Birchbox - August 2013

FINISHING SCHOOL

From crossing T's and dotting your I's, we all know how important finishing touches are, am I right ladies? You wear your little black dress and, well heavens, it definitely needs that special lipstick shade or that strand of pearls or that beautiful purse to complete the look and add that special touch. So this month, Birchbox is all about that little finishing touch that gives your look that je ne sais quoi....and we ALL love a bit of je ne sais quoi in our lives, don't we?

Here is my REVEAL post for this month if you'd care to peruse:

 The Charming Cheshire - August 2013 REVEAL Birchbox

as for what I received, here is this month's note in my Birchbox! - 

"Finishing School"

"Once upon a time, finishing school meant an elegant Swiss academy where a young lady went to learn the intricacies of high society. While the concept may feel a bit outdated (truth be told, we're more likely to sign up for a night class in Photoshop), we love the idea of zeroing in on the details: from the elegance of a handwritten invitation, to the confidence-boosting power of bright red lipstick." 

How fancy! You know, I remember being positively enthralled with an Emily Post book my mother had in her collection. Although, I still can't possibly remember how to place three forks, two spoons, one knife, or whatnot on which side and in which order and when to use....oh you get the idea....see, you're confused now too! Emily Post has that effect. 

Here is my Birchbox this month:

 A moisturizer, lipstick, eye cream, fashion tape and wipes

Let's take a look at these pull-your-look-together products...

JUICE BEAUTY

OIL-FREE MOISTURIZER

"Oil-free lotion hydrates oily and blemish-prone skin with natural antioxidants and hyaluronic acid." - From August 2013 Birchbox card

I read up on this product, and it's recommended use is on either oily or combination skin but I'm going to say that this is definitely better for oily skin. I typically have combination skin, with more concentrated oiliness around my T-zone and on my chin, then with dryer patches on my cheeks and around my nostrils, but when I tried this moisturizer, it left my face fairly dry and it didn't feel hydrated at all. I had to use quite a bit to get full coverage and blend a decent layer into my skin. If you have oily skin, I think you will LOVE this moisturizer. It's oil-free so it leaves a very nice matte finish that dries quickly and doesn't leave a sticky residue. It also has a very light natural lotion scent, but is not detectable unless you're smelling the product directly, so that's a plus for those of you who prefer not to have a fragranced moisturizer. If you're a combination skin like me, and want a light moisturizer to tone down the oils on your face, then this would work well but you would need to apply more than usual for better hydration and fuller coverage. If you're skin tends to be on the dryer side, then I would not recommend this product! This lotion is also supposed to be blemish clearing, but I did not notice any effect on mine neither immediately or after several uses. However, I think this is an excellent product for balancing the skin's oiliness while providing light moisturization.

MODELCO

PARTY PROOF LIPSTICK

in Disco Fever

"A semi-matte lipstick that delivers both hydration and lasting pigment" - From August 2013 Birchbox card

::le sigh:: ::swoooooooooooooon:: ::inlove:: THIS LIPSTICK! This little tube of fabulous is so darn deceiving. It looks so very nonchalant. I opened it up and thought hmmmmm....Disco Fever, eh? It doesn't look that Disco to me...I would have expected it to be brighter or more....well....KA-POW! So I swatched it...

It DEFINITELY brightened up when I applied it! You can see how nice and pigmented just one single swipe is! It's very creamy and dries to a lovely semi-matte finish and look how nicely it blends. You can easily blot this or apply lightly with a brush for a softer, less pigmented look. 

Then I put it on....prepare yourself... 

::cue Bee Gee's music::

Is this color not just the most fabulous thing ever? It is the most incredible poppin' peachy-pink-coral I've ever tried! This was only 2 layers and you can see it doesn't go on thick when you want to apply multiple layers, which is excellent. It also has excellent a decent lasting period of about 3-4 hours before needing touch ups (no eating or drinking). It fades nicely into a soft coral if you were to just leave it on all day with no touch ups. Is there a disco club somewhere around, cause I've got tha fevaaaah now! I got the night fever, night feveeeer....

SUPERGOOP!

ADVANCED SPF 37 ANTI-AGING EYE CREAM

"An innovative sunscreen-infused eye cream with an oat peptide complex to firm skin." - from August 2013 Birchbox card

I'm going to have a silly moment here, bear with me....why 37? Why not 30? Or 40? I'm so curious as to why it's 37. ::giggle:: Moving on! So this was a very interesting eye cream to try. Being that it's a mineral sunscreen, it was thicker than your typical suncreen (or eye cream for that matter) and it also was very white and left a soft white tint after application. It was also a bit difficult to blend it, which I didn't like since I prefer to touch around my eye area as little as possible since the skin there is very delicate. It did take a minute or so of soft patting with my ring finger to blend it all in. It definitely has that at-the-beach sunscreen smell as well. As far as how well it works, it claims to make your eyes look brighter, more awake and reduce puffiness, wrinkles and fine lines...unfortunately, it had none of those effects for me, neither immediately nor after several uses. I have used wonderful products that lessen puffiness, soften fine lines by the morning and even brighten the eyes, but this product feel short compared to the others. I just wasn't impressed, sadly. I also feel like it might not be as useful as it seems (as a sunscreen) since most makeup such as foundations and concealers sometimes HAVE sunscreen in them. As well as some daytime moisturizers and serums. I don't particularly feel the need to USE a daytime eye cream with sunscreen. In fact, I don't use a daytime eye cream at all since I use moisturizing ones at night that leave my under eye area nice and soft by morning. The only eye product I use in the day is a de-puffing roller if I might have stayed up late the night before or have been stressed just to give me that extra wakening boost. 

Please let me know if you've found a good use for any eye creams with SPF or if you use one that has become a must-have! I'd be very curious to get other people's opinions!

JASMINE SEVEN

FRESH FEET WIPES

"Alcohol-free towelettes that cleanse and soften with vitamin E, peppermint, and aloe." - from August 2013 Birchbox card

Time to get personal here. NO ONE likes to talk about their feet, especially the ladies...believe me, girlies, I know! So, let's break this down as....femininely and delicately as possible. First of all, these wipes smell SO good. I positively adore mints, such as peppermint. It smells fresh, clean and delicious! The towelettes also have so much moisture in them, but not to where they're dripping, which is fabulous. I really feel like I can nicely clean both feet with just one wipe (unless you went walking in the mud...then you might need more than one...heck, you might need a shower, darlin', no offense!). I absolutely love using these as hand wipes, I think they do a wonderful job of cleansing gently and leaving you with a fresh, cool sensation, free of bacteria. As for use for the feet, I liked some aspects of it. For cleaning, it did a pretty good job. I think if you're wearing flip-flops and you're out in the hot sun, you get those dirt-flip-flop lines then this is the product to use to easily wipe it away and even wipe off some of your flip flops to clean them up a bit quickly. HOWEVER...I wore some slip-ons all day yesterday and it left my feet a little....well....not flowery fresh (oh come on, it wasn't that bad! Hush! You couldn't smell them unless you actually brought your foot up to your face! Remember, this is a full review, people, all the gory details go with it, unfortunately). So I tried out the wipes to see if it would make a difference and clean away the smell and I'm sorry to say.....it only added peppermint to the smell that was already there. Alas! I do however, still love these as hand wipes, and quick feet cleaners. It leaves your skin soft, smooth and freshly clean! Jasmine Seven also has some awesome feet wipes for kids that have a grapefruit scent as well as yoga mat cleansing wipes with a lavender and tea tree oil scent! 

LIFESTYLE EXTRA:

SHOWSTOPPERS

DESIGNER FASHION TAPE

"Celeb stylists swear by these double-sided tape strips, which prevent any wardrobe mishaps." - from August 2013 Birchbox card

Can I just TELL you how often I've used tiny safety pins to pull a look together or hide a bra? Let's just say often, quite often! These little wonders are absolutely fantastic for moments such as those! In fact, I recommend sticking these in your purse, you never know what may occur while out and about!

The packet says 2 strips, but they can be broken apart into four smaller pieces if needed. I do apologize for not taking a size comparison shot, but they are about 1"x 1/2", and can easily be cut if you need even smaller piece. They're decently sticky to where they'd nicely hold material in place well for a short time, but definitely not a long-term solution (as in days). They also aren't too sticky resulting in ruining fabric when taking off. If you're ever in a fashion emergency such as your slip showing under your skirt, your blouse pulling in the front across the chest making your bra show, or even falling off of the shoulder with your bra strap being seen...or possibly did your hem come undone? HELLO Fashion Tape to the rescue! Wonderful little wonders of fashion happiness and confidence!

WORTH AND PURCHASE:

1) Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer:

• Full-size (2 oz) bottle - $28
• I received a 0.5 fl oz sample - $7

2) ModelCo Party Proof Lipstick in Disco Fever:

• Set of 3 (3.8 g) lipsticks on Birchbox (includes Disco Fever, Peony, Red Velvet) - $24
• I received a single lipstick - $8

3) Supergoop! Advanced SPF 37 Anti-Aging Eye Cream:

• Full-size (0.5 oz) tube - $45
• I received a 2 ml sample - $6

4) Jasmine Seven Fresh Feet Wipes:

• 3 packs (10 wipes each - 30 total) - $9.95
• I received 2 packets each with a single wipe - $0.33 each = $0.66 total

5) ShowStoppers Designer Fashion Tape:

• 6 travel packs (4 pieces each - 24 total) - $3
• I received a single travel pack (4 pieces) - $0.50

Total Paid for Box:  $10

Total Worth of Box:  $22.16


Not my lowest worth box, and over double of what I paid, I'm very pleased with the worth this month! The highest worth item is the lipstick, which I ADORE. I was shocked at how much the little tube of eye cream was worth! The full-size is $45 for 0.5 oz! Crazy!

FINALE

These items absolutely give you those finishing touches that we all need. Whether it's a shiny face, colorless lips, or a clothing mishap, these products will give you that edge and flourish you need to pull yourself together and step on out with confidence! While I'm not particularly a fan of the moisturize or eye cream, I'm definitely loving the lipstick and very much would like to try ModelCo's other shades as they look dazzling! I also think the fashion tape is so handy to keep around for emergencies and I probably will be purchasing the peppermint wipes to keep in my purse for my hands if ever I need a quick, refreshing touch-up! 

I hope you enjoyed the review! 

Happy Makeuping!

and always remember it's the finishing touches that make the woman!