Glossybox vs Birchbox: September 2012

Well ladies, it's that special time of the month again. No, not that one! The one where I compare this month's Glossybox and Birchbox and I have to tell you, it's tough to tell which one is better this month.

First, a quick run down of what they are in case you were unaware.

Glossybox and Birchbox are both monthly subscription services where you get a sampling of beauty products to try.

Cost 
Glossybox: $20/month
Birchbox: $10/month
Arrival
Glossybox: Usually the last week of the month
Birchbox: Usually the second week
Products
Glossybox: Higher end with one or more full sized products included each month
Birchbox: Mid to high end with deluxe samples and the occasional full sized product

After going back and reading last month's review I think that it seems like I like Glossybox over Birchbox which is not exactly the case. Glossybox has just been sending better items the last few months whereas I was getting frustrated for a while with what I was getting from Birchbox. Last month was getting on track to a better box and this month's was amazing! I was ridiculously excited when I opened this box and you will see why in a minute.

Birchbox

This month Birchbox teamed up with Vogue to create a box to "jumpstart your autumn beauty collection" (their words, not mine, but I still like it).

1) Bvlgari Mon Jasmin Noir perfume sample I am loving the smell of this, it smells like WASPy yacht club society ladies which I am putting in a request to be reincarnated as. I'm already planning on purchasing a small travel sized bottle of this as it's much heavier than my typical scents so I will only use it on special occasions but it's seriously delicious.
2) Color Club Birchbox Custom Color in Put a Pin in It I think I read that these colors were inspired by fall and Pinterest and although it's pretty I'm not into shiny nailpolishes in the least so I will probably stash it to use in a giveaway someday soon. 
3) Dr. Jart+ BB cream I haven't found a BB cream yet that will rip the Dior foundation that I worship from my hot little hands but I still give them all a fighting chance. Maybe this one will be the one? I'm not sure though because it's American made (see the Glossybox review below for more info on what I mean).
4) twistband hairtie I think these are really cute to wear around your wrist but they don't hold my hair tight enough because it's too straight and slippery and slides right out. It's good to keep in my work bag as a backup though (nothing is worse than needing a hair tie and not having one, am I right or am I right?). Plus the print is so cute so who cares if I look like a hot cheerleader mess?
5) Fekkai Essential Shea Shampoo and Conditioner This made me squeal in happiness a little. I know it's just a sample but I LOVE this duo and I always have some in my shower to use once a week or so just to switch things up (my daily combo is Redken Clear Moisture which I've used for years). It lasts about a year that way but last time I decided to change and I got the glossing version instead and I've been missing this one so I'm happy to get a wash or two of happiness out of it.
6) The Brushguard Variety Kit This was a lifestyle extra and I think it's supposed to hold the shape of your makeup brushes as they dry after you wash them. I'm pretty excited to try it on my Mac 188, it gets a case of Florida humidity style disco momma hair after I wash it and spreads out like crazy which is annoying. 
7) THE BEST PART OF THE WHOLE BOX Do you see that little card in the middle? The one that has the magical word "Madewell" on it? Also known as ONE OF MY FAVORITE STORES OF ALL TIME?? It was a $25 off a $75 coupon code and I do mean was because I already used it. I'm also working on convincing my friend to give me her code too. I have no shame.

Overall this was my favorite box I have ever gotten from them and it may be because of the Madewell code. It's the little things, people.

Glossybox
This month's theme was also fall which is perfect because everyone knows that the fall in upstate NY is the best ever. Why else would we have droves of people flocking in just to look at leaves? If they knew what it was like to have to rake them day after day then they may change their tune a little but it means unlimited supplies of freshly baked apple cider donuts at the apple orchard near my house so whatever.

1) GKHAIR Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner Are these boxes telling me something with the hair cleansing items? Because I swear it gets washed 1-2 times a day much to my stylist's dismay. Anyway, I've never heard of this brand but it smells amazing and it has keratin in it which is all the rage right now (for people with body and volume and curl in their hair, none of which I posses). There aren't any ounces listed on them but they are a decent size and they retail full size at $20.00 apiece.
2) Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water I am most excited about this because it looks just like Bioderma which I have heard great things about but can't get here in the states unless I order it from Amazon at an exorbitant amount. It's a water like makeup remover that (allegedly) leaves no residue and I am always on the hunt for something that won't tick my super sensitive skin off. This bottle is 3.38 fl oz which is a full sized product that retails at $13.00.
3) Kryolan for Glossybox lipstick in Glossy Pink I have known about Kryolan for year but have never owned any of their products. They were originally created as stage makeup I believe (I may be wrong and I'm too lazy to google it) but have gone more mainstream in the last few years. Seeing as I am getting old and inching towards my mid early thirties I have started liking lipstick so I am pretty excited about this. It is a full sized product and retails at &14.
4) Missha My Perfect Cover BB Cream I learned about BB creams a few months ago from an online friend who is obsessed with them. She has told me time and again that they were created in Asia and that while they have finally caught on in the US, our versions are nowhere near as good as the Asian ones. A BB cream is supposed to be a tinted moisturizer, foundation and SPF all in one and they are supposedly amazing. I have only used American ones but this will be my first Asian one as it is Korean made. This is a full sized product and retails at $29.99.

In total the amount of full sized products in this month's Glossybox totalled around $57, plus the shampoo and conditioner samples. I just got this box today so I haven't tried anything yet but I am excited to.
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I am not sure if I have mentioned it before but not everyone gets the same thing in their boxes. The Glossybox is mostly the same (for example a friend got a mattifying lotion instead of the cleansing water) but the Birchboxes tend to be vastly different every month. When you sign up you create a profile that sends you products a little more tailored to your needs.

Oh! Also! I finally convinced a man friend of mine to sign up for Birchbox Man so look for Justin to be doing a guest post review of his Birchbox when it arrives! (and there will probably be some gratuitous bunny pics as he has two as well that I call The Bits).

As always, here is a link to join Birchbox if you'd like. Or if you are more interested in Glossybox send me an email to maresydotesblog@gmail.com and I will send you an invitation. 

How were my pictures this month, any better? I will still be using my iphone until I get fancy and buy a real camera someday but I took them near the window on Trixie's kitty ledge and she wasn't too happy about it. She tried to sneak in to sit on top of everything and I caught her in the act.

My molding is not yellow, I swear. It's slightly off white. 

Hello again!

Friends, if I could give you one piece of advice about running it would be this: Body Glide. And don't forget to use it when you decide to run 13 miles. Or 9 miles as I did last Sunday and forgot it then, too. I'm paying for it now, that's for sure. I wore a new sports bra today and it rubbed spots raw on my collarbones which is miserable and I forgot to load my feet up on it too and got two massive blisters.

So anyway, if you caught that yes, I ran 13 miles today. I wanted to make sure I could do it before my race. Neither my running partner nor I were into the run today so it was slow going and even though I was mentally prepared for it my body draaaaaaagged. I hate those runs, they never make you feel good because you feel like you're fighting against your body the entire time. However last Sunday I ran 9 and it was an awesome run and I felt like I could go forever. I'm hoping I am that way next Sunday for my race.

I was still happy when it was over.

I apologize for being absent but once I found out I was out of work for another three weeks I got pretty depressed. Noah the PT and I talked about my running and I decided to cut way back to help my back rest and that's been upsetting. I really wanted my mileage closer to 30 miles a week at this point but I am only doing Sunday long runs, Tuesday training runs and then an easy run on Friday or Saturday which is hovering me in the 17-20. I also stopped with the massive cleaning of my house (most of it is done anyway) and spend most of my days laying on the floor of my living room. For those that think I am living it up while being out of work, I'm not. I've listened to my doctor and PT since the beginning and have done everything they suggested in order to heal sooner. Neither have ever told me to stop running completely since the initial 3 weeks I took off in July which I'm grateful for. Noah the PT is also a runner and he understands that I can't just stop without being insanely miserable so I've just cut back. Mentally it's still hard though, I am so used to going going going all the time and holding down the floor of my living room gets old fast. Thank goodness for Netflix and Youtube is all I can say.

The great news is that I am going back to work on October 1st *cue cheers and confetti*. I also have my MRI tomorrow so I will finally know what is going on which I am hopeful is nothing major. I will never understand human medicine and the idea that the answer of "I think" is better than "I know". I feel like I have to fight for diagnostics to identify the exact problem vs veterinary medicine where we want answers and we want them in 10 minutes. Such a different world.

In other news, Trixie has finally taught Archie how to play dead. If you see in this first picture, she has been working on it since Archie was very young and I think the bun finally has it perfected.

Look at how tiny Archie is trying to sit in her hay bowl! I die.

A pro.

Welcome to Miami. And by Miami I mean Destin.

Yesterday I took the bun outside for the first time. I thought she would be really excited about it but it turns out that for the second time in my life I was wrong (I won't tell you about the first time, it still stings). I thought I would put her harness on her, set her in the grass and she would do happy bunny leaps of joy (called binkies) and eat a bunch of grass. Instead she freaked out until I opened her crate at which point she ran in, peed in the corner and did 10 minutes of angry digging on her blanket. That will show me I guess.

Sitting on my lap is better than the terrifying grass, apparently.

Not. Happy.

I spent the better part of this week in Destin, Florida with an awesome friend of mine. We didn't do much except hang out on the beach and drink a gallon or two of wine and it was glorious. I also got a second degree sunburn but that's par for the course, there's no amount of SPF that protect my milk white self from speeding towards melanoma (for the record I was wearing SPF 70). Because of my sunburn that I got the first day there I didn't run at all and that combined with spending so much time relaxing means that my back feels better than it has in over a month!

If you're looking for a great hotel I highly recommend the Hilton Sandestin.

Despite the fact that the entire area was overrun with children (seriously, it was crazy but they all cleared out by Monday) the hotel was awesome as was the area of Destin. The beach was right out the back door of the hotel and there were two outdoor pools and one indoor pool. We rented an umbrella and chairs and sat by the ocean (that was so warm to swim in!) and at night we took the little trolley that the hotel shuttled people back and forth to the warf area with. There was shopping and restaurants there and lots of outdoor music. There are also quite a few shopping areas in the town and I finally found a black blazer that fit my abnormally small shoulers properly! I even got to go to my first Tommy Bahama which was a neat restaurant with fantastic sangria. We had so much fun and it was a great week.

I thought for sure that I would go to my recheck appointment at my doctor today and he would give me the green light to go back to work on Monday but instead he told me that he wants me out another 3-4 weeks. Womp womp. I understand his reasoning because over a month ago my back was feeling better and I went to work full force and reinjured it but that doesn't make it any easier to hear. The good news is that I bargained with him to let me call in a week to see how I am feeling and reevaluate so that I can maybe return sooner. I also have to go for an MRI which is never exciting, I usually do ok for the first 15 minutes and then remember that I am stuck in a huge magnetic tube and can't move and then I start to panic but I AM looking forward to knowing what exactly is wrong. I'm staying positive that they find nothing and it's all been psychosomatic ;)

I leave you with a shout out to my awesome hat that saved my face from getting charred on the beach, high five to JCrew.

August weight loss and running report

My August weight loss didn't go as well as I'd hoped (I wanted to try for 10lb lost, what was I thinking?). I "only" lost four lb but hey, that's 4 less on me! My measurements have gone down and that is better than the scale going down so I'll take it. I'm pretty sure I'm not losing weight as quickly because I'm not eating enough calories. I just don't eat a lot in general and when you take sugar and carbs out of your diet your caloric intake is almost non existent. At least mine is, unless I decide to eat bacon every single day which would be gross. I am not on that "OMG BACON IS THE MOST AMAZING THING EVER!!1!1!" bandwagon. I mean, it's good with pancakes but I don't die over it. Except for the burgers at Nosh in Portland, Maine that have bacon ground into the burger meat and they're amazing. My September goal is 5lb, something attainable I think... I hope.

As for running my mileage and workouts were good for this week, here's the run down:

Sunday: 10 miles
Monday: Physical therapy (trust me, it's a work out)
Tuesday: 4 miles
Wednesday: Jullian Michael's 30 Day Shred workout
Thursday: 3.5 miles and physical therapy
Friday: Rest day (PT made me really sore the day before)
Saturday: 5 miles

Total mileage: 22.5! I'm finally past the 17 mile barrier I've been hanging out in!

I'll be missing my running group tomorrow and Tuesday so I am going to try and stay focused and get my miles in anyway. I've been rotating shoes between my old busted Ravennas and the devil Mizunos and I am getting less blisters. I'm still getting them but not as many and they're in different spots which is good. The ones that frustrate me (and hurt) the most are the ones that form right under and area that had one a day or two before. I am thinking of switching to Nikes for my next shoes, I keep seeing a lot of people wearing them and it makes me curious to see what they would be like. I haven't had a pair of Nike's since high school so I have an unbiased opinion of them. Plus I could create my own color combo online and they will make them for me, how awesome is that?? Here's what I came up with:

How awesome do they look? I mean, really. They're pretty amazing and I can even get my name on the tongues which is an A+ in my book, I like all of my things branded with my name so no one touches my stuff. Yes, I'm an only child. Why do you ask?

My back is pretty ticked at me when I run anything over 6 miles but I just need to work on getting it stronger. I haven't been showing as much improvement as Noah the PT would like so when I go to my doctor recheck on Friday (the one that determines if I can go back to work or not) he wants me to discuss with my dr having xrays and/or an MRI done. Awesome. Pttthhhhb. I'm trying to stay positive but I got really upset when he said that on Thursday and I almost became a blubbering mess so we only did an hour's worth of exercises vs 1.5-2. I'm hoping that I can regroup the next few days and rally to bring my positivity level back up because being a piss ant isn't going to get me anywhere.

Does anywhere out there run in Nikes? What do you think of them if you do?

What I Wore Wednesday: Wedding edition

Confession: If I am going to be honest I will tell you that I am sitting on my living room floor in a tshirt that says "I mustache you a question but I'll shave it for later" that an awesome friend gave me in my comfy pants doing back exercises so my What I Wore Wednesday would look more like I belong in an episode of Hoarders if I posted it accurately. Well, except that my living room is sparkling clean because I finished tearing it apart and putting it back together this morning. Therefore I thought it would be more fun to post what I wore to my cousin's wedding this weekend.

I know that I say over and over that Banana Republic, JCrew and BCBG are my three favorite places to shop but Ann Taylor really should be in there too. Their clothes are great quality and so classic that it's like we were meant to be together forever. Oh, and their petites fit me like a dream (except their pants, I will warn you that the length and fit can be questionable so always try them on). Their stuff can be pretty pricey but if you find something you like stalk it until you find a great deal.

This dress is a prime example of that because I had seen it on the website for months but $148 for a sheath dress isn't an amount of money I wanted to spend. Then last Sunday, less than the week before the wedding, all of their sale items online were an extra 50% off for less than 24 hours so I managed to snag it for $40. I chose regular shipping and prayed that it would arrive in time (and fit!) and it showed up on Wednesday! It's the first time I had ordered something online from them and their shipping was amazing.

In a 12P it ended up fitting perfectly (as I've mentioned before you have to try their petites, they fit great but I usually need to go up a size because I am currently a 10) and it was so gorgeous. This is how I styled it for the wedding (I also took a black cardigan in case I got cold) but for work I would pair it with a black blazer, nude pumps and maybe even a skinny nude or black belt. I just love the brush strokes on the dress so I wanted to keep it neutral and simple to really let the print shine. I'd even wear this out but I would probably put my cream leather motorcyle jacket over it which would be too amazing for words.

Dress: Ann Taylor
Shoes: Aldo (much more comfortable than they look, they're my favorite shoes I own)

Clutch: Ann Taylor (I got it on clearance a few months ago for $15!)
Bracelet: Ann Taylor
Earrings: Banana Republic

I just noticed something interesting, it seems that I tend to pair things from one store together a lot. I'll have to start paying attention to that more because I'm not sure why that is.

Make sure you check out the What I Wore Wednesday post over at The Pleated Poppy see some other great outfits!

Sunday Runday: I Saw the Sign

There were two conversations between my physical therapist and I this morning that disturbed me more than the fact that he likes to push on my hip flexors so hard that I start to think that I was exaggerating the pain of that one time I ran a half marathon on a stress fracture and what it feels like to get a tattoo on your ribcage. They went something like this:

Him: You really need to start cross training and strength training.
Me: I don't understand the question, did you just say I should increase my long runs?

Him: I really don't think it's a good idea for you to wear high heels.
Me: I don't understand the question, did you just ask me to stop breathing?

I don't think English is Noah the PT's first language because I have difficulty comprehending the things he is trying to say to me. Maybe I'll ask him about his homeland on Thursday.


Yesterday was Sunday aka long run day and my plan was to run 7 miles. Well, that's a bit of a stretch, my plan was to attempt to run 7 miles. I wasn't sure how far I could go because to be completely honest I have a hard time getting through 3 miles on my own because I wuss out every time. I "run" 7 miles on my own once a week or so but there is a lot of walking involved so I usually average 12:30-13 minute miles. When I got to the lake my friend that I have been running with said that she was planning on doing 10 miles because she is one motivated lady. I, on the other hand, had eaten my weight in dinner rolls and wine at my cousin's lovely wedding the evening before so I was aiming for 7 which was the distance that our coach had mapped out for us.

Another lady I have run with on occasion joined us and we talked and ran and when we got to the water stop at mile 2 that was where we were going to split. If you can see where this story is going then brownie points to you...I decided to try 10 miles. I figured why not? So what if I had only been running 4-5 miles as my long runs? I could do it right? Of course I could! I wasn't going to chicken out in front of other people! And I didn't want to be left behind!

And that right there is the entire reason I signed up for this half marathon training group, because I will always push myself a lot harder if there are other people around than if I am alone. And it turns out that I ran the 10 miles just fine. It was pretty slow, probably 11minute miles but so what? That means that more than a month before my race I am basically ready to run it and that makes me extremely happy. I wasn't even sore at all this morning (until Noah the PT beat the snot out of me so I came home and took a nap because everything hurt) which, combined with the fact that I have been running 4-6 miles with no issues for the last few weeks, means something awesome: my base is finally back! After a long summer of taking things slow and building it up I finally have a decent base and that, my friends, makes me ecstatic. To be able to run 10 miles with no real issues is exactly what I have spent the last 3 months trying to get to. I could cry with happiness.

And since I can't leave this post without a picture, here's the only thing that could make me even more ecstatic: seeing my babysitter, aka my other mom, and her husband at my cousins wedding. I don't get to see them nearly as often as I would like and I love them even more than I love running.

Glossybox vs Birchbox: August 2012

After the amount of questions I got from my initial Glossybox vs Birchbox post I thought I would try to do a monthly comparison between the two because that may help people decide if they want to join or not. And if not, they can still see what I got because hey, I like to look at other people's stuff that I don't have. It's probably one of my favorite past times *cough* Youtube haul videos *cough*

Of course I decided this last week about a week after I had ripped apart my Birchbox so the pictures aren't as great from that box. They aren't as great in general unlike my fabulous friend Bethany over at Rinse. Repeat who makes forks and half eaten muffins somehow look like the most magical thing in the universe. This is my first official go at this so I will try harder next month, maybe strap the products on the bun or something.

In case you didn't read my initial post (which you can find here), Glossybox and Birchbox are both monthly beauty sample subscriptions. Here's a quick rundown:

Cost 
Glossybox: $20/month
Birchbox: $10/month
Arrival
Glossybox: Usually the last week of the month
Birchbox: Usually the second week
Products
Glossybox: Higher end with one or more full sized products included each month
Birchbox: Mid to high end with deluxe samples and the occasional full sized product

Onto the boxes!

Both boxes have a theme each month and Birchbox's August theme was Beauty School. It contained a really cute fold out pamphlet with all sorts of beauty tips and tricks on it. Because I just decided to do these posts it is long gone as I am in a cleaning frenzy but trust me, it was cute.

Contents:
- Viva la Juicy Fleur perfume bu Juicy Couture
- Shu Umera hair oil
- Talika eye makeup remover
- Stila curling mascara
-Schick Hydro razor

I was most excited about that razor, not gonna lie. I got a free one of the same kind except for men a few months ago and it's amazing. I can't wait for a 10 blade razor someday at this rate. I was really excited about everything else too, the first time maybe ever because BB can be hit or miss with what the send. I actually own the original Viva la Juicy perfume so I'm excited to try this one, I've been using the mascara on my lower lashes because it has a teensy little brush that's perfect, I've become obsessed with Argan oil for my hair the last month so I'm all about any hair oil (if it won't weigh it down, that is) and I've been looking for a good eye makeup remover. Overall a good box!

My Glossybox arrived today amidst much anticipation because I had seen them hint at Illamasqua nail polish being in the boxes. Illamasqua is a brand that I often drool over at Sephora but have never purchased because it's $14 a bottle and if I am going to spend that kind of bank on nail polish it's going to be Butter London because they have such unique colors. However, the thought of one almost FREE had me in a tizzy so I was wishing and hoping and praying to the nail polish gods that it would arrive and not be the lime green shade and....

I GOT ONE!!! And in a gorgeous pink/orange color called Alarm. It was in a box but I ripped that baby out and painted one of my nails as soon as it was open.

Contents:
-Illamasqua nail polish in Alram (full sized, retails at $14/bottle)
-Ellis Faas Creamy Lips lipgloss (full sized, retails at $35/tube)
-Touch in Sol Feel Like Honey Moon Skin Base (1.06 oz, full size is 1.13oz and retails at $20)
-Ole Henriksen Truth Serum face serum (0.5 oz, full size is 1oz and retails at $48)
-Biolage ExquisiteOil Hair Replenishing Treatment (sample size)

These iphone pictures are professional quality. Am I right or am I right?

Overall this box was amazing with three almost full sized products and many high end products which went along with their theme of Pure Luxury. The color of the lip gloss is almost a milk chocolate color which would look great on some people but isn't great on me and $35 a tube?? Crazy talk. I'm newly obsessed with the realization that I am 32 which is almost 35 which is right around the corner from 40 which is middle aged so I have to start taking care of my skin so I'm excited to try the face serum. The face primer claims to be a primer and moisturizer in one which I am skeptical of but I'm interested in giving it a shot and I love hair products so that one is a no brainer. If you add up the full (and almost full) sized products that makes this box worth well over $70!

And if you want to know more about the products including how I know how much each item retials for here is the card included with it (Birchbox has a description card as well but again, it's long gone).

So what do you think? It it worth the money to get a box if surprise goodies every month? Are you a member of either (or both) and if so what did you get that was different than mine?

If you would like to sign up for Birchbox here is a link to do so. If you'd like an invitation to join Glossybox just send me your email address to maresydotesblog@gmail.com and I will send one out to you :)