Friday, January 23, 2015

Birch Box Canada January review

Birchbox is a subscription box new to Canada for $14.95 per month including shipping. What I love is the cost is in Canadian dollars which makes me much more comfortable should I buy from the birch box store. I know what I'm actually paying. 


First, I LOVE this box. It's so cute, I'm definitely going to use it again.

There are five samples. The little ones come in a separate cute (but environmental wasteful) hotel box.

Beauty Protector Protect and Heat Hair Mask. Full size, $30. I received two samples to test.



Tocca Crema de Mano in Celopatra. Full size $10-$20. Sample size 30 mL. I am allergic to one of the ingredients in here so this will be given away.


Embryolisse Lait-Cream Concentre, Full size $16-28, sample size 5 mL. Apparently this moisturize is both a primer and a make-up remover. Seems contradictory to me, but I'll try it out. Kudos to the "Embryo" = youth naming of the company.



ModelCo Party Proof Lipstick from Dusk til Dawn collection, set of 3 for $20, one for $6.80. I forgot to take a picture of this beautiful nude shade. I love it! I don't like/wear lipstick but choose gloss or chapstick. Until now. 

Joie Folle fe Joie eau de parfum, full size $116. Blend of mandarin, rose and sandalwood. I think I like this, but I'll have to test it a few more times.

I didn't calculate the total for January's Birchbox, but I'm certain I recieved my value. Birchbox has a program where you can review the products for points that can be used in the shop. You can earn a total of 10 points per item for a total of 50 or $5 off per each box. I'm really looking forward to my year with Birchbox. 

Friday, January 16, 2015

Ipsy January 2015

Ipsy is an American beauty subscription box that sends out 5 samples for about $10 per month plus $4.95 shipping to Canada.

This month is a durable blue and white bag to welcome the new year and a #fresh start.


First up: Probelle Into the Blue nail polish, full size, $6.00. Ipsy was thoughtful to wrap this polish in bubble paper to prevent breaks. Blue is a great colour for a fresh start as the association with the Virgin Mary.

 Coastal Scents Liquid Eyeliner, sample size in Jet, $2.95 for full size. I used this to draw a flower on the toddler, and it worked nice. It probably would do a good job as an eyeliner as the tip is a small tapered brush. 




Malin+Goetz mojito lip balm, full size, $12.00. This reminds me of what my dad used to buy as a kid. I can't recall the name. It worked well, but wasn't girly enough for a 12 year old. 


La Fresh eco-beauty good day, day moisturizer. Full size is $40 for 50 gram .. so math suggests this sample size is $12.00. This product is just so cute. On the back it indicates the best way to be beautiful is to get lots of sleep and love (in more words). I'll save it for a surprise if you decide to buy/try the lotion. I am also delighted that this company sells dog products along side my human products. Truly for the whole family. 

Pacifica natural mineral eye shadow in Etheral and swatch of the Pacifica eye shadow. Pretty close to my natural skin tone but sparkly. This is a much nicer formulation than my last Pacifica sample which despite being pretty colours was totally unusable. Set of 4 sells for $14, estimate value $3.50 

I estimate this month's Ipsy bag to be worth $36.45. Given that I love one of the more expensive products and like the other one, January was a good deal with a couple bonuses. Please use my link here if you're interested in joining Ipsy. 

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Topbox January 2015


Topbox is a Canadian beauty subscription box that sends 4 samples monthly for $12.00 plus taxes. Shipping this month was incredibly fast! I receive this box on the 13th, 2 days ahead of the normal shipping date of the 15th of the month. I actually received my shipping notice today! I currently have a gift subscription that started this month, so I wasn't able to select a prive box. I don't know if this will be an option for the duration of the gift subscription. 

The products arrived in the standard tube mailer. I've been asking the husband equivalent to cut more of these in half so I can use them to store my brushes/mascaras.



First were two products I received last year. 

Benefit Cosmetics stay flawless 15-hour primer, sample 1.2 g, $6. I have tried this once, and I wasn't wowed by it. However, as the package is so darn cute, it gets to stay in my medicine cabinet in case I have a need for it. 

Bioderma Sensibio H20 Micelle Solutionn, sample 100 mL, $8.75. I've used my first one with cotton pads to remove my make-up. It works nice, and like promised, hasn't interfered with my contact lens.


Miracle 10 Skincare AHA Cream, 10 ml, $12.80. Anything that warns about the need to wear sunscreen makes me nervous. This has a nice smell if I'm willing to risk the consequences You can read the top google results here and here. It is suggested that Alpha Hydoxy Acid irritates the skin (which causes the cells to grow and "smooth out" the area where it was applied) which results in sensitivity. My most favorite foot lotion contains AHA - but assuming the product doesn't enter the blood stream, my feet are less likely to see sunlight in winter than my beautiful face. 



Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color moisturizing lipstick. There is definitely enough of each color to test a few times. I think the pretty pink may work best with my skin tones. I like that they also include a mini brush to help you access the sample without making a very large mess. 

The total of this month is about $27.55. I did get two repeat products (one of which I will use) but this was accidentally under a new profile. Overall, I'm happy with this month's Topbox.http://www.topbox.ca/

Monday, January 12, 2015

Indulge Me Box January Review

Indulge Me Box is a new Canadian Lifestyle and Beauty Subscription Box. Boxes are currently available monthly at $20 with $5 shipping plus any taxes or $220 yearly with $5 shipping per box plus taxes. I lucked out with a 3 month promo for $55 (before shipping costs were added). This is the third box Indulge Me has curated, and my last review.

Presentation has come a long way, and my box had a cute sticker on the outside welcoming in 2015. 



Lots of feed back was heard, and the boxes now have a package insert detailing what is in each box. I really like these, and I like to learn a tidbit about the company or the product if they are new to me. Indulge Me as begun to link up with small independent (indie) companies, and I think this was a great decision.


First a pair of Karma Hoop Earrings, $15. This are pretty, and I love white. I won't be wearing them because they feel too heavy for me, and I have young kids. A downside for me - made in China.

Second, a "Braid String with Feather", $8. This is to be used as a hair band for a beautiful hair accesory. I tried to french braid this into my mane, but I wasn't able to get the ribbon to show through. It will take some work to style, but I do think I like it.



Pretty Tea, $3.50 for 25 grams. I like the idea of trying a new tea. I think this fits the idea of indulging perfectly.

Fresh cream tinted lip balm in cherry tint with gold shimmer, $3.50. I won't be trying this as I have allergies to a few of the ingredients but it looks nice. I'll gift it to someone special.




Naiad Soap Arts Sugar Scrub in lemon poppy seed, $6.57 for 2 oz. It is unclear to me if this is hand soap or body soap. I guess it could be both? It smells like a very yummy muffin with a texture much thicker than I would have expected.

Indie Beauty Shop green and white detox facial mask, $1. There was enough for two uses of this mask, and instructions on how to use it. I found I needed to add more water than suggested. Once I did, I love the mask. It seemed to be very similar (or better) to my favorite Avon facial mask which I used faithfully once a week for 2+ years. A tip to the company, I would consider placing a order if a coupon code had come with this (but I understand the risk of codes being used without permission).





January was the best month yet which makes me a bit sad for choosing not to continue. I love to support Canadian companies. There are a few issues with this box that make me hesitate and want to wait for a few months to see what happens. I'm not sure where the 3 month subscription option went, the price increases were a bit out of the blue (but understandable), sometimes the emails/cards require editing and I am not too keen on seeing cheap products from China (or make-shift DIY projects) that use end up being junk. If you're looking to gamble on something, perhaps try this box?

I paid roughly $19.25 for this box (~$26 if bought this month) and received $34.50 in value. 

2015 goals - Part 1

I had written these down on a sticky note that my toddler took away and hid. I've been thinking about these goals since, well, mid last year so I should have them down pat. Side note, it's nice to be over the flu. *fingers crossed*

1. Pay off student loan. $11,000 to go. I'm hoping to put $1050 on this monthly (over half my current pay) and my tax refund.
2. Pay $5000 back on my personal loan.
3. Have $6000 ready to pay back my pension.
4. Put $800 in my GIC RRSP, $600 in my mutual fund RRSP
5. Contribute to my emergency fund. Not sure of target numbers yet.

I've got a couple of personal goals - mostly running
1. Run a 10 km in May
2. Run a half marathon in August
3. I want to lose 30 more lbs by October
4. Decide if we will have baby #3 or not

I want to set work goals but I'm not sure. I don't know *if* I'll have a job soon (HR says I will - but I've learned to no trust HR) and I don't know if I want return. I don't know if I want to look for a job prior to. I don't know if I want to continue trying to get into a new field like I was. I'm full of the "I don't know" and I'm sure baby-brain does not help. I have some part-time jobs I want to apply for but the cost of childcare may make these meaningless. I have some additional ideas once I have a direction set.

Back to the financial. My focus is or at least was going to be goal #1 - results in my student loans being destroyed. I know these are "good debt" but I'm just getting sick of carrying them around, and I don't think the very minor tax credit I receive on the interest portion is worth the icky feeling they coat my soul in. I'm hoping to put $1050 on this monthly (over half my current pay) and my tax refund. However, my husband equivalent has thrown us a challenge. We're engaged! Now that I'm a bit over just being annoyed he wants to side track me from these goals, I've been planning a shopping ban and selling spree (I have the draft posts to prove this) and I'm so worried once the spending doors open, there will be no way to shut them. Our primarily budget is $5000 which partially adds to my "why didn't we just go to the courthouse and get it done there prior to our baby being born" frustration. I was very clear I wanted this, but relationships involve some compromise, and I guess he just had to do it this way. Despite all this, I am starting to get excited.  I have no idea what this is going to do to these goals, but I'm going to leave January for tracking spending after the birth of the second baby, and February to analysis the results and.. build a wedding budget after we set a date? Or do you book a place first? Or find the person who will complete it?

What are your goals? Has life already thrown you some curve balls? Did you forget to post your yearly goal recap before posting your new goals too?