samples Archives - Twenty Something Plus

April 13, 2016

#MAKEYourself

Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links.

MAKE Beauty is one of my top ten makeup brands. They make my absolute favorite lip gloss, plus they are all about collaboration. They select makeup artists and expert artisans to help inspire their color palettes. If you don’t already, you really should be doing your homework on the brands you use.

If you don't already, you really should be doing your homework on the brands you use. Click To Tweet

When I like a brand as much as I do MAKE Beauty, even if I’ve tried a product or two before, I usually want to try their entire line. Financially that isn’t a possibility, so I literally pounced on the opportunity to sample their Matte Finish Eyeshadow in Alabaster and Silk Cream Lipstick in Taffy.

Lighter shades aren’t typically my thing, but I am totally digging these for spring. The samples may look tiny, but they pack a lot of punch!

The full size versions cost $25 each. They also have a $10 sample kit that includes two eyeshadows and a lip color, and a percentage of their sales is donated to their non-profit partner, We See Beauty Foundation.

If you’re interested in giving MAKE Beauty a try, use the code MAKEYOURSELF for 20% off sitewide! (This code is only valid until this Friday.)

February 29, 2016

Birchbox Lip Sync Kit

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Apparently, in addition to Black History Month, February is also (unofficially) lipstick month.

Or something like that…

I almost missed the memo, but Birchbox didn’t and even had a lip product themed add-on option.

I don’t do add-ons very often, but decided to for my February Birchbox and it was such a good life choice!

The Lip Sync Kit included four lip colors (two of which are full size), a lip pencil and a lip scrub. $68 worth of products for only $30.

Laura Geller New York Lip Strip Smoothing Sugar Scrub | $16

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar Liquid Lipstick in Strumpet | $16

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso | $24

ModelCo Lip Enhancer Illusion Lip Liner | $20

POP Beauty Matte Velvet Lipstix Trio in Satin Rose | $24

IPKN Twinkle Lips in Glow Pink | $18

From left to right: ModelCo, OCC, POP Beauty, Stila, IPKN

After attempting to do a 5 Day Lipstick Challenge that didn’t go as smoothly as I’d planned. I’m going to try again with One Woman Style’s 30 Day Lipstick Challenge, starting tomorrow.

I highly doubt that I’ll do all 30 days, but I don’t really intend to. My goal is to challenge myself to wear lipstick a little more often, instead of just hoarding lip colors. Including the ones in the Lip Sync Kit.

August 4, 2015

My 5 Favorite Birchbox Samples (So Far)

I cannot believe how quickly time is flying by! We are more than half way through the year, which means that I am half way through my 2015 Birchboxes.

So far, here are my favorite Birchbox samples:

Dr. Jart’s Dermaclear Micro Water really outdid itself. My expectations were serious shattered.

Just when I thought my obsession with Macadamia Professional could not get any worse, I get their Nourishing Moisture Oil Treatment, and I can’t even. The sample size was pretty big (I got this in May and still have some left), and it really helps my hair feel soft and look shiny!

Derma e is a brand I LOVE. Their products are ones of amazing quality and that I trust. If I sample one of their products, it will be one of my top picks. In February I got the Anti-Wrinkle Vitamin A Glycolic Scrub and in March I samples the Evenly Radiant Brightening Day Crème with SPF 15. Not only did I love them both, but the make the perfect pair!

It’s no secret that true beauty lovers can never have enough makeup. That being said, I had never tried baked blush because I didn’t see the point. I would have rather have every single Naked palette. I did not know what I was missing. I wear this Laura Geller Beauty’s Baked Blush-n-Brighten pretty much every day.

I feel like I have to at least give an honorable mention to the Marcelle eyeliner I just received in June, mostly because I really love the color.

I haven’t gotten my August Birchbox just yet (two words: Nicole Richie), but I’ll be sharing my July samples very soon!

May 15, 2015

Borrowed from the Boy: Birchbox Man

One year, for the manfriend’s birthday, I made the mistake of getting him a one year subscription to Birchbox Man.

For obvious reasons, I adore Birchbox, but my low maintenance gaming partner? Not so much…

Occasionally, when Andrew did decide to try a sample, he’d like it and stick with it. He’s a product loyalist like that. When his box had a cool tech product he was happy, but that was as frequent as he would have liked.

He was much more pleased when I learned my lesson and got him Loot Crate the following year.

His samples haven’t gone to waste, I found his stash and have been trying some of them. One month he got the same Vasanti exfoliator that I’ve sampled twice now, the second time by choice. I told him how much I liked it and thought he’d love it. He never even tried it. Yonk!

The exfoliator wasn’t the only product offered in both the men’s and women’s shops…

The smell of this shower gel (that also has a matching body lotion) is euphoric. He missed out.

A face and body wash? Don’t mind if I do!

With my short and now straight hair, I thought why not try some of his hair product samples. So glad that I did, I found two that I use and keep in my purse!

Majority of the products that he’d received were beard grooming products. He had the beard, and groomed it, but found one cream he liked and that was that. I was talking to a friend about it and she told me I should use the shaving cream too. I have yet to, but that’s now the plan.

Do you have any products that you borrow from your boy? If so, tell me what in the comments! Want more info on any of these products? Just let me know.

March 12, 2015

My March Birchbox

Guess what I got!?

My March Birchbox. No surprises there. Once again, despite the fact that I said I wouldn’t, I decided to select the feature box this month. There wasn’t a guest curator, but there was a theme.

Beauty Solutions!

Products that are the answers to some of our biggest beauty blunders…

What made me change my mind?

Well, honestly the blush. It’s baked, and I had yet to try a baked blush and wanted to know what the hype was all about. Let’s just say, Laura Geller Beauty’s Baked Blush-n-Brighten in Pink Grapefruit is my new favorite blush.

It also didn’t hurt that there was a derma e product again this month. Still can’t get enough! And paired with the derma e product from my box last month, perfect combo. My travel bag has never been happier!

Not everyone gets their monthly subscription box one the same day. So, after seeing a comment on Facebook about the smell of the Whish body butter, I was worried I would hate it. Delightfully, to me, it smells like almond scented anything else and I really enjoy it. It’s now a staple in my handbag, and I have yet another item added to my list of things to save my Birchbox points up for.

I’d never heard of Dear Clark and since discovering Ubuntu oils, I’ve been pretty loyal. However, I started running low, so giving this hair tonic a try will be happening, just not quite yet.

Usually, when I get a smaller sized sample, I am left feeling slightly cheated and a little disappointed. I’ve learned that with Supergoop! a little bit goes a very long way, so I don’t mind as much. I’ve tried this eye cream before, and I think I may still have some left from the last time I got a sample.

Is there anything from my March Birchbox that you’d want to try? Anything you already use? Let me know in the comments!

February 9, 2015

My February Birchbox

When I say that I can’t get enough of the Birchbox monthly featured editor curated boxes, I mean that I CAN NOT GET ENOUGH of the Birchbox monthly featured editor curated boxes.

For my February Birchbox I selected the Rent the Runway curated box and I am seriously so freaking glad that I did!

First, the box alone is just GORGEOUS. It really is all in the details.

After getting to try a few derma e products at Simply Stylish in NYC this past year, I discovered that I can’t get enough of the brand and their product was the main reason I decided to go with the Rent the Runway box.derma e Anti-Wrinkle Vitamin A Glycolic Scrub | $12.75

I am so in love with the Fekkai Glossing Cream that I am über excited to try their dry shampoo.

Fekkai Blowout Hair Refresher Dry Shampoo | $20

Not Soap, Radio makes amazing smelling body washes and shower gels. Plus, the scent names are super original and too funny!

Not Soap, Radio Body Wash in The stuff that Cupid dips his arrows in | $16

And I can never have too much makeup…

Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner in Raina | $11
theBalm cosmetics Read My Lips Lip Gloss in BAM! | $15

This month’s box is definitely one of my top favorites!

Excited to see what they’ve got in store for next month!

Want in? Sign up here.

January 16, 2015

My January Birchbox

I was not the least bit surprised by the contents of my Birchbox this month.

Why not?
Because I selected the Relax & Recharge box.

Tea, a deep conditioning mask, eye cream? This was truly the perfect box to start off the year.

This weekend I’m planning a little at home spa session, and the samples I got are perfect for just that!

When Travelmate Sheet Mask | $28

Teapigs Tea Temples | $10

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask | $26

Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream | $38

Perlier Intensive Nurturing Body Balm | $28.45*

Manna Kadar Lip Locked in All of Me**| $24

I’m still waiting on my Birchbox Plus add-ons, so stay tuned!

*When I saw the price my first thought was, um random much? But, hey at least it’s under $30!
**Not in love with the color, but intrigued enough to want to try the same product in a different shade. Perhaps Siren or maybe Pino Noir?

April 21, 2014

My April Birchbox

I promised that all my posts wouldn’t be about Birchbox, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not going to share about my monthly Birchbox!

This month’s Birchbox theme is Rainy Days. And even though Vermont has been seeing more snow showers than rain, in my book (and Birchbox’s…I asked on Twitter and they said yes) it still counts!

While I really liked everything in my Birchbox this month, I was particularly excited about the Color Club Art Duo Pen. I got it in black and plan to use my points to purchase in white.

Do you have a Birchbox subscription? What was your favorite product in your Birchbox this month?

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@20somethingplus

March 30, 2014

Twenty Something Giveaway

This weekend I went to my home state, Connecticut, to spend time with family. And by spend time with, I mean two of my siblings and I signed up for a Spartan Workout.

The three of us had signed up for this event months ago, but about a week ago I found out that there was also going to be a Sephora VIB Rouge event going on at the same time.

I wanted to go to both.

So, even though I was informed that I could not eat my cake and have it too, I was luckily able to plan it out perfectly. got to quickly pop into the Sephora event and still make it in time for the Spartan Workout. I also managed to snag a few freebies and since I already happened to have some extras, I wanted to share my good fortune, so I am holding my first ever GIVEAWAY!

Nothing too major (sorry, I’m not big time…yet), but if you win you get twenty something, 25 to be exact, samples and a Sephora makeup bag.

To enter, you must like my Facebook page, follow me on Instagram and Twitter, and comment on this blog post once you’ve done all three. For an additional entry, you can share on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook with the hashtag #20somethingplusgiveaway. Don’t have one of the above? Subscribe to the blog instead! There are no official rules or anything like that, but you have from April 1 – April 14 to enter the, winner will be selected at random and announced on April 15.

UPDATE: Congrats to the winner Shayna Clavin!

March 13, 2014

I’m On YouTube!

Ok, so please keep in mind that I am just experimenting with YouTube and and by no means proclaiming to be a vlogger.

For now I am only sharing a few videos (really slide shows) that I have made using the Flipagram app. Nothing too fancy! Eventually I’ll step up my game, but not yet.

I have already uploaded two videos, one of them is of my March Birchbox!