Box Review 2019

January 24, 2019

**For $15 off your fist box use code CHICKSANDSALSA15 or ANNUAL20 for $20 off your annual subscription**

I have shared before that I live in a pretty small town…that being said I have found a few fun work arounds to getting my hands on fun and trendy products. The first one of course is Amazon, thank GOD for Amazon. Another fun way to get some unexpected and exciting products is with subscriptions boxes. We have featured boxes before like here and here. Today we are super excited to pick apart the Box of Style curated by Rachel Zoe. Where are my BRAVO fans at?? Rachel Zoe’s iconic style of simple clothes with statement jewelry was always a favorite. Her attitude as well as style made The Rachel Zoe Project the hit that it was.

I have always been an accessories girl as you can see here and here. A box of products picked by Rachel herself sounds like perfection and once you see what all came in this box, you will see why it is a great deal and a whole lot of fun to get OR give as a gift. Let’s break down the value and then take a peek inside.

Box Of Style Cost: $100

Whats Inside:

$80 – Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum

$150 – Jules Kae Vegan Leather Tote

$80 – Ettika Tassel Necklace (Box of Style Exclusive)

$20 – Tarte Sex Kitten Liquid Liner

$115 – Eddie Borgo Watch in Rose Gold

So as you can see you are getting $395 worth of HIGH END products for $100 – pretty awesome! To learn more about membership, click here.

So lets get into what is in this seasons box!

Caudalie Radiance Serum

This product retails for $80 at Sephora. This serum is a highly concentrated, natural, oil-free serum that combats dark spots, evens skin tone, and boosts radiance—and has been proven to be 62 times more effective than vitamin C. But don’t take my word for it, take it from the 2000+ four star reviews they have on the site.

Jules Kae Vegan Leather Tote

This box came in this beautiful faux leather bag in my current favorite color BLUSH! With Digital Chicks keeping me busy and a laptop and camera always in my bag, this one came just in time to help me get around in style.

Ettika Tassel Necklace – See Her Whole Collection Here

This is one of the BEST necklaces I have gotten of late. Layered necklaces are all the rage and when you rock multiples you risk getting tangled up! This beauty attaches to one claps keeping the layers clean and perfect all day long. I have already gotten so many compliments on this one, so if you are on the market check it out. This one was made specifically for the Box of Style, but she has a similar style for sale for less than $50 here.

Tarte Sex Kitten Liquid Eyeliner

I’ve been having a Tarte moment lately as you can see here. This liquid liner is not just cute, but it is also great! I tried out the tip on my hand and the lines were still on there the next morning! That is the kind of stay power I want out of my eyeliner. Once you get your liner on, check out my video on getting your falsies on perfect every time (its magic!)

Eddie Borgo Soho Watch in Rose Gold

If you are like me I rarely buy a statement watch, but if I get my hands on one I am more than happy to rock it! This watch goes with my current blush aesthetic and gives my #OOTD that extra touch. I love it!

I hope you enjoyed this review. This subscription is a little treat to myself this year and gives me a little something extra to look forward to every couple of months.

As always, thanks for stopping by Chicks And Salsa!

Cheers,

Rina

Beauty, Lifestyle

How to Use Purple Shampoo With Highlights

January 22, 2019

Listen up brunettes! I love to dye my hair, and have been highlighting and dying it for several years. In college I was always on a mission to find the cheapest hairdresser. This usually meant that I wasn’t going to spend any extra money on specialized shampoos. Of course, as the saying goes….”as you get older you also get wiser.” I’ve often heard my hairdressers of yesteryear and today talk about using specialized shampoos to neutralize yellows, but I have blissfully ignored them. Shame on me!

Feeling great with fresh looking highlights!

Let me explain, I am of Indian decent, I have naturally dark brown to almost black hair. I have always loved playing with the color of my hair to change up my look. I have gone from partially blonde, to just highlighted, back to my original color, to completely blonde. In all of those transitions I have never bought a specialized shampoo to neutralize the yellows that appear when you bleach and then dye your hair.

The last treatment I did, I went from a blonde balayage back to almost my original color by transitioning to darker low lights. My hairdresser had suggested that I use a purple shampoo. My original thought in my head was “are you crazy!” I was afraid that putting purple on a lighter color on dark hair would turn the light parts purple, but boy was I wrong! Truly, it depends on what kind of look you’re going for. Transitioning back to my original hair color from blonde, I wanted to keep my darker color looking semi-natural. The purple shampoo made my hair less bronze and kept a very subtle light highlight on my dark hair. I absolutely love my results, and cannot stress more the importance of using a purple shampoo if this is the look you’re trying to achieve. I’m just trying to save you the time and energy, get the purple shampoo if your hairdresser recommends that, you won’t regret it!

Your Chick,
Sonia

Chick Picks:

Beauty

Do Not Spend Money On These 5 Beauty Products in 2019!

December 19, 2018

Sometimes we have a tendency to ONLY share things that we love on the blog. This past year, Chicks And Salsa, as a platform, had allowed us to be exposed to and try so many beauty products that I could not help but do a write up on things that I will NOT be buying in the new year. I love trying new things and sharing my thoughts on them but once in a while I slip up and buy something without looking at reviews and regret it. It brings me no pleasure at all to say anything negative about companies that have great collections beyond these products, but if I can save you an average of $20 this year – I am cool with it.

Buy This: Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
Not This: NYX Cosmetics Mascara

I have used this Too Faced product for YEARS but felt frisky one day and decided to grab for something new and boy did I regret it. The NYX Doll Eye wand is flimsy and the ‘brush bristles’ are soft so the lashes don’t separate as well as they do with my go to mascara. I won’t be making this mistake again anytime soon.

Buy This: Laura Mercier Hydrating Foundation Primer
Not This: Farsali Unicorn Essence

This one pains me to share because I literally love Farah Dhukai and have followed her rise to Insta-stardom over the past 7 or so years. But other than the fact that this product “looks cool” or is “fun to apply” –if you wear full coverage make up it literally does nothing for you. Instead grab for the Laura Mercier Hydrating Foundation Primer which really gets into the creases of your face, truly priming you skin for a smooth foundation application. If you are going to layer up, consider skipping the Farsali Unicorn Tears just sayin’.

Buy This: Tarte Shape Tape Concealer
Not This: MAC Select Cover Up Concealer

I have been loyal to MAC Cosmetics since high school but I did not realize until recently that the yellow undertones were making me look –well — yellow! I have spent the last two years on the hunt for a great concealer and think that I have finally jumped on the bandwagon with Tarte. See my picture below with MAC vs Tarte in the under eye coverage. MAC you are my heart, but this one goes to Tarte. (Also note: my micro-bladed eyebrows still look pretty good six months later!)

Buy This: The MORPHE 3502 Eye Shadow Palette
Not This: NYX Warm Neutrals Shadow Palette

Shop Morphe eyeshadows pretty much instead of EVERYTHING else if you are into eye shadows that pop. Eye shadows are NOT what they used to be, and as an owner and user of ALL THREE naked palettes I was speechless when I discovered the Morphe collections that are so bold, they need little to no layering. Get glammed up with this palette any time,any day. For a more natural finish, I still prefer the Urban Decay Naked palettes (The Second One is my fave). But if you are going to invest in a palette get more bang for your buck with a brand that has literally thousands of five star reviews.

Buy This: Burts Bees Lipstick
Not This: Neutrogena Hydration Lipsticks

Although I am truly obsessed with Neutrogena products (as you can see here and here), these clean make up lipsticks have ZERO stay power. They look and feel great, but only last five minutes—what is the point?! Burts Bees offers a glamorous and affordable alternative that is oh so worth it. It is creamy and smooth and offers up to 8 hours of color!

I know I don’t usually blog about beauty, but I did feel like I HAD to say something. Do you all agree with me on some of these? Is there something else you recommend? Let me know, I’d love to hear it!

Your Chick

Rina

Chick Picks:

Beauty, Health, Lifestyle

How I Whitened My Teeth! #GiveawayAlert

October 3, 2018

I was so excited to partner with Smile Brilliant. I wasn’t really in the market for any teeth whitening products, but when they came my way: why not, right!?

I’m very weary when it comes to using products on my teeth (and even my skin/body in general). I did some research and found that the ingredients are vegan and that’s right up my alley. And I’ve tried those whitening strips but never really notice that much of a result. I have pretty good teeth overall and didn’t want to use something that would make them sensitive. The desensitizing gel was what I loved and made me want to try it in the first place!

Home Teeth Whitening

How it works:

Smile Brilliant sends over a dental impression kit, which includes: catalyst paste & base paste. The impression process is pretty easy and self-explanatory. Once you make the impressions, let them dry, and then mail them out in the smile brilliant package they send you (it’s pre-paid!).

You then received your custom fitted whitening trays within a couple weeks. They keep you updated on when they receive your impressions and when they have shipped your trays out. Overall pretty simple process in the comfort of your home.

When do you notice a difference?

I noticed a difference after the first application. After the 4th application my teeth looked amazing!

The actual process for the one-hour teeth whitening takes a bit of time: closer to 75-80 minutes. I always did it after I put the kids to bed and I could just sit and read or watch TV. One hour for the tray, 20 minutes for the desensitizing gel, and then waiting 30 minutes after to eat or drink. I would just go to bed after so never had to worry about not eating.

Why would you want to go to a dental office, spend a ton of money and time when you can do the same exact thing at home in your PJS and its way more economical.

Want to try it out??? Get your set free by clicking here and be

entered into our #Giveaway!

Thanks for checking out my post!

Your Chick,

Neema

**The post was written in exchange for the products shared, however the opinions are all my own.**

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