Square hue - April - Amsterdam Collection review

Company: Square Hue // Subscription Type: Nail Polish // Cost: $14.99 = S/H // Contains: 3 full sized, limited edition, 5-free polishes

Let me begin by saying how IN LOVE I am with this box!! It contains two gorgeous high gloss crèmes and …. drum roll please… a DUO-CHROME!! Eek!! Of course, I’ll be starting with the duo-chrome swatch. ;) This duo-chrome gorgeousness looks purple in the bottle and on your nails but under the light (and on the camera) it looks more blue than purple. I guess that’s why duo-chromes are so damn cool! LOVE IT!

Next up is my second favorite of the bunch. It’s a beautiful red/salmon high gloss crème. It applies beautifully and gets me excited for the summer! Bahama mama anyone? ;)

The third polish of the bunch is a lovely, bright shade of green. In my last Square hue review I told you guys that I’m not too crazy about green…however… there’s something about the brightness of this one that makes me smile. It also reminds me of ‘un aguacate’ (an avocado). Seeing as I’m a Cuban from Miami, that’s not a bad thing lol.

I’m SUPER happy with the color selections this month. I’m not quite sure what they have to do with Amsterdam (but I don’t care)… they seem more like Miami colors and I love it!

So… which ones are your favorite? :)

Check out a review on @SquareHue's April passport Collection by @ThatMoxieChick! #Subscriptionbox #bbloggers

Birchbox - March Review

Company: Birchbox // Subscription type: Women’s Beauty box // Cost: $10 wtih FREE S&H // Contains: Samples of goodies

This is my second month getting Birchbox and I’m happy, yet again, with the selection. However, I DID see others getting a Stila lip glaze and a Jergen’s BB cream which I would not have minded getting #JustSaying :P.

This month’s theme was Spring Forward. LOVE the beautiful picture they used of the Tulips ♥

First up from the goodies I received is my favorite of the bunch:
Gilchrist & Soames [London Collection Body Lotion] - Full size: $16
WHAT: This fast-absorbing hydrator leaves skin silky smooth with a light, earthy scent.
HOW: Massage generously on to skin, focusing on trouble zones like flaky elbows and knees
First impression: It smells so clean! It left my skin feeling very soft and yummy. This is definitely going in my purse and the full size will be added to my wish-list *ahem* mom, I’m looking at you. My birthday is in two weeks! Hint, hint.

Curly Hair Solutions [Curl Keeper] - Full size $10
WHAT: This water-based, weightless styling lotion keeps curls shiny, defined, and frizz-free.
HOW: Comb through wet hair from roots to end.
First impressions: I’m excited to try this seeing as I have curly hair and live in Miami (Frizz city!). I really hope this works!

Jurlique [Herbal Recovery Eye Cream & Night Cream] - Full size $51 & $40
WHAT: You snooze, you win. This overnight hydrator restores and firms skin with antioxidants.
HOW: Before bed, warm between fingertips and press onto face and neck, avoiding eye area.

WHAT: Antioxidant rich hydrator that smooth's and de-puffs while brightening dark circles.
HOW: Morning & night, tap a pea-sized amount onto under eye area.
First impressions: I always love getting skin creams! I mean, who wouldn’t want to fight some aging right?

theBalm [How About Them Apples? Cheek & Lip Cream] - Full size $32
WHAT: From the just-launched palette, a dual-purpose, creamy stain with just a hint of shimmer.
HOW: Apply to the apples of cheeks and blend. Dab onto lips for a pretty flush.
First impression: While I’m not huge on cheek creams, I AM happy to get this lip balm! I think I’ll try it on when I start going to the beach though. Even though I’m Cuban, I’m still kind of pale right now and this reddish/pink color won’t look too good right now lol.

The last thing I received was the yummiest! I got the Ghirardelli's Cherry Tango Square as an extra treat! Woohoo!
[Pictured above]

And there you have it! All the goodies found in this month’s Birchbox. This monthly subscription is only $10/month with free shipping. I think it’s totally worth it. For the price of lunch, I get to test out all these wonderful goodies!

Want to subscribe? Here’s my referral link. :)
If you’re already a subscriber what did YOU get in your box? Did you like it?

Check out a review on @Birchbox's March 'Spring Forward' box by @ThatMoxieChick! #Subscriptionbox #bbloggers

Square hue - March - Paris collection REVIEW

Company: Square Hue // Subscription type: Nail Polish // Cost: $14.99 + S/H // Contains: 3 full sized, limited edition, ‘5-free’ polishes

I’m loving how incredibly fast my March Square Hue box came in this month! *high five* Square hue!

As you can see from the picture above, this month’s Passport Collection theme is Paris. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this theme. Were they going to choose red for l‘amour…. or a greyish color to represent the Eiffel tower? Although I’m not too fond of the green they chose (honestly, I’m just not crazy about green period)… Overall, I really like the subdued romantic colors of this box. I wish they would have had a pink thrown in there though.

First up is a swatch of my favorite one from the bunch. It’s ‘Notre Dame’, a high gloss crème. I LOVE the creamy yellow of this color!
I used 2 coats of Notre Dame with Seche Vite’s top coat.

Next up is Arc de Triomphe. It’s a shimmery nude that goes perfect for the times you’d like a classic nude look but with a little something extra.
I applied 2 coats of Arc de Triomphe and topped it with Seche Vite’s top coat.

Up next is my least favorite of the bunch: Champs Elysees (shimmer).
As I mentioned earlier, I’m not a huge fan of green. However, this one actually looked pretty darn good (if I do say so myself). It’s not one I would have chosen but that’s ok. That’s what these boxes are all about right?! If not, my entire nail polish collection would consist of pinks and glittery blues and teals lol.
I used 2 coats of Champs Elysees and topped it off with Seche Vite’s top coat. Looking back at the picture, I could have used an extra coat since you can see through the nail a bit.

Over all, I liked this passport collection set. The polish applied well and I like that the brush on these bottles are smaller and easy to apply.

Btw! This month they included some info on the back of their card on being able to choose June’s colors! Pretty freakin’ awesome, no? All you have to do is head on over to Nail it! mag to choose your favorite. I think I’ll be choosing color set #3. Hey, what can I say, I like the blues!
Which one will you be choosing?!

Check out a review on @SquareHue's March Passport Collection by @ThatMoxieChick! #Subscriptionbox #Nails

OPI - Don’t Violet Me down - Sheer tint review & Swatches

Soooo, let me start off by saying that that ‘jelly sandwich’ mani you see up there (top right pic) is by far my favorite of all these swatches! Special shout out to Cynthia Lee Perez and Sarah Short from the Nail Polish Queens community on G+ for giving me this fabulous idea!
Now… on to the swatches and my thoughts :P

First up is a simple swatch of the sheer tint with 2 coats and a clear base. I like it. It’s different. It applied well and wasn’t as streaky as I thought it would be. It also dried quickly since it’s a top coat. (Keep that little tidbit in mind when you’re applying it as well!).

 

Next up is … *drum roll please* … the ‘jelly sandwich’ mani!! Ugh, I’m drooling over here. I absolutely love this one! I used 2 coats of OPI - Don’t Violet me down (Sheer tint top coat), waited a few minutes and applied 1 coat of OPI - Which is Witch? (glitter), waited a few more minutes then added 2 more coats of OPI - Don’t Violet me down (sheer tint top coat). Although the sheer tint is a top coat, I applied Seche Vite’s top coat anyway. I like that it seeps into all the layers to dry them. Plus, hellooooooo shine!

 

Next, is really my least favorite. I thought using a cute pink color as a base would do something pretty… but alas I was wrong. It just turned out to look like a purple polish with a heck of a lot of air bubbles and a pinkish/white outline towards the cuticle. If I would have used more polish remover to remove it it would have looked like I had 2 weeks of nail growth (and who wants that on a fresh mani?). I have no clue why I got so many air bubbles btw. I applied it the same way as the others…. wasn’t near a fan… and I don’t blow on my nails. Super weird.
I used 2 coats of Essie - Romper Room as the base and 2 coats of OPI’s sheer tint.

 

Last, but not least, I wanted to try this purple sheer tint with a purple color as a base to see if it’ll help the color ‘pop’. I used two coats of OPI - Do you Lilac It? on all the fingers but added two coats of the OPI sheer tint to the last two on the right. I like it! It makes it look like a subtle crelly and helps turn a regular mani into something ‘extra’.

Overall I really like this sheer tint! I’m glad I received it in this month’s Birchbox. This really seems like a versatile polish and I’m looking forward to playing around with it more. For another idea, check out this video by Birchbox. I LOVE the mani they’re creating here. Super trendy, simple, and very pretty! :)

So… what do YOU guys think? Which one is your favorite? Will you be buying the OPI sheer tints? :)

Check out a review on OPI's new sheer tint - Don't Violet Me Down! by @ThatMoxieChick

Birchbox - February review

This was my first month with Birchbox and let me just say, although the products are teeny, I’m pretty happy with the selection. My favorite product by far is the OPI - Sheer tint. I cannot wait to try it! Now… let’s get started with all the pretty close-ups shall we?

First up is this month’s theme - STEP AND REPEAT (in honor of awards season)

OPI - Sheer Tints in Don’t Violet Me Down (Full size - $9) WHAT: This tinted top coat gives nails a wash of high-shine, translucent color.
HOW: Wear alone for a subtle tint, or over your go-to polish for a chic shade-shifting effect
First Impression: I’m definitely looking forward to trying this out. Swatch coming soon!

Skin&Co Roma - Truffle Therapy Serum Boosting Anti-Aging Serum (Full size - $75)
WHAT: Anti-oxidant rich truffle extract helps smooth wrinkles and restore dull, parched skin.
HOW: Once a day, apply a dime-sized amount to clean, dry skin, massaging until fully absorbed.
First impression: I know truffles are supposed to be luxurious but I just keep thinking ‘fungus on my face’. Anyhoo, I tested it on my hand though for consistency and scent. The consistency is not thick (actually it’s pretty watery but not in a bad way) and it smells lovely! I know it sounds crazy but I swear the patch of skin I applied it to felt so darn smooth! I even told my fiancé to feel it and he noticed a difference as well. I’m excited to try it on my face!

Beauty Protector - Protect & Oil (Full size $21.95) WHAT: This just-for-you hair oil defends against UV rays, heat, and breakage.
HOW: Work 1-3 drops into damp hair, or to ends of dry hair.  Perfect for all hair types.
First impression: Yay! I’m so happy I got this! Living in Miami, my hair tends to get pretty damaged from sun exposure and over heating. I’m looking forward to trying out a serum that has both UV protection and heat / breakage defense. Oh and it smells a bit like Vanilla :) Hope it works! My hair sure needs it!

Harney & Sons Fine Teas - Wrapped Sachets (Full size $9.60)
WHAT: Rich and flavorful tea blends from the family-owned craft blend.
HOW: Steep 3-5 minutes in near-boiling water
OMG! If you know me personally, then you’ll know I’m a tea freak! I’m happy this was included in my box!!
The flavors included are: • Cleansing - White Vanilla Grapefruit - White teas infused with vanilla and grapefruit’
• Enlightening - Paris - Black teas with Currant, caramel, and citrus 
First impressions: They sound fabulously delicious, no? I just know they’ll go great on a Sunday afternoon reading my latest favorite book. *Le sigh*

 

Harvey Prince - Hello (Full size $55)
WHAT: Best-selling spritz that mingles cheerful citrus with floral notes.
HOW: Apply to pulse points and let this upbeat scent do the talking 
First impression: I normally don’t go for ‘citrusy’ scents but, although it’s not mentioned in the ingredients, I smell vanilla in this and somehow it really makes it work. The smell is clean and reminds of Spring. It makes me want to throw on a dress and go on a picnic :)

 

And there you have it! All the goodies found in this month’s Birchbox. This monthly subscription is only $10/month with free shipping. I think it’s totally worth it. For the price of lunch, I get to test out all these wonderful goodies! Plus, the inside of the box has a pretty chevron pattern so you know I’ll be keeping it to organize things in. ;)

Want to subscribe? Here’s my referral link. :)
If you’re already a subscriber what did YOU get in your box? Did you like it?