Birchbox / October

Another month, another box...this month Birchbox took its time to get to me, I was expecting it much sooner! But because I like the contents this month, I can't complain.

On to the samples...

I was pretty surprised to see what was in my box this month aseveryone else's blog posts or videos seemed to show totally different samples, some I received in the past month or two. Is there anyone who got the exact same samples as me?

I am most excited to be trying the Orofluido hair treatment oil as I always hear amazing things about it. One of my favorite Youtubers, blushingpixie, has talked about it in the past and she does have gorgeous hair. That says something! I am also looking forward to using the Befine  lip exfoliator even though I love and use the Bubblegum lip scrub by Lush. Variety is good in my book! I also really like the sound of the ingredients in this lip exfoliator, oats, sesame oil and pineapple! 

Caudalie night cream is a little too small to know whether it will really work and even if it did I am just not sure about how I feel about paying $68 for a night cream. Laura Geller Spackle sounds like an interesting product and will be my second Laura Geller product. In a previous Birchbox, I got an amazing Blush-n-Brighten in Honey Dipped and I absolutely adore it. Here is to wishing Spackle is just as good of a product! I like that it's a bronze color though it's a primer. I wonder if it will replace my daily use of a bronzer? Oribe shampoo and conditioner samples are the bonus this month. I have never tried their products before, it's always exciting to try a new brand.

Overall, I am happy with this month's Birchbox. I am especially super happy about the Orofluido sample as the full size is $29.99. I am glad that I have the chance to try it before committing to the full sized product without knowing if it will even do anything for me. Let's hope it does! 

What was in your Birchbox this month?

Birchbox / September

This month Birchbox celebrates its first birthday, therefore September's box was created with us subscribers in the Birchbox team's mind. They have included samples of some of their favorite products as well as a little treat to say 'thank you' to us!

My first impression of this month's box was pretty good! I immediately saw the mascara and that made my day a whole lot better as we don't get much makeup in Birchboxes.

I have never heard of Lash Card before. It's basically a tool, made out of thicker paper, you use when applying mascara to avoid smudging, clumping and other mascara-related accidents. I like the idea of if and think it'd be great for when you have that extra minute to perfect your eye makeup. This will be my first time trying a Blinc product, I haven't heard much about them either so I'm not sure what to expect. It's a pretty decent sized sample though. The packaging states that this mascara actually doesn't "paint" lashes but it rather 'tubes' them. It also says that we will see the tiny 'tubes' in our hands upon removal. This mascara is supposedly not removable with water/makeup remover alone but with a little pressure from fingertips/washcloth or shower. I am really curious about these tubes now!

I was taken by surprised after seeing these Incoco nail polish appliques! I haven't even ever tried the Sally Hansen ones (though I bought the neon yellow ones because they were $2, just to try them out). I like these appliques and am looking forward to trying them. I think the zebra pattern with light coral/copper is a great combo. I will more than likely use just one on one finger as an accent unless I feel wild enough to cover all my nails!

I have also never heard of LIV GRN until now. Apparently they make natural fragrances/products from sustainable ingredients. It has a nice and clean scent, not sure about lasting power yet though. I have heard of Jouer, thanks to Birchbox. This Jouer sample is a lip enhancer - conditioning lip treatment. It has a very light, pleasant scent and it's very balm-like. I have worn it since opening the box - it's quite moisturizing!

This month extra and 'thank you' treat is this pink friendship bracelet with the Birchbox logo. I think it was a cute touch and thoughtful of Birchbox. I also found the pink string pretty cute, because who doesn't like pink! ;)

I'm happy with this month's Birchbox, what do you think? Did you have any different samples?

Birchbox / August

It's Birchbox time!!! 

But wait...I am not even happy about it. Because this month's samples were a little disappointing. I actually cheated and watched Yuliya's August Birchbox video yesterday and felt kind of "blah" about it. Funny because I didn't even receive the same samples as her (at least she and many others received an eyeliner!). So now I am double disappointed.

Besides the Smashbox photo finish primer (which I have used before) I have not heard of any of the other brands. Looking forward to seeing what Ouidad climate control gel will do for my hair. I could see The Cool Fix becoming a staple in my life if it works. It's a gel lotion for razor bump/burn and ingrown hair treatment. We shall see. June Jacobs Papaya Masque sounds and smells yummy but I can never see myself shelling out $62 for a masque, ever. With that much money, I could just go get a relaxing facial in stead.

Oh and we have this...

 Honestly, when I saw this piece of elastic in the box first thing that came to my mind was "oh I guess whoever packed my box forgot an extra ribbon in there". Then I read the contents card.I just don't see what's so special about this elastic. It's an elastic. It was the "extra" this month. I would have seriously rather had another KIND bar instead. Anyway, I try everything at least once. So I tied my hair, and I also wore it on my wrist because according to the card it's supposed to look equally good on your hair and wrist. Hmm not so sure about that.

At this point, I am having a love/hate relationship with Birchbox. And it's not me, it's you Birchbox.

Any other disappointed subscribers out there? Is there anyone excited about their box this month?

Birchbox / July

It's Birchbox time again! This month's box got here fairly quickly, no complaints about shipping :) The July Birchbox is a special edition box. It was still shipped in the bright pink packaging as usual but this month, the actual box comes with a lovely Cynthia Rowley sleeve. The box also felt a bit heavier, so I was really curious to see what's in it!

Then I found out that the Redken Shine Flash 02 spray definitely had a great contribution to the weight! It's a glistening mist for a brilliant finish, which I'm looking forward to try. I love hair products, and can never try too many to perfect my hair! It smells great too! In my box, I also have a generous (for a brand like Philosophy) sample of Philosphy's famous Purity one-step facial cleanser which again I'm excited to try as I've heard great things about Purity used in conjunction with Clarisonic Mia. Let's see how I will like using the two together. Up next I have a little sample of Nuxe dry oil. I've never used a dry oil before so I can't really say much. I will use it and see how I like it. Even the small sample packaging looks kind of luxurious. The highlight of the July box must be the mini Zoya nail polish in Pandora which is part of Zoya's new Touch collection. Yay! The extra this month was a KIND Almond & Apricot bar which was happily consumed by yours truly while putting this post together. Holy yum is all I can say, I'll be making sure to look for this awesomeness in my next grocery shopping trip!

Not gonna lie, I was hoping to find a little makeup product in my box this month because of what I got in my box last month. But overall I am happy with this month's samples. My favorite product is definitely the nail polish. Based on the swatches I saw of Pandora, I think it'll be a great, everyday nail polish. I don't have anything close to its pearly blush pink color, so that's great! I am still on the fence about my subscription. I feel like the month I cancel, there will be great things in next box's month. Anyone else feel the same?

Have you tried any of these products before? Did you receive any different products in your box?

Birchbox / June

I was so surprised when my hubby came upstairs with a box in his hand earlier today saying "honey you got this box....bir...I don't know it's pink" hahah I thought, could it possibly be...Birchbox?!?!? I was kind of shocked as I received a shipment notification email just today telling me I should expect my box on or by June 13. Wow, Birchbox you have impressed me quite a bit today! ;)

Here is what's in my box for June (and I am quite happy about them this time, unlike May's!)

Needless to say the highlight of this month's box is the gorgeous, full size Laura Geller blush/bronzer/highlighter in Honey Dipped. I'm happy that I received a full size product this month because I was kind of let down by not getting any last month. Not only is it full size, but it's absolutely stunning and perfect for summer! I'm also really excited about the Pangea Facial Toner as I am currently looking for a new toner, so it's a perfect opportunity to try this out to see how I'll like it. I have tried Pangea before, I love that they make healthier products that don't contain parabens. I've never heard of Amika, but I love trying new hair products so that's great! Twirl by Kate Spade smells amazing!

The samples I'm least excited about are the Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pads and Pangea Balancing Oil...meh. Towelettes and tanning just don't go together in my book. I'm sure there are people that this works for, but I feel like it'd leave me totally streaky. Pangea Balancing oil is too small to know whether it works or not, that's the reason I am not totally excited about it. Then again it's just the bonus sample ;)

Overall, I am happy about my samples this month. I hope everyone that's subscribed to Birchbox enjoys their box this month :)

If you're subscribed to Birchbox what did you receive this month? If not, do any of these products appeal to you or have you tried them before?

Birchbox / May

Few weeks ago, due to the overwhelming hype, I decided to jump on the Birchbox bandwagon and signed myself up! I think the whole idea of these boxes is just too exciting! Who doesn't want to get random samples of cosmetics goods every month at a reasonable cost of $10? I totally do! Until my box was on its way to me, I was super excited. Receiving my box took me a while, the long wait was actually pretty ridicilous. I mean it is shipped out from New Jersey and I live in Chicago, I just don't understand how it can take more than 7 business days? I got over that pretty quickly after watching a couple of May Birchbox videos on YouTube and was totally stoked that there's a full size Stila eye shadow! Naturally I thought this makes up for the shipping fiasco, which would had I actually received a Stila eye shadow...

Packaging...The pink box you see on the left is how the package was actually shipped out for the month of May. It's ok, it's just a box but I like that it's pink! The box that holds the contents is neatly packaged, with a ribbon, tissue paper and all. I think they're a nice touch and they hold everything together.

The box contains a contents card that describes each product and has the full-size product prices.

Contents

Obviously for $10, I can't and shouldn't expect the moon and stars but I thought it was kind of unfair for some of us to not get the Stila eye shadow most other people got. Shouldn't we all get at least similar products? Of the products I received, I really like the Pomegranate soap as I love pomegranate scented anything. Jouer luminizing moisture tint samples are also something I may enjoy. They have included two different shades; Pearl and Golden. I am also looking forward to the Ahava mud mask simply because I love masks. The rest...meh. The Jouer lip gloss in Glisten has way too much glitter for my liking. I would never pay $20 for a glitter-overload lip gloss. Kerastase shampoo is a little too small for my long and thick hair to be able to tell whether it will actually work. I will more than likely use it up in a single shower session. It is also $35 which is way too much for me for a shampoo. There is also a blank card which I will eventually use but I would have liked to get more of a beauty-related product instead.

Not gonna lie, I am kinda bummed about the May Birchbox. I will wait to get the June edition to make my final decision whether to keep my subscription or let it go.

Those of you that are subscribed, what do you think about your May Birchbox? If you're not subscribed, are you planning to?