SK-II voxbox // review

Let me start off this post by saying if you haven't heard of Influenster yet, it's time that you learn about it! Influenster is this ahhh-mazing website that sends you boxes of products to review based on your interests and how active you are with your social media platforms. If you can show them that you have a decent following on your social media platforms and that you're relatively active on them, then they will send you products tailored to you, completely complimentary!

For my first voxbox I received a few items such as a candy bar, an NYC lip stain, tea, and some makeup remover wipes. Now, that was a pretty nice box for being complimentary -- but this time, however, the box I received was full of SK-II skincare! This high-end Japanese skincare line is absolutely amazing and I was so beyond thrilled to receive some of their products for testing purposes!

SK-II facial treatment essence water & facial treatment mask // the main ingredient that makes this essence water and mask so special is "pitera", an ingredient that I had never heard of before receiving this brand. apparently, pitera is known as "the holy grail" in the East for its skin-renewing abilities. my only complaint about both of these products are some of the other ingredients they contain. if I'm paying 99$ for a bottle of facial essence, I don't want there to be other bad ingredients in there such as parabens! I would encourage SK-II to make this product without those ingredients, because then I really would consider both of these products to be holy grail-level items. either way, I still really enjoyed using both SK-II products! I've only been using them both for about a week now but I'm looking forward to seeing how they make my skin feel and look over the course of the next few weeks. so far, they've both made my skin feel really nice and refreshed. if you're looking for a new skincare brand to try out, consider checking out these items from SK-II.

birchbox // march 2016 unboxing

If you subscribe to Birchbox like I do, then you know there's nothing better than when you receive yours in the mail! It's almost like getting a Christmas present every month, and definitely the perfect way to treat yo self. This month, Birchbox's theme was "Ladies First" to celebrate International Women's Day and Women's History Month. And how cute was this month's box design?!
From just the looks of it, I'm pretty happy with my box this month -- this just might be one of my favorite boxes I've ever gotten.. but then again, I've found myself saying that a lot about my Birchboxes lately. Here's a lowdown on every product I received:

smashbox photo finish primer oil // the sample size is good enough, and although I'm a little hesitant to use this every day as I already have oily skin, I was still excited to try it because I love Smashbox products. After applying some to my forehead, it really felt nice on my skin and underneath my makeup.

theBalm cosmetics stainiac lip stain // this was probably the sample I was least excited about, just because I don't often wear a red lip and I'm not crazy about lip stains. however, the color is rich and it applies easily -- I'll use this on occasion, and it's perfect to slip into your purse for a night of going out.

wilma schumann collagen eye pads // I was really thrilled to try these out at first, because lately I've been all about protecting my skin and doing everything I can to keep it healthy. While these eye pads did feel really nice beneath my eyes, I don't like the idea of putting a product on that delicate skin that contains parabens! That part kind of rules out the good ingredients in this product.

number 4 l'eau de mare hydrating conditioner and shampoo // I have to admit, I'm not the biggest fan of shampoo -- and I especially try to stay away from drugstore shampoos that contain sulfates. luckily, neither of these Number 4 shampoo and conditioner samples contain that pesky ingredient! I'm excited to try these out and see if I like the texture that they give my hair.

living proof perfect hair day fresh cut // I'm a huge fan of Living Proof products, and I already own one of their hair serums -- so I'm really pumped to try out this split end mender! Having long hair at the moment, I get lots of split ends, so hopefully this will help out a bit with those.

Overall, I'd rate this month's Birchbox an 8 out of 10! If anyone reading this wants to try out Birchbox for themselves, click on my special members link to join Birchbox and you'll get a free eyeshadow stick with the code "EYEKOGIFT".

Click here to join Birchbox!

Until next time, xtina