Birchbox Monthly Box - Review

I signed up for the monthly goodies from Birchbox, it's $10 a month and it's supposed to have a bunch of samples to try out before they come out or because they are popular.

I had received an email about a week ago, saying that it had been mailed, but the tracking number never updated and I never knew when I was actually going to receive the box. I received my first box yesterday in the mail and to be honest I was a bit disappointed.

I received a itty, bitty sample size of Blinc, some new nail polish (the kind you stick on your nails), a mascara protector (it protects your eyelid and under your bottom lashes from getting mascara on them), a friendship bracelet from Birchbox with their logo and a sample perfume.

For those kind of samples, I could've gotten a couple of things on Sephora and added some samples from their website.

I'll keep the subscription for another month and see how those samples are. If I'm not happy, I'll cancel my subscription.

~ t

Make up Brands...Drugstore vs. Department Store

I buy a lot of make up...a lot. I've probably used them all, from Covergirl and Maybelline to MAC and Estee Lauder. I have my favorites and there are some times where I've returned certain brands (like Nars or Almay) because they promise one thing or another and have a completely different result.

I'm very picky when it comes to foundation, probably because when I was pregnant with my son, my face did a 180 and became super, mega, oily (Dr's say it was because of all the male hormones counteracting with mine, while I was pregnant). I found that the best foundation for me is MAC Studio Fix and to set it, I use MAC's Mineralized Skinfinish

Now I know the price is a bit high for MAC, but the way I see it is, I spend $25 for a foundation that is going to last me approximately 5 months. So basically I'm spending $5 a month on foundation. The mineralized powder, lasts me about 7 months, so again I divide it by that.

I've tried using drugstore foundations, like Covergirl, Revlon, Maybelline, but I've noticed that I've had to add more to my face, to have the same coverage as MAC, which means I'm running out of the foundation faster, making me spend more $$ to buy more foundation. So in the end, I spend the same amount of money on a department store foundation.

However, when it comes to mascara, blush, lip gloss and lipsticks, I will go, hands down, to a drugstore brand. I've again used the expensive ones only to find that they do the same job as a drugstore brand. For example, my favorite mascara is Covergirl's Lash Blast. The formula is thick, it doesn't smear, it doesn't flake and it really does volumize and define your lashes. Same with their lip glosses and blushes.

I know not all people have the same thoughts on which brands of make up are better, but everyone has to experiment and see what works best for them!

So, what's your favorite brand of make up?

~ t

Montagne Jeunesse Face Masks

I love using make up, but I know it can clog up my pores fairly easily. I wish I could afford going to the spa but I found a great solution for this problem in an inexpensive way. I got Montagne Jeunesse face mask at Target. I use them once a week and it makes my skin feel great! It may be a small package but it has enough  to even cover your neck, but I usually just cover my face. I always have some left in the package after I use it and I hate to waste it. I started saving what is left in the package in a ziplock bag. It stays just as creamy and wonderful as if you had just opened a new package! I recently bought the Chocolate Mud Masque. It smells delicious and the scent stays even after you rinse it off.

They don't only have products for you face but also your hair, body and even feet. They also have products for men. I'm tempted to try of their hair masks!

-K