Positively Polished

Half Matte Blue - Half Sparkled

Ok, so I confess, I've tried a couple of polishes and looks since my last Positively Polished post (P3!) but I've been ridiculously busy at work to post them here! Bah....I had just enough free time to post the March Starbox and March Glossybox ones....but fear not! I have time! I am cuddled up in a Starbucks with my hubsters and we're doing our coffee-comp chillaxing and it is bliss. My favorite drink? Well, girlies, you MUST try it...a marble mocha latte with peppermint. It truly is a chocoholics happy little warm treasure in a cup! 

Back to the nails! So here is my new trial and error....mostly error and fix, error and fix. Took me almost six hours to polish this idea that SORT of made the final cut...but I'm not convinced that I love it yet. I'll probably be changing it for Easter (which is tomorrow lol). Regardless, I felt the need to post...so...

I had the most awesome idea that started with using my new GORGEOUS Frostbite from China Glaze and it branched out from there. I have quite a few new glitters that I've been dying to try and at first I wanted to use OPI's new Oz glitter polish called Which is Witch (picks up EVERY color!), but then I kept looking at OPI's Polka.com which complimented the Frostbite so well, so I went with that instead. THEN I felt like I wanted to try something inspired by the new geometric patterns I keep seeing on the Spring runway from stylists such as Louis Vuitton, Marni, Alexandre Herchcovitch, etc, so I tried out a design that including a half nail on one finger, a diagonal half nail on the next, a vertical 1/4 blocked nail on the next and a center square on the fourth, etc., but it was an absolute disaster with this particular glitter! I DID however, like the effect of a half nail, so I went with that! I think the colorblocking would be pretty (after seeing this effect) with this blue and say...a royal purple...that'd be FABULOUS. 

Anyhow, so I painted my nails blue, and it took 2-3 coats for opacity. The formula is amazing, one of the best I've tried. It looks streaky after the first coat, but the second evens it out perfectly!

and taped off half my nail, switching from taping top/taping bottom:

 

 Then I brushed on 4 coats of the glitter to get it to really stand out. NOTE: When using scotch tape to tape off a section, work fast, because the tape CAN leave a sticky residue after time. So I only left it on for the first coat, then just carefully brushed coats 2-4 without it. 

I tried so hard to get a good picture of the glitter up close for you to see, but alas, it's just working with me! So I just downloaded a picture of the glitter online...SORRY!

 My photos seriously don't do it justice on my nails...in person it is STUNNING! To make it stand out even more I decided to brush on Essie's Matte About You to mattify the Frostbite and OH MY WORD...I will ALWAYS mattify this blue from now on...it turned into this royal cobalt blue that is just....UNBELIEVABLE. I now totally want to colorblock this with a royal purple and maybe a gilded gold! 

Well, that is that, I hope you enjoyed my newest nail post...let me know if you liked it and what ideas you might have for similar looks and link any designs that this may have inspired for you!

Happy Makeuping - and polishing ;-) 
Love, Cookie <3
 

Glossybox - March 2013

SPRING FLING

 Hooray, Glossybox has arrived! As, a matter of fact, mine came a couple of days ago, but I've been so incredibly busy, I'm just now getting to it...I apologize ::blush::

Back in January, there was a lot of hub-bub regarding late shipping, customer service, etc...but I have to say, I think Glossybox has really stepped it up in the past month or two! I actually prefer it that they ship the 3rd week, that way I have some subs at the beginning of the month and some at the end! I wish I could somehow space them out so I'd get one every week. I must write these companies...my needs must be catered, OBVIOUSLY. I jest, I jest!

Winter is finally floating away and Spring is upon us! So for this month's theme, they've jumped into Spring Fling! Here is my box:

 This is going to be the strangest comment I'll ever make...and SO unlike me...the box is a little dark for Spring, isn't it? It's beyond me why I said anything of the sort, my favorite color is BLACK, so I actually, absolutely adore the coloration of this box...but it had to be said, apparently! My particular box contains a soap, cheek/lip tint, hairspray, eyeliner and cream, as well as a generous gift certificate of $40 OFF ANY PRODUCT for the brand Prestiche, which is a fresh, healthy body shop with soaps, creams, scrubs, etc. 

 Here is their Glossy Mag for this month, they seem to be very serious about boosting the quality of their mini magazine. In all of their surveys, there seem to be questions regarding the quality, print type, layout etc. I have, indeed, noticed a change from the past few months. It's fairly informative, but honestly, I get so excited about the products in the box, trying them out, etc, I end up just putting the magazine down somewhere and sometimes completely forgetting about it for daaaaays. Eventually, I'll quickly flip through it though.

Ok, I know you want to see the products! Enough chit-chatting...let's get to it!



ITEM 1 - ELITE PARIS INTENSITY LONG LASTING EYE PENCIL in Secret Grey 02

 Obsessed, OBSESSED I SAY, with this fantastic pencil! When I first received it, I thought: "Oh, another grey...well drat, I have one already." Then I swatched it....it is NOTHING like what I currently have! It goes on so amazingly smooth and I had no idea from just looking at the pencil itself, but there are silver shimmering sparkles in it!

 

Isn't that gorgeous? You can make it super thin, or build it up and look how there is absolutely no drag. ANOTHER fantastic factor is: It's waterproof! I washed my hands several times and it was still there! However, it is easily wiped off with makeup wipes! I think this pencil is definitely going to the top of my Immediately-Reaching-For section in my makeup kits. Plus, it's Spring! It's always a great fresh change to switch from basic black to grey, navy or brown for a softer eye. 

ITEM 2 - PRESTICHE SOAP BAR in Green Machine

  I'll probably never be excited for soap. This is going to sound so snotty, but I'm just so darn particular about my scents. This bar is eucalyptus scented along with various oils and shea butter and I'm sure it feels amazing on your skin, but the smell is just not my type. Plus, in my house I have soap pumps for hands and body washes for showers, so I don't even use hand soaps. My mother will absolutely adore this though, so I will be gifting this to her! This is the ONE and ONLY item in the box I was meh about. I do realize, though, that this is a beauty subscription and that soaps are big possibilities within several boxes. Hopefully, at some point, they might include fruity or bakery smelling ones though! 

ITEM 3 -  SEBASTIAN PROFESSIONAL SHAPER FIERCE ULTRA FIRM HAIRSPRAY

I'm somewhat on the fence with this product. I've tried better, but I've always tried worse. It really surprised me, because usually I adore Sebastian products. The main thing that I winced at was the smell...I know, I know, it's hairspray, but I've smelled some fairly nice ones and even some that don't really have any scent at all, but this scent was strong and a tad bitter. As far as the hold, maybe I didn't spray quite enough, but given the fact that the name states Ultra Firm, I kind of expected more. However, it didn't leave my hair crunchy or wet, which is always a good scoring point! I'll be keeping this item to store in my emergency beauty kit, but I probably won't be buying it for daily use. Hands-down, the BEST hairspray I have ever found is Big Sexy Hair's Spray and Play Harder! It smells great, non-crunchy, holds amazingly and lasts for hours.



ITEM 4 - KOH GEN DO ORIENTAL PLANTS EMOLLIENT CREAM

 

I cannot SWOON enough over this little jar of terrificness! First things, first...a little goes a LOOOONG way! So start with just a teensy weensy little dab and add as needed. I tried this product all over my face and it felt incredible. Smooth, soft, not oily and very well hydrated and moisturized. Oddly enough, with it's name, I felt sure that it would have an interesting odor, but as many times as I smell it (visual seems so crazy!) I can't smell a thing! So this product is absolutely perfect for a large majority of people that need a good moisturizer without the fragrance! DEFINITELY highly recommend trying this out!

 ITEM 5 - MODELCO CHEEK + LIP TINT in Rosy Red

What an interesting little product! I've noticed there's a lot of hype with tints at this time, and this one is a little tricky, but when used properly, it's gorgeous! One thing you have to be careful with is that since it IS a tint, it'll stain fairly quickly, so you have to work pretty quick to obtain the flush you want. I'd be sure to keep some makeup wipes in your purse if you're going to carry this product with you, since it can leave coloration on your fingers from application. It also can be layered for a deeper rosie flush. Facial Note: For those of you with rosacea (which I have as well!), this product might be a little tricky. You really don't want to blend it over your rosacea patches. Most people, like myself, tend to get rosacea on the nose and/or inner cheek, so I'd recommend dabbing this product on high outer cheekbone and slightly up towards the direction of the temples. This will actually accentuate your flush in a completely different area from your rosacea and will help balance your face. Use a good concealer/foundation/tinted moisturizer over your natural redness and you will be good to go!

Swatches! - 

I know it looks kinda strange in circles on my arm, but I wanted everyone to see the even application. The smaller circle on the right was just one dot that I spread around in a circular motion and the larger circle on the left was about three dots. I was impressed that there was no patchiness, however, I'd recommend using a brush to apply this product. One of the best ways to apply a tint, that I've seen is by using a mixing palette ring like this:

 I've tried to find a good one online for a good price, but the best one I've seen in the US so far is about $10, but it's currently sold out. I'd actually just try to make one! Buy yourself a cheap wider flat ring and hot glue or superglue a 1.5 - 2" (even larger if you want!) flat piece of metal on it which you could probably easily find at a hardware store or even maybe a crafts store! Then all you'd do is squeeze a small amount of the product in the center and swirl your brush in it to spread it until you have the amount you want on your brush and brush away! 

WORTH AND PURCHASE:

Visited all the product's websites and here's what I found!

Elite Paris Eye Pencil: $14 (full-size) 

*(It appears that this product is only available for purchase on Glossybox's website currently! The actually company does not sell in US yet!)

Prestiche Soap Bar: $17.99 (full-size) 

*(Prestiche's website lists it for $17.99, but Glossybox is selling it for $16.99!) 

Sebastian Hairspray: Fullsize product is $17 (10.6 oz), I received a 1.5 oz can which is roughly $2.41. 

*(It seems to order on Sebastian's website, you have to create an account and use P&G Salon Pro Web Shop to place an order. Hrm, as for me, if I were to purchase this product, I'd either just buy it at an Ulta or purchase on Amazon!)

Koh Gen Do Cream:  Fullsize product is....::gulp::...$123 (1.06oz), I received 0.28 oz, so that's about $32.50! Excuse me while I sit stunned for a moment......::clutches little Koh Gen Do to self very protectively::

ModelCo Cheek + Lip Tint: $24 (full-size)

Total Worth of Box: $90.90

::IN SHOCK::....see, THIS is why Glossybox is amazing! People may complain about their customer service or late-month shipping..but honestly, how can you with this type of box?! They certainly deliver with product and worth! Bravo, Glossybox!

FINALE

Time for a little product trial! I applied my Koh Gen Do cream after washing my face and before putting on my makeup....heaven...then I used the eyeliner, lightly tinted my cheeks and lips and used the Sebastian hairspray to hold and set my hairstyle....and here we go!

To me, this box was incredible, and definitely one of my favs of theirs so far. If you received this month's Glossybox, I hope you enjoyed it as well, including some of the variations. Let me know if you loved their products too and I hope you enjoyed this review!

Happy Makeuping, girlies!

Love, Cookie <3

Starbox - March 2013

STARLOOKS - BLUE

Oh my,...my, my, my. 

I have fallen magically in love with a new beauty sub! STARLOOKS STARBOX

Starlooks is a makeup line, created by makeup artist Marci Star and features a monthly box subscription called Starbox. For $15 a month (plus small shipping fee, possible to change per USPS), you receive a box with 3-4 full size Starlooks makeup products and sometimes even a little bonus! Unlike Ipsy and Birchbox, there aren't any sneak peeks, however, they do have a section on their website entitled Looksbook that features models wearing the makeup products that will be in that month's box! Sign up too late and miss a fabulous box the month before? Not to worry! You may still be able to purchase it! They list past boxes on their website for purchase ($10 more than monthly price) while they still have them in stock.  

Ready to check out my first box? Breathless anticipation? Get your giddy glamour on....

Look how absolutely darling the packaging is! It is very well wrapped and padded inside, with each product still in it's boxed packaging, which I really appreciate. I'm a sucker for fab packaging, and these slick matte black boxes are just DOING IT for me! On the post card picture is the model that was shown in the Looksbook wearing the makeup included! Love it. Also, note the little piece of what looks like broken glass/plastic in the bottom of the box....know what it is? It's an adorable piece of quartz! Quartz is great for balance, energy and clarity which I think totally pulls this box together. Gather enough of these little beauties and how fantastic would it be to put them in the bottom of a gorgeous glass to place makeup brushes in?! Oh yes. OR, if you're feeling super creative, you could try your hand at some wiring and makeup some earrings or a necklace out of this. I'd even go as far as looking up a see-through or cage locket to place the quartz inside for some extra balance in your day! 

Back to the fabulous makeup....

 

Included in the box this month is a gorgeous shimmer lipstick, mascara, eyeshadow and a lip scrub! Let's do some fantastic evaluating, shall we?

ITEM 1 - LENGTHENING MASCARA in Black

 

The tube for this mascara is just so sleek and chic, I honestly didn't care what the mascara was like, I just wanted to see this gorgeous tube hanging out in my makeup case! The product did surprise me though! It does indeed lengthen your lashes and can be layered relatively nicely. I found it did dry fairly quickly though, so the best way to build is to keep switching eyes after each layer and not wait in between...by the time you finish a layer on one eye, the other eye has dried enough. The one and ONLY thing I wish this mascara did, was volumize. I have relatively short and downward slanted eyelashes, so I'm always on the hunt for a volumizing, lengthening and good curling AND non-smudging mascara. I know...I ask the impossible, phew! I have come pretty darn close to god-like mascara though! I do highly recommend this mascara for it's staying power, layering, lengthening and coloring though! Oh...and the classy tube....did I mention I love the tube? 

ITEM 2 - MOISTURE RICH LIPSTICK in Flutter

 

I'm normally not a lipstick fan, I'm big on playing up the eyes, but this lipstick....well it makes my heart Flutter! Ok, I'm a tad ashamed of myself for that joke...::slaps hand:: Regardless of how awful my pun is...trying this lipstick is a must! It's a darling shimmering rusty coral with hints of gold. Quite pigmented, but can be layered easily. It also lasts a great long while...I'd say nearly 4 hours before needing touch-ups (without eating, drinking etc.) Here is a swatch of it in daylight: 

 

I only swiped it lightly twice. Look at the bottom! See the gorgeous flakes of gold shining through? So kissably delightful! 

ITEM 3 - EYESHADOW in Disarray

 

This eyeshadow may look deceivingly calm, serene and nonchalant in it's little container but when you brush it on...WOWZA! You will just love it! Very, very pigmented and smokey when light but deep and colorful when layered, this dark navy blue is a fantastic neutral shade that everyone should have in their stash. People usually jump for the blacks or browns and completely forget about navy blues, but let me tell you, they're are quite flattering. I think, by far, this eyeshadow is one of the best navy blues I've come across. Swatch!:

Told you it's amazing on...::wink wink:: This picture was taken in partial sunlight and I put about 3-4 strokes on. See how much the color builds up in the center and it actually turns bluer the more you put on. It's great for dry or wet application and can be used for full lid, partial lid or even smokey eyeliner effects.

ITEM 4 - BONUS ITEM! - LIP SCRUB in Vanilla

I could eat this, it smells so good....actually, come to think of it, it tastes good too! A little of this stuff goes a LOOOONG way! I just placed a teensy bit on my finger tip, rubbed it on, and even rubbed my lips together for good measure and mmmmm, my lips felt and tasted scrumptious afterwards! It does a fantastic job of exfoliating and I personally think that since it's so tiny and adorable, it would be great for keeping in your purse! And, no, I didn't personally kiss that little cap from sheer and utter delight...it came that way. I always love a good exfoliating product and amazingly enough, I had been searching for a great lip one! I tried a do-it-yourself lip scrub that involved olive oil, brown sugar and other ingredients...it ended up being a huge, gloppy, runny mess...that did leave my lips feeling good, but heavens...I had olive oil dripping down my chin and somehow even managed to get brown sugar in my hair! This little jar is much, much better! Thank you Starlooks!

WORTH AND PURCHASE:

I perused Starlook's website and here's what I came up with...

Lengthening Mascara: $15

Moisture Rich Lipstick: $11

Eyeshadow: $9 

           *(The shadow's packaging on the website differs from what we received, online the pan is in a larger black container, but the pans appear to be the same size from what I can tell, so I'm go to go ahead and keep the pricing the same. The container we received ours in is great quality!)

Lip Scrub: I can't find it on the website! Eep! Oh well...we'll say...$3. Purely speculation and guesstamation from pricing other similar lip scrubs that are roughly the same size/quality, etc. 

Total Worth of Box: $38

Can you believe it?! I'm just....speechless...and that's saying a lot....or not saying a lot technically then. For only paying $15 (plus shipping), that is amazing. I will be staying with this sub for a loooooong time, it is phenomenal!

FINALE:  

So, obviously, I had to try out ALL of the products! Mascara, eyeshadow, lip scrub and lipstick!

 

I felt very earthy-glamourous with this look. Would have been the perfect look to accompany an American Indian patterned blouse or pant. If only I had some...being half Cherokee, you'd think I would. Well now I just have to go shopping...

 Happy Makeuping! Go get yourself a Starbox!

Love, Cookie <3

 

Positively Polished

Double Striped Silver/Lavender 

Finally a nail polish post! I have SO many polishes I need to try/review currently, but I've been fairly busy, so they're just sitting on my couch table, staring at me with glossy anticipation...but I had a moment (just around midnight lol) the other day and here we are!

 

I noticed on makeuptalk.com (FABULOUS forum, btw!) that lavender was seeming to be a popular Spring polish at the moment, and I recalled that I had fallen madly in love with an Essie polish at Target about a month ago, purchased it and it just so happen to be a lavender shade! Well, I couldn't just go along and leave my nails just a plain solid color, gotta get all fancified, so I decided to add some metallic. 

Here are the polishes I used:

 

Left is Essie's No Place Like Chrome (seriously, one of the best silver chromes I've ever come across!) and right is Essie's Bikini So Teeny which is a fantastic blue tinted lavender. Bikini went on a little streaky at first, but dried awfully fast, which is always a plus. It took about 3 coats to smooth it out and to achieve full opacity. I went ahead and let it dry and waited a full day before I put on the silver though (busy and wasn't going to take any chances lol). I had purchased a Sally Hansen french manicure polish set from Krogers about 6 months ago that included a white polish for tips, iridescent pale pink top coat and a booklet of strips (both curved and straight) for achieving a fabulously even-lined tip. Here's a picture of a page from the booklet...I'd say it's a generous set!

 

There are 6 pages total, this picture is just one single page. The whole set cost about $10. 

So, I used the straight strips to achieve my double stripe silver lines. I placed one strip on the bottom of my cuticle across, then spaced down, then one for the middle of the stripes, etc. I'm thinking now that I'm writing this post, that if I wish, I could just continue and have stripes going horizontally all the way down my nail! I just might do that....lol

The silver dried very very fast, as a matter of fact, as soon as I brushed it on, I peeled off the stickers! I waited about 30 minutes to make sure it was completely dried, then applied top coat....incidentally, speaking of, I've been trying out a new bottom/top coat and so far, I'm pretty impressed!

 

 Nailtini! This brand was introduced to me through Ipsy's Glam Bags. I currently have two of their polishes (Millionaire and Bloody Mary) and I just adore them. I was lucky enough to win a prize from Ipsy a few months ago and they sent me this adorable double-sided top/bottom coat set and let me tell you, they ROCK! The bottom coat dries within seconds and the top coat goes on very smooth and holds up really well. Plus, look at the adorableness of this thing....SO efficient to have both polishes linked together, and don'tcha just love the name? NAILTINI!....must have an appropriate photo for this....

 

Ok, maybe that's the goofiest polish picture ever, but hey, I tried....::sips Pink Cosmo::

Happy Makeuping, Girlies!

Love, Cookie <3

 

Beauty Spotlight - Mini Cosmetic Containers

Tiny Empty Cosmetic Containers

What a cute little bundle of adorableness for you beauty product lovers out there! Ever order something from Sephora or Ulta, etc. and you pick free samples of products that come in little foil packets to send along with your order? Or maybe you're a beauty sample subscriber and you receive foil samples in your subs! Are you like me...super excited to try out the product, but hesitant because you know once you open the foil, you need to use up all of the cream/gel or it'll dry out...but there's more than enough for two, three or even more applications? GRRRR, isn't that annoying?! Don't worry, I gotcha covered, girl....

VOILA!

I ordered these little beauties from Amazon! They're tiny (5 grams!) sized empty plastic jars that are the PERFECT size for foil samples! They're solid black except for the top, which is clear so that you can see the product inside..."but gee Cookie, how will you know which jar has which product?"...well darlings, I've gotcha covered for that too ;-)

 

These, girlies, are your typical 1" diameter Avery Self-Adhesive Removal Labels! I bought a pack of 600 (hey, a girl's gotta be prepared!) for $7.90, but you can probably find them for a cheaper price. It was Amazon Prime (which I have), so I bought it to have it in 2 days! What can I say...I was a TAD excited! Here's the ones I have so far:

 I seriously did NOT want to open the Le Metier without making sure I could keep it from drying out...that stuff is EXPENSIVE! Also, I had two packets of the 100% Pure Green Apple Cream and there was a boatload of product in it...I'm talking maybe 5+ applications for hands and I completely wasted so much of the first packet and seriously over-moisturized lol, so I vowed never again! THUS...the fun little purchase! Each packet fit perfectly in these size jars...some fit almost to the top (100%) and some barely covered the bottom, but I just adore these jars! 

Here is a size comparison! - 

 

I love tiny little beauty things, don't you? I just continue to stare lovingly at them. 

::chic sigh::

Anyways...ALSO an awesome little addition...these jars are even more versatile! They each came with a little sifter insert in case you were putting powder inside! 

 

Are you in love yet? Because you should be....

As I said, I purchased these through Amazon for $9.00 (through a separate seller called Myo) and I ordered on March 13th and received them today! I'd say not bad at all!

Here is a link to the product on Amazon, enjoy and get yourself a Fun Little Purchase! - 

10 Quantity Cosmetic Containers!

Happy Makeuping!
Love, Cookie <3

Birchbox - March 2013

MARCH MADNESS

Helloooo ladies! I recieved my Birchbox a few days ago and I'm FINALLY getting a moment to review it! So this month's theme is entitled March Madness and features what they call their ultimate beauty starting lineup, from "up-and-coming rookies to veteran all-stars" .....and here I thought I was being all girly and chic with beauty subs only to find sports has somehow made it into that area of my life as well! Gracious! Well, my hubster is quite amused. 

After watching their Sneak Peek March 2013, here's a list of products that they featured:

Serge Normant - Dry Shampoo
Whish Shaving Cream in Blueberry
Incoco - Nail Polish Appliques
MAKE - Matte/Satin Eyeshadows or Silk Cream/Silk Satin Lipsticks
Elizabeth Arden - 8 Hour Cream Skin Protectant
Stella Cadente - Miss Me Discrete? Eau de Toilette
Twistband - Headbands (pastel shimmers)

 and heeeeere is what I received!

Shall we begin at the beginning then? Yes, yes we shall....
 
ITEM 1 - SERGE NORMANT DRY SHAMPOO 

This was a fun little product! At first I thought...ugh, dry shampoo, never used one, what on EARTH will I do with it?! I'm one of those strange females who washes her hair every day, so honestly, I have no need for a dry shampoo. My hair is thin, and has a tendency to get oily so I just have to wash it since I put so much product in it to make it big & flouncy. HOWEVER, after trying this product out I realized aha! (serious moment of amazement and awe, along with a little lightbulb flickering and bursting into light above me!)...where was I...oh yes, AHA!...this item is peeeerfect for when that unexpected guest arrives at your house, or say, an emergency arises and you must get dressed in 5 minutes but not look like the Bride of Frankenstein...voila...Serge Normant Dry Shampoo! Allow me to demonstrate in visuals...please disregard the complete lack of makeup in these, I do apologize.

 

I know what you're thinking...you're thinking...Why Cookie, you've obviously styled your hair and then sprayed a teensy bit of the dry shampoo in it!...no ma'am! THESE pictures were taken after a whole night of sleeping with product filled hair, waking up, hair all flat and soooo un-fabulous, then following the directions on the bottle and BAM!, look at that volume! This is seriously one of the best emergency beauty-fix products I've ever owned! 

I just sprayed, let it set, and hand combed it out! The ONLY thing I will say about the product is that, being a dry shampoo, it does make your hair a little dull and powdery looking. I would recommend (if you have time in your emergency situation lol) to use a shine spray spritzed very lightly over it. 

ITEM 2 - INCOCO NAIL APPLIQUES in FRESHLY PICKED

Tell me, were you one of those girls who thought: Nail Stickers/Appliques! Well that's cheating! and lazy! I will never do this! and then loved them? Yeaaah, me too lol These Incoco appliques are really quite fabtabulous...great quality and super easy to put on. I also love how they have a side for whole nail coverage or just french tips. They claim to have base coat and top coat on them as well and are supposed to be real nail polish, which I thought was interesting. They have a few different options on Birchbox's website but it seems the ones they sent out in the boxes are this one and a tiffany blue one with white pattened swirls called Spring Vines. In an attempt to not sound snotty, lol, I reaaaally wanted Spring Vines, alas, I'm just not a flower-ish gal...but it's Spring, ahem...and my mother and I want to go pick out some flowers and plants to put in my front yard tomorrow, so in the spirit of things I used them! Here ya go...

I just couldn't go put them on ALL my fingers lol, I've just gotta maintain my edginess. I used OPI's You Callin' Me a Lyre as my whole nail color (which was very very close to the background color of the Incoco applique) and OPI's Come To Poppy for the tips, which looks very very red-ish in this picture but it matches the pink flowers very well. I think this is definitely the Spring-y-ish looking manicure I've ever given myself! 



ITEM 3 - MADEWELL FOR BIRCHBOX EMERY BOARD

Heavens, what can I say about this....it's a nail file. Haha! It's ok, I'm a bigger fan of nail files that have buffers on them and I never misplace mine, so I don't really need extras, plus I'm the type of girlie who has leopard print, black and white striped, silver sparkles or teal diamond patterned nail files instead of, well...flowers....have I mentioned I'm not a big fan of flowery things? Spring just isn't my season I do believe lol

Pretty simple and straightforward....one side is floral and the other is solid pale pink (the lettering is on the plastic). I will probably be gifting this or giving it to my mom who loves flowers and gardening!



ITEM 4 - SILVER METALLIC TWISTBAND HEADBAND

Color? Silver - AWESOME. Quality? Not so much. It's actually pretty thin and flimsy feeling. I'm also not impressed with the tied up end, which I realize is a way to ensure that it can fit everyone, since there are so many different sized heads.  I'm sure it's that way to be adjustable, but still, I could easily go buy material ribbon and MAKE one of these that would be better quality. Also, not to sound negative, but I don't wear headbands (cloth, elastic or any other) except for when I'm washing my face and need to hold my bangs back ...unfortunately I already own a pack of elastic headbands from Krogers that I much prefer to this one...which is a shame, because I am totally diggin' the silver shimmer. Here is a comparative pic of quality between the one I use currently and the Twistband:

 The brown one even can slip back sometimes depending on how much I move and it's thicker, with better elasticity. I'm thinking I might use the Twistband for something other than it's intended purpose...such as holding items together or using it as a bow for decor....hmmm...thoughts galore...what do you think? I'd love to hear everyone's ideas!



ITEM 5 - WHISH SHAVING CREAM IN BLUEBERRY

  Saving the best for last....hello you gorgeous little blue bottle of scrumdiddlyuptious smelling goodness! I used it today to give my gams a smooth delicious shave and although I don't love absolutely everything about it, I also feel I cannot live without this item! lol The blueberry smell is DIVINE. One of the things I'm not fond of, though, is that it goes on more like a lotion instead of the fluffy creams that I'm accustomed to. What makes this a negative to me is that I like being able to clearly see where I've shaved and the fluffy creams help since you can clearly see what's left! With the lotion texture you have to be paying good attention and feel it out a bit. Also, along the same lines, since it has shea butter in it, it can build up on your razor, so you need to constantly rinse it back under the water before you can continue. Not a major boo-boo, but some people may find it annoying....BUT since it DOES have shea butter in it, your lovely legs will stay nice and smooth all day long! No joke, I shaved about 5 hours ago and my legs still feel like I put on amazing moisturizing lotion just a few minutes ago. I'm just sad I can't smell the blueberry anymore! The smell didn't last very long, but it's still an amazing shower pick-me-up! Go get it! You heard me! 


WORTH AND PURCHASE: 

Reading the card that Birchbox sent with prices as well as going online to the product's websites, Birchbox's website and Amazon, etc., here's what I came up with: 

Incoco Nail Polish Applique: $9-11 fullsize 
         I'm assuming the one I received is fullsize, so I'll just go along and say $10

Serge Normant Dry Shampoo: $25 (4.5 oz)
          I received 2.0 oz, so gracious me, that's $11.12! Not bad!

Twistband - Silver Headband: $19 fullsize (*EDIT 3/14: Fullsize SET of 6)
         I totally don't understand this, because I looked on Twistband's website and it says $12, so hmm....dunno. Well, I'm going to go with the benefit of the doubt and GUESS this is full-size and that it's around $15.50 (in between) (*EDIT 3/14: Thank you ladies for correcting me on this! I don't know why I totally didn't figure it out, I had a ditzy moment lol, the $19 is a fullsize set of 6 bands, so this single twistband is valued at around $3.17!)

Whish Shaving Cream in Blueberry: $20 fullsize (5 oz)
          I received .75 fl oz, so roughly $3. 

Madewell for Birchbox Emery Board: $5 fullsize

Total worth of box: $46   Edit 3/14: $32.29 

WOW! That's pretty darn impressive Birchbox, if I do say so myself! I may not be fond of all the products, but you can't argue with that price! EVEN AFTER THE EDIT! 


FINALE

A little nay and a little hooray, this box is definitely mixed for me! Still, I'd say an interesting month with a few new favs. I hope you all enjoyed this review and please be sure to let me know what you think, comment, etc. Also! Give me some great ideas of what other things you would use the Twistband for! 

Happy Makeuping ladies!
Love, Cookie <3