#touchinsol – Forty, Flirty & Fabulous

BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review — October 2019

Hey all! I recently received my October BoxyCharm! This month there were so many different variations.

I’ve been subscribed to BoxyCharm for over two years now and really enjoy it. BoxyCharm is now $21 a month for 4-5 beauty items, most of them full-sized. Next month, in November, it increases to $25 a month. The value is supposed to be a little more, though. There is also a new BoxyCharm Premium starting in November. It’s $35 a month for 6-7 products. I haven’t decided if I want to try that one yet. I might cancel my Ipsy Ultimate (review to come), and get that instead.

My version is 39. This month I received:

Touch in Sol Pretty Filter Glassy Skin Balm–($32)
Iconic London Lip Plumping Gloss in Nearly Nude–($26)
Dose of Colors Eyeshadow Palette in Marvelous Mauves–($32)
Tarte Pro Glow Liquid Highlighter in Stunner–($29)
Illuminati Black Cosmetic Sponge–($21)

Total — $140 — great for paying $21!

I am in love with this box! Probably one of the best ones I’ve gotten in a long time. The Touch in Sol balm was the item I chose this month, so I’m excited to use it. I’m already using the lip gloss and it’s beautiful — not sticky at all. I don’t think I’ve noticed plumping, but it’s minty and nice.

I’m really looking forward to trying the Illuminati sponge. I’ve never heard of the brand before, but it’s soft and I wonder how it will feel once wet. I’m going to hold on to it for when I need a fresh sponge.

The only product I may give away is the Tarte highlighter. I don’t really wear liquid highlighter.

My favorite item of the box is definitely the Dose of Colors palette. I’ve been wanting to try one of their 5-pan palettes. Here is a close up of the palette:

So pretty! And the shades are so smooth. Here’s swatches:

All of these shades swatched really nicely. I’m excited to use it!

I’m very happy with my box this month. Next month will be a more expensive box and it’s also supposed to be worth more. I’ve seen a couple of spoilers and it looks like it will be a great box!

Do you get BoxyCharm? What did you get this month?

Ipsy Glam Bag Plus Review — July 2019

Hey all! It’s time for my July Ipsy Glam Bag Plus review! This is a $25 subscription box that will always include 5 full-sized items. And the items included are mostly luxe or higher end items. This is such a great value for the high quality items included.

I enjoy this subscription. Last month was my least favorite month, but I did receive a serum I love. You can see that review here. I was trying to decide if I would keep this subscription or BoxyCharm/BoxyLuxe. Read until the end if you want to see what I decided!

Here’s what I received for July:

Touch in Sol Pretty Filter Waterfall Glow Cream — $34 USD
Huda Beauty 3D Highlighter Palette in Pink Sand — $45 USD
PIXI BY PETRA Glow Mist — $15 USD
Naked Cosmetics 4 Piece Loose Pigment Set — $40 USD (approximate value)
IT Cosmetics Superhero Mascara Elastic Stretch Volumizing Mascara ($24 USD)

The total is $158. Pretty good for paying $25!

I didn’t take close-up photos of all of the products this month, so I’ll give my thoughts on those three. I am excited about the Pixi Glow Mist and Touch in Sol cream. I’ve been enjoying trying new skincare lately. I haven’t tried either of these before.

I have used the IT Superhero mascara many times and really love it! It lengthens and gives lots of volume!

Here’s close-ups of the color cosmetics I received:

I was very excited for this Huda Beauty palette! I haven’t tried Huda’s face products only her eye shadows.

This is so pretty! The highlighters are extremely pigmented. Here’s swatches:

The shades from left to right are Capri which is a cream, then the powders Santorini, Azores and Ibiza. Santorini is the best shade for my normal pale skintone, but with a little tan, the others will work as well! The powders are so creamy and easy to blend. I’m excited to use this more.

These Nake Cosmetics pigments really surprised me, they are gorgeous! They are very shimmery. I have swatches below. They were dry when swatched.

These are stunning! They don’t have names, but the numbers are SN-05, NN-01, SN-04 and SN-02.

When you wet these, they adhere better. Or, you can use a glitter glue. If you do wet them, they are VERY metallic! I like to use pigments every so often. So I will give these a go!

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I am very pleased with this month’s box! Last month was disappointing in that I only liked one product. But I like them all this month!

I’ve decided for now, I’m keeping this subscription and BoxyCharm. I’ve been enjoying some of the products each month from both boxes. I am kind of on product overload, but I am excited to see what products are included this fall and holiday season.

Do you get Ipsy Glam Bag or Glam Bag Plus? What did you get this month?

June 2019 Beauty Favorites

Hi All! June is almost over — we are halfway through 2019! That’s so crazy! 2019 is zipping by.

Here are my beauty faves for June. As usual, If I have reviewed them before, I will include the link, if not, I will link to where you can purchase:

I don’t have a lot of color cosmetic favorites. I’ve been really into making my skin look flawless! Plus, four of the products are from my June BoxyLuxe — The Farmacy serum, the Skin&Co spray, Touch in Sol primer and the Dominique Cosmetics gloss. It was such a great box this month!

These products have helped my skin glow this month! The Farmacy Honeymoon Glow Serum has made my skin look smoother. I use it a few times a week at night for resurfacing.

I use the the L&I Apothecary Rose Facial Toner in the morning and evening after I wash my face. It hydrates and makes my skin glow!

I love setting my makeup with the Skin&Co Roma Truffle Therapy Radiant Dew Mist. It gives a soft glow to the face and some extra skincare benefits while setting my makeup!

I wasn’t sure about the Touch in Sol No Poreblem Prime Essence, but I really love it. I apply it all over and let it set for a few minutes. It helps my skin look smooth and it leaves it a bit tacky, which helps grip the foundation and make it last!

The Moroccanoil Treatment Original was in my June Allure Beauty Box. I haven’t tried it in years. I forgot how nice it is. It smooths my hair without making it greasy and it smells amazing!

I hadn’t tried anything form Dominique Cosmetics, and was excited to try the Dominique Cosmetics Lemonade Lip Gloss. It’s so good! It’s a really gorgeous peachy shade that I have been wearing all the time! It’s so summery. And the formula is hydrating, not sticky.

Last but not least is this gorgeous eyeshadow palette! It’s the Natasha Denona Sunrise Eyeshadow Palette. I’ve only had it for a couple of weeks. It was a birthday gift to myself!

I had to put it in this roundup, because it’s been the palette I have been wanting to use! The quality is so wonderful — it really is a luxe palette!

So that is my June favorites round ups! What did you love in June?

BoxyCharm BoxyLuxe Subscription Box Review — June 2019

Hey all! I received my third BoxyLuxe! I’m so excited! I’ve been a subscriber of BoxyCharm for almost two years. The regular BoxyCharm box is $21 a month. BoxyLuxe is a once-a-quarter upgrade option you can add to your existing $21-a-month Boxycharm subscription. So for an additional $28.99, you’ll get the Luxe items, and be paying a total of $49.99 for that quarterly box.

I saw the spoilers for this box, I just didn’t know what variations I would get.

The theme for this month is Getaway. It’s very skincare and hair care heavy this month. Here’s what I received:

Touch in Sol No Poreblem Prime Essence — $23
Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast – $29
dr. brandt Clean Biotic Cleanser – $35
Skin & Co. Truffle Therapy Refresh Mist — $35
Trestique Good Vibes Mascara – $25
Farmacy Honeymoon Glow Serum – $58
Tarte Tarteist™ PRO Glow Cheek Palette V3 — $45
Dominique Cosmetics Lemonade Lip Gloss – $17
pyt hair Mini Turbo on-the-go Dryer in purple – $85

Total cost for June BoxyLuxe = $352! Wow, great value for paying $50!

I have heard good things about the Living Proof volume spray. My hair is a bit flat, so I am looking forward to trying it! Living Proof is a great brand, too.

The mini hair dryer is adorable, and I’m so glad I got the purple one! Purple is my favorite color. It also could have come in blue, coral, or pink. Any of the shades would have been fun. It is very powerful for a little dryer! Plus, it can switch from 120 volts to 220 volts if you are going overseas!

I love facial sprays! Skincare sprays, primer sprays, setting sprays — yes please!!! I’ve tried this on my bare face and it’s really refreshing. I will be also trying it over my makeup as a setting spray.

The Dr. Brandt cleanser looks really nice. It’s supposed to melt away makeup, which I love! I have a backlog of cleansers, so it will probably be a while before I get to this one, but I will try it.

I have tried the Farmacy Honeymoon Glow Serum. The claim is “A 3-in-1 night serum that resurfaces, hydrates and clarifies dull skin while you sleep, formulated with a 14% AHA/BHA/gentle flower acids blend. Hyaluronic acid and our proprietary honey blend deliver intense hydration. Salicylic acid derived from willow bark helps minimize the appearance of pores.” I didn’t see any improvement in my skin, but I just tried it once. It will use it a few times a week for the next few weeks and see how I like it.

The lip gloss is very nice. Non-sticky and smells like vanilla. The shade is Peach Tea. I have swatched it below.

I have the original No Poreblem primer and really like it for filling my pores. This one is very thin and is supposed to tighten pores. I haven’t tried it yet, but I will. I have lots of open primers, so it might be a bit before I try this. (I’m on product overload)!

The treSique mascara is really a fun idea. It has a curler on the top. I have tried this, because I couldn’t help myself! The curler takes some practice, but it does work. The mascara formula is separating. It’s pretty nice. I have to keep using it and will let you know how much I like it.

I am very excited about this palette! I have the original Pro Glow and like it a lot. That one has highlighters and contours in it. This has blushes, highlighters and bronzers. It is so nice to have all face products that I can use in one palette. I have swatched it (below), but haven’t tried it on my face yet. I have been sick this week, but hope to be trying it soon!

Aren’t these products gorgeous! All of the shades in the palette will work for me, and the highlighters are so beaming! The gloss is pretty, too. They are all perfect for summer!

This is the first month for BoxyLuxe (or regular BoxyCharm) that I am going to keep all of the products!!! Wow! I’m a little bummed that there isn’t more makeup, but the fact I will use everything (even if not right now) is amazing! It’s not a very flashy month, but everything is useful.

I was thinking of canceling BoxyCharm or Ipsy Glam Bag Plus after this month. Well, it won’t be BoxyCharm! That’s for sure! But will I cancel Ipsy? Stay tuned, that review will be next!

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Do you get BoxyLuxe or BoxyCharm at all? What did you think of this month?

March 2019 Beauty Favorites

Hi all! March is almost over! It was a very long month. It was fairly warm towards the end of the month, but it’s snowing today. Yuck!

I have chosen skincare, hair care and makeup for my March favorites. If I have reviewed them, I will link the post.

My favorites this month are:

Briogeo Rosarco Milk Leave in Spray — I received this in my January BoxyCharm. It’s what I use when I air dry my hair. It leaves it so soft and shiny. I have another one on reserve, that I won in a recent giveaway (with the lip products below).

Mamonde Floral Hydro Eye Gel Cream — I have been enjoying this eye gel. It’s fairly light on the eyes and hydrates well. It’s not very quick absorbing, so I use it as an eye treatment. In the morning my eye area is bright and hydrated! But, this has a very strong floral scents, so if you don’t like scented creams, this might not be for you.

Pixi Beauty Milky Tonic — I have just received this and some other Pixi Skintreats a couple of weeks ago for review. I will be doing a full review next weekend. I have already decide I love this. It calms my sensitive skin. I use it after cleansing and it leaves my skin toned and hydrated.

Colourpop It’s My Pleasure Palette — This is from a recent Colourpop haul. This is such a pretty pink and purple palette. To me it leans more pink than purple. I don’t wear a lot of pink eyeshadow, but I have been using the metallics with brown mattes for really wearable looks.

L’Oreal Unlimited Length and Lift Mascara — So, funny story. Last week I left my house to run errands. When I was close to the store, I looked at myself in the rear view mirror and saw I only put mascara on one eye! It was very noticeable. So I pulled in to CVS and chose this one. It’s so nice! I put it on in the car and it matched my other eye nicely (I think I was wearing the Colourpop mascara). I like this one more than the Colourpop mascara. It gives length and volume and you can adjust the wand. I’ve been using it ever since!

These are both by Nudestix. The top one (and right in the swatch), is the Intense Matte lip and cheek in Purity. The left one ( and left in the swatch) is the Gel Color lip and cheek in Rebel. I won these in a recent giveaway (there is a photo of the giveaway products up on Instagram @fortyflirtyfab. Let me know if you’d like me to post it here). Both of these are so nice on the lips. The nude one is mat ant the coral one is more creamy. Both formulas are gorgeous! I will continue to use these during the spring and summer.

Beautyblender Bounce Foundation — I am still loving this foundation that I reviewed a few weeks ago. My shade is 1.50. It’s a fair/light foundation with a cool undertone. It’s a perfect match for me and looks natural, but flawless on.

Touch in Sol No Poreblem Primer — I received this in my February BoxyCharm. I was so excited to try it, because I’ve heard such good things. And…I love it! Just a little goes a long way and it smooths out my skin and prepares it for foundation. I apply sunscreen before primer, and my skin can get a bit greasy. This primer brings that extreme glow down and makes my wrinkles and pores less noticeable. And my foundation looks amazing over it!

What products were you loving in March? Any new discoveries?

BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review — February 2019

Hi all! I received my February BoxyCharm today! I always watch for the spoilers so I basically knew what I am getting. But, I was surprised by a couple of these that I didn’t see spoilers for.

I’ve been subscribed to BoxyCharm for about a year and a half now and really enjoy it. Boxycharm is just $21 a month for 4-5 beauty items, most of them full-sized. It is a nice way to try new makeup and beauty tools.

This month I received:

The two products I didn’t see variation spoilers for are the GrandeLIPS lipstick and the TULA masks. Here are more info on the products I received:

I have been wanting to try this for a while. It is from a Korean beauty brand that I haven’t tried before (I have been loving Korean beauty lately). My pores need to be smoothed and covered, so I am all for this! And I love trying new primers!

I do not enjoy matte liquid lipsticks. They are so uncomfortable and settle in to my lines. But for some reason, I got this and put it right on my lips. It is a semi-matte and is a little drying. But then it starts to tingle, plumps up and my lips looks great! It does look better with a gloss over it. But I was pleasantly surprised!

This shade of highlighter is Glow Up a rose gold. It’s very pretty! This is a very glowy formula. I haven’t decided if the shade is too dark for me yet. I need to wear it out in the sun and see.

Here are swatches of the lippie and highlighter:

The lip color is almost a little light for me, but I wear gloss over it and can change the color a bit. The highlighter is a very pretty shade. I hope it works for me.

I have tried this mascara before. It’s pretty good (I don’t really remember if I liked it or not). I gave my last tube to my daughter. I think I’ll keep this one and try it out once I’m done with the mascaras I am using.

I received 2 packs of 2 masks, so 4 masks total! That’s not bad. These claim to hydrate and plump skin when it needs it most. The citrus extract in this mask will bring the look of luminosity and vibrance to dull, tired skin.

That sounds really nice, and I do want to try them. But I haven’t even used my Tatcha masks from last months box! (You can see my January box here).

So, I think this is my first BoxyCharm every that I am going to use all of the products! I will at least try them before passing them on. The product I’m most excited about is the primer. But I will at least try everything else. So this box is a win!

Do you get BoxyCharm? What did you get in your box this month?