Boxycharm | April 2015

I'm here today with a new subscription box post! To make a really long story short, I have unsubscribed from Birchbox. I still highly recommend it if you are new to boxes, but I was just finding that I'm receiving way too many small samples and I'm simply just not using them. There are other boxes that I receive full-size products in, so my money doesn't seem well spent to receive small packet samples.

So after I cancelled Birchbox, I decided to put that money toward trying a new box to review for you guys. I signed up for Boxycharm, and April was my first month. This box is $21 a month, so double the price of Birchbox. All though it is a more expensive box, the value is insane. I have watched a lot of YouTube videos and read a lot of blogs before signing up for Boxycharm, and the value is always well over $80, and sometimes much more!

Check out Boxycharm HERE!

So without further delay, here is my April 2015 Boxycharm!

1. Coolway Smoothing Lotion - FULL SIZE 
    Value : $24.95

So the very first product was full size, and it was already worth more than the box itself. This is a smoothing lotion that says it tames frizz and controls those crazy flyaway hairs. It smells delicious, and is a really great texture. I get pretty frizzy hair when I wear it straight (which I never do), so I haven't been able to try this yet. I have felt the texture, and I think it will work great. Also, this product came with a 35% off coupon for their website. You can use the code : BOXY4U to get the discount at the Coolway website.

2. ModelCo Shine Ultra Lip Gloss - FULL SIZE
    Value : $16.00

Another full size product. This is a really great lip gloss, I actually wore it today. It looks really bright in the tube, but it isn't that bright when it's on. I found that when I wore it on it's own, it is pretty sheer and not a very noticeable color, but when on top of my favorite pink lipstick, it makes it even brighter! ModelCo glosses are nice because they have a really convenient mirror right on the packaging. I can't complain here, so far I am pleased with the first two products.

3. OFRA Illuminating Blush Stripes - FULL SIZE
    Value : $35.00

Another full size product, yup! I was really happy when I saw this product in my box, because it is so unique. There is four highlight colors in the pan, and they are all so beautiful. I have been wearing the two on the right mixed together since I received this box and it looks very natural, yet really nice on the cheek bones! I am obsessed with this product so far. I am interested to see what color of highlight I would get if I swirled the entire pan, but I don't want to ruin it, it's too pretty! ;) Very impressed with this product!

4. Harvey Prince Roller Fragrance - MINI SIZE
    Value : $21.00 for the mini size

This was the only product in the box that wasn't full size, and if you ask me, that is really impressive! Unfortunately, I am really picky with perfume. I don't think I've ever received a perfume sample that I've liked, and this continues that trend. It is a pretty floral scent, but I don't like floral scents on myself. Unfortunately I won't be using this, but I'm sure one of my friends or family members would love it! This was my only product that was a "miss", so that is pretty good!

5. Coastal Scents REvealed 2 Pallette - FULL SIZE
    Value : $39.95 (This palette is always on sale on their website for $19.95)

You're kidding right?! A full size eyeshadow palette in a subscription box. This palette is amazing! The packaging is so sleek and thin, but holds 20 eyeshadow colors so it is great for traveling. I put a photo below of this next to the Urban Decay Naked Palette so you can see the size. I have used this palette twice since receiving and the shadows are really nice, they blend great and are very pigmented. I am highly impressed, and this topped the whole box off for me!

Final Thoughts:

The total value of my box was $136.90. SUPER impressed. I received 5 products, and 4 of them were full size. I truly will use four of the five products, and won't use the perfume. I used to have to convince myself to use products out of my Birchbox, but I'm genuinely excited to start using these products. I will continue to stay subscribed to this, and will keep you updated next month if it is just as good. Are there any other boxes that you'd like a review on? My April Ipsy bag review will be up next.

Want your own Boxycharm box? You can check it out, and sign up here! 

As always, thanks for reading.
xoxo, Jaimie.

March Favorites | Top Five Beauty Products of the Month

I am constantly trying out new products and concepts, and so I really like to round up my favorites that I discovered throughout the month. I did these pretty consistently last year, and I am going to start bringing them back monthly!

1. Philosophy Fresh Cream Perfume

Holy. Moly. This has QUICKLY became my signature smell. I haven't ever splurged on a perfume, unless it was a gift. I usually buy cheap body sprays from Bath and Body Works, or the $10 sprays from Victorias Secret. I don't usually love actual perfume because it is a bit heavy for me. I usually like fruity/tropical smells, which I think is also a reason that I haven't found my scent, because those scents aren't always appropriate. I smelled this one day in Sephora, and instantly knew I needed it. The best way to describe the smell, is exactly what they named the product, fresh cream. It is sweet, but not too sweet, and it is savory, but not too savory. I would describe it as an almost frosting smell, without the sweetness, if that makes any sense. Next time you are in Sephora or Ulta, smell this! They also have it in a lotion and a body wash. 

2. St. Ives Blackhead Clearing Green Tea Scrub

I have been loving this scrub lately. It is really important to exfoliate your skin often, to keep dry skin cells off of your face, and promote the turn over of new skin cells. I often find myself putting off exfoliating, because most exfoliants are too harsh for my skin. This exfoliant is SO gentle and there aren't big chunks of anything that will scrape or scratch your skin. It is extremely mild, and gentle. I have been using this twice a week, and the overall smoothness of my skin has been amazing. Best part? UNDER $5. Yep, you're welcome. This brand also makes an apricot scrub, which has great reviews but that one is too harsh for my skin. 

3. Revlon Lipgloss in "Super Natural"

There really isn't much to say here. This is the PERFECT pink lipgloss for me. This is my exact lip color. I can slap this on at any time of day and be 100% confident that it will look okay because it is my exact lip color, with a shine. It won't look the same on everyone, but I'm very excited to have found a lip gloss that is exactly my lips but better, and it's from the drugstore! 

4. Rimmel Kate Shadow Stick in Rose Gold

These shadow sticks come in four colors, rose gold, royal blue, purple, and teal. I actually own all four colors, but this one has been my favorite. These are formulated to be a shadow stick, but I have been using them as an eyeliner on my bottom lash line. I used to love wearing harsh black eyeliner on my bottom eyes, but recently I've loved leaving it blank. It really opens up my eyes, and makes me look a lot more awake and fresh. I've started adding this rose gold shadow stick to my bottom lash line, and it keeps that fresh look with being a little pop of color which I love. 

4. Simple Micellar Water

This might be my all time favorite product discovery in the past few months. That is why there are two bottles, I've been using this like crazy! I have always washed my face at night, and then I get extremely lazy in the mornings and don't want to wash. I know this is extremely bad, but just being honest. This cleansing water has been a life saver. Cleansing waters have been popular in the UK for a while now, but this is one of the first micellar waters to hit the states. It is basically water with a lot of great skin benefits and great ingredients. I put this on a cotton bad and wipe down my face every morning. It allows me to cleanse my skin in the morning, with barely any effort. Bonus. 

What were your favorite products this month?

As always, thanks for reading.

xo, Jaimie. 

Double Sided Easter Oreo Bark | Quick and Easy!

I'm back on the blog with another baking post. I love making Oreo bark during the winter, and adding candy canes to make peppermint bark. I wondered how I could tweak my recipe to get an Oreo bark for Easter. I came up with this double sided Oreo bark that is so delicious! It is extremely sweet, and looks like you have some mad baking skills (you don't need them!)

Here's what you will need:

Candy Melts (You can also use Almond Bark)
Oreos
Decorations

Yeah, that is all you will need! You can really transform this recipe depending on what occasion you are making it for, and what your family likes as a sweet treat.



Step One: 
Melt your bottom layer candy melts. I prefer to melt mine in the microwave, but some people prefer over the stove. I like my baking/cooking to be quick and easy, so the microwave is the easiest method for me. I put it in a microwave safe bowl, and warm it up in 30 second increments, mixing in between. This usually takes two minutes total.

 I decided to swirl some pink candy melt (melted in the microwave the same way) but this is an optional step.

Once your candy melts are completely mixed, you will pour it onto a baking sheet. You will then use a spatula, or the back of a spoon to smooth it out to the desired thickness that you would like. The sides don't need to be straight or even, that is really what is so great about candy bark, it doesn't have to be perfect!

Once I poured my purple candy melt on the baking sheet, I lost some of the pink swirls that I made while mixing. I decided to top it with even more pink candy melt mixture, and then swirl it around with a toothpick to make really nice swirls. Again, this doesn't have to be perfect or even, it is a very simple process that will look great once it's done!

Step Two:
Put the bottom layer in the fridge for 15 minutes. You want this layer to harden, but it doesn't need to be 100% hard. I found that 15 minutes was the perfect amount of time to pop the baking sheet in the fridge. Once I had about 5 minutes left of hardening, I started the next step.

Step Three:
Melt your top layer candy melt. I found these marshmallow flavored candy melts (amazing!!) and they worked great. I melt it the same exact way that I did the previous steps.

After it was completely melted, I added in my Oreos. I used one sleeve of Oreos from a traditional package of Oreos and just broke them into smaller pieces with my hands. I chose to use the spring Oreos, they still taste the same but have yellow cream so it tints the candy melt a little bit.

Step Four: 
Flip your bottom layer candy melt over. It should be hardened enough that you can use a spatula to get under one corner, and the rest should come right along with it. If you are having trouble flipping your candy melt layer over, then you should let it harden longer. It shouldn't be difficult, and should flip over with no problems.

 This is what it looks like flipped over. Now all of the swirly designs we made are faced down on the baking sheet, and will be the bottom of our candy bark pieces.

Step Five: 
Pour your top layer candy melt over the bottom layer that has been hardened. This layer is a little harder to smooth out since the Oreos are in there and it doesn't smooth out as easily. Just keep working with it to make sure it is smoothed out evenly. Once you get the top layer smoothed over the bottom layer, you can decorate it however you would like! You can keep it with just the Oreos, or you can add to it like I did. I added white chocolate MNM's, as well as some spring colored sprinkles.

Step Six:
After you have decorated it, you will pop it back in the fridge. This time, let it sit in there for about 25 minutes or so. This just ensures that it is completely hardened, and makes the next step a lot easier!

Step Seven:
Break the bark apart in smaller sections. This is really easy once you get started. You really just start cracking the bark. Some people like to stick a butter knife in the middle and twist it, and it will help start some cracks for them. I prefer to just start at a corner and break pieces off one by one. I love making candy bark because the sections don't have to be perfect, some pieces are large, some pieces are small, and some pieces are weird shapes, it all works out!

Here are what the two sides look like on one piece of candy bark.

So there is my candy bark recipe. You can really spice this up however you would like. I REALLY want to try doing a three layered candy bark for 4th of July with Red, White, and Blue layers, I think that would look really cool! You can add as many or as little decorations as you would like, that is what is so great about this yummy dessert. It seems like there are a lot of steps, but you can just do one layer, and it takes around 10 minutes to complete the process!

As always, thanks for reading.
xoxo, Jaimie.