Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge BzzAgent Review

When I first received this product from BzzAgent I was skeptical. It has always been hit or miss for me with Garnier products; usually their hair products make my hair greasy. But hey, I'm a broke college kid, this stuff is cheap, so I thought "why not?"
I have to say I was mildly impressed with this line. The shampoo cleaned my hair really well, and the shampoo and conditioner both smelled great. The conditioner was nice, nothing special though. None of the products made my hair greasy. I've been using the one minute miracle on my ends after conditioning, and I am pretty happy with it.
For the price, it's a great deal. I have used salon shampoos and conditioners that I liked more than this, but they also cost triple the price. If you're looking for a great deal at the drugstore, I would recommend the Hydra Recharge line.

Note: I received these products for free from BzzAgent in exchange for my honest opinion. I am not paid or compensated in any way. If you're interested, you can check out BzzAgent here.

March 2013 Birchbox Review

Once again, this review is extremely late this month. Oops! I actually didn't get to go to my house and pick it up til like a week later, and then I opened it and forgot it at home before I got to try out or take pics of anything....but now I finally have my box and have sampled the products a bit and took pictures! Let's begin!

One of the most interesting things in my box this month was the Sumita Color Intense Pencil. It's in the most beautiful blue shade. I tried wearing it on my waterline and it didn't want to stay there...it sort of traveled down into my lower lashes. It doesn't seem pointy enough to do a thin line above my upper lashes. I am also a little worried that the color won't look good on me, since my eyes are definitely on the grayer side of blue.. I am going to keep experimenting with this pencil though. This is exactly what I love about birchbox--getting to try something that I would never have bought on my own. Also, they sent everyone these little Madewell nail files with the most adorable floral print ever.

I was particularly excited about both of these products: the Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvinator and the Whish Shave Crave Shave Cream. So far I really like the face stuff. I'm a bit disappointed with the shave cream, however. It works great, but its pretty expensive and the blueberry smell is STRONG. It doesn't smell like real blueberries either--it smells kind of like a blueberry lollipop with a hint of a chemical smell. I've decided it's not awful, but I'd rather have something a little less powerful. Also, the tube made me think it was a pretty big sample size, but I actually only got 2 shaves out of it.

Last but not least are the two Miss Jessie's products. The Super Slip Sudsy Shampoo was definitely not for me. It had such a thick, sticky texture that, even though I used more than half of the packet, I could not manage to spread throughout my entire hair. It seriously took some work. I could definitely not handle that frustration early in the morning. The conditioner was much easier to manage, but it was personally too light for me. I have very dry hair and it needs all the hydration it can get. I think it would be a great product for someone who has thin hair or is just worried about weighing their hair down.

All in all I got a pretty good box this month with some very interesting samples. I was excited to try everything in my box, even though some of them were just not for me. If you would like to join Birchbox using my referral link, click here. If you would just like some more info about Birchbox, click here.

BzzAgent Review: Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil

BzzAgent sent me one of the new Garnier Miracle Dry Oils to try out. I already owned the Triple Nutrition Hair Oil and was not impressed. It made my hair sort of wiry feeling, and didn't seem to help the damaged parts at all. I decided to give the Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil a chance, though, and I'm going to share with you my thoughts.

I definitely liked the product better than the hair oil I tried. This one makes my hair shiny and easier to comb. On the skin, however, it does tend to leave a weird sort of residue behind. Also, I don't love the smell...it's bearable, but it does stick around, so I'd be happier with a different scent. I have not tried it on my face, since it left the residue on my skin and it just doesn't seem like a product I would want on my face.

Personally, I will only be using this product on my hair. I like how it looks and feels on my hair. I would recommend it for anyone who hates the feeling of lotion and doesn't mind the bit of residue. It is cheap and worth the price, in my opinion.

Note: BzzAgent has provided me with this product for free in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not compensated in any way.

If you would like to join BzzAgent too or are just curious, click here.

February 2013 Birchbox Review

Hi guys! Sorry this post is so late, as most of you probably know many of the boxes were delayed this month due to the snow storm--including mine! Plus I didn't have time to pick it up from my house for a few days (I've been so busy at school) but now I finally have it! I was a pretty big fan of my box this month. I can't wait to show you the cool stuff I got!

The first thing I noticed was the huge size of the TIGI Fun Times Rockaholic Hairspray. I wish the Oscar Blandi samples from a couple months ago had been this size. I sprayed a little on my hair and it smells amazing! It says it is supposed to give a natural-looking finish without being sticky. The full size is $20.50, so I'd have to really like it to buy it, but you do get a pretty big can of it for the price.

One thing I was super excited about was the Twistband headband. As you may know, I am not huge on the twistband hair elastics--I think they are very overpriced. But I was excited to try out their headband, because I am more worried about headband creases than ponytail creases. It came at the perfect time, too--I just snapped my favorite headband a couple days ago :(. All in all, i was happy with the color of this headband, and it is softer and more comfortable than some of the other stretchy headbands I have worn. I'm not sure if I would purchase 6 of them for $19, though.

The third exciting thing in this box was the Secret Agent Beauty Secret Lip Affair gloss. It's a pretty shimmery pink color and it plumps your lips. Not to mention it's full sized! It's a tiny bit sticky but better than most cheap glosses I have tried. I would probably not repurchase because of the $16 price tag.

Lastly, I have the two not-as-exciting things. The perfume sample smelled fine but I wouldn't buy it, and Ghirardelli chocolate squares are nothing new to me--even though they are delicious! I sort of wish they had put two in. I can't eat just one! I think the chocolate added a little value to the box, and I am fine with receiving chocolate of any sort.

All in all, I had a pretty great box this time around. I saw that some people were unhappy because their boxes were only worth $12 or so--which is understandable to me. Most people join Birchbox because of the amazing value of most boxes, so it is pretty disappointing when you get small samples that aren't worth much. I would estimate my box worth for this month to be around $25 for this month, so I feel pretty lucky.

If you would like to join Birchbox using my referral link, click here. If you would like to find out more information about Birchbox, click here.

Lush Brazened Honey Face Mask Review

So this weekend I went to Lush for the VERY first time!! I've watched youtube beauty gurus talk about the place forever, but the nearest one to me is over an hour and a half from my house, soI can't exactly just stroll on over. So when I went there for the first time, it was magical--the rest of my shopping money did a great disappearing act! Okay, enough with the cheesy puns. I bought a lot of stuff, but the thing I probably loved most was the Brazened Honey face mask.

I have normal skin that is more likely to get dry than oily, and I just wanted a mask to make it feel softer and better. Brazened Honey was perfect for me. According to the website it's supposed to balance and deep cleanse, and I think it did a great job. My skin feels clean and soft, and it helped me get rid of two pimples! According to the website, though, Brazened Honey is not good for people with sensitive skin.So I'd recommend it for anyone who wants to moisturize and revitalize their skin, as long as it's not sensitive.

This face mask has worked better for me than any other mask I've ever used. If you're new to Lush or you just haven't tried it, I highly recommend it!

January 2013 Birchbox Review

I got my January Birchbox today and I am so excited to show you what I got! At first, getting and unwrapping the box was pretty anticlimactic for a few reasons. 1. I had a very busy day and couldn't open it up and play right away, 2. I already looked a few days ago at what I was getting, (I still haven't learned my lesson!) and 3. I made very first Sephora order ever and I was all excited using promo codes and adding samples, etc. I'm lame, I know. Anyway! On to the Birchbox samples!

When I first opened my box, I noticed it smelled really good inside. I panicked a little, since some people have complained about having broken samples spilled in their box before. Thankfully, the perfume just smells really great and all products were intact. The delicious smelling perfume was the Harvey Prince Skinny Chic. I saw a lot of people who seemed sort of offended to be receiving this product because the description says it is supposed to "curb hunger" and "energize" you. I don't see why they were upset with it, though. This product is not promoting starvation and it is not a diet pill; It is simply a perfume with apple and other food-like scents that smells very fresh and energizing. I doubt that the product really effects how hungry you are one way or another. Personally, I love it, and may purchase it whenever I use up some of my other perfumes.

The first product I actually tried out was the Embryolisse moisturizer. I liked it, it felt much silkier than my Garnier moisturizer I'm using right now, but I probably won't be purchasing it anytime soon since I still have a ton of my current moisturizer left, and for summer I'd like something with some SPF in it.

One thing I was incredibly excited to try was TheBalm's Hot Mama blush. It didn't disappoint! It very well may be the best color of blush I've ever put on. I've been wanting a peachy blush with gold sparkles in it, actually, because I've been using one of my sister's that came in one of those big Sephora boxes with all the eyeshadows and whatnot. Once again, Birchbox has answered my prayers! 

One thing that surprised me was the Lashem Double Trouble mascara. I didn't think I'd like it based on the complaints I had seen from others, and the fact that it seemed almost dried out when I first opened it. It definitely wasn't, though! It made my lashes look longer, darker, and sort of feathery? It made it look like I had more eyelashes. I just wish the sample size wasn't so small; I'd like to get a few more uses out of it!

Last but not least is the Ojon oil. I like how it is 3 different clear colors, and when you shake it, it becomes cloudy and whitish. I guess that's not important, but I haven't tried it yet, so that's all I have to go on :) 

All in all, I was pleased with this box. The last few months have all contained at least one product I really enjoyed. Did you like what you got this month?

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner

I love the cat eye look, but I rarely even attempt using liquid liner because I am terrible at using it. I've looked up so many videos on how to apply it but when I get down to it, my eyes always twitch and then I end up with a big inky mess around my eye. Then I received this Eyeko liner in my Birchbox. Instead of being a brush or sponge dipped in a bottle of inky product, it's more like a felt tipped marker. It makes application a thousand times easier for someone as messy as me.

At first, I was disappointed to see I had received Olive instead of a more wearable color like black or navy. Who even wears green eyeliner? Now I do! It doesn't look neon green or anything when wearing it. It's such a dark green that I'm pretty sure most people think it's black. But the green makes my blue eyes look much better than black ever did.

Now I wear eyeliner in an everyday setting instead of only on special occasions when I have much more time to get ready. Now I can draw on my cat eye without creating a messy glob that has to be redone 4 or more times. Plus, this eyeliner stays on VERY well. You can rub it and it doesn't budge. It will stay on all night, and probably the whole next day as well. I am very impressed with this product. I want one in every color and I would recommend it to anyone, especially if you can't stand messy liquid liner.