Hydrating Mask Wars...

I used and reviewed the two following products:

• Myfaceworks I need to replenish Intense Hydrating Mask (a box of six masks retails for $55)

• One Bath & Body Nighty Nite Tonic Hydrating Mask (one mask retails for $1.99)

Both masks are the type that are a paper mask inserted into individual packets with solution inside. You unfold the mask, place it on your face, lay down and relax for 15 to 20 minutes. Both claim to be hydrating and biodegradable.

That is where the similarities end...

I'll start with the Myfaceworks mask. I was really excited about this one when I ordered the box. I am an avid skin care shopper and I'm always looking for a product that will keep my skin youthful and healthy. I read reviews from numerous websites and blogs before I purchased and there seemed to be more positive reviews than negative ones. Here's what my thoughts are:

• The mask does stay in place nicely...no sliding around on your face once you put it on.
• It's got just the right amount of product so it's not a huge mess when you take it out of the package and it doesn't drip down the side of your face when you lay down with it on.
• It did feel slightly relaxing but nothing spa like
• When I took the mask off my skin felt tight for a few hours after
• I didn't notice any extra hydration (I could have gotten the same results from using my normal moisturiser)
• I also noticed that the product that had dried on my hands from when I applied the mask made my hands feel really dry...like I needed to use a super thick hand cream.

On another night I used the One Bath & Body mask. You can find these masks at Ulta and at Target. They come in individual packets instead of a whole box. I was sceptical of this one to begin with because it's been my experience with facial products that the more expensive ones tend to work better. Here's what my thoughts are:

• There's a ton of product in this packet and the mask is literally covered in it. I had to make sure I had an extra wash cloth with me to wipe my hands on right after I applied it to my face.
• The up side to this is that when you are finished you can fold the mask up, place it back in the packet, seal it in a zip lock bag and use it again within the next few days!
• This felt super relaxing while I was using it...I actually almost fell asleep.
• When I took the mask off my skin really felt extremely hydrated and my skin still felt great the next morning.
• You can't beat the price! $1.99 and you can get two uses out of it.

The CLEAR winner here is the One Bath & Body Nighty Nite Tonic Mask....it's super hydrating, easily available and the price is right!

July Birchbox Review

Here's my honest review of Birchbox July 2012....

This is what came in my box....

Lets start with the utterly ridiculousness that they call Birchbox Earbuds. First, I really don't appreciate getting something like earbuds in a beauty sample box. That aside, these earbuds SUCK! The worst things I've ever tried to put in my ears. They are super cheaply made and the cushioning around around the ear buds is just a really thin piece of plastic. They don't stay in your ears at all unless you want to sit there and hold them in your ears so you can hear. I threw mine away since they are P.O.S. (Just a note: they retail on the birchbox website for $10....there things aren't worth ten cents!!)

While we're talking about things that shouldn't be placed in a beauty sample box that LaraBar Roasted Nut Roll was also a waste of space. Had I wanted to get snacks delivered each month I would have placed an order at Target.

Next I got the Oscar de la Renta Live In Love perfume sample. It's alright, not my favorite. It seems like alot of beauty boxes are jumping on the perfume sample bandwagon.

Next I came across Alterna Bamboo UV Color Protection Fade Proof Fluide. This is a finishing gloss that you spray in your hair to help protect it from UV rays. I tried it and wasn't impressed. Also, once you start adding more and more product to your hair routine there's a good chance you'll weight down your hair so much it'll look like you flunked out of beauty school.

Next in line was Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint. I wasn't even able to use this because it was so out of my skin tone range it wasn't even funny.

Last, I got the Stila Lip Glaze....I usually love this brand, but I've always disliked their lip gloss because it seems so thick and goopy when you apply it. This went straight into the giveaway box.

My final thoughts....this box was a huge let down, yet again. Can't say I'm surprised though as Birchbox has done nothing but suck hard since I signed up a three months ago.

Bath & Body Works We Love Paris Tote

I noticed I was low on Bath and Body Works foaming hand soap so I thought I'd head over to their site to see if they had any special deals going on. I'm a bargain shopper but I refuse to sacrifice what I love to save money...and I love this hand soap, so when they have a good deal I stock up.

Luckily, they were having an awesome 7 for $20 deal on their soap and another special where you can get the new Paris Amour We Love Paris VIP tote with products for only $20 (when you spend a total of $30 online). Usually this cute bag full of goodies retails for $80!

The bag includes: Signature Shea Enriched Shower Gel (10 oz.), Shea Enriched Body Lotion (8 oz.), Fine Fragrance Mist (8 oz.), Liplicious Lip Gloss (.47 oz), Pocketbac (1 oz.), Pink Pocketbac Holder, Pink Gauze Sponge.

I ended up getting 7 of the foaming hand soaps and a True Blue Purifying Peel Off Face Mask with Blackberry to fulfill my $30 order. I also got discounted shipping which is a double yay!

Can't wait for the super cute bag to get here!

Yet another disapointment from Birchbox...

Seriously Birchbox?! Do you need a dictionary to define what a beauty product is?

Last time I checked I had signed up to get a "beauty subscription" box.

Why are you sending me this?!

This looks like a snack...not a beauty product. I swear sometimes I think they just throw in whatever lame things they can find in order to fill the box. Anyone remember when they sent out laundry soap?!

Good job Birchbox once again you fail to impress me.

Love Anthropologie but *hate* the price tag?!

Lets admit it...anyone who loves Anthro could max their credit card out in 30 minutes in that store.

Recently when I was browsing the web...*cough* I mean Pinterest-the-best-invention-ever I stumbled upon the cutest pin of a dress. I thought for sure when I click it I would be taken to the Anthropologie store where I'd have to shell out $300 for the super cute coral dress I had just fallen in love with.

Nope! My super cute dress was less than $40.

It took me to my newest obsession store online called Ruche. Check it out here! They have the same style and vintage feel as Anthroplogie without the crazy price tag....they even have super cute home and office stuff as well.

Check them out next time you have an Anthroplogie craving and you'll find the same cute clothing, jewelery and home stuff at a fraction of the cost!

Happy shopping!

The good, the bad and the ugly: Birchbox edition

Let's review Birchbox for a moment...

So, Birchbox is a monthly beauty box subscription service. You pay $10 per month and they mail you five deluxe sample sized beauty products. Basically it's the equivalent of a CSA produce box delivered right to your door every month....but instead of vegetables you get beauty products. What girl wouldn't love that?!

I've been a member for a few months so far and I'm sad to have to report that they are not as fantastic as they seem. *Sad face*

The good...

It's pretty cool to be exposed to new beauty products. Usually most of the items are sample size but generally one item will be a full size item...which is always nice. They work with awesome high end brands such as Stila, Nars, Kerastase, Dior, Tarte, Jurlique and more. So when you get a full size Stila item plus a few other deluxe sample items you really do get a good bang for your buck.

 Each month when the boxes ship out you can log into your account on their website and see what samples you are getting in your box.

The bad…

The downside is that you don’t get to pick which samples you want. Upon signing up you fill out a beauty profile which is supposed to help the Birchbox team select the best type of products for you. But it doesn’t always work like that. They have a few different versions of their boxes each month and I get the feeling you just get assigned one probably by random computer generation. So there will be times when you get things that may not work with your skin tone or something that doesn’t work for you.

The ugly…

Customer service is horrid! My first month’s box never showed up. So I emailed Birchbox to let them know and I promptly received a generated email response telling me that someone from the team would be in contact within two working days. A week went by until I finally heard back from someone at Birchbox. And the only thing the email said was “Sorry it took so long to get back to you…blah blah blah. I’m sure you’re box has arrived by now.” The end. No help.

So I emailed them again to let them know that it hadn’t arrived yet. Another four or five days passed before I heard anything from the Birchbox team after which they mailed me a replacement box.

The second month rolled around and my box didn’t show up. The tracking information didn’t even work. I emailed them and it was a week before I heard back from anyone. Finally they mailed me a replacement box. But the products that I was sent in my replacement box were not the products I was told I was getting in my online account. Which is pretty lame. When I emailed them to let them know I was super unhappy about the box and my experience. They basically said “I’m sorry, blah blah blah.” And claimed they were just oh so busy that they didn’t have enough customer service support members to keep up with the emails and complaints. Bottom line is that is you don’t have enough customer support members to keep up with your client base…stop selling your product or hire more staff members!

I'm thinking about cancelling my subscription because Birchbox isnt the only beauty box subscription service on the block. There are plenty out there including Beauty Army, The Look Bag, Glossy Box, and more.