April Birchbox Review!

Birchbox - April 2015

I ended up choosing the Mad Men New York curated box AND upgraded to get the Rifle Paper Co. tote!  This was a great Birchbox month for me.  I won't go into much detail about the tote, but I will say it was much bigger than I expected!  It's larger than a purse, but smaller than an overnight bag.  There aren't any zippers or pockets anywhere, but I still really like it and plan to get a lot of use out of it this summer!  Here are my thoughts on this month's products:

Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel - $22.00 full size 0.28 oz / $6.67 sample value .085 oz

I actually just cracked this one open because my full size of this was just about done.  I love this brow gel.  It's not too goopy or sticky, but holds every hair in place.  I use it with my Anastasia brow powder duo in Medium Brown.  Will definitely buy this again once I run out.

Cargo Swimmables Water Resistant Blush in Los Cabos - $26.00 FS 0.37 oz / $7.72 SV .11oz

I remember Kate from The Small Things Blog talking about this on one of her posts a while ago.  It's a really nice tangerine color with a touch of shimmer.  And it really does last all day!  Maybe even longer than Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes?  I really have to be careful when applying this because it is soooo pigmented.  This color is ok on me - I think it will look better once I am more tan.  I really want to try the other two shades:  Bali (medium rose) and Ibiza (shimmery, sheer bubblegum pink).

Beauty Protector Protect & Oil - $25.95 FS 4 oz / $1.62 SV* .25oz

I have gotten this before in a Birchbox and loved it.  It smells amazing, just like all of Beauty Protector's other products.  I really like putting this on my hair and letting it air dry the night before I plan on curling it with a curling iron.  It really helps keep the frizz down.  It also works great before blowdrying.  Once I use up my other hair oils, this might be my next purchase!  *Note - the sample value is a guess because the sample bottle doesn't say how many ounces it is.  I'm guessing it's about a quarter ounce.

Liz Earle Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion - $25.00 FS 5 oz / $8.00 SV 1.6 oz

This product wasn't what I was expecting.  I was expecting a thin eye cream (hence, lotion), but it's more like a toner for your eyes...which is something I've never tried before.  It claims to help calm and de-puff eyes, plus remove any traces of eye makeup left behind after cleansing.  My eyes do feel refreshed after using this, and it didn't irritate my sensitive eyes.  I am also a contact lens wearer.  

Whish Shave Crave Shaving Cream - $20.00 FS 150 ml / $2.96 SV .75 oz

This does smell nice, but I prefer foams or foaming gels when shaving my legs.  Or at least something that lathers at least a little bit.  I wouldn't ever spend that much on a shaving cream anyway.  

This was probably one of the best Birchboxes I've received, and I've been a subscriber since December 2011!  The total box is valued at $26.97, so for 10 bucks, it's a great value!  

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Dessange Paris California Blonde Collection REVIEW

When I received an email from Influenster saying I was receiving a VoxBox from Dessange Paris Hair, I figured I would be receiving travel sizes and more foil packets.  However, when I received the box, I was blown away!  I got full sizes of the California Blonde Illuminating Shampoo, Conditioner and the Brass Color Correcting Creme!  They're available at Target (exclusively I believe).  I've been using them for about a month and a half, so here are my thoughts on each:

California Blonde Illuminating Shampoo - ($9.99 - 8.5 oz)
This cleans my hair really well without stripping or over-drying.  It lathers well (which is important to me, this girl needs sulfates).  A lot of reviewers stated the smell was too strong, but I enjoy it!  I think it does brighten up my highlights - and each time I use it, my hair seems shinier than usual.  I will definitely repurchase if I can catch this on sale at Target.  

California Blonde Illuminating Conditioner - ($9.99 - 6.7 oz)
This makes my hair so soft and the smell matches the shampoo.  It has a nice slip and definitely leaves my hair shiny and bouncy.  I like to mix this with a little bit of the CC cream (below) on days I don't use the CC cream full strength. I will definitely repurchase! 

California Blonde Brass Color Correcting Creme - ($11.99 - 4.2 oz)
I've always used "purple" shampoos and conditioners to help with brassiness.  I kind of rolled my eyes when I saw yet another product claiming to be a CC cream - for hair?  But this stuff WORKS.  It's a very pigmented purple cream and I use it once or twice a week.  The tube says to wear gloves to protect your hands from staining, but I never do and haven't had a problem.  I really like the packaging and the nozzle tip that screws shut to avoid leakage.  I will definitely be repurchasing this instead of buying the expensive purple shampoos and conditioners from a salon!  

Since using all three of these together, my hair has been shinier and so soft and my highlights really stand out!  I am so glad I got this VoxBox, because I probably would've never tried these products on my own.  Thank you Influenster!

**I received these products complimentary to test and review.  All reviews and opinions are honest and my own**

*If you're interested in signing up for Influenster, comment below!  IT'S FREE!*

Finally - my first blog post!

So I've always wanted to start a blog....mainly because I have so much to say about beauty products, but nowhere to write it or no one to tell (that actually cares).  UNTIL I found the lovely beauty community on Instagram!  I've met so many incredibly sweet ladies that share the obsession I have with makeup, skincare, haircare, etc!  Finally, I'm part of a group that thinks it's okay to own over 40 blushes....

So this will be my outlet to write longer reviews, post detailed pics and swatches, and MAYBE eventually start a YouTube channel!  I found that I was starting to get too long-winded on IG, ha.

With that being said, not all of my blog posts will be beauty related.  There will be some random stuff thrown on here as well.  A very dear friend of mine, Angela, has told me over the past few years that I've shared ideas that she calls "LP Life-changers"...so I will be sharing some of those useful things on here too!  I'll also be posting life stuff like recipes, fitness routines, parenting two boys, and maybe even my emotional issues and how I've dealt with them.

I have a list of post ideas, but I'd love more!  So far I have:
- De-cluttering my makeup collection
- #4ormoretag (saw this on The Wonky Brow's blog - who you should check out if you haven't already)
- Reviews on sub boxes
- Empties reviews (I will still post empties on IG, but the longer reviews will go here)
- How I lost baby weight, and then some (when I used to despise working out)
- Apps and websites I love
- Books I've recently read / what I'm currently reading

Please comment below and let me know what you want to read about!

Thank you all so much for your support!  

xo
Lisa