoos. Especially because I just read a beauty hack that says you can spray your feet with dry shampoo before wearing flats and they'll stay dry! I don't know how well that works, but we'll see when I decide to stop wearing sandals.

Birchbox July 2014

Birchbox is a monthly subscription box service. For $10 a month, they will send you 4-5 'Beauty and Lifestyle' samples. 

They also have a points system, which is the best I've seen. 100 points = $10 to spend in the Birchbox shop. Earn 1 point for every dollar you spend (monthly boxes don't count, except for the first one) and they offer a lot of promo codes to get extra points. You can also earn 10 points for each review of your monthly samples. That's like getting $4-5 back each month! You also get 50 points for each person who signs up through your referral. If you would like to try Birchbox, please consider using my link: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/pdwbx

This month's theme: Power Up

This month, Birchbox partnered with Women's Health Magazine. They included a little booklet of "challenges" to try, including "Get out of your color comfort zone" and "Take a cold shower". Personally, I'm not that motivated. I've been washing my hair in cold water since I dyed it a couple weeks ago and that's long enough for me. 

They also included a card for a free one year subscription to Women's Health. I haven't decided if I want it yet or not... I don't really read magazines, but it's free. But here's what else I got!

Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk: ($19.50 for 3.2oz) I've been using dry shampoo a lot since I dyed my hair again. It's great for the days in between washing, which helps hold the color in. This particular dry shampoo is supposed to be pure and blah blah... it performs like any dry shampoo. Maybe it's better if you have long hair and you're trying to keep curls from the day before. But for my short hair, it's just another dry shampoo. It also claims to not leave residue, but it still does. Oh well. Nice travel size. I love dry shampoo so this was a great sample, but I won't be buying it.

Marcelle New-Age 8 in 1 Power Serum: ($34 for 1oz) I have to keep looking at what the 8 things are, so I've just copied the description off the Birchbox website: "The lightweight formula boasts five peptides, the amino acids that amp up collagen production and improve elasticity, plus xylitol, a natural sugar alcohol that helps skin retain moisture. These potent ingredients work in eight great ways. When it comes to lines, they smooth, provide a filling effect, and visibly reduce even deep wrinkles. They also firm, lift, and strengthen, while working to boost radiance and improve the texture of your complexion. Even better? It does all of this without parabens or fragrance." I haven't noticed much of an effect, except that it makes my face feel smooth. I also haven't decided if I should use a moisturizer on top of this since it's a serum, or by itself because it's supposed to "retain moisture". Overall, I really like this but I don't think I can justify spending $34 on something that I'm not sure all what it's doing. Maybe in 10+ years when I need help with wrinkles?

Cynthia Rowley Beauty Creamy Lip Stain in Sugar: ($20 for .17oz) This month we got to choose one sample from a selection given to us. I liked the Cynthia Rowley Stain in Valentine I got last month so I decided to try Sugar this month. At first I was disappointed because the color looked like the plain glosses I've been getting from Ipsy - kind of made my lips disappear. I figured out that it was just my horrible bathroom lighting and it natural light, it did add a nice natural pinkness to my lips. I love the texture and the stain left behind. I would buy the full size, but I have a lot of lip products I rotate so this little size will last me a while. It also fits very nicely in a pocket or purse.

Naobay Body Radiance Lotion: ($24 for 250ml) So this lotion is all natural with olive oil, avocado oil, and shea butter. I'm not someone who only buys organic and natural (I'm not that Californian yet... lol but kudos to you if you are!) so to me, this is just lotion. It smells kind of like my BeeKind lotion did - lemony but not bad. This is a good size tube so I think I will leave it in my desk at work. 

100% Pure Gingerade Shower Gel: ($15 for 13oz) Like every other Birchbox subscriber, I was disappointed in the amount of product in this package. The package is small enough, but there was barely a teaspoon of product in there. It doesn't lather like it claims, and the smell was just ok. I only used one of these packets so far, but it's enough to know that I do not like nor need a product like this. Wasted sample if you ask me.

I also finally took advantage of the Birchbox Plus offer this month. This is the Triple C Designs Power Card Ultra Thin Battery in Blush. I had been looking to order a portable phone charger (for those long days at Disneyland and whatnot) and this seemed perfect. I was a little more expensive at $28, but it's very thin. So thin that you need to push open the USB slot to make it large enough to fit the USB cord. It also has a small button on the side that lights up with how much power is left. I've used it a few times now and it's been really nice. You also receive Birchbox points for your Plus items. 

Ipsy Glam Bag July 2014

Each month, subscribers will receive a beautiful Glam Bag with deluxe samples and full-sized beauty products. Members can watch and play along with the stylists with the same products that they are using. All for only $10 a month. 

When you sign up, you take a "beauty quiz" to let them know what you like. I guess Ipsy is kind of a social network-type beauty website, but I don't do all of that. There's also some sort of points system that I haven't quite figured out. You get 10 points for each review, but you usually need 1000 points to get some kind of bonus product, of which they only have 3 to choose from at a time. There are points for referrals too, but I don't badger my friends into signing up. If you would like to sign up, please consider using my referral link: http://www.ipsy.com/r/4q7r

This month's theme: Sensationally Sunkissed

The bag this month is a little bit bigger. Closer in size to the April bag, kind of square. I really like this size to use as an actual makeup bag. It's soft on the inside and plain white, but I wish they would've spent a little more time making them. Two of my three "scalloped" sides don't line up.

This month was much better than last month. I'm pretty ok with everything I got. There wasn't much else that I would've rather had either. I'm not sure how well most of it fits with the theme, but whatever.

bareMinerals 5-in-1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow Broad Spectrum SPF 15 in Divine Wine: I was so excited to get this! I just saw it in my Ulta ad and was curious about it, then saw it was an option for this month's bag. The 5-in-1 is supposed to be: long-wearing color, primer, brightening, smooths lines, and protects with SPF.  I'm really impressed with the long-wearing claim - this swatch has not moved in the few hours that I've had it on since I took the picture. Once it dries, it is on there. There is a faint shimmer to it that I didn't notice until it dried too. The color seems pretty dark but I've started using this with a blending brush - just swipe on one line of product, then blend out with a brush so it's not so intense. Makes a nice soft shadow color that lasts all day! I hope they start making this in other colors, not just neutrals. I may go buy one of the pinks I see on the package though.

Clear Clinic Laboratories Vanished Clear Spot Treatment: I guess I didn't even know this was an option but I can always use a spot treatment. I think it has menthol in it, because I saw some people complain about it, but I like the cooling effect that happens once you put it on. I can't really tell if it does anything. I think it does. I don't have too many problem areas at the moment though.

Lord & Berry Kajal Stick in Black Silk: A teeny tiny eyeliner that a lot of people seem excited about. Looks just like a perfect travel size eyeliner for me. But I guess it's supposed to be closer to the kohl that Egyptians used or something? I don't know. It's smooth and smudges easily. Nice and dark. Don't see much different than other eyeliners I have. Will keep this in a bag for travel I think.

Hang Ten Dark Tanning Oil SPF 08: A LOT of people complained about this product when I was announced as an option. "Blah blah skin cancer blah" over and and over again. Or "blah blah I'm too dark to use tanning oil I can't believe you sent this to me blah" but others used it as a moisturizer. Personally, I'm glad I got it. I like tanning. I usually only use about SPF 8 or 10... the lowest I can find at the time. I got the Hang Ten SPF 50 sunscreen in one bag and have not used it, but this I will definitely use. I wouldn't say it has a great smell, but it's horrible either.

Models Own Nail Polish in Red Sea: This is the only product I'm not happy with this month. I like glitter nail polish but this is just cheap. The description says you can wear it alone or on top of your favorite color for a "glistening top coat". Clearly, I can't. I expected the red to be more clear after reading that but this was one coat. And it doesn't apply evenly either. It's thick and doesn't spread very well - the red itself... not because of the glitter chunks. This will go in the back of the cupboard and I'll forget about it. I don't have anyone younger to give stuff like this to like others so I'm stuck.
*Update: I did legitimately try this on all 10 fingers and it was terrible. Hard to spread, took hours (yes, HOURS!) to fully dry - it didn't wipe off or anything, but stayed very gel-y for a long time. And it is the worst to take off! I've taken off glitter before but this was chunks of confetti. Awful.

Birchbox June 2014

Birchbox is a monthly subscription box service. For $10 a month, they will send you 4-5 'Beauty and Lifestyle' samples. 

They also have a points system, which is the best I've seen. 100 points = $10 to spend in the Birchbox shop. Earn 1 point for every dollar you spend (monthly boxes don't count, except for the first one) and they offer a lot of promo codes to get extra points. You can also earn 10 points for each review of your monthly samples. That's like getting $4-5 back each month! You also get 50 points for each person who signs up through your referral. If you would like to try Birchbox, please consider using my link: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/pdwbx

This month's theme: Away We Go

I was so excited about this box! I was looking at everyone's posts on the Birchbox Facebook page to see what they got and I kept seeing items that I'd gotten before in everyone's pictures! Birchbox says you'll never get the same sample twice so I was getting worried and excited. I never peek at my box because I love to be surprised. I am so happy with what I got!

Lierac Micellar Cleansing Water: ($24 for 300ml) I've never had a "cleansing water" but I really like this. And what a great size! I got a 50ml sample, which is about $6 worth of product! It smells amazing. I can't really describe what, kind of a light floral that disappears right away. It's not great at removing waterproof eyeliner and mascara, but after using a different remover for those things, I use this to get rid of the residue and it's great. Doesn't irritate my eyes at all either.

Egyptian Magic Skin Cream: ($38 for 4oz, $26 for 2oz) I was so happy to get this! I saw it in some people's boxes and was hoping it would be in mine and it was! I'm finding new things to do with this cream all the time. I guess you can use it as a face cream, eye gel, burn cream, hair masque, etc. Mostly I use it on my cuticles and under my eyes. It's sort of like a pressed oil to me. You can rub your finger over it to get just a little bit or dig into it and let it melt a little. Kind of a more stable coconut oil. Another great sized sample.

Cynthia Rowley Beauty Creamy Lip Stain in Valentine: ($20 for full size) Another sample I was so happy to get! Honestly, this was the one I was really hoping for. I've heard such great things about it and I love lip stains. The sample seems really small but it's perfect for a pocket or purse. The full size seems really long and awkward. I love this color too. A year ago I would've been scared to get such a bright pink but now I love it. It is very glossy, pretty moisturizing, and the stain really does last a while. I can't say how long for certain because I wasn't timing it, but I loved having it at Disneyland and only had to reapply twice.
*Birchbox asked us to pick one of our samples for July. Our choices were the Ruffian Nail Polish in 3 colors or this lip stain in Valentine or Sugar. I loved this sample so much I chose to get Sugar in my next box! Yay!

Mally Beauty Volumizing Mascara: ($20 for full size, which this is) The package is super cute with the glitter at the bottom, but it's different than what the Birchbox website shows, so I don't know what's up with that. This mascara claims to "thicken and lenthen lashes beyond your wildest lash dreams". I don't think it quite lives up to that... but I did find it to be a nice natural looking mascara. I've been using it for days when I want to wear less makeup. It separates lashes really well and does lengthen and thicken a little bit.

Harvey Prince Hello: ($55 for 50ml) At first I thought this was the same perfume I got a few months ago and then ordered the full size. But that was Journey by Harvey Prince. I have to say, I like this scent just as much. It's very light and citrusy. I did buy the 50ml of Journey and then they released smaller versions like a rollerball. After some digging, I did find Hello in and 8.8ml for $26. I may have to get that one eventually... or soon since it is a summer scent :)