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.
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