December Birchbox Review

I always take a peek on the Birchbox website before I get my box to see what the contents will be, and when I looked for this month I wasn't sure how I felt about the assortment.  After receiving the box, though, I'm happy with what I got!

December's theme was Holiday 2013, appropriately so.  The informational card talks about celebration, being around family, and the overall excitement of the season.  I usually don't see a huge correlation between the themes and the products in my boxes, but that doesn't bother me.  I like that they made an extra effort to make this month's packaging fun and festive (see more photos at the end of the post).

• Emily's Chocolates Milk Chocolate Fortune Cookies ($1.19) - This was my lifestyle extra for the month and it was really yummy.  I saw some other reviews where people received treats that I 'd want to try more than these cookies, but it was still a fun extra and I'm all about anything chocolate!
• Number 4 Non Aerosol Hairspray ($4.50) - This is the product I liked least this month, but simply because I don't use hairspray.  The reviews on the Birchbox site are positive, and I like that this is vegan and environmentally-friendly, but I probably won't use it often.
• Birchbox Digimate (value unknown) - This was included to celebrate the launch of the Birchbox app.  It sticks to the back of your phone and can be removed to clean the screen.  I'm obsessive about having a clean phone screen, so I'll put this to good use.

• BeeKind Body Lotion ($1.80) - Another thing I'm obsessive about is moisturizing, especially in the winter.  I hate having dry hands so I always have a travel-sized lotion with me, and I'm always happy to have more.  This one has a lemon-y scent that smells wonderful, and the texture is nice and smooth.  A portion of the proceeds supports honey bee and sustainable pollination research, which is also really cool.
• Secret Agent Beauty Nourishing & Plumping Lip Gloss (value unknown) - I'm not sure of the value on this because there's no weight listed on the tube, but a full-sized gloss retails for $18.  I have a ton of lip glosses, but I was really interested in trying this one because I've seen them on Little Black Bag but I was never able to trade for one.  The shade is Foreign Intelligence Flirt, a pink/mauve that's very flattering.  My favorite aspect is that it contains peppermint, so you get that refreshing tingly feeling upon application.
• betty&ko The Betty Polish (value unknown) - I didn't even know what this sample was until I looked at the informational card because it has absolutely zero markings on the container.  A full-sized polish retails for $65 and contains 3.4 oz, so this sample probably has a decent value.  I haven't tried this yet, but it has a warm vanilla scent that I love.  I'll probably use it once a week or so for facial exfoliation.

Bottom Line: I'm not sure of the total value of my box this month, but I'm sure it was more than the $10.80 I paid to receive it.  I haven't yet gotten a Birchbox that I didn't enjoy since I resubscribed, and I'm really happy that they're including a better variety of samples for me.

*Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.

More photos after the "read more!"

STEAMCREAM Thalia Tin Review

Last month I reviewed the STEAMCREAM Noir tin, which I absolutely loved, so when I was offered another tin to review I was more than happy to oblige!

STEAMCREAM is a handmade, all-in-one vegan moisturizer from the UK.  They use a unique steam process that fuses the ingredients together, resulting in a product that doesn't just sit on top of your skin, but really absorbs to deeply moisturize.  It can be used on the face or the body, and is gentle enough to use on infants as well.  I use this mainly on my face after cleansing in the morning and night because I how light the texture is.  I have sensitive but oily skin, and STEAMCREAM moisturizes without irritating my skin or exacerbating my sebum problem.

I love that STEAMCREAM is vegan, cruelty-free, and made with natural ingredients; but I also love that the cream comes in limited edition tins in a variety of designs!  The Thalia tin, as you can see, is red and white with a flower pattern.  Some of the designs that are currently in their design gallery that I also like are the "Light From Space," "Eau De Vie," and "Suruga."  There are tons of designs to choose from, but once they're sold out they're gone for good, so be sure to grab the ones you like!

Bottom Line: Part of the allure of STEAMCREAM for me is that they're packaged in so many fun designs, but I also really love that it's a potent, effective product that's cruelty-free and vegan.  They're a great stocking stuffer for the holidays!

*Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.  I received no monetary compensation.

Studio Gear Cosmetics Holiday Smokey Eye Palette Review and Swatches

The Studio Gear Cosmetics brand was new to me prior to this review.  I was interested in reviewing their Holiday Smokey Eye Palette because I thought the eyeshadow shades were really pretty, and I had read good things about them from other reviews.

The palette's packaging consists simply of an outer sleeve, pictured above.  The actual palette cover is a simple black, white, and gray, which I was actually a little disappointed in.  Overall the packaging isn't too big of a deal to me, but I think it would have been fun if they kept the design consistent with the bokeh lighting on the outer sleeve, especially for a holiday product.

The palette contains four eyeshadows and one blush, which could also double as an eyeshadow if you wanted it to.  The shades are (going clockwise from top left): Platinum, Frost, Glimmer, and Coal, and the blush is Snowy Glow.  Well, at least, that's how they're listed on the inner flap (pictured below).  I think this is mislabeled, though, and that the order should actually be: Platinum, Coal, Glimmer, and Frost.  This caused me a brief moment of confusion when trying to recreate the look they have on the inner flap, but I'm pretty certain I'm correct in thinking that it was mislabeled.

I think this look is perfect for a holiday party, or really for any night out.  It's a little too dark for my work routine, but I had fun playing around with the different shadows when trying to recreate this.  My eyes are monolids, so shading in the crease doesn't work quite as well for me, but I can definitely adapt it to fit my eye shape.

Here are swatches of the eyeshadows without primer (I neglected to swatch the blush, sorry!).  As you can see, they aren't very pigmented, which I found to be very disappointing.  Their texture was very chalky, and I had to build up the swatches with three or four swipes of the shadow.  Applying these with my brushes was almost pointless since they barely picked up any color.  Applying them with my fingers worked better for pigmentation, but then of course you lose the precision of a brush.  Overall, I was not pleased with these shadows.

• Purchase a Holiday Smokey Eye Palette on the Studio Gear website (currently on sale for $25).  Use code SGHOLIDAY for 10% off; this coupon never expires.
• The palette will also be available at select ULTA locations starting this month!
• Enter the Studio Gear Cosmetics "Holiday Hottie" contest to win even more free makeup!

Bottom Line: I wouldn't say I loved this palette, but I wouldn't completely disregard it, either.  I think it's a good starter palette for people who are just getting into makeup, and it has fun colors to play around with.  I do wish that the shadows had a smoother texture and more pigmentation.

*Disclaimer: This post is powered by BrandBacker

Cruelty-Free Holiday Shopping With The Leaping Bunny!

I love how easy online shopping is, but I like to get the best deals and sometimes it can be too tedious to hunt around a bunch of different places to try to find that one perfect gift.  Luckily, Leaping Bunny puts together a list of fantastic sales around this time each year, making it easy to find tons of cruelty-free specials!

Their list of 93 different cruelty-free (and many all-natural, organic, and vegan) brands contains coupons for everything from free shipping to percentages off to free gifts with purchase.  Some of my favorites on the list include Andalou Naturals, Keeki Pure and Simple, and and Stark Skincare (to name just a few).

This guide is a great way to take advantage of holiday deals while supporting fantastic cruelty-free companies!

• Shop the entire list by clicking here.

*Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.

Cyber Monday Deal: Free Wantable Box!

Now through Tuesday, 12/3 at 6pm CST, new subscribers to Wantable will get their second box free!  Your account will automatically be credited with $36 after you subscribe, so no coupon code is necessary.  The credit may take up to three business days to appear, so don't panic if you don't see it right away.

This offer is valid on Wantable's makeup, intimates, accessories, and holiday boxes.  If you purchase the specialty holiday box, your free box (and all boxes thereafter) will be a makeup box.  I think this is a great deal, as I was very impressed with the Wantable Makeup Box I received in October (click here for the review).

• Click here to take advantage of this free box deal!

*Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.  Post contains referral links.