Birchbox March 2014

My first Birchbox! I was so excited about subscribing to Birchbox. Now, to get excited, I had to change my way of thinking. Birchbox is a different type of subscription sample service. They are different because of their point system. Birchbox makes it so easy to accumulate points that it's obvious they want you to purchase full size products, easily for free.

I have only received one box, and have accumulated 70 points from this one box. That is the equivalent of $7 since at 100 points, you can redeem your points in the Birchbox shop for $10. Birchbox only costs $10/month AND I got the samples this month too, which are worth something.

I think that's a really decent box. Here are the details of what I received.

1. Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle-no size
2. Coola Tinted Matte SPF 30 for Face-.17 fl. oz
3. Gilchrist & Soames-1.5 fl. oz
4. Harvey Prince Cherie Blossom-no size
5. Tea Forte minteas-1 pack
6. Ghirardelli Cherry Tango-.375 oz

I am absolutely baffled that some of these items don't list their sizes, but honestly-it's ok. It just makes it hard for me to determine the "value" of this box. The rest the items do add up to the $10 I spent, which is completely reassuring. Here's the thing, some items I get from boxes I just put up right away, haven't even used them to date. I opened and tried every single product in this box on the spot. I was genuinely excited to try everything.

Some mentions about the products I want to make:

The Beauty Protector detangler has a heavenly smell. It smells like Pink Sugar or like cotton candy. I have thick, curly, frizzy hair so I use a detangler. This detangled didn't feel like it provided any conditioning but actually did make it easier to comb through my hair after the shower. A full-size bottle retails for $21.95 in the Birchbox Shop and is exclusive to Birchbox.

The Gilchrist & Soames body lotion mentions that it is used in hotels. I actually think that identifying with hotels is damaging to the brand. It makes me think that the lotion would be a cheap product. When I put this on my hands, after the initial soaking period-in seconds they felt incredibly silky. I was completely pleased with this lotion.

The Ghirardelli chocolate was delectable. I like dark chocolate and this dark chocolate was incredible creamy with the fruity cherry flavor and bits of almonds. This sample did not last long at all.

Beauty Protector Detangler	???
Coola Moisturizer	$3.60
Gilchrist & Soames Lotion	$3.00
Harvey Prince Fragrance	???
Tea Forte Minteas	$3.32
Ghirardelli Chocolate	$0.50
TOTAL	$10.42

This is a low value box but I am still completely satisfied because I know that the Birchbox point system will make it extremely affordable, free even, to pick up full-size items that I know I want. Some people complain about picking their samples, getting items they will never use, or getting items that aren't specifically beauty oriented. For the first two complaints, Birchbox makes it super easy and worth it to cash in your points on items you know you want. For me-all the samples are pretty much extras. The last complaint-I do not understand, there are so many "beauty" boxes. I receive multiple beauty boxes. The extras are very welcome for me as a little something different.

Do you subscribe to Birchbox? Is it worth it to you? What items have you cashed in your points on? If you are thinking about subscribing to Birchbox, I would love it if you used my referral link to subscribe.

XOXO,
The Redheaded Life

Beauty Box 5 March 2014

Beauty Box 5 is always my very first box to get to me every month.  I mean, they are based in Texas and I'm in Oklahoma, it's basically an overnight mail trip.

I was so thrilled about EVERYTHING I got in my Beauty Box 5 this month! I mean look at this! Isn't it incredible!?

1. Jane's Pick All Natural Soaps-???
2. Tree Hut Moisturizing Hand Cream-3oz (full size)
3. Bellapierre Cosmetics Makeup Base-.25 oz (full size)
4. Design Essentials Natural Curl Enhancing Mousse-1.83 fl. oz
5. Swissco Dual-sided Facial Pad-1 ct. (full size

Beauty Box 5 completely nailed it! These might not be the most high value items but everything was great size and incredibly useful. I believe the tropical mango Tree Hut products are across the board incredible. I feel like a got a little extra because I'm pretty sure the tropical mango hand cream is brand new and had a coupon for $0.50 attached to it! I haven't seen any other boxes with this exact product. I got lucky! 

The Bellapierre Cosmetics makeup base is a complete multi purpose product. This can be used as a concealer, illuminator, and eyeshadow primer. This also has an absolutely fabulous mattefying effect on shimmer eyeshadows. The texture is so smooth and buttery and retails for $18.99. I love playing with this stuff!

I was most excited for the Design Essentials Natural Curl Enhancing Mousse. I really feel like BB5 cared and when they had a variation that was tailored for me, they listened to the questions in my sampling profile.

I love bar soaps so I will be doing a product review later for the Jane's Pick All Natural Soap. I think these soaps will be perfect as a shave bar. I can't really put a value on this sample but a 5 oz bar retails for $8.00. Woo hoo!

Now, my favorite part-especially when it turns out like this:

Jane's Pick Soap	???
Tree Hut Hand Cream	$5.29
Bellapierre Cosmetics Base	$18.99
Design Essentials Mousse	$3.90
Swissco Facial Pad	$2.99
TOTAL	$31.71

I loved my March Beauty Box 5. This subscription has been so hit and miss for me though that I'm really nervous the April Box will let me down. Beauty Box 5 had an incredible option for April though which was to replace April's Box with a 60 day supply of 24ClearIt Acne Treatment Kit which is valued at $59.95. What an incredible offer! I don't have acne so this would most likely just dry me which is why I didn't opt in for the treatment but such a good idea and a great alternative!

Beauty Box 5 did release their April sneak peek already and it states that all subscribers will receive a full size Nicka K New York Hydro Lipstick, which retails for $4.99. If you sign up by March 31st, you will get the April box!

Have you been looking for something different? Beauty Box 5 is $12/month and was completely worth it this month. If you want to subscribe to Beauty Box 5, you can use my referral link.

XOXO,

The Redheaded Life

Free Clothes

So one of the things that started my love of good bargains was thrift shopping with my grandma when I was younger. Since I was young these "next step thrift stores" called consignment stores have gotten pretty popular. You can sell your clothes that are nice and still in style for a little bit of cash. You can also pick up some great deals on nice clothes.

Has anyone ever heard of Twice? Twice is an online women's clothing store where you can do the same. You can sell your clothes as well as pick up some FANTASTIC deals on gently used items! Recently, I ordered a dress from Twice and do you know how much it was? Free, that's how much! This is a picture of my actual order summary.

I looked around quite a bit on Twice and they have a huge array of styles and sizes. I got my dress today and I love it! I have been needing to upgrade my wardrobe with a few more mature items anyway. Do you want to get a great deal like this? You can get two $10 credits to Twice that you can use on the same order and here's how:  

1.  Use my referral link. By using my link you will get the first $10 credit. I will also get $10 when you make a purchase. 
2. To get the second $10 credit, download the Twice application from the App store. I downloaded the app on my IPad and I don't know if there is an android application or not. You should also do this in this order so you can simply log in once you download the application. 

Enjoy your shopping trip and let me know what you are able to find in the comments below! If you need some cash you could also check out how to sell your items to Twice! Twice was an extremely easy, delightful experience for me with fast shipping!

Happy Shopping!

XOXO,

The Redheaded Life

Baublebar SWAT Surprise

I love surprise grab bags and with the season changing, grab bag sales are galore right now! I especially love online grab bag sales with promo codes!

I had heard of Baublebar before but to a couponer like myself, the prices were high. I was alerted to the mystery surprise SWAT sale a few days ago and was sold when I found the promo code SOUTHERN20

Woah! Baublebar discount game! Enter your e-mail at this site and get a baublebar discount! I was able to play twice after entering some friends e-mails and received a $10 off and a 30% off code!

The SWAT surprises were $5 each and the promo code was for 20% off. Which made each surprise $4. Now everything that I have seen from Baublebar has been great quality and at $4, how could I pass that up? I ended up getting two because I didn't really know what to expect. Now I know and next time-I should get 3, maybe 4! Below you can see what my two surprises were, a cute little bangle and some adorable earrings in my favorite color!

Since I have made this purchase, I have visited the Baublebar site a few more times and found out they markdown a "buried bauble" to $20 on Monday and $10 on Friday. Actually, on St. Patrick's Day-they had a buried bauble blowout. They had some really cute stuff on sale but I passed on the sale.

To my surprise, yesterday I got an e-mail from Baublebar thanking me for the information I had left them on a survey after my previous Baublebar purchase. The e-mail contained a code for $10 off. Well, yesterday was Friday and that means the buried bauble was only $10! I was able to purchase a simple gold aqua and white square geometric pendant for free!

Baublebar has their very own loyalty point system where every dollar you spend = 1 vault point. 10 vault points = $1 in rewards. I only have 8 points at the moment but am definitely planning on shopping more at Baublebar! Especially since I found out that Baublebar is also eligible for cash back with Ebates! If you want to know more about Ebates, click on Ebates Information at the top of the page!

I definitely plan to keep my eye out for more Baublebar promos and sales! If you want to use my referral link to create a Baublebar account, I will get points when and if you make your first purchase. If you have an account and subscribe to the buried bauble hint e-mails, you will always be able to find the weekly buried baubles! Also, there will be a pop-up to get 15% off when you subscribe to the e-mail newsletter! I believe the promo code mentioned above is still valid as well! Look around and see what pretty things you can find!

XOXO,
The Redheaded Life

Beauty Army March 2014

Hey guys! I am going  to get back on track. I have been slow on posts because I've been doing some structural blog work. What do you think so far?

Here's my Beauty Army post. Originally, I was really excited about this kit. Of course, I was able to select everything in this box so I knew exactly what it would contain. However, I had a shipping problem where my kit was delayed. I e-mailed their customer service TWICE and never got a reply. I wrote on their Facebook page and got a comment telling me to e-mail customer service. Even though I didn't get a reply, I finally did receive my kit a few days ago.

I selected the maximum amount of samples for my Beauty Army Kit, which is six. I selected:

1. Befine Warming Clay Mask-.34 fl. oz.
2. Phyto 5 Jojaba Shea Butter Face Cream-.17 oz.
3. Montagne Jeunesse Dead Sea Mud Mask-1 ct.
4. Dermis 8 exfoliating Soap Bar-25 g.
5. Tatcha Blotting Papers-30 ct. (full size)
6. Furlesse Rows-3 ct.

Beauty Army is $12/month and you can always skip a month without deactivating your subscription if none of the month's samples appeal to you. I chose not to skip because I was really excited about the Tatcha blotting papers. I remember seeing blotting papers in middle school and was so impressed with them. Since then though, I haven't heard too much about them. This was a full size pack of papers and covers the cost of the entire kit by themselves.

Befine Mask	$1.70
Phyto 5 Face Cream	$6.21
Montagne Jeunesse Mask	$2.49
Dermis 8 Soap	$1.00
Tatcha Blotting Papers	$12.00
Furlesse Rows	$2.00
TOTAL	$25.40

Here's what I've learned-If you are only excited about one product, it won't feel worth it. The Furlesse Rows are forehead line reducing patches. I don't really have lines though I might have a few smile lines making an appearance. I will eventually use all these products. The face cream sounds really promising. I will tear the blotting papers in half because they are quite large and you can use both sides. I do like bar soap but the sample is teeny tiny. This kit was meh for me. I did receive more that the $12 I paid for the subscription though!

Are you a Beauty Army member? What did you select for your March kit? Are you interested in Beauty Army?

XOXO.

The Redheaded Life

Target Beauty Box

So every now and then, Target releases a limited number of beauty boxes. I sure hope they are testing the waters for a subscription service because the value at this price is great. This month, I was able to snag one of the Target boxes and am so excited I can write about it for you!

First of all-a problem, on Target's website, these boxes were listed for $5+tax with free shipping. When most went to check out, shipping was an additional $5 and being charged. Target assured us to go ahead and place the order, then immediately call or e-mail customer service to get the shipping charges removed before the order was shipped and charged. That all went just fine, eventually Target did get the shipping charges fixed on the website for the remaining boxes. With tax, this box cost me a measly $5.44.

I really didn't know what to expect with this box even though the contents of the box were public. I was pleasantly surprised with the products when the box arrived in a clean, white, reusable box.

1. TONI&GUY Casual Sea Salt Texturizing Spray-2.5 fl. oz. (travel size)
2. L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara-.22 fl. oz. (full size)
3. Herbal Essences Naked Dry Shampoo-1.7 oz
4. Covergirl Smoochies Sizzle Gloss in Date Night-.44 fl. oz. (full size)
5. Jergens BB Body Cream Light-2 fl. oz.

I figured with the mascara and the lip gloss, this box was worth the price. I was very excited when I did the math for the rest of the products. Here's what the entire box was worth:

L'Oreal Mascara	$7.39
Jergens Body Cream	$2.88
Toni&Guy Spray	$4.99
Covergirl Lipgloss	$5.19
Herbal Essences Dry Shampoo	$2.33
TOTAL	$22.78

I definitely think that's a pretty good return on a box! Most of these prices even came directly from Target's own website, which were the lowest prices on these items. I will definitely keep my eye out for the next Target Beauty Box since I had such a pleasant experience. Have you ever seen a Target Beauty Box? Would you snag one if you did? Let me know in the comments!

XOXO,

The Redheaded Life

Ipsy March 2014

It's that time that everyone always looks forward to! It's when I show you my monthly Ipsy glambag. Ipsy announced that for the first time since I have been a subscriber that only four products were getting sent out this month. I do follow the sneak peeks during first full week of the month on Ipsy's Facebook page.

People were outraged that there were only four products. Trust me, even with four products, Ipsy out did themselves.

The first thing that I just have to talk about is the makeup bag. My Ipsy bags are really starting to accumulate but this month was such a cool concept. Ipsy is starting an artist series and this was the first bag that was designed by a San Francisco local artist, Klariart. What a cool idea!? How cool is it that Ipsy is helping artists get their work out. I was hoping this was going to be a canvas bag but it was plasticy. Such a unique bag. I don't know what I am going to do with it but I look forward to seeing the other artist designed bags!

Let's get down to the products! You guys know that makeup is EXPENSIVE. When it comes down to ounces, for a lot-you don't get very much. Unless you get it with Ipsy, then you get a great deal! You always get 4-5 products for $10 a month. This month, I got:

1. Pixi Beauty Flawless Beauty Primer-.4 fl. oz (travel size)
2. Chella Indigo Blue Highlighter-1 ml (full size)
3. NYX Segredos de Giselle Love In Rio Eyeshadow Pallet-full size
4. bareMinerals Get Ready Marvelous Moxie Lipstick-.05 oz

Just wait until I tell you how much these four items were worth!

Pixi Beauty Primer	$9.00
Chella Eyeliner	$24.00
NYX Eyeshadow	$6.00
bareMinerals Lipstick	$7.50
Makeup Bag	???
TOTAL	$46.50

Can you believe that!? $46.50! 

The Pixi Beauty Primer is actually sold in that size on the Pixi Beauty website, which is why I labeled it travel size. I love using a primer. I have huge pores so the primer is very exciting. Currently, I use the Ulta brand primers and I love them. Will this take their place? Probably not but at least I will experience a diverse pallet. 

The eyeliner is an eyeliner pen. I have really gotten into colored liner. I am even donning some green liner today (Happy St. Patrick's Day)! I am really REALLY excited about experimenting with the eyeliner. 

I have tons of nude eyeshadows. I can't imagine how this would be any different than any of the ones I already own. It always looks good. Very classic look.  I really like the NYX Lipsticks so why wouldn't I like the shadow?

The lipstick is a pink. However, I think it is a shade that would flatter practically everyone. The bareMinerals brand is very trusted so I wouldn't expect any less than a quality product. This is the perfect size to keep in your purse for on the go occasions!

What do you guys think of my March bag? Are you an Ipsy Subscriber? Do you want to know more about anything I received? If you want to give Ipsy a try, click on any Ipsy link throughout this post. The link contains a referral from me so I will get a few points if you decide to sign up. You know I always enjoy this subscription!

XOXO,

The Redheaded Life

My Cotton Bunny March 2014

This is my last My Cotton Bunny Bundle. I'm just so sad about this subscription service. I feel like there's so much potential there but they are not changing with what's demanded in this market.

I did change it up this month with what I could choose. It is so easy to update your profile to select what brand of products you want if you want a little change. This month, I decided to get the O.B. regular tampons. Here's a picture of the whole box:

I can say that I have always felt that I got what I paid for. My Cotton Bunny is $16/month. In the top left you can see a bracelet-that was the bonus for completing last month's challenge. To the top right are 3 yoga headbands. You can see the 18 ct. regular o.b. tampons, a luna protein bar, A KurFoods Delights in Dark Chocolate Mint, some bow hair ties, and a wipe? I'm not sure that is a wipe. There wasn't any information about it on the card but given the nature of the box-that would be my best guess. 

The bracelet. I got the same bracelet in a different color in my bundle last month. I am not really into pink. I'm sure I can find someone to give it to. Sharing with a friend is what the card suggests to do with it-give it to a friend. This is supposed to be a present to spoil myself with during my time of the month and you want me to share with a friend? I will. BUT, that is NOT the point of this box. Obviously, they had leftovers from last month. This is the bonus so I don't mind but isn't my idea of pampering. There is no brand associated with this bracelet. Last month I assigned a value of $7.00 to this bracelet because I saw a similar bracelet online. This is being generous to the value but I will do the same this month.

The headbands are always great. I frequently use things like this so these are a welcome addition to my collection. There was no brand associated with these but I found some Goody Headbands at Walmart that I will compare these too in the sense of price and quality. The quality of these was not so good. I will have to cut the strings off on all three! I will use them and am happy I got them.

The Luna Protein bar. I am excited about this. I love bars. Sometime's I am just not very hungry but sill want to make sure I will have some energy. This bar is packed with protein so it will be a good one. I haven't eaten it yet but I sure will! The flavor I received was Chocolate Peanut Butter.

The KurFoods Delight in Dark Chocolate Mint. I ate this as soon as I opened my box! I love chocolate and mint together. These bites are vegan and I'm not sure but I believe the majority of this treat is made of dates. I love things like this that are healthy but packed with flavor. I even looked online to purchase more-maybe in a different flavor to try them all out!

The bow hair ties. Whomp whomp. What in the world are these? Are things like this in style? I think they could be cute if carefully planned with an outfit. I couldn't find anything like these though to compare and determine a price for my box total. There were some DIY hair ties that people had posted as arts and craft projects. They are supposed to have a little star charm on one end but my charms were missing and there was just little rings. I pulled the rings out and if I wear them, I like them without the charms anyway. There is no brand associated with these hair ties.

The possible wipe. Believe it or not, I am most excited about this wipe. The fact that this was included hints that My Cotton Bunny is starting to change and get in the TOM box competition. There are quite a few TOM boxes and all of them include little extras like this.

Here's what I estimate the box to be worth:

O.B. Regular Tampons 18ct.	$4.99
Bracelet	$7.00
Luna Protein Bar	$1.25
Hair Ties 2ct.	???
Yoga Headbands	$2.39
Delights Dark Chocolate Mint	$1.00
Wipe	???
TOTAL	$16.63

You get what you pay for with this box and that's great! However, with subscription boxes the expectations are higher. Well, my expectations are higher. I really enjoyed My Cotton Bunny, I enjoyed the concept. For me, the value just wasn't there. My Cotton Bunny is a small business and I am all for supporting small businesses but there are many more small businesses out there that I'm ready to give a try! 

My Cotton Bunny's bonus challenge this month was to e-mail them for any improvements or suggestions. This tells me they really do care what their subscribers want and are attempting to get that information. Even though I won't be getting another box, I still plan to e-mail them and give my suggestions. Who knows maybe I will give My Cotton Bunny another try in the future!

Do you have any suggestions for what I should try out next? Let me know in the comments but please do not bombard me with referral links. If I am interested, I will ask you! 

XOXO,

The Redheaded Life

Pacifica Color Quench Lip Tint

Hi all! Have you missed me!? I took a little break to put some ideas together and a piece that I promised and am so excited to write is finally here! Today's post is all about Pacifica's Color Quench Lip Tints!

Let me start off by saying that I have never found a product that I like as much as I like these. I mean I saw them, decided to try them, bought every color,  bought backups of my favorite colors, and now wear every day!

That's a good picture because I know you can read all of the names. There are five different choices. In their Jumbo options-there is one more and it is a white/sheer coconut pearls luminizing lip quench (I have it too). I definitely prefer the smaller size.

These are the most moisturizing products that have ever touched my lips. I often come across things that are so wonderful that I have to wonder why companies don't use a generic basic formula, sort of like a default-this should be the default. Since Pacifica is a 100% vegan-cruelty free brand, I believe these products get their moisturizing effects from their avocado and coconut oils. I'm not kidding, if you need moisture, get these. Who am I kidding? Even if you don't need moisture-GET THESE.

The names they have are delicious sounding. Guess what!? They smell heavenly. Very refreshing, relaxing scents that are not overpowering in the slightest.

Here's the other thing I love about these Lip Quenches:

GLORIOUS, BEAUTIFUL PIGMENT!!! These lip quenches add visible tint to lips! I have swatched these for you in the order of the picture above. The vanilla hibiscus is very sheer and is the furthest left. My favorite is the sugared fig. Second place would go to blood orange.

These lip quenches are incredibly light weight and do not add a sticky, heavy, wax feel to my lips at all-in fact, it doesn't feel like you're wearing anything honestly. I was ready to completely toss all the other moisturizing lip products that I have all together until I realized there was no SPF in these. The SPF is the only bad thing I could ever say about these but that's because as a Redhead, sun protection is a requirement.

I have loved every single product that I have purchased from Pacifica but these are exceptional. My Pacifica watch list now includes an Ultra CC Cream with SPF that they have released a sneak peek of on Facebook! I am so excited. 

You can find these through the Pacifica website where they are $7.00 each. I believe you can also find them in Ulta and on the Ulta website. Both places run special offers every now and then-keep your eye out if you are a deal searcher like myself! Also, both sites participate with Ebates, where you will get cash back on all your purchases!!!

What do you think? Have you ever tried these lip quenches? Will you? Do you have any questions about them?

XOXO,

The Redheaded Life

The Birchbox Plunge with Birchbox Finds

I had been eyeing Birchbox for a long time. In fact, Birchbox was the first subscription service that I had ever heard of. Recently, I had taken Birchbox a little more seriously and found out the details. I created an account a few weeks ago but hadn't signed up for an actual subscription until a few days ago.

I had been hearing a lot about Birchbox's point system! I love point systems that are simple and uncomplicated, every 100 points=$10. You can usually accumulate 100 points with 2 boxes-ideally, each box would contain 5 products. Birchbox is a true sample service because they encourage you to earn and spend points on the products you tried and loved. Here's how I'm thinking about it: $10/month=50 points/month. So, if you shop in the Birchbox store or casually skim for good deals-your boxes could potentially be only $5 because you will constantly get money back from points. Birchbox constantly has shipping and point promotional codes to use in their store.

I recently found a good time to sign up with a promo code. With a monthly subscription, I got 100 points-$10 right off the bat! This paid me back for the first month AND I will still get to review the products I receive.

I already spent the $10. Birchbox releases limited edition boxes of their favorite products. Here's a link to the latest release. Limited Edition Birchbox Finds The box is $18 and contains $55 worth of products so while that is a good deal, I didn't see anything I had to have. I was going to pass on this box until I signed up and received the 100 points. I also found a promo code for free shipping: BBSHOP I was able to purchase this box with my points, enter the promo code for free shipping, and get this box on it's way for $8! Now that is a deal I couldn't walk away from!

Biore 1 Minute Masks	$6.49
Rimmel London Stay Glossy 3D	$4.99
Nivea Kiss of Care & Color	$4.99
John Frieda Frizz Ease Oil Elixir	$8.49
Covergirl  Bombshell Mascara	$8.99
Covergirl Shineshadow	$6.99
Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure	$6.48
TOTAL	$47.42

The total is a little bit less than what Birchbox estimates but I'm impressed that it's not a bigger difference. Every single one of these products are full size! If you want to know about any of these Birchbox Finds, leave me a comment! I am a little curious though, did everyone get these exact colors? Essentially, I got a subscription box AND the Limited Edition Birchbox Finds Box for a total of $18! That is the original price of the Birchbox Finds Box by itself! I am pumped.

Typically, people compare Ipsy and Birchbox. After getting more information about the points system, I think the subscriptions are completely different. Even though they are the same price, both have very strong qualities, which go in different directions. I can accumulate points, look for good deals, and keep my eye out for promo codes to get the most out of Birchbox. I could potentially get free products plus my monthly subscription!

If you want to see what Birchbox and their point system has to offer, use my referral link. If you use my link, I will get 50 points and you will not have to wait on an invitation! You can sign up immediately!

What was your experience with Birchbox? Do you use your points? Are you saving them up for something special? Check back later for the review of my first ever Birchbox!

XOXO,
The Redheaded Life