Kara's Way: June Box

I actually didn't get a box this month however I did help pack some of this month's box and I got a chance to try out most of the products. Some of the reviews for the elements in the box have been posted already however I'll do a quick overview of what arrived in the June edition of this box.

You get 5 items and of which four of them are full size: the mascara, the eye shadow stick, the eye cream and the lip balm. I did not get the lip balm as I have a lot of those already, so from my review, that will be the only part that is missing. The final item is a sample of a cream and while some people got the day cream by Naturelle d'Argan and others got the Olivenol Skin Solutions Moisturizer. I got the Naturelle d'Argan day cream.

Source Defense Day Cream by Naturelle d'Argan
Product Pricing: Retail for a full size is $34.99, you get 2 small samples.
Thoughts: I've been using this one for a while now and overall I like the texture and feel of it. My skin tends to be either too oily or too dry depending on what it feels like doing and overall it has reacted well to this day cream. At times it feels a bit too greasy (if I'm applying just before I'm putting on makeup) but overall it keeps my skin at a happy medium. I do think it's a bit too oily for my face at times so I end up using it as a hand moisturizer from time to time and for that purpose, it works out very well.

Sante Naturkosmetik Mascara Endless Lashes № 03
Original Review: Feeling a bit Rosy
Product Price: You receive a full size which retails for $25.99.
Thoughts: If you've seen my original post then you know that this is one of my favourites. I really weirdly love the scent of mascara and something about wearing a natural mascara makes me feel better (especially considering how often I wear mascara). It's buildable, lasts for a whole day, doesn't flake, and overall is a strong performer in terms of a mascara.

Sante Naturkosmetik Eyeshadow Pencils in Olive № 05
Product Price: You receive a full size which retails for $16.99.
Thoughts: Well, I'm brown so I'm very happy I didn't get Coffee № 08 because that would not have shown up on me at all. Not saying that the green colour does either however it does add a bit of shimmer to my eyes and kind of brightens up the area a bit which leaves me pretty happy with it's overall performance.

100% Pure Organic Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream
Product Price: You receive a sample size of .50 Oz and the full size is 1 Oz which retails for $19.
Thoughts: Weirdly enough (or maybe not so weirdly) I had been pining over the 8 Piece Fruit Pigmented Color Collection so maybe Kara's Way felt my distinct need to try something from this company.

Anyhow, I don't really use eye creams in the traditional way that you should be using eye creams. I use it to moisturize my eyes after I take off any eye makeup so I don't use it for the reduction of puffiness or dark circles (or for whatever other reason that you might use them). My eyes dry out after I put on makeup so if I don't put on moisturizer (at night) after taking off my makeup then my eyelids will be ashy and very white the next day. That being said, I can't attest to dark circles or puffiness, since I never really had a problem with that stuff before. I was still excited to try this though because I've been using Avon Anew Retroactive Repair Eye Serum for just about forever now (yes, it's still discontinued, I just happened to find a bottle in my stash hidden away).

Right off the bat, I love the scent and the texture. It's a creamy buttery coffee scented lotion that I love wearing. I even started wearing it in the morning now just because I love the scent. As I mentioned I don't notice much of a difference but that is because I never really had major issues in the first place. But I do love this and would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a moisturizing eye cream.

Feeling a bit Rosy

Physicians Formula is a huge weak spot for me but as you may have noticed, I don't have much luck with their items. That doesn't stop me though (as you might have noticed) so this time, I decided that I was going to try something different. I was going to try the blush. Now I've been doing a Project 10 Pan, but I figured... why not? I finally did hit pan on my current blush and I really, really wanted to try a new blush. So I sprang for the pH Matchmaker because the concept intrigues me and I got the bonus pack so I got a small lip gloss as well. 

With the pH Matchmaker line, the whole idea is that they have a Fluorescein based dye that "senses the pH level of your skin & adjusts within 60 seconds" along with Photochronic Powders which are "light adjusting pigments adapt to your environment so color looks the same indoors & outside." (All quotes are directly from the PF website.) This is why the idea intrigues me; something that changes and can match me? Wonderful concept, but I wondered about the execution.

The pH Matchmaker blush I got was in the colour Rose and the lip gloss (you can see a close up of some of the labels here) and the first impressions of the packaging was that is was ridiculously cute and convenient. It is a bit flimsy as the base with the blush lifts up and has a small storage for the brush underneath the pan, but overall good package. I do wonder about the longevity of the lights that are by the mirror so I am a bit paranoid about accidentally leaving it on.

The lip gloss is also incredibly cute with a small mirror along the side. The top has a button that activates the light as well. Same fears about the battery life apply here as well. What you're also seeing in that picture is a natural mascara from Sante, but let's take one product at a time.

The Blush: I was really excited to try it but given my failure with previous PF products in the past, I was also very hesitant. I was ridiculously excited though to see how the colour changed. Well, as I applied it, I wasn't sure if I was just building up the colour or if it really was changing to match me. Either way I got this beautiful rosy colour that just looked amazing. I wasn't a fan of the shimmer but overall it looked gorgeous and I fell in love with it.

I took several photos but I was unable to get a good shot of the blush. It blends in very well with my skin tone though!

The Lip Gloss: Sure, it looks pink inside the tube and it looks pink on the applicator, but as I was putting it on, it just looked clear (which I expect). What I did not expect was that rosy change into a beautiful deep pink. Heck, I don't even like pink all that much but I loved this rosy look I was getting out of the two products.


The Mascara: I haven't really said much about this mascara. I've had it around for a while but never got around to using it. This mascara hails from Germany and is a certified natural cosmetic. The picture to the left is a shot of the mascara comb (sorry, I know it's blurry) and it's in black. For reference this is the Mascara Endless Lashes № 03 by Sante Naturkosmetik.

Out of the tube, I loved the shape of this brush and I will admit that at first, I wasn't that thrilled with the initial swipe. It didn't really stand out however, on second swipe, I realized that this mascara was completely buildable. By 3-4 passes, I got these beautiful lashes, comparable to how my tarte mascara works. I was pretty pleased with it -- I haven't seen how well it holds up for 8 hours but at the 4 hour mark, it was still holding up incredibly well.

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Product: Physicians Formula pH Powered Blush in Rose
Price: $12.95
Would Recommend? Yes!
Takeaway: Gives a lovely glow. I'm not sure how well it works in terms of matching my pH but it gives an immediate glow and is a fantastic shade of pink.

Product: Physicians Formula pH Powered Lip Gloss in Pink
Price: $9.95
Would Recommend? Yes!
Takeaway: I was hesitant at first but it changes into a deep pink which is just wonderful, especially when paired with the blush.

Product: Sante Naturkosmetik Mascara Endless Lashes № 03 
Price: $25.99
Would Recommend? Yes! Especially if you're looking for a natural mascara.
Takeaway: Love how well this works -- it's on par with a lot of my mascaras that I swear by.