Birchbox is All Wrapped Up

I know it seems like I just received my first Birchbox, and well, that's because I did.  As it turns out, Birchbox got a little behind with their November shipments so many of us received Novemeber's box very late. However, Birchbox was kind enough write send out emails apologizing for the delay and granted all those with late box shipments 100 points on the website which is equivalent to $10 off any full size purchase! Not bad!

But after all that, Decemeber's box arrived on time and was here waiting for me to open with giddy excitement! Sample sizes have that effect on me.

December's Box came in a pretty printed box like a beautiful present. How appropriate! And since all good things come in theme form, Decemeber's box's is called All Wrapped Up!

Contents:

1. A cute recycled To and From gift tag for a special someone this season.
2. Nick Chavez Beverly Hills Advance Volume Shampoo
3. Chuao ChocoPod in Maple Bacon
4. Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream in warm glow
5. Wrapped up surprise package!
6. $50 Gift Certificate to Rent The Runway

Contents of the surprise package

7. Juicy Couture by Juicy Couture Perfume

8.The Balm Cosmetics Hot Mama Shadow & Blush All-in-one

 I'm so excited about The Balm all-in-one color. It's the best tiny magnetic matchbox sized package that still holds a full size eye shadow tin and is a truly great all in one color. 

 It's a soft peachy gold with lots of reflective bits that make it great for highlighting areas but still can be built up to a nice glowy peach shadow color.

This box really was the perfect Christmas gift! It has everything from a shampoo I'm dying to try, a CC cream I'm so excited about, a piece of bacon chocolate, which is come on....heaven. Plus perfume and some great makeup by a company with one of the best names in the game. I mean...it's called The Balm. So brilliant. 

So far, each box is better than the last. This is the best monthly thing I've signed up for since the CD clubs of the 90's.  

Shout out to Columbia House!

Headband Wishes

Now that my hair is long, I have to put it up and out of my way when I'm doing domestic things.  I've taken to many different methods but recently I've been using these to hold my hair off my face...

Oh...and by the by....I got these for a BUCK at Dollar Tree! Can I get a whaaaat?! 

A pack of 3 full headbands. These are great because unlike a regular hairband, these goes completely around and therefore stay more secure. And unlike a regular stretchy headband, these have the added tiny plastic 'teeth' of a hairband that keeps my hair back without sliding around. Perfect combo!

The 3 pack came in 3 color options. Great neutrals for dark hair and a snazzy animal print or contrast for lighter haired girls. 

But here's the best part. Even better than the fact that these were 33 Cents each....

 They're FULLY bendy!  

The entire hairband part is made of pliable plastic that can be bent in any direction! No more tight temples, no more digging hair band ends. No more headaches!

The Headband Gods have listened to our prayers and sent the answer to a dollar store. 

Headband wishes do come true. 

Fancy Eyes On The Cheap

These days its easier, and faster for me to do my eyeliner with a brush. This started years ago with my L'Oreal HIP Liner and just became a habit.

A few months ago I picked up this gel eyeliner from Sally's as I was waiting in line to pay. It sat in my bathroom for a while before I even gave it a go.

Ok...fine...I forgot about it. I finally picked it up and tried it out and turns out I love it! I've been wearing it almost daily for the last 2 months.

 Femme Couture Gel Eye Liner in black $6 at Sally's 

It's a great black color and is a super smooth gel consistency which is far more fluid than a cream liner but just slightly thicker than a liquid liner. Something about the word 'gel ' always turned me off about liners, but now that I've used them, I really like them. Gel liners give me the look of a liquid, but gives me much more time to work with it and also many more options, like smudging and layering color. 

This was under $6 with my Sally's card and was definitely a great beauty buy! It also helps that the little pot holds a lot of product, yet is nice and small, for traveling. 

I can wear this on my eyes without primer and the staying power is really impressive which I was not expecting. But for a real cat eye look, I usually wear it over primer and it doesn't budge at all! I've definitely woken up the next day with near perfect cat eyes...I know...muy bad for my eyes, but muy good from this product!

For my application, I use one of 2 brushes, sometimes both. 

Top: Bare Essentuals Slanted Eye Liner Brush $14. This is the brush I bought when I began using cream eye liners years ago. The slanted tip makes it easier for you you learn your application method without having to learn a whole new hand position. The tip of this brush is really fine so you really learn at your own pace because you can create the very finest of lines that you can build up on as you go. 

I use this brush to line my lower water line and tight lining in the quickest way possible. I also use this brush to create perfectly winged cat eye looks and even just for a quick upper lash smudgey line.

Bottom: Angled Eye Liner Brush. This particular one is something inexpensive I picked up along the way at a drugstore. (close match) It does the job and I haven't had the need for a new one, yet. This brush is a stiffer, thicker bristled brush that covers a lot more area than the slanted brush and therefore gives a much thicker line. I use this when I want a quick run out the door look and I just want to press some liner into my top last line to create something very natural looking. I also use this when I want a thicker line that I want to smudge on top and bottom. 

I've been known to use this brush to create a thicker cat eye look as well, but it's slightly harder to use this brush to do that than the slanted one, if you're a beginner cat eye wearer. 

A dry angled brush is also great to have on hand just to smudge a line or even to apply really concentrated shadow to a lash line. 

The eyeliner comes in navy and espresso also, which I keep forgetting to take a look at when I go, but I would definitely purchase those as well. I don't think I'll be needing another black one for a while since I've barely used any of it even though I wear it often. But I imagine I'll have to buy a new pot well before I run out. I'm not sure how fast gel liners dry out, but I would think it takes a lot longer than creams.

So here's to gel liners! and Sally's! Thanks for bringing me a great liner at an even better price! 

Confessions

Sorry guys, I'm a few days behind on posts because I'm busy spending quality niece time. So instead of a lengthy review or what have you, I present to you my latest obsession which comes via Tumblr.

Fashion Industry Confessions: Let's Talk Smack

This wonderful Tumblr is a slightly scandalous confession site complete with questions and posh and quick witted answers from an anonymous poster who simply goes by A.  It's Gossip Girl for the fashion world and it's brilliant.  And yes, I just referenced Gossip Girl, judge if you must.

Por Ejemplo...

Having just come across this site only a day ago, I'm already fully obsessed and hope it never ever goes away.

The site is gaining viewership fast and therefore it's stepping on a lot of toes and making many waves, but frankly, that's what good fashion is all about to begin with.

Scandalous? Maybe. Fascinating? Definitely! But I don't want to read anything otherwise.

So...enjoy! I hope.