Why I'm Switching From Ipsy To Birchbox! & First Impression, Swatches, & Review of February Birchbox With $25 Free Gift!

Hello World!

I'm back from my midterm hiatus! YAY!

During my little hiatus, I signed up to Birchbox. During the month of February, Birchbox was sending a $25 gift upon signing up, so I thought this would be the perfect time to test out the Birchbox waters! 

I've been getting Ipsy for almost two years now and I have accumulated a ton of makeup bags! I've been thinking about switching to a new subscription service for a while now due to the fact that I have so many makeup bags and I haven't been all that impressed with their samples lately. (They've sent me three flesh colored lipsticks that make me look dead. I retook the survey in case I clicked something that would insinuate that I look good in flesh colored lipsticks, but I still received similar colors.) Anyways, I thought this would be a great time to change it up and try out Birchbox!

Another huge reason Birchbox drew me in, is their point system. Compared to Ipsy, it is much more efficient and a better value. Ipsy only lets you select from a few travel sized options in their point shop. Birchbox allows you to build up your points and get actual products from their store. You can earn up to 50 points just by reviewing the products you receive. 50 points= $5. You can earn back 50% of what you actually spend on the Birchbox each month and put it towards anything in their store. You also have a much wider variety of options to spend your points on. They may be more expensive than the sample sizes Ipsy offers, but I'd rather get $5 off of a full size product I love rather than pick out a sample of a product that I don't necessarily care for. Also, you earn points from the purchases you make in their store; One point for every dollar you spend. If you spend $50, you get 10% back since 50 points = $5.

Your points are good for a year, so If you review every item you receive, you could save up $60 by the end of the year! 

Lastly, I love the fact that you can customize the box you receive! They will have two (i think, maybe 3) different box themes you can pick from. So, If you want to have some control over what you receive, that is a great option. But, if you enjoy the element of surprise, you can just skip the whole customization option and see what they send you! 

I'm not hating on Ipsy,I adore the numerous makeup bags I've collected. I just feel like Birchbox has more perks! Plus, its always fun to change it up and try something new.

By the way, this isn't sponsored by Birchbox or anything like that, after some research, those are simply some of my reasons for switching from Ipsy to Birchbox. 

Anyways, on to the review!

I received:

• Hey Honey Take It Off Exfoliating Peel Off Mask - 2/5 I've actually tried this mask before and I'm not a huge fan. I don't particularly like peel off masks. It dries to a clear almost plastic looking barrier on your skin. When you peel it off, it does feel like its pulling the gunk out. If you have any peach fuzz or accidentally touch your eyebrow though, it will pull the hair out or just hurt. This mask does what it says and gets the job done. I'm just a clay mask kind of girl.
• Corioliss Argan Conditioning Mask- N/A I rarely use hair masks, but when I do, I will update this post. 
• Naobay HydraPlus Cream- 4/5 I really enjoyed this moisturizer. Its rich and creamy. It didn't break me out. 
• Color Club- Thats My Jam 5/5 I love the formula of this nail color! I've been wearing it for three days now and It hasn't chipped yet. It has a sheer but buildable gel like consistency when you apply it. I only needed to apply two coats for it to be opaque. I wasn't crazy about the color, but I want to purchase some other shades because the formula is amazing!
• Pop Beauty Matte Velvet Lipstick- Cozy Crimson - 5/5 This was, by far, my favorite item from my Birchbox! The formula is velvety (like the name suggests), the color is vibrant, and it smelled very tropical like Sun Bum. The scent alone is amazing and I would probably purchase a chapstick if it smelled the way this lipstick does. I will definitely purchase more shades in the future! I love this lipstick!!! 
• Mally Beauty Evercolor Shadow Stick-  5/5 This was the free $25 gift I got for signing up. This is an absolutely amazing cream eye shadow! It doesn't budge. I've been using it as a base for other shadows & wearing it on its own. One thing I love about this cream shadow is that you can blend powder shadows seamlessly on top of this with out having to set it. Usually I have to set cream products with a similar powder shadow, but not with this product. I've been applying this all over the lid and up into the crease then just blend a darker shadow into the crease to add dimension. 

Overall I really loved my Birchbox! I'm excited to see what other samples I receive!

For the month of March I actually chose one of the customized boxes. I'm so excited to try out the products that it had listed!

Also if you decide to sign up, please use my referral link. Anyone who signs up gets their own referral link and for every person you refer, you get $5 to spend in the Birchbox Shop!

https://www.birchbox.com/invite/macydofash

Let me know if you prefer Ipsy or Birchbox!

What Birchbox samples did you receive? Did you like them?

I hope someone found this post helpful!

<3

Macy

Swatches in the third box from the top are the Pop Beauty Lipstick & the Mally Evercolor Shadow Stick. Color Club nail polish is on my nails in the lower left hand corner, & the same Pop Beauty lipstick swatched on my hand is on my lips in the lower right hand corner.

Midterm Hiatus

In case anyone is wondering why I haven't posted recently, Its because of midterms!

Good luck to my fellow students on your midterms,
If your anything like me, you probably need all the luck you can get!

"TTFN
(tah-tah for now)"
-Tigger

<3

My 2014 Beauty & Lifestyle Favorites!

Makeup Favorites 2014 by macy-dofash 

• Undereye concealer: It Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye
• Basic Concealer: Fakeup by Benefit
• Foundation: Bare Minerals
• BB Cream: Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream
• Bronzer: NYC Sunny
• Blush: Milani's Luminoso
• Lipstick: Rimmel Lasting Finish #17
• Lipgloss: Buxom (no specific color because I love them all!)
• Chapstick: Carmex

Beauty Tools by macy-dofash 

• NYC eyelash Curler
• Eyebrow razors
• Real Techniques expert face brush & blush brush
• Eco Tools Retractable Kabuki

Untitled #10 by macy-dofash

• Kate Somerville Oil Free Moisturizer
• Sephora Age Defy eye cream
• Boscia clear complexion cleanser
• Clean and clear day and night cleansers
• Clean and Clear makeup removers
• My Clarisonic

Untitled #11 by macy-dofash 

• Winter Perfume: Elizabeth and James Nirvana White
• Summer Perfume: Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture 
• Body Spray: Vanilla bean Noel

Music!

• Song of 2014: Somewhere In Neverland by All Time Low!
• Favorite Singer: Jason Mraz
• Favorite Band: All Time Low

TV & Movies!

• Ugly Betty, Vampire Diaries, & Gossip Girl
• Big Hero 6

Books!

• Book series: Divergent by Veronica Roth
• Book: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Moment!

• The most exciting thing for me this year was getting to see All Time Low for the first time ever in concert! This was honestly a dream come true because I have been a huge fan of their music since I was twelve. I am twenty now, so obviously that's a huge deal for me! To top it off I managed to worm my way up to the front of the crowd and get an awesome view. It was sweaty, claustrophobic, and very nerve racking, but it was worth every second! It was probably the best concert I've ever been to! Also afterwards Jack Barakat came out and met the fans and I got my picture made with him. It was such a fun experience and a dream come true! My twelve year old self would be so proud.

Goals For 2014

• Decide on a major and make good grades
• Try to adapt more healthy habits
• Do something different with my hair. I've never dyed it and I'm thinking about trying out some highlights. 
• Get up earlier. I'm not a morning person but I'd really like to become one. People who get up earlier seem like they get more done and are just happier and healthier overall. 
• Build up my strength and flexibility so that I can do some of the pretzal-y yoga poses. Right now I'm just getting into the intermediate level on my Yoga Studio App. 
• Read lots of books!

Current Skin Care Routine!

My Skin:

My skin is somewhat dry and flaky. I do get some acne around my mouth and chin; nothing major. I would say my skin is on the dryer side of combination skin. Throughout the day the areas that get the oiliest are the areas are around my nose, mouth, and hollows of my cheek bones. The driest areas of my face are my nose, under eyes, cheeks, & forehead. I have been doing this routine for a while now and my skin has been clear for the most part, so if your skin is anything like mine, you might find this post helpful!

Step 1: Masks

Typically, I will do a mask 1-2 times a week. I will do a full face mask on Monday night and towards the middle of the week I will do spot treatment mask. Usually about an hour before i get in the shower, I will apply my mask. I hate washing masks off in the sink because I feel like I make a huge mess. Somehow, a ton of water ends up on the floor. The mask I've been using for my full face mask is the Formula 10.0.6 Deep Down Detox Ultra Mud Cleansing Mask. For spot treatment masks, I use my Peter Tomas Roth Therapeutic Sulfur Masque. (Click on the link for a review I previously did for the Peter Thomas Roth Masque)

Step 2: Exfoliation
On Monday (along with my facial mask) I also do my weekly deep exfoliation! Exfoliating is probably my favorite part of my skincare routine! Just the thought of removing the nasty skin buildup and gunk is very fulfilling. I also love smooth and supple my skin is afterwards. My all time favorite exfoliator  that I've been using for a few months now is Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion exfoliant. It is, by far, the best exfoliator I've ever used. It is very powerful and it is recommended that you use it only 1-2 times a week separating each use by at least three days.

Step 4:Cleansing
I do this step everyday, unlike my masks and exfoliation. I generally put one pump of the Boscia  Clear Complexion Cleanser on my Clarisonic and cleanse away all the gunk from my face. This cleanser works really well and it lathers up wonderfully! It really makes your face feel super clean and clears up my pimples quickly.

Step 5: Moisturizing
Lastly, I moisturize while my skin is still a bit damp. I feel that it soaks in better at that time. I have been using the Kate Somerville  Oil Free Moisturizer & the Sephora Age Defy Eye  Cream. Both of these product are amazing and I highly recommend them! I originally bought them for my mom and she loved them! So, i tried them out of curiosity and now my mom and I are both hooked!

Lazy Routine:
Sometimes I'm too tired to go through my full skincare routine. I use makeup wipes here and there for quick removal on lazy days. I really like the Clean and Clear Night Relaxing wipes. After I wipe my makeup off I will go over my face with the.

 I hope you you found my skincare routine helpful! I feel like this routine works really well for me and hopefully, if you ever try any of these products, they will work well for you too! I will put the links to where I purchased these products down below.

<3

Formula 10.0.6 Deep Down Detox Ultra Mud Cleansing Mask
 Peter Tomas Roth Therapeutic Sulfur Masque
Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion 
Clarisonic 
Boscia  Clear Complexion Cleanser
Kate Somerville  Oil Free Moisturizer
Sephora Age Defy Eye  Cream
Clean and Clear Night Relaxing wipes
First Aid Beauty: Skin Rescue Blemish Patrol Pads

Review! First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Triple Remedy

I recently ordered the First Aid Beauty Eye Duty: Triple Remedy from Sephora because I've been looking for a new under eye concealer.  I've been wanting to try this product out for a while now, but the $36 price tag was holding me back. I decided to go ahead and splurge on this product since I just ran out of the under eye concealer I had been using. I also try to justify it in my mind by telling myself that its not just an under eye concealer, It has long term skin benefits because its an eye cream as well. I've seen a lot of good reviews of this product on Youtube and other blogs, so I'm super excited to tell you my thoughts on this product!

Claims:

On the First Aid Beauty it describes Eye Duty Triple Remedy as "An eye treatment that instantly brightens, depuffs, and smooths". It also states that it is a complete eye treatment & delivers "serious long- term skin effects". In the long term it is supposed to improve the appearance of puffiness, dark circles, and fine lines. If this product lives up to the claims, It sounds pretty amazing.

Packaging:

I'm not usually super picky on packaging, as long as its not messy or hard to use, I am fine. But, I would just like to point out the packaging on this one particular product, because It serves as part of the under eye treatment. The applicator is a shiny stainless steel metal tip which helps to depuff your eyes. It is actually very cold to the touch, so it is very rejuvenating! Also, in the cap there it two little notches so that when you put the cap on, it actually plugs the hole on the applicator so that product doesn't squirt out in the lid. I thought that was a nice little touch to keep things mess free and keep you from wasting product. I love little details like that, especially ones that help you get the most for your money.

Application:

After I apply my foundation or BB cream, I just squirt out a tiny dot under both eyes and massage it in using the metal applicator. The metal applicator is probably my favorite part of this product, it really wakes up your eyes because it feels super cold! Then, i go back and blend out the areas I couldn't reach with the applicator with my fingertips. Before I set it with powder or start my eye makeup, I let it set for about 5 minutes like I would with an eye cream. 

Wear:

The first time I used it I noticed that you can feel it tightening under your eyes. I really like that because it actually feels like its working on your eyes. It is very moisturizing but not oily. I feel like you should really let the product set, after applying it, for 5 to 10 minutes because it needs time to absorb into your skin. Sometimes I wont even go back and set it with powder and it still stays throughout the day. One major concern I had when I first felt how moisturizing it was that it would smudge my mascara throughout the day. Thankfully, no smudges occurred. It doesn't settle into fine lines or melt throughout the day. It stays where you put it. It is very brightening! It looks very natural, not like your wearing an under eye concealer, and makes you look fresh faced and awake.

Thoughts:

I like it a lot! I honestly cant say anything negative about this product except for the price. You really do get what you pay for though. It works really well for me. It feels amazing and looks amazing. Its not cakey or makeup-y, it honestly just feels like an under eye cream. But it makes your under eyes look beautiful and bright! It conceals very well. I also got my mom to try it and she loves it too! She says it feels like the puffiness is being sucked out of her under eyes when she uses it. She is also a huge fan of the cold metal tip. Overall I really love this product. I don't feel like I wasted my money at all. I would repurchase it when i run out. It works well for all ages; I'm 20 and I loved it and my mom is 42 and she loves it! Below are the before and after photos. As you can see, it looks very natural and undetectable, but it took all the pink and purple tones out from under my eyes. 

Before:

After:

I hope you found this review helpful! Thanks for reading!

<3

Item I'm Loving: Peter Thomas Roth Therapeutic Sulfur Masque

Recently, I was scrolling through the Sephora website and saw this product on the best sellers section. I was curious so I clicked it. So many reviewers said that this mask literally "sucks the pus" out of zits. As disgusting as that sounds, I also found it extremely fascinating and exciting and knew that I immediately needed to try this product out! Not long after, I purchased it and was not let down! I was blown away by how amazingly this product worked!

Claims: This product claims to clear acne, absorb oil, and deeply cleanse pores with 10% sulfur. It has aloe which is used to soothe the skin. It also contains purifying kaolin & bentonite clays that also help to fight acne.

Appearence/smell: Its light green. It has a slight scent of mint and little sulfur smell. It isn't unpleasant at all in my opinion. It smells really clean and fresh. It is not overpowering in any way. (photos will be at the end of the post) 

Why I Love It: It does exactly what It claims. I'm not sure if it actually "sucks the pus" out of my pimples, but it is extremely effective. I will use it and within hours the size and redness of my blemishes will dramatically improve. Another thing I love about this mask is that it doesn't dry my skin out at all! With it being so effective at drying up zits, you would expect it to leave someone with skin like mine (dry & sensitive) with irritated dry patches. It doesn't though! The price is a little steep at $40, but you get a lot of product ( 5 oz) for your money. This is literally the BEST mask I've ever used and I do not plan on wasting my money on any other mask. This product is literally perfect. I highly recommend it to anyone who struggles from any level of acne. On days when I only have a couple of pimples, I will just spot treat each one, but on days when I'm more broke out, I will do a full on face mask! I use this a few times a week.

Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel Review!

My Skin

First off, here is a little info on my skin type. my skin is mostly dry, and acne medications tend to make it flake and itch badly. Medications that i have typically had this reaction to include the Neutrogena Grapefruit products and Proactiv. I  would say i have an average amount of acne. Not too much, but not completely clear looking either. I typically get breakouts on my chin and hollows of my cheekbones. So, hopefully this review will help anyone who has similar skin issues. :)

The Review

So far I have really enjoyed this product. It is very effective in treating my acne. This has not been drying on my skin at all. I can use it more than once per day if I am experiencing some very difficult pimples and it doesn't over dry them, or make them flaky. It doesn't burn! The fact that it doesn't make my face feel like its being set ablaze is very big pro in my book. Another thing I like about this product is how quickly it absorbs into the skin. It is almost instant. It works pretty fast. It takes about three applications before you start to see a very dramatic result. With the first use, I feel as though it takes out some swelling and just soothes the pimple in a way that makes it much easier to camouflage with makeup. With the second and third uses, it just shrinks more and more till its pretty much gone.Some cons about this product is the fact that it comes in only two sizes, .05 floz and 1floz. The sizes are too small in my opinion. I feel like I'm about out of product and its only been two weeks! At $17-$25, you don't want to have to constantly repurchase it every few weeks. The fact that it absorbs so quickly is not only a pro, but it is a con as well. I feel like a lot of product gets absorbed into my finger tips before i can even apply it to my face. I also wish it had a pump or was in a tube, I hate that its in a squeeze bottle.

Overall

I really like this product, I would recommend this to anyone with acne problems. I'm not sure if it would be as effective on those with worse cases of acne than myself. I feel like this is geared towards people with sensitive/dry acne prone skin which is great! Its hard to find effective products that don't over dry or irritate when you have skin like mine.

Mini Skincare haul: Sephora

I've never done a haul post before, but I figured that I would since I plan on reviewing some of these items later on!

• I ran out of my beloved Tarte Maracuja Oil, so I had to get some more! I already did a review on this product and you can see that here :) I got the roller ball size. 

• The next Item i got was something I have been wanting to try for the longest time! That item is the Maracuja C Brighter Eye Treatment! I have been needing a new eye cream, and since I've fallen in love with the maracuja oil, I might as well give it a try! 

• The last item i purchased i the Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel. I always like to have a good acne spot treatment! I wanted to try this one out because I read somewhere (I forgot where lol) that it doesnt dry your skin out like other spot tratments. Its hard to cover up pimples as it is, but having a dry flakey pimple (ew) is ten million times harder to cover up! So, I am super excited to try that out!

• Besides those items, I got a ton of free perfume samples. I found a coupon code on Retailmenot to get a free mini sampler of some perfumes! 

Product I'm Loving Right Now: Tarte Maracuja Oil!

OMG! I would like to take a moment to rave about my favorite item in my skincare regimen! Back in February, I made an online purchase at the Sephora website. One of the three free samples I chose to go in my order was the Tarte Maracuja Oil. I didn't expect this product to be so amazing! I started putting on my face regularly because i have always had dry/combination skin. My skin DRAMATICALLY improved. It was softer, smoother, and even looked glowy-er. Its literally a miracle in a bottle. I got my mom to try it. She is very picky about moisturizers because she claims every single facial moisturizer breaks her out. After persuading her to try this she fell in love also. Another way i have recently started to use this product has changed my life! That may be a bit of an exaggeration lol but this product has literally worked miracles for me. My hair has been extremely dry and brittle lately,so i decided to smooth a few drops of the maracuja oil into the ends of my hair. It made my hair feel so soft! It felt so much better than before;Much less dry and brittle. Every time I put it in my hair, I feel like it improves a little bit more each time. It really is amazes how many ways this product can be used. I just ran out of my sample today which means my 0.23 oz sample lasted me about 3 months! Thats a pretty long time for a sample. I repurchased more of it along with the maracuja eye cream! I'm sure it will also be amazing. I have never used anything that worked so well for my skin and hair! I highly recommend this to anyone with any type of skin. I feel like it would work well for anyone considering both me and my mom used it and we have different types of skin.
You can get the Tarte Maracuja Oil here!  <3

February Ipsy Bag

I just received my February Ipsy Bag, and lets just say..... Its AMAZING! I will definitely be wearing all these products, except maybe the false lashes because I'm terrible at putting them on and I really have no where to wear them. LOL. But I will post a photo of my finished look using these products! :)

Review: Burt's Bees Herbal Blemish Stick

I picked this up on a whim because it was on sale. I had been wanting to buy some tea tree oil because I keep hearing about how amazing it is for blemishes. I've read on some blogs that just a dab of tea tree oil can heal a blemish overnight! Thats kind of amazing, so you can understand why I'd want to try it! Anyways, I came across this by accident, and in big bold letters on packaging it said tea tree oil. Obviously, I had to try it! I've been using it for a couple of days now and I have to admit; it's pretty amazing! I put some on some blemishes the night i got home and the next morning they were almost completely healed! I was super excited to say the least. Today I went to the movies and all I wore was mascara because I felt like my skin looked amazing. That hardly ever happens with me. I always wear at least some concealer and powder on my minimal lazy days. Anyways, this product works AMAZINGLY! I highly recommend it!

Pros:
It works
Not harsh on my dry skin; no peeling, dryness, or irritation
Pretty affordable at about $8 to $9
It claims to be 99% natural
easy to use rollerball applicator

Cons:
strong herbal smell; it doesn't bother me though. Its made up of different natural  herbal oils. That may bother some people.

My Ipsy Bag For December!

I love this month's Ipsy bag! It is my favorite so far! The POP! Beauty eyeshadows are amazing! they're so creamy! I'm in love!

Quickie Review! Gud Pearanormal Activity Lotion.

I got a sample of this in a walgreens beauty box. This stuff is glorious! It smells delicious, Its very moisturizing, and the name is so witty! It doesnt smell like pears to me though! it smells kind of citrusy and sweet and a little spicy. I love it and i'm planning on purchasing the full size because it is so MARVELOUS!  10/10 fo sho ;)

UPDATE: Today, i applied a dime size amount this lotion on my hands and arms at about 10:30 AM. It is about 3:00PM now. I have washed my hands and used germ-x multiple times since i put on the lotion and i can STILL smell the delicious scent! Its not overpowering or super strong.  I love how long the scent lasts! This lotion is AMAZING!