Tag Archives: essie

Breaking Down the Beauty Sample Box Craze

Hey Rosés,

Image via Getty

Beauty junkies around the world rejoiced when companies and services popped up selling luxury beauty, body and lifestyle samples. With most of them starting as rewards programs or members-only sites, the subscription sample box craze has blown up from the most generic to offering customized solutions.

Sample boxes are a great way to discover new products, get travel-sized editions of your favorite products, and as I have recently experienced, excellent gift ideas. Most of these sites have great rewards and brand ambassador programs where you can accrue points for free gifts and discounted full-sized products.

L to R: Birchbox, Conscious Box, Crave Box

After meeting the founders of Birchbox, I was an early adopter of their monthly subscription service and continue to write reviews of their products for the sensitive skin and allergy crew. See January, February, and March.

There are new subscription services popping up every week, so find out which sample box works for your beauty and lifestyle needs:

(in alphabetical order – no preferences or endorsements here!)

 

Beauty Box 5

www.beautybox5.com

  • Breakdown: This company made a splash at the 2012 SXSW’s StyleX conference with their Tiffany blue boxes
  • Price: $12/monthly $30/quarterly $100 yearly
  • Products: Feature great local and international brands like Weleda, LA Fresh, and Supergoop

 

Birchbox

www.birchbox.com

  • Breakdown: Founded by two Harvard MBAs, one of the original beauty sample subscriptions features product customization and a full destination site for videos and tips.
  • Price: $10/month
  • Products: Luxury and mainstream brands include Ahava, Essie, Stila, Nars, Origins

 

Conscious Box

www.consciousbox.com

  • Breakdown: Environmentally conscious products from organic to vegan, including beauty, lifestyle and food.
  • Price: $12/monthly + $7 shipping, $33/quarterly + $7 shipping, $64/yearly + $7 shipping
  • Products: VerMints, Kind Bars, Honest Kids Tea, organic candles, natural lip balm

 

Crave Box

www.cravebox.com

  • Breakdown: Recently launched, goes beyond beauty to include items for hobbies, pets and home. They offer subscription boxes and limited editions that can be won.
  • Price: $10/monthly
  • Products: NYX mascara, Puristics eye treatment, Mercy recovery drinks

 

Curlbox

www.curlbox.com

  • Breakdown: The ultimate box for all things curly and natural hair. Packed with samples and full collections from mainstream and independent brands for all types of ethnic and curly hair.
  • Price: $20/monthly
  • Products: Hair Rules, Ouidad, Shea Moisture, Karen’s Body Beautiful

 

Glossybox USA

www.glossybox.com

  • Breakdown: This British sensation is set to launch soon in the U.S.
  • Price: TBA
  • Products: Global brands include Dermalogica, Chloé, Clarins, Bobbi Brown

 

The Look Bag

www.thelookstore.com/thelookbag

  • Breakdown: Online beauty shop TheLookStore.com partnered with celebrity beauty therapist Damone Roberts to bring customized picks. The Look Bag subscribers also receive 20% off The Look Store’s shop.
  • Price: $10/month
  • Products: Top picks from Damone Roberts include Cattiva, S.S. Soap, Frownies

 

Sample Society

www.beautybar.com/samplesociety

  • Breakdown: Recently launched venture between beautybar.com and Allure Magazine
  • Price: $15/month
  • Products: 5 deluxe-sized samples from beauty brands like Murad, Stila, and Oscar de la Renta fragrance. Includes 1-year Allure subscription.

 

What are your favorite beauty sample subscription services?

Taste the beautiful life ~ Alicia

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4 Spring Nail Polishes For Easter

Hey Rosés,

Easter is springing this weekend! That means jelly beans, chocolate bunnies, and a new Easter dress! If you’re like me, you struggled giving up something for the 40 days and 40 nights of Lent, alas resurrection weekend is here. What better way to hunt for Easter eggs than with new exciting nail polish. Go beyond pastels and earth tones, try a bubble gum pink or lemon drop yellow.

Check out these 4 polishes made with non-toxic ingredients (DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde free), perfect for you and your kids this Easter weekend:

 

Essie in She’s Picture Perfect

Purchase: $8 drugstore.com

Iridescent reflective lilac livens up a spring lavender favorite from the latest collection.

Ingredients: Ethyl Acetate, Butyl Acetate, Nitrocellulose, Propyl Acetate, Tosylamide Formaldehyde Resin, Isopropyl Alcohol, Trimethyl Pentanyl Diisobutyrate, Triphenyl Phosphate, Ethyl Tosylamide, Camphor, Stearalkonium Bentonite, Diacetone Alcohol, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Benzophenone 1, Alumina, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Silica, Citric Acid, Tin Oxide, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Aluminum Calcium Sodium Silicate, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Dimethicone, May also contain:, Mica (CI 77891), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77163), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163) (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 77491, CI 77499), Iron Oxides (CI 15850), Red 6 Lake (CI 15880), Red 34 (CI 15880) (CI 77266), Black 2 (CI 77266) (CI 73360), Red 30 (CI 73360) (CI 75170), Guanine (CI 77000), Aluminum Powder (CI 77000) (CI 770007), Ultramarines (CI 77510), Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide (CI 77510) (CI 19140), Yellow 5 (CI 42090), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), F.I.L. D44247/2

 

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics in Traffic

Purchase: $8 occmakeup.com

Go bold with bright yellow opaque satin.

Ingredients: Ethyl Acetate, Butyl Acetate, Nitrocellulose, Isopropyl Alcohol, Acrylate Copolymer | May Contain: Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Ultramarines, Bismuth Oxychloride, FD&C Yellow #5, D&C Red #7, D&C Red #34, Ferric Ferrocyanine, Mica

 

Ginger + Liz in Boy Toy

Purchase: $12 beautyhabit.com

A robin egg blue that looks as good as your jelly beans taste.

Ingredients: Butyl Acetate; Ethyl Acetate; Nitrocellulose; Acetyl Tributyl Citrate; Phthalic Anhydride/Trimellitic Anydride/Glycols Copolymer; Isopropyl Alcohol; Stearalkonium Hectorite; Adipic Acid/Fumaric Acid/Phthalic Acid/Tricyclodecane Dimethanol Copolymer; Citric Acid; colors; Polytheylene Terepthalate; Calcium Sodium Borosilicate; Titanium Dioxide; Tin Oxides Silica; Aluminum Powder; Iron Oxides; Aluminum Powder; Fragrance

 

Zoya in Shelby

Purchase: $8

Bring this soft cherry blossom pink from Zoya’s Beach collection to the garden.

Ingredients: butyl acetate, propyl acetate, ethyl acetate, nitrocellulose, isopropyl alcohol, polyester, resin, camphor, steralkonium hectorite, benzo-phenone 1, titanium dioxide. May contain D&C red #6, iron oxide, ferric ammonium, ferrocyanide red #7

 

What are your favorite Easter looks for spring?

Taste the beautiful life ~ Alicia

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Product Review: March Birchbox

Hey Rosés,

This month Birchbox teamed up with Teen Vogue for a fun, playful and spring formal event-prep box of samples. Teen Vogue’s beauty guru Eva Chen also provided great makeup and hair tips for special occasions and everyday glam. Great sensitive skin and allergy-friendly brands like Tarte and Essie return with bright colors for spring. There were also great alternatives for the sporty girls, and anyone transitioning from processed hair to natural hair.

Take a look at some great finds for your next special event or to add a pop of color:

 

Tarte LipSurgence Lip Tint in Lucky

Champagne Rating: 4 out of 5 bottles

 

 

 

I was looking for a pale pink matte, and this came just in time! The giant crayon glides on smoothly with a texture in between a lip balm and matte lipstick. It has moisturizing vitamins A & E with a hint of color, clicks to refill (no pencil sharpener needed), and so sheer it actually looks nude. Perfect to wear alone or a great primer for lipstick or lip gloss. Be forewarned the strong peppermint oil smell and tingle, but has a sensitive skin-friendly formula: paraben free, sulfate free, mineral oil free.

Ingredients for Lucky: Octyldodecanol, candelilla cera/euphorbia cerifera (candelilla) wax/cire de candelilla, C12-15 alkyl ethylhexanoate, isopropyl palmitate, cyclopentasiloxane, silica, nylon -12, VP/eicosene copolymer, copernicia cerifera (carnauba) wax /cera carnauba/cire de carnauba, phenyl trimethicone, disteardimonium hectorite, hydrogenated coco-glycerides, mentha piperita (peppermint) oil, caprylic/ capric triglyceride, propylene carbonate, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, dimethicone, caprylyl glycol, sorbitan stearate, benzophenone-3, tocopheryl acetate, sodium saccharin, castor oil bis-hydroxypropyl dimethicone esters, retinyl palmitate, salicornia herbacea extract, dimethyl isosorbide, palmitoyl hexapeptide-14, tin oxide, mica. (+/-): Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), iron oxides (CI 77489, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), red 6 lake & red 7 lake (CI 15850), red 27 lake (CI 45410), red 40 lake (CI 16035), yellow 5 lake (CI 19140), yellow 6 lake (CI 15985), blue 1 lake (CI 42090).

 

Kate Spade New York Perfume in Twirl

Champagne Rating: 4 out of 5 bottles

 

 

Twirl is the perfect name for this scent, it’s a mixture of flirty and fun with fruit and floral notes. Light enough to wear during the day for work or brunch, yet stimulating for wear in the evening for cocktails or a date. Each spray makes me want to dance, either with a cupcake or a cutie ;-)

Ingredients: alchohol denat, parful/fragrance, water/aqua/eu, propylene glycol, benzyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, butylphenyl methylpropional, citral, citronellol, farnesol, geraniol, hexyl, cinnamal, hydroxycitonellal, hyrdoxyisohexyl, 3-cyclohexene carbonxaldhyde, limonene, linalool, butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, ethylhexyl, methoxycinnamate, ethylhexyl salicylate, orange 4 (ci 15510), yellow 10 (ci 47005)

 

Kérastase Elixir Ultime

Champagne Rating: 3 out of 5 bottles

 

 

This nourishing oil can be used as a leave-in conditioner or pre-blowout heat protectant, but I used it as a shine serum on curly hair. It’s thick but not greasy or heavy. It smoothed top-side frizz and added a hint of shine when applied to dry curly hair.

Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, Zea Mays / Corn Germ Oil, Argania Spinosa Oil / Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Camellia Kissi / Camellia Kissi Seed Oil, Pentaclethra Macroloba Oil / Pentaclethra Macroloba Seed Oil, Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Limonene, Coumarine, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum / Fragrance.

 

Twistband Hair Tie

Champagne Rating: 3 out of 5 bottles

 

 

This fun evolution of the hair tie causes little breakage and maintains elasticity even when wet after the gym. It did leave a dent on curly hair, perhaps straight hair has better luck. Great for rosés transitioning from perms to natural hair, and athletes who don’t want breakage after a workout.

Ingredients: N/A

 

Essie LuxeEffects Collection in Set In Stones

Champagne Rating: 4 out of 5 bottles

 

 

Wear this glitter nail polish alone for a silver disco ball effect or as a top coat for a blast of bling. The formula is free of formaldehyde, toluene and DBP. Great for sensitive skin, and safer with out toxic chemicals. I’ve tried plenty of glittery nail polishes and this is one of the easier ones to get off without having to scrape your nails.

Ingredients: Butyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate, Nitrocellulose, Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol/Trimellitic Anhydride Copolymer, Isopropyl Alcohol, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Silica, N-Butyl Alcohol, Polyacrylate-4, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Benzophenone-1, Polyurethane-11, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate [+/- May Contain / Peut Contenir, Ci 77891 / Titanium Dioxide, Ci 15850 / Red 7 Lake, Ci 77000 / Aluminum Powder, Ci 19140 / Yellow 5 Lake, Ci 60725 / Violet 2

 

What is your must have for a formal spring event?

Taste the beautiful life ~ Alicia

*All images via Birchbox
*All Items can be purchased on Birchbox for a discount with membership

 

 

 

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Event Recap: Channing In The City’s Anniversary Soirée

Hey Rosés,

Channing Hargrove of Channing in the City, Champagne Beauty’s Alicia, and Jessica Andrews of The Glamazons

 

Last Thursday, fashion blogger and editor Channing Hargrove celebrated the two year “bloggerversary” of Channing in the City with a champagne filled chic soirée at luxury furniture showroom Bo Concept in midtown Manhattan. Fellow bloggers and friends came out to party with The Glamazon, sip on Hpnotiq cocktails, and dance to DJ Physics’ party anthems. Sweet Potato catering passed delectable bites while we were treated to full CND and OPI manicures courtesy of Polish Bar Brooklyn and Minx nails by Nail Taxi NYC. Jewelry bars displayed unique pieces from Endless Noise and Yumnah Najah. Channing also raffled off great prizes including jewelry and clothing from the DPiper Twins – see what I won below!

Congratulations to Channing in the City! Check out her site to get fashion tips and see her stylish outfits. Below, see the beautiful styles and who else stopped by her party!

 

L to R: Danielle of DPiper Twins, Channing of Channing in the City, Chantelle of DPiper Twins, Jessica of The Glamazons

I scored some beautifully hand-painted cheetah earrings like above from Yumnah Najah

Polish Bar Brooklyn nail bar

Iran Ortiz of Endless Noise NYC jewelry

Hpnotiq created signature drinks for Channing, of course we loved the Sequins & Glitter champagne cocktail!

Iman Dean owner of Sweet Potato Catering

Jessica Andrews of The Glamazons announced the raffle winners while DJ Physics kept us dancing all night!

I won! Red crystal half heart necklace with a gold chain from Endless Noise NYC! Dress: Escada, Raspberry Lips: Sephora Collection Ultra Shine Lipgloss in Shimmery Purple Red, Mint Green Nails: Essie Spring 2012 in Navigate Her

A perfectly poised Channing gives her final thoughts. Dress: Kastle Designs, Earrings: Treasure Chest

Event Planners and PR Krystal Holmes and Kamille Cooper

Christina of LoveBrownSugar.com, Channing, Misha of TheFabChick.com

Cheers to Channing in the City! What is your favorite fashion blog?

Taste the beautiful life ~ Alicia

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