March Birchbox

I have to be honest with this box. I think it looks very strange. I don't get it. It must be the latest trendy art movement?

This month's theme is creativity. I'm not sure what that has to do what is inside the box because to me it seems like the sort of things that are normally in the box, but I guess doing your hair and makeup can be a creative thing. The card says, "I feel most creative when I ... When do you feel most creative? Fill out the front of this card, share it, and tag #birchbox and #giveaway for a chance to win full-size versions of everything in your box!" I am not going to do this, but I will answer the question right now. I feel the most creative when I put on makeup. I feel like an artist.

Macadamia Natural Oil Nourishing Moisture Masque: "This luxe treatment reinforces strands for shinier, stronger, healthier-looking hair. After shampooing, coat strands from near roots to ends. Wait 7 minutes, then rinse." I think I actually already have this. If it is what I already have then I haven't noticed anything remarkable about this. It seems like a normal conditioner to me. 

Rusk Texture Dry Finishing Spray: "This medium-hold spray gives any hair volume and shape - while keeping its natural bounce. Shake well, and spray onto roots for extra oomph or your whole head for flexible hold." I will have to try this when I put my hair in a ponytail, and see if I can get more volume.

Wei Manuka Bee Venom Anti-Wrinkle Mask: "This treatment firms, softens, and minimizes fine lines, with a warm tingle as it works. Brush mask onto clean face, avoiding eyes, 1-2 times weekly. Wait 10 minutes, then rinse." I'm sort of nervous to put bee venom on my face! 

Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre (24-Hour Miracle Cream): "A makeup artist must-have, this cult moisturizer moonlights as a primer and makeup remover. Apply a small amount to clean face and neck, or dab on with a cotton ball to remove makeup." I am the most excited to get this in my box! I have seen the Pixiwoo sisters use this many times on their Youtube makeup tutorials.

Mirenesse Mattfinity Lip Rouge in Sydney: "Velvety color with a modern matte finish. No need for lip liner. This stain stays put. Glide wand over lips. Wear as is for bright color, or blot for a subtler look." I have noticed that matte lips have been "in" lately. I don't know if this color would look good on me.

November Favorites

Favorite TV Show

American Horror Story: Freak Show: Warning! This show is for mature audiences only! This doesn't even seem like a TV show to me. I feel like I am watching a movie. I watch this On Demand. I like watching shows On Demand because I can watch it whenever I want to. I don't have to wait for a day or time. The story is tragic. There is a lot of sadness here. It isn't very scary to me. If you are scared of clowns, this could be very scary to you. The show is very well written, and I love the actors. I watched the last season, and the same actors are in this. Everyone has a new role. Last season Jessica Lange played the head witch. This season she has a German accent and plays the head of a circus. Angela Bassett played a voodoo witch last season. This season she is a 3 breasted woman with what looks like a penis, but it is an enlarged clitoris. Kathy Bates last season was a racist plantation owner that tortured her slaves. This season she plays a bearded lady, with an accent (I'm not sure what kind of accent it is). There are all kinds of freaks on the show, and it shows how they have been mistreated (and still are). The characters are all well developed.

Favorite Movies

1. The Maze Runner: This is based upon a popular series. It might be a trilogy. I'm not sure. I remember hearing about this book on Youtube. It is a dystopian story. It starts off with a boy in some kind of elevator and it opens out into some place with all of these boys staring at him. He doesn't remember anything about his past or why he is there. Every month a new boy is sent, and you find out that they are in the middle of a maze. There are monsters behind the walls, so they are protected unless they venture out of the middle where they live. It's a pretty mysterious story that unfolds as you watch. I don't want to say too much because that would ruin the story. The way it ends, I feel like there will be a sequel. It reminds me of The Hunger Games or Divergent, except the lead character is a teenage boy. 

2. Dumb and Dumber To: This is the sequel to Dumb and Dumber. If you liked the first one, I think you would like the second one. I thought it was really funny. 

Favorite Beauty Products

1. Too Faced Primed & Poreless Powder: When I ordered from the Too Faced website, they sent me this for free. It is a lot of powder! There isn't a color. I think it is translucent. It reminds me of the Bare Minerals loose powder. It is messy. You tap this into the lid, and the powder goes everywhere. This isn't travel friendly, but I like this type of powder.

2. OPI Nail Lacquer in Barefoot in Barcelona: This is a pretty rosy nude. I heard Chanelette talking about it on her Youtube channel, and it looked really pretty to me. I ordered it online. I forget where I got it from, maybe Amazon. I don't know if this is available in stores or if it was limited edition. OPI makes great quality nail polish.

3. Philosophy Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath in Gingerbread Girl: I was getting tired of the pomegranate smell of my usual body wash. I wanted something spicier. I think I got this at Christmas time one year. It came with a lotion and maybe a lip gloss. I can't remember. This smells so good! It smells like gingerbread. Philosophy has great products. I wonder if they have this collection again this year. It would make a great present. I can't remember if I have already bought this for someone or whom I bought it for. I really recommend this!

4. Oscar Blandi Hair Lift: This is a deluxe sample size. I think I got this a while ago from Birchbox. I wanted something to give my hair more volume. My hair is fine, and I don't have a lot of it. It is a mousse texture. You put a little of it into your hands, rub your hands together, and put it where you want volume. It works really well!

5. Benefit Hoola Bronzer: I got this deluxe sample from The Benefit Advent Calendar from last Christmas. This is a matte bronzer, that is good for my light complexion. 

6. Maybelline The Nudes Palette: This is like the drugstore Naked Palette. This was much talked about on Youtube. It seems like there are a lot of people sponsored by Maybelline. Some of the shadows are pigmented and some aren't. It isn't the best palette in the world. Some shadows are matte and some are shimmery. I like to have it because it seems like a lot of the tutorials I want to recreate are using this palette.

7. Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie: This is a shiny my lips but better color. When I didn't know what to wear on my lips, I chose this because it goes with everything, it looks pretty, and it feels good on my lips.

8. Covergirl Cheekers Blush in True Plum: This is a pretty blush for this season. It doesn't look too purple to the point of looking like an unnatural color. It is soft. The swatch on my hand is layered. It isn't that pigmented. I like the way it is.

9. Macadamia Deep Repair Masque: Melissa Autry on Youtube was talking about this in one of her videos a while back and she had a discount code, so I got this huge tub on sale. I have heard a lot of people talk about this. It is worth all the hype. It is an excellent deep conditioner. I use this about once a week to really condition my hair. I shampoo and then I get out of the shower and put this from my ears to the ends of my hair and a little bit on top. I comb out my hair with a wide tooth comb and let it set for 7 minutes. Then I rinse. You can tell it is working as soon as you rinse it out. It makes your hair smooth and shiny. This is one of the best conditioners I have ever used.

So those are my favorites for this month! What were your favorites? Please leave a comment below. I am hoping that the comment section is working. I'm not sure how to fix it if it isn't working. I have asked for help, and I think I've looked in the wrong e-mail account to find an answer. Hopefully, I can solve the problem. I really wish I would get comments to my blog.

I am going to do Blogmas this year. I didn't know it was thing that people did. I called it Advent something last year, and it was really fun to do. I'm not sure what I will be doing yet, but I plan on blogging every day up until Christmas.

March Birchbox!

I got my Birchbox in the mail today!

This is what the card said:

Hi there,

Every March, the sports nuts in our lives spend the entire month chattering on about brackets, upsets, Sweet 16s, and Final Fours. This year, we're getting in on the game. After all, doesn't Birchbox help you research and create your ultimate beauty starting lineup? This box is filled with products to make the cut - from up-and-coming rookies to veteran all-stars.

All month, we'll be hosting beauty face-offs on our Facebook page - think epic throw-downs like liquid versus gel liner - and we want to hear your picks! We'll also be teaming up with Birchbox Man to run our own March Madness bracket - even if you don't know anything about basketball, you can still enter to win fun prizes.

And since we know you're itching for spring, our friends at Madewell have included a darling nail file in one of this season's hottest patterns, plus an exclusive shopping offer.

May the best team (crossed out) products win,
Katia, Hayley & the Birchbox Team

1. Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque: Made with macadamia and tea tree oils, this rich treatment strengthens strands from the inside while also adding major gloss. I'm excited to get this! I have heard a lot about these products.

2. Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil Treatment: Quicker than a trip to Hawaii, this featherweight hair treatment woos us with a combination of lush macadamia nut and argan oils. Bonus: It cuts down on drying time. This is a big sample! I hope it works well on my hair!

3. Madewell for Birchbox Emery Board: We teamed up with Madewell to create this adorable mani savior, patterned after a print from their new spring collection. This is the prettiest emery board I've ever seen!

4. Make Dual-Phase Eye Makeup Remover: Opposites attract in this gentle - but seriously effective - remover. Shake to combine the layers of oil, chamomile, and cucumber-infused H20, then apply with a cotton ball. I will have to try this out and see how I like it.

5. Make Lipstick? I guess they forgot to put this in my box. No they did! It's very tiny. We were smitten with this new brand's lovely pigments even before we found out that one-third of all sales are donated to charity. We'll take one in every shade. My shade is Maraschino Cherry.

6. Sage + fasten Common Sense Eau de Parfum: Made in New York, this small-batch scent features layers of lotus flower, peach, and lychee. We love that it's free of parabens, sulfates, and synthetics. This is a little roller ball. It smells so good!