Get your sample on with Birchbox

I'm a sucker for samples.  Little tubes of lotions or lip gloss.  Its one of those things that make me feel like a kid peeking inside of my Christmas stocking!

Last year, I discovered a great little gem  - Birchbox.  This company offers monthly beauty samples delivered to your door.  Each month you'll get a pretty little box with your samples nestled in pink tissue paper.  Its like a gift to yourself each month.

For $10, you receive 4 or five samples of various beauty products.  Some of the past samples that I have gotten over this past year include:  nail polish, lip balm, fragrance samples, eye liner, peels and more.  You know this is peaking your interest just a bit.  Oh, and men, your wife, girlfriend or even a sister would totally love you for gifting this!

Through this service, I've found some products that I've even purchased for myself later.  Last year, they featured Jouer Moisturizing Tint and Attimo fragrance that were two of my favorites last year.  Read more about them in an earlier blog post.  This month the Stila Smudge Stick is going to be a definite purchase!

So, if you are looking to get out of a beauty rut and find something new, Birchbox is the way to go!  Its a great value.  It makes a great gift, and is something fun and unexpected to come home to at the end of a long day!

Top Five Beauty Faves for the New Year

So, its a new year, and I kind of let my blog basically die over the past few months, but one of my goals of the new year is to actually do something with my blog!

The holidays are an overload of giftbags full of soaps, creams and goodies that Santa may bring.  Plus, you may have that extra time to shop around and score something great with some Christmas cash!  I have a few favorites that I really love and are perfect for this time of year!

Here are my top five beauty faves that are perfect for the winter beauty blahs!

1. Ahava Mineral Foot Cream
This creamy lotion is non-greasy, has a fresh clean smell and will keep your feet soft over the winter months.  This is the best time to get a jump start on having your feet ready for summer sandles!  Use the cold weather and need for socks to your advantage.  Lotion up your feet before bed and wear socks to allow the lotion to soak into your feet.

2.  Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint
I discovered this gem over the summer.  This lightweight tint will keep your skin soft without a heavy, greasy foundation.  It will make your skin glow and adds a nice finish to your skin year round!

3.  Revlon Color Burst Lip Butter
Lipstick and balm all wrapped into one.  There are lots of creamy shades to choose from to keep your lips soft and chap free all winter long!  I just purchased Pink Truffle.  It is a nice neutral shade that has just enough color.  This is a great way to give your face a touch of color even on days that you are skipping make up or if you don't wear make up normally at all!

4.  Attimo by Salvatore Farragamo
Looking for a new fragrance?  Or just looking for a hint of spring during the cold summer months?  This is a new fragrance must!  Light, floral and happy!  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

5.  Clarisonic
Okay.  So this is a bit of a splurge, but it is worth every penny.  It was my gift to myself last year at Christmas.  One year later, this is still my favorite product hands down!  There are a number of options.  You can purchase the travel version called the Mia or get the full on packaage that charges and has interchangeable brushes.  I shopped around using MySimon.com to help me find the best price.  By doing this, I got free shipping and saved $50!  It was worth doing the homework!

Don't let the winter months give you a case of the beauty blues!  With a few wise choices and practical, yet fun products, you can get out of a rut.  You don't have to paint on layers of sparkels to make  a statement.  Clean skin and fresh choices will always be winners season after season!