March & April Favorites

Because of my whole laptop incident, I'm a little behind making videos so I decided to go ahead and combine my favorites from both the months of March and April into one video because I'm just crazy like that! Sorry for the funky lighting and my childhood lisp that apparently hasn't completely disappeared xD

PRODUCTS MENTIONED

Kiehls Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser - I left my Aveeno cleanser at home so I've been using this since my New York move. What I really love about it is that not only does it leave my skin feeling so clean and soft after use but it also gradually reduces pores (and I have MASSIVE pores).

Clean and Clear Acne Spot Treatment - I cannot stress this enough - MIRACLE in a tube!! I've been using this little lifesaver since highschool and SWEAR by it!! Put this on your zit, pimple, big ol' acne spots three times and day and watch that baby disappear!

Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour Cream - This was one of the very first department store "high-end" beauty products I ever bought. I forgot how old I was - maybe 16 when I bought it - and I did so because I remember I kept seeing it being mentioned by various celebrities as one of their "must have" items so I wanted to see what all the hype was about. I've probably gone through about 6 tubes of these things since then and this month my appreciation for this wonderful product was renewed. With the cold, severely drying New York weather that I was desperately not prepared for, this product has been another life saver!

L'Oreal Linear Intense in Carbon Black - I originally was not a fan of this eyeliner because I prefer a felt tip at the end and this has a brush which isn't as easy to control. However, I've been practicing a bit now with it and I've come to really love it. It's much blacker than my other liquid eyeliners and is perfect if for doing a dramatic winged eyeliner look (which I've been really into lately).

Benefit They're Real Mascara - I got a sample of this mascara in one of my ipsy bags and now I finally understand the hype! It's a great all around mascara with little bristles that's great for coating every lash without getting clumpy - win!

China Glaze "Refresh Mint" - One of my all-time favorites, I'm so happy it's finally spring so I can start wearing it again! I have several mint polishes but this is the one I always end up coming back to because it's DA BEST.

Essie "Lilacism" - Another all-time favorite I like to break out in the spring, this polish is simply the perfect lavender color.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat - Such an amazing top coat!! It dries SUPER fast and leaves such a nice, glossy finish! I paired this baby with my Essie Lilacism and I didn't chip my nails for one WEEK - you read that right, ONE WEEK. Call me impressed.

Nike Free Run 5.0 sneakers - The best running sneakers ever (and I am picky about my running shoes)! Super cute and super light!! Makes it feel like you are running with no shoes on! 

Toki Doki Marvel shirt - This shirt of various Marvel characters in Toki Doki style is probably one of the cutest things I have EVER seen. Just precious.

House of Cards - Finally jumped on board and gave this show a try and I'm hooked! Still have a couple episodes left but I'm sure I'll zoom through them in no time! This Netflix Original Series is produced by David Fincher (Fight Club, The Social Network) and definitely reflects his tone and aesthetic and touts an impressive cast who all give powerful performances. Watch it.

Silver Linings Playbook and Argo - The only two movies I saw...pretty much the entire time I've been in NYC, but hey if you''re only going to see two movies - I'm glad it was these two pretty freakin' fantastic movies. JLaw was superb and flawless. BCoop - I just made that up - was fantastic and beautiful - yes, beautiful. I was super invested in the characters and storylines of both films and can totally see why they were both nominated (and won) so many awards. If you haven't seen both of these films yet, I highly recommend you do so now.

DailyGrace - Oh, Grace, how I love thee. My latest Youtube obsession, Grace is hilarious, random, and awesome and makes videos FIVE times a week. I don't think I've ever laughed harder than when I watched her "What I Think of the Presidents" video. I've probably seen it a dozen times now and I still laugh EVERY SINGLE TIME.

That's all for this month! What were your March and April favorites?

April 2013 Ipsy/Myglam Bag

Today, I received my April Ipsy Bag in the mail - yay!! The theme for this month's bag is "Pretty in Pink" and it's probably one of my favorite themes they've done. Pinks look good on just about everyone and it's perfect for spring. The bag was really cute. With a pink theme, they could've made it really cheesy and girly but instead kept it really chic looking with a pink and white color block exterior and pink/white Victoria's Secret-esqe interior. 

In the bag:

• HealthySexyHair Soy Renewal - I love the SexyHair line so while I wasn't sure how this fit into the "Pink" theme, I didn't mind getting this travel-sized nourishing treatment for my hair (I know I need it). It claims to give multiple benefits which include speeding up blow drying time, nourishing and protecting hair from heat, reducing frizz, and enhancing shine. To receive $5 off of $25 or more of SexyHair products, use the code 108888 at Ulta.com.
• Sation Nail Lacquer in Love At First Byte - While I do like the light peachy-pink color, I've heard complaints about the drying time which is a huge factor to me when it comes to my nail polish since I'm so impatient. To save 20% use the code IPSY30 at store.misspn.com.
• Be a Bombshell blush in Sweet Cheeks - I still have yet to use this blush on my face, but I'm already a fan. I love the smooth texture of the blush and was very pleasantly surprised at how pigmented it is. I also love the medium rose pink color. It is very shimmery too, and I can't decide if that's a plus or not yet. Use the code IPSY30 to receive 30% off and a FREE full size pink shadow at beabombshellcosmetics.com/blush.
• MICABEAUTY Mineral Eye Shadow in Earth - The loose eye shadow is a light shimmery pink color that claims to be gentle, stay put for hours without creasing, and be free of preservatives, chemicals, dyes, oils, and other fillers. You can also mix it with clear lip gloss, mascara, or nail polish to add a little sparkle and color. I tried it on my hand and it is very sheer but definitely gives you a lot of sparkle and shimmer. Use the code IPSY30 to receive 30% off your purchase at micabeauty.com.

All in all, I really enjoyed this bag! What did you guys think?

April Birchbox

Birchbox does it again with another amazing box of products! I seriously fall more and more in love with this company and its incredible customer service each month and they have yet to let me down with the contents of their boxes. This month's theme was "Natural Wonders" with products all inspired by nature.

• Befine Skincare Sampler - I got 5 generous-sized "Single Serve" packets, 3 of which contain an Exfoliating Cleanser (with brown sugar, sweet almond, and oats) and 2 a Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15 (with rosemary, pomegranate, and rice). I'm really excited to try these out as I've heard great things about Befine products. 
• Orofluido Beauty Elixir - My dry/damaged hair could definitely use the nourishing oils (argan, linseed, and cyperus) in this hair treatment. I also really liked the nice little glass bottle it came in (although it was a little difficult for me to unscrew) and the vanilla amber scent smells amazing.
• Wonderstruck Taylor Swift - I really love the way this smells, and I've actually had my eye on this perfume for a while so I was happy to get a sample of it to try out for a couple days to see if I liked it enough to invest the $50+ on the full-sized version. 
• Zoya TRUE Spring Collection in Bevin - Yay, another nail polish! I've actually never tried Zoya before but it claims to go "on opaque and lasts 50% longer than traditional polishes." The photo below shows what it looks like with two thin coats (not bad), and although I do remember some slight chipping occurring the second or third day, it did last in pretty good shape for a good week.
• MicrodermaMitt Face Mitt - An all-natural silk mitt that exfoliates dead skin cells and clears up pores. I love this thing and the fact that I basically got a full-sized product (which costs $28) makes it even more awesome.

Since I wasn't able to show it last month, here's a look at Birchbox's impeccable packaging.

I'm already excited to see what's in my May box - ESPECIALLY because it's inspired by one of TV's most fashionable shows, Gossip Girl, with the show's department heads for makeup and hair curating the products! The arrival of the box is supposed to coincide with the show's finale on May 14th.

If you aren't already, click HERE to sign up for Birchbox - you won't regret it!

April MyGlam Bag

When I got my MyGlam bag in the mail, I had to give it a couple shakes to be sure there was actually anything inside because it was so flat and light (see picture below). It literally felt like there was nothing in it. Immediately, I imagined it being filled with tiny foil samples and "gift cards" so my expectations upon opening it were pretty low. 

The theme for this bag was "Girl's Night Out." Surprisingly, it turned out to be one of their better bags content-wise (the makeup bag itself was probably their cheapest) with actual makeup products. 

• All-Belle Eyelashes - Pleasantly surprised with how much I like this product. I've actually never worn false eyelashes before, but I could see myself using these. I'm a big fan of Asian beauty products (especially for the eyes), and reading that these are handmade in Taiwan and can be reused up to 10 times AND it comes with glue won we me over.  
• DermStore Lip Quench Moisture-Infused Lip Treatment - Another nice product! Instantly made my lips feel moisturized and smooth and lasted for a long time.
• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil in Woodstock - I love these eye pencils and was super excited to see them included in the bag. Of course, out of all the colors I could get, I got the one I was least likely to use - the pink. It's a great waterproof pencil that glides on smoothly and has incredible staying power, but the pink color (as pretty as it is) makes me look like I've been punched in the eye. 
• MyGlam Exclusive All-Over Eyeshadow Brush and Eyeliner Brush - These brushes are actually pretty nice. The eyeshadow brush is a bit small but can be used to apply shadow in the inner corners and for details. The eyeliner brush is thin and firm and would be great for applying gel liner. Still, I would have preferred another makeup product instead.

(sorry for my super veiny eyes!)

To cancel or not to cancel - that is the question. What do you guys think?

April Julep Maven "Classic with a Twist" Box

I discovered Julep Maven through my friend Kelsey from The Girl Talks. It's basically a nail polish subscription service that's a bit more Jewelmint than Birchbox in that you're not paying for random-ish samples but actually full-sized polishes and nail care products. Like Jewelmint, you initially take a Style Quiz which matches you to a certain beauty profile with a certain set of products. Profile names include "It Girl," "Boho Glam," and "American Beauty." One thing that's neat about the program is that you get to view everything in your box so you can decide whether or not you like it or prefer another set of products under another profile. You can also skip a month if you don't find anything to your liking. It's usually $20 a month, but they currently have a special promo where you can get your first box for only ONE PENNY (seriously!) if you use the code COLORS4ONE. I'm not sure how long the promo is going to last so don't miss out!

I loved how quickly I received my first box after putting in my order. I think it was literally three days! I also really like the packaging which reminds me a lot of Birchbox with how neatly arranged and nicely presented everything is. The nail polishes were wrapped in bubble wrap, tissue paper, then finished off  with a box and the products were all laid on top of paper confetti for some nice padding.

Kelly - "Blushed white creme." A really pretty pinky neutral color that was a little sheer at first, but a few thick coats did the trick.

Anne - "Ultra-saturated violet." I really loved this color and got lots of compliments the week I wore it. The polish was a little thin and took a couple of coats but once on, it stayed on - very little chipping.

Julep Facial for Hands Glycolic Hand Scrub - Really nice hand scrub. My hands felt extremely clean and soft after using.