Posts Tagged ‘perfume’

Beauty Box 5 May 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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I was wondering what happened to my April review when I realized it was the 24ClearIt kit. Speaking of which, it started to dry out my jaw area so I stopped washing with it as regularly. Overall it’s done ok with my skin so far and calmed it down a bit, but breakouts just can’t be quelled it seems. As for the May Beauty Box 5, the theme is fresh and focused, which is meant to help with some pick-me-ups.

Beauty Box 5 is $12 per box (or as discounted as $99 for an entire year, with an option in between) and comes with 5 cosmetic products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. You also have the option of buying it as a gift your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards products or boxes.

may 2014 beauty box 5 contents

Is it finally time for summer?! What a refreshing collection.

beauty box 5 may 2014 information card

Info on the products with prices of their full sizes.

MaskerAide Hydrating Facial Sheet Mask: I’m a big fan of sheet masks, though they are rather pricey so I don’t use them that often. This one is suuuuuper moisturizing and just oozing with healing ingredients. I’m glad I read the instructions because I probably wouldn’t have cleansed and toned my face before using it otherwise. This is the only mask I’ve tried to date that actually fit my face! I have a pretty wide one so the eye holes are often too close together and the corners of my eyes get covered a bit, but not with this one! Amazing. It says to leave on for 10-20 minutes and after 10 I was itching to take it off. I can only take so much relaxation! There was a ton of serum on my face afterwards, so I rubbed it in, rinsed off a bit, and also put some on my neck.

H2O Plus Aqualibrium Marine Cleansing Gel: I couldn’t tell what this was for at first. I thought it might be some sort of eye gel, but turns out it’s a cleanser. It came out almost goopy, but smoothed out just fine. I didn’t smell any sort of scent to it and it was very nice and soothing. I do wish the sample size was larger since I feel like I can only get a few face washes out of this tube. I can’t really tell if it’s better than any other cleanser, but I do like this brand overall so I’d consider getting this product.

Ban Total Refresh Cooling Body Cloths: What perfect timing for these little cloths, which will be a very useful way to refresh the body during the heat of summer. I’d definitely keep some of these in my purse/bag/car or wherever to have them on the go. I was super surprised to find they had a bit of an alcoholic smell when you first open them. I guess it helps kill off bacteria? My skin feels great after the wipe-down and the powder finish is amazingly smooth without feeling like there’s powder on you (just the way I like it). It was moist enough to get my whole body, yet not dripping wet so there was no mess. If I ever work out during work hours, I’m totally using these to freshen up with.

Harvey Prince Hello: Never been much of a perfume gal, but this truly is a warm, happy scent. With such playful packaging, I was totally intrigued. Then I saw the citrus and floral choices and I knew this would be something I could enjoy. The little card is sweet and explains the choice of Meyer lemon, mandarin, grapefruit, forsythia, and plumeria beautifully. I’m liking this brand already!

Cattiva Precision Eye Liner: I was skeptical, but this eyeliner really delivered. Waterproof? Indeed! And such a smooth, easy application it’s hard to mess up. It doesn’t smudge even with my clumsy hands, so I’ll definitely keep this handy for the few occasions I do use a little eye liner. I like the retractable design so I don’t have to worry about using a sharpener. I’ve never heard of this brand before, but consider me impressed.

Ok, so I have to admit when I first got the box I was like, whatever, decent box. But now that I’ve tried them I am truly impressed. Not only did I underestimate some of the products, I wouldn’t even have given them a chance had I not wanted to provide a more thorough review for this post. Turns out I’ve been introduced to some really great items that I’ll keep in my arsenal. What’s your favorite item this month?

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Yuzen Spring 2013 edition (February – April) review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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The fall box is on its way and many people have received them, but I happen to be leaving before it gets delivered to me so I can’t open it until after my vacation. Sad times! Let’s cheer me up by reviewing the spring box!

Yuzen is $26 per quarter (with boxes sent Feb, May, Aug, and Nov) and comes with around 7 or 8 eco-friendly beauty, skincare, food/snacks, and home products. Boxes are sent quarterly with no option to skip, but you can get one-time gift boxes too. Sometimes there’s a waitlist to get the subscription. They do not offer a referral program.

*Disclosure: As a super fan, I was invited to be the Yuzen Ambassador to help them spread the word about their brand. Starting with the October box, I began to receive them for free. I was not compensated otherwise and all opinions are my own, irregardless of my relation to Yuzen. I just happen to think they’re awesome (as does everyone else I’ve heard from). :)

collage of unboxed spring 2013 yuzen boxes

Two of the variations you could have received.

Click on the pictures for the full sizes so you can enjoy all the details of each product!  You can even zoom in to read all the messaging.

collage of red flower italian blood orange little flower candle included in the february-april spring 2013 yuzen boxred floweritalian blood orange little flower candle: Back in the October box, we were first introduced to red flower with their cream and wash. Then in December we got a super cute ocean candle. This time around I got the blood orange once, which is a scent I really enjoy. I lost track of how many hours it lasted me, but it definitely meets the 15 hour burn time that is advertised. That’s pretty awesome for such a small little candle. I really enjoyed using this and it was a nice little size to even bring on a trip.

collage of nova monda heart-shaped truffles included in the february-april spring 2013 yuzen boxNova Mondatruffles: Nom! Truffles always feel like such a luxurious treat and the texture of these was divine. The heart-shaped one was cacao nib and the other one was sea salt flavored. Both were delicious in their own way and the cacao nibs and sea salt grains offered a nice little bit of crunch to the otherwise smooth and creamy treats. These were super cute and tasty!

collage of juara avocado banana moisture mask included in the february-april spring 2013 yuzen boxJuaraAvocado Banana Moisture Mask: Avocado and banana in a face mask? Yes please! I mean if I wasn’t so lazy I’d try to make this myself, but hey since it’s already here… I enjoy using this mask – it gives me a warming sensation on my face that is really soothing and I feel great after rinsing it off. My skin is always soft and super hydrated afterwards. For some with more sensitive skin, you might not like the slight tingling but otherwise I think anyone would enjoy this mask.

collage of kneipp deep sleep mineral bath salts included in the february-april spring 2013 yuzen boxKneippDeep Sleep Mineral Bath Salt: I really enjoy the smell of these, which is quite relaxing. I don’t understand why they’re so blue though – is there a reason for that? I barely need a tablespoon of these salts to dye my bath water blue. I haven’t tried to see how well it helps me fall asleep, but I like it just because it’s a fun bath product. It’s interesting how I rarely take baths (maybe once every other year at best) but I love bath products. I mean, I almost never use them so what’s the fuss right? I guess I’m just weird like that. But hey, once we’re in the new condo I definitely want to take more baths.

collage of spa technologies marine repair cream included in the february-april spring 2013 yuzen boxSpa TechnologiesMarine Repair Cream: This facial cream is lovely! It feels great, smells great, and makes my skin supple. It’s not greasy and absorbs well, which makes me feel refreshed and protected all in one. I really enjoy using this, though the price point is scary. I don’t know if I could ever spring for something so pricey, but maybe as a treat to myself one day… the good news is my current samples will last me awhile!

collage of jane iredale mini lippies included in the february-april spring 2013 yuzen boxJane Iredale – Lippies including Just Kissed Lip Plumper in Tokyo, Just Kissed Lip & Cheek Stain, and LipDrink: These are adorable!! They are an excellent size, perfect for traveling with and there’s plenty to see if you like them or not. I don’t wear lipstick so I only tried it once for a special occasion and it was nice. Can’t tell if my lips were plumped or not, but I wasn’t paying attention. I don’t really stain my lips or cheeks so I haven’t used the stain much either. Maybe I’ll start trying it since I want to look good at work. As for the LipDrink… I didn’t feel like it was very moisturizing. Granted, I only tried it once so maybe I just caught my lips on a bad day.

NaturopathicaEspresso Mud Body Scrub OR Oat Facial Polish: [don’t have closeup pictures, oops] I really enjoy Naturopathica! I won a set of facial products from them because I was introduced to their brand by Yuzen. That’s pretty awesome because I never would have known to enter otherwise. You would have gotten one of these items in your box, depending on how early or late you subscribed and got your box. The scrub is kind of hilarious to use because of the mess I make in the shower. As I scrub myself (particularly my back), bits and pieces of it go flying every which way. Next thing I know it looks like I am rinsing off the evidence of a mud wrestling competition! The oat polish is suuuper moisturizing and feels great on my face. The beads are large and I enjoy knowing they’re scrubbing away at my skin. My face is always soft after using that.

EOVEau de Parfum: [another product I forgot to get closeups for] I’m not a perfume person, so I haven’t tried this sample, but it’s a typical trial size vial. It’s a warm scent for those of you who like a bit more floral and citrus scent. This one will be added to my trade list for anyone who might be interested in trying it. I get plenty of scents from all the skincare products I use and I see no need to throw on even more smells. I don’t want to walk around oozing fragrance so I just skip perfumes altogether.

As always, an excellent box introducing me to so many new brands and amazing products. I can’t wait to see what the fall box has in store! This will have to tide me over until I am able to open up my boxes next week. Yuzen always puts a smile on my face. 🙂

365great Day 72: mini bottles

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
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Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 72: mini bottlesI love all things in miniature – mini perfume bottles (even though I don’t wear perfume), mini alcohol bottles (even th0ugh I don’t drink alcohol), mini food jars (like jams and honeys), mini candles (even better if they’re extra long-burning like the one pictured), mini lotions (like those Bath & Body Works ones and of course the Tree Hut one pictured), heck, even mini golf (even though that’s not a product)! I’m not sure what it is about the smaller size, but I just love them. Perhaps it’s because they’re more manageable; I’ve always loved deluxe sample sizes since you get to try enough of the product to really get a feel for how it works for you but it’s not so large that you’d never finish it up if you didn’t use it daily. It might also be that they are far more portable and easy to manage, plus you don’t have to worry about it being too big to bring on a plane. Or, maybe it’s just that they’re so darn cute! Whatever the case, I totally collect them and I think they’re great!

Ipsy May 2013: Spring Fling

laelene Posted in reviews,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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I got my very first Ipsy glam bag because I looked for spoilers and found that 1) there would be a full size Zoya polish, 2) there would be a lip gloss or lipstick (I was really hoping for the lip gloss since I indicated in my preferences that I never wear lipstick), 3) there would be concealer and not eye shadow (whew, I never use eye shadow and it’d be a total waste for me), 4) there would be 2 other products so the value of the bag would be pretty awesome, and 5) the bag design was appealing. So I took the plunge and this is what I got:

ipsy may 2013 bag items including zoya gie gie nail polish, yaby honey concealer, mirabella daydream lipstick, anastasia clear eyebrow gel, and pacifiica island vanilla perfume roller

So my initial thoughts were that the bag is ok, but kind of cheap-feeling. Not a huge deal but I would have preferred better quality (then again for $10 a bag with those products I can’t complain). I don’t wear perfume, so I wasn’t excited about the Pacifica perfume roller, but it does smell nice in Island Vanilla so maybe I’ll use it. I wasn’t sure what the Anastasia brow gel was at first, but now that I think of it, I can get into that. I’m super sad I got the Mirabella lipstick and not the Juice Beauty lip gloss since I clearly stated I do not use lipstick but I like lip gloss. The Yaby concealer seems to be a good shade for my skin tone so I’m looking forward to trying it. And Zoya… oh, my polish. Of the 5 colors they offered this month, this was the only one I didn’t like. I’m just not into pink!

ipsy may 2013 bag items with boxes including zoya gie gie nail polish, yaby honey concealer, mirabella daydream lipstick, anastasia clear eyebrow gel, and pacifiica island vanilla perfume roller

Products with packaging.

My verdict for these items:
Pacifica Island Vanilla Perfume Roll-On – keep. I’m willing to dab it on here and there if only so I can smell it.
Anastasia Clear Brow Gel – keep. This could be something good for me to use on my brows.
Mirabella lipstick in Daydream – sell/trade. I would never use this so I’ll try to swap it for the Juice Beauty lip gloss with someone, or just sell it.
Yaby concealer in Honey – keep. My skin could use some concealer and I don’t have any I’m using now. Definitely worth trying!
Zoya nail polish in Gie Gie – trade. I would like to have one of the other shades (preferably purple) so I’m going to try finding someone to trade with me. Let me know if you’re interested!

Ipsy is $10 per glam bag and comes with 5 or so beauty/skincare products. Bags are sent monthly with no option to skip. There’s usually a waitlist to get the subscription. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free products.

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this bag and wanted to share what I got!]

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