October Birchbox

 

Well, October is nearly over and I am just now getting to this month's Birchbox review.  I think that is a pretty good indicator of how excited I was by this box...*sigh*.  I am calling this month's box the "Stinky Birchbox" because of the foul smelling products I received!

Here is what I got:

• Ahava Mineral Foot Cream:  As I have said before, I love the feel of Ahava mineral creams, but they smell just awful!
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel:  This is a good brow gel if you are a person who likes to use brow gel; it is just something that I rarely use.
• Number 4 Hair Lumiere D'hiver Reconstructing Masque: This product is meant to hydrate and add shine to hair.  Not much to say about this one.  I don't have a problem with dry hair or breakage, but my hair did feel nice and conditioned after using it.  The scent was okay--herbal/floral.
• Sunday Riley Modern Skincare Juno Transformative Lipid Serum:  This is a mix of 13 essential oils which are meant to replenish, firm and protect skin.  That's all well and good if you can get past the fact that is smells like garlic and olive oil!  Eeew!  This never had a chance to do anything for me, as I washed it off immediately due to the terrible smell!
• Tea Forte Minteas: These were a nice treat, though nothing I would actually purchase.

So, final verdict on this box is two thumbs down.  I was really bored with this box, and I am tired of bad smelling creams and serums.  Here's hoping next month brings some more exciting cosmetic items my way!

Estee Lauder Dupe

L: Estee Lauder Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Crystal Pink; R: NYC lipstick in Violet Shine

I stumbled upon a really good dupe for Estee Lauder lipstick the other day.  I happened to grab an NYC lipstick on sale for a whopping $.24 in the shade Violet Shine.  When I applied the lipstick the light raspberry scent and creamy texture reminded me of the one and only Estee Lauder lipstick I own which happens to be the Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in the shade Crystal Pink.  As you can see below, these two lipsticks are nearly identical in color, and I can say that they smell exactly the same.  The only difference I noticed was that the Estee Lauder lipstick was a little more moisturizing.  The price difference is a completely different story...the Estee Lauder lipstick costs $24 while the NYC lipstick costs $1.

L: Estee Lauder Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Crystal Pink; R: NYC lipstick in Violet Shine

Allure Freebies!

Whoo hoo!  I actually won a couple of the Allure Magazine summer giveaways!  Lucky girl that I am, I won a bottle of Marc Jacobs Oh, Lola! perfume.  This fragrance retails for $88!  It is a lovely floral/fruity scent; I don't think it is a particularly unique scent.  However, the bottle is simply gorgeous and looks fab sitting on my dresser.

And, I won a Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick in the shade Pink Freeze.  I hadn't tried this line of lipstick before and was pleasantly surprised with the quality of this lipstick.  Pink Freeze is a bright but wearable pink shade.  So, thanks Allure!!!  I am loving my free products!