Birchbox Premire Review

Come to Birchbox! 

Click to join!

Birchbox is a great thing to subscribe to if you're looking to try new samples for a wide range of body products. They have a mens' & a womens' box, and at $10-20 per box with usually 5 or 6 samples inside, it's a very inexpensive way to explore new things you may like & love, without having to worry about clunking down $$$ for a full size product you may not like at all.

A little blurb from their site:

"Birchbox is the leading discovery commerce platform. We are redefining the retail process by offering consumers a unique and personalized way to discover, learn about, and shop the best beauty, grooming, and lifestyle products on the market.
Headquartered in New York City, Birchbox launched in September 2010 and extended into men’s products in April 2012 with Birchbox Man.

The Birchbox

Each month, you'll receive a selection of samples that we’ve tried (and retried) ourselves. We source our samples from both well-known brands and emerging gems. The women’s subscription includes everything from skincare to makeup, as well as fun non-beauty extras. The men’s subscription delivers top-tier grooming products in addition to lifestyle accessories ranging from hip socks to tech accessories.

The Shop

When you are ready for more of the products you sampled, you can purchase full-size versions directly from the Birchbox Shop. We have a generous loyalty program that rewards you every time you shop, refer friends, and give feedback on your monthly samples. You can redeem Birchbox Points and save on any full-size or gift purchase."

Pretty self explanatory. Racking up points is easy & you turn those points in to get merchandise from their store, including great discounts on the current month's box brands.

*** Their customer service team is WONDERFUL! Any time I've had any issue, from moving & didn't receive a box,  or had an issue with a sample, their team was VERY helpful and pleasant to work with, and went above & beyond exceeding my expectations for general customer service (which from someone who worked at Nordstroms for several years is very high) and resolved the problem in a quick & efficient manner. Although they are an online company & do shipments, they treat you as if they were a small local boutique in your hometown that you visit every day. Highly recommend. ***

Here are a few of my favorite things I discovered on Birchbox:






I reordered this twice so far:

Miss Jessie's Creme de la Creme Conditioner

Definitely one of the besy BB/ CC creams I've ever tried, may want to stock up:

Coola Tinted Matte SPF 30 For Face

I normally am not too fond of perfume fragrances, but this pleasantly surprised me:

Harvey Prince Imperial Gardenia

I tested this right after I bleached my hair, so I know it's a great product:

Davines LOVE Curl Enhancing Conditioner

I put this sample in my gym bag & use it after I shower off from the gym before I start work - works great as a primer!

DDF Wrinkle Resist Plus Pore Minimizer

Here's my personal invite link to join Birchbox!
http://www.birchbox.com/invite/samanthamarie

Have a great week everyone! :)

~ Samantha Marie

Fitness Friday - My First Croc-pot Recipe

I am definitely no cook, but there comes a time when you finally have to break out the croc-pot & start experimenting. I figured you couldn't really go wrong with vegetables & soup, and when I entered it all into MyFitnessPal it came out to about 200 calories a serving, and the only fat was the 3 grams from my Parmesan cheese topping. With 12 grams of protein (all from vegetarian sources) and 8 grams of fiber, I figured I'd share this with you all.

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth (or vegetable broth)
• 4oz cut baby carrots
• 1/2 cup whole kernel corn
• 1/2 cup pinto beans
• 5oz baby red potatos
• 1oz (or 8) cherry tomatoes
• 1tbs crushed garlic
• 4tbs parmesean cheese
• Spices: ground pepper, basil, pinch of cayenne

Throw it all in the pot on low & let it be for a few hours! Make it over night or during the day when you're out working.
Also, if you're having tummy issues like I was & need to get down good food that won't bother your stomach, this is a great option. All these nutrients & fiber really help, and they are soft in the soup so they're easy to digest. :)

 

Enjoy! 

~ Samantha Marie

Eat Right for Your Tummy

Whether you're trying not to look or feel bloated, having digestive issues, or just want to do good for your stomach, here are some ideas for you to take home next time you hit the grocery store.

My top 10 favorites are:
- avocado
- berries
- garlic
- ginger
- kefir
- kombucha
- lemon
- nuts
- spinach
- teas

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Review - Barracuda from #VowVoxBox

It's with a semi-heavy heart that I post my first crappy review.

With the Influenster VowVoxBox I received a Sally Hansen "Complete Salon Manicure" nail polish in Barracuda. A pale blue shade, and I like blue very much so I decided to give it a go tonight for my work "Monday" tomorrow. That's pretty much where my excitement ended.

I have purchased & own several other Sally Hansen products which I like very much, one of which is the "Insta-Dry" nail polish that I wish I'd chosen to put on instead of this now & I own in at least 4 colors. Maybe I got a dud like a doughnut that came out like a doughnut hole without meaning to, but I feel pretty bad about the fact that most of the time I'm given free stuff to review on in hopes that my review will say something fabulous, but the first coat immediately came out like those water-colored pastel chalk polishes I'd get for a couple bucks at a retail chain store like Charlotte Russe or Wet Seal - aka a place that had nothing to do with makeup or beauty products.

If you want to give this to your 8 year old little sister or niece go ahead, but if you're over the age of 14, don't plan on showing this out in public - though I will be tomorrow since it's 11pm right now & I'm not about to wait for another polish to dry.

Sorry Vow VoxBox, but this should not the something blue on your big day.

Notable Health, Beauty & Fitness Articles of the Past Week

I subscribe to a lot of health, beauty & fitness related stuff of course, and I never have time to read all the articles that are sent to my inbox every day. I figure I'd start posting a few once a week for you all to enjoy & come up with your own conclusions.

Nothing you read on the internet should ever really be used in place of actual medical advice. A lot of medical standards are even constantly changing, and what may be true for one person may not work for another, etc. I encourage everyone to think for themselves, do your own research and make your best objective decision, while always keeping an open & flexible mind & approach to things.

Today I'll just start with Everyday Health and SparkPeople, since they both are used by such a wide variety of people:


13 Secrets to Portion Control

Your Ultimate BBQ Guide

7 Strength Training Excuses Busted

Choosing the Best Energy Bars

6 Ways to Keep Your Skin Looking Young

Hope you all enjoy & find something you can take from this week!

:)

~Samantha

Makeup Monday - Mary Kay VoxBox Review

About a month ago I received my first VoxBox from Influenster, which was the Mary Kay VoxBox. For those of you who don't know what Influenster is, it's kind of like Klout. If you don't know what that is either, they are basically sites which measure your social media influence, usually pertaining to topics that you are knowledgeable or active in. I score very highly in things like beauty, health, fitness and makeup. Once in awhile these things come with perks, and for Influenster you can qualify for a VoxBox - which is a little box of (usually, mostly) awesomeness. Companies for the most part would like you to use and review their products online using your own social media channels.
Come check me out! >>> Samantha Marie's Influenster 

And with that explanation, here is my Mary Kay VoxBox review:

This was my first experience using Mary Kay products. I have obviously heard of their name & knew of their great reputation, but I didn't really have an opinion on their products.

Primed face with Vapour Instant Skin Perfecter.
Mary Kay's large powder brush wasn't as soft to the skin as I normally like my brushes to be, but used it to apply Mineral Cheek Blush, Bronzing Powder & Translucent Powder. All 3 products went on smooth & held well, though I felt the blush was a bit on the orange-y side.
Decided to try Mango Tango lip gloss sans liner to see both how well it stayed & if it bled at all (stayed perfect.) The gloss & blush were a great match (again, if you're cool with the orange-y thing.)

I didn't get the cream eyeshadow in my VoxBox, so I used MAC Cosmetics Old Gold pigment on my lids. The Jet Black Gel Eyeliner came with its own brush, and while the gel itself went on smooth, the brush didn't really help its effort. If you're a novice with gel liners, you might find this brush difficult.
Finished up with Lash Love mascara - which I think would be great as a day-wear / to work mascara. Isn't too thick or clumpy, and defines well.

Likes: smooth gel liner & face powders
Passes: Brushes, except for the concealer brush which I used to apply the MAC pigment.

Ladies Who Lift - Chest & Back Day

Not just ladies who lift, but anyone who lifts.

Here's a Chest & Back Day Program - which I also personally do.

Reps times Sets (example: 3x12)
Remember: Reps for growing muscles & strenghth normally is 6-10 reps, & for resistance ["toning"] 12-15 reps. Sets can be 2-4. You ideally want to do each set to failure.?
Rest time in between: 30-60 secs

DB = dumbbell // BB = barbell 

Chest
Bench Press - Bar or DB 3 x 12
Cable Press or Seated Chest Press 3 x12
DB Chest Flys 3 x 12

Back
Lat Pull Downs 3 x 12
Assisted Pull Ups 3 x 12
Bent Over Row 3 x 12
Back Extension 3 x 12
Cable or Machine Row 3 x 12

BB Squats 3 x12
Deadlifts 3 x 12
Good Mornings 3 x 12