Birchbox: Heritage

     October eve...and the time I have deemed for my September Birchbox post. I love Autumn weather and I'm always anxious to see what products I'll find and love. I always seem to put in much more effort outwardly than any other season. That being said, this box has things off to a good start.

*amika Blow Up Spray...a lightweight must that adds lift and shine for a polished blowout. This can be used on damp hair before you blow dry or lightly on dry hair for a light hold. I work at a blow dry bar so I'm particular about what I use. I prefer, as far as blow dry sprays go, the 450 spray by Sexy Hair. It is perfect for taming frizz and getting the perfect amount of polish and shine. I thought this spray by amika was a little heavy oil-wise, so it really needs to be used sparingly. I also feel like it didn't give a lot of lift as it claims to. It's $24 for the full size bottle, so Sexy Hair is still a better deal!!

*Caudalie Make-up Remover Cleansing Water...I love a good makeup remover, I use them everyday!! This remover isn't a wipe though. You soak a cotton pad/ball and apply it wherever you need to take your makeup off. It contains botanicals to soothe the skin do it's really gentle, yet effective enough to remove mascara gently.

*Coastal Scents eye shadow...I think at this point we have all used, or at least heard of Coastal Scents. They have affordable palettes and the colors are really buildable and blendable. Plus, coupled with the right base you get great pay out and longevity. They sent me 4 mini colors that are great for fall (sn: I still don't know how to get pictures from my iPhone to the blog without using Google+)

*Ruffian Nail Lacquer in the color Hedge Fund... This was my first run in with Ruffian and I love it. The bottles are so cute and unique (please Google !!). I got a really pretty metallic green color (Hedge Fund). Ruffian is actually a fashion label and this polish is from their first lacquer line. Full size is $10...so more expensive than Essie and OPI but cheaper than, say, Butter.

*Egyptian Magic All-Purpose Skin Cream... I love my Origins so now I'm starting to be a little bit of a skin care snob, even more so since the melanoma. This cream is supposedly sworn by celebrities and health professionals for its all natural properties. It is marketed to moisturize, fight wrinkles and treats burns and bruises. So, in theory it seems pretty spectacular, and I think I'll do more research and maybe give it a try to see if it is as all purpose as it says.

Everyone gets a slightly different Birchbox each month so if you get one and want to share, leave a link or comment below. I hope everyone is enjoying this Autumn weather even though some days have been quite hot!!

XO,
J <3

Review: Khroma Beauty, Kim's Kardazzle palette

     I was rather excited months back when news hit of the Kardashian's make up line, Khroma Beauty!! Like them or not, the girls always have flawless faces. I also figured that they wouldn't put their names on products that would make them look bad. Kim Kardashian's makeup is of my most requested looks as a makeup artist, so I picked up the Khroma Kim's Kardazzle palette to check it out.

     The palette is smaller in comparison to say ones by Urban Decay, I would compare it more to the size of a pack of cigarettes (sn: I do not smoke!!). Kim is known for her edgy smokey eye and precision contouring and highlighting. So, as you can see, the palette contains 8 shadows suitable for creating more dramatic looks. The pull out compartment additionally contains a blush shade, and shades for highlighting and contouring/bronzing. Below I have swatched all shades in the palette for you to see. Note: each shade was swatched with one swipe of the finger in natural light, no filters.

I was immediately drawn to the last 2 shades on the top row of shadows, as well as the 

middle 2 on the bottom. I also really liked the highlighting shade. The more gray matte colors I felt were so matte they came across as looking dull. The blush was okay for a soft sweep of color, but the bronze shade did not feel very pigmented to me, which I was a little surprised about given that this is Kim's palette.

     Well, I've worn a few of these shadows on occasion since I've had the palette, but today I did a full on eye look (just realized I lost the picture from my phone, laaaame!), using all the darker shades I mentioned before as being drawn to. I used potion primer as my base and topped everything off with a setting spray. 10 hours later everything was still in place and just as pigmented. That is definitely aces in my book!!

     Overall I would say that if you are looking for better quality makeup that doesn't come at a prestige line price, then Khroma is a great choice. I do wish all shades had amazing payout color wise, but the shadow is buildable and blends nicely. The price is affordable and you can find the line at Ulta. I can't wait to try their mascaras, since I am a proclaimed Lash addict. Another added bonus, at least for me anyway, is the packaging. It's well designed and a lot of thought was put into visual appeal, which I do appreciate.

Have you tried any of the Khroma line?? If you have I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!!

Hope everyone had a safe and fun Fourth of July weekend, and make sure to follow me on Twitter for expert makeup, fashion and hair tips, as well as my random musings. I'm also on Instagram: jacquelinecxo.

XO,

J <3.

Birchbox: March Madness

     How does time always seem to get away from me. Granted, I have been busier than usual, but sometimes I don't even know how I lose track of things the way I do!! I was trying to pull up the pictures from this month's box that I took when I was taking my first impression photos, but the program I use to upload pictures from my cell phone is not cooperating, thus no photos shall be attached. Sad face, especially since there was an eye shadow I swatched and some fairly cool packaging. So, if you truly are interested in something mentioned just think of lack of photo as more of an incentive to actually go and check out the product for yourself. This month's theme was March Madness (an all too common theme for this month as I'm sure you know), and it's supposed to feature products from "veteran all-star" brands and some from "up-and-coming rookie" brands. Without further adieu let's discuss the contents:

*MAKE Eyeshadow... This is a new brand, and one I have not heard of until receiving this box. Supposedly this shadow has mega staying power. Now, when I swatched this shade (mine was a really pretty chocolaty brown) it dusted right off. So, that being said, I'm hoping that with aid of a good eye primer, which is essential regardless of what shadow you are using in my book, that it at least has some longevity to it. Something super rad about this particular line (MAKE) is that 1/3 of all sales are donated to charity. I, personally, adore a company that gives back, so gold star to MAKE right away for that. Full-sized eyeshadow runs at about $18, so it's right along the price point of MAC or Urban Decay.
*MAKE Face Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 30... this primer by MAKE is a winner.One, who doesn't love a good primer?! Two, it contains SPF 30, and I love my face products to have right around that level. The primer itself is not greasy, it is fairly lightweight. The full size is around $30, so it is definitely worth checking out, especially considering 1/3 of that 30 dollars would be going to charity!!
*Nick Chavez Beverly Hills Color-Saver Sulfate-Free Shampoo... So, I'm assuming most have heard of Nick Chavez, especially if you are in the industry or have interest in; Nick is definitely a veteran player here. I always feel "mehh" when it comes to talking about different shampoos and conditioners I'm given opportunity to try, mainly because I'm picky about my hair care to a point, as I know I've said time and again. This is a sulfate free shampoo, which of course is one of the key things I look for in a good color shampoo. If you didn't know, sulfates are what strip your hair!! This shampoo also claims to boost the hue of your color and add volume. Now, from what I've seen out of most volumizing shampoos is that they tend to dry out your hair a little bit. (Too much moisture plugged in weighs the hair down and doesn't allow it to achieve super volume). I'm actually curious to see if a shampoo that in my mind could be drying, could also brighten your color. I'm very interested in the science behind things (take note of future posts to come), so perhaps I shall make a note to give this a try to see how it all balances out. The volumizing properties are supposed to come from the apple and lemon extracts in the shampoo, so that too makes me curious.
Whish Shave Crave Shaving Cream... never heard of this line either!! This is an organic shea butter-based foam-free shaving cream. Claims to allow for a close shave and soft skin, and has a blueberry scent. Immediately this called to mind the eos shave cream, so I have a feeling they are justifiably similar. A Full size is $20, which for shave cream seems like a little much, right?! eos is way more affordable, but since I was given a trial I will add it to my growing collection of bathroom toiletries.
Madewell for Birchbox Emery Board... these are always good to have on hand! It has a cute print on it that is from Madewell's Spring Collection, and you can pick up one of these guys for like $5.

There you have it guys! Now that summer is around the corner (I have a feeling here in VA we are going to skip over Spring and jump straight into the Summer months...I mean, yesterday was the first day of Spring yet today it is snowing) I am curious to see what new products will be coming out, especially with regards to skin care. I did get all my samples in my box this month and last month's little snafoo has been handled greatly by customer service over at Birchbox. The only mild let down I had with this box is that some people got Benetint in their box, the lucky dogs!! Hope everyone is having a great week so far, and here's to warmer weather!!
XO,
J.