December 2015 BirchBox Unboxed

I'm so excited about all the subscription boxes I’ve received this month! It was like Christmas all month to be honest. I received a BirchBox, Ipsy Glam bag, and a GLOSSYBOX this month and I can't wait to unbox them all with you. In this post we’ll be unboxing my December BirchBox if the title didn't already give it away. Okay let’s get into it before I go off on an excited tangent shall we?

The theme this month is “All Wrapped Up” and this was definitely an early Christmas gift that I knew I was going to be unwrapping before it got here. First thing I see before I even get to the goodies in my box, a $10.00 gift card towards any $35.00 purchase in the BirchBox shop. This is definitely awesome, I’m a part of the BirchBox ace program as a per I receive free shipping on all orders and I have lots of points saved up from reviewing my birch boxes in addition to purchases made. Thank you so much! Expect lots of new product reviews courtesy of BirchBox.

Harvey Prince

Sincerely|Full size, $28-57

“Sweetly spice scent with  Indonesian clove bud, Indian tuberose, and Japanese orange flower.”

I’m not to keen on spicy scents and this isn’t really for me. My mom sampled it and loved it so you can take a wild guess at who's getting this. I really enjoy and prefer “Hello” by Harvey Prince also in the BirchBox shop. It’s a lighter more floral scent.

Coastal Scents

styleEYES Eyeshadow Palette – glamourEYES| Full size, $12

“A bold, beautiful eye shadow palette in gemstone-inspired hues.”

I received the “Social Eyes” eyeshadow duo although I requested the “Formal Eyes” eyeshadow duo. The shadows are extremely pigmented and blend well, but I don't see myself using these shadows. They’re way too dark for me. I’m still really new to makeup and I don't feel comfortable playing with shadows this dark yet. I was really hoping for the “Formal Eyes” shadows especially the bronze/copper color in the duo.

Soap & Paper Factory

Shea Butter Hand Cream – Green Tea| Full size, $18

“A rich cream moisturizer that soothes even the driest of hands, in a fresh, gentle green tea scent.”

This hand cream is really creamy and moisturizes well. I’m going to be honest it's not really anything special. I have and extremely dry patch on my right hand between my thumb and index finger. I have a spur that grows on my thumb and occasionally have to have in removed. I need a thick, moisturizing hand cream that I don’t have to always reach for. I don't find this to be thick enough for what I need it to do. The ingredients are amazing and help with soothing properties, but I need to use too much to get the desired affect.

amika

Nourishing Mask| Full size, $28

“Paraben-free treatment that conditions and repairs with superfruit sea buckthorn berry.”

This deep condition is really great, but it’s really small my hair has grown quite a bit,

(sneak peek from my artnaturals Argan hair mask review coming up.)

These little sample sizes aren’t going to cut it. This little size isn’t even going to cover a quarter of the back half of my hair. I might purchase the full size from BirchBox because I have so many points accumulated, but I’m not happy about the hair sample sizes. Do any other ladies with thick dense hair have this problem? I can't be alone on this one. I have high hopes for this deep conditioner I've heard great things.

Eyeko

Fat Liquid Liner| Full size $16

“This eyeliner delivers the same smudge-proof, rich color in a thicker, bolder line than the original skinny liner.”

This line is my favorite item in the whole box. It's perfect for a beginner like me. It feels great in my hand and I don't feel like I'll ruin the shadow I put on. I often feel uncomfortable lining my top lid, but the tip of the liner feels like its gliding on. I’m definitely going to repurchase once this runs out.

All and all this month’s box was okay I could’ve done without a few things in this box, whatever I don't use will be going to family and friends. What did you get in your box this month? Follow me on Instagram so I can follow you back and see your awesome box.

Interested in trying BirchBox out yourself? Well you know I got the deals for you girl! Sign up between now and January 9, 2016 and you can get your first box for $5.00. Let’s call it my early and belated Christmas to you,

https://www.birchbox.com/invite/Ari123

Stayed tuned for my Ipsy Glam bag and GlossyBox post coming up next ✌

Valentia True Glow Eye Cream Review

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I’m so excited to bring to you the first of many products I’ve received for review! I’ve never received anything for review before so I’m extremely excited. Although I’m feeling extremely excited and blessed for being given an opportunity to review Valentia's True Glow Eye Cream my review will be no different had I purchased this product myself. I wouldn’t have agree to review any of the products if I couldn’t give my honest and unbiased review. It just wouldn’t have worked. I enjoyed trying out and using this product even more because I’m able to give an honest review.

If you have a blog and are interested in receiving products for review I highly recommended signing up for Tomoson.com. Once you sign up there are a plethora of products that you can apply to review on your blog for free or heavily, heavily discounted prices. If you’re accepted you’ll be notified by email. In some cases Tomoson will tailor products to what you may be interested in and email you with a product review invite. In my case, I received a product review invite from Valentia and I jumped on it. 

Once I began doing my research into Valentia Skin Care as a company I began to get even more excited about reviewing a product especially an eye cream. All they’re products are formulated with natural and organic ingredients that will help repair and protect the skin.

“Our Mission: To provide you a greater level of overall happiness with your appearance without the harsh chemicals that dry out, stretch, burn and prematurely age the skin.  Our strategic formulations include powerful natural ingredients that have been scientifically proven to succeed in giving skin a natural and radiant glow that contributes to a youthful look.” -Valentina.com

Being that my eye and the area surrounding it is so sensitive their new True Glow Eye Cream (T.G.E.C*) was definitely the perfect product to put their mission to the test. T.G.E.C is an illuminating antioxidant rich eye cream that helps lock in moisture,

repair and tighten skin for a youthful looking glow around the eye area. If that doesn’t make you want to try let me tell you some more. The T.G.E.C. is supposed to,

• Diminish fine lines & wrinkles
• Nourish & hydrate
• Tighten the under eye area
• Brighten dark circles
• Reduce puffiness

After doing my own researching on eye creams I was intrigued especially with benefits of using an eye cream buuut… I’ve never actually tried a product market as an eye cream. I’ve tried creams and lotions safe enough to put around my eyes, but never an eye cream solely. This was my first and I think I like it? I REALLY like it, but there’s some things I REALLY don't like about it. Before I confuse you let’s just get into the fight against crow’s feet, shall we?

Having an Amazon prime account makes receiving your products a piece of cake even with all the holiday traffic going on at the posy office. I received my product in no time. After opening it and inspecting it I was instantly hit with a lemony, orangey, sun screen scent. I couldn’t place my finger on it until I went through the stash and came to the conclusion that the scent heavily resembles Josie Maran’s Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 47. 

The scent of the T.G.E.C permeates longer Josie Maran's moisturizer smells a lot sweeter almost like Starburst. You can go head and add that to the list of things I wasn't keen about. This prompted me to take another look at the ingredients,

• Astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant that increases moisture levels, smooth fine line and wrinkles, and restores elasticity to the skin.
• Resistem, natural Plant Stem Cells repair and protect the skin from harsh environmental pollutants and stress related aging.
• Vitamin C, leaves the skin smooth and visibly brighter for a well-rested and bright eyed look.
• Organic Rosehip Oil, provides intense hydration to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Arnica, a key anti-inflammatory agent to the restorative process that works to diminish the appearance of dark circles.

Ah! There it is vitamin C! There’s that super powerful lemony smell.

I started off using my Freeman Sparkling Pear Pore Cleansing Mask, I mentioned in my Ti's the season for...FACE MASK post all about face mask here. Yes, it’s a little weird that I start my routine off with a mask, but I find that my skin likes it so I ask no questions and oblige. The skin wants what the skin wants, my friends. This mask is great for pulling out dirt and absorbing oil, after rinsing the mask off with cold water I used my face brush my friend Jenn bought for me from Five Below and my Benefit Foamingly Clean face wash.

After I rinsed my face with cold water I use a clean paper towel to dry it before I moisturize.

I only needed one pump of the eye cream for both eyes which I love. I just love pump bottles in general they make product conservation so much easier.

The perfect amount came out and the cream spreads really well. It doesn’t feel like a cream though, it’s borderline lotion in consistency. When I think of cream I think of something thick and ultra moisturizing. This is ultra moisturizing, but thin in consistency. This applies extremely silky and absorbed into my skin quickly without leaving behind that tacky feeling that lotion can sometimes leave.

After initially applying my eyes began to water a bit because the scent was unrelenting, but after applying my Freeman Honeydew & Chamomile Sleeping mask it no longer bothered me.

I’m not sure if it was just from initially using the product or what, but that only happened that first time. I’ve been consistently using the eye cream and that hasn’t happened again.

Above all else the cream looks amazing under make up. It doesnt crease under my eyes, make me look ashy or make my foundation slide. I actually like it better as a primer as opposed to an eye cream. Why am I posing you ask? Because Adele, Hello was playing and babe said “Pose.” If I don’t use this as an eye cream I’ll definitely be using this as a primer because it looks and feels amazing. I’m definitely enjoying playing with this eye cream and its many purposes.

Keep up with me on Twitter and Instagram. Definitely go check out Valentia.com to see what other amazing products. Amazon also has awesome holiday sales check out Valentina skin care on there as well to not only save, but receive some great skin care products just in time for Christmas!

Until my next post ✌.

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November 2015 Mail Goodies

It took some time and editing, but I’ve finally got a compiled list of ALL the freebies I’ve received throughout the month of November. Before I even get a chance to ramble let's just get right into the good.

I'm signed up to CrowdTap, if you're not signed up to CrowdTap it's a site that sends you full size products to try and review. For each sample sent you're stop supposed to complete a series of missions. I was selected for three missions. I haven't received my samples for one, but I've completed two. I was selected for missions for SPLENDA and Sweet 'N Low.

For SPLENDA mission I received a full sized box of SPLENDA and had to make a baby spinach and bacon salad which went perfect with our Thanksgiving dinner.

Baby Spinach 'n Bacon Salad

• 1 bag baby spinach ( or regular spinach whatever works for you)
• 1/2 cup croutons
• 5 slices of turkey bacon
• 1/4 cup red onion
• 2 cloves garlic

Dressing

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons SPLENDA

For my mission for Sweet 'N Low I played mixtress and made some drinks for my parents for Thanksgiving. I received 11 sample packs of Sweet 'N Low, two samples per pack. There's a coupon included in each pack.

I'm pretty sure this Skinny Cosmopolitan is my mom's new favorite drink.

Skinny Cosmopolitan

• 3 ounces of seltzer water
• 1 ounce vodka
• 1 packet of Sweet 'N Low
• 1 ounce cranberry juice
• Lemon slice (for garnish)

I also made a Skinny Daiquiri which was more my dad's speed.

Skinny Daiquiri

• 1 1/2 strip of lime zest
• 1 packet Sweet 'N Low
• 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 ounce light rum
• Lime slice ( for garnish)

I was very pleased with the outcome from both mission and can't wait for more to come.

I'm also signed up to Smiley360 another site very similar to CrowdTap. I qualified for a Purina Beyond mission and I received two bags of all natural, grain free dog snacks. I received the jerky strips with chicken & carrots and the white meat chicken cutlets.

Although I have two dogs, Kermit and Sweet Pea only Kermit got to try the samples sent to me. Sweet Pea is a diabetic and is on a very strict diet the snacks he receives are very limited.

Kermit really enjoy the white meat chicken cutlet, as I knew he would. But the jerky strips earned me a selfie.

Kermit and I are both pleased with these snacks. He enjoys eating them and I love giving them to him because they're good for him. Both these products are packed with quality ingredients,

• Chicken is the #1 ingredient
• No corn, wheat or soy
• No poultry by product meal
• No added artificial colors, flavors or preservatives

These next freebies I received from various companies. I frequent four freebie sites on a regular basis. Sometimes the freebie collecting game can become overwhelming and some sites don't have up to date samples. The sites that I use are very active on their blogs, Facebook and Twitter.

• http://juliesfreebies.com/
• http://www.icravefreebies.com/
• http://vonbeau.com/
• http://hunt4freebies.com/

If you're a seasoned freebie and sample receiver I'm sure you're already hip to these sites. If you're new to the freebie game here are a few sites to help you along the way. Okay now onto the goods.

I received a cup of cranberry almond instant oatmeal from Quaker through a Twitter giveaway. I sent one to one of my lovely followers and she kindly sent one back. Thanks @Nicole8661!

I saw this freebie go live a few times. I received a sample size of CeraVe hydrating cleanser and moisturizing cream.

I'm really excited that I was able to snag one of these Power Bank portable chargers from Black & Mild. This couldn't have come at a better time.

Kermit clearly had a great month. This was another freebie that I saw go live a few times. I received a really nice size sample of Beneful IncrediBites. Again, Kermit enjoys it so more than likely a full size bag is due.

This sample is smaller than I thought it'd be, but I'm grateful. From pevonia two face crèmes. This freebie was all over Twitter a few times.

This was an in store, no purchase necessary freebie from L'Occitane. Im signed up to their newsletter and received an email about it. I picked this up from the store in Grand Central station. I'm so happy I was able to pick this up, this deluxe sample size retails for $20. It applies much like the Beenigma face cream I got in my November BirchBox.

I saw this all over Twitter and Facebook. I received two samples of Nivea in shower body lotion. One in coco butter and one is nourishing.

I'm always on the hunt for free grapic novels and comics. I got this comic book from Yerdle. New users received twenty five credits on the site and free shipping. I received another ten credits for connecting my social media. I paid three credits for this comic book! THREE CREDITS AND FREE SHIPPING! I chose this comic book, but the site is full of great thing . There's something for everybody.

I received this nice size sample of purely Fancy Feast for babe's cat, Scoops. 

This is another freebie that was available a few times and from a few places. I received one pack of these Cottonelle flushable wipes from the actual site and from taking a survey.

From Always, I received two pads and one liner.

I saw this on Twitter and I'm happy I was able to get this one from O.b. Pro Comfort tampons.

I found this browsing through one of the freebie sites listed above. From RSP I received one Regen Bcaa formula sample and one Dyno explosive pre-workout sample.

I received two samples of Breathe Right nasal strips, extra clear for sensitive skin. I received one from the actual site and another in my SampleSource box. SampleSource much like pinchme sends out a box of samples. Unlike pinchme they don't send out samples as often.

Also from my SampleSource box I received a sample of RepHresh vaginal gel.

Also in my SampleSource box I got a sample bag of Nature's Path Organic flax plus multibran flakes.

Lastly from my SampleSource box I got a sample size of Colgate enamel health toothpaste.

From Astroglide I got a sample of personal lubricant in natural.

I got a coupon in my October pinchme box for one free Gevalia iced coffee single serve size. I chose the vanilla iced coffee at Target after the coupon was added I only paid $0.22. Thank you pinchme!

I signed up for blu e-cigs rewards after connecting my social media and tweeting a referral link I had a total of 500 points. I cashed in my points and got a shirt for babe.

I emailed Chipotle inquiring about possible free samples and coupons they were kind enough to send me a coupon good for one free burrito, burrito bowl, salad or order of tacos. You know I'm hype.

I emailed Frito-Lay inquiring about where I could find the rainbow doritos, but was told that they were a promotional items. As a courtesy I was sent a coupon for a Frito-Lay product up to $4.29.

This freebie was completely random. I was walking past the Diesel store on 14th street and Union Square towards the F train and workers from Marshalls were handing out $5 gift cards.

This freebie from Justin's peanut butter is currently active so stop scrolling my blog, go grab it and come back so we can wrap this up... Back? I received a coupon for a 2 pack peanut butter cup or squeeze pack. I'll definitely be picking up some peanut butter cups when I go to Target.

Lastly attached to my sample of O.b. Pro Comfort tampons I received a coupon for a free box of tampons up to $8.99.  Again, thank you O.b. !

November was definitely a great month for freebies. With the exception of some Yogi tea samples that I gave to my mom I managed to compile everything I received for the month without digging in and trying the good . I did well I'm proud of myself.

I highly recommend signing up for if you're not into avidly searching the internet. These sites send you samples and full sized products with minimal effort.

• https://www.samplesource.com/
• https://www.pinchme.com/
• http://crowdtap.com/
• http://smiley360.com/

I hope you're as excited about the freebies I received as I am. I always love to see and hear about the freebies you've received share them with me on Twitter and Instagram. I'm always tweeting links to great freebie offers it would behoove you to get on board.

Until my next post ✌.