Beauty Subscriptions [ March 2015]

I recently jumped on the beauty subscription box band wagon with subscriptions to Ipsy, Birchbox, and Lip Monthly and because I rely heavily on reviews, here's mine:

Ipsy costs $10 per month. You fill out a little quiz so they can semi-personalize your bags. You receive a different little makeup bag each month filled with 5 sample and full-sized beauty products.
My first bag was this month and I think it's adorable!

My bag contained 2 samples and 3 full-sized products:

NYX Eyeshadow (regularly $5) This has nice coverage and opacity but I really think it requires an eyeshadow primer to get long wear and no creasing.
Chella Highlighter pencil (reg. $18) I really like this, it has an apricot undertone that works really well as a highlighter on my skin and the texture is creamy and blendable.
Crown concealer brush (reg. $5) I haven't tried this yet, I already have 3 others this same size and shape but it is soft and seems well made and I'm sure I'll use it at some point.
A sample of Coolway Glow Finishing hair oil. I absolutely love this and intend to purchase a full-sized one when I use this little bottle up. It makes my hair shiny and silky soft with no oily/greasy feel or residue.
Finally, a sample of Laneige BB Cushion. This is a BB cream that you apply with a teeny tiny sponge - I didn't care for the super light coverage and the application process was annoying to use.

I really liked this bag and feel that it is well worth the $10 cost. I like that it will allow me to try out products that I hadn't previously heard of or might not have splurged on and I look forward to seeing what Ipsy has in store for me in the future.
The only thing that I found annoying about Ipsy was that once you sign up, you're told that "due to high demand" you're on a waiting list until a spot opens up, but then you're given the option to get off the waiting list by sharing your Ipsy bag purchase on social media. I find this distasteful for a product that I'm paying for - almost like blackmail. I later learned that if you email them, they will take you off the waitlist for the following month - whatevs to that. This is the only icky thing, other than that, I'm highly satisfied with my purchase!

I also received my March Birchbox - Birchbox also costs $10 per month, you don't get a makeup bag but, from what I understand, you do tend to get higher end products.
The box is cute:

 

My Birchbox contained:

Full-sizes -
Davines Oil Absolute Beautifying Potion (approx. $25) I quite like this hair oil but not as much as the Coolway one that I received in my Ipsy box. It has a nice consistency and isn't greasy but I don't care for the scent and it is a bit noticeable in my hair. (They sent bonus shampoo/conditioner samples but haven't tried them yet)
Laura Mercier Foundation Primer - Hydrating (Reg. $33) I was most jazzed about this product and it doesn't disappoint. It's a light, non-greasy primer that left my skin feeling moisturized and held my makeup in place all day.
Jelly Pong Pong Glow Getter Highlighter ($13) The packaging looks confusingly like a small shimmery nail polish. I'm not a huge fan of liquid highlighters but this does provide a pretty, not too shimmery highlight when applied to the skin.
Samples -
Harvey Prince Singular Scentsations Imperial Gardenia perfume. This smells just like Michael Kors perfume, which I used to LOVE until morning sickness with little dude killed it for me. I cannot handle that scent anymore so I passed this on to my mama. The full-size is listed as $29 so, if you like that scent, this is a more affordable alternative to the Michael Kors one.
Temple Spa Peace Be Still Calming Body Balm. This lotion smells just like a spa, it's a bit heavily scented for me and is a little bit light on the moisturizing side so I'll probably throw this in my purse for emergency dryness needs.

I think this box was really fun and it contained my favorite item of the two boxes - the Laura Mercier primer! I feel that this was well worth the $10 and I'm excited to see what I get in the future. Plus, they didn't have any hoops for me to jump through to get my box!

Both of these boxes are month-to-month and don't penalize you for cancelling. I also ordered  Lip Monthly, based on my cousin's recommendation, but won't receive my first box until April.  Lip Monthly is $10/month as well for 5 full-size lip products but they had a lot of deals so I prepaid for 3 months and received my first month free - yay!

Well, that's it for now, if this type of blog post is of interest to you, I'll write one next month when I have all three to review.

Frugal Finds - The LA Arboretum

 

 

I've decided to start a new (hopefully weekly) feature where I will share with you a plethora of frugal finds that my family has utilized and enjoyed!

The first frugal find is one I used to avail myself of on the regular but haven't been in several years until my friend Sandi suggested it - the LA Arboretum in Arcadia. Entrance to the arboretum is free on the third Tuesdays of every month and parking is always free - bonus!

The LA Arboretum is a beautiful place to visit: full of all manner of unique plant life, dotted with some historical buildings, and loaded with friendly peacocks. We took 8 kids with us, aged 5-13, and they all had a blast.

First, the peacocks -

 

 

Peacocks are plentiful at the arboretum - turning visitors into frenzied paparazzi whilst languidly strutting around, teasing them with the hope of unfurling their gorgeous fans of feathers.

 

Then, there's the foliage -

 



 Granted, spring is the perfect time to visit but it's really pretty all year round. There are different regions with vegetation fitting to the theme of each region. There are lawns, fountains, rose gardens, ponds, waterfalls, and all manner of pretty growing things to admire.

Finally, there's history -
There is a train station that was originally commissioned by Lucky Baldwin and moved to the Arboretum, it has friendly docents who guide you through the antiques. A major draw is a "cottage" that was pictured in Fantasy Island but in reality was built by Lucky Baldwin for his 4th wife (who apparently was 16 and no longer his wife by the time the cottage was completed). You can look into the windows of this fully-furnished cottage (creepy baby doll alert) as you walk around the veranda - a bit of useless trivia: it boasts the first flushing toilet in California.

 

 

The paths that wind through the property make it mostly handicap/stroller accessible and drinking fountains are plentiful. However, if you are potty training a child, restrooms are pretty few and far between. There is a café on the premises, we did not avail ourselves of its delicacies so I cannot speak to how the food is but the location is idyllic!

We had a great day - the LA Arboretum receives 7.5 out of 10 stars on the Johnson Fun Frugal Find index for all around value and fun!