Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014
Birchbox #6: April 2014
To be perfectly honest, I love rainy days—so when I heard Birchbox’s theme for April was Rainy Days, I was so excited for what kind of boxes they would put together this time. After watching the adorable sneak peek video, I crossed my fingers for any nail polish from the Color Club Gala’s Gems Collection and one of the Sumita eyeliners—and luckily, I got them! Now that I’ve had some time to properly sample these babies, it’s time to share my thoughts.
First of all, how cute are these Bright Ideas for Rainy Days cards? There are 52 in total, and mine was #39, which suggested I “give all my dusty house plants a bath” for once. Ha! How’d they know? You can purchase the whole set of cards for $10 exclusively at Birchbox.
Moving on, the first item I got in my box was the Number 4™ Reconstructing Masque ($58) and Clarifying Shampoo ($32) combo. I appreciate a good deep conditioner, and this reconstructing masque did the trick. My hair was so soft after my blowout, and a lot more moisturized, too! I immediately could tell the difference. Because $90 total for both is a bit over my usual drug-store budget, I think I’ll pass, but it was so nice to try these out and feel a little pampered. Bonus points for smelling incredibly lovely (white freesia and golden amber will do that).
Second was this Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner pencil in a deep purple shade, priced at $11. I’m traditionally a midnight black eyeliner girl, so I was eager to try a different color for once. Although this deep purple isn’t necessarily too far off, I liked how natural and soft it looked (and felt!) and am now interested in trying out the other colors (perhaps olive green?). My favorite thing about this eyeliner is that it didn’t smudge or wear off all day, even after being highly blendable for a smoky eye upon first application. It’s simply magic, I swear.
Up next is this Gala’s Gems Collection nail polish from Color Club in Heirloom Pearls, priced at $13 for the whole collection (a Birchbox exclusive). I fell even more in love with this collection after watching the YouTube interview with the creator and fashion blogger, Gala Gonzalez. The collection is just perfect for spring, and I love a good nude nail. The color Heirloom Pearls is the prefect shade of creamy white with just a hint of tint.
Fourth is the scent Yogini by Harvey Prince, priced at $55 for a full-size. I am such a fan of Hello by Harvey Prince, so I was definitely excited to sample another scent from the brand. Yogini is described as a “blend of exotic essences and oils” meant to “counteract stress and keep us zen throughout the day”—and that’s exactly that it does! Harvey Prince, you win again.
Last but certainty not least is this month’s Birchbox Finds spotlight product: KIND Healthy Grain Bars, priced at $11.88 for a box. These products are not only gluten-free, but also wholesome and super tasty–the perfect mid-day snack. I sampled the Maple and Pumpkin Seeds with Sea Salt bar and now I am hooked. It was the perfect combination of salty and sweet, crunchy and chewy. This is why I love Birchbox: you not only get to sample high quality beauty products on a monthly basis, but they also throw in a sweet treat every now and then, too, and I’m big on snacks.
I also just realized that it’s already been half a year since I joined Birchbox, and each month I love the boxes more and more. Is anyone else a Birchbox subscriber? What did you guys get in your boxes?
Monday, April 21st, 2014
I am happy to announce that our April/May issue of Cliché Magazine is now officially LIVE with two gorgeous covers: the beautiful Laura Vandervoort from Bitten and Nikki DeLoach from MTV’s hit show AWKWARD! Inside we feature tons of spring fashion and beauty trends, lots of celebrity interviews, and our current music obsessions. Check it out for free on our website, and don’t forget to read my Ed Letter! http://clichemag.com/
Please let me know what you think of our new issue by messaging me on Tumblr, tweeting me @meganportorreal, or shooting me an email at megan@clichemag.com. I’d love to hear from you, and I hope you enjoy!
PS. We are also currently looking for interns to join our team this summer! If interested, get in touch ASAP.
Thursday, April 10th, 2014
Kiernan Shipka—my love for her grows by the minute. I adore her style on Mad Men and also her style in real life. She is such a style icon for me, and she’s only 14 years old! What was I wearing when I was 14? I believe it was bell-bottom jeans and black Nike high-tops. She’s seriously growing into such a beautiful girl. Looks like I need to pick up the May issue of Vanity Fair so I can hang these photos on my wall!
PHOTOGRAPHS BY WILLIAMS & HIRAKAWA
Wednesday, April 9th, 2014
Instagram Roundup
1) New job, new season, new clothes. 2) Dinner time with my boyfriend! 3) Healthy lunch break! 4) Some of my current spring essentials.
Follow me on Instagram for more! @meganportorreal
Tuesday, April 8th, 2014
Looks like I’ll be reviewing this AWESOME Great Gatsby tee and Slaughterhouse-Five "So it goes" necklace on Cliché Magazine's blog very, very soon! Look out for that!
PS. All tees from Out of Print Clothing are currently only $20! But hurry—sale ends today!
Saturday, March 22nd, 2014
Birchbox #5: March 2014
March’s Birchbox theme was “Spring Forward”—a theme I was very much looking forward to after a very long winter. After seeing the sneak peek video a couple weeks ago, I crossed my fingers for the stila Lip Glaze (which I got!) and Harvey Prince’s new fragrance “Cherie Blossom” (which I didn’t). After sampling these products for a few days, it’s time to share my thoughts!
First up is the stila Lip Glaze in Raspberry Sorbet. This full-size product alone is $8, making my $10 Birchbox well worth the cash. Normally I’m more of a colored lip balm sort of girl, but this lip gloss is so perfect. It is smooth and creamy with just the right amount of shine and pigment. Another plus is it’s long-lasting. I didn’t have to reapply for a few hours, which I was really impressed with, and it left my lips feeling super soft. Now I definitely want to try other colors (like Clementine for a nude lip and Pink Pomegranate for summer nights)!
Next up is this Atelier Cologne in Vanille Insensée Cologne Absolue, priced at a grand $185 for a 200ml bottle. This fragrance—which combines vanilla, jasmine, and lime—is a very pretty, feminine scent. Strongly recommended for vanilla fans. If you aren’t a fan of vanilla, move right along, cuz that’s pretty much all you’re getting with this one! Personally I wouldn’t jump on this because of the $185 price tag, but I do think there’s a $75 option as well somewhere.
Third is this Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator, priced at $34 for a full-size tube. This scrub is like a dream—its formula breaks down dead skin cells to even out your skin tone, then fades the appearance of acne scars and fine lines for a bright and smooth complexion. I massaged a dime-size amount to my most troublesome areas every other day for about a week, and then rinsed clean before applying makeup. I noticed immediately that my skin was much brighter and prettier than before. Definitely recommend this for a “brighter” cheek if you want to splurge a bit!
Fourth is Grand Central Beauty’s S.M.A.R.T. Skin Perfecting® Serum + Primer for $68. This botanical-rich formula is meant to hydrate skin AND act as a primer for makeup, since its finish is silky smooth. Since I’ve been obsessed with BB-like formulas since they became a “thing” a couple years ago, I liked this product’s moisturizing and prepping qualities. It’s definitely a luxury I’m not willing to add to my daily makeup routine yet, especially for its price tag, but it was fun to try it out!
Last but not least, my box also came with a box of Minteas by Tea Forté (which is perfect for a tea-lover such as myself!) and a square of Ghiradelli’s newest chocolate bar flavor, Intense Dark Cherry Tango. I love that everyone got this sweet little chocolate sample in all their March box, and this flavor is definitely a new favorite of mine since I LOVE dark chocolate, cherries, and almonds—and together? A match made in heaven.
Is anyone else a Birchbox subscriber? What did you guys get in your boxes? PS: Next month I will have $40 in points saved up! What should i buy?
Friday, March 21st, 2014
Estee Lauder makeup bag & travel size cosmetics*
Here’s a tiny peek of what’s currently in one of my many makeup bags… a bunch of Estee Lauder essentials: a travel size Pleasures body lotion and perfume, and lip gloss! Seriously though, this is one of my favorite little makeup bags. The fabric is actually cloth-like and shiny and I LOVE the black & white!
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