January Birchbox Review

Last month, I wasn't terribly impressed with my birchbox, but I have a three-month subscription, so it has two more chances to impress me. I've got to say, this month was much more exciting! Let's take a peek inside:

(Hmm... what's inside this little packet?)

(That's better!)

The theme this month is "Best Year Ever". The box includes a fold-up insert full of ideas to make this the best year ever. It's basically the same thing that every magazine prints in January, and isn't particularly exciting. The goodies were pretty cool this time, though.

First up is a Karastase Elixir Ultime. This has a nice texture and really made my hair feel silky while taming flyaways. The sample was about the same size as a tube of lipstick, and has allowed for a surprising number of uses.

Next up is a Wrinkle Resist Plus Pore Minimizer by DDF. It's hard to say whether this product has any effect on my fledgling fine lines, but it does feel nice on the skin and leaves a nice matte finish. The texture feels like a mattifying primer, but is also lightly moisturizing. 

 A Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy sample was also included in this month's box. It's not bad, but not my favorite. There's a little too much artificial sweetness in it for my liking.

Now for my favorite item from this month's birchbox, Hot Mama from theBalm. This cute little powder is advertised as a combination blush and highlighter, but I'm also loving it as an eyeshadow. I'm still without a very good camera, so I apologize for the picture quality, but this is beautiful in person! It's somewhat reminiscent of MAC's Expensive Pink eye shadow, but the texture and finish are subtle enough to use on the face as well. The sample size is about as big as a normal eye shadow, but I expect that I'll be buying the full size once this is empty!

The "beauty extra" this month is certainly more exciting than the plastic bag from my welcome box. It's a packet-sized sample of the Nutrive Nectar Thermique - Protect from Kerastase. This did a great job of nourishing my hair and leaving it soft and slightly textured. I only wish that there was more of it!

Birchbox is a recurring subscription beauty service that delivers new products to your door every month for just $10/mo. Want to try it for yourself? Visit www.birchbox.com or follow this link for a referral!

**Disclaimer** This service was purchased with my own funds and all opinions given are my own. However, the link provided in the previous paragraph refers to my account, which earns me points toward future purchases. If you wish to sign up for Birchbox without using my referral link, you can do so here.

Ipsy Glam Bag January Review

I recently found out that ipsy offers sneak peaks of the upcoming bag on its website, and I've become addicted to tracking the mystery products while I wait for my next bag. Once again, I was happily surprised by the number, size, and quality of the products that I received for only ten bucks!

This month's bag is a cute black bag with a blue starry lining, and it's a little larger than last month's. Once again, the brands featured in the bag are offering discounts and specials to ipsy subscribers online. So, what did I get this month? Let's take a look!

 First, a travel bottle of the cult favorite Spray & Play Volumizing Hairspray from big sexy hair. This spray provides lots of oomph and hold without feeling sticky. I'm definitely a fan! This size retails for $6, so that's already half of the price that I paid for the whole bag!

Next up, a nail lacquer in Bloody Mary by Nailtini. This rich & creamy tomato red glides on easily and is opaque in two coats. Every girl needs a good, classic red nail polish every now and then! Also, this is a full-sized bottle (!) which retails for $13. 

There's also a mini bottle of the sought-after 100% Pure Argan Oil by Josie Maran. Unlike argan oils with additives, this has sort of a "dry oil" feel to it. It's nice for my hair, but I don't like it on my skin as much as some other brands.

Next up, a full-sized Crease Brush from SOHO. I like the triangular grip, and the texture of the bristles is quite nice for an inexpensive brush. It's a little larger and fluffier than I usually prefer for my crease, but it's great for blending and highlighting. 

The last item in this month's bag has been my most reached-for item lately. It's a Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter from Pacifica. (I have no idea what happened to the color on this picture, btw.) This stuff smells magnificent! It's got one of those juicy, fruity scents that just makes your mouth water, and it's exactly what I need to brighten up these drab winter days. It feels amazing and keeps my skin hydrated for hours! The sample was actually a 2.5 ounce mini tube, which retails for $8. When this runs out, I'll be heading over to pacificaperfume.com to pick up the full size! Seriously, this stuff smells so yummy. You want this; I promise.

Ipsy is a recurring subscription-based beauty service. For $10 per month, you receive a cute little bag filled with samples of fun beauty products. For the price, ipsy is amazing! The offered products are excellent, and I was really impressed by the size of the samples. I'm so excited to be receiving this bag every month!

*Disclaimer* The ipsy bag was purchased using my own funds, and all opinions are my own.