This or That- Shave Cream

Several boxes ago, Birchbox sent me a sample of Whish Shave Crave Shaving Cream in the Blueberry scent. This was a small sample, but it smelled AMAZING. Seriously. I have never smelled a shaving product that good before. So, naturally I rationed it out by only using it on my underarms. That magic cream even allowed my dull razor to glide over my skin with no problems. And the smell... did I mention how good it smelled?! Even after applying deoderant and being at work for hours, I could still get a whiff of those blueberries. Insane.

                    
The Whish cream is available in Blueberry, Almond, Coconut, Lavender, Lemongrass, and Pomegranate scents.  It boasts being made in the US with eco friendly products and full of moisturizers to protect and soften skin. This is not a traditional shave cream, but more of a shave lotion as it does not poof/foam up. I love that!

Alas, when I looked at the product on Birchbox to see about purchasing, I was really letdown. $20 for shaving cream. The full size states 150ml. But, I just can't justify spending $20 on some shave lotion considering how much I spend on other beauty products.

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So, I went on the search for a more wallet friendly version, and this is the closest thing I have found.

                      

 eos Ultra Moisturizing Shaving Cream. Again, this is not a traditional shave cream, but more of a lotion. eos states that you get 24 hours of moisture every time you shave and that their formula is so moisturizing that you can shave wet or dry. Now, I can't attest to that, because I would never attempt to dry shave... But, it does great shaving wet! I've been using it on the underarms and it conditions just as well as the Whish shave cream.

You can also see that the bottle has these neat little indentions that help you to grip it while your hands are wet. The eos formulas comes in Vanilla Bliss, Pomegranate Raspberry (my favorite), Lavender Jasmine, and a Sensitive Fragrance Free version. They smell fantastic, but I don't think the fragrances are as long lasting as the Whish creams. eos is Paraben and Phthalate free and comes in a recyclable bottle that DOES NOT leave a rust ring in your shower! Awesome! Oh, and the price is around $3.50 for a 7 oz bottle.

Have you tried either of these? Would you ever spend $20 on shave cream??

Birchbox February 2014

For February, BB has teamed up with US Weekly to give us the theme "Step. Pose. Repeat." since it is awards season and also give us some great tips on how to look as amazing as celebrities do in photos. Yay!

This was the design of the packaging the box came in this month. How cute is it?!

US Weekly editor Gwen Flamberg has tons of tips on applying makeup and posing for pictures available on the BB site, but here is one I liked.

Info and contents card (hopefully you can click and make it bigger!)

Bain de Terre shampoo/conditioner, Miracle Skin Transformer, 32 Oral Care Effervescent Breath Crystals with IsoVoxy, and StriVectin AR Advanced Retinol Eye Treatment

The StriVectin looks like it would be a full size judging from the box, but the tube is actually quite smaller...

Get in on the Birchbox fun for only $10/month! If you are not happy, you can cancel your subscription at any time!

Ipsy February 2014

My bag has FINALLY arrived! I don't know if it was all of the snowy weather or what, but there seemed like a definite delay in it coming this month.

The Look of Love!
Back of card has instructions on how to win a subscription to Ipsy.

Inside of bag has a bit of pinky leopard print

Without flash

With flash

* ZOYA nail polish in Dot
* City Color Be Matte in Fresh Melon
* POP Beauty Plump Pout Mini in Peony Petal
* IPKN NY Moist & Firm BB in Light
* Tini Beauty Cordial Cream Shadow + Base In One in Ambrosia

Sign up for your own Ipsy bags here!

Ulta Reward Update

Hooray for Ulta Reward members! If you are a Reward member, then you probably got the email... Ulta Rewards is soon changing over to ULTAmate Rewards. This sounds bigger and better, but also sounds a little like Sephora's rewards, but better!

I first received an email a few weeks ago telling me that if I added my birthday to my Ulta profile, that I would be eligible for a birthday freebie, this year is the CKOne Mascara!



                                                   

Then I received another email about an update to the Reward program that will take place toward the end of February 2014. Basically they have changed the way you earn and redeem points.

Here's a copy of the old reward chart
There's a lot of info on there and it was always a little confusing to me about the amounts you had to spend and how there were only certain things you could redeem your certificate for.

With the new ULTAmate Rewards--

* Earn 1 point per $1 spent
* Periodic 2X and 3X bonus point earning offers
* Points expire one year after earning (unlike reward certificates that expired 6 weeks after earning)
* Earn 2X bonus points on ALL purchases during Birthday Month
* Free CK One Mascara during Birthday Month
* Redeem points for any product you want

The big difference between the new Ulta program and Sephora's rewards is that Ulta is saying that you can redeem your points for whatever you want, whether it be cosmetics, fragrances, or skincare! Ulta states that you can wait until you accumulate a lot of points before you trade them in! Just make sure to use them before the year is up!!

I don't really shop at Ulta that much as the closest store is about an hour away and if I shop online, I generally buy from Sephora or Birchbox. But, this new program might just change my mind!

But, I wanted Tarte!

 

I saw this over the weekend and thought it was too cute. My husband and I don't really celebrate Valentine's Day other than by indulging in tasty (yet unhealthy!) food. Do you guys celebrate/not celebrate? 

theBalm Flash Sale!

Maybe you've heard, maybe you haven't. So, in case you are in the latter group, listen up! theBalm is having a 50% off flash sale tomorrow February 7th!

Read closely. Sale times start at 12 noon whatever time zone you are located in and sale price is only good for one hour. But, their facebook page states that international orders will be honored between 9am and 1pm PST and they have a time zone converter link (also on their fb page) so you will know when that actually is respective to where you are located... sounds tricky if you are international! Shipping starts at $4.95 in the US and is higher for domestic/international shipping.

This is a benefit sale with proceeds going to Bay Area children to benefit indexed tuition...

I have never taken part in one of their flash sales so I have no clue as to how slow their site will be or if they actually sell out of products. 

This is a fantastic deal if considering EVERYTHING is 50% off, shipping is only $4.95, and it's a benefit sale! I've shopping theBalm on Haute Look before as they usually have products half off, but their shipping is higher unless you spend a certain amount.

So, if you've been eyeballing something, already have a favorite product from theBalm that you want to stock up on, or just want to score some great cosmetics on sale for a good cause be sure to check this out!

Forever Blonde

Anyone with color treated blonde hair looking for a great conditioner, look no further!

Paul Mirchell has the Forever Blonde collection designed for specifically for blondes (who'd have guessed?) that promises moisture and strength and has the KerActive complex. The shampoo is sulfate free. The conditioner boasts an anti-static formula that strengthens and repairs damaged hair. 

I can't really put on my finger on what the scent is, but the conditioner will always remind me of the beach as this is something I purchased before going on vacation last summer to protect my hair. Since I don't wash daily and I do use different brands, this tube has lasted me quite awhile. And, even though my hair is darker now, I like this formula so much, I've continued to use it. 

More often than not, I have been a blonde, and think that the lighter shades suit me better than the darker/dirtier blondes. 

PM products are sold only at salons so I'm guessing the price could vary. I think I paid around $22 for mine.

I highly recommend this product. Even if I do not change my hair back to blonde ( which I am considering!) , I will still probably repurchase since it worked so well. 

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And what about Flappy Bird? Is anyone else playing this?

 I downloaded it just to see what all the fuss was about. I find it annoying, but have gotten into a competition with my husband. I finally got to 16 yesterday, beating him!