Birchbox - July 2012 [Box I]

Hello, everyone!

I am painfully aware of how overdue this box is. Sorry about these overdate subs, guys.

As a note, somehow the eyeliner from this box got into the picture for the second subscription's box, so watch for that...

I received a very nice Birchbox on my primary account for July. In the box were the following products:

Ahava Purifying Mud Mask - .9oz = $4.91
Alterna Bamboo UV+ Color Protection Fade-Proof Fluide - .25oz = $1.83
Birchbox Exclusive Earbuds - Full Size = $10.00
Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in "Black"- Full Size = $15.00
Harvey Prince in "Hello" - approx. 1.5ml = $2.05
Tea Forté minteas in "Ginger Pear" - Full Size = $2.99

=  $36.78

First of all, I love masques of all kinds. Sometimes I think the only way my skin could be worse is if I had cystic acne (thank gods I don't), so I am happy when I get any kind of purifying products. I love the Tea Forté mints, and I do have highlighted hair, so I am very glad that I received this set. I also have recently become a little bit of a fragrance whore, so I am getting ridiculously excited by fragrance samples.

What boxes did you guys receive? Let me know! Another Birchbox will get posted soon.

Birchbox - June 2012 [Box I]

Hey guys!

In the procession of box catchups, here is my first account's Birchbox for June 2012.

 

Sorry for how dim the picture is - I photographed late, late at night.

Inside were:

1. Comodynes - Self-Tanning Intensive & Uniform Color - 2 towelettes - $2.75

2. Masque-ology - Brightening Mask - 1 mask - $8.00

3. theBalm - Stainiac in Beauty Queen - .04oz - $2.26

4. Supergoop - SPF 30+ Everyday UV Lotion for Face and Body - 10ml - $0.90

5. Modcloth - Headband in Red/White Polka Dots - 1 headband - $13.99

= $27.90

This was an okay box. I am absolutely tired of tanning products, but... eh. I give them to my mother, so hopefully she can get some benefit from them. The mask looks awesome and tackles a lot of problems that I endure, and it's always nice to get makeup and accessories. The Supergoop will get a workout at some point, but it is going to have to show up the 110+ SPF sunscreen I use from Neutrogena to become a staple.

What did you guys get? Look out for a second box to be posted shortly!

Product Review - Jouer Body Butter

I have one of my favorite Birchbox acquisitions to share with you next up today! This product is ridiculously luxurious, smells amazing, and feels great, too.

I received a small pot of Jouer's body butter in one of my first Birchboxes. I absolutely loved it. The scent is just ridiculously amazing, and I usually shy away from strong florals. On the other hand, it only lasted as long as the product did, and I did not have an overwhelming "leftover" scent from the butter the morning after I used it.

My sample was fairly small, so I do not know how long-term use of this product would affect skin quality. I will say that while I was using it on my feet, I was not getting blisters, and it helped slough off some dead skin over the winter. It is plain pampering to use, and it is absolutely wonderful to enjoy during the application process. It includes essences of gardenia, jasmine, and honeysuckle.

It came in the cutest little glass pot, but unfortunately I dropped it and broke it while I was cleaning. In general, though, I think you could use it for repotting eyeshadow or any foil products. I am a little bummed that mine broke.

I have nothing but good things to say about Jouer. They were also kind enough to send me some samples of their cosmetics so that I could find some matches for my skintone, and tossed in a bunch of extras while doing so. I will be reporting in on these down the road, but Jouer definitely has a great attitude, so I am happy to be giving their first product I have finished off a five star review! Does anyone know their policies on animal testing, out of curiosity? I would love to hear that they are a cruelty-free company to boot.

I will definitely be rebuying this product. I already miss it!

Birchbox - May 2012 [Box II]

As I mentioned in my previous post, I now have two Birchbox accounts. This one is from my "original" Birchbox account.

 

Inside were:

 

1. Color Club - Clambake Coral - .25oz - $3.43

2. Ojon - Damage Reverse Restorative Conditioner - 1oz - $2.68

3. Bulgari - Omnia Crystalline - 0.05oz - $0.97

4. Kiehl's Abyssine Cream + - .25oz - $6.77

Bonus - XOXO Notecard

= $13.85

Not the worst Birchbox ever. I like the perfume sample and the Color Club -- I have quite a few Color Club polishes and collections, so I was very happy to have two nail polishes that I did not have. I also will get to trying the Abyssine Cream too.

What did everyone else get different?

Birchbox - May 2012 [Box I]

This month I acquired a second Birchbox subscription. I adore Gossip Girl, which I recently heard will be canceled after its six season, something that makes me super sad. :(

I was a little underwhelmed by both of my boxes. I admit that I really wanted a Dior product, even a fragrance. I think the problem is that aside from the few and far between Dior-inclusive boxes, none of the products jumped out at me as being incredibly Gossip Girl-worthy.

This is the first box I received. I believe this was the one on my new account. Odd that they arrived on different days, I think, even though they shipped within five minutes of each other.

The box might be the best I've ever seen out of Birchbox. It's very elegant and I loved it!
 

 

Inside I received:

1. Dr. Jart+ - Water Fuse Beauty Balm - 0.06oz - $1.68

2. Color Club - Disco Nap - 0.25oz - $3.43

3. Ojon - Volume Advance Volumizing Shampoo - 1oz - $2.59

4. Algenist - Complete Eye Renewal Balm - 7ml - $29.93

Bonus - XOXO Notecard

=$37.63

Not a bad box. I am looking forward to trying all of the products, though I wish it was a whole pack of notecards.

Birchbox - April 2012

I finally am sharing my April 2012 Birchbox with you guys! I'm sorry for the delays here!

This was a pretty good box! I do have to admit that I was a little underwhelmed after the Teen Vogue box, but this is looking pretty good!

1. Zoya - Nail Polish in Bevin - .25oz - $4.00
2. Taylor Swift - "Wonderstruck" Perfume - .04oz - $0.61
3. Lulu Organics - Lavender and Clary Sage Hair Powder - $3.23
4. Befine - Skincare Sampler -5 packettes - $10.00
5. Yes to Blueberries - Brightening Facial Towelettes - $2.13

= $19.97

Not too bad. I got the best possible Zoya sample I could have asked for, and I love dry shampoos. I'm so lazy that sometimes I have trouble getting my hair washed every day, but it's so oily that it needs something.

The only problem was that the Befine set was that they were expired, but Birchbox contacted all recipients and gave us a point credit -- and I suspect they are all still fine. I definitely plan to still try them.

What did you get? Envious of any of mine? :) I'm jealous of myself for getting Bevin!

Birchbox - March 2012 [Teen Vogue Box]

Finally, I have my Teen Vogue Birchbox!

It came in a normal Birchbox, but with a special sleeve:

Inside were:

1. Essie - Luxeffects "As Gold as It Gets" - Full size - $5.00
2. Kate Spade New York - "Twirl"  - 0.05oz - $2.25
3. Kérastase - "Elixir Ultime" - 0.16oz - $1.80
4. Tarte - "LipSurgence Matte Lip Tint" in "Lucky" - Full size - $24.00
5. Twistband - Hair Tie - 1 tie - $2.00

Total = $35.05

This was a great Birchbox! I am really glad that I had opted in on the Teen Vogue offer. I do wish that there was a signature "Lifestyle Extra" like in the regular boxes, though I suppose the Twistband could count for that.

I do like that I received a matte Tarte gloss, though I am hoping to trade it for the nude or an orange/beige/red/gold toned one... I really can't get away with pinks. :\

What was in yours?

Birchbox - February 2012 [Vichy Box]

Last up, today, I have a special treat (for me)!

I was apparently not originally on the list of subscribers targeted for the Vichy Box. Frankly, I'm not sure why -- I have specified that I am interested in skincare products, and I am constantly looking for new choices in cleansers, moisturizers, and day/night creams...

Anyway, I emailed Birchbox, and they were kind enough to put me on the list to get a box. So, mine came a little bit later than the others (though I have to point out that they rush-shipped it!) but I finally received it yesterday in the mail, only slightly overshadowed by a letter telling me that I'd received a major grant for my summer work. :)

 

Shiny!

 

Woooot! I have to admit -- I am really excited about this box. These products seem VERY high quality! I can't wait to try them all, and I promise I will be providing reviews to all of you, too!

 

So, in the box were:

1. Aqualia Thermal Cream - $11.61 [Moisturizer - Daytime]

2. Lifactiv Night Cream - $11.61 [Night Cream with Rhamnose]

3. Purete Thermale One-Step Cleanser - $2.38 [Cleanser - Cleansing Milk, Toning Lotion, Makeup Remover]

4. Purete Thermale Eye-Makeup Remover - $0.87 [Eye-Makeup Remover]

5. Celludestock - $1.26 [Cellulite Treatment with Caffeine]

=$27.73

Nice set, isn't it? Especially for an extra free box? I can't wait to try these products. I'm so glad the night/day creams are large enough that I can actually get some good use out of them and evaluate them properly.

... also, any product that reminds you not to forget your decolletage makes me smile. :)

 

 

Birchbox - February 2012

I have a few more subscriptions to share with you guys today. Next up is my February Birchbox. Honestly, I think I was jinxed this month! I could not have picked a worse selection for myself, after I saw all of the options. :\ Luckily, I think I will probably use most of the products, eventually -- I just wasn't excited, especially after I saw the other boxes that went out.

So what was actually in here?

1. Benta Berry - G-1 Moisturizing Face Cream for Boys and Girls - 3ml - $2.10

2. Colorescience Pro - Glow and Go Travel Puff - 1 puff - $10.00

3. Eye Rock - Designer Liner - 1 sheet - $9.16

4. LA Fresh - Eco-Beauty Waterproof Makeup Remover - 2 wipes - $1.25

5. Nail File (Extra)

6. Green River Ordinance Digital Download (Extra)

= $22.51 in products.

Why do I feel so disappointed? It was definitely worth the money, but... :\

I think it's because of a few problems with each item. First of all, I really like the moisturizer sample, but it's so small, it's going to be hard to evaluate it next to the Chanel. Second, I don't really want to try a new product when I'm "on the go" with the foundation, and on the Birchbox website, my account showed that I would get a compact with the foundation. So it's not all that useful to me as a "to-go" makeup item, since I can't trust something untried when I'm on a trip (especially since 99% of light foundations don't work on me, as they are too dark). 

Third, while I like the idea of the eyeliner tattoos, I'm confused how to apply them (YouTube, here I come), and even if I can, there are only one or two designs that I can plan on wearing on a regular basis because they are so large. As for the makeup wipes, those are the kinds of things I expect to pick up for free anyway -- and two is not a deluxe sample. The lifestyle extras are super disappointing this month, too -- I don't really care for indie rock, though I'll go ahead and download/listen when I have some free time, and the nail file is cute, but I think a lot of people are trying to stay away from this kind of emery board in favor of glass and crystal ones...

What (better!) boxes did you guys get? I feel like they did not take my profile into account at all, and I really feel like I got the worst assemblage of products that was out there this month. I'm jealous of the girls with Zoyas and other really nice products!

Product Review - Larabar "Peanut Butter Cookie"

Good evening, everyone!

I had a yummy in my last Birchbox. I know that this isn't that big of a deal to most of you, but I actually like it when I get to try food samples in my subscriptions. I'm always really surprised when people are upset about them! Remember, loves, that beauty isn't always just a product you slather on... 

So I have a Larabar mini (100 calorie!) to share with you guys today. This was a timely and awesome present, because up until Monday I had been dieting really well, and I am becoming a big fan of these kinds of small bars. They get you to satiation really quickly, which is awesome.

I liked this one; I had it as a breakfast bar and it was really good. I think that these are some of the better bars on the market; I will probably be picking up a set of these to mix with my RawRev variety pack of minis.

Thank you Birchbox!

Birchbox - January 2012

Happy weekend, everyone! Don't forget that my Essie giveaway ends tomorrow!

I have my January 2012 Birchbox to share with you guys.

 

What did I get?

 

1. Borghese - CuraForte Moisture Intensifier  ($9.92)

2. Juicy Couture - Viva La Juicy (?)

3. Jouer - Body Butter ($4.82)

4. Stila - Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in "Purple Tang" ($20.00)

5. Larabar - Mini Peanut Butter Cookie ($1.00)

= $35.74 value

I really liked my samples this month, though I wish I had received a Zoya in my box. :( I think the Stila is quite nice, though I'm not sure how much I'll wear the amethyst shade.

Product Review - Anastasia Beverly Hills HydraFull Gloss in "Sugar Pink"

This evening I have a beauty product to share with you. I have the Anastasia Beverly Hills HydraFull Gloss in "Sugar Pink" today.

This was in my Birchbox for November, 2011. While I was happy to receive the product, though, I rarely to never wear bright pinks, so this was a real departure from my routine to wear.

The gloss is very sticky, and is applied with a little plastic paddle. This worked well -- when I could get enough product on the paddle. I think I used a lot of my gloss very quickly, though, because I've only applied it 5 or 6 times, and now to get any gloss on the paddle, I have to rescrew it into the little tube to reach the gloss that is left in there.

It lasts okay, though nothing too special. On the other hand, I didn't think it was any less durable than other lipglosses I have tried. It also didn't make my lips break out in a weird rash, which is always a plus.

I hope that Birchbox eventually sends me this sample in Bellini, the "peach" version of this sample.

Birchbox - December 2011

After quite a long wait, exacerbated by the fact I was out of town, I finally have my December Birchbox!

 

I received:

1. Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Birchbox

2. Showstoppers® Designer Fashion Tape in Nude/Black

3. Atelier Cologne Ambre Nue Cologne

4. Benefit The POREfessional

5. Olìe Biologique Huile Moderne

6. EBOOST Orange Natural Energy Booster

I was originally supposed to receive an Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo sample instead of the POREfessional sample, and Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Usage Dry Oil Shimmer instead of Olie.

Overall, not bad, except that the Olie leaked all over my box, and I was really looking forward to trying the Dry Shampoo. I am hoping Birchbox gets back to me soon to get me a replacement on the Olie (and hopefully puts the shampoo in the next box...)

Anyone get anything different?

Product Review - Supersmile Professional Whitening Toothpaste "Cinnamon Burst"

 

I have another old Birchbox trial for you guys today! I have a special toothpaste from Supersmile for you guys this morning.

This came in my November Birchbox, and I have been using it on and off (mostly as I have reached for it half-awake in the mornings, lol). Mine came in the flavor "Cinnamon Burst."

This is a nice little product. I liked my sample of it, and I am really excited to maybe try out the Green Apple flavor as well. I suppose I should not be seduced by the flavor as opposed to the product, lol, but green apple anything (hello, Mr. Smirnoff) makes me a happy girl.

I did not really notice any real difference in my teeth using it, though I am not the best for dental habits admittedly, and I also had to rotate it with a regular, super-sensitivity-inhibiting toothpaste too because otherwise I can't eat anything cold or even mildly sweet.

Cute Birchbox sample, though I think I would have to see them release a sensitivity + whitening toothpaste to jump over to it. Still, I a really intrigued by an apple-flavored toothpaste, as Birchbox has on their site! Am I oblivious to this being a huge trend?

Polish Review - Zoya "Holly"

I have a beautiful nail polish to share with everyone today! I have Zoya's "Holly" from their Holiday 2011 "Gems and Jewels" collection. I would have chosen this one myself, but it was sent to me in my November 2011 Birchbox as a half-sized sample. I may have to buy the full-size eventually -- it's beautiful!

 

You can really see the depth and texture of this polish, even in the bottle. I love greens and blues like this -- I think this one honestly looks like a true emerald green. 

Forgive the dent (in #15) -- I think I may have smacked my nail wheel against the desk right after I swatched it.

As you can see, I do not have anything in my collection quite like "Holly."

I wore it as a pedicure color, since I wanted to get a good feel for how long it wore. It lasted fairly nicely, though I admit that I rarely am as much of a stickler for chipping or "mushing" on toes as I am on fingers. It is a fabulous color on, and looks great.

As a caveat, it takes forever to dry. I think I may have given this an overnight between coats, and the second coat still started to gum up a little bit. Definitely not a quick manicure, but so worth it once it is on and where it is supposed to be!

I also bought "Twila" from this collection from Birchbox when it had free shipping. Overall the collection is very original and very, very pretty.

Product Review - Laura Geller Spackle Tinted Under Makeup Primer in Bronze

Hello, everyone!

I have a product from my October 2011 Birchbox to share with you. I received a small tube of Laura Geller Spackle Tinted Under Makeup Primer in the "Bronze" shade.

Although I know better, since I have no real facial bone structure to speak of without it, I rarely wear a blush or bronzer/sculptor product. I am so glad that I received this product, because now I most definitely do, and I can definitely tell that my beauty regimen is improved because of it. I have worn it both under my foundation, as it is supposed to be worn, and on top as more of a blusher.

I have more bluish undertones than golden, but this works very well overall. I am glad that I had the chance to try it, and I finally look like I have some cheekbones! I will definitely be repurchasing this once I run out of my trial.

Product Review - Befine Lip Serum

 Hey guys!

Today I have the Befine Lip Serum that came in my October 2011 Birchbox. I have been using it off and on for a few weeks to see how it worked.

As backstory, I have a love-hate relationship with lip gloss. I do not have sensitive skin at all, but I have strange, semi-allergic reactions to a lot of lip products -- but never lipstick. I think sometimes it has to do with the fact that I have an allergic to bee-products (bee wax and honey, chief among them), and a little bit of that can be hiding in the product.

This product does not have any bee-product, so I was in luck. :) I had a very, very slight chapping that started a week after I started to use it, but nothing like my usual "clown lips" reaction to most lip glosses/chapstick, so I  can say that I can actually use this and may continue to!

On to what you guys actually want to know, since you don't have my bizarre reactions, haha. It has a mild "flour" taste which is actually very clean and refreshing. It also contains chamomile and beets, and is a very nice, natural product. I liked this a lot! I love Befine's "food skin care" idea, and I will probably pick this up in a full-size when I run out of my generously-sized sample.

A definite Birchbox winner! I was happy to try it.

As a note to other new Birchbox people, I am really disappointed to see that you cannot leave feedback for items once you receive a new box. :( This is a bad flaw -- I sometimes need more than a few weeks to really decide if I like a product. Bummer.

Birchbox - November 2011

Hello, everyone! I am definitely running behind this month, but I have my Birchbox to share with you from this month. :)

Isn't it pretty? Minus the scratch from my scissors...

What are these lovelies?

I will have a complete review for each of these later, but right now you are seeing a prettily packaged...

1. Anastasia Beverly Hills | HydraFull Gloss in Sugar Pink
2. Harvey Prince | Eau Flirt
3. Supersmile | Professional Whitening Toothpaste
4. Zoya | Nail Polish in "Holly"
Treat - Chuao Chocolatier | Firecracker Chocopod

Wow! I've already tried out some of my box's products, and I have to say that they are amazing. I liked last month's box, but this one is awesome. I can't wait to see what December's brings!

Product Review - Orofluido Elixir

Hello, everyone! Today I have a product that I sampled in my October 2011 Bircbox: Orofluido Elixir.

This is a beautiful product with a lovely scent. It is advertised as smoothing hair for shine and making it silky. It definitely does the latter, and I do think that I saw an improvement in shine.

 

It also smells wonderful. Isn't that always a nice touch? It's oily due to the argan oil, but it isn't very messy, and it applies nicely. I'm sad that I have almost used up my bottle! I will definitely be buying a full-sized bottle of this. It's a really nice product and I enjoyed adding it to my beauty routine. I would recommend it to anyone with my hair type -- thick hair but fairly fine -- and I also would say it did not have any negative effects on my highlights, though it might have made them look a little nicer.

I applied it to semi-damp to wet hair, which dispersed it fairly nicely. With more of the product and less stuff going on, I would experiment more to see whether it's better if hair is on the dry or wetter side.

If you are interested in this or other Birchbox products, feel free to use my referral link to sign up. Thank you for reading!

Birchbox - October 2011

Hello everyone! Today I have a post that should have been done a few weeks ago, but I have been insane with the amount of work I have had to get done, so fun work like blogging has had to go bye-bye. I'm also so behind on personal reading it isn't funny. At least the next few weeks should be a little less stressful!

That said, I have my October 2011 Birchbox for you today! I admit that I was a little skeptical of Birchbox, mostly because I haven't seen much in the way of nailcare in other recipients' boxes, but I have been trying to get better about establishing a beauty routine, and for that, Birchbox seems like the way to go! You can also review products on the website to get points to redeem for full-sized products.

So Birchbox was really aesthetically-pleasing in presentation. I was super happy with that the same way I was happy with Julep Maven. It comes in this pretty little box: 

Inside all of the products were in pretty magenta tissue paper and there was even a nice little card with all of the information about the samples.

And the products themselves:

I plan to individually review these products both for my blog and for the extra Birchbox points, so check back for more information later!

Lastly, I went ahead and did a few swatches -- of the bronzer and of the lip serum. The bronzer is very, very dark for my skin. :( I'm hoping I can use it as more of a blusher than a true bronzer, since I wouldn't be able to put it on my face much unless I wanted to look like a tanning experiment gone really badly! The lip serum doesn't seem to have any color at all.

And I assure you that I actually am one of the living in spite of my skin tone. On the other hand, now everyone can see the bluish and slightly gold undertones I have.

That's all I have for now -- hopefully later I'll show you my Chanel goodies and my most recent cosmetics haul. :)