Birchbox: Jet Set.

In pretty much true "pretty and clever" fashion, my Birchbox review is not being posted in the most timely of manners. But, I will catch up and be super up to date...it will happen!! This is the summary for the June box; and as I was dealing with a wonky camera situation, I have no pictures!! Ahh! But, I will still break down the box and offer my opinion as I deem necessary. July's box was really cool, so I will get on that too ;)...about June...

Here's the breakdown:
*beautyblender blender cleanser...no not make a milkshake blender...a beauty blender sponge! This is a soy based product used to keep your makeup sponges and brushes in their best condition. Have not tried this yet as I have a specific brush regimen, but it's worth a shot because you never know what product is going to be the next great find.
*Comodynes Self-Tanning Intensive...well, you may or may not know my opinion on tanning...let's just say I dig a nice tan. However, I seem to have dumb luck when it comes to mystic/spray tans, etc. So, the idea of a self-tanning towelette kind of makes me apprehensive, and with my current salon job I don't want to screw the whole thing up and have oompa loompa elbows, feet, what have you, so I might lay low on this until I do further research and read additional reviews. If you've used this item, please share your thoughts/experience...
*COOLA Cucumber Matte Mineral Face SPF 30...now, this sounds/looks promising...it's a facial sunscreen that is loaded with antioxidants and is said to leave a shine-free finish. I'm always looking for great face stuff, especially a good SPF since there are so many summer activities happening. I actually have an outdoor concert I'm going to next week (311...bring on the Nick Hex, yessss), so I will give this a try then. A full-size bottle is $36, so we'll see if it's worth it's cost.
*Jouer Luminating Moisture Tint...It's Jouer...need I say more?? I love them! This is a tinted moisturizer that gives you that dewy, glowy (not sweaty, greasy) finish. Love. Love. And you too can have the full-size bottle of love for $38!
*theBalm cosmetics Stainiac in Beauty Queen...who doesn't love a good lip stain??! And it's 2-in-1 so you can use it on your cheeks as well. The color is more subtle than say, a tarte lip stain. But I like that it is light weight; I'm actually wearing it right now. The Beauty Queen shade is a red berry color, but since it isn't heavily pigmented it gives a fresh hint of color that compliments your natural lip color. $17 for the full-size stain, which is a pretty good deal as far as lip stains of this quality go.
*Modcloth headband...exactly what it sounds like...it's a scarf material headband. Nothing to positive/negative to say. It will be stored with the rest of my accessories more than likely. The one that came in my box is red with white polka dots, so it has a vintage appeal to it...I just don't wear a lot of red right now, so we'll see what I pair it with.
* John Varvatos Star USA...this was a Birchbox Man Extra, so I did the wifely thing and passed it on to my husband. It's described as a "dapper cologne"...(who doesn't love the word 'dapper') with a blend of ginger, juniper, berries and vetiver. I asked my husband for his review and he said "It's not bad"...there you have it! Such a detailed man answer, and manswer if you will.

I've said it before but I shall reiterate...If you love trying new products and receiving little gems and goodies every month then definitely check out Birchbox.com to see what they're all about, and if you do receive a box, let me know if you post reviews somewhere!
Hope everyone is having a great week, and be sure to log on to Facebook, search for the page "Wonderland Artistry", and hit that LIKE button for extra links, photos and more!!
XO,
J.

Birchbox: Teen Vogue Beauty Picks.

Soooo, the March Birchbox is here! I always love getting these every month; the whole "grab bag" concept of what you'll be finding inside the box is pretty exciting, haha. This box features items that are hot picks by the folks at Birchbox and Teen Vogue and I have to say although I was pleasantly surprised by most items, a couple were kind of "mehh" for me. Let's discuss...

March 2012 Birchbox contents.

*First thing that caught my eye when opening this box was the bottle of essie nail polish (rad!). It's their glitter luxeffects polish and is perfect for layering on top of solid colored polish, or worn alone for a little sparkle. There's actually some chillin' on the tip of my thumb nail right now and I'll have to say, I don't hate it. What girl doesn't love a little bit of sparkle!

* a sample of Kate Spade's Twirl fragrance...smells delightful...notes of fruits and florals, which is pretty perfect for spring.

*Keratase Elixir Ultime...this is a hair oil that is supposed to hydrate, smooth and "sleekify" your strands. Personally, I am a fan of the MoroccanOil line, but I'd be interested to see how this compares.

*tarte LipSurgance lip tint...I was stoked (yes, stoked) for this one. I adore tarte lip products and this one is certainly no exception! For one thing, it's cruelty-free (not tested on animals) which is always aces in my book. It's a long-lasting lip stain that also has moisturizing effects. You also get that nice little minty refreshing feel/smell too. The color,"lucky", is also really pretty for spring and summer (see where I swatched it below!)

tarte's LipSurgance in "Lucky"

Sorry the photo is blurry!!


*also in the box was a twistband hair tie. Okay, so honestly I don't know how I feel about this one. It's the little blue tie depicted in the contents picture up above. It's supposed to be a little snag-free elastic to give your ponytail some flair. I was pulling on the little guy and he was pretty much unraveling, so I don't know if it's supposed to come apart like that, but I assumed it was to be like any other ponytail holder and stay, circular, in so many words. A 12 pack of these is $18! I'd much rather run up to Target and pick up a pack by Goody and just have at it that way. But, to each his own!
*There was also a discount code to ModCloth included, so I might just peruse the site later and see if I come across anything must-have.

So that was March's box. I am curious to see what the boxes will hold with the spring and summer months quickly approaching! My top 2 picks from this box though would have to be the essie polish and the tarte lip stain. Do you guys have a favorite Birchbox find thus far (or Glymm box, or what have you?), share in the comments below! Also, if you're a follower recruit another blogger/blog reader to climb on board to this blog; that too would be rad!! I am also about to set up my facebook fan page for my Makeup artistry so that is a little something something in the works ;) Hope everyone is enjoying this nice weather and appreciating the life and love each day holds.

XOXO,

J.