December Favorites

Total Beauty

I got this box on a whim. There was a coupon code for it and it was such a great deal that I had to! This was really jammed packed with lots of goodies and that was one of my favorite things about this box. So many new items were included and there still are so many that I haven't tried yet. I gifted a few items, such as the wine gift card and the dermarose. I tested out a few of the items and one of which won for me was the YuBe Skin moisturizer. It's something I've been meaning to try and this really helped me in that process. The smells kind of reminds me of Vaporub, but other than that, it works like a charm. I get dry patches on my face and neck sometimes and this moisturizes it in no time.

Birchbox

In case you forgot what came in the December Birchbox, here's a list:

• Secret Agent Beauty Nourishing and Plumping Lip Gloss in Foreign Intelligence Flirt, ~.5ml $9
• Twistband hair tie, $2
• S.M.A.R.T. Skin Perfecting Polisher, 6ml $8
• Lulu Organics Lavendar + Clary Sage Hair Powder, 5g $1.30
• Tocca Crema da Mano in Cleopatra, 1fl oz $5

I was really thrilled to receive this box. I received lots of items I wouldn't have bought, which is a good thing because this helped me to broaden my beauty horizon. I loved receiving a Tocca item since I love their scents, even though I never purchase their products. I use it almost everyday! I have so many twistbands, so this was definitely a bonus item for me. One of the items that surprised me the most was the Secret Agent Lip Gloss. I'm not a lipgloss person, but this is extremely moisturizing, even when topped on lipstick. Because of that, I have to deem that my favorite item from Birchbox this month. I don't wear it everyday, only on days where the gloss matches my lipstick, but it's such a great product that I would recommend it.

Sample Society

This box served a small disappointment to me because of the sample sizes, but the products within the packaging were not. The only products I haven't sampled are the BB Cream and dry shampoo. I don't use dry shampoos so that goes in the gift pile. I'll eventually get around to the BB cream. Aside from that, I love all the products I've sampled so far. Here's the product list:

• Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, .45 oz, $9
• Alterna Caviar Dry Shampoo, .10 oz, $0.80
• Philosophy Hope in a Jar Night Intensive Retexturizering Moisturizer, .4 fl oz $9.60
• Ipkn Moist and Firm BB Cream SPF 45, .3 oz $8.75
• Jane Iredale Lash Conditioner, ~.5ml $1.50

I use the Dermlogica every morning when I wake up. I've made it a routine. Along with that, I use the Hope in a Jar every night before heading to bed. Since then, my acne has begun to clear up. I also use the Jane Iredale before any mascara application. I found it to be very similar to Lancome's Cils Booster XI, but I'm not sure if they serve similar long-term purposes. That being said, my December Sample Society favorite would be the Hope in a Jar. I will probably purchase it after the new year. I have so many serums and moisturizers to sample, though, so I may have to hold off on that.

Holiday Glossybox

The Holiday Glossybox was my most anticipated box this month. I knew what I would receive but actually using the products and experiencing them was what I was after. The products I was so excited to receive are:

• Kora Organics Clay Purifying Mask, FULL SIZE $53.00
• So Susan Luminizer, FULL SIZE $40.00
• Philip B Body Wash in Chai Latte, FULL SIZE 2fl oz $8.00
• Butter London Nail Lacquer in Henley Regatta, FULL SIZE $15.00
• Beauty Addicts Lip Addiction in Seduce Hollywood, FULL SIZE $17.00
• Bodyography Lip Liner in Crimson, FULL SIZE $13.00
• Nuxe Fondant Body Scrub, 1.6oz $6.70

 

There contains a heap of products in this box and I love them all. The BeautyAddicts and Bodyography lip products went so perfectly with my red lipstick. The lip pencil glides on so smoothly and pigmented, it's definitely something worth spending $17.00 on. 

The Nuxe body scrub smells so nice and natural. I feel like natural and organic products tend to have this specific scent about them. And don't get me started on the Philip B body wash. It smells like heaven! I love Chai latte, it's my usual drink and sometimes contains a shot of espresso. The smell of the body wash is SPOT ON. 

The luminizer is really nice and shimmery. I was skeptical about a water based luminizer, but it actually creates a really gorgeous glow. I like to pat the luminizer on my cheek bones to get maximum results. The only downfall is that I felt like the tube was filled mostly with air. Did anyone else feel this way? 

I was swoon after hearing about the Kora mask. I use it weekly and it does wonders to my face. It's not too harsh on my skin. I have sensitive skin so started out leaving the mask on for five minutes the first two weeks. On the third week I left it on for about eight minutes and it felt perfectly fine. I did experience the yucky acne after the second week, but I'm sure it's from drawing out all the dirt and oils from my face. Now it's so nice and smooth.

I have yet to try the Butter London, but I've heard so many good things about their formula. It's just that I haven't gotten around to finding the right occasion or outfit. I would wear it for NYE but I'm wearing a red dress. :P With that, my favorite product from this box is the Kora Organics Clay Purifying Mask. I'm so happy that I received this in the box. It's like I practically paid just for the mask and got 6 bonus products. I'll definitely have to buy it after running out.

Ipsy

I subscribed to ipsy for the month of December just to check out what products I would receive. I lucked out because I LOVE the bag. After Christmas rolled around, I have SOOO many cosmetics bags now that It's not even funny. Ha ha. Here are the products:

• NYX Lipstick in Iced Honey,  FULL SIZE $4
• Pop Beauty Palette in Smokin' Hot, $6
• Ardell Natural Lash in 120, $4
• Nicka K Nail Polish in Taupe, FULL SIZE $5  
• Be a Bombshell One Stick in Girl Crush, FULL SIZE $16

I was really happy to receive these products. I love falsies so this adds to my collection. I've used the One Stick once but realized the shade didn't really go well for me so I'll probably gift that. My favorite item is between the NYX lipstick and the Pop Beauty palette. I have to say that the winner is the Pop Beauty Palette in Smokin' Hot. I love the white shimmer shadow! It's more pigmented than the matte white shadow I have from my Sweet Indulgence palette by Too Faced. Although the Pop Beauty shadow is shimmery and not matte, it's still a great alternative.

Glossybox

Yayy! Glossybox. I love Glossybox. It's probably my favorite subscription box of them all. I was very happy to receive these items, so let's review them:

• Michael Todd Pumpkin Nutrient Facial Mask, 1fl oz/30ml $14.40
• Ardency Inn PUNKER World's Baddest Eyeliner, FULL SIZE .085 oz $19.00
• Nails Inc Victoria Polish, FULL SIZE $9.50
• NAOBAY Oxygenating Cream Moisturizer, 1fl oz/30m $25.90
• Anatomicals You Need A Blooming Shower, 5fl oz $2.25

So I expressed my dismay with receiving yet another Michael Todd Pumpkin Facial mask. I gifted this one to my Aunt for her to try out. The eyeliner is phenomenal for creating the perfect winged eye. The only problem I had was using it along my lid. I had this tendency to create too thick of a line and ended up looking like a raccoon. I attempted THREE times and it happened each time. Because of that, I use this strictly for the wing and use my other liquid liner for the rest. 

I have heard very many good things about Nails Inc. I haven't tried the polish yet, so I can't say much other than the fact that I love the color. 

The Naobay is a great product. I love the smell. It's really light and sweet. It moisturizes decently. I have really dry skin so it's hard for me to be satisfied with a moisturizer. This does the job fairly, but I wish it was a bit more thick. The body wash has such a lovely scent. It smells like roses and makes me feel so feminine. It's also such a large sample for the price! I loved that aspect of the product. 

In conclusion, my favorite product from Glossybox this month is the Ardency Inn Punker Eyeliner. Although I have issues creating a nice line with it, it's a really nice dark and bold pigment and the tip makes for a perfectly pointed wing.