Birchbox August 2013

[invisiblebike]

Originally Posted by barbyechick /img/forum/go_quote.gif


have you ever tried baking soda? it's my HG exfoliator and that of a lot of people with sensitive skin /skin allergies. i've had to learn how to work with my face really young bc of all my different skin sensitivities.

best part? you barely rub it on and my derm told me it has no rough edges so it's not exfoliating by roughing off skin - it's softening instead. because it's so alkaline toning immediately after (spray of rose water or other favorite) is necessary  before moisturizing and you can mix it with oil to exfoliate for making it less harsh.

that's why i picked up the koh gen do gommage -- it's just a gel, no rough particles at all. PLUS it has ingredients that are meant to treat rosacea.

hmmm, i've heard of doing baking soda masks for treating acne, but haven't heard about using it to exfoliate! thanks for the tip, i'll give it a try. definitely cheaper than the $45 I just dropped on this gommage (although they recommend using it once every 10 days and an "inch" of the product, so it should last a while, I hope).

 

[Lolo22]

For what it's worth, I make a lot of very bold lip colors work for me by mixing them with another color/balm/gloss.  I very rarely wear the colors as they appear in the tube.  I like a bold lip in my free time, but work in a super conservative office so I prefer to tone it down for my day lip look.  My favorite lipsticks are BRIGHT reds and pinks but if I apply them with a brush and mix with a little lip balm they still give me a punch of color without scaring the 70 old lawyers haha.

I think any color can be made wearable (for your individual taste) if you get a little creative.

 

[dressupthedog]

I got my tracking last Wednesday, and up until this morning, it still hadn't updated. I just checked it now, and it had updated to tell me that my box was delivered... on July 11. Yeah, I don't think so. What the heck?

 

[gluegungeisha]

Originally Posted by gemstone /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Quote: Originally Posted by gluegungeisha /img/forum/go_quote.gif

ugh, i got this box:

stila stay all day® liquid lipstick
Whish Hair Inhibiting Deodorant Swipes
Whish Exfoliating Body Wash
KMS® California FREESHAPE hot flex spray
OC8® Professional Mattifying Gel
 
i'm not very happy, mainly because i got 2 whish samples, when a few months ago i got the blueberry shave cream and gave it the lowest possible marks i could. it was sooo gross smelling i didn't even use it. so i have no clue why they would send me 2 more samples of that brand. also, i am so pale that the BRIGHT RED lipstick looks so stupid on me, i'm more of a rose colored lipstick girl. the pore mattifying gel sample is about the size of a quarter and i'm pretty sure i put something in my profile about not wanting hair samples. i don't mean to be so negative, but this box blows!
 
on the other hand, i have been sooo impressed with ipsy lately, they really have stepped up their game and i am almost never upset over what i get.
 
i think i am going to quit birchbox, it's been 18 boxes and they just seem to send me smaller lesser quality samples

I don't know why people keep saying that they put in their profile that they didn't want hair samples.  This is not even an option, the only thing you can say you want less of is fragrance. 


yeah, that's why i wrote "i'm pretty sure", because i didn't remember.

 

[gluegungeisha]

Originally Posted by gemstone /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Quote: Originally Posted by gluegungeisha /img/forum/go_quote.gif
dude i completely agree. i also don't like the fact that if we don't wear the red clown lipstick,people think our confidence is low.
Are you really going to complain about feeling insulted, in the same post as insulting anyone who makes the choice to rock a red lip color? Really?

Look, just because you don't wear it doesn't mean it is a clown color. That's the same nonsense as someone accusing you of not having confidence because you don't like it.


i didn't mean to insult people who wear it. i guess i shouldn't have called it clown red, but i like clowns! my grandfather was a professional clown

 

[gluegungeisha]

Originally Posted by Lolo22 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

For what it's worth, I make a lot of very bold lip colors work for me by mixing them with another color/balm/gloss.  I very rarely wear the colors as they appear in the tube.  I like a bold lip in my free time, but work in a super conservative office so I prefer to tone it down for my day lip look.  My favorite lipsticks are BRIGHT reds and pinks but if I apply them with a brush and mix with a little lip balm they still give me a punch of color without scaring the 70 old lawyers haha.

I think any color can be made wearable (for your individual taste) if you get a little creative.

hmm, maybe i'll try dulling the color, as it is very pigmented. thanks for the tip!

 

[meaganola]

dude i completely agree. i also don't like the fact that if we don't wear the red clown lipstick,people think our confidence is low.  

That's not what we're saying. We are saying that anyone can pull off bright red lipstick if they have the confidence that they can. It might be a subtle difference between the two concepts, but there *is* a difference.

 

[barbyechick]

Originally Posted by gemstone /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I posted a picture of leighton meester looking incredible in red lipstick earlier today.

a lot of the celebrities I listed have tried it, I was just saying they don't do it often because it's just easier to rock the more 'golden' look. even when they do rock a great red I notice they tend to neutralize the look they usually go for by looking more cool toned than usual. that's just the easiest way to do it.

Originally Posted by BisousDarling /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I'm a warm toned pale girl too! I am about a shade lighter than MAC's NC20 and I have golden hair and very yellow undertones. I think the most important thing is to find true reds, something that doesn't really have any discernable undertones. Smashbox has a lipstick called Infrared (it's matte), but it is one of the best reds that I've found. I love red lipstick and rock it as often as possible.

i'm sure it's possible! especially with birchbox sending me nothing but lipsticks...I've got to find a great shade eventually lol. I love that some brands like OCC have made it easier by labeling their shades by undertones - it's less of a guess. I have noticed in general a pinker berry shade is more towards what looks better when I'm trying to pick a strong shade, so I'm getting closer

 

[Antidentite]

Originally Posted by ttanner2005 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

My bag came yesterday.  I was supposed to get box 48.

ModelCo Party Proof Lipstick - Disco Fever - At first I thought it looked too bright, but after seeing CheshireCookie, I'll give it a try

ARCONA Cranberry Gommage - Less than I received directly from the company when I requested assitance in trying some skincare

Miss Jessie's Original Rapid Recovery Treatment - I'm a Curly girl, looking foward to trying this

Miss Jessie's Original Super Sweetback Treatment - I'm a Curly girl, looking foward to trying this

Tan Towel Half Body - I'm super pale, a fake tan would look weird

Coastal Scents Neutral Mirage Sample - MISSING

I contacted Birchbox by calling and they are going to give me 100 points because they don't have anymore samples of it.

Same thing happened to me, same box and everything, missing the Coastal Scents.  I emailed and told them I don't want a replacement because I'm not a fan of Coastal Scents but I didn't know they ran out of samples.  

 

[JamieO]

So, I just reactivated my account today. Again. For some reason, the BB just keeps reeling me back in. So when I placed the order, it showed a date of Aug. 23rd for shipping, so I guess this means I'll be getting August's box??!? I figured it would just start me back up with September, as the last time I resubbed after canceling, I just started getting boxes the following month. Either way, I'm pretty stoked to be back with BB and start racking up those points again! I have 77 at the moment, so one box will put me over 100. Looks like some pretty awesome stuff has been going out since my last box in April. 

 

[gluegungeisha]

Originally Posted by meaganola /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Quote: Originally Posted by gluegungeisha /img/forum/go_quote.gif
dude i completely agree. i also don't like the fact that if we don't wear the red clown lipstick,people think our confidence is low.
That's not what we're saying. We are saying that anyone can pull off bright red lipstick if they have the confidence that they can. It might be a subtle difference between the two concepts, but there *is* a difference.


i could probably pull off the lipstick, but i personally don't enjoy that shade/intensity of the pigment. but that doesn't mean i don't have the confidence to wear it, i just have the personal choice not to. i see where you're trying to differentiate the two i'm sure i could wear bright green lipstick, but again, it's a personal choice.

 

[basementsong]

Originally Posted by Steffi /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Well my USPS tracking just updated and says they delivered it last night. Um, NO.  They didn't.  I'm hoping it's a case of it's still in the truck and not lost, even if I'm not wowed by the box.

Try copying & pasting your shipping number from the email BB sent you, and then go to the tracking page and paste your number in to initiate a new search. Actually clicking on the link from my August shipping email from BB is taking me to my July tracking results, which also says my box was delivered yesterday when it hasn't been!

 

[gemstone]

dude i completely agree. i also don't like the fact that if we don't wear the red clown lipstick,people think our confidence is low.  

That's not what we're saying. We are saying that anyone can pull off bright red lipstick if they have the confidence that they can. It might be a subtle difference between the two concepts, but there *is* a difference.

i could probably pull off the lipstick, but i personally don't enjoy that shade/intensity of the pigment. but that doesn't mean i don't have the confidence to wear it, i just have the personal choice not to. i see where you're trying to differentiate the two i'm sure i could wear bright green lipstick, but again, it's a personal choice.

 

[JamieO]

Its so weird, back when I was subbed before, everyone seemed to complain about how the makeup they were sending out was boring and they weren't sending out enough of it. Now, they seem to be sending out more makeup in brighter, bolder, more fun colors, and everyone wants to complain about how they are getting "clown makeup" and that they can't wear the reds and blah blah blah. I want the brightest, boldest, most fun stuff they can send me! There is just no way BB will ever make everyone happy, so make the best of it. Try new things. You don't like what you got? TRADE IT! It's not as big of a deal as it seems, and it's fun. I just set up a trade to get a NIB UD Ammo Palette in exchange for a couple SS samples and some nail polishes. I am much happier with all my subs now that I have a trade list and have been able to trade what I don't want for the things I do.

 

[Meggpi]

My box...sent back as undeliverable.  Booooooo, sadface.  I want my clown lippie.

 

[cari12]

So wait. If you're a BB subscriber and you deactivate your account you can re-activate and bypass the waitlist??

 

[JamieO]

Originally Posted by cari12 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

So wait. If you're a BB subscriber and you deactivate your account you can re-activate and bypass the waitlist??

Yup. At least that's how it's worked out for me the 2 times I've done it. I'm pretty sure that's how it always is. 

 

[gluegungeisha]

look I just had a crappy box this month. I thought we were allowed to discuss birchboxes on here, good or bad.

 

[cari12]

Originally Posted by JamieO /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Quote: Originally Posted by cari12 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

So wait. If you're a BB subscriber and you deactivate your account you can re-activate and bypass the waitlist??
Yup. At least that's how it's worked out for me the 2 times I've done it. I'm pretty sure that's how it always is. 

nice! 

 

[LindaD]

Originally Posted by gemstone /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Quote: Originally Posted by page5 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I disagree about the red lipstick/confidence thing. I put on red lipstick and look in the mirror and cringe. I look terrible in red lipstick. Orange reds, blue reds, red reds, honestly they all make me look harsh and gaudy. It's not about confidence it's about how I perceive how I look. I don't want to wear something that looks bad on me. I don't care what others think, I wear what I like and I don't like red lipstick. I've received three red lippies from BB and I've tossed or given away all of them after I tried to wear them for a few weeks. Of course, I'm getting the red Stila lipstick; BB thinks this fair skinned brunette needs another one! 
I don't think confidence is the right word, I think it's more that people just need to adjust to how they look in red lipstick.  I have never seen anyone look bad wearing it, and not just because only people who look good in it wear it, because I've seen it on a huge variety of people with different coloring.  I thought I looked horrible in red lipstick, and I definitely had to build up to wearing it.  It wasn't that I was not a confident person, but you just have to get used to seeing something so bright on your face.  (even if you wear tons of bright eyeshadow, unless you are Mimi from the drew carey show, it's only on a small part of your face, and partially hidden when your eye is open)

http://img.timeinc.net/people/i/2006/stylechannel/blog/060731/devil_prada_300x400.jpg

http://img2.timeinc.net/instyle/images/2009/GalxMonth/11/110209-leighton-meester-400.jpg

http://primped.ninemsn.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Zooey-Deschanel-red-lips.jpg

That being said, if you don't want to wear red lipstick, don't do it.  I'm just saying that it is a lot easier for a true red to look great on a variety of skin tones than one shade of nude.

I completely agree with this. I bought an NYX lipstick in a pretty red because I needed a little something to put me over the minimum for a promo even though I had never worn red lipstick. First time I put it on, I thought it was horrifying, so I just stuck it in a drawer and forgot about it. I was playing with my makeup again this weekend and I put this on again, and I thought it looked great.

My day-to-day life is pretty casual (not a lot of college students running around with bright red lipstick on), but it'll probably be something I'll turn to when I go out or if there's an event I have to dress up for.