Three Days, Three Boxes


I'm still holding up pretty well with my empties budget/no-buy and concentrating on finishing products I already own. *pats self on back* The only downside to buying less is fewer products to haul and review. I accumulated three beauty boxes/bags in three days and it almost felt like a haul. I figured an unboxing/haul only made sense...


Birchbox March 2015
I really like how Birchbox now has sample choice. Don't get me wrong, I love surprises but it's nice every now and then to be able to make a decision, too. This month, I chose It's a 10! Miracle Leave-in Product; this is my HG detangler and I figured I could use a travel size. I received a sample choice confirmation and spoiler email. I was a little disappointed my box featured totally different products. Birchbox informed they ran out of inventory. Bummer!


Products:
  • Benefit Watt's up! Highlighter
  • Derma E Evenly Radiant Brightening Day Creme SPF 15
  • Macadamia Nourishing Moisture Masque
  • Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo Powder Spray
  • Roloxin Light Revitalizing Facial Masque Treatment (set of 2)
I already owned/tried three of these products... that has never happened to me in the history of my Birchbox experience. (Nearly four years!) On the plus side, this is probably the highest value box I've ever received - $10 for over $50 worth of product. Impressive! I'm generally always pleased with my monthly Birchbox. Birchbox is a monthly subscription service that brings you new beauty products tailored to your personal profile. Sign up here. (referral link)


Walmart Beauty Box Spring 2015
The Walmart Beauty Box is a seasonal subscription box that cost $5. (There are only 4 boxes a year, $20 in total.)

Products:
  • Dove Go Fresh Mandarin & Tiare Flower Seed Body Wash (travel size)
  • Garnier Miracle Sleeping Cream (foil packet)
  • Lady Gaga Fame Fragrance (sample)
  • Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless Foundation (foil packet)
  • Neutrogena Healthy Skin Boosters Facial Cleanser (White Tea & Vitamin E) (sample)
  • Nivea In-Shower Lotion (foil packet)
  • Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara (full size)
  • Schwarzkopf essence Ultime Omega Repair & Moisture Shampoo (travel size)
  • Schwarzkopf essence Ultime Omega Repair & Moisture Conditioner (travel size)
  • $14 in coupons
I'll admit I was a little confused when opening the box, nothing really screamed 'Hello spring!' to me. I'm generally always disappointed with fragrance vials - this one REALLY annoyed me since it came out 3 years ago!! (Subscription boxes normally showcase new fragrances.) However, I'm looking forward to trying everything else. The mascara alone retails for over $5.00. I'm guessing the value of this box is close to $20 plus $14 in coupons. I think this box is totally worth it if you're into drugstore products. Sign up here.

 
Whole Foods Beauty Bag
Whole Foods launched a beauty bag for beauty week. (It hit shelves March 21, 2015. This is not a subscription box. It is/was available in stores only.) The bag retailed for $18 and has a value of over $60! See more details here.

Products:
  • Acure Cell Stimulating Facial Mask
  • Derma E Microdermabrasion Scrub
  • Gabriel Mascara
  • Giovanni 2chic Blackberry & Coconut Milk Ultra-Repair Shampoo
  • Hello, Beauty Bag
  • Pacifica Eye Shadow Duo (or Lipstick)
  • Trilogy Vital Moisturizing Cream 
  • $5 off coupon for any Biosil Product
I saw this bag was being released and knew I had to have it. Three vegan skincare products (& more!) for under $20? Yes, please! I've been eying a few Giovanni products, so that caught my eye too. I would've preferred the lipstick but my local store was only offering the eyeshadow. A more neutral color eyeshadow duo would've been nice, but otherwise no complaints! I'm happy the bag is 'plain'; I'll probably actually use it instead of storing it with the all of the obnoxious printed bags companies usually giveaway. 

surprise samples,
-Kaitlyn

Follow / Subscribe / Twitter / Instagram

February Favorites

'Favorites' posts/videos discuss the products (and other misc things) you loved for that month. The products can either be purchased that month or (old) 'rediscovered' items. Favorites are published at the end of the current month or at the beginning of the following month. 

beauty products

Jordana Easyliner for Lips in Rock n Rose

This is an oldy but goody. I keep coming back to this one. I've been loving matte lips lately. I've been wearing this on its own most of the month.

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray 
I've raved about this one too many times. It's part dry shampoo, part texturizing spray - 100% genius. It smells amazing. Just try. it. This product is making me want to try everything else from Oribe.

Parlor Moisturizing Sea Salt Spray
I received this in my Birchbox. This salt spray is super fine and light - not sticky and heavy, like other salt sprays I've tried in the past. It adds texture without a ton of product buildup... win-win.

Simple Cleansing Micellar Water
I FINALLY tried Bioderma - only a small decant. But I really liked it and I was curious how other micellar waters would compare. This was sort of an impulse buy. (It was on sale and I didn't read any reviews first.) I must I say I liked Bioderma better, but the Simple one comes pretty dang close. It's a super effective makeup remover without irritation or a scent.

Wet n Wild Lipstick in Bare it All (902c)
Again, I've been loving matte lips all-month. When I didn't wear the Jordana easy liner - I wore this. It's such a pretty, natural shade.

pump dispenser lid

A 'random' favorite is a storage solution! I FINALLY got my hands on the Up & Up nail polish dispenser. It has the pump dispenser lid, very similar to Zoya's Remove+. Using this huge bottle of Clinique Toner has been a hassle: it's heavy when it's full, I'm paranoid I'm going to spill it, and it doesn't even fit in my bathroom drawer. Taking off my makeup feels like such a chore sometimes; this dispenser has made my skin care routine more effective and effortless.

matte lips & texturized hair,
-Kaitlyn

Follow / Subscribe / Twitter / Instagram

Empties #8

Onto another round of empties! See more information on the #100daysofempties challenge in my last empties post: Empties #7.

beauty empties

Empties:
Bath & Body Works French Lavender & Honey Shower Gel
This was a gift with purchase item. Bath & Body Works gels are great as both shower gel and bubble bath. I grew tired of this scent halfway through the bottle. I probably won't repurchase this scent.

Bath & Body Works Vampire Blood Plum PocketBac Hand Sanitizer 
This is limited edition for Halloween; it's one of my favorite scents that I use year-round. I have a few back-ups on hand, but I would probably repurchase it again.

Bikini Zone After Shave Gel
This is a staple for me. The product is great for ingrown hairs and shaving irritation all over the body. 

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution
(3oz decant) I've been wanting to try Bioderma for awhile. I received a 3oz decant in a swap package. This was an excellent, gentle makeup remover. It definitely lives up to the hype. I will probably purchase a big bottle once I use up all of my current makeup removers.

Clairol Herbal Essences Body Wash Body Burst
(travel size) I was unimpressed with this body wash. It didn't lather or foam nicely. The scent was just okay.

Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara 
(deluxe sample) This mascara is just okay. I liked layering it with other mascaras. I always seem to get these samples in gift with purchase bags. I would use it again, but I probably won't purchase the full size.

Dove Refresh + Care Volume Dry Shampoo 
This dry shampoo was just okay. The consistency was a little too heavy for my liking. The scent was nice. It came out clear, so that was a plus.

Dove Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar Soap
This is a holy grail product for me; I won't continue to rave.

E45 Cream 
I heard a lot of good things about this cream. I used it has a face cream for a few weeks but then I noticed a lot of clogged pores. I used the remainder on super dry areas - like my elbows and feet. This was a decent body cream. I might repurchase it.

ELF Eyelash & Brow Wand Brush
This is a staple for me. These brushes just get covered in brow product and brow hair, it's easier to just replace it (for only $1) than to deep clean it. I buy a replacement every few months.

Gilchrist & Soames The London Collection Shower Gel 
(Birchbox sample) This smelled and lathered just okay. I didn't find it very moisturizing. Overall, I was pretty unimpressed with this product.

Harvey Prince Liquidloofah Ageless Shower Gel 
(Birchbox sample) This smelled nice - a little too floral for me. It lathered okay. The sample was tiny; I don't think it's worth the high price tag.

Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara
This was a really nice, cheap (under $3!) mascara. It provided a lot of length and volume. I did notice some flaking toward the end of the tube. I will say avoid this in the heat or if you're a chef/bake a lot; I could literally feel my lashes melting getting things in and out of the oven. Otherwise, no complaints!

Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Sensitive 
(Birchbox sample) I used this once; the tingling sensation was too much for me to handle. My skin felt nice immediately after use but I didn't notice any longer term benefits.

Karma Naturals Nail Polish Remover 
(Birchbox sample) This nail polish remover was effective, but it was a little too oily for my liking. I'll stick with Zoya Remove+!

Keims Peppermint & Macadamia Shampoo
(Birchbox sample) This smelled awesome - like a salon or spa. However, it didn't do a thing for my hair. I felt like it almost dried it out. I ended up using the remainder as a shaving gel.

Nivea A Touch of Happiness Shower Gel 
(travel size) This was my HG shower gel in high school. I still like it, but I bet better products are out there.

Pantene Blowout Extend Dry Shampoo*
(travel size, voxbox freebie) When I received this, I immediately used it. It smelled nice and felt pretty light. A few days later, I was going to use it again and the nozzle broke. It seemed like it ran out of aerosol. It appears this is a common problem with this dry shampoo. I received this product complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

Pantene Full & Strong Shampoo & Conditioner*
(voxbox freebies) These smelled nice in the bottle. When I used them in the shower, the scent reminded me of bubble gum. (I don't like when products have food scents.)  The first week, my hair looked shiny and felt so smooth. About halfway through the bottles, I noticed a lot of scalp irritation - I had a lot of product build up. I'm probably going to pass these to my sisters. I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

Personna Twin Blades Razors (3)
I got a 10 pack of these for $1.00. I'm flying through Venus razors and looking for a cheaper alternative. At first, these were nice. On the third razor, I noticed a lot of shave bumps and a few ingrown hairs. I'll probably give away the remaining razors and switch back to my HG Venus razors.

Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Truffle 
I have finished and repurchased this lip butter multiple times. This is such a great 'my lips but better' color. I don't need a mirror to apply it, so that's definitely a plus. This is probably my holy grail drugstore lipstick.

Swisspers Cotton Rounds (100ct)
This is both a staple and a holy grail product for me; I won't continue to rave.

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara 
(sample) I was so unimpressed with this mascara. It made my lashes so flat and weighed down.

Vasanti Detox Facial Cleanser
(Birchbox sample) This was an effective facial cleanser. Although, I prefer Vasanti Brighten Up! over this.

Whish Shave Cream Acai Grapefruit 
(Birchbox sample) This reminded me a lot of the EOS Shaving Cream. It was kind of moisturizing but I didn't feel like it was super effective for the price.


candles

Candles:
Better Homes Warm Rustic Woods Scented Wax Cubes (6 tarts)
I think this was a limited edition Christmas scent. I really liked this scent - really woodsy with a touch of men's cologne.

Glade Cashmere Woods Candle (2)
Another Woodsy scent - more female than the scent above. This is probably my favorite home scent for fall.

Glade Clean Linen Candle
One of my all-time favorite drugstore scents. It smells like fresh laundry.

Glade Lavender & Peach Blossom Candle
Surprisingly, I really liked this. I generally avoid food/floral scents, but I'm glad I tried this one. The peach and lavender really compliment each other without being overwhelming.

Starburst Candle
I got this at the Dollar Tree awhile ago. I'm pretty sure it was the watermelon scent but I no longer have the packaging. It smelled nice in the jar - like a Lip Smackers product. The jar had a pretty design. When lit, it had no scent at all. In my experience, the majority of Dollar Tree candles look pretty but very rarely have a strong fragrance.

Yankee Fluffy Towels Large Jar Candle
This is my favorite Yankee scent, another fresh laundry smell. I rarely purchase these because they're so pricey. On the plus side, they do last forever.

Totals:
#100daysofempties totals: I've completed 49 products in 59 days.
#oneemptyonedollar totals: $21.20 remains in my beauty budget.

Follow / Subscribe / Twitter / Instagram