Birchbox Breakdown: May 2015

I've realized that I hardly ever buy makeup in the summer. Beyond sunscreen and mascara I don't wear nearly as much as I do in the winter, so I rarely shop for it between May and September. This means that I hadnn't even been thinking about my subscription when the box showed up and it was a delightful little surprise! Woohoo! (You have to imagine me saying that in the Target Lady voice).

I chose the "Beauty Solutions" box because I'm all about problem solving even when your problems are, admittedly, just first world ones. Here's what was inside:

CoTZ Flawless Complexion SPF 50

 

I loved this, hands down. It's a slightly tinted sunscreeen that's not too oily or greasy. I liked that it didn't turn my pale face orange, which many do, and it didn't sting or slide off throughout the day. I like it enough to wear it alone, or you can put it under foundation as a moisturizer and it will add little extra coverage. I'm a huge fan of it being SPF 50 since I turn all sorts of freckly and blotchy after too much sun. It's $20 which is really reasonable for a sunscreen this nice.

Juara Candlenut Body Creme

 

This body cream (or creme if we're feeling the need to parlez Francais) is nice. It's very rich and has an inoffensive smell. The sample size was miniscule so it only covered my arms (no, I don't have giant arms, it really was that small) but I'm not quite sure it's worth $35. I think you could find a drugstore brand that performs the same.

Marcelle Hydra-C 24H Energizing Hydrating Gel

 

The name of this product is entirely too long. So many words. That being said, I really like this gel. I used it as more of a serum and put it on under my regular moisturizer, but it would be sufficient if you have oily skin. I have read that vitamin C is supposed to be magical, anti-aging, brightening and create a mystical barrier from UV rays....or something like that. I just liked the feel of it. It had a cooling sensation when you put it on and smelled like cucumbers. It's $24 which is approaching my threshold of "too expensive" but it might be worth it if you like a lighter moisturizer or spend a lot of time in the sun. 

Number 4 Blow Dry Lotion

 

This is supposed to help your hair dry faster and keep it from getting frizzy when you blow dry. I only tried it once but it seemed to work as promised and my hair dried pretty quickly. It's $32 which is quite pricey for me since I blow dry my hair about four times a year. 

W3LL PEOPLE The Expressionist Mascara

 

Let's ignore the fact that they used a 3 in their name instead of a letter and give them the benefit of the doubt. I did not have high hopes for this mascara as I had tried A LOT of mascaras and am really picky. It was described as "all natural" which I realize doesn't mean much but I was thinking it might be made out of clay and charcoal or some nonsense. I tried it and was blown away. This mascara is amazing and gives you thick black lashes without clumps. I love it. Of course it's $23.50 because good things are rarely cheap and now I have to decided if I like my money or my eyelashes better.

*all photos are from the Birchbox website*

Overall, I think this box was a hit. I appreciated that it was products I'd actually use in the summer and not heavy perfume and glittery eyeshadow.  Seriously, sunscreen and mascara are all almost all I wear and they sent me two amazing ones. Nice job guys.

3 Things: Utter Nonsense Edition

I fully admit that I am a news addict. I am constantly checking the New York Times and we have NPR on the radio every morning (that sounds weird. Are we the only people who still listen to the radio? From actual radio waves and not on the internet? Maybe yes?). Anyway, today is one of those days where I feel like it's just leaping from one tragedy to the next and, not to minimize these events, I could really use a distraction. If you too could use a distraction then come with me and I will take you down a rabbit hole of inane things that have kept us entertained this week.

Reading:
InStyle. Oh, this is pretty embarrassing. I'm an avid reader, sometimes one book at a time and sometimes five at a go, but I am always reading something. Except this week apparently! In my defense, I have a huge stack of books on my nightstand that I intend to tackle rightquick. However, Sean is about to have his work hours ramp up so I'm trying to save some stuff for the nights and evenings when he's gone.
In the meantime I've been reading InStyle. I received a free subscription (because I'm not spending our own dollars on it) and I think it might be tied with Vogue for my favorite fashion magazine. If Vogue is a Picasso then InStyle would be an in-depth guide to cubism. Vogue shows you the fashion and InStyle explains how to actually wear it. The photography and styling in Vogue is not to be beat, but I like that InStyle doesn't try to be anything other than a fashion rag. I would go to a far more legitimate source for news and I appreciate that they get this and stick to explaining how to make marsala lipstick work instead.
Okay,  I promise I'll have a real book next time.


Watching:

 Drunk History. We (accidentally) renewed our Amazon Prime account. I was considering cancelling it because it went from $79 to $99 and I really only use it for the free shipping at Christmas. I..uh...forgot to cancel it and it renewed and I was a little angry until I realized that I now have access to Prime Music, which has an amazing library of music you can stream on your phone, and Prime movies and shows. It's not as easy to use as Netflix but it's got a solid selection of shows, and this is how we stumbled across Drunk History (which is normally on Comedy Central but we're weird cord cutters who don't do cable).
It is literally drunk people recounting historical events. Sean doesn't find it nearly as funny as I do but I love it.  It's chock full of famous people acting out the historical scenes and it has me laughing/crying every time. I will say that there is salty language and occasional vomiting, and yet, none of that bothers me in the least.
Not on television, but in the same vein (minus the vomiting) is The Adventure of George  Washington. These are just historical paintings that people have captioned but, again, SO FUNNY. Unless you're Sean who doesn't get it.

Listening:
 "Go Go Go" by Panic is Perfect. For the past week Sean has been going on about this amazing new song that starts off in French but switches to English and is AMAZING and FANTASTIC and [insert superlative here]. I finally figured out what song he was talking about and it is in fact pretty awesome. The only caveat, to me at least, is that the lyrics are kind of meh. Sean likes another band called Phoenix, and they are French but sing in English and their songs are also gibberish. It drives me crazy when you're bopping your head want to sing along but IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. Panic is Perfect is apparently from San Fransisco so they have no excuse. I like musicians to use their grown up words and tell me exactly what's going on. Did you break up? Are you happy? What is going on here?! Anyway, I can get past the nonsensical lyrics and enjoy the music, which Sean tells me is really the point of music.

The Books That Made A Reader

This week Aiden had to sit through various tests at school, some on math and some on reading. I knew he would have no problem on the math test but I was a little worried about the reading one. Up until this point, Aiden has been a reluctant reader. The joy and sheer love of reading that came naturally to me as a kid has not come as naturally to him. We have always read to him, and we've always encouraged him to read to himself but up until now it's been a challenge for him to tackle new books. That inherent challenge is what prevented him from seeing reading as a pleasure as opposed to seeing it as an assignment that required work.

He came home from school and I tentatively asked how it all went. He smiled and assured me it was fine, he felt like he knew it all and wasn't at all nervous. That was good to hear. His teacher sent home the sheet saying he had finished the required lists of words each first grader is expected to know. That was even better to hear. The best, however, was when we got to the library yesterday and instead of zooming towards the picture books and handing me a stack to read, he said "I'm going to go find some books to read by myself". It was like fireworks going off. Houston, we have a reader!

I don't know exactly what tipped him over the edge from reluctantly cracking open the nightly assigned reading to actually looking forward to finding his own special books to read,  but I do know we've put in a lot of work this year. He spent each evening trying his hardest and we did our best to find interesting books that were at his level. We finally found a few different choices of books that seemed to keep him engaged. These are the ones I'm buying extra copies of to give to Rory:

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

The first books he was really able to read himself were Dr. Seuss. These are a classic for a reason and something about ridiculous tongue twisters just clicks with kids. I won't lie, I think that letting him seeing Sean and I trip over some of the rhymes ourselves showed him that it's okay to make mistakes.

Frog and Toad 

 I actually hated these books as a kid, but Aiden really enjoys him. The dynamic between the two characters is really sweet and I find I like them much more now as an adult. The story where Toad loses his list is pretty much me in a nutshell. And who can't relate to this one:

 

Pete the Cat

I had no idea who Pete the Cat was until Aiden's teacher dressed up as Pete for Halloween. We found an easy reader series about him for Aiden's birthday. Turns out that Pete is a cool cat. He 's very laid back and manages his way out of all sorts of jams like having everyone tell you what to wear or everyone asking you to draw them pictures (basically, seven year old problems). Aiden loved his oddball friends and relatives and found them extremely funny.  

Non-Fiction

Aiden loves nonfiction. He would much rather  have us read him a description of how combustion engines work than a story about a magical creature. I don't think he's the only kid out there who has five jillion questions about the world and enjoys science. So why is it so hard to find easy to read books about nonfiction topics? We ended up stumbling across a whole series at the library (go libraries!). It's the Scholastic "Rookie" books, and there's a set on geography and animals that we've found so far. These seem to have made the most difference, since it's obviously going to be easier to get a kid to read when the subject matter is something they're actually interested in.

Knowing that Aiden has turned that corner and become a full fledged reader is so exciting. I can't wait to spend the summer finding more books to share with him. These are the books that we will look back  on and say "Remember when you learned to read? Can you believe there was a time when you couldn't do that?" For me, that book was Little Bear, and for him it's Pete, Frog and Toad and a whole world of science. 

 

Uh, nice try Buddy.

Fresh, Clean and Green: My Favorite Scents

I have never been a perfume person. I know people who collect all sorts of scents, and have special perfume they wear to parties or different perfumes for different seasons. That is just not me. I have several bottles, and I would wear some occasionally and decided the constant, in your face scent bugged me. None of them smelled like "me", all of them were too heavy and some would even give me a headache after a few hours.

Finally I stumbled across a perfume that wasn't simply inoffensive but was downright delicious. Not too strong, not too heavy, just perfect and subtle. I looked up the various notes in the perfume and have since used that as a guide to find other scents I like.

I have found that I really prefer lighter scents. Typically, anything labeled "fresh", "floral" or "green" is my sweet spot. These are scents that I would wear year round, but many people prefer these as summer scents since they're so light and won't overwhelm you in the heat.  If you're someone who swears they don't like perfume or just finds most scents to be too heavy, give these a try:

Folle de Joie by Joie
This is my absolute favorite perfume in the entire world. It's my everyday, all the time perfume. It's described as citrusy, floral and woody. To me, it smells like a sunny day, a little hint of orange and rose but not too astringent or overwhelming. It's very light and some people might not like that it fades after a few hours but I prefer to simply reapply than have something too strong. Also, the name means "crazy happy" and I think we can all agree that's a good feeling.

Bianca by Tocca
Tocca is an Italian line and describe this perfume as "tea time in Italy". It's a pretty apt description as this is another scent with light citrus notes (lemon this time), with green tea, rose and jasmine. The green tea scent is what sold it for me, I love that scent especially combined with the rose. Another very summery smell, clearly I have a thing for summery smells, that I find to be quite unusual. The bottle for this perfume looks like a tiny crystal decanter, so it will also look nice on your vanity.

Chloe by Chloe
This scent is a little more mature than the other two. It has notes of peony, freesia, jasmine and amber. It's floral but fresh and has almost a powdery scent beneath the floral. It lasts quite long but is not overpowering. It's both subtle and classic. This would be a good perfume for someone who wants a signature scent that's a little more restrained. It feels very clean and fresh, and who doesn't want to be clean and fresh?

Parfum D'Extase by Marchesa
So the creators say that this perfume is meant to embody elegance and glamour, and I'm not sure that anyone would ever describe me as elegant or glamourous but I still like this one. Some of the notes are iris, freesia, Jasmine and musk. Like the Chloe perfume, it's more mature although it's still sweet and floral. Imagine an energetic walk through a garden.


All of these are perfumes that are pretty but subtle, not your typical heavy and over the top fragrances. I'm glad that I finally figured out what types of scents work for me because it's nice to have a go-to scent on those days where you need a little something to make you feel special. I may be in yoga pants and only venturing out to the grocery store but at least I smell like a fresh summer day. 

The Best Mascaras For Layering: Benefit, Smashbox, Dior and more

If your eyes are the window to your soul then putting on mascara is like throwing open the shutters. Okay, that might be a little dramatic, but it's my absolute favorite type of makeup so forgive me. I have tried a lot (A LOT) of mascaras in search of the perfect lengthening/thickening/clump free mascara and I am sad to say that at this point I don't think there is a holy grail of mascaras.

Some don't clump, some are better at lengthening, some go on thick but I have yet to find one that does it all. This is okay though, because if you're willing to spend .02 seconds longer on applying mascara then you can layer different types to achieve the specific look you want.  Some days call for something simple and other days call for a little more drama and these are my favorites for combining.

The best base: Covergirl Clump Crusher. Pardon me, but the name is dumb. I feel silly even writing it but it does. not. clump. It goes on smooth and is not too dramatic which makes it great on it's own for everyday or as a base layer. I find that if you start with this, anything else you put on top is less likely to clump.

The best lengthening: L'Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions. Seriously, what is with these names? It's a great mascara but not what I'd file under "shocking!". It does, however, lengthen really nicely. It leaves you with noticeably longer lashes without looking over the top.

The best for sensitive eyes: Mirenesse icurl. We've all had those days when your allergies are bugging you, or your contacts are itchy or you just don't want to have to deal with your mascara smudging. This is the one for you. This actually coats your lashes to form a kind of tube around them. This means it won't smudge or flake (potentially causing irritation) and you can take it off with warm water and gentle pressure rather than having to use greasy makeup removers. It lengthens lashes and helps them hold a curl and can still be layered over another mascara if you want extra oomph (although it should be your last layer or you won't get the lengthening tube effect). Sounds strange, works beautifully.

 The best thickening: Smashbox Full Exposure. This mascara comes out super black and leaves lashes looking thick and soft. Soft is key because it lessens the chance that it will flake as the day goes on. Nobody wants that, right?

The best for definition: Benefit They're Real! What do I mean by definition? I mean that this mascara separates each individual lash so you look bright eyed and awake. The wand on this mascara has a tip that is rounded so that you can maneuver it into the corners to get every last lash. Or, if you're going for something more dramatic, this brush is great for coating your lower lashes and giving you that doll-like look.
 
The best for date night: Dior Diorshow Extase. So everyone seems to love Diorshow mascara and the Diorshow Extase is, in my mind, taken to the next level. This is the mascara you put on when you're going to have your picture taken, or you're going on a date to that swank French restaurant with the guy who finally asked you out, or you just need to look ridiculously amazing. It is not a subtle mascara, not natural looking by any definition, but you will look smoking hot. You're not going to need more than one or two coats of this because it gives you seriously thick, over the top lashes. Again, I like to do one coat of this over the clump crusher just to ensure that it doesn't clump or stick.

So there you go. The best choices for everything from the daily routine right down to that party you've been waiting for. Thicker, longer, more defined or bombshell dramatic: these ones have you covered. Mix and match to your heart's content.

Nail Polish for People Who Actually Use Their Hands : Essie, CND, Sally Hansen, Butter London

I'm home with my kids all day, which is obviously wildly glamorous, involving much scrubbing of bathrooms, folding of laundry and cooking of meals. It's obvious why most nail polish doesn't last

I've had professional manicures a handful of times (no pun intended ) and every time I end up seething when, two days later, my nails are already chipped. I even tried gel manicures which are supposed to last about two weeks and three days into vacation they were chipped. Very frustrating. No, I am not giving anyone my $15 (or $30 or, let's be honest, one time $40) for something I can do myself. 

I used to just never wear nail polish, it just wasn't worth the effort of carefully applying it only to have it peeling and chipping in two days. No thanks. However, after much searching I have found four brands that hold up pretty darn well even with the roughest use.

Essie

Everybody's drugstore favorite, and for good reason. They run about $7 and come in a whole array of fantastic colors. $7 is still more than I was used to paying for nail polish (I'm all about the 99 cent clearance ones usually) but think how many uses it will give you versus that $15 manicure. 

CND Vinylux

I only discovered this brand a year ago but they are great. I've found them from about $4-$6 on Amazon, and you'll want their topcoat too. They have a slightly smaller (but still ample) color selection than Essie, but they last easily a week once applied. The polish is very thin (which helps avoid chipping) but covers in two coats (especially for the darker colors) and the topcoat dries really fast. Any UV exposure you get (from being outside or just...you know...living) helps keep the topcoat sealed.

These last forever and aren't too expensive: yes please. 

Sally Hansen miracle Gel:  

Another drugstore favorite. Similar to CND in that you want the color and topcoat. A nice thin (but not runny) formula that really lasts. I found prices vary but they're not much different from Essie, although the color selection is limited.

Butter London:
Alright, this one is the most expensive, clocking in at a wallet dinging $15 but, BUT, they are GORGEOUS. The colors are fantastic, the selection's amazing, the stuff stays put and it's still cheaper than that manicure from the nail salon. This is a good choice if you need a specific color for a special occasion or you just really like a color and plan to use it a whole ton or, come on, you just need a treat.  Go on.

In addition to using two coats of a good thin polish and topcoat, it helps to:
1) wipe nails with nail polish remover first
2) apply that topcoat as a basecoat
3) let everything dry really well between coats

However, 1-3 are totally optional since, I don't know about you, but I rarely have time for all that jazz.

Final nail polish confession: I will %100 buy a nail polish color just because I like the name. "Cute As A Button" "Giddy Kipper" "Crimson Sash". Ugh, just take my money already. 

Birchbox Breakdown: April 2015

Have you heard of Birchbox? It's a subscription service for makeup samples, you pay ten bucks a month (or less for a year's subscription) and each month they send you samples to try. They include various types of makeup, hair products, perfume and occasionally snacks or other goodies.

I first signed up when Rory was a baby because I was in desperate need of something grown up to look forward to and let me tell you, finding that box in the mail each month was just delightful. I ended up cancelling briefly because the products where not really tailored to what I wanted (I loathe perfume samples and no I don't want samples of dog treats!). However, I gave it one more try and was very careful while filling out the profile questions and the products I received after that were much more suited to me. Occasionally I've even gotten full size products or cool things like new headphones. Totally worth it to me now, and so much fun.

I know about 2 and a half people who are vaguely interested in it so I thought I'd write a bit about it.

So here is a breakdown of the box I received this month:

This month you could choose to receive the standard box or one of two Mad Men themed boxes (New York or California) and I chose California.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel:


I'm all about eyebrows and normally I fill mine in with pencil and then a Maybelline Brow Drama tinted gel, but that's been looking a little, well, dramatic lately and I want to lighten up for spring.  This stuff is awesome and holds everything in place so you look sleek but not distracting. There's a reason Anastasia Beverly Hills is known as THE brow brand.

Beauty Protector Protect and Oil:

Can't find a picture of this on the Birchbox site for whatever reason but picture, if you will, a tiny bottle of oil. There you go. I haven't tried this yet, and I have baby fine hair so any type of hair oil makes me twitchy, but this is recommended for after sun/swimming and that might be the one time I'm willing to try it since summer tends to wreak havoc on my hair. Would probably be wonderful for a thicker haired lady.

Cargo Swimmables Water Resistant Blush in Los Cabos:


This comes in this cute metal tin and looked very peachy pink. I applied it a little haphazardly (whoops) and was shocked by how highly pigmented it was. You need a teeny bit, and it goes on my fair skin with a much more orange tint than pink. This sample sized one they sent will probably last forever since you need such a small amount. With a light hand, this would be the perfect bronze pink color for summer.

Liz Earle Evebright Soothing Eye Lotion: 
 

This is billed as magical potion of botanicals that soothes eyes blah blah blah. At the ripe old age of 27 I'm already prone to wrinkles around my eyes when my skin gets dry. I take eye creams seriously. This is a very thin liquid and to me it was basically a glorified eye makeup remover. Not moisturizing or refreshing or whatever. One of the main ingredients is witch hazel and it made my skin dry and tight feeling. Gross. Will pass on this one.

Whish Shaving Cream in Blueberry:



So this stuff was strange. It has an amazing blueberry scent an feels really rich on your skin...at first. It took a ton of it to actually cover my skin (washes away very easily) and left it feeling somewhat dry. But seriously, the smell is like those blueberry scented markers from childhood that left you with blue dots all over your nose. So good. Probably not worth buying full size but will definitely bring you back to first grade art class.


Here is a link if you're interested in trying it out: Birchbox

All photos are from the Birchbox website.