PLAY! by Sephora: April 2017 Box

Alooooha Friends!  Sorry I haven't posted in a couple of weeks.  I've been busy and lazy (but mostly lazy to be honest...)  Nonetheless, it's time for one of my favorite posts... the PLAY! by Sephora box!

I really liked this month's little pouch because I feel like it embodied me in a very accurate way. The theme of this month's box is "STEP it UP!" and honestly, I don't know what that means since it isn't a dead give away like the past themes.  From what I can tell, this box's theme seems to have to do with amping up your beauty routine, but I'm still not too sure???  As always, the box came with five deluxe sample sized products and a sample of the perfume pick of the month, as well as the little pamphlet that talks about each product.  Now shall we get into the products?  We shall...  (* I also used all of these products already before writing this, so I'll include little reviews of each below and I don't have everything with me, so sadly I can't include any specs for you, sorry!)

"Make the Moisture of It"
Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream

This lightweight moisturizer claims to have an airy formula that hydrates with three different types of hyaluronic acid.  It honestly doesn't have much else about it, other than that it's über moisturizing and when applied at night, will make your skin noticeably softer come the next morning.  When I tried this, I honestly had a hard time figuring out if it really did anything for me since my skincare routine is already so moisture intensive.  However, I really loved the texture and lightweight-ness of this moisturizer.  It also doesn't have a scent which is a plus for me!

"See You Exfoliator"
Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment

This exfoliator gently polishes skin with natural fruit enzymes to reveal a glowing complexion.  The natural fruit enzymes are what makes this exfoliator effective and make you feel like you just walked out of the spa.  I've tried this before in a mini sample version but I honestly cannot remember what I thought about it, since I only got to use a small amount, but after giving it a second try I realize how much I love this stuff.  Initially, it has a sort of cinnamon-y smell, which makes you think it'll burn, but it doesn't.  You massage it on your face for about 30 seconds before letting it sit for one (for more sensitive skin) to two minutes, then wash off.  I did this in the shower and noticed that my skin was pretty glowy right after.  I also did a pore strip after and noticed that more gross stuff came off on the pore strip than usual, was it the aid of ExfoliKate???  Honestly, if it isn't for the price, I would totally have this as part of my weekly skincare routine!

"The Prime is Now"
Smashbox Iconic Photo Finish Foundation Primer

A cult favorite primer that claims to create the perfect canvas for makeup that will leave your skin soft and silky-smooth.  It blurs and helps makeup become more long-lasting, in turn, leading to less touch-ups.  I was so excited to try this primer because I've been looking for a primer that will keep my T-zone oiliness at bay, and I knew loads of people already love this primer.  LOW AND BEHOLD, I fell in love with it after just one use.  It made my skin look FLAWLESS and I only had to use half a blotting sheet versus the two that I normally would use after four to five hours of wear. I'm generally a fan of more silicone-like primers so I loved the texture of this primer right away. Unfortunately, I noticed that after a few days of wear, my forehead and chin started breaking out. Makeup generally doesn't break me out, so I'm still investigating whether it is because of the primer of because of hormones.  I'll keep y'all updated lol.

"The Liner Things in Life"
Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Eye Pencil Waterproof Eyeliner in M-10

This is an eyeliner that claims to be creamy and budge-proof, with intense, jet black color.  Again, this product doesn't have much else about it, so straight to the review!  If you're a returning reader, you know my struggle with liner and how important it is to me that if one claims to be waterproof and budge-proof, it really proves to me that it is.  I usually don't use pencil to create my wings, but I wanted to test how creamy it really was, so I used it, and I was honestly disappointed in the lack of creaminess.  It kind of tugged at my lids when I was trying to draw the line and it wasn't that clean when drawing.  It was definitely jet black, which I liked, however when I curled my lashes, it transferred off my eye and onto the lash curler, which led me to have to touch up my liner, so budge-proof??? Not really tbh.

"Erase to the Finish"
Sephora Collection Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover

A gentle waterproof makeup remover that is perfect for sensitive eyes and has lash-strengthening vitamins and extracts.  It claims to be able to remove the most stubborn makeup.  At the beginning of this year, I switched to double cleansing with an oil cleanser and a foaming cleanser, which means I basically completely cut out eye makeup remover from my routine, but I decided to give this a try since it is oil-based.  On my first try, I noticed that it broke down my eye makeup really quickly (keep in mind that all the eye makeup I use is SUPER waterproof too) and didn't make my contacts cloudy. Yes I keep my contacts on when removing eye makeup, otherwise I can't see anything lol.  After removing all my eye makeup, it looked like it had taken care of everything so I jumped into the shower and continued the rest of my cleansing routine.  When I came out of the shower, I noticed the black circles under my eyes from the leftover mascara on my lashes, AKA this makeup remover didn't get everything.  This never happens to me with my regular cleansing routine, so sadly, I think I'll be putting this makeup remover aside, and if I needed an eye makeup remover, I'd probably just go back to my Harmon Face Values $4 one.

This Month's Perfume Pick: "Crazy About Daisy"
Marc Jacobs Daisy

Directly from the PLAY! pamphlet: "A playful, free-spirited floral scent featuring a sparkling bouquet of wild strawberries, violet and jasmine."  I honestly was underwhelmed when I saw this in the box because I knew someone who wore this perfume everyday and I'm honestly so sick of it.  I already own Daisy Eau So Fresh, which I prefer, so idk, I probably will never use this perfume lol.

And that is everything featured in the April 2017 PLAY! by Sephora box!  It was honestly an underwhelming box overall, like there was not one product that I was really excited to try, which is probably why it took me so long to write this in the first place (I've had the box for a week already whoops).  Still, I hope you enjoyed reading and maybe found a product that interests you!

As always, thank you for reading!

With Love,
Caitlyn <3

Cat Reviews: BiBimbox GOT7 Gold Box

Aloooooha Friends!  It's finally Friday and I'm back with yet another Cat Reviews!  Have I done too many Cat Reviews lately?  Idk but oh well.

Today I'm going to be reviewing the BiBimbox GOT7 Gold Box.  BiBimbox is a K-Pop subscription service that where you can (currently only) choose between the BTS Box, EXO Mini Box, or the Gold Box which features a different K-Pop group every month.  The BTS and Gold boxes are both $39.99 each and the EXO Mini Box is $29.99.  You can buy each box once and cancel anytime, or continually pay $29.99/$39.99 each month and have a new box delivered each month.  The Gold Box, which is the box I got, changes every month in terms of which group it features.  I've seen IKON, BIGBANG, and a few others that I can't remember, but I have the GOT7 box.  Each Gold Box comes with 4-6 K-Pop merchandises that can range from a t-shirt, hoodie, poster, light sticks, etc. You can tell BiBimbox your shirt size and who your biases from the featured group is and they'll do their best to give you something related to that member.  And most importantly... SHIPPING IS FREE!  Each box goes on sale for the next month, meaning in April, you will be purchasing the box for May.  Sales for that specific box ends on the 25th of each month and will ship within the first two weeks of the coming month.  Since it is coming from Asia, it typically takes about 2-3 weeks for the box to arrive (to the States).  Okie so overview out of the way, let's get into the box that I received.

Like I said earlier, I got the GOT7 Gold Box.  This box was featured in February and costed $39.99. BiBimbox asked which GOT7 member was my fave, and I'm sure you know my answer to that lol. The shipping took a VERY VERY VERY long time.  The box should've shipped during the first two weeks of February but didn't ship until the first week of March.  It was Chinese New Year, and in Asia, most manufacturers shut down for like a long time, so it explains the shipping delay.  But finally the box came around March 15th?  Of course I was super excited to open the box since what's in the box is a surprise.  It came wrapped in a big black package, and I could tell (before opening) that there was a clothing item packed separately from the box, but they were all packed in the same big black package.  I tore open the package and this is what I found!!!!

I was surprised at the stuff that was in the box, because from the photos on their website, it looks like you get a t-shirt, bracelet, keychain, hat, and things like that.  It didn't really seem like it'd be worth $39.99 so I was worried that I didn't get my money's worth, but I was wrong.  As you can see in the photo above, I received a hoodie, eco bag, poster, and tumbler.  It's only four items, but I looked up each item on eBay, which is usually where I buy my K-Pop merch, and found that if you were to purchase these items individually from their respective sellers and pay for shipping, it would total to about $52.  Knowing that makes me feel like I got more than what I paid for, so that's good.  I'll link the similar items when I detail them now...

So the first item I saw when I opened the package was the hoodie, because it wasn't packaged in the box, because it wouldn't fit in the box, obvs lol.  I saw the Hard Carry logo and got excited (cause you guys know that Hard Carry is my favorite era).  I unfolded it and saw that it has "MARK 04" on the back and I got really happy.  I put it on immediately and was surprised at the quality, because it's made in China, and we all know how likely it would be that the quality could be complete crap.  It's super thick and warm and I've worn it a lot already lol.  I've also met a few other fellow Ahgases because of it!  !!! Also keep in mind when you're ordering that the sizing is Asian sizing aka generally 1-2 sizes smaller than US sizes!!!  I'm generally an L/XL in hoodies cause I like em comfy, but I got an XXL to be safe and I'm glad I did because it fits perfectly. You can get the same hoodie here!

Next in the box was a GOT7 eco bag.  It's AMAZING quality guys.  It has (what I assume to be) pleather handles as well as two pockets and one zipper pocket on the inside.  It's cute, but I honestly don't know what I'd use it for.  Maybe like idk.  But I do really like it and it's not something I'd buy myself if I saw it online or in a shop so it's nice!  You can get the same eco bag here!

Next was the Mark tumbler.  It's probably the least nicest quality out of all the things in the box and the photo is honestly a tiny bit pixelated when you look up close but it's still nice.  The photo is from the FLY era.  At first I was confused because I was like is this Mark???  Does it look like Mark??? That's Mark's nose and mouth but is that Mark??? YES it IS Mark, but don't you agree that it's kind of weird???  Maybe because I've never gotten to see him from that angle but ya lol.  I haven't used it yet but would it be weird to bring this to class?  Maybe I will one day and see if people stare. Me: yes I have a tumbler with my boyfriend's face, what's wrong with it?  You can get a similar tumbler here!

The last item that came in my box was a GOT7 poster.  Again, I was really surprised at the quality of this poster.  It's some high quality paper and the printing job is really good.  I don't know if it's official, and I honestly doubt it is but it's fine lol.  The poster isn't huge, which I actually don't mind because huge posters honestly just take up too much space.  It's also from the FLY era which is another one of my favorite eras.  It came folded at the bottom of the box, which kind of sucks because it has creases, but whatevs.  I haven't hung it yet because it doesn't really go with my room decor lol.  Idk what I'm going to do with it right now.  You can get a similar-ish poster here!

And that was all the things that came in the GOT7 Gold Box.  I'm kind of bothered by the fact that the hoodie is Hard Carry, but the tumbler and poster are FLY.  It's so minuscule but it bothers me for some reason lol.  Overall though, I really do think you get more than what you pay for with this box. The quality of almost all of the items I received were surprisingly good and I really like everything that came in the box.  It really is difficult to stomach the price at first, but once you actually receive the box and see what you get, the price is more understandable.

I really recommend BiBimbox for those who love K-Pop merch and surprises!  Like I mentioned earlier, the Gold Box features a different group every month, so keep an eye out for your favorites. You can also purchase the BTS Box if you're an ARMY or the EXO Mini Box if you're an EXO-L! I'll probably purchase a Gold Box when they have GOT7 again or MONSTA X because I really enjoyed this box!

As always, thank you for reading!  I hope you check out BiBimbox and if you do, or if you already have, let me know what you get/got in your boxes!

With Love,
Caitlyn <3

BONUS GIF!!! MY CUTE BUNNYBEAR

Monthly Obsessions: March 2017

Alooooha Friends!  March has come to a close and this year feels like it's FLYYYYING by, aka it's time for me to share with you, the products, music, food, etc. that I've been loving in March!

This month's MO's include a lot of skincare (again lol) because for some reason I've found myself purchasing more skincare than makeup this year.  Uhmmmm... I don't have much to say in this intro so why don't we just get into it...

Etude House Dear Darling Tint in PK003

What would a thecaitlynlee Monthly Obsessions post be without a lippie???  This month's is a lippie that I've actually had for a few months but have been wearing a lot more in March.  Etude House is one of my favorite beauty brands and when I saw that they added a few new shades to their Dear Darling Tint line a couple of months ago, I knew it was time for me to try them out.  I love tints because they're so versatile, you can give yourself a bold lip or a slight tint.  This tint is a gorgeous rosy pink and I love wearing all over my lips or as a gradient type of lip.  It smells AMAZING and isn't drying like a lot of other tints!

Benefit Cosmetics Rockateur Blush

Rockateur has been my favorite blush since it came out in 2013?  2014?  I don't know exactly how long I've had it, but I can tell you it's probably been too long lol.  It's literally the only blush in my collection that I never hesitate to reach for because it gives me cheeks a subtle rosy tint with a hint of gold shimmer.  It's natural and perfect for every day wear.  Mine broke on Christmas Day, aka my favorite day of the entire year, like wtf?? And I haven't fixed it yet because I already hit pan awhile ago, so now I'm just waiting it out lol.  But if you haven't tried Benefit blushes, try Rockateur because I promise it will not disappoint.

ColourPop Pressed Powder Shadow

I've written at least twice about how much I LOVE ColourPop's shadows and have complained to you about how I wish they'd press them and put them into palettes AND THE TIME HAS COME. ColourPop released their pressed shadows a little while ago, and I've had mine for almost two months, but I've used the crap out of them.  They're still just as pigmented, shimmery, metallic, etc. as their original shadows and I absolutely love them.  I ordered four in Cute Alert (matte), High Strung (metallic), Say I Do (matte), and Bouquet Toss (metallic).  Between the four, Cute Alert and High Strung are my favorites and I use them almost everyday.  If you buy four pressed shadows, they'll throw in an empty palette for free (aka the deal I took advantage of lol).  I honestly love these pressed shadows so much and highly recommend them.

Holika Holika One Solution Whitening Serum

I wrote in my February 2017 Monthly Obsessions that I started using a whitening cream to even out my skintone, and around the same time, I incorporated this whitening serum into my skincare routine as well.  I honestly can't tell you which of the two is working, or if it's both working simultaneously, but my skintone has improved a lot since I started using both.  I wish I had before and after photos to show you, but there is clearly an improvement in my skintone.  This serum is lightweight and absorbs quickly.  It also smells AMAZING but that's not uncommon for K-Beauty products.  I want to try the other One Solution serums now because I love this one to much!

Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner

I did mention like four products ago that I loooove Etude House so it's no surprise that it made it twice on my MO's.  I love this toner because the alcohol content is low to none (?? don't quote me on that) and it doesn't leave my skin feeling dry and stripped like many alcohol based toners.  It's super important to me that my toner doesn't dry out my skin because since I have combo skin, my cheeks can get super dry with a toner that strips, but this toner is nothing like that.  It's a lot more affordable than the Laniege toner I was using before so I'll definitely be repurchasing this one after I use it all up!

TonyMoly Brightening Bubble Foam Whipping Cotton

Don't let this long product name confuse you, this is a foaming cleanser lol.  I was looking for a light foaming cleanser to use as the second step of my double cleansing routine after I ran out my my Laniege cleanser and this was exactly what I was looking for.  It's super light but still does a great job of cleaning up whatever my oil cleanser missed and getting rid of any oily residue from my oil cleanser.  It has a light cotton smell - hence the "whipping cotton" in it's name and it feels so nice on my skin.  The teeny tiny bubbles don't just dissipate on your skin but you can actually feel them on your face when you're cleansing.  They have different types of this Bubble Foam, but I bought the brightening type because y'all know how I feel about da glow!

Monsta X - THE CLAN PT. 2.5 [BEAUTIFUL]

Oh my god am I writing about a K-Pop group that's not GOT7??? YES I AM.  Right after my boys released their album, Monsta X dropped this album jam packed with bangers and bops.  Their concept this album was fmkhfrhlgurejalnrjeal like Wonho is definitely my side piece when Mark isn't around (like now since he's in the jungle...) (I hope Mark never reads this) (Sorry Mark).  But seriously you HAVE to listen to this album because dang.  My favorites from this album (without me naming every song on the album which is what I ACTUALLY want to do...) are 아름다워 (Beautiful) (duh lol) and 넘사벽 (Incomparable).  I already bought the album bc of course I did and it's coming today!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Imma die now bye.

GOT7 - Flight Log: Arrival

Did you think I wasn't going to include GOT7...  What kind of girlfriend and best friend would I be if I didn't???  If you read my Cat Reviews on this album, you already know how much I love it so I'm not going to elaborate too much, but you can read about for yourself if you haven't already.  This is Choi Youngjae's era and I'm all for it.  My favorites on this album, without me naming every song on the album, are Q and Shopping Mall.  Y'all already know I bought both versions and my struggle with it lol.  Anyways, I just had to include it because why not.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
I've never don't an Honorable Mentions section on my favorites before but I had to this month because I couldn't help myself.

HIGHLIGHT - 아름답다

So HIGHLIGHT, formerly known as BEAST aka one of my OT faves, debuted and this is my favorite song off their mini album.  It's so beautiful and Junhyungie oppa aka my favorite hyung, sings!!!!  Y'all don't even know how much I love that.  

CNBLUE - 마니또 (Manito)

Another one of my OT faves, CNBLUE made a comeback in March and this is my favorite song off their new album.  It's super cute and heartwarming.  Also Kang Minhyuk is my ideal type so there's that.  

And there are all of my March Monthly Obsessions!  I hope you guys like that I've been incorporating more skincare because that's honestly what I've been more into lately.  Next month will include a few more makeup products though because I have been trying some that I've been LOVING but want to try out a little longer before I give you guys my opinions.  As always, thanks for reading!

With Love,
Caitlyn <3