Starbox...a very short affair!

Back in November I got suckered into yet another beauty sampling subscription, this one is called Starbox, and it is fulfilled by a cosmetics company called Starlooks. I had never heard about this company before but the reviews that were out there were tempting so I gave in, plus there were hints of December's box being awesome... The price tag on this one is $15 a month + $1.98 (tax or something) so we will call it $17 a month. 

Here is what my November Starbox looked like:

I got a referral code so I got an extra brush with that box. There were LOTS of complain on their Facebook page and several of the groups I belong to, because packing was an issue. I was lucky and my products were intact, but some girls received broken/shattered eyeshadows :( I would have been extremely sad! Here are the contents of the box:

 Close up:

 The lipstick I got is called "Cream Caramel": 

 Here is the eyeshadow quad: 

This month was supposed to be all about the basic makeup look, the colors of the shadows are actually nice, I've used them once or twice and the quality is ok in my opinion, but the packaging is what I didn't like. 

This is another reason why so many people got shattered shadows! (The first reason is that while they shipped in a bubble mailer, the contents in the box were not secured or wrapped individually). The palette is not magnetic, the pans were just sitting on the palette on their little spots. I can only use this at home, I would not dare putting it in my makeup bag and in my purse (unless of course I go through the trouble of adding glue to these pans?

See how much room there is? they can definitely fall out of the palette if you are not careful!

The other item was this crazy looking tool that serves to prevent from getting mascara all over your face hahaha, it actually works, I've used it a couple times. 

 The extra item, small angled brush:

Overall I though November was ok but I wasn't thrilled about receiving products from just one brand to be honest. I guess while I understood the concept of the box when I signed up, I was hoping to be more excited when I received it, and I wasn't... and this is why I didn't blog about it any sooner than almost the end of the year!

December was the main reason I signed up, they were sending a palette with 15 shadows, which they retail for $99 so it was "a great value". Here is the box, very festive:

Inside, a cute little card and glitter confetti??? cute but my carpet did not like it... this thing made me vacuum, and if you know me, you know how much I loooove to vacuum... not!

 The palette:

 Close up:

The size of the shadows is pretty good, I have seen some swatches online but I haven't swatched mine because I'm not sure I'm keeping it I guess, might sell it or give it away at some point. From other reviews, I believe the pigmentation is pretty good on these and I love bright colors... so I guess I will keep it and use it soon. 

Overall, if you like the brand, the monthly box is a good deal, because their retail prices are quite expensive (in my opinion); if you like trying different products from different brands... then you might be better off with ipsy (which is $10 a month)

What do you think? Have you tried Starlooks products? Do you subscribe to Starbox? Love it? Hate it?

Thank you for stopping by,
Fiorella :)

ipsy December 2012 Review! Loooove!!!!!

ipsyyyyyyyyyyyyyy tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimeeeeee!!!!!!!! Hi! I actually got this bag a couple of weeks ago but was soooo busy I couldn't post until now! December was another great month for ipsy :) still the best $10 spent every month! 

Party time!

 Close up:

 Loooove the actual bag!

It's pink inside!!!! It has a flat base which actually makes it super roomy, I have been using this bag for my makeup essentials and it is now living in my purse :)

This is Mai Couture Highlighter Papier, no real clue as to how to use it, and haven't taken the time to explore it, but it looks interesting enough!

be a bombshell "hot mess" lip gloss! RED! woah! I have a fair amount of lip glosses but this is my first red one :) excited to see if I can pull this off!

NYX Ultra Pearl Mania, looks like they sent out different colors, mine is LP06 Black Pearl. I've always loved cosmetics and especially eyeshadows! and lately I've been wanting to experiment more and more; that being said this is black and it's powder so I am a bit scared, I can see black powder all over my face the first time I use it hahaha but I will definitely try it out :)

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On pencil in Zero (black) looooove!!!! I probably have 254521215787 black eyeliner pencils but I did not have any UD pencils or any UD products up until just a few days ago, so I was glad to get a brand like this one in my bag this month. I tested the pencil on my hand and it sure glides on!!!

Last but not least, Mirabella Prime (for face and eyes). I got a single eyeshadow from this brand a few months ago and it was nice, they sell the entire line at a beauty supply place I go to but it is quite pricey so I have never bought any there. The size of this sample is pretty generous for a primer and the fact that it is meant to be used for face and eyes, makes it very interesting! One less thing to pack if you are traveling!!! Woo hoo!!!

Overall, I feel I got way more than my $10 worth of products this month, I keep loving ipsy! :)

Thank you for stopping by,
Fiorella :)

MyGlam is now ipsy ...beauty by you! September 2012 bag!

The September 2012 MyGlam bag is here, and apparently MyGlam is now "ipsy...beauty by you!"

I haven't had a ton of time to play around with the new site to fully figure out if there are any changes or meaningful differences coming with the new name. When I logged in a screen came up saying "Discover new Looks, Videos, Stylists and Products.", "Click the  button on your favorite items.", "Create your own Looks, and add Videos from YouTube." and more... Hopefully I will have time to play on the site a bit more soon :)

So... the bag! Yes, the bag:

It all came in the pretty hot pink bubble mailer and the bag this month is a simple plain black wristlet. This might be the first one I actually use. I love the bags for the most part and I love colorful stuff but a nice black wristlet feels just right this time :)

London SOHO New York Smudge Brush, OMG it's huge and it looks awesome!!!

Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Split End Sealer, looks interesting... we will see...

Jane Sparkle Gloss in Sparkle Pink, it smells delicious and I can't wait to try it. I haven't bought lip gloss in months now that I get beauty subscriptions :) And I love them all!!!!!!!!!!

Mirabella Eyeshadow in Semiformal

Circus By Andrea's Choice Nail Polish in TIGHTROPE

It's a beautiful purple, it's a lot brighter in person and it dries to a satin/almost matte finish. The swatch is 2 coats with no top coat and the application was smooth. Definitely keeping this polish and wearing it soon!

Do you get MyGlam/ipsy? What do you think of this month's bag?

Thank you for stopping by,

Fiorella :)

Birchbox September 2012!

Hola! Hello! I wanted to do a quick post to show you my September 2012 Birchbox! This is one of the Beauty Sampling Subscriptions I get, $10 a month and always a nice surprise :) If you haven't signed up yet you can be awesome and do so by using my link, you get awesome stuff, I get points for more pretty things to show you later on :) https://www.birchbox.com?raf=knp4h

The goodies:

Of course the first thing I grabbed was the nail polish! Oh pretty blue :) - This is probably my favorite item from this month's box... but I might be biased, I'm a nail polish addict!

I had to swatch it right away, 2 coats gave me full opacity, went on smooth and evenly! Color Club Nail Polish - #5786 Insta-This

Just a reference so you can see what size the bottle is.

The second product I grabbed was Jouer Matte Moisture Tint SPF 15 - Oil Free. While it looks tiny I have learned you don't need to use a lot when it comes to this type of product, definitely excited to try it. Full size is $38 for 1.7 oz

I know some people don't like getting Fragrance samples and I have gotten some gross ones before hahaha but I do like trying them out. I am cheap and rarely will I buy real perfume (but I will gladly take it as a gift), so having different little samples is awesome because I can wear different scents without having to buy full size bottles.

Next up, this fabulous "Soy Body Whip" 

It smells delicious, I stink at explaining scents and stuff like that, but to me it's flowery without being old lady-ish with a hint of Gardenia scent maybe? I am pretty impressed with the size of the sample, I had to put some on my elbow and it sure feels nice :)

Here is the description :)

I got a "Birchbox Custom Lace Hair Tie" by Twistband. I know some people dislike getting these hair ties but I love them! I got my first one (skinny headband) from Birchbox back in May and then had to buy a bunch more, I have them now in every color, hair ties and headbands! :) 

Even got my mom into them! She found some awesome ones at Dollar Tree, they work just as well and they are a killer deal, you get 6 headbands for $1.00 in different colors. This one is pretty, I don't have any lace ones :) and the color is one that I definitely wear often so I will be using this soon :)

This was one of the "Extra" items, Hollywood Fashion Secrets - Fashion Tape. 

Here is what's inside the little envelope, 4 tape pieces. I'm intrigued, this is something I wouldn't mind trying but I would probably never buy myself so I'm glad I got it. Ultimately that's what services like Birchbox are all about, introduce you to products and/or brands you would not have purchased on your own.

Overall I am satisfied with this box and feel like I will use EVERYTHING I got this time :)

Do you subscribe to Birchbox? What did you get?

Thank you for stopping by,

Fiorella :)

August 2012 Beauty boxes (super late post) Birchbox and MyGlam

So yeah, on an effort to get caught up, and probably by now you all have seen posts like this one, so I’m just going to quickly share what I got in my boxes and my thoughts on them. 

I was out of the country for almost 2 weeks and it was crazy awesome to find so many packages waiting for me when I got home. Beauty subscriptions, swaps, mini hauls, etc, etc 

Here is what I got in my Birchbox:

Curls, curls, curls! Oh I have tons of them!!! I have seen this brand at Target and have been tempted to pick up some products but I hate spending “full price” money on stuff unless I know it works. 

I was extremely happy to get CURLY MERINGUE :) I have used it a couple of times and I like it so far. I do feel it leaves a bit of a residue on your hair but it does seem to control frizz and shape up the curls and it smells delicious! I would rather have a tube than a jar, just because I hate sticking my hands in jars of stuff and get product under my nails but that might be part of my OCD. Once I am close to finishing the sample jar I might have to use some of my Birchbox points and get the full size product! I have not used the conditioner yet but I am guessing I will like it as well.

The perfume sample smells pretty good, but they are so tiny that in my mind I have to consider them extras. I haven’t used the foot cream yet so I really have no opinion on it, but the size is definitely good for a sample. 

Now the Talika Lipocils expert seemed promising... but I was oh so confused with how the wand was supposed to look, based on the picture printed on the box and the pictures online I was expecting it to have the dual wand. I emailed them to clarify and they responded this is the way the sample was meant to be… ok… haven’t tried it yet, I guess the confusion kinda turned me off, oh well.

The razor was an “extra” and I am still in search of the “perfect” razor so I used it this weekend and it was pretty good but no better than other ones I have tried. With how expensive razors are, it was definitely a nice bonus.

And this was the MyGlam bag:

Dragon Fruit!!!! Fresh, sweet, delicious smell, I actually brought this with me on my weekend trip to MN and it worked great, only thing is that mine at least, feels a bit oily when you roll it on, no big deal but unexpected.

I have not used the skin care items yet, I kinda want to give my face a break and some consistency, because trying all these different skin care samples keeps upsetting my face and I am breaking out way too often lately. The shadow has not been used yet either but looks promising.

Oh the lipgloss!!!!!!!! I looooove the color, the consistency, the packaging, the size, the smell!!!!!! I also brought it with me on my trip this weekend and it did not disappoint. It is not sticky and the color does not go on scary neon as you would think; it’s just a pretty pink gloss that smells like watermelon :)

Oh, don't let me forget! Nail polish! I just might have to keep this one! It’s so bright and I don’t have that shade or anything close to it on any other brand. I only swatched it on the nail wheel and haven’t had time to wear it so I can’t speak about the wear or quality. Will try to use it soon and let you know!

See? Similar but not the same...

I have been thinking about a low buy month (I can’t lie to myself and commit to a no buy month haha) and possibly giving up one of these 2 subscriptions, not so much because of the money but because I don’t know what to do with all the stuff I get. I took a bunch to my friends and family in Peru on my last trip but somehow my goodies basket keeps growing!

I dropped GlossyBox because they had too many issues and I did not feel I was getting much value out of it. I do not regret dropping them, at least not right now. Do you subscribe to MyGlam, Birchbox or any others? Is the fad over? Love to get your feedback!

Thank you for stopping by,

Fiorella :)

My GlossyBox USA July 2012 - Review & why I cancelled...

So... yeah this post is super late, I guess I just wasn't all that excited to write about the GlossyBox USA July 2012 box... If you are subscribed to GlossyBox, or if you read my June's review (if you haven't, you can read it here), you should know that I had mixed feelings and this third box was going to be a deciding factor for me as far as keeping the membership or cancelling. Well, I cancelled.

I was charged for the July box on July 3rd, (let's not forget I received my JUNE box on 7/5) and since GlossyBox does not issue refunds (at least that is what their website stated at that point in time) I pretty much had to wait for my July box or be out $21. 

Thankfully they made some changes so people would start getting the box within the month it belongs to and with just enough time to decide whether you want to cancel or not before they bill you again.

I received my tracking email on July 25th (Wednesday) and I received my box on July 28th (Saturday). I emailed them on July 30th as well as posted on their Facebook page very respectfully that I needed to make sure my request was processed before the next billing date. I received confirmation of the cancellation on July 31st.

GlossyBox USA July 2012

The box was ok, is not that the products are bad, but I just wasn't excited to receive them. June's box, while late, had at least 3 awesome products I loved and now use frequently. This box, I don't know, on a scale of 1 to 10, it was a 5... and for $21, I don't know about you, but I want at least a 7 or an 8!!! My July Birchbox was an 8, close to a 9 and so was the MyGlam bag... Did I completely confuse you yet? Do you have a rating system?

It was sealed all the way!

Does anyone read this "Magazine"? 

The theme was "Summer Nights" (I personally didn't get that vibe)

The "card"

Alessandro International - Pedix Heel Rescue Balm (looks like a decent size product. I haven't had the urge to open it and actually try it yet)

Sebastian - Color Ignite Multi Tone Shampoo (maybe one day when my hair is not black all over ,  I could use this)

Ofra Cosmetics - Universal Eyebrow Pencil (It doesn't say but it looks dark brown) I don't have an eyebrow pen, never really thought I needed one but I guess I'll play with this.

Senna Cosmetics - Double Dose Lip Laquer  (Chocolate Cherry)

I tried both colors, they are ok, but I'm not feeling "Summer Night-ish" wearing them... Not sure if I am keeping this or giving it to my Mom or Grandma... 

This was an "extra surprise". Have not tried it yet, I'm sure it will be ok, but nothing too exciting...

I've seen some cool looking advertising for the August GlossyBox USA, and now that I have cancelled, it might be awesome and I might be sad and jealous when I see everyone else posting their boxes... But it might also just be a 5 again and then I would be really sad if I hadn't cancelled.

I am trying to simplify and only keep a couple of subscriptions, for now MyGlam and Birchbox have met my expectations and I have had them both for 3 months. For $10 each, they are worth it to me, I feel like I am getting fun products. I still have my Julep subscription but the metallics weren't floating my boat so I skipped July and the mystery box, gotta love the skip the month option!

I can't say I will never try GlossyBox again, if at some point I decide to drop one of the other subs, and I see from other people's feedback that they are truly awesome, I might give it a second shot.

Anywho, lots of rambling on this post huh? Well it's past 1:00 am, what are your thoughts on GlossyBox?  

Thank you for stopping by,

Fiorella :)