Sunday, August 26, 2012

Lip Product Addiction

I... have a problem. And it's not that I don't have a hard time realizing it. It is more a matter of I cannot seem to stop buying more. Just to give you an idea of my lip product collection...


And that's just the lip balms that are not in my purse. There are 5 brands in here alone. I tend to buy many multiples... And I especially went a little crazy with the Nivea because I could get coupons for them and pay a ridiculously low price.

Of course, we don't want the glosses/tinted lip balms/lip color products to feel left out...

For the most part, I have lipglosses. I've talked about my issues with my lips and lip products, so most of these are not purchases I made. And you can tell I have quite the variety.

So you would think that a girl with this many products would carry quite a few with her at all times... That would be a negative with me. I usually carry anywhere from 3-5 lip products when I leave the house. And they are usually lipbalms. Below is a picture of what is in my bag right now


As you can see, only three products in their right now. I have one of my many EOS lipbalm in Sweet Mint, a Julep Daylight Defense SPF 15 Lipbalm, and my sample of Jouer Lip Enhancer from a Birchbox. How I feel at the moment determines which one I grab. If I want a little more heavy duty, I go for the EOS. Looking for a light balm with some SPF, I grab my Julep one. If I'm feeling a little fancy, Jouer is in my hand.

And now that I have finished this post... I'm thinking I need to go on a lip product buying hiatus until I finish up some of these products...

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Top 10 Birchbox Favorites


I've been a Birchbox subscriber for almost a year now. That means that I have tried a lot of sample products, whether I liked them all or not. So I went through all of the products I've tried so far and picked my top 10 favorites!

The way I chose these products is pretty simple: it had to be something I do or would still use to this day. Preference were given to items that I have used frequently enough to really have an idea of whether or not I really like it. Also have some honorable mentions that I am not going to go into about my experience but just wanted to mention.

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 Incoco Appliqué (ring finger)


Incoco Nail Polish Appliqué
It was my entrance into the world of nail appliqués. These were funky but not too crazy for me. Absolutely perfect for an accent nail for me. I have been conserving these because I love the pattern so much. Reminds me so much of Tron with the blue little shiny discs.


Harvey Prince Eau Flirt
To this day, this is probably the only perfume I have that I absolutely love. I am beyond excited that fall is almost here because this perfume is perfect for this time of year. And I have been debating since I got it to buy a full bottle or even a rollerball. I don't really wear perfumes that often because I'm often going to work at the coffee shop... Sort of negates that perfume purpose...


amika obliphica hair treatment
& Laura Gellar spackles under make-up primer in bronze
amika obliphica hair treatment
Another product that I have been conserving after I learned how awesome it was. I limit use to whenever I blow-dry my hair. I have been shopping around for something similar at a cheaper price but amika has truly made a no-dupe product in my mind. However, it would one day be an investment product because I know I can make it go a far way. I have managed to make that little bottle go a year, so I imagine a full-sized product would go so much further.


Laura Geller spackle under make-up primer in bronze
This is one of the few products that I have actually bought in full-size. While I don't use this product often, I do like it both to maintain foundation/BB cream in my t-zone and as a stand-alone product. It is a good staple in my makeup arsenal.



Borghese fango active mud face & body

Another product that I bought in full-size but not for myself. While I did really enjoy this product, I know I barely take the time to wash my face, let alone do a mask. However, I let my mother try out this product and she absolutely loves it. It really does leave you skin feeling awesome.



Origins checks and balances frothy face wash
If you are ever looking for a silky smooth cleanser, this is the one for you. It feels like you are literally washing you face with a cloud. I tend to only use this when I travel or am staying away from home. It my own little beautification getaway product. It makes me feel like I'm really pampering myself




stila smudge stick waterproof eye liner
This is an awesome eyeliner. Whenever I use eyeliner, this is usually the first one I pick up. I have it in Lionfish which is a lovely brown with some bronze-y shimmer. It is a great wearable color while not being complete typical. Though I tend to keep this product on my upper lid because it tends to smudge like crazy on my bottom lid. It tends to smudge quite a bit on my eyes, so I have to be careful.



twistbands
I love love love love love these! They are absolutely amazing! True to their word, it does not leave a crease in my hair when I take it out. I have to admit though, I do have to make sure to rotate through them to make sure they don't get completely stretched out. While it is definitely something that I am willing to replace in the future, I don't want to have to do it until absolutely necessary due to their price-tag. If anyone knows any cheaper alternatives, I would be open to it.


    Shiseido purness oil-control blotting papers
    Another product I use conservatively. When you have an oily t-zone, these things feel like little midday miracles. I have tried the Neutrogena oil blotting "papers," and these Shiseido ones but them to shame. Mostly because they are actually paper. It's amazing that these sheets are only 8 cents more per sheet than the Neutrogena "papers." However, before I buy these sheets, I know I would probably try the boscia ones first as they are at the best price point out of all three.



    Yes to Blueberries brightening facial towelettes
    This product feels like a refreshing cleansing on my face. I don't feel like I have to scrub my face after using this. I did end up buying a full-size of this product and have no regrets. In fact, I'm sure I'll repurchase this again when I finish this package.

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    Honorable mentions:

    boscia B.B. cream SPF 27 PA++

    Befine exfoliating cleanser