Subscription Addiction | May 2015 Boxycharm

I assure you, I wasn't being lazy on this one. My Boxycharm ended up in my city, then was mis-delivered to another city entirely, then finally re-routed to the city I live in. I didn't get it until way late in May. ANYWAY. Here's what was inside:

Product #1: Bodyography Brow Trio
I don't usually use brow powder, but I like this. I'll be able to mix colors to get what I want, and as a redhead, it will be nice to get the correct mix. It's something that's cool to have, I guess? I wasn't blown away by it when I opened it up, but I think the idea of it has grown on me.

Product #2: Bodyography Brow Brush
I like the occasional beauty tool in a box, so this was pretty nice to have. I will definitely use this in combination with the trio. It's also going to be nice to tame brows, and the brush itself is a great value. So. Good to have.

Product #3: ModelCo Bronzer
This is a really really nice bronzer, but it looks a little dark for my light skin tone. I haven't swatched it or anything, for fear of it being too dark and then I went and swatched it... but it does look a little dark. I'm curious how it will look. Everyone seems to really enjoy it as a product, but I'm not sure about it.

Product #4: Lauren B. Beauty Nail Polish
The color of this nail polish is one I would quite literally never ever wear. It's like a sea foam lime greenish color. It seems like it could be fun for summer or as an accent nail or something, perhaps layered with a clear Jamberry wrap, but honestly? It isn't a color I would ever ever wear. Ever. The red one I saw in videos is much more wearable and it would be something I would most definitely try. But this one? Nope. Nah.

Product #5: The Lip Bar Lipstick
I saw all the YouTube videos of this and I anticipated getting the bright purple shade so many youtubers ended up with, but I actually ended up with a pretty coral color. It's still not for me, but it's much more wearable than a bright-ass purple.

One complaint I have about this box is the wearability/universality of the products. The brow trio is PERFECT in terms of universality. Anyone can use it, for the most part. But, bright green nail polish and bright purple lipstick (even though I got the coral shade) aren't generally wearable. I know they like a little excitement and come creativity other than a pink-nude-red nail polish type color scheme, but that's my main frustration with these things. I can't wear bright purple lipstick to work. Someone can, but I can't. So.

All in all, this box was "meh". Wasn't horrible and wasn't great. But I am grateful to have a couple of the products I got.

Subscription Addiction | Boxycharm Backup - April 2015

This is the Boxycharm I have been most excited about in FOREVER. So thanks for that, Boxycharm.

April 2015 Boxycharm: April Bloom

Product #1: Coastal Scents Revealed 2 Palette
I love the Coastal Scents Revealed Palette, and while the Revealed 2 Palette has several very similar colors, I really do love this palette too. One thing that I appreciate about the Revealed palettes is how many colors there are, and how wearable they are. They aren't bright tangerine, or neon green, or anything strange. I haven't had a chance to try these out yet, but I will soon.

Product #2: OFRA Derma Mineral Powder
I don't know about this one, guys. It's so pink and sparkly, that it's just not for me at first glance. But I will for sure give it a shot. I do need to branch out, and this is an incredible value and I've heard really good things about this product anyway.

Product #3: Vincent Longo Duo Lip Pencil in Lavender Lite/Grape
This went up on eDivv for sure. While the purples are gorgeous, I don't wear purple lipstick. That's the thing about this - if the colors were different, I would definitely give them a shot. But the colors are either purple or bright Barbie pink and I can't get away with those types of colors.

Product #4: Coolway Smoothing Lotion
This is another one of those "Not really useful to me" products. Sure, I'm glad to have this, but it's not something I oohed and ahhhed over when I opened it. I'll give it a shot and see how it works. Can't hurt to try.

Product #5: Harvey Prince Mini Roller Fragrance in Signature
At first this was really disappointing because as much as I love Harvey Prince, I didn't need a third backup of "Hello". But this apparently is the signature scent. So that's a lot better. It smells good and it's in a rollerball size, which means it didn't show up half empty.

Subscription Addiction | Boxycharm Backup - March 2015

Honestly, in opening this one, I didn't even remember what I thought of it. It was that point in the semester where I had 400 things due at once, and I was working 14 hour days, and I was so freaking exhausted that I didn't remember a single thing from March.

March 2015 Boxycharm: Lucky Charm

Product #1: Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo Spray
I want to try this. I really do. Dry shampoo is frustrating for me, because it doesn't usually work on me. But I will give it an honest and fair shot before I write it off as "it sucks" like every other brand I've ever tried. Plus, Oscar Blandi is a pretty awesome name in beauty, so it's not like this isn't quality stuff.

Product #2: OFRA Eyeliner in Navy
Am I boring if I just don't see a use for eyeliners that aren't brown or black? At least not in my life, at this point. I've seen it swatched, and it's less of a navy and more of a royal blue, which is just too intense for me. I'm passing this on to someone else.

Product #3: LVX Nail Lacquer
This nail polish needs 2-3 coats, and it's super streaky. I'm really not a fan. It's possible that someone else may enjoy it, but I'm not usually a huge fan of the Boxycharm nail polishes. It's just the truth. So, I'm 'meh' about this.

Product #4: Tarte Tip Surgence Lip Tint in Charmed
I love Tarte products, and this one's no different. People say it's a little minty, and I can see that, I suppose. I just like how it's really hydrating and it's wearable. It's a wearable shade that I can pull off and I don't have to fight feeling whiny or disappointed over a simply unwearable shade.

Product #5: Previse Nutrify Skin Type 1-6 Universal Tonic
I haven't used this yet. Universal things scare me, because they're usually not good for my skin. I don't say that to be like, 'Oh, my skin is more special than yours', but everyone is different. I have super-duper dry skin. If I have wicked dry skin, obviously it's not going to react the same to this tonic as someone with oily or combination skin. So, I'm hesitant, but I will report back.

Subscription Addiction | Boxycharm Backup - February 2015

I've made it past January, and on to February, another box with all of the products still sitting in it. 90% of days from January-April, I chose sleeping in instead of doing any makeup. Working and going to class from 6:45AM-9:30PM will do that to a person. But I digress. Summer is here, and with one job down and full time internship coming up, it's time to experiment. Here's what I got for February to play with:

February 2015 Boxycharm: Kisses From Boxycharm

Product #1: Modern Minerals Duo Fiber Mini Round Brush
I just took this brush out of its bag for the first time and holy crap is it soft. It's a beautiful brush -- just small enough to get in the creases but big enough to sweep across the eye and get some good coverage. It doesn't feel prickly or cheap, and I'm glad I got it in my Boxycharm, because I wouldn't pay $15 for it on my own. Not that it wouldn't be worth it or I don't think it's worth the price, it's just that $15 for a brush isn't something I would normally be able to justify.

Product #2: Mullein & Sparrow Mini Facial Mask
I haven't had the opportunity to try this yet, but it's really interesting. It's a powder that you mix with water to form a mask. It's all natural, organic ingredients and the sample bottle is deluxe -- but it's still one entire ounce. So that's really impressive for a sample. I'll be sure to report back and tell you how it is.

Product #3: ncLA Nail Lacquer in "Heart Attack"
I wasn't impressed by the NCLA lacquer last time, but this is pretty cute. It's got little glitter hearts in it that you can use as a top coat or an accent nail. I'll probably keep it around to use as an accent nail, although I can't see myself using it a whole heck of a lot.

Product #4: Jing Ai Velvet Shine Lip Jewel in Pink a Boo
This one's way too Barbie pink for me. It's a pretty color, but I prefer reds or salmons as opposed to "Barbie threw up on this" pink. I took a peek at the swatches online and they were super duper pink, so I just threw this one up on eDivv. I have plenty of lip products, and this one isn't one I will miss. Perhaps if it was a different color?

Product #5: Mistrua Beauty Solutions C-2-P Complexion Corrector
I haven't used it yet, but it's way expensive. I mean, $36 for something the size of a lipstick? It's apparently good for all skin tones, so we will find out. I'll try it in the next few days to see how it goes on. For that kind of money, it must work miracles.

This was a decent box. Overall, I'm impressed. The thing that consistently impresses me about Boxycharm is that I wouldn't spend money on these things for myself, but one thing in the box is usually double the value of the box itself. So it makes it worth the money for me.

Subscription Addiction | Boxycharm Backup - January 2015

Well, you guys, I've made it to this year in Boxycharm. Let's dive right in!

January 2015 Boxycharm: Celebrate in Style

So when I got this box, I remember being disappointed. Looking back, That's still pretty accurate? I mean, I guess some of these things are nice to have, but I'm not sure how much use I will get out of some of them. I'm not usually this "meh" on Boxycharm as a whole, but the stretch I went through at the end of the year-beginning of 2015 was disappointing.

Product #1: Beauty For Real: The Perfect Pencil
This lip pencil says on the box that it is the only lip pencil you'll ever need. Well, nah. It's a little dark (a brownish burgundy?), and I tend to wear brighter shades of lipstick and lip gloss than this. Not that it's not needed or wanted... but semantics, right? It's a nice shade if I were to wear something darker. But for right now I'm a little hesitant on when I would use it.

Product #2: Beauty For Real: True Color Lip Cream in "Always There"
Pros: This has a flashlight and a mirror on it in case you need to apply lip gloss in the dark. The lip gloss goes with the lip pencil, which is nice. It seems to stay well and it is very pigmented.
Cons: It's a little dark for my taste. It has a flashlight and a mirror on it in case... see, I think it's a little gimmicky. So it's a pro and a con. It's very sticky.
So as you can see, I'm unsure about this. The value of this lip gloss alone is more than the box itself, so yeah. Good value. We'll see if I use it.

Product #3: Mirabella Face Prime
Mirabella is a brand Boxycharm has included before, and I haven't tried the other product yet. But I will say that I like that they included a face primer. I don't have a full size face primer besides this one, so I will be sure to give it an honest shot before I hate on it. I like my Smashbox primer a lot, but I will put this one to the test.

Product #4: Pur-Lisse Skin Sparkle Flash Tattoos
W H Y. Just... why. I won't use them. They're under a bed or in a drawer somewhere, and I meant to put them in a "give away" box. They're not cute, and I don't do fake tattoos. They're like tribal-y looking while also being like fake necklaces, or something? I don't know. But I'm almost thirty. That isn't going to be a thing.

Product #5: Tarte Maracuja Bronzing Serum
I haven't tried this yet. I'm saving it for the summer, specifically because I don't need to be bronzed in January. It mentions it's for my face, but I'm terrified that it's going to make me look like I'm going out trying to dress up as Beyonce and not realizing that it's incredibly insensitive to do skin makeup that way. I will try it in an inconspicuous spot before I try it on my face, to see how much bronzier I will be.

So overall, this was probably my least favorite box. But I will say how excited I was to try some of the newer products in the other boxes. So I didn't give up hope on Boxycharm, with good reason!

Subscription Addiction | Boxycharm Backup - December 2014

It has been an age since I reviewed a Boxycharm. So I will do that now. I have 5-6 months worth of products still sitting in their boxes for the most part because I've been so busy. But that changes now. Let's start from the beginning, shall we?

December 2014 Boxycharm: Jingle Belles

So I remember this box being hit and miss. There were a couple of things in it that were 'meh' for me, but there was a clear hit in there as well.

Product #1:  Coastal Scents Revealed Palette
I am now the proud owner of a gazillion palettes, and I love it. For real, though, I do. The Revealed palette is gorgeous. To save on the ridiculous amount of pictures, I won't swatch the colors, but it's got tons of pretty browns, golds, and burnt colors in there. Some are glittery, some are not. There's a pretty good variety on them, and I've loved all the Coastal Scents items I've tried before. Their palettes are usually very good and the pigmentation on their shadows is usually right there. So I'm excited to give it a shot.

Product #2: Lina Lashes Luxury Mink Lashes
This was a nice value for the box, but I don't wear fake lashes. I just don't. I'm sure they're cool for someone who wears false lashes, but not for me. Just... a miss. A $30 value is really nice for someone who's into lashes, though.

Product #3: Mistura Beauty Solutions Retractable Beauty Brush
Retractable brushes aren't my thing. There's just something about them that I don't dig. I like the stability of my RealTechniques brushes, and even my BareMinerals brushes. But I will say that this one is very soft, and it's again, a great value for the box. Boxycharm doesn't play around for $21/month. This was a $19.99 value in and of itself, So it's something worth trying, for sure.

Product #4: Be a Bombshell Lip Product in Tango
I don't hate it. But I'm not sure about it. The lipstick wasn't damaged when I opened the box, but I opened it today to swatch, and the entire lipstick fell out. I can live with it, but I'm disappointed. It's a little bright for my taste, but I will definitely give it a go. I need to branch out. And I generally like Be a Bombshell products, so I'm sure this one won't be any different.

Product #5: Eva NYC Hairspray
I don't use hairspray. So this one was kind of a bummer for me! Not really into this one. I'm sure I can pass it along to someone who may want it though.


Overall, this was a great box. Not everything was super duper amazing, but I will definitely get some use out of the products and the value is IN.CRED.I.BLE. So, I'm excited.

Subscription Addiction | November Boxycharm

This was the most underwhelming Boxycharm I've received, and still, it's worth the money. I was 'meh' about some things, but some things were really, really nice to have.

Product #1: MicaBeauty eye primer
So, this alone is worth over $40. For an eye primer. That's pretty awesome. I'm not saying I use it all day erry day, but $40 is not cheap! I have a Smashbox eye primer that I use often, so I'll probably wait until that's gone to try this one, but I'm excited to have it.

Product #2: OFRA cosmetics pressed blush
I'm really excited to have this. I haven't used it yet, but I've been looking for a good quality blush for awhile now. So this will be the first thing I reach for!

Product #3: Tarina Tarantino Eyelicity Glitter Liner
I don't know how I feel about this. On one hand, I like that it was included. On the other... I don't do glitter? I mean, I'm just not sure. I'll probably give it a shot and see. I know that mine is a white or clear color, so maybe it's just going to be something I use as a tube of glitter for when I feel like walking around looking like I made it rain at JoAnn's.

Product #4: Kevin.Murphy.Color.Bug
This is basically hair chalk. The frustrating thing about this is that it's gold. My hair is strawberry blonde. There is no way that this will show up in my hair at all. Not for me. It's cool for someone... that someone just doesn't happen to be me.

Product #5: Bellapierre shimmer powder
I'm excited that they gave us a loose shadow and an eye primer. They go hand in hand! But I'm also really excited to try this eyeshadow. I'm sure it will be better than the cheek/lip stain I got from them a few months back. I've heard a lot of good things about Bellapierre, so... hopefully it lives up to expectations.

As you can see, this box wasn't super-amazing, but it wasn't terrible. The value alone was worth the $21. Even if I just got that eye primer, I'd be happy. Not all of this was for me, but that's okay. This is probably tied with Birchbox for my favorite box right now.

Subscription Addiction | October Boxycharm

Boxycharm, to me, is always impressive. It's worth WAY more than the $21 I pay for it. Yes, this is only my second month, but even without a beauty style profile or anything else, it's hit the nail on the head both times. There were a couple of things in the October Box that were kind of 'meh', but when it all comes down to it, this box is consistently worth $21 a month for one product alone, let alone the extra two or three I'm usually excited to try.

Product #1: Palmetto Derma Collagen Booster & Restoration Serum
So, this is full size. It's also worth $48. If I were ever to repurchase this, it would have to work freakin' MIRACLES. It doesn't. It does a good job. It makes my skin feel... not dry? I wouldn't say it does anything crazy, but I haven't really paid close attention to my wrinkly areas in order to give it more of a detailed review. So, I'll stick with "it's pretty good" for now and change that in a favorites post later if it blows me away.

Product #2: Coastal Scents Eclipse Concealer Palette
I'm really excited about this, actually. I'm trying to educate myself on the uses of more products other than "foundation, lipstick, eyeshadow, GO!" Look at this palette, though, guys. It's actually really impressive. I haven't had a chance to give it a try, but I really want to. Now that school and work are a tad bit less crazy, I can experiment a little! This seems like a useful product in general. Anyone could use it, I'm guessing, based on the variety of shades.

Product #3: Cult/Commerce X Boxycharm "Shady" collection
This is a black and purple nail polish duo set. The amount of deep purple shades I have in my collection is absurd. Not that it's not pretty, but I recently bought a similar shade of purple at New York and Company for like $2 on clearance. And I got one in a Beautybox5, if I'm not mistaken. Purple's my favorite color, don't get me wrong, but there IS such a thing as purple overload. I'll trade this one out.

Product #4: Be a Bombshell Eyehsadow
I can't find it at the moment but I think this was a pretty gray color that I will definitely wear. I'm just too lazy to go look for it and it's not sitting in my makeup train case that I have next to me. I haven't worn it yet, but I am excited to try it.

Product #5: Starlooks Ultra Gem Pencil 
I wasn't crazy about this shade to begin with, and I got it AGAIN in my Ipsy bag. Any other color other than OLIVE GREEN I'd be cool with. But, who knows? The swatch on the internet seems to be less ugly than I anticipated, but I'm still very very hesitant. Reggie? Want it?

All in all, Boxycharm continues to impress. If I have one "holy crap, awesome!" product in the box per month, it's worth it to me. The products are ALWAYS full-sized, and 90% of the time, they're crazy good.

Subscription Addiction: My First Boxycharm!

I'll be completely honest: this is probably just below Birchbox in terms of my favorite subscriptions at the moment. This was my first Boxycharm, and they killed it! I was so, so impressed with Boxycharm, especially for $21 a month! I'll explain my frustrations with different subscription boxes later, but right now, this is worth the money while others just... aren't.

Another great thing about Boxycharm is their customer service. I signed up in August, and when the end of September rolled around, I still didn't receive a box. I emailed to ask if I would be receiving a September box, and a few days later, they responded telling me they were sending out another box. If I ended up receiving the original box, I was welcome to keep it and pass it along to a friend. It has been promised to Reggie if it ever shows up, which as of today, it has not. However, that responsiveness and attentiveness from Boxycharm customer service is even more reason for me to like them. I've now dealt with customer service from three subscription box services, and it's incredible to see how much that sways my opinion.

I took some pictures as I unboxed, but they turned out crappy. I'll also say that I haven't had the chance to try a ton of products from this box, but I will be sure to update you on my experiences with the products I haven't tried yet. Anyway. ONWARD!

Subscription Box: Boxycharm

Description: BOXYCHARM is a $21 monthly beauty box subscription with the finest high-end, trendy and chic brands, curated by our beauty experts and delivered straight to your door! From the best hair products, to the hottest cosmetic picks and the latest nail trends, your beauty cravings are sure to be satisfied! After you subscribe we will send you a box complete with beauty products from our team's preferred brands... When you receive your BOXYCHARM, you will not only be amazed by our product selection but you will also be pleased to know that the retail value of the box contents is more than double the cost of your subscription!

Pricing: $21/month.

Referral Link: Here

Product #1: Harvey Prince "Hello" 
My obsession with Harvey Prince continues, ladies and gentlemen. This perfume smells mature, but not "old lady" mature. It's not light and fruity, but it smells flowery without being too overpowering. Honestly, half the battle is sticking my arm under my boyfriend's nose and saying "smell", and seeing his honest reaction. Before I could even say anything this time, he walked through the door, kissed me, and told me I smelled good. So, approval from both parties. The amount I got will last me an age. And I ended up getting a second from Yerdle, so that's a double bonus.

Product #2: Coastal Scents "Go" Palette | Beijing
This palette is gorgeous. I've used it a few times, and the pigmentation is great. It's got a mixture of nudes and bold colors, and there aren't any lime greens or baby blues that I won't be touching. Every shade is wearable. My picture came out crappy, but here is a link to the colors in the palette. I'm also impressed with the size of the palette. It's not a teeny tiny one, which is a bonus. The amount of eyeshadow will last me a long time.

Product #3: Tarte Lipsurgence Lip Gloss
Tarte is one of those brands I hear thrown around by YouTube beauty heavyweights all the time, but I know little to nothing about it. I've heard reviews saying this lip gloss is sticky, and I've heard reviews saying it's not sticky at all. I guess it will have to be something I try myself before blabbering on about here. Now that I have a little more time to organize my collection (ha! I say that like I have one) and figure out what I need to use/what I like to use, it will definitely get some wear, I'm sure.

Product #4: NCLA Nail Polish in Model Behavior
I hadn't painted my nails in a lifetime before I tried this last night. I attempted to give myself a trendy makeover with the ring-finger trend... and it was a fail. I don't think it's the polish in particular that made it a fail, but maybe everything put together. The shade is a deep brownish grey color, which is beautiful, but with two coats, it looks black. It also peeled really easily, even with a topcoat. Granted, perhaps two hours wasn't long enough to let it dry, but I was disappointed that it peeled with such little effort. And the two-coat issue was also a bummer. Like I said, the color was pretty, but if I have to get two coats for adequate coverage, and that two coats doesn't do the color justice, it's disappointing.

Product #5: Tarina Tarantino Fleur de Lash Mascara
Again, I haven't had a chance to try this. I'm currently trying to work through a Smashbox lash sample from a Smashbox starter kit I bought using Birchbox points. I also have three other mascaras to try. How does one even attempt to choose which mascara to try? Compared to the days where I had one Covergirl Exact Eyelights mascara, this is becoming complicated. Anyway. This is another name I hear dropped a lot in beauty circles. Tarina Tarantino has this... reputation. I'm not sure if it's a sponsorship thing, or just a quality thing, but we'll find out.

Overall, I'm really really impressed with this month's Boxycharm. According to the calculations, this box is worth about $96! For $21! I'm so pleased. I will most definitely be continuing with Boxycharm.

Subscription Addiction: Subscription Boxes are my Beauty Gateway Drug

I've always wanted to educate myself on makeup. I've just really been lazy about it for years. When I was in middle school, we weren't allowed to wear makeup to school (Catholic school, for the win!). In high school, I went to an all-girls school (again, Catholic school, for the win!). In college, I was never an early riser, and just did some quick lipgloss and mascara, if that.

More recently, throughout graduate school, I've been a tiny bit better. I'm a teacher's assistant three days a week to help me pay for school, so now I have to be an early riser. And my body clock usually wakes me up about 20 minutes before my alarm: just enough time to put on some makeup.

I wanted to learn more. My mom has been getting me BareEscentuals every holiday for years, but I wanted to learn more about other brands as well. About a month ago, I subscribed to Ipsy and Birchbox. Both services are $10 a month and they are beauty subscription services. Once a month, they send you a box or a bag with an average-ish of 5 deluxe beauty samples (hair care, skin care, makeup, etc) or, in Birchbox's case, lifestyle stuff as well (tea, snacks, etc).

I was obsessed with my Ipsy and Birchbox, so I started googling. The more I googled, the more I learned. I came across My Subscription Addiction, the worst/best thing ever. I could figure out which boxes were free for your first month with a code, which gave you money off, and which were expensive as crap. I started watching YouTube unboxings, and that was where I ended up getting sucked in. My cat and my dog both have subscription boxes. My boyfriend doesn't yet, but he hasn't finished the one month Mistobox gift I gave him last year. But he will.

So, this post is going to kind of be an introduction to the subscription boxes I have tried or want to try. I will make a new post for each unboxing (including pricing, contents, etc), but this will be an overview.

Boxes I have tried (and received a box):
Birchbox
Julep Maven
BeautyBox5
KitNipBox (this one's for my cat, haters gonna hate)
Nadine West (technically not makeup, but it's fashion. I'll make a new post on that later.)
RocksBox (jewelry subscription box)
Toothbrush Subscriptions (um, I forget to change my toothbrush, okay?)

Boxes I Am Expecting Any Day Now (but have not yet tried):
BarkBox
Ipsy
Boxycharm
Love With Food

Boxes I Would Love to Try (but am too broke, let's be real):
Glossybox
Scratch
Sample Society
Loot Crate
Wantable
Beauty Army
Beauty Test Tube
Whimseybox
LipFactory
Total Beauty Collection
Bonjour Jolie
Beauty DNA
BezelBox

Obviously there's a box for almost everything. In my next post, I'm going to answer the obviously looming question: What the hell am I going to do if I hate what's in the box?