October Birchbox and Influenster

I feel like Birchbox is very hit and miss. Some months I like and others I don't. I have had Birchbox for 4 months now and I think I will continue the subscription. For those who are not familiar  Birchbox is a monthly subscription. For $10 a month, you get a box full of samples.

This months samples were: 

Karuna Hydrating Treatment Mask - 4 for $28

Lulu Organics Lavender + Clary Sage Hair Powder - $30

Naked Princess Luscious Lip Gloss - $26

Embryolisse Lait-Creme Conentre - $16

Also came with a Lifestyle Extra being LUNA Lemon Zest bar  - 15 for $18.75

In October's Birchbox, I am most excited about the mask and dry shampoo. The description on the mask says it has natto which is a Japanese Soy bean to help dull skin. I still have not found a dry shampoo that works so I am excited to try this powder.

I got my first VoxBox from influenster in the mail today. Influenster is like an online community where you can join to be a member and complete surveys, write reviews, etc. to gain badges. When you earn badges, you can get discount on products and services. To get a VoxBox, you enter and they select which member to send a VoxBox out to. According to their website it is stated as, "Qualified members are selected based on their demographics, Expert Badges, and social activity. Each program is directed at a different demographic. In order to qualify, you must unlock Expert Badges in your areas of expertise. If you fit the demographics and your badges are a match for the VoxBox's theme, you'll have better chances of qualifying. We also encourage members to be active on social media."

This Quad comes with a primer and illuminator

These are swatches without using the primer

These are swatches with the primer the quad comes with

As you can see, the shadows pigmentation is different with the primer. Without the primer, the shimmers from the shadow do not show up as well as they do with the primer. The darkest gray is chalky, but they all feel smooth to the touch.

My Glam BAG?? disappointing.

My Glam Bag is a monthly subscription service where you receive samples every month for $10. They send you this cheap make up bag every time containing pretty crappy stuff. I did not even take a picture of this month because I was so upset, half of them are thrown in the trash. I understand its only 10 dollars so I cannot complain too much, but I rather pay more for a monthly subscription box/bag that is better worth it.

That bag had 2 make up brushes that are crap from my glam, nail heart bling which is very tacky, sample of a perfume, and a lipstick from Studio Gear in a brick brown red color. After this I decided to try for another month and see how I liked it. So I did not take a picture of it, but I received a bag that was a cheap envelope bag, a NYX round lipstick, a sample size philosophy moisturizer, anti-frizz nourishing cream, and a Marbella permanent eyeliner pen.  They send everyone the same item, except I think the shades of lipsticks given are at random. So this bag was better, but still not up to par. The eyeliner is not opaque unless you go over it at least 4 times. I have straight hair, not curly, so I probably will just give away the anti-frizz cream. In the end that leaves me with only using 2 of the samples. USELESS. I canceled my subscription today and signed up for Glossybox. Glossybox is $21 a month, but like I mentioned before, I am willing to pay more if the samples are better. I hope Glossybox doesn't let me down!

Guerlain Météorites Compact Powder

The prupose of this powder is to make the skin look illuminating and matte. This powder is a very light texture and very smooth. It is a very sheer coverage so I don't recomment purchasing this powder if you are looking to use as a powder foundation. I use this to set my liquid foundation. It is a hefty price of $56.00, however I do recommend it if you fit the shades they have. Thisa powder only comes in three shades, but this powder blends so well that I believe most skin tones will be able to use this powder to set their liquid foundations.

Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5

Illamasqua Matt Primer

I recently purchased this primer at my local Sephora because I was looking for a primer to keep my face matte.   This product is a Sephora exclusive and can be found on their website. I currently use Smashbox Photofinish in original. I love Smashbox's smooth application however it did not keep matte for longer than 2 hrs. My t-zone gets oily easily. The Illamasqua's matte primer has an SPF of 15 and contains UVA and UVB filters. A little of this product goes a long way. It is in a squeeze tube with a watery consistency, similar to a light weight face lotion. However, once applied it smooths out very well into a matte finish. The watery consistency dries out very quick once applied and rubbed on the face. The smell is very nice as well, its a sweet floral scent, but very very light. My face stayed matte for about 5 hours which is quite long since my t-zone gets oily quick. I like it very much and would recommend for those with combination skin, however I don't love it to say its a holy grail product. Hoping to find that one product that will help control my oil dramatically.

Price: $30

Over all rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Loreal Color Riche Lip Balms

I had to struggle to get my hands on Revlon Lip Butters, and although many people love them, I actually do not care for them. I don't like them, nor hate them. They are very pigmented, however they do not feel that moisturizing. I don't think they should deserve to be called "lip butters." I went to my local CVS and found Loreal's new tinted lip balms  on display and I love them. The are so glossy and moisturizing with just enough color that a lip balm should have. Very slight pigmentation so I do not recommend it for those who are looking for a lip product with vibrant vivid colors. I do recommend it for those who are looking for a hint of color on their lips while having moisturized lips, esp in this dry winter weather. There are currently 8 different shades. By the way, these lip balms smell like fruity candy!

Price: $6-8

Pigmentation: 3 out of 5 stars

Lasting Powder: 4 out of 5 stars

Color Selection: 3 out of 5 stars

Lip hydration: 5 out of 5 stars

I promise the pigmentation is slightly more vibrant than my swatch

Chanel Perfection Lumiere

This foundation is by thus far, the best foundation I have tried. I enjoyed the Mat Lumiere, but I prefer the Perfection Lumiere over the mat. The Perfection Lumiere is a medium to full coverage foundation that actually, keeps my face just as mat as the Mat Lumiere. The foundation finishes to a satin-powder finish therefore no setting power is needed; however, I use the Chanel Poudre to set this foundation and this combination goes perfectly together. I also use my sigma f80 and f82 with this foundation. Chanel foundations have a rose scent. The Perfection Lumiere's rose perfumed scent is quite strong, much more noticeable than the Mat Lumiere. I actually enjoy the smell, but for those who are sensitive to products that have scents, I do not recommend this product. I also do not recommend this product for those who have dry skin because it may just accentuate dry patches on the skin. For those who don't mind and has combination or oily skin, I recommend this product.

Price: $55

Lasting Power: 5 out of 5

Color Range Selections: 4.5 out of 5

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

The Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette comes with 12 eye shadows, a dual ended brush, and a mini lip gloss. One side of the brush is a flat shader brush and the other side is a crease blending brush. The brush works very well. The package is different from the first Naked palette because the first one was a suede magnetic box while the new one is a tin metal box. Both come with mirrors. All the eye shadows are very pigmented, silky soft in texture, and blends wonderfully; which is what is expected from Urban Decay shadows anyways. The matte black shadow is a little rough in texture but is a perfect matte black to make a nice smokey eye. This palette has 3 matte shadows, 1 shadow that has a slight sheen, and 7 shadows that have little specs of glitter. You cannot feel the glitter when you apply the shadows. Like the first Naked, this palette is limited and can be a little frustrating to get your hands on. If you go on urban decay's website you can sign up to be notified when the next round will be released.

Price: $50

Pigmentation: 5 out of 5 stars

Color pay off: 5 out of 5 stars

Lasting Power: 5 out of 5 stars

I definitely recommend this product.