Beauty Box 5 April 2014

Earlier this month Beauty Box 5 had a buy one get one free promotion so I thought I was a good time to try out their subscription box. I've been eyeing it for awhile and I just can't resist a buy one get one free deal.

I wanted to share with you guys what came in my box for April!

 I'll go left to right:
Blum Naturals All-Purpose Cleansing Wipes in Fresh Scent: First of all I love the plastic container the wipes are in. It seems very convenient for travel and once the wipes are gone I'll probably reuse the container. I also love that these wipes are cruelty free. They say they are made with natural and certified organics ingredients and are paraben-free, which I know is important to a lot of people. Just to let you know the Fresh Scent has a light peppermint smell, so if you don't like peppermint you should pick another scent. Now one thing I'm a little confused about is the purpose of these wipes. I thought they might be for make up removal since it's a beauty subscription box, but no where on the container does it say 'make up removal.' I think I'll be using them to take swatches off my hands after blog posts or I'll stick them in my lunch box. Either way I'm happy with them.

NickaK Lipstick in Daring: This lipstick looks very red in the tube, but when I swatched it I noticed it had more of a pink undertone than I was expecting. I'm not really a red lipstick girl, but I'll try it out. (By the way it is the bottom swatch in the photo.)

BH Cosmetics California Collection Sampler: This sampler has one shade from each of the California palettes by BH Cosmetics. There is a matte purple, a shimmery light brown, and a shimmery gold. I already have one of the BH California palettes so only two of these colors are new to me. I'll probably still use it though.

Jergen's Natural Glow: Really BB5? Foil packs? Every girl that buys subscription boxes hates foil packs. There usually isn't very much product in them. That being said these feel quite full and there are three of them. Jergen's Natural Glow is a self tanner that says it takes '3 Days to Glow,' hence the three packets. I'm a very pale girl, so I will definitely get use out of this.

Bonnebell Lip Definer in Apple Cider: If you refer back to the swatch photo, this is the top color shown. It is less brown than it looks like in the photo. I've never used a lip liner so I'm not sure what I think about this yet. It's a decent color, so I'll try it. Sorry I don't have more to say about this.


Overall I'm fairly happy I know I'll use at least three of the items for sure and the other two things I'm open to trying. I can't wait to see what next May's box is like!

BzzAgent Bic Soleil Glow Review

Guess what?! I got my first BzzAgent campaign! 

In case you don't know what BzzAgent is let me explain...BzzAgent is a website that partners with different companies to find people to test their products. So by being a BzzAgent member you have the opportunity to test products for free. The only requirement is that you tell people if you liked the products. And they send lots of coupons for you to give to your friends. It's awesome. If you want to sign up just click here: https://www.bzzagent.com/signup/NewAgentSignup.do

My very first campaign from BzzAgent is Bic Soleil Glow razors. The package came with 3 tripe blade razors and about six $3 off coupons for me to hand out. I was so happy when I found out I qualified for this! First of all it's almost summer, so it's about that time that I actually shave my legs on a regular basis. (Not gonna lie it only happens about once a month in the winter, and I'm sure it's the same for the rest of you ladies.) Second I've used some of the Bic Soleil razors in the past and really liked them, so I was definitely happy to try them again!

I just tested this out this morning and they were just as great as I expected, if not better. 

On the back of my thighs, at the top, I have very fine blond hairs. They aren't noticeable if you're looking at my leg, but if you touch it, you can really feel how many are there. I tell you this because usually I have the hardest time shaving that area. The hairs are so soft and fine it seems like the razor just passes over them without taking them off. Well guess what? These razors did the job. There were a few hairs left, but for the most part it was gone. I was so so happy! I have the hardest time finding razors that get close enough to get those fine hairs on the back of my thigh, but these got so close that my thighs feel incredibly smooth now. 

I would definitely recommend these razors to every woman. They are around $8 for the three pack which seems a little steep to me, but I do see sales for Bic all the time. Plus they're quality razors that will last quite a while if you take care of them.

Don't forget to check out BzzAgent if you're interested in trying products for free! 

Birchbox vs Ipsy April 2014

This month I decided to put Birchbox and Ipsy in a post together to compare the two. They are both $10 per month and send beauty products. While they are similar in many ways, I personally think they're more different. So this post is to help anyone who can't decide which would be a better fit for them.


First up: Birchbox:
Kind Granola Bar: This was the first thing I noticed in the box because it was the biggest thing. The flavor was Maple Pumpkin Seeds. Does that sound good to anyone? It sure didn't to me, but I thought I should give it a chance because I've heard great things about Kind Bars. Personally I did not like it at all, but I know lots of others did. I think it was the maple part I didn't like, which I expected because I don't like maple flavored things.

Beauty Protector, Protect & Detangle: I was so so excited to see this in my box! I got this same sample in a swap from someone on edivv.com a couple months ago and I love it! I have really long hair that is always getting snarled up and this stuff works wonders. I am so happy to have more of it!

Color Club Nail Polish: This is a mini nail polish in Aquamarine Azulino, which is a gorgeous light blue with a pearl-like finish. I think this seems really nice, but I have a few other polishes that are similar to this color. I'm going to give this to my mom for Mother's Day.

Supergoop CC Cream (in light/medium): Ok first of all, 3ml is a teeny tiny sample. Supergoop needs to up the size of their samples a bit because how am I supposed to know if I like this without using it a few times. I used a bit on the back of my hand and was pretty happy with it, but I don't think I'll get many uses out of this sample.

Sumita Eyeliner Pencil: This eyeliner is in the shade Jamun, which is a deep plum color. I tested this on the back of my hand and instantly fell in love. I know that a swatch isn't the best way to know if you like a product, but it went on so smooth that I know it will work great! Also it is the perfect purple for eyeliner. It's a deep rich color that will look fantastic with a smokey eye.

Overall for Birchbox this month I am incredibly happy. There was only one thing I didn't like. I know all the rest will be put to use and probably on a regular basis.

If Birchbox looks like something you would like to try please use my referral link: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/hb61l Thanks!



On to Ipsy:
Benefit Lollitint: This is a cheek and lip tint in an orchid-like color. I've never tried anything like this before. I would like to try it, but I'm not very fond of the color so I'll be trading this.

Urban Decay 24/7 Black Velvet Eyeliner: First of all I'm glad I got a different color eyeliner than I got in my Birchbox! I will always have a need for black eyeliner. Also, I've never tried this brand before, so I'm very excited to try this. Although I have to say I'm a little disappointed too. I joined ipsy to try new things, I already know that I like black eyeliner. I think they could have chose something better, but I know that I'll use it so I'm not too upset about it.

Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm: This tinted lip balm comes in the color acid pink. Can you see how bright it is?! Yeah....again not a color I was excited about. I'll be trading this too.

City Color White Gold Mousse: I'm so excited about this! The packaging says it can be used for a highlighter or an eyeshadow. I really like multi-use items, and am excited to see how this product works!

Kiss Looks So Natural Lashes: I've never tried false lashes before and am pretty excited about it. And I'm happy the lash glue was included!

Overall for Ipsy I'm happy. I'm going to keep and use 3 of the items and I'll trade the other two for other things I will use.

If Ipsy looks like something you would like please use my referral link: http://www.ipsy.com/r/7x6q. Thanks!

Let me know what you thought of this month's products!

Influenster #univoxbox

Woot! I got another Influenster voxbox! 

For those of you who don't know, Influenster is a website that provides people with full-sized products to test and review. They don't send them to everyone though. You earn the boxes by doing surveys on their website and if you're active on the site and fit the demographics of their current program you'll get a voxbox full of items to test!

The theme of this box was #univoxbox; it was filled with things they thought college girls would like. And let me tell you I definitely do! There were six items included which I'll tell you a little about in this post and later I'll be doing individual reviews on most of the products.

The first item in the box was Playtex Sport Fresh Balance tampons. The box contains 16 scented tampons for regular flow. The info card says these retail for $4-$5. I've only ever used U by Kotex tampons, so they'll definitely get a first impression review from me, but I have to say I'm a little unsettled by the fact that they're scented. When my mom gave me the period talk when I was younger she told me not to use scented lotions or that type of thing on your nether regions because it could mess up your pH balance..or something like that. I just remember she said not to put scented stuff in that area, so I never have. On the other hand I don't think they would make the product if it was unsafe. So I will give them a try in a couple weeks.

The next item was an Acroball Pure White pen from Pilot.The info card says this product retails fir $4.50 for a three pack and they included a $1.50 off coupon. I'm not sure what's so special about this particular pen, but I'll give it a try. I use pens at least 6 days a week, so this will definitely come in handy.

The third item was Red Rose Black Tea drops. This product retails for around $5. These are like the Mio drops that got really popular last summer (or the year before?), but they're just plain tea. I really like that I got plain black tea because I know some people got flavored versions. I just feel like with the plain back tea I can dress it up to be lots of different flavors. I also like that it says you can use in hot or cold water. I like both hot and iced tea so I know I'll be trying it out both ways.
At first I thought $5 for this little container was a bit steep, but when I realized it has 24 servings it seemed more reasonable. It makes it around 20 cents per serving which is much more cost effective than buying premade bottles of tea.









The last three item in the box were makeup related. There was a package of imPRESS press on nails. This is a product I have used before. I actually did a review of these around Valentine's Day. They retail for $6.99 for the plain single color ones and the prints retail for $8.99. I think it is a very reasonable price because of how long they last. Also they don't damage your nails like a salon manicure. I'm really glad they included these because they are definitely one of my favorite nail products.











The second make up item included was Rimmel Stay Matte foundation. I got the color light ivory. This retails for around $5. The funny thing is I bought this about two weeks before I got the box so I've been using it already. I'm glad it came in the box though because I've been liking it so far and it's nice to have another one. I have to say when they say matte they mean it. My face hasn't been getting shiny until almost twelve hours later and even then the shine is barely noticeable. I don't have incredibly oil skin though so I'm not sure how this would work for every one. But if you have combo skin like me I would recommend it.

And the final item in my UniVoxBox was NYC Expert Last Lip Color. This retails for around $2. Ok first of all who picked the color to send us? It's Barbie pink. I have recently been trying out lipsticks more and I have never tried this brand before, but I just can't get past the color. I want to try this out, but I know I will probably never use it because of the shade.

I've been thinking about going to buy another color to try though because it seems like a nice product and $2 is a reasonable price.

Overall I'm very happy with my VoxBox! I received about $25 worth of products to try and I got it all for free. If you haven't made an Influenster account yet I suggest you do because it is a great opportunity to test out products before you buy them and have your opinions heard by the companies.

Contest Winnings (Feb&Mar) + Tips

I just want to start off by saying what a lucky couple of months I've had! But on the other hand I don't want you guys to think this is a bragging post; I'm going to include some tips at the end on how all of you can find cool giveaways like these.


Broadway Nails: imPRESS press-on  manicures
6 packs ($8.50 each=$51)
I won the entire new glitter line from a contest on Facebook! Shortly after I went to my local Walgreens to find out how much these cost. In case you're wondering they're $8.50 a piece (may vary in your area)! I think its crazy they gave me such a huge prize! I'm super thankful though because I had so much fun trying these out and now I know that they're worth the price. They are cheaper that a manicure at a salon, granted they don't last as long (max 10 day wear), but they don't damage your natural nails like acrylics do. Check out my full review of them HERE!



The Crazy House Girlfriend: Montagne Jeunesse face mask 3 pack ($2.50 each=$7.50)
I won some face masks from a blog giveaway! These are fabric masks, which I've never tried, but am very excited to! I recently tried a peel off mask from this brand and loved it, so I have high hopes for these! You can check out the peel off face mask review HERE! Also you should go check out Jackie at The Crazy House Girlfriend! She writes about the same kinds of things I do: good deals she's scored, her favorite products, etc.




The Mind of a Makeup Addict: theBalm Balm Voyage palette ($42.50 on theBalm's website)
The Mind of a Makeup Addict had a giveaway when she reached 100 followers on Facebook and the prize was this gorgeous theBalm palette. This is probably the prize that I was the most excited about because I would probably never splurge on this myself. (She also included a sample of TimeBalm for me to try.)

I think the shadow colors in the palette are beautiful and I'm excited to try the cream lip/cheek products because I've never used them before. Veronica did a review of this palette on The Mind of a Makeup Addict if you'd like to know more about it or see swatches: click HERE! Also you should go like her on Facebook because she's going to be doing more giveaways soon! (The Mind of a Makeup Addict on Facebook). And HERE is the link to her more recent blog posts! I hope you all go check her out because she writes some great reviews. Also she's pretty new at this blogging thing, like me, and I think she deserves some encouragement!





Tips for finding giveaways!

1. Go like your favorite brands on Facebook: That's how I found out about the imPRESS nails giveaway and I've entered tons of other giveaways that companies do through Facebook. Plus some companies also give out samples through Facebook.

2. Find a couple blogs about things you like: I read a few different beauty blogs and those ladies do giveaways all the time! If you like the things they're posting about chances are sooner or later they will have a giveaway with things you like!

Honestly just those two things will help you find a ton of giveaways. And if you want to enter one now click HERE where you'll be brought to The Mind of a Makeup Addict's latest giveaway!



Let me know in the comments some cool things you've won in the past!
(and P.S. I'm planning a back to school giveaway at the end of summer with some college essentials! Let me know what is on your list of college must haves!)

Birchbox March 2014

Ok so I know I said I wasn't going to get Birchbox this month because I wanted to try out Ipsy, but I found a promo code for 100 bonus points with a new subscription so I had to sign up for another month! 100 points is $10 to spend in their online shop and since the box for the month only costs $10 I felt like I was getting a free box. I think the code is still valid so if you want to try Birchbox use code BB100 and I would really appreciate if you could use my referral link since I gave you the code: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/hb61l Thanks!

Anyways...On to this month's goodies! This month I got four samples plus a bonus Birchbox finds item (which is "always in addition to your usual samples, not in place of them").

Jergens BB Body Cream: I also got this in my Target Beauty Box, but I'm ok with that because I like it so far. It says its a perfecting skin cream- honestly I haven't been using it regularly enough to see the perfecting results, but it is super hydrating which I love. Plus they sent a coupon with it and I am definitely more inclined to repurchase with a coupon.

Havvn Night Cream: This is an overnight face cream. I am always happy to get new lotions and creams, but I hated the scent of this, so its going in my Edivv shop.

Agave Healing Oil Treatment: this product says its good for frizzy hair, which I usually have but I got a hair oil sample last month that I'm still working on so this will have to wait. But I do love products that fight frizz.

theBalm How 'Bout Them Apples Cheek and Lip Cream: I haven't decided yet whether or not I'm happy about this one. I have never tried this brand (heard great things about it) so I am interested, but the idea of a cream blush scares me haha.

Keims Peppermint and Macadamia Shampoo: Again hair products are something I don't mind getting in my box and I'm especially happy about the size of this sample (almost 2oz). I haven't tried it out yet, but it smells fantastic.

Overall I am very satisfied with my box; I liked 3 out of the 5 items and I got the 100 bonus points so even if I decide not to try theBalm sample I think I got my money's worth.

Like I said try the BB100 code if you're interested in getting a Birchbox (I'm not guaranteeing it is still valid). It is really easy to cancel if you're not happy. You can sign up here: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/hb61l.

And if you're interested in the Havvn night cream send me a trade request in my Edivv shop HERE.

If you subscribe already let me know what you thought of this month's box!

Update on Target Beauty Box

Remember the Target Beauty box I told you about last Thursday? (if you missed that post you can read it HERE). Well one of the items I got in it was a dud...

I went to try the Herbal Essences Naked Dry Shampoo and the darn thing wouldn't spray at all. I emailed Target and Herbal Essences and guess what happened?!

Target didn't have any replacements to send out, so they refunded me for the whole box! Plus Herbal Essences is sending me a coupon for a free one so that I get to try it! I am so overjoyed! I thought it was incredible customer service and it makes me want to continue to interact with both companies.