June Birchbox 2014

Birchbox time of the month again! This month the theme was Away We Go in partnership with JetBlue. All the samples were related to travel, whether it be flying somewhere, road-tripping or even staycation-ing.

First, I noticed the cute packaging for the Davines Love Smoothing Shampoo. It also came with a little packet for the conditioner and another little packet of the leave-in treatment, but the shampoo bottle is adorable and what caught my attention. I love the light shade of pink and it seems like it would be very milky and softening.

Always good to travel with some body lotion. This one is the Gilchrist & Soames London Collection Body Lotion. It's packed with botanicals like grape seed to help moisturize and soften the skin. Lip product of the bunch is the Cynthia Rowley Beauty Creamy Lip Stain in the shade, Valentine. Looks like a pretty deep pink color. I love lip stains and will be curious to try this one out because it claims to be very moisturizing and shiny. I also received the Catherine Malandrino Fragrance. This is the designer's first fragrance and it's very fruity and summery. Will be a good sample to toss in your bag.

Finally the Caudalie Polypheno C15 Anti-Wrinkle Defense Serum! This serum helps smooth over your wrinkles to give your skin a more youthful appearance. I'm not incredibly concerned about wrinkles so this will be a good product to pass on to my mom.

And that is the end of my Birchbox!

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May Birchbox!

This month's Birchbox was really cute and in collaboration with Kate Spade Saturday. The box has the cute Saturday print and pop of yellow tissue paper. It also included a coupon to use on your next Kate Spade Saturday purchase!

First, I got some SmartyPants All-in-One Fiber Gummies for Weight Mangagement. The pack only included 2 which is 1/3 of the recommended serving size. They taste a little more like DOTS instead of gummy bears so it might not be fore everyone. I love gummies... so good thing the price for a full-size supply is too expensive for me to get.

I also got a set of Nexxus Color Assure Pre-Wash Primer, Shampoo and Conditioner. This looks perfect for bringing on holiday. Since I have started highlighting my hair again this will be good to help lock in color longer without sulfates. I have never used a pre-wash primer before so that will be interesting to test out!

I also got the Marcelle BB Cream Golden Glow. I love my BB creams! This one is rich in antioxidants and hydrating aloe. I will report back to let you know if I like this one. I received another Supergoop! product. This one is the Everyday SPF 30 Cellular Response Technology one. It's lightweight and water resistant. I have another sample I love by them so I imagine this one will be great as well!

Finally I got the Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm in Pixi Pink. I was super excited when I saw this came in the package but a little disappointed by the color. It's a bright bright pink that I find a little hard to wear. I have heard bloggers mention this so I think the forumlas are great but the bright pink leaves me a little hesitant to wear it.

That's it for this month's Birchbox! Let me know what you got in your box!

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March Birchbox

The March Birchbox is here! Mostly skincare items this month:

First, I received the Keims Cleanshine Energizing Shampoo. Says it's an invigorating cleanser with peppermint leaf extract to help circulation. Looking forward to trying it out and using it while I'm on vacation.

I have never used a BB cream for the body before. The Jergens BB Body will instantly hydrate, smooth, illuminate and brighten skin. If used consistently it will even skin tone, visibly firm skin and help reduce the appearance of imperfections. This has caught my attention...

This eyeliner color is a little out of my comfort zone but the pencil itself looks really cool. The Inika Eyeliner in Green Lagoon comes with its own little pencil sharpener! This organic metallic green eye pencil will be interesting to try out.

I am very SPF aware so this will be a very interesting product to try out. The Supergoop! City Sunsreen Serum SPF 30+ PA+++ can be applied right after cleansing the skin and asks as a serum and primer to protect the skin. It also helps with anti-aging. 

The Grand Central Beauty S.M.A.R.T Skin Perfecting Serum + Primer preps your skin, creating an even canvas for your daily makeup routine. Wear this under your moisturizer and makeup to help condition the skin, sooth irritation and redness and help with fine lines. 

Seems like this month's box is filled with multitasking products. Excited to try them all!

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February Birchbox 2014

My February Birchbox came and there a few bits that I am really excited to use.

1. Beauty Protector Protect & Oil 
I'm not really big into hair oils, but this one helps protect against UV rays, heat and breakage!

2. Coola Tinted Matte SPF 30 for Face
I love my Jouer Matte Moisture tint for a velvet matte finish so I'm really excited to try the Coola Tinted Matte moisturizer. This is a mineral-based product that should give you a shine-free complexion. I will report back about this one.

3. Ruby Wing Color Changing Nail Polish in Kitten Heels
I was wowed by the hot pink when I opened this month's birchbox and I'm even more surprised that this is color changing nail polish! I can't wait to see this in action!

4. Smashbox Cosmetics Full Exposure Mascara
I love mascara samples. Excited to try a Smashbox mascara because I have never tried them.

5. Smashbox Cosmetics Full Exposure Palette
This sample is a bit dissapointing but it is a sample of the whole range of eye shadows in the full size palette.

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January Birchbox

January's Birchbox was a little bit of a let down for me. I think I just wasn't that excited about the products this time.

I got the Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy fragrance which I have gotten before from somewhere else so that wasn't that exciting. I got the Inika Mineral Eyeshadow in Eternal Marine which is looks like a powdery silver muted teal shimmer. An interesting combo: The Nail Rock nail polish and Sequin pot is something I will be willing to try but I'm not that huge of a glitter/sequin nail polish person. The instructions say to use 2 coats of the nail polish, then dip your wet nails into the sequins and they're done after 20 minutes (that's a long time).

I also got the Burts Bees Dry Lotion which has a very clean smelling sage scent to it. I really haven't tried anything from Burts Bees other than their chapsticks and an exfoliator but I'm interested to see how this will work with my skin. Lastly, this is my second product from Beauty Protector that I have received from Birchbox. This is the Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle and I love leave in sprays for my hair so this will be good for travel.

I saw a few other January Birchboxes that looked way better than mine so I'm still a little disappointed. Fingers crossed for next month.

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December 2013 Birchbox

December's Birchbox has arrived! This month the packaging was a little bit more festive than usual though the products inside weren’t all that festive as I’d imagine.

Nonetheless I was really excited to receive a sample size of Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concetre. I used to use this religiously a few years ago but stopped just because I wanted to try out some new products. I’m leaving for a trip soon so I will definitely be using this on my travels. It’s a favorite among makeup artists and it’s just a really simple good moisturizer that works well to prep the skin for makeup.

Next I got the Hayadi Pure Happy Smooth styling lotion to help tame frizz and add shine to hair. It’s a keratin-infused styling lotion to use with any heat styling (blow dry, curl, straighten). I think I will like this because often times with the spray I’m not sure if I’ve gotten product on all my hair, but the lotion seems much easier to apply.

I also got a teeny tiny sample of the Jouer Pink Glace Moisturizing Lip Gloss. I still haven’t tried this but I love all things Jouer and this looks like a cute little sample to toss into my clutch for a night out.

This really intrigued me - the Sarahpotempa The Half-Up hair tool. I still haven’t been able to really understand how to use it because I think I have too much hair… but I look forward to attempting a half-up style, small top know or low bun…

Finally I got chocolate again… Fatty Sundays Gourmet Chocolate Covered Pretzel and since I don’t really like chocolate I was a little disappointed to get this. It doesn’t really look like an appetizing chocolate covered pretzel either…

Overall it was an alright delivery this month. There are a few products I'm excited to try but not my favorite box I've ever gotten.

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November Birchbox

This month's Birchbox took a wild adventure to get to me. Somehow my doorman was not around while the postman delivered the mail and without a slip I had to go track it down. I got the package about a week late but at least I finally got it!

First off, I'm not a fan of when Birchbox adds food to the boxes... even if it is chocolate. They called this one a Lifestyle Extra - the Chuao Assorted Chocopod chocolate... Like I said, not really excited about it.

Now, onto the more exciting beauty bits!

Tocca Crema da Mano in Cleopatra
Hand cream is my best friend in Winter so I can never have enough hand cream. This one is loaded with natural oils with grapefruit and cucumber in the ingredients.

Color Club Nail Polish in Top Shelf
This looks like a nice Christmas/Holiday nail polish shade. This nail polish is from the Cocktail Hour Collection which I think is a very fitting color for the range. I'm excited to wear this for possible New Years.

Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil
I don't own a Highlighter pencil so I'm excited to try this one. I love makeup in pencil or crayon form because it makes applying and packing super easy! This one seems very versatile. You can us it on your brow bones, cheekbones, inner corner of your eyes or even along the lip line to make your lipstick stand out.

Vasanti Cosmetics BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator
I was a bit dissapointed when I saw this because I had already received this sample in a previous Birchbox! I was a bit shocked, but I do like using this exfoliating face wash. It's very strong and people say it mimics the effects of microdermabrasion.

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October Birchbox

October's Birchbox has arrived!

Chapstick Hydration Lock
I have already tested this and it is a very creamy moisturizing chapstick. It's vanilla scented so it smells good and seems overall like a great chapstick for my handbag.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser with Muslin Cloth
I have not tried this but I have heard a lot of great things about this cleanser. I was so excited to receive it and I have been wanting to try washing my face with a muslin cloth. Muslin cloths gently exfoliate your skin while removing product. I will report back later how I get on with this.

Joie Folle de Joie perfume
I never get too excited about getting perfume samples, but the scent is nice. It's a mix of mandarin, rose and sandalwood.

POP Beauty Aqua Lacquer
When I first saw this color I was a little turned off, but after applying it I have changed my mind. I love how plump, glossy and sheer the color is. And it has a cute paddle applicator that makes applying the gloss super easy!

Miss Jessie's Original Creme de la Creme Conditioner
I am excited to try this leave in conditioner but I wish this came in an easier sample container to use. This claims to soften, detangle and nourish both curly and straight hair. You can run it through damp or dry hair.

Happy Monday!

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September Birchbox

Wanted to share with you what I received in this month's Birchbox! Seems like I have posting a lot about Birchbox recently but I still wanted to show you what they sent me this month.

From top left to bottom right:
Paula's Choice RESIST BHA 9 for Stubborn Imperfections
This is a night time treatment with 9% salicylic acid to address spots, blackheads and wrinkles. I wish the sample was bigger but I'm excited to test this out.

Ruffian Nail Lacquer in Hedge Fund
I love getting Nail Polishes in my Birchbox but I was not very excited about the color. Originally I thought it was good because it's a shade I would never buy myself but after putting in on it confirmed my gut feeling that I just didn't like the shade. The brush was a bit fanned out as well and not that smooth to apply. I'm just personally not really into the whole metallic nail trend.

Serge Normant Meta Luxe Hair Spray
I rarely use hair spray but I have heard good things about this one and I love that it's a mini size I can bring with me during travels. It claims to keep your hair smooth and frizz-free while also protecting your hair from UV rays. Excited to try and I like the packaging!

Costal Scents Eye Shadow
On first glance this looks pretty sad... I wish the packaging were nicer but the colors do look nice. These four complementary coppery brown shades can be easily worn day or night and I am excited to try them.

Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips
I was super excited to get this as a sample. Only because I have heard Essiebutton talk about this before and if you can get over the weird name, it's freaking fantastic! I have already tested this out and it reminds me of Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream minus the weird scent and color and its not as sticky. It's very moisturizing! I will continue to use it to see how I like it.

Overall it was a pretty good Birchbox month. Especially since I went to Birchbox local this past weekend. If you haven't ready about that I will like that here.

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Birchbox Local

Yesterday I stopped by the Birchbox local popup shop in Chelsea Market in NYC. It's open until Monday if you want to go check it out. I started subscribing to Birchbox in June this year and I have been loving what they do. You pay $10/month to get a present full of makeup samples shipped to you every month! Good size samples! I really look forward to seeing what new products arrive.

For the popup, you can go online to rsvp for a hair, makeup or nail service or just go to the store to sign up. For $15 you get to pick 5 products from a good selection of beauty products to fill up your own little Birchbox box. Above is a picture of part of the samples wall. Go stop by! It was really fun!

The 5 products I picked up were:
1. beautyblender
2. DDF Protective Eye Cream
3. Mally Beauty Age Rebel Waterproof Shadow Stick
4. Origins Modern Friction Nature's Gentle Dermabrasion
5. Pur Minerals Dirty Girl Detoxifying Mudd Masque

And if you want to see what I have received these past few months, I've linked my Birchbox posts below:

June Birchbox!
July Birchbox!
August Birchbox!

I just received my September Birchbox this past week as well so I will be writing a post on that soon!
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August Birchbox

I was a little disappointed with this month's birchbox samples. I think I get more excited when I get makeup bits and the majority of this month's samples were all skincare. The only real makeup thing here is the BB Cream. I also think it's a bit weird when they include things like a tea bag. But ok.

On the left in the MIYU pouch, I got a de-stress mi beauty essence spray which says it's a fusion between a facial mist and a serum to help calm down irritated complexions. I do love facial sprays so I am excited to try this out but not that excited to try the tea bag it came with. Next are the Whish deodorant swipes (???) i guess I'll have to try this out to talk about it. I guess it's for when you're on the go, such as after the gym or something. Another Whish Body product included this month was the Whish exfoliating body wash. This will be good for travel. I am going away again this weekend so I will bring this with me.

Next is the Dr Jart Premium BB Cream with SPF 45 which I already have been using and love because not that many BB creams have such high SPF. I love almost all the Dr Jart BB creams (I love the Dr Jart Waterfuse BB cream. It's super light and natural looking!) And finally I got samples of the OC8 Professional Mattifying Gel (8 hour matte finish) which I just read about in Refinery29 and am excited to try! I definitely suffer from oily t-zone so hopefully this will keep my face looking fresh all day!

Are you guys subscribed to Birchbox??

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july birchbox!

i love opening my monthly birchboxes! i am loving what i got for july's box.

here is a closeup of everything i got.

Benefit it's potent! eye cream

I was really excited to get this eye cream. i love trying new eye creams and this sample was really cute. it claims to fade dark under eye circles and preserve the elasticity of the delicate under eye area while protecting skin from free radicals. 

Number 4 Lumiere dhiver Super Comb Prep & Protect

this is a leave-in conditioner for hair with instant detangling! my favorite kind of hair product! i love this mini size and will be bringing this on my next trip. i hate lugging around my big bottles or hair product so this is great. this product always says its color protecting, anti-aging and gives hair extra UV protection. can't wait to try it! 

ddf acne control treatment

i am pretty loyal to my la roche-posay effacer duo and origins super spot remover, but i am always game to try new acne treatments. i still do get the occasional spot and this product says it's fights current acne and helps control and prevent future acne. sound good to me!

theBalm cosmetics, InStain Long-Wearing Powder Staining Blush

The packaging is super cute. It's got a magnetic closure and the blush looks like a cute little magazine!I got the shade Swiss Dot (Peach) which is perfect for me. this new blush gives the long-wearing staining blush effect in a powder formula. I'm excited to try it because I am obsessed with blush at the moment. I only wish the sample wasn't so small… it's really teeny tiny.

Birchbox Bobby Pins

Somehow I like collecting bobby pins even though i rarely ever use them. These are really cute and will sit on my shelf now with my other bobby pins.

june birchbox!

my birchbox came in the mail yesterday! it's like a mini christmas every month! after i use some of the products i'll be able to give a better review, but basically you pay $10 a month and you get a little package full of makeup and skincare samples to explore and try each month. pretty cool!