Glamour Doll Eyes OTM - October 2013

GLAMOUR DOLL EYES
"OF THE MONTH" OCTOBER 2013


Happy Halloween to everyone! It's been a while since I've done a Glamour Doll Eyes post but I was DETERMINED to do one for Halloween! Of course, GDE provided the perfect spooktacular goodies for the month of October!

 BOO!

This is my fabulous little trick or treat goodie bag for today ::wink wink:: So much more slimming than chocolate and candy, I assure you!

 Here is the October Of the Month eyeshadow!...

CAULDRON

 Once again, the sparkles just don't show up as much as they do in person...but I've taken some extra pictures I'll show below that capture the gorgeous sparkly goodness!

Cauldron: Grayish Black with subtle Orange, Green & Purple sheen and Purple & Green sparkle

Safe For: Eyes, Lips, Nails, Face

(Indoors daytime with flash)

(Indoors daytime with flash, closeup)

As you can see the shimmer and sparkle is divine! The purple and green really pop out to me but there are other little shades picking up as well. 

Applying dry on the skin with no primer (2 swipes) allowed the sparkle to show a bit more, it was a teensy bit patchy, but looked beautiful smoked out. Over NYX's Jumbo Pencil in Milk it applied into a gorgeous steely gray, very pigmented and lightly sparkly. Blended was a bit trickier to work with, the sparkle was very spaced out so it wasn't as easily seen, however it was a bit patchy so I didn't particularly like this way to wear it. I did apply all of these with my fingertips, but I've learned Cauldron is better handled with a brush. It can apply a bit dark very quickly, so it's best to pick up just a little product, swirl it on the inside of the lid to spread it all over the tip of the brush, then lightly work it on the lid just a little at a time and add more as desired.

OTM BONUS! - CANDYCORN

Well now it just wouldn't be Halloween without candy corn, now would it?! I'm about to say something very blasphemous to Halloween lovers....I'm not a fan of candy corn ::ducks:: Not worry! My Hubsters is! He snatched these babies up just as soon as I was done taking the picture! Haha!

FINALE

Hahaha, prepare yourself....so when I saw that the eyeshadow was called Cauldron, I was immediately inspired to do a favorite character of mine who LOVES cauldrons...

Queen Grimhilde (aka Evil Queen) 

from Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

For this look I applied Cauldron all over my eyelids and up all the way to slightly above my natural eyebrows, then I blended in a bright purple right on top of it but didn't lift the purple all the way up, stopping right on the bottom edge of my eyebrows. It's funny the purple I blended on the eyelid makes Cauldron above it appear to be purple tinted! I used a black liquid liner for a double wing cat-eye, and a black pencil liner to tightline my eyes as well as on the waterline. Finished with mascara and the eyes were done! I drew on my eyebrows (obviously ::giggles::), reshaped my lips with a brick colored lip liner and put a dark reddish maroon lipstick on top, followed by a bright fuschia lip crayon wiped on top of my bottom lip. 

I did do some creative editing in the photo for my eyebrows (admitting ::blushes::). Unfortunately, I don't have one of those makeup sticks that can flatten your eyebrows so you can apply concealer over it. I really barely did any editing though, as I had tried to cover them as much as I could. I applied concealer over them as well as a powder. I only lightly used a smudging tool in a photo editing software to blend what you could see into the eyeshadow. 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Care for an apple tart? Apple juice? Apple fritter? 

Happy Makeuping! If you will excuse me...."Mirror, mirror..."

            

Starlooks - October 2013

ALICE
       

      
Hello there! This month for Starlooks I had to step out of my typical Cheshire Cat personality and slip into Alice's shoes for a bit. The box, although not outright saying it's from the world of Wonderland, had very much an Alice feel from the colors, looks and vibe in the Looks Book. If you haven't seen my spoiler post with the Looks Book pictures, here's the link - 

OCTOBER 2013 REVEAL - STARLOOKS

This month's Looks Book pictures were full of gorgeous, simplistic style....very soft, modern, and girly. I was very much hoping for that silvery-blue shimmer product on her eyes as well as the rosy-pink blush....and I did!

Here is my box!.....

I received: a lipstick, eyeliner, blush compact, quartz crystal & coupon

 To the review!......

TENDERGLOSS

in Puzzy

"This Tendergloss is the ideal, natural lip color enhancer for all skin tones. Smooth over lips directly for a sheer, metallic finish or apply with a lip brush for a deeper coverage." - from October 2013 Starbox card

I LOVE Starlook's Tendergloss! I have a few of them from past Starboxes or from ordering on their website and they're GORGEOUS and so soft when applying. 

 

 As you can see Puzzy is very, very sheer with a soft metallic sheen. The single swipe is barely visible on my super-fair skin, just adds a pretty pale-pink sheen, and even after swiping SIX times it's still barely visible! It glides on very softly but really can't be built upon much at all, however you can wear it by itself for a soft, girly sheer lip or worn over a bright, colorful lipstick for a pearly finish!

On my lips it's just barely visible since my lips are very pink already but I LOVE the pearly sheen! It's not at all sticky, in fact it's fairly moisturizing and creamy feeling on the lips though it's not thick at all. It doesn't last as long as I would like though, only about an hour or two before needing touch-ups but I think it's soooooo pretty and I'll definitely be wearing it often since I love to play up the eyes!

GEM PENCIL

in Mirage

"An amazing fall/winter color addition to your Starlooks Gem collection! This smooth, rich, satin formula can be used as an all-over shadow base or as an eye liner - both outside and inside the water line." - from October 2013 Starbox card

I've tried out a couple of their Gem Pencils as well and...may I ramble excitedly again?....I LOVE THEM! Haha! At first I thought I had this particular one already since I have their silver one, but then I read the name and swatched it and realized it was different after all!

The silver Starlooks Gem Pencil is called Deja Vu whereas Mirage has a soft blue-ish tint...

How pretty is that color?! The single line shows up relatively well...it's more difficult to see unless the light is shining on it as it blends on my skin when in the shadows...the thick line is STUNNING in color....the squiggling line was very smooth and soft during application with no dragging or creasing...the dots was the only way to apply that doesn't show up very well. I would say the thicker the line, the better this applies if you want to really see the shade.

It does wipe off very easily, though, but it leaves quite a bit of shimmer behind. The best way to use this is to be sure to use a primer as WELL as a setting spray afterwards. With both of those I was able to wear this for about 6 hours before needing major touchups.

3 SHADOW BLUSH PALETTE

in 3B1

"It has been a while since we've sent you a blush, so we decided to make sure you're all set with three, wonderfully pigmented colors suitable for any occassion!" - from October 2013 Starbox card

I have such a weakness for a gorgeous palette and of course this one is no exception! I love the variety as well. It's a very sleek, beautifully designed compact, and I was very happy to see a nice full coverage mirror on the inside of it...the only thing it's missing is a brush, however, I don't typically use brushes that come with compact since they're smaller than I'd prefer. 

Look how gorgeously pigmented they are! The thick swipe was in fact done with just one swipe but I did lightly swirl my finger in the powder to show you the full color and shade of each. Such a beautiful mix...a babydoll pink, a soft peach and a dulled blush red. Notice how almost creamy they look for a powder! Not a bit of patchiness, not even once blended! I love how natural they look blended. They're very, very soft and blend super easy and the color does last for about 7-8 hours with a setting spray. I really can't pick a favorite shade from these as I think they're all just darling!

RIVET & SWAY COUPON

"Rivet & Sway offers a smartly designed eyewear collection exclusively for women, and has generously awarded our Starbox Subscribers "$50 off" of their entire line of fabulous frames! Add to that their Free Home Try-Ons and a Free Personal Stylist and we think you will have found your new favorite eye glasses brand!" - from October 2013 Starbox card

Well I think this is very generous of Rivet & Sway as well as Starlooks for provided all subscribers with this awesome coupon! Unfortunately, I don't wear glasses or contacts! Oops! I have a fab friend of mine who does, though, and I have given her the coupon to use which she is oh so ecstatic about! 

WORTH AND PURCHASE:

Tendergloss in Puzzy:  $13

Gem Pencil in Mirage:  $14

3 Shadow Blush Palette in 3B1:  $46

Total Paid for Box:  $17.68  ($15 Sub cost + shipping)

Total Worth of Box:  $73

Wow! I am SO happy with this month's worth! It is beyond fantastic! The blush alone is worth about three times of the sub cost itself (as well it should, it's quality is fantastic). Well done Starlooks and thank you for the awesome goodies!

FINALE

I was so inspired by the Looks Book pictures that I wanted to recreate something similar to it! I did also get a chance to use all of the products for these pictures as well!

Did I use all three blush colors? YES I DID! Go big or go home? No? Haha...well I went for it! I used the dull red blush towards the ears and blended in with the bronzer I used to sculpt my cheekbones a bit. Then I used the peach shade towards the bottom center of the apples of my cheeks and the babydoll pink up above the apples of my cheeks AND dusted a bit on my upper eyelids towards my eyebrows. 

 I swiped on about 3 layers of the Tendergloss but as I said, it blends with my lip color well so it doesn't show much...just adds a bit of sheen. For my eyes I started with a warm brown shade, then lightly swipes on the Mirage pencil over it, blending it over the brown with my fingertips. Then I used a black liquid line and drew on a soft cat eye from the middle of my eyelid (instead of the inner corner) and out to keep it soft and less graphic. Then I applied Mirage over it on the top for a stronger shimmer with the liner. I finished the eyes with mascara and there you have it!

Happy Makeuping! ::puts back on Cheshire grin::

 

   

Julep - October 2013

THE REBEL SET
FULL UPGRADE


Me? A rebel? Well I LOVE Billy Idol, so does that count? ::giggles:: A collection of polishes and products that can appeal to any beauty lover's dark side, check out this month's Julep set!....

 

In this box is the upgrade, including all of the add-ons

and here is this month's polish line-up!.....

OOooooo, aaaahhhh, what a very mysterious line-up!

Let's move on to the profiles, shall we?

MODERN BEAUTY

MASK NOIR

"A peel-off mask of gentle kaolin clay and black volcanic ash" - from julep.com

Julep's Mask Noir contains black volcanic ash with anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial peptides, kaolin clay for deep cleaning, and also has a triple-threat Power Cell Complex of rosehip seed oil to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and post-acne marks, malveceae lipid extract for hydration, and green coffee bean oil that promotes cell turnover. 

Whew! That's a lot of goodness right there in one little bottle. This is my first peel-off mask and I have to say, that one little fact made me superdupes excited to try! 

The texture is similar to a soft tar, and while it's slightly thick upon application, it can be spread easily. You do have to work quickly, though, since it starts to dry fairly fast and if you go over areas you applied a minute previous it will start peeling off and you have to apply fresh globs on top. 

After washing your face, you apply the mask all over, avoiding your eyebrows, lips and eyes. You let it sit for 15-20 minutes, then starting from the chin you gently peel the entire mask off in one piece up to the forehead. YES, I WAS SO GIDDY ABOUT THIS! I have no clue why, really...is it just a girl thing? Every girl in her life must have a peel off mask! The remaining product is similar to a light rubber and can just be thrown away. I was going to take a picture of it but frankly...it looked a bit creepy, haha! 

My skin felt lovely afterwards! Very soft, smooth and with no dryness. This has to be one of my favorite masks I've ever used! My rosacea wasn't inflammed, in fact, it lessened! My moisturizer went on very smoothly afterwards which I can attribute to having a nicely hydrated and softened surface. The next day my face looked fresh and clean! I've used this mask several times since then and every time...just love it!

Did I take pictures of this? Why yes, yes I did....

 ::sigh:: It's so hard trying to be pretty all the time...

Haha, please excuse the scary makeup-free eyes and before you ask (because seriously everyone does) I DON'T pluck my eyebrows, they are just naturally non-existent and fair, but I promise you, they're there. 





KAJAL EYE GLIDER & SHARPENER

"Two intensely pigmented colors - carbon black and brown shimmer - that glide on smoothly and blend like a dream." - from julep.com

As you can see, the Kajal Eye Glider is a double-sided eye pencil, with a carbon black on one end and a brown shimmer on the other. I love keeping pencils like this in my purse for touch-ups since it could go with any eye look I'm wearing that day! 

The pencil pencil glides on sooooo smoothly! The Carbon Black reminds me so much of Perversion by Urban Decay, it's beyond black which I love for my eyeliner. Look how fabulously pigmented the single black line is! It was very soft, and I didn't have to press much as all to apply. The brown shimmer is SO much more lovely in person than it is on in this picture! It's a gorgeous rusty brown with some reddish-brown shimmer that gets highlighted when the light hits it. The brown goes on a tad softer than the black and isn't quite as pigmented, but when you thicken the line the color deepens to a darker brown and it's gorgeous! 

In this picture I'm wearing the Brown Shimmer side in a cat-eye over some auburn-brown eyeshadow on my top lid (and mossy green eyeshadow below my bottom eyelashes). See how nicely it picks up an auburn shimmer? I think it's very natural looking but still crisp, modern and fresh. I think it'd look gorgeous smudged! And thank goodness, I have eyebrows again! Haha!

The staying power for both shades are awesome! They both lasted about 8-9 hours before needing any touch-ups at all (using both an eye primer, as well as a setting spray) and did not smudge.





BOHO GLAM - DAHLIA & STEVIE

Dahlia (top) - goldenrod microglitter
Stevie (bottom) - concrete gray frost

 I absolutely LOVE these two shades! This is my typical profile, Boho Glam, and I must say I was so very intrigued with Dahlia as I have nothing like it in my stash. The color may not be fore everyone but I love how different it is! Stevie is very bold, and I think very fun and versatile for nail art looks!

Dahlia went on like a dream, needing only two coats for full opacity. It evened itself out nicely and has a soft glossy finish (note, I am not wearing a top coat in my swatch pictures as to show what the polish finishes as by itself). Stevie was a LITTLE streaky, which I've had happen a lot with gray frosty finishes, but it wasn't too bad and still looks gorgeous on the nail. It can look a bit dirty on the nail, though, without a crisp cleanup along the cuticles but still a gorgeous shade!





BOMBSHELL - CLEOPATRA & VALERIE

Cleopatra (top) - black latex creme (no latex in formula) 
Valerie (bottom) - teal with iridescent microglitter

This profile right here basically convinced me that I needed to upgrade! I was falling in love with all of them, but when I saw the black latex and teal I made up my mind! So gorgeous and I love the two of them together!

Is that latex not fabulous?! I think it's stunning! Cleopatra is a TAD on the thick side and dries a bit faster than the typical polish so you have to work quick with evening it out. I recommend the fewer brush strokes, the better! With one coat, it's pretty much opaque, but I recommend two just for that even and smooth finish. Valerie is lovely, it's very easy to apply, glides on smooth and has a lovely glossy finish. The shimmer isn't as apparent on the nail as it is in the bottle but it's still a beautiful dark teal shade. I had no issue with applying it at all and it only needed two coats for full opacity, however it came very close to being a one-coater!





CLASSIC WITH A TWIST - ANISA & WINONA

Anisa (top) - deep burgundy creme
Winona (bottom) - buff greige creme

I realize I need another red like I need....well...you get what I'm saying, haha! In fact, Winona was the reason I wanted this profile. I don't have that many greige-y or beige shades so I definitely wanted to try this one out and I wasn't disappointed! However, I don't know if I would call Anisa a deep burgundy, it looked more like a darker brick red. 

Anisa went on very nicely, evened itself out quickly and only needed two coats for full opacity. It dries to a gorgeous glossy finish and I had no issues with running or pooling and it's not a thick creme so it's not hard to work with. Winona was just a tad thicker than Anisa but still a dream to apply, in fact, it's the exact thickness I prefer my cremes to have! It evened out wonderfully, needed only two coats for full opacity and has a gorgeous glossy finish as well! SO glad I added Winona to my collection!

IT GIRL - CIARA, KENDRA & MISSY

Kendra (top) - army green frost
Missy (middle) - titanium metallic
Ciara (bottom) - vampy magenta with teal microglitter

 I found this month's It Girl trio to be so interesting and different! Although, I suppose I say that about every month's It Girl profile ::giggles::. All three being very shimmery, I was worried I wouldn't like at least one, but I was wrong! The types are all different, though, as you can see...frost, metallic and microglitter!

Kendra looks much lighter in the bottle than on the nail, however, it's still quite beautiful. It was ALMOST a one-coater but I prefer two. It glides on nicely, evens out fairly well and dries to a lovely glossy finish. Missy is GORGEOUS. It reminds me a lot of OPI's DS Radiance. Very metallic and shiny with metallic flecks throughout. It applies well, evens out fairly nice and needs two coats to become opaque. I think it's very, very flattering on so many skin tones! Now Ciara.....is SO stunning and unique! It's very simple but so unusual with a reddish dark undertone but light, cool blueish teal shimmer on top. The pictures really don't do it justice as it looks a bit more like the picture of the bottle above once on your nail when the light hits it. The formula was good, it evened out fairly well, but I wouldn't use too many brushstrokes as that seemed to thin out the layer and cause it to look streaky. You MAY want to do more than two coats for a richer, deeper shade, but two good coats is enough for opacity.





FEATURED ADD-ON - BEATRIX

Beatrix - coal black with multidimensional glitter

I LOOOOVE this polish! It is DEFINITELY my favorite glitter polish from Julep to date! It appears to be mainly gold and black in the picture above but check out when my camera is out of focus....

Look at that scattered multi-color goodness! The polish looks MUCH more like that in person. My camera just doesn't capture the gorgeousness of the bottle at all!

For my swatch picture I layered it over three colors, then by itself on my pointer finger...all with two coats of Beatrix each. If you look at my pointer finger (no under color), you can see it's actually fairly thick for a glitter in a clear base. Very densely packed with small gold, black and multicolor flecks, as well as larger gold hex glitters. You could come close to getting away with decent opacity with three coats. On my middle finger I applied it over Winona, which I ended up not being too impressed with. It's a little bland for me. On my ring finger it's over Dahlia which is a BIG difference! It's brighter, more sprinkled looking and has a sharper contrast with the black, however the gold doesn't stand out as much. The colorful shimmer (not seen as well in the pic) gives it a funky, fun party look though! On my pinky finger I layered it over Cleopatra (black latex) and I'm SO MAD that none of the pictures I took turned out well with this because I actually loved it! Compared to Dahlia, it was the reverse...the black didn't show up but the gold and colors did and it was beautiful! What I really like about this polish is the dirty, coal dust effect it has while still being ridiculously sparkly and colorful! Also, to note, one very important thing about this polish since it is a glitter is that the glitter was so densely packed - as I said - that you didn't have to fish any of the product out of the bottle, it spread on evenly and spaced itself out wonderfully!

FEATURED ADD-ON - CASPER

Casper - glow-in-the-dark shimmer
      
My second glow in the dark polish ever! This was another reason I was so excited for this month's collection of shades, and I knew the upgrades were going to be fun as well!

 I know you may not believe me on this, but I did actually do the exact same as Beatrix, which is apply two coats of Casper over three different shades as well as one unpolished nail! One my pointer finger is the two coats of Casper by itself. I think, glow-in-the-dark aside...it's actually a very, very beautiful polish! It's very shimmery and soft with a very glossy finish. On my middle finger is Casper over Winona, which once again, I wasn't fond of....apparently, Winona does not like to play well with others! Haha! On my ring finger I applied it over Stevie, which I thought was lovely in person...very chic, edgy and cool. On my pinky...haha, you wouldn't believe....over Cleopatra. It seriously did not need a second coat over that one. It almost made Cleopatra and Stevie look the same underneath! It's interesting but I honestly think Casper is pretty just by itself or maybe on a french tip!

Let's see this baby glow!.....

Ooooo, aaaaah....actually, I was very disappointed by it's glowing abilities. I let it sit in the sun for a short time....glowed for 2 seconds in the dark....I let it sit for a long time....glowed for 10 seconds in the dark....I held it under a lamp for a short time....glowed for 2 seconds in the dark....I held it under a lamp for a long time...glowed for 10 seconds in the dark. Well phooey! I seriously had to snap pics fast for you to see this! In the bottle, it glows very bright for a short time, then fades away...on the nail...well you'll be sad. These are the exact same nails from the picture above and as you can see, over other colors it really doesn't get much glow at all. Even with two coats by itself without any color underneath it barely glows. I kid you not, this picture is a pretty accurate view of what it looks like in real life. So, I'm sad it's not all fun, funky and glowy in the dark, but it still is a beautiful polish to wear!

       

WORTH AND PURCHASE:

1) Mask Noir - $32

• Or $25.60 for Maven subscribers

    

2) Kajal Eye Glider & Sharpener - $22

• Or $17.60 for Maven subscribers

    

3) Nail Polishes - $14 each (11 total) = $154

• Or for Maven subscribers: $11.20 each = $123.20

    

Total Paid for Box:  $66.97
       

Total Worth of Box:   $208

As always, Julep does well to provide me with a box worth much higher than what I pay. They typically go just a few above the $200 range when I upgrade! The breakdown this month is: $19.99 regular profile subscription + $35 upgrade fee + $5.99 for each additional add-on (2 in my case).

        

FINALE

So this month was definitely a fun group of dark, mysterious polishes and shades for a Rebel Set and I had so much fun with the Mask Noir and Kajal Eyeliner, in fact, it's one of the best beauty gifts I've seen from Julep in quite some time! Bravo Julep! I had a bit of a snafu this month as they forgot to include Beatrix in my packaging and I had to wait till it came before I could write this review, hence the lateness...hopefully next month that won't happen! Keep your manis and pedis looking hot during this Fall season and don't be afraid to walk on the...dark side every once in a while! 
       

Happy Makeuping and Polishing, you lil rebels, you!

   

Birchbox - October 2013

BEAUTY BUZZ

    
Confession time...I am absolutely OBSESSED with constantly seeing what's new in the beauty world! So much so that whenever I see a new magazine at the store such as Elle, Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar, Allure, Glamour, etc. I HAVE to get it. It drives my Hubby absolutely bananacakes! "Didn't you JUST buy a magazine last week?!" "Yes, well that is totally a different magazine altogether....this is new ::grin::". Teehee. 

So this month for Birchbox it's all about the Beauty Buzz....do you stay updated with new trends and news?

HI THERE,

"We'll be the first to admit that the word "obsesssed" gets thrown around a lot at Birchbox HQ, but can you blame us? We spend our days researching ingredients and trends, reading your product feedback, and generally geeking out about beauty. This month we're putting all that intel to good use, with a Birchbox devoted to award winners, celeb favorites, up-and-comers - and all the other products we can't stop talking about.

Not quite up to speed on your beauty news? Worry not- this month's Birchbox Magazine includes a cheat sheet to the industry's latest buzzwords and a roundup of 2013's top products and trends. We also asked experts around the world to weigh in on what they think the next big thing will be...read our article online to find out what they said."

Until next month,

Katia, Hayley & the Birchbox Team

Yeeeeees, love it! I still have about 6 unread magazines sitting on my bedside table that I need to get around...perhaps I need to get on that tonight, haha!

Here's what I received in my box this month!....

 A chapstick, lip stain, face cream, shampoo and conditioner

On to my review!....

BEAUTY PROTECTOR

PROTECT & SHAMPOO 

and PROTECT & CONDITION

Shampoo - "New to the Beauty Protector family, this sulfate-free formula adds shine and volume."

Conditioner - "Love Protect & Detangle? Use this nourishing conditioner with shea butter before spritzing."

 - from my October 2013 Birchbox card 

 I actually did receive Beauty Protector's Protect and Detangle back in my June Birchbox and I LOVED it, so I was very excited to try out their Shampoo and Conditioner! Once again, Beauty Protector didn't let me down...

Shampoo by itself - I usually only wash my hair without conditioner since my hair is so fine and it can weigh it down but I do use a light serum to keep my hair soft and healthy. The shampoo by itself actually works quite well! It lathers well on the area I applied it to, but it didn't spread as easily as I would have liked, so for future reference if you have long hair like me I'd recommend adding small amounts to different spots throughout your hair roots to tip and then work it in. Once I had it lathered I then nearly DIED with how fantastic it smelled! It smells pretty much exactly like the Protect & Detangle which is like warm vanilla extract....mmmmmmmm. It rinsed out nicely and it didn't dry out my hair at all. It also gave my hair a nice soft shine and the smell lasted...well good grief, all day, all night, through the next morning....I knooooow, right? SO FABULOUS. I also had no problems styling my hair,  it felt clean, not as dried out as with other shampoos and even when I added my serum to soften it, it was easy to work in with no major tangling. 

Shampoo and Conditioner - Paired together my hair was in heaven! This conditioner seriously works just as well if not better than some deep conditioning hair masques! RIDICULOUSLY and luxuriously soft and healthy feeling! Also very shiny and smooth! The smell has lasted for nearly 48 hours which is just crazy and oh so awesome. 

Do I recommend these? YOU BET I DO! Seriously, Hubsters is driving me crazy by sticking his nose in my hair and taking a big whiff every 10 minutes and going MMMmmmmm, yummy! Hahaha! 

EVOLOGIE

STAY CLEAR CREAM

"Moisturizer that protects skin and balances oil levels with a patent-pending YS3 COMPLEX." - from my October 2013 Birchbox card

I've tried out Evologie's Intensive Blemish Serum and their Stay Clear Cream in the past and out of the two the Stay Clear Cream was a better product for me. The Intensive Blemish Serum really didn't have much of an effect but the Cream did provide excellent moisturization! Unfortunately, it didn't really keep me blemish free so I'm not 100% sold on it. The first time I tried it month's ago I used it morning and night for over a week or so and....well I broke out with a few pimples. Once again I tried it upon receiving it in this box and I STILL broke out with a few pimples. It could just be my chemistry, I know friends who swear by Evologie, it just doesn't seem to work for me. I have combination skin on my face with my oily spots focusing on my T-zone and my chin, along with a random pimple or two every once in a while (nothing major) and some cystic acne that can pop up on my chin if I don't keep an eye on it. This cream does, however, make my face super soft! My skin is nice and smooth and it does last throughout the night till the next morning. If only it'd keep my acne at bay! Alas!

THEBALM COSMETICS
STAINIAC

in Beauty Queen

"Bestselling stain that gives cheeks and lips a sheer, rosy tint." - from my October 2013 Birchbox card

So the big question I've gotten asked from many people is....compare theBalm's Stainiac to Benefit's Benetint....they're similar-ish. I love them both, so I really don't have a favorite per se, they both have their special uses. One thing I will say about Stainiac's Beauty Queen in comparison to Benetint is that it's much lighter in application, meaning it doesn't stain quite as dark, so you could easily layer it for a deeper color.

With the thick swipe you can see the gorgeous rosy-red color and with a normal swipe blended it's so soft of a tint you can barely make it out. It's very subtle, and very natural looking. You can easily add more on top to build the color though. 

Check out how well it stains though! After a couple of minutes of taking pictures, I just wiped it off with my hand and this remained! I kept rubbing and rubbing and it really didn't want to budge! I definitely like that for long-wear on cheeks and lips! It does wash off easily with some soap and water though. 

 My lips are naturally fairly pink so after adding a couple of layers of the Stainiac they were nice and rosy! You can see towards the center of my lips were it was more concentrated and had more shadowing, it looks a bit more red which I actually like! It's very natural looking for those of you who just want to keep your lips more low-key or have a I'm-not-wearing-makeup (but you are) day. The stain lasted a good 6 hours or so before needing any big touch-ups. I wore it on my cheeks as well (sorry, forgot to take a picture!) and it's gorgeous, but I have to say as a lip product it takes the cake!

BIRCHBOX FIND:

CHAPSTICK

HYDRATING LOCK

in Vanilla Creme

 

"What's a BIRCHBOX FIND? Occasionally we come across a mass-market discoveries that are exciting, time-saving, or just generally awesome. These Birchbox Finds will always be in addition to your usual samples - never in place of them. When our gold standard for lip care - ChapStick - develops a new 8-hour moisture technology that's definitely a breakthrough worth sharing. New ChapStick Hydration Lock is clinically proven to moisturize lips, from 9-5. It also doubles as a lip primer and comes chock full of damage-defending antioxidants like CoQ10 and Vitamin E. So swipe it on - and lock that moisture down." - from Birchbox Find card in October 2013 Birchbox

Well as much as I eye-rolled upon receiving a ChapStick in my Birchbox, I did enjoy this one! It smells sooooo tasty! (What is UP with the tasty smelling goodness in my box this month! Ya think they figured out that sending bakery smelling products to Cookie would make her all happy and giggly? Yeah, I think so too! ::giggles::). It smells like a freshly baked vanilla cupcake! MMmMmmMMm! I felt a bit silly my first day using it at work, everyone that I talked to had the pleasure of me thrusting it under their noses and exclaiming: "Smell this! Does this not smell AMAZING! UGH! LOVE IT!".  ::blushes:: 

As far as it's moisturizing properties...well...it may just be me but I didn't notice that much of a difference compared to a typical ChapStick. Did it moisturize my lips decently enough? YES....did it last 8 hours...not really, no. HOWEVER, keep in mine my lips naturally chap and peel very easily. I exfoliate them every few days by lightly brushing them with a toothbrush and I apply a rich balm to hydrate afterwards...my lips just like to stay chapped! Haha! Regardless, I LOVE the smell of this and it does give good coverage and it's not at all sticky so I'll be using this often. I especially like it as a lip prep! Speaking of...

Tips & Tricks! - Before you begin your makeup routine, swipe on some chapstick or lip balm to start hydrating your lips as a prep for lipstick. After you finish applying all of your makeup (except lips), gently dab or blot off the balm or chapstick with a tissue then apply lipstick/lip liner as usual! It'll give you a smoother surface to work on, cause less peeling under the lipstick and the lipstick will lock in that hydration keeping your pucker smooth and soft throughout the day!

WORTH AND PURCHASE:

1) Beauty Protector's Protect & Shampoo:

• Full-size (8 oz) - $21.95
• The bottle I received doesn't have a size listed on it, but after comparing it to other sample bottles I have, it appears to be around 1 oz - $2.74

2) Beauty Protector's Protect & Condition:

• Full-size (8 oz) - $21.95
• Same as Protect & Shampoo, 1 oz - $2.74

3) Evologie Stay Clear Cream:

• Full-size (1 fl oz) - $62
• I received a 0.33 fl oz sample tube - $20.46

4) theBalm Cosmetics Stainiac in Beauty Queen:

• Full-size (0.3 fl oz) - $17
• I received a 0.04 fl oz sample tube - $2.27

5) ChapStick Hydration Lock in Vanilla Creme:

• 1 stick - $2.99 

Total Paid for Box:  $10

Total Worth of Box:  $31.20


While I am thoroughly happy to receive three times worth what I paid...I nearly passed out seeing how much the Stay Clear Cream is worth and it's the one item I DIDN'T like in the box! All of the items I loved were less than $3 each! ::le sigh:: Well that's how it goes sometimes, doesn't it? Haha! 

FINALE

I really loved this month's box! In fact it's one of the better one's I've received in quite a while! I've already decided I want to buy Beauty Protector's Shampoo and Conditioner, as well as possibly some Stainiacs to gift to friends since it seems like a great beauty product to add in a beauty gift basket/bag! I even know I'll be using up the chapstick! Four out of five loves? Definitely a fab box for me. 

So what beauty news/buzz magazines are you obsessed with? Or do you just surf websites? Or both! My favorite beauty magazine is Allure, what about you?

    
I hope you enjoyed this review! If you're interested in trying out Birchbox for yourself, you are more than welcome to use my referral link, just click HERE.

Happy Makeuping you little beauty buzzers!