November Birchbox

Time for another Birchbox post!

Here's what's in my November Birchbox:

                                           1. Joie Folle de Joie eau de parfum  has citrus and a light woodsy floral, with hints of cognac. Its middle notes are jasmine and Damascenia rose. Finally, base notes are spicy woods and rich leather. This perfume smells wonderful and has great staying power!
                                           2. Chella Highlighter Pencil this highlighting pencil comes in a really nice shade called Ivory Lace for lighter skin tones, and one called Latte for medium skin tones. I love multitasking products, especially highlighters, so I can't wait to use this and see how it works!
                                            3. WEI Golden Root Purifying Mud Mask looks very interesting. It is a clarifying, purifying mud mask made from Chinese clay and golden root, both of which have been historically used to create smooth, beautiful, glowing skin with small pores. It comes in single-use containers, and is a bit pricey at $42 for 8 pods. I'm saving this for something special!
                                             4. BeeKind Body Lotion is amazing! I have only used it a couple of times, but already I really like how quickly it absorbs and the delicious lemon verbena scent. It is free of many harsh chemicals and instead uses natural hydrators. Plus, the proceeds from the BeeKind line by Gilchrist and Soames goes to researching honey bees!
                                             5. WEI Pomegranate Buffing Beads seem pretty cool. These are also single-use packets, which you mix with your cleanser to create a wonderful exfoliator and natural antiseptic. 
                                             6. Mighty Leaf Tea this package came with 3 tea bags- Vanilla Bean, Green Tea Tropical, and Organic African Nectar. I'm a big fan of tea, so I'm really excited to try these out!

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you would like an individual review of any of these products, let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

New Hunters!

Weather where I live is really crazy, so I've been looking into getting a pair of Hunter boots. Hunters are really popular at my school. After some research, I found a pair that I really liked!

The pair I settled on are the Regent St. James. They are a bit pricier than the Original Hunter Wellies ($195 vs $140) but I think this style is a little more versatile and able to be worn in more than just rain. The Regent St. James comes in multiple colours: beige/brown, black, twill, green, and others. I was originally going to get the black, but they weren't available in my size, so I got the beige.

I didn't think I'd like them, but they are so cute in person!

I really like the riding boot style cut, but I have yet to try these with Wellie socks.

They even have a space on the inside for you to write your name!

The Regent St. James are very very comfortable and flattering. Today, I wore them with leggings, a button-down, and a sweater. This color and style doesn't really look like a classic rain boot, and I really like that. The entire boot is very flexible and waterproof! Hunter makes some amazing boots, so I encourage all of you to check them out!

Thanks for reading!

DIY: Nail Polish Storage

Today, I'm going to show you how I made my nail polish rack. For a long time, I kept my growing collection on my desk. Once it got to be too large, I had to find a different solution. I did some research, and discovered that many people use a spice rack to store their collection. I found an extra one at my house, and here's what I did to it:

1. Once I had acquired the spice rack, I took an extra mirror I had hanging in my room

2. I painted the mirror frame coral to complement my Tiffany Blue walls

3. After some hard work drilling screw holes into the mirror frame, I attached the rack to the mirror

4. To make sure no polish bottles were too small for the wire rack, I placed a small piece of white cardboard in the bottom of both shelves to create stability

5. Lastly, I added my nail polish!

Overall, I am pretty pleased with how this turned out. It sturdily holds 75+ bottles of nail polish and it's cute too!

Thanks for reading!

Birthday Goodies

 
    My 16th birthday was a couple days ago (Sunday, September 29th), and I'm really excited to share this post with all of you! Firstly, let me add a disclaimer: this is not a haul, and this is not meant as bragging. I am sharing these products with you (that I am grateful that I am fortunate enough to have received) because I enjoy recommending products to my readers. So let's get started!

J. Crew Elephant Necklace

J. Crew Coral Fan Necklace (no longer available)

NPW Nail Art Pens

Maybelline Color Show Nail Polish in Keep Up The Flame (250), Paint the Town (260), and Pinkalicious (270)

L'Oreal Color Riche Nail Color in Pink Me Up

OPI Nail Polish in Elephantastic Pink

Check out the nib on the nail art pens!

NARS Laguna

This stuff is definitely worth the hype.

Covergirl Lip Perfection in 375 Coquette and 380 Dazzle

Revlon Lipstick in 643 Satin Plum

Estee Lauder Pure Color in Pink Parfait and Crystal Pink

Swatches: Coquette, Dazzle, Satin Plum, Pink Parfait, and Crystal Pink, top to bottom

Victoria's Secret Crewneck Sweater

Victoria's Secret Bateau Sweater

Scarves by Sperry Topsider and Free Press

J. Crew Café Trouser

J. Crew Excursion Vest

Sources: Victoria's Secret and J. Crew

Thanks for reading! If you would like an in-depth review of any products listed above, let me know!

What's in my September Birchbox?

      Hey guys! Sorry for the lack of posts recently. School started in August and I needed to find my footing first in both school and choir. It's been going well so far, and I'm excited to share this post with you today!
      I had a birthday recently, and I was ecstatic to receive a Birchbox subscription. I've been eyeing Birchbox for a while, but never actually subscribed. So for the next 6 months, I'll be happy to show you what's in my Birchbox each month and do reviews on the products you find interesting!

The packaging is adorable!

Unboxing...

The are my 5 products of the month: 

1. Beauty Protector Protect & Shampoo - Right now, this product is a trial early release in partnership with Birchbox. The pearl powder in it acts like keratin to repair damage and leave your hair shiny, smooth, less frizzy, and smelling amazing! 

2. Beauty Protector Protect & Condition - The counterpart to Protect & Shampoo, this also contains pearl powder and acts to protect and shield hair from future damage from heat styling tools. It also smells fantastic!

3. Ruffian Nail Lacquer in Fox Hunt - The first lacquer line from Ruffian is awesome! That packaging really made a first impression. Fox Hunt is a bright metallic orange with reddish purple shimmer. It's very similar to Orly Emberstone. Check out the Crowdsourced Collection and the Classics Collection, both from Ruffian.

4. Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips - The name surprised me at first, but after some research I was excited to try it out. It is extremely hydrating, so a little goes a long way. This is the product I am most likely going to purchase in full size. I've only been using it for a couple days, but I can tell there's a massive difference in how smooth my lips are. 

5. Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Sensitive - This is a very gentle exfoliator that uses acids from fruits to dissolve dead skin and reduce lines and hyperpigmentation. It is organic and delivers spa grade exfoliation, so I'm looking forward to trying this out!

If you would like an in-depth review on any of the products in this month's Birchbox, comment below and let me know.

Thanks for reading!

Mini LUSH Haul!

1. Vanilla Puff Powder. At first I was skeptical of the concept of this product but decided to try it anyway because it sounded pretty cool. I love the vanilla and jasmine scent of this! I like the idea of the dusting powders, but I'm not really sure if they work for me yet. I put some on after a shower and though it made me smell nice and my skin very soft, it made some areas of dry skin a little more noticeable. I've heard it works great as a dry shampoo, so I'll have to try that out!

2. Latté Lip Tint. I'm not sure if I received a defective one or what, because this goes on like a solid bronze, extremely pigmented lip tint. I expected this to be like a lip balm, with a bit of bronze shimmer and no matter how little I put on, it's just so pigmented that I can't work with it on my lips. What I did discover is that it makes a very nice eyeshadow base! Sounds pretty silly but it looks gorgeous on the eyes. Let me know if you have tried this product and if this is the way it's supposed to be or what!

3. Vanillary Perfume. I bought this because it's supposed to go well with the Vanilla Puff Powder. I had never tested this or Tuca Tuca in store (ordered online) so that was kind of risky. I do really like the scent though! It smells very similar to the dusting powder and has hints of jasmine and tonka. I get lots of compliments wearing Vanillary!

4. Tuca Tuca Perfume. I was looking for a second vanilla scent to layer with the dusting powder. Again, I risked it by not testing it before buying and was pleasantly surprised. It is a lot more floral and deep vanilla than Vanillary, which is sweet and jasmine-y. Overall, this smells very nice and lasts long, but can be a little overpowering so be careful!

5. Mint Julips Lip Scrub is a product I'd been eyeing for a while. I hear a lot about it on Youtube and really wanted to try it. I have used other lip exfoliants in the past, and even made my own, but the thing that makes this special is the taste. It tastes like mint and chocolate and it's delicious! One thing to keep in mind is how messy it is. But other than that it is a pretty good product!

Thanks for reading!

July Favourites 2013!

                                                                   Beauty Favourites

1. NARS Multiple in South Beach is a beautiful highlighter during the summer with a tan! South Beach is one of my favourite ones because I find it the most versatile: highlighter, eyeshadow base, even a lipcolour. 

2. Soap & Glory Righteous Body Butter is an extremely thick, creamy body lotion. I usually use this in the winter, but I started using it this month because the sun really dries out my skin, so I thought it was worth a try. One thing to remember is that the scent is very very strong. I love the way Soap & Glory products smell, it's very similar to Chanel Coco Mademoiselle perfume. If the body butter is too thick for you to use during the summer then I recommend either diluting it with a non scented, thinner body lotion or use Righteous Body Lotion by Soap & Glory.

3. Estee Lauder More Than Mascara. This mascara is in my everyday lash routine, as well as Estee Lauder Lash Primer Plus and YSL Babydoll mascara. At first, I was skeptical about using Estee Lauder products because they're more geared toward mature skin, but the products I've used have been fantastic. More Than Mascara is definitely worth the price. Overall, this mascara lengthens, separates, thickens, and gives volume to my lashes, so it's kind of an all-in-one mascara. I like to layer mascaras, so this one is my base, but the effect it gives is gorgeous enough to be used on its own.

4. Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Lip Moisturizer. My current favourite lip balm. I have endless lip balms; it's an extension of the female legend Goo Hoarding. I use the Neutrogena Norwegian Hand Cream from the same line, so I decided to try the lip balm as well. It's very moisturizing and gets the job done. I really recommend Neutrogena products, especially the Norwegian line!

5. YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick in 27 Rose Paris. I have a love/hate relationship with this lipstick because it is such a beautiful, striking colour but it is so hard to wear! Hot pink is my favourite colour, so I was immediately attracted to the almost neon coral Rose Paris. It is stunning but I really wish I would've spent the money on a colour like 7 Lingerie Pink so I would get more use out of it. I really only wear it in the summer on special occasions. However, the formula is to die for. After purchasing this lipstick I understand the hype and the high price. It is incredibly creamy, soft, pigmented, moisturizing, and silky.

6. MAC lipstick in Angel is my all-time favourite lipstick. It's a beautiful pale, rosy colour that really goes with any makeup look. It looks very natural with a minimalist eye look, and it's a nice nude with a dramatic eye. This is my most-used lipstick, and during the summer when I go for bright colours on the eyes, I like to keep it light on the lips with Angel.

(top) YSL Rouge Volupté in 27 Rose Paris

(bottom) MAC lipstick in Angel

7. Revlon Nail Polish in Sweet Tart is my go-to pink nail polish. I'm a bit of a nail polish junkie, but time and time again I go back to Sweet Tart. It's a beautiful bright pink that really goes with everything, especially in summer!

8. Ulta Baked Bronzer is a new addition to my collection. My ultimate favourite bronzer is NARS Laguna but lately I've been going for the Ulta bronzer more. I use it to add all over colour to my face. I do not recommend this as a contour colour though, because it is very shimmery. The colour isn't muddy or orange and looks quite natural!

9. Giovanni Cosmetics Smooth as Silk Shampoo and Conditioner is a repurchase of the month. I like this brand because it is "eco-chic," containing less harsh chemicals than other shampoos and conditioners. I really like the way this line makes my hair feel, smooth, soft, and shiny.

Fashion Favourites

1. Ralph Lauren Classic Pony Silder Halter Bikini

2. J. Crew Seersucker Shorts

3. Nike Zoom Structure+ Running Shoes (not really fashion haha)

4. GAP striped cotton shirt

5. Custom monogram necklace

I maintain a gluten-free and dairy-free diet (except for Greek yogurt, which is the only dairy product I can stomach) and these are my favourite snacks!

1. Mango Chobani Low-Fat Greek Yogurt

2. Wonderful Almonds

3. Glenny's Cranberry Almond bars

So that's it for my July favourites!

Thanks for reading (this super long post)!

P.S. If you want me to individually review any of these products, let me know in the comments!