Birchbox

Birchbox. Birchbox. Birchbox. If you say it enough times it turns into a jumbled mess that sounds faintly like bird box, try it you'll see. Anyway, for those of you who have lives and don't tinker around on social media or blogs all day long Birchbox has kind of made a name for itself around blog-sphere  The basic concept is that you can pay for a box of free samples to be delivered to your home each month (ingenious, right). Sometimes the boxes are themed such as this month which focused on well-being, hence the raw vegan macaroons #yikes. 

After my hair fiasco and the barrage of unsuccessful attempts at finding the perfect shampoo, gambling on samples each month just seemed like the obvious choice. This past week I received my  first box. Honestly, my expectations weren't very high. I was paying ten dollars for a box of samples and the likelihood of getting products that would cater specifically to my needs and wants seemed low. Nevertheless, I have been pleasantly surprised, the nail polish from Ruby Wing dried in less than a minute (seriously cool) and the hair serum from Nexxus obviously caught my eye, and while I haven't seen a complete transformation I'm optimistic. 

And honestly, what girl doesn't enjoy getting a box in the mail each month chuck-full of surprise goodies? I mean that right there is totally worth paying ten dollars. Want to sign up and try it for yourself? Go here, you won't be disappointed!

*note: this is not a sponsored post I'm just a girl as frustrated as the rest of you with paying full price for products that end up not working. #aakkk 

Beauty 411

Guys, this cold, it's killing me. I must have spoken too soon yesterday because it came back with a vengeance and this time it means business. The sinus congestion alone is enough to make me not want to go up-and-down the stairs because of the change in air pressure (A little dramatic, I know). I guess on the bright side there is no excuse for me to not purge my email box and closet today--every girl's dream for a Friday afternoon.

Anyway, this post has been in the back of my mind for awhile. A few weeks ago I went on a small tirade about my skin and hair issues since having a baby. Well, I am happy to report that it has been a little over a month of no shampoo and I can say that while my hair may be a bit more frizzy my scalp has loved the change. My skin issues on the other hand have required a little more trial and error.

Now let me just say for the record that I by no means am a makeup snob. I will, however, fight to the death for certain products that I love. While I have remained loyal to a few brands for years I've slowly started to gravitate towards individual products instead of entire lines. Since Addison's birth my skin has tended to be more dry and what use to be a simple process of putting on foundation, now requires moisturizer, primer and concealer beforehand. My face seems to have welcomed the presence of a few lines as well. I'm sure they all derived out youthful ignorance and my choice to not wear SPF. "Wear sunscreen!" my Mom always said...

After months of trying multiple brands here a few of the products that have been baby-tested//mother approved

1//L'Oreal Voluminous False Lashes //perfect for giving the illusion of fake lashes without the price.

2//Mary Kay Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover //I've been using this eye makeup remover for years and I may cry if they every stop making it because it just works that well!

3//Too Face Primed and Poreless Skin Smoothing Face Primer //This junk is amazing. It fills in my creases and creates a flawless look once I apply my foundation.

4//Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Candy Apple & Sorbet //Goes on like lip gloss, but looks like lipstick without the "cakey-ness." Plus it doesn't come off on my kids when they hug me. 

5//EOS lipbalm //put this stuff in the refrigerator then use it--amazing.

6//bareMinerals Purely Nourishing Cream for Dry Skin //This cream kicked my flakey-dry skin dilemma. I use it at night before I go to bed. And the ingredients are natural i.e. watermelon extract. Um, yes please. 

7//L'Oreal true match in sand beige W5 //So finding a foundation has been tricky. I tried nearly every brand out there but they all seemed too thick and would sluff right off my skin. Because this isn't a "one-color-fits-all" brand I was able to do a perfect color match to my skin and so far I have been pleasantly surprised. As a bonus that fine ladies at MAC recommended this brand if I didn't want to spend the big bucks. 

8//Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Color Adjust //I have a reddish hue to my skin and this color adjuster nips it in the bud. When I pair it with the Too Faced Primer it creates an even/smooth tone on my face. 

9//Too Faced Powder Blush-Who's Your Poppy? //Love this blush. Not to pink, not to red. Yet still looks natural. 

10//Anastasia tinted brow gel in Granite //I was graced with naturally dark hair and naturally light eye brows, so it has always been a battle trying to find the right brow liner. This gel is amazing. It goes on like mascara and provides just the right darkness so as not to look fake. 

11//Lorac Liquid Liner //Need a perfect liquid liner. This it is. 

12//Victoria Secret Summer Seduction Eye Kit //I have yet to use any of the colors in this palette except the gold tones. What I have used is the bomb. It's my favorite color combo to date. 

13//Benefit -Watt's Up Highlighter //use this highlighter on your chin, above you lip, t-zone, and cheek bones to highlight your face. two words: life changing.

14//Bare Escentuals/bareMinerals-i.d. Mineral Veil //After I've applied my foundation I use tinted mineral veil to eliminate shine as well as set my foundation. I've used it for nearly five years and I have never been disappointed!

15//Benefit-Hoola Bronzing Powder //Bronzers are tricky--too much and I feel like the love child of Snooki and  Carrot Top. Yet if I don't use it, my face seems super round--baby face round in fact. I use it under my cheekbones, along my jaw line, along the sides of my nose and near my temples. 

There you have it. I promise as soon as I have a little sun on this washed out face of mine I will provide a tutorial. Maybe even a vlog if you're lucky. ;)

Have a fun weekend!

Danny Zuko hair

This whole postpartum body issue ordeal is getting a bit ridiculous. My body has started to revolt in such an unruly manner that I contemplated asking for a new one. If it were possible and all... Anyway, my hair has taken on this Danny Zuko-esque physique. The moment I get out of the shower this frizzy bomb starts to ooze with some nasty-@$$ greasiness (appealing, right?). To make matters worse my face has gone from combination//oily to sand paper dry. No moisturizer in the world is helping this face. I won't blame it all on the baby blues, but that certainly hasn't helped.

I recently read a series of blog posts about the "no poo" method for hair. Basically it all boils down to using a  baking soda/water combination as a cleanser and apple cider vinegar as a conditioner--that's it. As most of the posts suggested my hair would turn straw-like for a few weeks, hence the hairy flurry above. Over the next month or so my hair should hopefully stabilize itself and I will be back to normal again (but healthier). So far I've been pleasantly surprised, the grease is gone and my scalp feels like it can breathe. It's totally a weird choice of words to use but it actually feels like my follicles are more alive. Here's to the hope of shiny healthy hair again. I'll make sure to report back in a few weeks on the outcome. John isn't optimistic, but seriously, what do I have to lose?

My face on the other hand still needs some tender lovin' care. Any suggestions on great moisturizers?