Comodynes Self-Tanning Intensive Review

I am a very upbeat, positive person, but I’m afraid this review is going to be pretty negative. 😦 I got this tanning wipe in my June Birchbox, and I wanted to let my current self tanner fade before I applied it. Finally, yesterday seemed to be a good day to try it out, so I exfoliated, shaved, and moisturized in preparation for trying out the towel. I have never used towels for tanning before, but it was super easy! I unwrapped the towel and did my best to rub it all over. You can’t see where you’ve already applied, which I was expecting. The scent wasn’t bad either. The size of the towel was tiny, and in my haste to apply the tanner before the towel dried, it kept getting all rolled up. Despite my best efforts, the towel dried out really quickly, before I felt I had gotten my upper body fully. 

The size of the towel in relation to the package. I felt it was small.

Of course after applying the towel, I had no idea what it would look like. The package says 3 hours, but I didn’t notice full color until I woke up this morning, and it wasn’t pretty folks. I did notice a slight smell during development, but I haven’t had a tanner yet that was completely free of this. When I looked at the color, I saw orange and spotty where I was actually able to apply, and no color change at all on my upper body, when the towel had dried. Here it is folks, and remember, I warned you!

Before and after. If you’re brave enough to zoom this photo, you’ll see the splotchiness.

I love the idea of a tanning towel, and it was super easy to apply, but I would need 2-3 towels to get adequate coverage and I’m 5’6″ and roughly 122 lbs.

Bottom line: I didn’t like this and I had to re-tan today with my favorite tanner by Sun Goddess.

Has anyone else tried this and gotten good results?

 

 

Ipsy Vs. Birchbox: June 2013

It was a good month for beauty boxes for me!! I loved both my boxes so much I couldn’t decide on a winner this month.

June Birchbox Unboxing

There were around 40 variations to this month’s Birchbox, but every subscriber got a polish from Color Club’s exclusive Wanderlust collection. I like when they include a sought after product in everyone’s box, I think it eliminates some box envy. (Hello my name is Stephanie and I..suffer…from…beauty box envy…) There, I said it. When some subscribers got the Ruby Wing color changing polish last month and I didn’t, I wanted to stomp my feet and cry that it wasn’t fair (not that I did that or anything….) Anyway on to this month’s box. 

Inside I found some pretty good things, in my humble opinion. First I pulled out a Comodynes tanning towelette. 

 

I know a lot of ladies who got this were disappointed, but I am excited to try it. I am a chronic self tanner, but I’ve never tried a towelette. The only thing I worry about is not being able to do my whole body with this one towelette. I will post a picture when I try it out. If you have already tried these let me know what you thought. 

Next, I found a matchbox of Tweezerman nail files. This was considered the box’s “lifestyle extra” although I consider this a beauty product. 

 

I actually already own these in another print and I really like them! They work very well and you can stash them anywhere. My favorite place to use them is at work. Occasionally I will snag a nail and need a quick fix, and these are perfect. I get a ton of use out of just one of these little files. 

Next I found a small tub of Suki exfoliate foaming cleanser.

 

I was pleased to see that this is a decent sized deluxe sample, and I am excited to try it. It is a sugar based lemongrass infused exfoliating cleanser. I exfoliate just about daily, so I will definitely get a few uses out of this. 

Next, I grabbed the pillow box, because I knew what laid within (I peeked), and one item was a lippie!

This is a LAQA and Co. Lil’ lip. It’s a bright pink color which I am in love with. I think the shade I got is called Lambchop. I like bright colors though, I know a lot of ladies were displeased with this on the Birchbox facebook page, but I am NOT one of those ladies!! I will rock this pink. 

 

It applied smoothly and I really like the twist up plastic packaging. This is one of my favorite items in this month’s Birchbox. 

The other item in the pillow box was a color club nail polish!

 

The shade is called Mod in Manhattan and I would describe this as an off white creme with a hint of peach in it. It applied pretty smoothly and the swatches below show 3 coats with Seche top coat. I really like this shade and I think it makes my skin look tanner! For some reason I feel like my nails look longer with this shade as well. 

 

So I am really liking my Birchbox this month. Another thing I wanted to mention was Birchbox’s new look. Did anyone notice? They sort of redid their theme. I like it, but I liked the other one too, so I’m a bit indifferent. 

What did you get in your Birchbox this month?

If you didn’t get one and you want one, you can sign up here. 

Battle of the Beauty Boxes May 2013: Ipsy Vs. Birchbox

Since I posted both my review posts, I wanted to go ahead and post my unboxing video in case you don’t follow my youtube (but you totally should!)

May 2013 Birchbox Review: Beauty Diaries

This month’s theme was “Beauty Diaries” and included this card which you could fill out and take a pic and tweet for a chance to win a full size item of everything you received in your box. That would be cool!

 

I got Version 5 this month out of a possible 41 variations! 

This box contained the following:

1. Cargo Water Resistant Blush in Los Cabos- It’s a peach shade with gold glimmer. It’s really pretty, but not unlike several blushes I already own. It’s ok though because this is the item I was really hoping I’d get since I’ve never tried Cargo products before. I also like the little tin the blush came in. Mine came in perfect condition, but I know some other ladies were not so lucky. 

 

2. COOLA Classic SPF 30 Cucumber Moisturizer for Face-I have not tried this yet, but I wish I would have tried it today!! I just now realized it’s for the face and is a moisturizer also! I thought it was only a sunscreen. I will definitely slip this into my morning skincare routine tomorrow. 

3. Hail Merry Macaroons– I’m indifferent on these little extras they throw into the box. Most of them I have enjoyed so far. It was a small sample, just 2 small macaroons, but they were delicious! Honestly, I am not a coconut person at all, but these were yummy!! Very soft. 

4. Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Sensitive-A decent sized sample! I’m excited to try this. The only other juice beauty product I have tried was the hydrating mist I got in my Ipsy bag a few month’s ago. I don’t care for it really. But this looks kind of cool. I haven’t done a peel in a LONG time. I should have done this today too, why didn’t I?!

 

5. Kérastase Bain Chroma Captive – Cleanse-Well well well another set of foils. I hate foil packets for multiple reasons, especially shampoo and conditioner packets because there is NEVER enough for all my hair AND I can never get the darn things open in the shower!! I did use these today, but I had to run out of the shower dripping wet for some scissors and all I had was my eyebrow scissors! I hated to use them, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I ended up needing all 3 packets to wash my hair. I did like the way it lathered and smelled. My hair does feel quite nice. 

 

So there you have it! Box version 5 and I’m decently happy with it! Out of all the variations I saw, this is one of the ones I’d have rather had. I think it was a bit of a weak month for Birchbox. 

Which Birchbox did you get?

If you are interested in joining Birchbox for $10/month you can do so HERE. 

*I do receive 50 birchbox points for everyone who signs up and purchases a Birchbox. 

Birchbox Salma Hayek Nuance box

Some lucky birchbox ladies got an email that looked like this:

 

I did not receive this email, and so far it’s not clear what demographics Birchbox was looking for when sending out this email. I have not heard about this line, but it’s sold at CVS and is described as this:

Discover Nuance Salma Hayek, a unique collection that combines exotic ingredients and ancient beauty secrets passed down through generations. The proprietary formulas are created using modern science to provide the most effective results. These products are designed to help every woman enhance the nuances that define her individual beauty.

The Nuance Salma Hayek collection embodies Salma’s family heritage. The products represent the fusion of her grandmother’s cosmetology training with her own vision of beauty, shaped by years of travel around the world. Nuance Salma Hayek was conceived for women who seek high-quality, efficacious beauty products customized to address their personal skincare, body care, haircare and cosmetic needs.

Did you get an invite to try this box?? I’m excited to see pics of the box once those lucky ladies receive it. 

My April Birchbox!

I got my April Birchbox earlier than normal this month, and I am A-OKAY with that! It arrived and I could hardly wait to do my unboxing video! I am pretty happy with the contents this month, but I’m doing some serious thinking about wether I want to continue my subscription since I’ve been buying a lot of Julep items lately. We’ll see. Anyway here is the box:

I got box #2 and my box weighed .5560 lbs.

My box contained:

1. Skin & Co. Body Gel-The sample is large, which I love, but I have read some not so good reviews on the birchbox site. Apparently, this gel doesn’t lather well, so we’ll see.

2. Oribe Shampoo & Conditioner for Beautiful Color- The full size shampoo retails for 37.00 and the conditioner is 39.00. That is crazy expensive to me and I would likely not spend so much on shampoo and conditioner unless it was miraculous. I got 2 foil packet sets and I have long, thick hair so I’ll likely use both packets for one use. I am not super excited about this sample, but I will use it.

3. Mirenesse Glossy Kiss-I got the color called “Quick Kiss” which is an orangey-red color. A lot of ladies who got this color were unhappy, but I like it. I am a fan of bold and bright lip color and I will be wearing this. I am also excited it’s also a cheek stain. It looked lovely blended out on my hand, so hopefully it will look nice on my cheeks as well.

Blended out

4. Kusmi Tea-I’m “meh” about this sample. I am a coffee drinker, but I do occasionally drink tea, so I will be trying this.

5. Supergoop! Advanced Anti-Aging Eye Cream-I am all worried that I’m getting eye wrinkles. I don’t notice much crow’s feet, but I have noticed some under eye wrinkles and I’m trying to ward them off! I am going to try this, and I have high hopes for it. I was excited for this sample.

There you have it! My April Birchbox which was my 2nd real monthly box. I do like it way better than last month’s box. I am overall happy with it and that fact that I have 6 reviews I can do for birchbox points!!

Which box did you get? Where you happy?

If you’d like to join Birchbox for $10 per month, you can do so here: https://www.birchbox.com?raf=rhg2c

April Birchbox is coming! SPOILER

The box variations went up on birchbox and I am getting Box #2. My box weighs .5560lbs and it should be here tomorrow. This is what’s inside:

 

I’m sort of indifferent about this box. I really should stop reading all the spoilers before I get my box because it’s making me biased about certain products. Who am I kidding? I’ll never be able to stay away from spoilers! I heard that the body wash doesn’t smell great and it doesn’t lather, so I’m not excited about it. I am NEVER excited about foil packets and I have so much hair I’m worried I won’t even get 1 good use out of the shampoo and conditioner. I’m excited about the supergoop eye cream because I’ve been really into eye creams lately. I’m excited about the lip product as well because it’s full size, although some ladies seemed disappointed by the color, but I love a lip color challenge! I swear I can make any lip color work for me. We’ll see! I’m surprisingly excited about the tea as well! I’m a big coffee drinker, but I do enjoy tea every now and then! Also this month’s box comes with a free year sub to Women’s Health magazine which I will likely take advantage of. 

If you’d like to get on the birchbox waitlist go here to sign up https://www.birchbox.com?raf=rhg2c

Which box did you get?

March Birchbox Madness!!

I got my March Birchbox a bit later than normal this month, but that’s ok! The theme this month is “March Madness.” This was my first “real” box since last month I received the “welcome” box. I got my shipping notification that said my box weighed .3330 lbs. So I had a VERY light box. When the box variations came out on the website, I found out I had box #13 and I was a wee bit disappointed. I knew from previews and spoilers that some boxes contained MAKE makeup and Benetint and lipgloss and blush and I got none of those! 😦 But I know I won’t love every box I get, and part of the fun is the anticipation. So all in all I’m a happy camper. This is what I got!

 

1. Whish shave crave shaving Cream in blueberry-the sample of this appeared to be a nice size, but I was disappointed when I tried it out to find it mostly filled with air! I won’t even get 2 uses out of this sample. The Good news? It’s a pretty amazing shaving cream. The consistency was a thick creamy goodness and it smelled like blueberry muffins! It also left my skin feeling amazing and soft and it was absolutely different than any shaving cream I’ve used before. I am considering getting a full size of this. My husband even noticed a difference! 

 

2. Benefit Stay don’t Stray Primer-I wasn’t excited about this primer simply because I have a holy grail primer I currently use. I did try this however, and it wasn’t bad! Actually quite good! After I applied it, I already noticed my eyelids looked brighter! At the end of the day, though, I did have creasing, something I don’t experience with my current primer, so I won’t be repurchasing this. The packaging it came in was adorable though, and the sample is a generous size.

 

3. Evologie Intensive Blemish Serum-I wasn’t the least bit excited about this, but it turned out to be my favorite in the box! I applied spots of this product to my blemishes and I kid you not I noticed a difference over night. Blemishes were reduced and the whole area felt soft and smooth! To be fair, I don’t have large blemishes, and when I do get blemishes, they are far and few between, but I did notice a difference after applying this product! The one thing I didn’t like about it was the consistency. It’s very thin and hard for me to get just a tiny bit out of the tube. 

 

4. Twistband Headband in silver shimmer-I was actually hoping to get one of these and I did! I also got a good color that I can wear with many things. I have worn the headband with my hair down, up, and I’ve clipped a bow to it. All the ways I’ve worn it were really cute! I don’t know that I’d pay full price for these though, but I am enjoying it. I am a gal that loves headbands though!

 

Here is the headband with a cute bow clipped to it. Kind of poor quality photo, but you get the idea!

5. Madewell for Birchbox Nail Emery Board-This is a decent emery board and I can always ALWAYS use an extra nail file so I was excited for this! It’s nice quality and very cute! I will definitely use this. 

 

This really wasn’t a bad box, just stuff I wasn’t particularly interested in. I bet a lot of ladies loved this box! Which box did you get? Did you love it?

If you’re interested in joining Birchbox you can do so here. And as always here is an unboxing video. 🙂 

 

Also check out April Spoilers and Previews here!! Next month is going to be good! 

April Birchbox Preview and Spoilers!!

“We’ve tapped the beauty and wellness experts at Women’s Health for this exclusive Birchbox filled with must-try products. Subscribe now for $10/month and get your first monthly delivery in April.

Your April Women’s Health Birchbox will include:

• Favorites from Cargo, Ojon, Caudalie, Supergoop!, and more
• An offer to receive a 1-year subscription to Women’s Health, a $9.99 value
• Expert product advice and easy-to-follow beauty tutorials

Limited quantities available!”

Possible brands included in this month’s box:

• Yes to Grapefruit Brightening Facial Towelettes
• Atelier Cologne travel set
• Malin+Goetz Bergamot Body Wash
• Caudalie Divine Oil
• Simple Revitalizing Eye Roll-on
• Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Lotion Sunscreen SPF 15
• Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate
• StriVectin-SD Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles
• Supergoop! Advanced Anti-Aging Eye Cream SPF 37
• Youngblood Anti-Shine Mattifier
• Kusmi Tea Wellness Assortment
• Benta Berry G-1 Moisturizing Face Cream
• Oribe Shampoo & Conditioner for Beautiful Color
• Cargo Water Resistant Blush
• Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream
• Ojon Rare Blend Deep Conditioner
• Nexxus Hydra-Light Leave-in Conditioning Foam

This is a preview of April’s Birchbox, and it’s a themed box which I am SUPER DUPER excited for!! If you aren’t a subscriber yet, it appears that if you sign up for this month’s box, you’ll get right in with no wait list (that’s right NO WAIT LIST!!), and if you are already a subscriber, you are definitely receiving this box. I wonder how many box variations there will be?? 

If you want this month’s box here is the special link. It’s not my referral link, it will take you to the special Birchbox Women’s health box page. Here is my referral link.

I am VERY excited for April’s box!

My review for my March box will be up very soon as well! I love Birchbox.