Bitchy Review: May's Birchbox

As I mentioned in my first Birchbox review, I was interested in trying out another month of this service to see if I could definitively recommend it to my friends and family. It was pretty cool because I got it the day after I received this month's ipsy box but I didn't do the review post because I needed some time to try most of the things out. Here's what I got from Birchbox this month:

This was a box of cute little travel and portable-sized products and I noticed that more functional? (I'm not sure if that's the right word, hence the question mark LOL) products were in there as opposed to just makeup. I've tried just about everything, so let's get started!


1. Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner

The 4-pack of liners like this is $21

I am in LOVE with this eyeliner. I swatched it on my hand before I applied it on my eyes and it was not only dark but very creamy and did not easily wipe off, something I worry about my eyeliner doing when I'm wearing it for a long period of time. It must be well made because it did not crumble, break off or look unsteady. It was extremely soft when I put it on and didn't tug on my eyelid or waterline, I did not have to repeatedly run it across my eyes to get the color I wanted because a couple of good swipes got the exact color and darkness that I wanted, and it stayed put all afternoon & evening. You can buy one full-length pencil from Birchbox for $11, but the link above will take you to a travel-size pack of 4 smaller pencils like the one in the photo since that was the one I received.

2. COOLA Classic SPF30 Cucumber Moisturizer

Full-size is $32

This is in a super-cute sample/travel size, so it already wins points with me for portability because I can toss it in pretty much any of my smaller purses and keep track of it. The smell is really clean and light, doesn't leave a greasy or oily sheen on my skin like a lot of other sunscreens, and best of all to me doesn't have that thick sunscreeny smell. I usually stay away from sunscreens because they have that really overwhelming scent and tend to just sit on top of my skin, but this one not only has neither of the above, but it moisturizes on top of that and will stay put underneath your makeup instead of giving your face an oily glow and causing everything to slide off your face. As a matter of fact, it served as a decent moisturizer for my face underneath my makeup when I used it yesterday. It goes on really light but had decent coverage; I was out in the sun for hours yesterday and my face didn't feel dry when I came home and I didn't have too much of a tan either. I absolutely love this and can't wait to buy it in the full size.

3. Marvis Toothpaste

The full-size is $10.50

I tried this toothpaste the day I got it mainly because I saw it was imported and I'd never tried imported toothpaste before. LOL. This Italian toothpaste is much different from its American counterparts, but in a good way. Unlike the frothy, thick strips that American toothpastes put out, this is a solid, white toothpaste that doesn't bring about visions of rabies while you're brushing. It literally looks like and has the consistency of a paste. The smell is an extremely strong mint at first, but surprisingly mellow once you brush. I actually got a metallic taste from it, I guess like what the inside of the tube tastes like, and this can take some getting used to. Despite this though, my mouth felt extremely clean and fresh after using it and didn't have that really strong aftertaste that interferes with what I eat or drink afterward. Loved it.

4. amika Obliphica Nourishing Hair Mask

The full-size is $40

This hair mask has Obliphica oil in it, which is said to help repair split ends, make your hair healthier and stronger and restore vibrancy and shine. I need all of the above properties added to my dome, so I was pretty excited to see what it does. It works as a deep conditioner would, leave it in for a few minutes then rinse it out. Firstly, it smells amazing. The lather is very thick and out of that small sample, I was able to get a full usage out of it with some to spare. That could have something to do with the fact that my hair is short but oh well. LOL I left it in for about 5 minutes and after washing it out, my hair was soft and light and I loved it. There are two different sizes of this hair mask available for full-size purchase and I will definitely be picking one of them up. Obviously, I could not see results yet but I can tell that it agrees with my hair, helps to soften it and make it more manageable and with consistent usage will probably do everything it says it will.

5. Runa Guayasa Tea

The full-size box has 16 bags for $7

This tea sampler comes in a box of 4 and is said to help give you the energy of coffee and twice the amount of antioxidants that green tea has. I received the traditional Guayasa, Mint Guayasa, Cinnamon Lemongrass Guayasa, and the Ginger-Citrus Guayasa tea samples. I'm not a big tea drinker and it's getting pretty hot where I live so I'm gravitating toward cooler drinks, but I'll try it tonight and update the post.








Bitchy Review: I didn't think it was possible for me to like this month's samples more than last month's, but Birchbox proved me wrong quite quickly. I like that there were different types of samples instead of just makeup, like the tea and the toothpaste. If you're going somewhere like on a weekend trip, this box of samples could fit in a small overnight bag and you won't need to take much else. I like that there were functional as well as cosmetic samples and of the three I have tried, I wasn't disappointed in the quality and the full-size prices weren't so shabby, either. I have absolutely no complaints about this month's box and can't wait for next month's box to come in.

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New Programming Schedule

How've you been enjoying the return of the soaps so far, Soapheads? I have a confession to make: I have yet to watch them. Don't throw tomatoes at me, I can explain! I just haven't been able to watch them on my computer; I'm having a really irritating issue with my laptop where the audio goes out after about 30 seconds and I have to either continuously keep it hooked up with an audio cord or keep muting and unmuting the laptop speakers for the sound to come back. I've tried everything I know how to do and I'm still having the problem, so I usually don't bother watching videos on my laptop anymore. My PS3 only has Hulu Plus and since the soaps are free, I don't see any reason to pay for an app just to watch a free show. The only other option would be to either use my computer tower and plug that into my TV, or plug the laptop into it instead and use the audio cord. Both of these are rather inconvenient to do just to watch the soaps when I've got other things to do on the Internet and so that's left me in a little pickle. But I'll get around to it.

That's not the reason I'm posting today, though. I have to be the bearer of bad news...again...although thankfully it is not as bad as the last time I had to post something negative on here. I'm sure many of you have enjoyed watching your soap the four days a week that it comes on, but Prospect Park has just released a statement announcing that the soaps will each be cut down to just twice a week. The problem came with the fact that people have returned in droves to watch the soaps, but many are only returning to watch one, not both. PP logged that the typical time for fans to watch the soap is usually sometime in the evening, and fans had to dedicate a lot of time to watch these online, so Prospect Park thought it was better to just switch the airing schedule.

The scheduling is now staggered, with AMC on Mondays and Wednesdays and OLTL on Tuesdays and Thursdays and the normal airing of the behind-the-scenes series More on Fridays. This goes into effect on Monday, which is May 20th. Even though PP says this move was prompted by viewer feedback, I do feel like it's an early "one step forward, two steps back" and this concerns me a little bit. If the episodes are already being cut back but the soaps haven't even been back on the air for a month yet, could this mean that despite the various reports, viewership is not as high as PP anticipated?

I'm hearing whisperings now that again, despite the various reports and damage control done by PP to assure us we would not have to pay for the soaps, that eventually both soaps will transition to Hulu Plus (the paid version of Hulu) and we'll have to pay to continue to watch them. What most set me off was that in PP's statement, they kinda sorta alluded to that fact by saying, "....because Hulu agrees with our findings, for the meantime they will keep all of our episodes on Hulu for free to give viewers the opportunity to find us and catch up." For the meantime. If these episodes were going to be free permanently, don't you think past episodes should remain free as well? I think where there's smoke, there may be fire on this one. I don't have Hulu Plus, barely use Hulu and am already paying for a tv subscription service with Netflix. I won't upgrade and have another paid service just to watch the soaps. I understand money has to be made and details like this can't be immediately released or put into effect because people will not be happy and you have to get the viewers back first, but PP specifically said we would not have to pay for our shows. Now they're releasing statements that allude to the very thing they said they would not do. So talk to me Soapheads, if PP ends up transitioning the soaps after a certain period of time to Hulu Plus and making you pay to view, will you upgrade to watch, or will you leave it alone?

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Bitchy Review: ipsy's Spring Fling (May) Bag

I'm in the process of narrowing down which beauty subscription services are the best, and since I ordered from Birchbox last month I ordered something from ipsy this month and just received my package today.

I took these out in my backyard. LOL

As with Birchbox, I received 5 sample-size products that I wanted to review below.

1. NuMe Finishing Serum

The full-size product is $29

I didn't try this immediately, but it smelled good when I opened the package. It's a protectant from physical and environmental damage to the hair, seals split ends, and tames flyaways and frizz. I have all of the above, so I'll probably be trying this out this coming weekend in combination with a couple of other hair products I've picked up over the last month or so. I like that it has a dropper applicator and only needs a few drops to work; this size container can be used on shorter locks like mine for awhile and I'll be able to see some consistent results so I can really see if it works or not. Even though the container looks small, 2-3 drops really is not a lot of product so it must go a long way. I'll update once I've used it for awhile and tell you how it goes.


2. Zoya Nail Polish in Piaf

This is a regular-sized bottle and costs $8.
If you want a more accurate photo of the
color, go to the link or the overall photo above.

When I first saw this color, I hated it. I love nail polish though, so I had to give it a go and see if maybe it would grow on me over time. It reminds me of Grey Poupon, but eventually it did indeed grow on me. I still don't love the color for myself as I think it gives my cuticles a dried-out appearance because my skin has a yellow undertone, but I'm okay with it. I'm still wearing it, and that says something. LOL It goes on really light at first, a really pale shimmery yellow, but after about 3 coats it darkens to a bit of a Grey Poupon-ish pale yellow or a sandy shade. It maintains a decent amount of shimmer regardless of the coats, so no complaints there. I've never tried Zoya polish before, so I can't say I'm wholly dissatisfied. I like it but I don't love it.


3. Yaby Concealer Flawless Refill in Buff

This doesn't come in a single container;
a refill swatch like this is $5.06 but the entire
Concealer Flawless Palette is $100

I almost didn't see this when I was going through the bag it was so small. The business portion of my mind computes that this is technically a sample size and you don't want to give out too much of it because this may hinder sales of the full-size product, but the consumer side is a little disappointed in the size. It feels like a cream-to-powder concealer, which I've been interested in trying, but the shade was off so it made my skin look ashen and dry. It feels rather dry at first as well, so to me you're not able to get a real application in because it dries pretty fast and most women I know apply more than what comes in the sample size. No bueno. I usually use liquid foundation as a concealer because of the coverage but I don't use it all over my face, so I've been looking for a concealer that I can use for my spots of hyperpigmentation. Maybe in another shade I would be okay with it, but this shade was too light so I couldn't get an accurate idea of how it works. What I don't like is that there is no full-size version of this product; you can either buy the entire palette of concealers or continue buying the refill swatches like this.


4. Juice Beauty Reflecting Lip Gloss in Fig

The full-size is $15

I've heard a lot of raving about Juice Beauty products, so I was excited to see that not only was this a full-size sample, but that it was Juice Beauty. I didn't like the scent at first but now that I've worn it a couple of times it reminds me a bit of fruits, I would say more orange rind. It comes off a little bitter at first. It has a high amount of sparkle, so I can't wear this gloss alone or as a topcoat because it makes my lips look a little white against the rest of my skin, but I like it. And it's organic too, so I know it's safe for my mouth, it hasn't dried out my lips so far and doesn't give me a thick goop-like covering like many lip glosses. The moisture remains on my lips for awhile after applying and I hate having to constantly reapply because my lips are dry when I'm out and about, so this is also a plus. I don't like that ipsy linked me to a gloss 4-pack for the full-size rather than an individual gloss because that seems like a bit much, so I had to look on Juice Beauty's website on my own to find the price for just one gloss.


5. St. Tropez All-Over Glow Body Lotion

Before 

After

This was the final product in this month's bag and is a temporary tanner by St. Tropez. I really don't need any help with tanning or looking darker but I wanted to try it out anyway. I didn't like how it made my skin feel at all. The color (to me) made my skin look more ashy than dewy, my hand felt chalky and my knuckles looked dark and bruised. I don't need anything with a tanning property anyway, but I thought that I would at least have a bit of a glow. It just looked darker and didn't feel too good, either. I'm sure that this probably looks great on lighter skintones, but on mine I just didn't like it. It washes off fairly easy though, so that's a plus. I included pictures of how it worked for me instead of the product picture since I thought that was more relevant and you could see the results beforehand.


6. Bonus Product: Makeup Bag/Clutch

As a bit of a bonus, ipsy included this adorable little clutch with this month's products. It's cute, summery, chevron-printed which I love, but can be used for everyday storage as well. It holds all of my necessities when I leave (iTouch, cell phone, id & debit card, pen and chapstick) so it's big enough to hold the small stuff when you want a no-fuss day and don't want to take a lot of things with you. No complaints here.



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Bitchy Review: So what do I have to say about this bag overall? I liked it, but I didn't love it. I have realized that the problem with these subscription services isn't them or their products, it's me. My expectations were a bit too high and rather unrealistic; I guess the hype surrounding these things made me expect something different and when I didn't get it I was disappointed. But in reality, look at what I got for $10--hair serum that's probably going to last me for awhile, a full-sized nail polish that normally costs what I paid for the entire month's subscription, a full-sized organic lip gloss, and a cute bag to boot. I can do without the concealer and the tanning/glow lotion. Four out of six ain't bad. Most of the products had to grow on me, but again that was more due to my expectations being out of whack than the products not being good enough. A plus with ipsy is that discounts of the full-size products are offered if you go through your ipsy subscription to get them. Between Birchbox and ipsy, I've been able to try a lot of high-end products that I would not have had the opportunity to try otherwise and have been able to find things that I will definitely be buying when I have the money to do so. Like Birchbox, I'm willing to give this another go next month.

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R.I.P.

Soapheads, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but this morning, Jeanne Cooper (Y&R's Katherine) passed away in her sleep. She was 84. If you've been keeping up with Soapcentral, then I'm sure you heard a little something about the mysterious ailment she had been dealing with over the past month. If you hadn't heard about it, she fell into a coma last month and was in the ICU for a couple of weeks, then released back on April 29th. Unfortunately, a few days later, on May 2nd, she was readmitted and this time would not be released.

Nobody knows yet exactly what illness she was dealing with as her family has chosen not to release those details, and I can respect that. I have watched Jeanne Cooper on Y&R practically from birth and this loss to her family, Y&R and the rest of the soap fans who loved her work hits hard. I am glad she is at peace now and no longer in any pain. I hope that her family finds the strength and the courage that I am sure she passed along to them during this time, and that they look to God for His guidance of their steps. My sincerest condolences are with Jeanne Cooper's family, the cast of Y&R and the lives of all that she touched throughout her career.

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