July 2012 Birchbox Review

July 2012 Birchbox

I know I teased about this awhile ago, but I finally got around to completing my Birchbox review for the July 2012 box. I apologize if it seems a little haphazard! I am nearing graduation from grad school, so between all the coursework, internship, and work wrapups, plus job hunting and moving out of my apartment, it has made for several hectic weeks! Read ahead to find out what I thought about this month’s products!

In case you aren’t familiar with Birchbox, I’ll give you a little rundown. Each month a package arrives at your door. It contains about 4-5 samples of deluxe beauty products (skin care and make up) and a little something extra. The samples are usually generous and last for a few applications. If you love an item you can get onto Birchbox’s website and buy it. Each item you buy earns you some points, similar to how the Sephora rewards card works, and you can use them toward later purchases. I love samples, especially of beauty products that are on the pricier side, so if you do actually purchase something you have a good idea of whether or not you will be happy with it. Birchbox costs $10 a month or you can subscribe for the year for $110.

Color Club Polish in Blue-Ming
Sample Size: 0.25 fl. oz.
Full size: 0.5 fl. oz., $8

Birchbox says: Use this green-turquoise polish on fingers and toes all summer long.

My thoughts: I love getting nail polishes in my Birchbox, they can do no wrong. However, this is the third time that I got a shade of green, and while green is my favorite color, I like a little variety too! In any case, I love Color Club polishes and the size of their samples, so I can’t complain too much.

Rating: A

Gloss Moderne High-Gloss Masque
Sample size: 0.5 oz.
Full size: 4 oz., $39

Birchbox says: Sun, heat, and pollution all strip our hair—happily, this vitamin-rich conditioning complex restores bounce and shine.

My thoughts: This deep conditioner is very thick and goes on so smooth. It wasn’t a bad size either, I could definitely get another go out of it. I left it in my hair for about 30 minutes while I was doing other stuff (i.e. painting my nails and drinking wine), then rinsed it out. My hair felt great! And I was very pleased until I dried my hair and it left it looking very greasy. Historically, my hair has been fickle, for years it was straight, then curly, now straight again…oscillating between being dry and normal. But I wouldn’t say I have oily hair and I know I washed it all out, so, who knows. Maybe I’ll try it again once more before I make too many assumptions.

Rating: C

Harvey Prince Eau Flirt
Sample size:
Full size: 1.7 fl. oz., $55-$98

Birchbox says: The fragrance equivalent to a wink, this fanciful scent layers fresh citrus and jasmine notes over a base of lavender and pumpkin.

My thoughts: Oh Birchbox and your never ending perfume samples. I have learned not to care too much when I get yet another one in my box. Plus, this Harvey Prince Eau Flirt smelled wonderful! It was subtle and left just enough scent. My only complaint is the sample’s vile packaging…I hate when they don’t have a little spray top because it becomes all too easy for the top to pop off and perfume to go everywhere when there isn’t one.

Rating: A

Manna Kadar Sheer Glo Shimmer Lotion
Sample size: 0.1 fl. oz.,
Full size: 1 fl. oz., $29

Birchbox says:This cult luminizing liquid adds a supermodel-like sheen to skin. Mix it with your foundation, or apply as a highlighter to cheeks and browbones.

My thoughts: I prefer more of a matte look on myself, but every couple days I do use Laura Mercier’s Foundation Primer underneath my foundation. This reminded me a lot like that, except it had more of a tan tint. I doubt I would ever buy it, since I am not keen on being shimmery, but it was fine to try out anyway.

Rating: B

Suki Balancing Kit
Sample size: 5 packets (4 at 0.13 fl. oz., 1 at 0.07 fl. oz.)
Full size: $40

Birchbox says: This all-in-one set calms and purifies troubled skin, leaving it smooth and hydrated.

My thoughts: I was intrigued by all these packets when I first opened my box. I could have benefited from a little more instruction when I went to use them, but there’s a pretty logical order. I actually really, really loved this little set, and I’m pretty sure that this is what you get in actual trial kit from Suki, which their website (and others, such as Amazon) list as being $18. My skin looked glowing, smooth, and healthy after I used the scrub, toner, masque, and oil. It felt a little weird putting oil on my face, but it didn’t cause me to break out or look overly greasy. You can get more than one use out of the packets, but the only downfall is the trickiness of keeping opened packets from spilling. Small bottles of each would have been nice, but I understand the economics of that one. Overall, I would highly recommend using this system.

Birchbox Extras
LÄRABAR über
Sample size: 0.82 oz.
Full size: Pack of 16, $27.95

Birchbox says: The latest addition to our snack drawer, these healthy and satisfying bars are packed with dried nuts and fruits.

My thoughts: Food, not so exciting. But what was exciting was that I opened my box right when I got to work and had forgotten to bring a snack along and was starving. So, there were no complaints from me pertaining to getting a food item.

Birchbox Exclusive Earbuds
$10

Birchbox says: We designed these neon headphones just for you. Pair them with your best playlist.

My thoughts: What a fun extra this month! I really loved getting this in my box, the colors are so bright, and I constantly lose earbuds and needed an extra pair. Plus, the actual earbuds are not the hard plastic, uncomfortable sort, so they fit nicely in my ears.
Overall, I would say this is one of my favorite boxes to date. It was certainly the most stuffed and I enjoyed the variety of items, although I was wondering where the make-up products were?! I miss them, Birchbox!

Want your own Birchbox? Go to http://www.birchbox.com?raf=s6h6z to sign up!

Note: I do not work for Birchbox or am affiliated with them in any way. By clicking on the link above, it works as a referral from me. My thoughts are entirely my own and do not necessarily reflect those of Birchbox.

Birchbox March 2012 Review

Birchbox Review for March 2012

[A little late, but I have ADD!]

Hi kids! In typical Alex fashion, I am late (again) on my Birchbox review. But I figure, hey! Its still March, so its still relevant! So lets do this.

In case you aren’t familiar with Birchbox, I’ll give you a little rundown. Each month a package arrives at your door. It contains about 4-5 samples of deluxe beauty products (skin care and make up) and a little something extra. The samples are usually generous and last for a few applications. If you love an item you can get onto Birchbox’s website and buy it. Each item you buy earns you some points, similar to how the Sephora rewards card works, and you can use them toward later purchases. I love samples, especially of beauty products that are on the pricier side, so if you do actually purchase something you have a good idea of whether or not you will be happy with it. Birchbox costs $10 a month or you can subscribe for the year for $110.

This month Birchbox was just as cute as the first time. Admittedly, I was a tad disappointed that it wasn’t as heavy (about .4 of a lb. less) as February’s box, I still felt joy nonetheless. I even took some of my own photos this time! But, they kinda suck, so I’ll put in some of those high-quality Birchbox website-lifted images again.

So what did I get?

Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser

Full size price: $22

Birchbox says: The name says it all: this eco-friendly cleanser uses botanical ingredients to purify your pores.

My thoughts: To be 100% fair, its only been in the past few years that I have actually cared about what kind of cleanser I am using on my face. I was one of those very lucky few that didn’t have to deal with teenage acne and when I washed my face, if I washed my face, I’d just use whatever hand wash was in the bathroom. [I can hear skin enthusiasts all over the world groan]. Rest assured, I use a real facial cleanser these days, and am kinda picky over what I use. But I just wasn’t crazy about this cleanser for a few reasons. For one, it was just a little too much for my skin, I don’t really require a blemish clearing cleanser, so it was sort of drying for me. It smelled weird, too. I’m all for organic products, but this stuff smelled straight up weird. It also has benzyl alcohol in it, which we all know is not good for your skin. To be fair, I am not  the best person to try this out on, so don’t let me hold you back from trying this.

Rating: C

Color Club Nail Lacquer in Age of Aquarius

Full size price: $8

Birchbox says: Brighten blah nails with this on-trend, ’60s-inspired green polish.

My thoughts: I LOVED this nail polish. I don’t paint my nails all that often because I’m kind of a klutz and mess them up within an hour of doing them. But this color (the green hue on the far left) is so fun. It also proved to have a lot of staying power and remained vibrant throughout the week I wore it. Plus, the sample size I got was a really nice size, so it’ll probably last me for a little bit. All these colors  look like they’d be really great for summer, so I’m excited to try out some more!

Rating: A

Lulu Organics Lavender & Sage Hair Powder

Full size price: $30

Birchbox says: Revive flat locks by sprinkling this lavender-scented organic dry shampoo onto your roots.

My thoughts: I was really excited to try this product. I am a grad student with about a million things to do, so dry shampoo or talc powder has been my best friend in the past. This is the first product that is specifically called ‘hair powder’ that I’ve ever tried. When I tried it out I was going into day three of unwashed hair. Typically, I can at least go two days without washing my hair and it not looking greasy, so I figured this was a good test. I combed it through the top of my head near the scalp area and into my bangs, since those are the two spots that give away dirty hair-ness for me. I didn’t notice any life changing effects from the hair powder. It gave me the same sort of results as using baby powder, it just smelled like lavender. I doubt I would ever buy this at full-size when they are much cheaper options out there.

Rating: B

 

Stila Smoky Eye Card

Full size price [3 shadows]: $45

Birchbox says: Take the guesswork out of matching eye makeup with this mini-palette.

My thoughts: Stila products typically prove to be high quality, so I always love the chance to try them out. I was disappointed, however, with the sample size of this one. Instead of it being a mini eye palette, there was just a little sample of each color on a card. So, I definitely didn’t want to mess this one up when I tried it since I knew I wouldn’t get another use out of the card palette. The colors did look fun together and with my green eyes I like using eyeshadows in the purple-family. The shadow stayed put almost the entire time I wore it, only fading toward the end. I just wish there had been more it to try again!

Rating: A- 

 

Harvey Prince Yogini

Full size price: $26-$55

Birchbox says: Take a deep breath and relax with this calming scent. Notes of sandalwood, Egyptian myrrh, and grapefruit will help you feel as good as you smell.

My thoughts: This scent came as just the right time for me, since I’ve been slightlyyy stressed out lately. I always love these little perfume bottles…just enough to use for at least a week, which I think is a good amount of time to decide whether or not a scent is really right for you. And this Yogini scent is awesome. I’m the kind of girl who likes to wear scents that could almost be considered unisex. Not too girly, not too manly, just in between. Wearing this gave me the same sort of joy I get from wearing Banana Republic’s Classic unisex perfume, which is my absolute favorite. Additionally, due to seasonal allergies and whatnot, I can be slightly sensitive to scents…but this was not overpowering at all, so no headache with this one! Probably my favorite product from this month’s box.

Rating:  A

Tea Forte Skin-smart Teas

Full size price [16 tea bags]: $6

Birchbox says: An antioxidant tea that tastes amazing and helps our skin look more radiant?  Yes, please.

My thoughts: The ‘lifestyle extra’ for this month were these tea bags from Tea Forte. I spent a few years working in a tea room during high school, so I was molded into a big tea fan. However, the combination flavors in these teas kinda put me off from the start, before I even tried them. There were three tea bags: cherry marzipan, cucumber mint, and honey yuzu. I’ve only tried one of them and chose the least offending sounding one, the honey yuzu. It wasn’t bad. I didn’t really notice any skin radiance break through after drinking the tea, although I suppose you’d have to make this a regular routine. I think I’ll just stick with my Yogi skin detoxing tea, instead.

Rating: C-

As usual, the April box cannot come soon enough. You gotta love having a little surprise to look forward to every month. I am excited to see what my mysterious Birchbox will hold next month…and of course you can expect an update from me. Stay tuned!

Want your own Birchbox? Go to http://www.birchbox.com?raf=s6h6z to sign up!

Note: I do not work for Birchbox or am affiliated with them in any way. By clicking on the link above, it works as a referral from me. My thoughts are entirely my own and do not necessarily reflect those of Birchbox.