Beauty JACKPOT!

Got home from a hectic day at the office to find not one, but TWO boxes of beauty goodies in the mailbox! I LOVE getting mail and packages, so I've been stalking the mailbox for a few days waiting for these goodies to arrive.

The first was my May 2012 Birchbox, shown below. If you haven't checked out Birchbox yet you are missing out! For $10 a month you get a box full of generous samples or full size products to try out, customized according to your own beauty profile. 

This month's box included:

• A sample of Kérastase Cristalliste Lumiere Liquide leave in hair serum
• A sample of BVLGARI Omnia Crystalline Eau de Toilette Spray
• A sample of Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream
• A sample of Kiehl's Abyssine Cream + moisturizer
• A full size stila sparkle waterproof liquid eye liner in "Rock Candy" (chocolate brown)
• A cute note card with matching envelope

I'll be trying out the products over the next few days, but overall I am thrilled with this month's items! I would never have picked out a liquid eyeliner but the color is gorgeous and the brush seems like it will be easy to apply. I use a hair serum, moisturizer, and fragrance every day so new ones are always fun to try, and I keep a hand and nail cream in my purse so this will get a lot of use as well.


The second package was the Spring 2010 Beauty VoxBox from Influenster, and is my first time to receive one of these packages. Influenster is a similar concept, but you sign up for free and may be selected to receive a package of items to try out based on your profile. While you receive the items at no cost, you are expected to share your experiences with the items on your social media platforms to help the brands get their name out.

This VoxBox included (all products were received complementary for testing purposes from Influenster):

• ChapStick Lipshield 365
• Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips in a fun zebra design
• SOYJOY soy and fruit bar in Blueberry
• Sheer Cover duo concealer in Light/Medium
• Bath & Body Works Fragrance Mist in Japanese Cherry Blossom
• Dr Scholl's For Her ball of foot cushions
• Aveno Daily Moisturizing body wash (travel size)

I'm a complete lip balm freak, so I've already tried out the ChapStick and have to say I'm extremely pleased with it. I usually stick to Burt's Bees but the Lipshield goes on smooth (not waxy) and leaves my lips feeling soft but not heavy with balm. I'm a big fan of Bath & Body Works fragrance mists and the Japanese Cherry Blossom scent, so I'll be giving that a try tomorrow when I'm getting dressed for work. I've been using the ball of foot cushions for years so another pair is always a good thing in my book, and I've been needing to buy a new concealer so the timing couldn't be better for the Sheer Cover concealer. The SOYJOY bar has already been claimed by the hubbin, but I'm hoping to at least get a bite of it! I don't usually keep my fingernails painted, but I've been dying to try the polish strips so this will be a fun experiment for me!