Nail of the Week (NOTW)

"Taking joy in living is a woman's best cosmetic."~ Rosalind Russell

Hello lovelies! I am so excited since this is the very first nail of the week post of this year! 

As you can probably tell from the picture this is a Sephora by OPI polish. The color is Mash Up. This specific color is from the Glee collection Sephora had for Spring 2011. I don't think they still carry it since it was limited edition but some stores may have it in stock still. 

The color itself is a silvery, greenish, purple duo-chrome.  I did find it to be fairly sheer but still gorgeous. This is one of the pictures where you could see the range of colors this polish gives and once again it is absolutely GORGEOUS! 

Like I mentioned before this is a fairly sheer color. In my pictures I only applied two coats of polish. If you want a fuller coverage three would be perfect. The consistency of the polish is perfect! Its not too thick and not too runny. It applies evenly so streaking will not be a problem. 

The price of the polish was $9.50 for a .5 fl oz bottle. This is not bad if you compare it to other polishes out there that can cost up to $20. I absolutely love the color and the fact that it is subtle enough to wear to work or a date and still fun to wear on a night out with friends. If you can still get your hands on it I would totally recommend getting it. Its so worth it :)

What polish are you currently sporting? Post a picture or comment below. Take care lovelies! 

Love,

Espy <3

January 2012 Birchbox & MyGlam Bag!

"There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness"~Maria Mitchell

Hello beauties! So excited to be posting this today! I want to apologize for posting this late. I want to do a post for both beauty boxes instead of individual posts. Even though both are sent on the 10th of the month I do live on the west coast and they are not shipped at the exact same time. Therefore I will be a little late in the posting thing, unlike others who receive their beauty boxes in a couple of days. So my apologies before hand.

So a little bit of information about both of these beauty boxes. Both of these beauty boxes are a monthly subscription of $10.00. With this you also have the option to cancel at any time. You can buy an annual subscription if you would like and I believe they both offer a month or two free. They get shipped following the magazine schedule, the 10th of every month. You fill out a beauty profile that lets them know a little bit about your skin, hair, and beauty needs in general. This helps the companies pick out what samples best suit you. In both boxes you get 4 to 5 deluxe size samples or even full size products. Every month the credit card on file will get charged if you do the monthly subscription.

Birchbox likes to send samples to cover all areas of beauty: makeup, nails, skin care, hair care, and even snacks. Birchbox also likes to set a theme to the monthly boxes, which is very neat. I guess I should say that their products always come in a box with their logo on it, just so everyone knows. Also the box that surrounds the box you get (yes a box inside of a box) on the label says what box you received. I think you can get one of 15 or something like that. In your box they provide a card explaining why they picked that specific theme. On the back of the card you have all the products you received listed, with a description, and the price of the full size item. Birchbox also likes to includes a little extra surprise, which I have noticed, is always a snack of some kind. Sometimes in the boxes you will get discount codes but for that month if you purchase anything that you received in your box full sized you do get free shipping, which is pretty sweet. On the website they have a one stop shop to purchase any item you received in your current or previous boxes. Every dollar you spend in the Birchbox Store equal one Birchbox point. Every 100 points you earn turn into $10 to spend in the Birchbox store. There are many other ways to earn points which include reviewing the items you received in your box (10 pts), getting friends to sign up for Birchbox (50 pts), even giving a Birchbox as a gift gets you points! Simple, right?!

MyGlam Bag is all cosmetics. So far they have only sent out 2 boxes since they just got started in November. With MyGlam you receive 4 to 5 products, sample or full size. All these goodies come in a cute makeup bag, which is an amazing idea. Along with the products you get a description card, somewhat similar to Birchbox, and discount codes from the companies featured in the bag. As far as themes go, I am not sure if it will be a constant thing. This month it seemed to have a theme to follow, which is neat, but like I said I am not sure if it will be a continuous thing. With MyGlam everyone is currently receiving the same products but maybe the shade may very. I think that this is due to the fact that they are so new they are building up their stock and the companies that they are associated with. So far with MyGlam I have recognized every brand they put in their bags, unlike Birchbox where some of the brands I have never heard of. Once again this might be due to the fact that MyGlam just started. They do not have an online store or point system like Birchbox, which I have to say is the only thing I kind of wish they had.

Both of these monthly subscriptions are amazing. You get to try out stuff that you may not normally want to try or maybe from companies you have never heard of.

Birchbox:

This months theme for Birchbox is Clarity. Nice theme since its a new year and with new year new resolutions and of course time to clear the mind and body. For those of you wondering the box I received was box 7. So lets get right into what I received in my Birchbox for this month and my thoughts on the items. 

Archipelago Pomegranate Body Soap- Laced with good-for-you pomegranate extracts, this triple-milled soap smells divine and leaves skin feeling clean, not stripped. Full size (6.9 oz) $12.50

OMG! This soap smells absolutely amazing! When I first took my box out of the shipping box I could already smell it. Wow! It has the pomegranate smell along with some other citrus smells. Very tropical I think. The sample size that I received is 1.8 oz which comes up to approximately a $3.26 value. It is a really good sized sample if you ask me. I have really never heard of the brand before, let alone the product. I absolutely love it that I am going to purchase this item full size, well whenever Birchbox has it back in stock.

Clark's Botanicals Smoothing Marine Cream-Dull skin no more, thanks to the glycolic acid in this exfoliating moisturizer. The gentle tingle means its working. Full size (1.7 fl oz) $115

This is the most expensive item I received in my box. I did apply this on the back of my hand and it is very smooth and soft. It has a very clean smell to it, kind of smells like baby powder. When I was reading the description I had to stop and think if I have ever used or tried a moisturizer that also exfoliates and I must say that this will be the first. On the instructions on the jar it does say to not apply to red or peeling skin, which I think is due to the glycolic acid. It also recommends to be applied twice daily and apply SPF over that. Although the jar did not have a weight on it I am guesstimating it is about $4. Would I purchase this? I honestly don't think so. That is a very steep price to pay for a 1.7 oz jar. My current moisturizer for the same size bottle cost under $40 and that to me was expensive. So I will have to pass on the product but will use it very sparingly.

Juicy Couture Juicy Couture-Juicy's signature fragrance is a blend of sweet floral notes. Sophisticated and feminine, it's perfect for day or night. Full size: 1.7 oz $69 or 3.4 oz $89

No need to say it, but I am a big Juicy Couture fan! I love love love all their fragrances, specially Peace, Love, and Juicy. This was a pleasant surprise though. I love perfume samples because you can just put it in your purse and go or, in my case, keep one in you car for those days that you need an extra spritz of smell good stuff. The sample size I received was a .05 fl oz which is an estimated value (and I am going off the 1.7 oz bottle price) of about $2.03. I am considering purchasing some of these amazing perfumes in the near future.

stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner- It's time to put down the black liner. This colorful pigment makes eyes stand out and stay put for hours. Full size (0.01 oz) $20

This was an amazing and wonderful surprise! Not only does Stila make amazing, long lasting and creamy liners but this was FULL SIZE! This was an item that was included in every Birchbox, unless you were a new member. Everyone got a different color. The color I received is Blue Ribbon. It seems to be a gray or slate color and has a blue sheen to it. Very gorgeous. It is dark enough to wear on a daily basis but also light enough to just get a little pop of color. The staying power on these eye liners is amazing! I already own a Stila Smudgeproof eyeliner in Peacock and love the quality of them. Of course since it was full size there is no estimated value. It is $20 for sure! I will purchase more of these amazing eye liners as needed :)

Larabar Mini Bar-you wont find any artificial fillers in these natural bars: just dried fruits, nuts, and other wholesome ingredients. They're as tasty as they are healthy. Full size (12 mini) $14.95

This little yummy bar was the Lifestyle Extra in the box. The flavor I received was Chocolate Chip Brownie. I have seen these bars before at my local Co-Op and have been intrigued but never purchased a box of them. After trying this deliciousness I must say I am definitely going to purchase it! It had some nuts in it along with a few raisins. I am a chocolate lover so these minis are a great idea. Not only are they healthy but have just the perfect amount of chocolate. The estimated value of this mini bar is $1.25. Like I mentioned before I will definitely purchase this soon and try it in other flavors.

So my total Birchbox value was about $30.54. Not bad!

MyGlam Bag:

I am so excited because this is my first MyGlam bag! This month they had a theme which is Back to Nature. Once again a great theme for me, since my goal is to try to go green as much as possible. It also helps us learn about more eco-friendly products out there. The makeup bag feels like canvas, which is nice. At the bottom it has a little bit of detail with some leaves. It has the MyGlam logo and then also says on the top Back to Nature. Cute, right?! Also included in the bag was a card from some of the companies in the MyGlam bag with special offers and discounts. Now onto the products.

Sheer Cover Duo Concealer- A unique pigment and mineral complex that provides full coverage with a sheer,  flawless finish. Full size (.05 fl oz) $29

So I have heard of Sheer Cover but I have not tried out their products yet, so this concealer is a good way to start. Upon receiving the product I decided to kind of do a swatch and test it out. The consistency of it is super creamy and seems to have great coverage. The sample I received is in Light/Medium. I want to say that Sheer Cover does have other color combos. This seems to be a little to light for me but the colors are intermixable so you can custom make your shade. The sample I received is the full size which is pretty good considering the price of the full size item. This made it into their themed bag due to the fact that Sheer Cover is a mineral based makeup company. I guess my only complaint is that the colors were not customized to the subscriber, but I can live with this :) I can not say now if I will purchase it since there are a lot of other concealers I own that I like so I will have to update you all on this.

Wen Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner- A single-step hair cleansing conditioner made with natural ingredients. It won't strip hair and scalp of natural oils and leaves hair thick and hydrated. Full size (16 fl oz) $36

Once again another product I have heard of but never tried. This cleansing conditioner smells amazing. I can definitely smell the mint in it. I have not used it yet but already received a threat from my husband who said he may just steal this from me. Wen makes products with out any detergents or sulfates. This means the product has no additives or fillers that make it foam and make the cleanser gentle enough to use on any hair type and will not strip hair. I am pretty excited to try this product since it is made with out sulfates and its gentle on the hair. With Wen you usually have to use a large amount of product so I am not sure if with the deluxe sample I will see any immediate results. The deluxe sample size I received is 2 fl oz, which brings this to a value of $4.50. Not bad, right? I would love to purchase this item but if both my husband and I use it it could be very very expensive so this one I will have to think through.

Freeman cucumber Facial Peel-Off Masque & Sachets- Nourish, hydrate, and replenish with these peel-off masks that leave skin with a gorgeous glow. Full size (6 fl oz) $8 (or $4-$5 if purchased at a drugstore)

This product I already own so this is not a new item to me. This was not a sample size at all, it was the full size item, which is great! Freeman offers different scents for the peels and mine was the cucumber one.  I love the smell of it. It is a great and inexpensive peel that works on all skin types. You just have to apply a thin even layer to the entire face (avoiding hair and eye area) let it dry for about 10 to 15 minutes and peel. When you peel it off you can actually see the impurities that come off your face. It leaves my face feeling very soft, clean, and gives it that glow back. I absolutely recommend this to anyone. What makes this a green product is that it is Cruelty Free since it does not test on animals and it is full of botanical ingredients. Now as far as value goes I can tell you right now that it is cheaper buying it from a drugstore than online because I only paid $4 for mine. I will, however, go with the price quoted on the card. No need to purchase another on since I just received my back up :)

theBalm Cosmetics Hot Ticket Nail Polish- Long lasting, eye-popping shades to flatter and transform your fingers and toes. Full size (0.5 fl oz) $10

Now this is the one item that I know varied in all the bags. You either received the polish or the Shady Lady. I, of course, received the polish and the color is in I'll Pink To That.  theBalm is not a unknown product to me. I love their highlighter Mary Lou Manizer, and well all their products are great. The style of the art on them kind of seems to follow the Pin Up Girl style, somewhat similar to Benefit Cosmetics. So yes, absolutely love the polish. It is the perfect bubblegum pink and look forward to using this, specially for the summer. Once again another full size item! Nice!!! I may purchase more of theBalm polishes since I am a polish lover. It kind of depends on how well this wears.

So the total value of MyGlam bag for this month is: $51.50 (this is not including the makeup bag)


Overall I am very pleased with both of my box/bag. The value is way more than the $10 I pay and that is a major plus for me. I am excited to see what next months box/bag brings. Stay gorgeous lovelies!


xoxo,
Espy <3



**Are you subscribed to MyGlam or Birchbox? If so, what was in your goodie bag? Comment below :)

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