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Beauty

Hijabi Beauty: Review of Harvey Prince Cherie Blossom

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Harvey Prince Cherie Blossom

Harvey Prince Cherie Blossom is the perfect fragrance for spring.

Cherry blossoms are iconic in Japanese culture not only for their beauty, but also for the transient nature of the blooms. When I see cherry blossoms, it personally reminds me of the beautiful tree that used to bloom every spring in front of my home. When the cherry blossoms first started to bloom the whole tree looked so airy; like it could fly away on the frothy plumes of branches. Then the petals would shower down on you like a lovely fragrant snowfall as you would enter or leave our house when the cherry blossoms started to wither away. So for me, I will forever associate cherry blossoms with my youth and with spring.

Birchbox was kind enough to send me a full sized bottle of Harvey Prince’s Cherie Blossom to review. I was ecstatic since it brought back that childhood nostalgia of being showered with snowy pale pink petals. Personally, I also love the French nod to the term “cherie” which means “dear” in French too. So here I am with this gorgeous “dear” blossom fragrance to review. First off, if you love florals, you will love this perfume. Personally, I am only a fan of light florals (think Aqua Di Parma’s Iris Nobile). Here is my take on the Harvey Prince Cherie Blossom perfume:

Top Note: Cherry blossom (somei sakura) which is a light floral note.

Mid Note: Sparkling Pink Grapefruit which cuts through the sweetness of the floral top note.

Base Note: A lovely vanilla that warms the whole fragrance and really makes it sweet but not cloyingly so. Musk makes the whole fragrance a little more sensuous and edgy.

Another plus is that all Harvey Prince fragrances are hypoallergenic and cruelty-free.

Verdict: Buy it and love it if you want to feel youthful and carefree.

PS: Thank you to Birchbloggers for sharing such a wonderful perfume with me!

Beauty

Beauty Subscriptions: Are They Worth It?

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Clockwise from top left: Birchbox, Allure’s Sample Society, Beauty Box 5, and Glossybox

As a self proclaimed beauty junkie, I noticed a trend. There are all sorts of new beauty subscriptions cropping up! Typically, a beauty subscription is a medley of different beauty samples shipped straight to your door for a monthly fee.

While some of you may scoff at paying money for samples that you can get at department store for free, one of the cool things about beauty subscriptions is that you can try new products that you would have never tried or selected on your own.

It’s like having a beauty editor pick out the coolest brands or products for you to try! Plus as a busy hijabi mom, I do NOT have the time and patience to wheedle with beauty counter ladies in order to score from free samples.

I would have never tried this highlighter called Mary Lou Manizer from The Balm if it did not come in my October Birchbox. NOW I am hooked on it. It helps me glow even when I am sleep deprived. So thank you Birchbox!

Here is a rundown of my top 4 beauty subscription picks:

Birchbox :

Cost: $10 a month

Pros: Comes with a wide range of funky beauty samples plus it comes with a freebie non beauty item. It is the cheapest subscription of the bunch too.

Cons: The caliber of some of the brands is weak. Also, they need to work out logistics with shipping on time.

Beauty Bar’s Sample Society With Allure

Cost: $15 a month

Pros: Beauty Bar teamed up with the famed Allure Magazine to create beauty boxes worth coveting. Also they sometimes throw in full size items! Also includes a subscription to Allure Magazine and a coupon to use on the site for a full sized item.

Cons: It is one of the pricier subscriptions.

Beauty Box 5

Cost: $12 a month

Pros: Their samples seem more generous.

Cons: The beauty brands they carry are not as well known or as prestigious.

Glossybox

Cost: $21 a month

Pros: Carries the most high end samples of the bunch. If you are into sampling luxe brands like Burberry Beauty, Carol’s Daughter, and Kinerase, then this is the box for you.

Cons: Most expensive subscription of the bunch.

There are plenty of other subscriptions like Ipsy, etc but I thought the four I reviewed above were my favorites. As for my true blue favorite, that is a secret! What is your favorite beauty subscription? And just so my male readers don’t feel left out, there are men versions of subscriptions too (like Birchbox Man). Let me know what your recommendations are.