review

November 16, 2013

@Birchbox unboxing and reviews November 2013 #moregood

Posted in Beauty & Skin, Hair, Makeup / Cosmetics, Nail Polish, Subscription boxes

Mox Botanicals Bath Milk in Vanilla and Coconut – “All Mox Botanicals products contain no parabens, sulfates, chemical preservatives, synthetic fragrances or dyes.” YES!!! So excited. I’ll list out the ingredients for the Bath Milk for those who have strange allergies, since I couldn’t find that info online but the company’s philosophy rocks! Ok … not on the product packaging either so I’ll have to email the company… More than likely these would rate a 1 … but that’s just guessing! 🙂

Ahmad Teas Assorted Teas – ok it’s tea, I’m good, not wowed but I suspect the quality will be good on these (though coffee would win though if you pit in a fight to the death against each other.) English Tea No. 1, Raspberry Indulgence, and Jasmine Romance. Probably not going to review these here late. 🙂

Chella Highlighter Pencil in Ivory Lace – I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this. I got this in one of my ipsy bags back in June and I’m actually running low on this and needed to reorder. It’s a great multitasker. It’s a concealer, it’s a light highlighter, it blends well AND it’s super healthy!!! When I saw this was a possible product in this month’s box I got super excited … not only at the possibility of getting one in my box but I was hoping that at the very least I could snap a few more up with the free shipping that typically accompanies products included in a specific month. It has lasted about 4 months which is not bad for a multitasking product I use a LOT. I’ll be ordering more of these!! See my Chella Highlighter Pencil Ivory Lace swatch and review here as well as the EWGEWG Environmental Working Group - an organization focused on research to make informed choices and live a healthy life in a healthy environment. cosmetics database review (it’s a 2!)

Miss Jessie’s® Original Leave-In Condish – the only major negative with this is the fragrance… pretty good on the ingredient list otherwise. It still ends up a 4 with the cosmetic database … synthetic frangrance really takes it’s toll folks! (And I’m not just going on what I’m told, reducing the number of synthetic fragrances in my life has been one of MANY factors in reducing my allergies.) I may give this a try still as long as it doesn’t make my nose immediately rebel (there are some that are more intolerable than others… heck I don’t even do well personally with some natural florals.)

Nope nope – Miss Jessie, the scent killed this one for me. Tim gaged and coughed when I walked into the room and said I smelled like an old lady and I thought it smelled like VERY strong laundry. I started to feel like I wanted to get away from the scent after about 15 minutes but I couldn’t because it was ON my head so there was no getting away. I ended up drying my hair just to see if heat would help remove some of the scent and it didn’t. It felt like if I had let it air dry I would have had amazing curls though. But the overpowering scent led to me washing my hair three times and still smelled like it but at least it was more tolerable. If they got rid of the scent I would try it again.

Allergies and synthetic fragrance toxicity aside, if I wanted to wear a perfume of my choosing, this product would obliterate that as well. Why do companies feel the need to so much scent in everything? I know that scent is tied to emotion and can make some products more desirable but there’s really a limit how far you should take that.

And please please please … if you’re going to tout natural, paraben free etc. maybe think about the scent being natural as well please! SO close on this product!

Color Club® Harlem Lights Collection in Baldwin Blues – I don’t think I’ve met any Color Club nail polish that I didn’t like. This collection has a few standout colors. The Baldwin Blues is one that was my top pick and Sugar Rays is an interesting subtle holographic shade that looks like it will change based on the angle you look at it (I might go back and buy this one.) The Baldwin Blues looks a little bit more blue online but in person it’s a little more teal. Like a perfect deep deep creamy teal perfect for fall and winter. I’m already in love with this one! Swatch video coming soon.

So my top pics from the November 2013 Birchbox are …

the Chella Highlighter Pencil in Ivory Lace and the Color Club nail polish in Baldwin Blues. I think I may like the bath milk as well but I’m not big on taking a lot of baths.

Still not signed up for Birchbox?

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Did you get one of the Color Club nail polishes?
Do you like the color? Have a photo to share?

Still not signed up for Birchbox? 😀
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November 15, 2013

Chella Highlighter Pencil ivory lace swatch & review

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Makeup / Cosmetics, Subscription boxes

The Chella Highlighter Pencil, swatch photos in “ivory lace” below, is the epitome of an incredibly useful multitasker and now a makeup staple for me.

Chella says that there are over 10 different uses for their Highlighter Pencil but summarized, the 3 main basics of what the Chella Highlighter Pencil can do are:

highlight and brighten
contour
light concealer

The Chella Highlighter Pencil comes in only three shades: ivory lace, latte and cinnamon – cinnamon is not sold on Birchbox’s site at the moment. With the limitations on shades, it may not double as a concealer for everyone but it is an excellent highlighter and contouring tool that blends well and will absolutely be a great addition to most people’s makeup collection. The fact that it blends well makes it very natural looking.

Watch the video below to see a better swatch and how the it blends:

I received my first Chella Highlighter Pencil in Ivory Lace back in my June 2013 Ipsy Glambag and have been using it daily ever since. When I found out I was receiving another in my Birchbox for November, it just made me realize that it was now a staple for me. One that I had already been thinking about re-purchasing before I received this latest sample and will probably be ordering a backup of. Oh and 1.4grams is the sample that they sent which IS a full size product.

It rates a healthy 2 with EWG’s Cosmetic Database. There are no added fragrances, no parabens, no cones. Basically there’s nothing not to love here! And if you’re a member with Birchbox, you can get free shipping on this product right now. And if you’re not a Birchbox subscriber and are interested in subscribing, please help out this blog by signing up below! 😉

Sign up for Birchbox and shop for this product
(with free shipping and earn birchbox points)!
http://birchbox.com?raf=3l3e7
{ yes it’s an affiliate link, I get 50 points which equals $5 credit – share the love! }

Or you can buy it from Chella directly here
(but you’ll pay about $7 shipping and don’t earn Birchbox points.)
http://chella.com/products/item/lace_highlighter_pencil
🙂 choices, choices

March 10, 2013

Ipsy March 2013 Review

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Makeup / Cosmetics, Skin Care, Subscription boxes

Ipsy subscription, my second month review for March 2013

Yaba eyeshadow minis – “so vein” and “sand dune” not thrilled with the ingredients of the eyeshows (dimethicone and parabens) and probably won’t use them BUT it is worth a quick mention that the site does have some other interesting things. It looks like a good resource for depotting eyeshadows since they sell pans ( empties ), magnets, pallets etc. http://www.yabycosmetics.com/

GlamRX – when I opened this I thought I had been shorted a blush or something. I actually had to look up what this was. It’s a magnetic palette that you can put various products in… like the yaba eyeshadows or your own products. If you have a lot of makeup that’s pan based then this would be a nice item to throw in your purse. Better than the version on their site that includes a second level with their own products. For me personally it’s kinda “meh” but I’m keeping it in case I have a need for it in the future. Biggest comment on this is that it should have been labeled so my gut reaction wasn’t super disappointment from thinking I had been shorted products.

Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist – ingredients are ok but my nose can’t handle anything that smells of roses which this does. So for me personally this is not a good one BUT otherwise it seems like a good product.

LA Fresh Travel-lite Makeup Remover Wipes – mineral oil and parabens and fragrance so not natural. I LOVE their nail polish remover wipes but I’m going to have to pass on these.

Nautical Anchor makeup bag – this is fairly cute.

Bottom line – if the juice beauty product hadn’t been rose scented I’d be pretty happy with this for $10. I had been interested in trying other LA Fresh products but I didn’t realize that not all of their products had the same level of natural ingredients. This feels a bit more like the Birchboxes have been for awhile for me so not as amazing as last month. I’m going to stick with Ipsy for awhile but at some point I’m wondering if I might instead just start buying $20 worth of makeup I pick out instead. There IS just something fun about a surprise bag though. ALSO seriously happy that there’s no perfume in the Ipsy selections.

January 19, 2013

Number 4 Clarifying Shampoo review

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Hair

I was really underwhelmed by the Number 4 Clarifying Shampoo. It felt like it was coating my hair in something rather oddly when I was “rinse lather repeating” in the shower. Most clarifying shampoos feel like they’re pulling gunk and buildup OUT of your hair instead of depositing it. I continued and gave it a shot anyway.

The biggest thing that made me a little hesitant to try it was the fragrance. The other ingredients looked pretty good. The scent was also fairly strong but luckily it wasn’t affecting my allergies. I have tried shampoos that were so bad I had to get another shower because I knew I was going to be sick by the end of the day if I didn’t wash again with my regular shampoo.

Photos below are just after drying my hair with a hair dryer (pre curling iron.) It’s a bit frizzier than usual and it’s not nearly as shiny. No additional products. I take that back, I used a little of my own conditioner because I felt that if I didn’t my hair would be a complete mess.

After using the curling iron on my hair it looked a bit better but it was lacking volume and still wasn’t amazing looking. The shampoo I currently use daily does a better job than this does and at a fraction of the price.

Basically the fragrance and the lackluster performance are going to keep me from using this again. I had high hopes for it but it’s just not for me.

October 30, 2012

Quick review:
Victoria’s Secret Daily Crop Legging

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Clothing, Fitness / Active

I was trying to buy a replacement for the Victoria’s Secret leggings / yoga pants I have loved and worn since 2010. I’ve been wearing regularly to sleep in and sometimes wear to yoga class. They were a good quality materials but they are now literally coming apart at the seams now with regular wear so I needed to buy replacements.

What I had no longer existed by name and number so I compared and shopped and shopped and compared and finally settled on two pairs of ZF-289992 or #289-981 the VS “Daily Crop Legging” in black. What I had didn’t have the foldover top which these matched.

They also showed the modal wearing a long shirt and say: “Live in leggings? So do we. That’s because this sleek, chic knit is so much more than a legging. It’s a want-it-now, need-it-in-every-color, go-everywhere essential. Slip it on under almost any layer: it’s as soft and comfy as your favorite tee.”

So where’s my review? It’s fairly short. They’re see through!!!! My favorite tshirts are not so thin they’re see through like this. And I don’t mean I bought a size too small and they stretched see-through. I also don’t mean VPL because I’m wearing granny panties see-through either.

When I say they’re see-though I mean you can see the COLOR of my underwear through black! (Which is also why I’m not showing you pictures!!!)

I know that what I loved I had bought two years ago but these looked like the same style and they were a similar price point and most of Victoria’s Secret’s products haven’t changed price much so I really thought I would be getting something comparable.

So sure, if you want tights with no feet to go under a dress or tunic, these are soft and nice. If you were looking for something less see-through then don’t buy these.

So taking these back and I’m back to the drawing board… probably not from VS this time. :/

PS – I bought a pair of clearance undies too … when did they start putting an obnoxiously long tag in the FRONT? Or was that why they were clearance?

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October 8, 2012

Blue Lace Twistband review

Posted by By Hilary Baumann

Posted in Hair, Subscription boxes

As part of my September Birchbox I received a blue lace twistband. Out of the box it looked ok but when I put it on the first time, the underside (which did not have the lace pattern printed on it) flipped over enough that it didn’t look great.

A month later, I’ve worn it a few more times and it’s just not holding up well. It doesn’t flip over as much in my hair but it still doesn’t look great AND it’s starting to come apart.

$14/6pk = $2.33 per band which is far more expensive than the average hair band and I would hope they would hold up better. They ARE more comfortable in your hair so I’ve relegated this one to nighttime braid use. The neon twistband from the March Birchbox is holding up much better but I haven’t used it maybe only twice.

If you really like these and want them to last awhile, I would recommend investing in some Dritz Fray Check. It’s a sewing product that is like a glue to keep the ends of ribbon from unraveling.

I still really like the concept because it’s like a better looking scruncie and easier on your hair than most hairbands, but I’m thinking about buying some elastic at the fabric store or online to go the DIY route for less and in a wider variety of colors. Or so I can have a pile of brown ones to last awhile.

Hint Hint: There are also people on etsy selling similar hairbands for much less.