April Birchbox (sorry)... and, as always, hoping things will get better.

I swear it's always one thing after another with me & I'm always wondering, "When will the madness end?" I started this post back in April and here we are in June.  I have yet to start my reviews of my May Birchbox also.

Work has been keeping me on my toes and I like my shift but I am still adjusting.  Having a weekday off is good because I have been making as many doctor appointments as I can on those days, which I have many of, and that keeps me from missing work if they are available then.  Yet I feel like I am still catching up with things like errands on the weekend day off.  It feels like no matter what task I do in my free time that I am losing out on all the other millions of things I need, or want, to do that I'm not getting done.  Just thinking about it exhausts me.

Besides work I just found out last week that I have Lumbar Radiculopathy and need to start physical therapy to keep it from getting worse.  My cat Milton, who had surgery for an unknown type of cyst on the left side of his neck that kept coming back and was attached to his jugular vein in August of 2011, now has one growing in the left side of his mouth under his tongue.  Because of where it is and how old he is I am taking him in for surgery tomorrow morning.  Then yesterday, my central air unit decided it didn't want to give me air conditioning anymore.  So on Monday morning, after taking my cat in for surgery, I have to then call and see if I can get someone out here to fix my unit ASAP!  Bad things come in threes right?  Please, please, PLEASE let me have good news and good things happen from this point forward.

Oh, my endocrinologist appointments also keep getting pushed back and back but I was able to obtain some information on my last blood tests.  TSH normal at 1.02, cortisol and other things were tested came back in normal range, but low end of normal ranges.  I'll be able to get more answers when I go in, in July, as I have been feeling more on the Graves' end of how I've felt in the past, though I'm not losing any weight (damn).  There seems to be no happy medium with my thyroid issues.

Next weekend my BFF and I will be hitting up the Allentown Art Festival.  Stocking up on Makepeace Naturals candles and various other soaps, spices, and who knows what else!  Can't wait and hopefully I'll feel up to posting about it soon after.  Until then here's APRIL's Birchbox review...

~

April 2014 Birchbox Overview:

• Spa Therapy Sea Wrack body wash by Gilchrist & Soames.
• Healthy Grain Bars in Maple Pumpkin Seeds with Sea Salt by KIND.
• OI shampoo and conditioner by Davines.
• Gala's Gems Collection nail polish in Gold Struck by Color Club.
• Color Contrast Eyeliner in black by Sumita.

Spa Therapy Sea Wrack body wash by Gilchrist & Soames.

• Retails $15 for 8oz. 
• About the product: Committed to cruelty free products containing no parabens, phthalates, propylene glycol, mineral oil, urea, DEA, TEA, or petrol-derived ingredients.  This body wash has a fresh scent of aqualeaf, sparkling citrus, and a barely noticeable hint of musk.  Infused with ingredients of Japanese sea wrack, honey, and brassica, this product is said to gently moisturize and leave your skin feeling smooth and refreshed.   
• What I thought: If you really look at the ingredients & compare, the top ingredients in this are almost identical to those body washes sold in drug stores & at Bath & Body Works. So the special ingredient that it's stated to be loaded with, it actually contains very minimal of the ingredient for it to make any difference.  The scent is lovely and it reminds me of a day at the beach, but it doesn't last long after the bath/shower. It lathers and cleanses average and I didn't notice it to be any more moisturizing than any other body washes I use.  Unfortunately, I wouldn't purchase this just for the scent at the price it's being sold for.  I'd get a stronger scent & the same cleansing from a drug store brand of body wash.
• I would buy it if it was cheaper. 

Healthy Grain Bars in Maple Pumpkin Seeds with Sea Salt by KIND. 

• Retails for $28.50 for 40, 1.2oz bars.
• About the product: The Maple Pumpkin Seeds with Sea Salt bar is just what it says, baked from a foundation of 5 super grains.  This snack bar will tide you over with real ingredients that are GMO and gluten free.  They believe that if you cannot pronounce an ingredient, it shouldn't go into your body.
• What I thought: LOVED the taste as it gave off a great sweet and salty flavor.  The maple wasn't overpowering, there was just enough salt, and a crunchy kick.  The only thing I wasn't digging about it was the packaging as it didn't seem like a bar and more like a sticky, flattened mix.  Though it's the same size as most granola or fiber bars, I felt like I wasn't getting enough and wanted more right away.  I compared them to the Market Pantry sweet & salty peanut granola bars I'm eating and the calorie content and fat isn't much different but the saturated fat was twice as much in the KIND bars.  The KIND bars are also twice the price as those but the fact they are gluten & GMO free, have much more natural and healthier ingredients, 5% extra saturated fat don't bother me as much (considering it's still under 10% of the daily value).  Plus it tastes SO much better!
• I would buy these.

OI shampoo and conditioner by Davines.

• Retails $26 for 9.46oz of shampoo; $32 for 8.45oz of conditioner.
  
• About the product: These products both contain Roucou oil which is rich in beta-carotene, antioxidents that are similar to vitamin E, helps reconstruct hair, stimulate growth, prevent aging, and reduce cell damage from UV rays.  The conditioner also contains apricot butter to soften hair, is said to help speed the drying process, and protect against damage from heat and tools. 
• What I thought: My hair is short, dry and damaged from styling and bleaching it, & also dry from my hypothyroidism.  After the 1st use of the shampoo & conditioner I was amazed!  My hair was super, super soft.  It builds up quickly though so after a few days of use it seemed ineffective.  It's a great product to use as maintenance for healthy, soft hair. 
• I would be open to buying these.

Gala's Gems Collection nail polish in Gold Struck by Color Club.

• Retails $13 for 4 polishes.  Exclusive to Birchbox.
• About the product: Color Club® teamed up with Gala Gonzalez to create this polish collection. These polishes are vegan and cruelty free, having never been tested on animals.  They advise to apply a base coat, 2 thin coats of their polish, then a top coat.  Currently, you can only purchase them as a collection through Birchbox.
• What I thought: Their polish is great & if your nail is prepped right it will last. I got Gold Struck and it had more of a pink hue to me with a gold shimmer, some may even call it a champagne color. It was very cute but you will need 2-3 coats of the product for it to look good.  Like the other polish I got from them, it lasted a good week before I noticed any chips or ware.  I wish I could zoom in on the other colors to see them better, or just buy them individually because this is the color I would want!
• I would be open to buying this.

Color Contrast Eyeliner in Jamun by Sumita. 

• Retails $15 for 0.06oz.
• About the product: Created to be bold, easy to blend, and last all day & night.  Made to make the whites of your eyes whiter and ideal for use on the water line of your eye.  It is a soft wax pencil that will not tug on your skin when applying, and glycerine guards against irritation.
• What I thought: The color I received was Jamun (Deep Purple), though it gives off more of a brown look to it. It applied very easily and was easy to blend and smudge but then stay as the look you created. It lasted all day and wasn't irritating.  The price is even competitive to other liners out there so it's worth getting one in a color you like to see for yourself!
• I would buy this.