W3LL People Bio Correct Multi-Action Concealer: When a Product You Like Does You Wrong

W3LL People is a brand that I really want to like but have had mixed experiences with.  I want to like it because of the company ethos and their focus on natural ingredients.  I've got mixed emotions because out of the 3 products I've tried from them, only one has worked form me - their Expressionist mascara, which I also received from Birchbox.

The Bio Correct Multi-Action Concealer in Light ($22.99) came in my May Birchbox, which I never got around to posting about.  Bio Correct actually started off on a really good foot as it packs some serious pigment and a little goes a long way.  I used it to conceal dark spots and blemishes on my face, and I was happily chugging along until a few weeks later when I noticed a larger than normal amount of blemishes on my face.

Hmm.  My skin had been looking pretty darn good prior to this outbreak, so I had to take stock and figure out what was different.  I also noticed that the blemishes were in more than one location.  They were on my chin, the left side of my face, my forehead....oh wait, pretty much all the places I had been using the Bio Correct concealer for the last few weeks.

Now, determining what causes an outbreak is not really an exact science, but I quit using the concealer and my skin cleared up, so I'm pretty sure it was the culprit.  And that makes me sad, because I liked it.  I liked the ingredients, but something obviously did not like me in return:

Caster Isostearate Beeswax Succinate, Coco-Caprylate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isononyl Isononanoate, Glyceryl Dibehenate, Silica, Isostearyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Glyceryl Behenate, Butylene Glycol Cocoate, Ethylcellulose, Alaria Esculenta Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceral Undecylenate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ceramide NG, Palmitoyl Hexapaptide 12, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Seed Oil, Punica Gerantum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Oil*, Water Camellia Oleifera (Green Tea) Leaf Extract*, Glycerin, Ginsing Root Extract*, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract*, Chamomila Recutita (Matricaris) Flower Extract*, Algae Extract*, Trihydroxystearin, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthum Gum, triethoxycaprylylsilane, Tribehenin. [+/- Titanium, Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI77492, 77491, 77499)] *Certified Organic

I plugged the ingredients into CosDNA, and most of them returned a non-offending low score of 1, but Cocos Nucifera Oil (coconut oil) brought back a score of 4 for acne.  So maybe that's the culprit.  Obviously, everyone's skin is different so Bio Correct could work like a charm for you.  I've gone back to my trusty Estee Lauder for now.

Birchbox for CEW Prestige Headliners Box

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

Friday I showed you the contents of the Birchbox for CEW Mass Appeal box, and today I have the Prestige Headliners Beauty Collection box ($18).

This box featured 7 different items, most of them sample sized with the exception of the Nudestix lip pencil.  Let's take a look!

I've received the Coola Fresh Mango suncreen before in another Birchbox, and I do remember liking it more for body use than on my face.  Nice scent.

A quick sniff of the Fekkai Creme Vanillee hair fragrance mist/primer ($5) was pleasant, although I've yet to use it to test out the static control and shine claims.

I'm kind of ho-hum regarding GlamGlow products.  I've tried several, and haven't been wowed enough to want to invest.  Maybe these will change my mind.

Nudestix's Cheek and Lip pencil in Blush was the sole full-sized product.  I was initially disappointed that the color seemed so similar to the Burt's Bee's Sedona Sands contained in the Mass Appeal box, but side-by-side swatches showed Sedona Sands leaning more pink to Blush's terracotta tone.    I've yet to try this as a blush, and I'm so so on it as a lip color.

Next is the They're Real! push-up liner from Benefit.  I've had a sample of this laying around somewhere for months, need to give it a whirl.  I'm just not that big on black eyeliner though.

An item I'm more excited about is the Marula Pure Beauty Facial Oil.  This will be the perfect travel size to take on my next trip to an as yet unknown destination.

I think I got this box more because of the $5 discount if you bought both the Mass Appeal and Prestige boxes together, plus I was able to use a 20% off discount code, which brought my total cost for both boxes down to $21.60.  Hard to pass up!  Both boxes are still available if anything appeals to you.

Birchbox for CEW Mass Appeal Beauty Collection Box

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

Birchbox has their CEW Mass Appeal and Prestige Beauty Collections boxes for sale now, and I decided to get both of them.  Today I'm featuring the Mass Appeal box, which is actually my favorite of the two (I think).  At least, it's the one I've been pulling items from the most to use this past week, in particular the Olay Regenerist Luminous Eye cream.  I like!

The CEW Mass Appeal box ($15) features six items available from most drugstores, with four them being full-sized!

Burt’s Bees® Lip Crayon in Sedona Sands ($9) – Full size

Cetaphil® Gentle Skin Cleansing Cloths ($2.99) – 10-Pack

LANEIGE Water Sleeping Mask ($5.75) – Sample size

Olay™ Regenerist Luminous Dark Circle Correcting HydraSwirl™ Eye Cream ($28.99) – Full size

Rimmel Scandaleyes Rockin' Curves ($4.79) – Full size

Simple® Skincare Ultra-Light Gel Moisturizer ($11.79) – Full size

The only items I haven't tried yet are the Rimmel Scandaleyes Rockin' Curves and the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleansing Cloths.  I was initially 'ho-hum' regarding the Burt's Bee's Sedona Sands lip pencil, but I think it looks pretty good on and the wear was comfortable, so overall I'm really pleased with this box!  The stated value is $68, but my calculations based on some online sites was $63.31 - still a really good deal.

June Birchbox: Say Yes!

June's Birchbox them was Say Yes! to adventure:  exploring the unknown, dreaming beyond the horizon, and letting go of the word "no".  Sounds good to me, although I have zero intention of scuba diving with sharks or anything like that. 

The contents of my June box have got me feeling pretty good though.  The first item, the Number 4 Super Comb Prep & Protect leave-in hair conditioner (sample value $4.80) is actually a favorite of mine and I had just finished the last bottle I had, also from Birchbox (I cancelled my original Birchbox subscription and resubscribed, hence the repeats).  I've enjoyed all the N4 hair products I've tried, really nice line.

Word on the street is that the travel-sized Marcelle eye pencils were last minute fill-ins for the detained by customs Eyeko Fat Liners that were supposed to be in June's box.  I received a stunning peacock blue called Electric Blue (sample value $7.33), and I'm liking both the color and the formula, as I had zero smudging/transfer on my upper lid

The Coola SPF50  sunscreen/moisturizer in Fresh Mango (sample value $3.20) does indeed have a nice tropical fruit scent that I'll be using on my hands.  I like the texture/consistency and the high SPF, and need something to protect my hands when I'm driving.  Love the organic/natural ingredient list.

I've received the Real Chemistry Luminous 3-minute Peel (sample value $4.80) before as well, but had only used it once.  I tried it again and am not really sure what to think at this point.  This acid-free peel does indeed form little balls when I rub it on my face, but I've always suspected products like this of doing that no matter what you rub them on.  I read somewhere (Unboxing Beauty's blog, I believe) that you can test it by rubbing it on a flat non-skin surface so I tried it on a plate and it did not ball up.  So, I'll keep using my two tubes for a more informed impression. 

I'm looking forward to trying the Shiseido Ibuki Gentle Cleanser (sample value $1.20), especially now that I've finished most of the cleansers I've been rotating (you can see those here). 

The red Emi Jay hair tie (sample value $3) is a nice little extra, and maybe my hair will be long enough again to wear it some day.  Also included in every box this month was a code to enter that could win you prizes or discount codes  Mine was a 20% discount code, which I used along with points to get the Juara Coffe & Creme Skin Smoothing Body Ritual set ($49) for free (review here). 

The total box value for June was $24.33, and I'm a happy Birchbox camper:-)

March Birchbox: Another Solid Month!

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

My March Birchbox pleases me on several levels, from the pretty box to the mixture of new to tried and true brands, to the items themselves.  Let's take a closer look!

I haven't tried the Rita Hazan Root Concealer in Dark Blonde yet, but it's definitely an item I could use.  I color my hair about every 3 weeks, and that last week usually has visible roots that bug me.  Looking forward to trying this baby out and happy it's the right color.  Sample value is $12.50, as this is half of the size of the full sized. 

Jelly Pong Pong in Ibiza is a gel-based liquid highlighter that is 80% water.  I like to mix liquid highlighters with my foundation, which provides a subtle glow without looking overly shimmery.  Ibiza has worked well with the foundations I tried it with, and it will join my highlighter rotation now.  This item is full sized and is worth $12.75.

Next is a rosemary eucalyptus body creme from Elite Therapeutics, a new to me brand.  With a 70% organic ingredient base, I'm liking how this sounds, although I've yet to try it.  Sample value is $1.18. 

I also received a product I've purchased on my own in the past, Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant.  Honestly though, I don't use mine much, as it leaves a residue on my skin that I find off putting.  In theory it should be perfect for my oily and congested skin, so I'll revisit this just to make sure I haven't rushed to judgement.  *I did use it the last two nights, and my skin looked better in the morning.  Night time use solves the residue issue, as I can live with that overnight.  Sample value is $6.50. 

Last up is a clarifying shampoo ($3.76) and hair reconstructing masque ($2.84) from Number 4 Hair Care.  I've liked all of the N4 products I've received thus far from Birchbox, it seems like a solid brand.  I needed a clarifying shampoo (I've been know to use dish washing liquid to remove product buildup, not kidding), and after one use I'd say this one does the job.

The total value of my March Birchbox is $39.53, another solid month from Birchbox!