Did I need The Radiant Finish Kit? Probably not. BUT a Beauty Blender goes for about $20 and the kit was $26, so I figured why not add it on to my August 2016 Birchbox.
I almost did a Splurge or Save post with a dupe for the Beauty Blender. I am SO glad that I didn’t! Because, while I love using sponges in general, the Beauty Blender was legit on a whole new level for me!
You guys, I honestly can not even remember if my August 2016 Birchbox was the feature box for the month or if I picked a sample. Given my past Birchbox selections, I’d say it’s safe to assume it’s the feature box, but I could be wrong.
What I am sure about is that my love for Living proof. has grown exponentially, that stila is the bomb dot com.
Ok. I have some news. I have officially decided not to renew my Birchbox subscription for 2017.
Partly, because I am trying to minimize the excess crap I have in my life and samples have taken over my vanity. It’s making me feel like a hoarder and I just can’t.
Finish up the year won’t be an issue. I really do enjoy getting my Birchbox every month.
I’m not going to lie to you. I missed the sample choice window for the July 2016 Birchbox.
And, it may come as no surprise that I really wanted that month’s feature box. So, honestly, no matter what I got, I expected to be at least somewhat disappointed.
Really, the only let down was the box. It wasn’t the pretty patterned box for the month, but a plainer one. The samples were actually pretty decent.
I haven’t used them yet. But, I’m pretty confident that I will.
For the June 2016 Birchbox the sample choice was between the different shades of the new and improved Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow. I knew I loved the original, so naturally I wanted to get my hand on this updated one. It was basically a no-brainer.
I don’t know if it’s just me, but I didn’t like the Gimme Brow nearly as much as I remembered. I’ve used it from time to time, but my current favorite is actually NYX brow mascara.
I am a little bit of a bronzer junkie. Probably because I associate it with summer. A matte bronzer is the best for contouring, but I have yet to find a stand alone bronzer for me to use that way. When there’s a shimmer to it, I use it all over, otherwise I use it like a setting powder. I knew Benefit Hoola Matte Bronzer wouldn’t be dark enough, but because of the hype I wanted it anyways.
COOLA is a brand I like for sunscreen in general, I’ve sampled their products through Birchbox a couple of times, but never a makeup setting spray. I’ve been looking for a natural alternative to Urban Decay’s All Nighter and I’m really happy to have found this, even if the full size does cost a little bit more.
Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of the color, but the ModelCo Lip Lacquer feels like a pretty good gloss. I would love to try it in a shade like Morocco instead. Birchbox carries their sample sized trio for $16, it includes both Crème Brulee and Morocco, in addition to Viva.
Perfumes, shampoos and conditioners are not my favorite samples to get, but I don’t mind so much when I get all three for a total of six samples this month. Sure the conditioner is a small packet, but I really wanted to try the Davines LOVE set. It’s for course or frizzy hair. I have both. (Apparently, Davines changed the formula, and the new didn’t exactly get rave reviews. I still have yet to use it, but am choosing to remain optimistic since I didn’t see any reviews from anyone with course hair.)
The perfume is a heavy floral. Which I did not love and made the mistake of spraying in on myself rather than in the air or on a piece of paper to smell it for the first time. And it’s strong.
Despite my feelings towards the fragrance sample, this month’s box was still one of my faves.
It seems like whenever I tell myself that I’m not going to select the featured box the next month, I end up doing the opposite. Maybe it’s me, maybe it’s that I was that unimpressed with the sample choices. Either way, I went with the April 2016 Birchbox featured box.
I don’t want to pretend that I loved or even wanted everything in my box this month. However, I was very pleased with the Laura Geller Baked Blush-n-Brighten. I can use it as blush with a highlighter or as a highlighter with a blush, or alone.
TOCCA Hand Cream is one of my favorites and it is my goal to eventually try them all, I really like the scent I got, it’s fruity and floral, which to me is perfection!
Surprisingly, I liked the Marcelle Micellar Solution, but not nearly as much as I’d expected to. Especially since it costs as much as it does, but the drugstore versions work just as well.
Liftra Contour Cream kind of confuses me. Since I don’t 100% get how it works or what exactly it’s supposed to do, I have yet to touch it.
As for the PALOR, I raved about the blowout spray, but the volumizing spray isn’t a product I cared all that much for. Not because it doesn’t work, but volume isn’t really something my hair lacks.
Which product would make this box worth it for you? If you’re interested in signing up for Birchbox, you can use my refer a friend link here!
It’s been a little bit since I’ve gone with the featured box for my Birchbox sample choice selection. But, for me, the March 2016 Birchbox, Ready for Anything themed box was the obvious option.
Parlor is a brand that I have heard a lot about through Birchbox, but didn’t think I’ve get in as a sample in my Birchbox. Just another reason to have selected this month’s feature box. I’ll be attending a conference soon and really hope this blowout spray will hold up throughout the weekend.
I’ve gone a little face mask crazy lately, and even managed to get the manfriend kind of, sort of into them a little too. Surprisingly, I haven’t tried any eye pads, so these Wilma Schumann ones will not go to waste! Maybe multi masking will be my next beauty endeavor…
Something a bit more familiar, is Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream. Having tried it before, I knew I liked it, but I’m happy to have some again. Plus, the container is great for travel!
Smashbox is one of the first beauty brands I ever tried and loved. A sample with not one, not two, but THREE colors is practically unheard of! I really want to order the full size version in Vignette.
Milk Makeup is a brand spanking new and I am excited to have gotten it through Birchbox. I wish the sample was a bigger (and another color), but I’m happy I get to try it out.
Curious to know if Birchbox is for you? Give it a try, sign up here!
I highly doubt that I’ll do all 30 days, but I don’t really intend to. My goal is to challenge myself to wear lipstick a little more often, instead of just hoarding lip colors. Including the ones in the Lip Sync Kit.
When I first learned about the new Birchbox brand Arrow, I wanted to try it. All of it. So, when they announce that the BOOST Color Enhancing Lip Balm was one of the sample choices, there was no doubt in my mind that it was what I would be selecting for my February 2016 Birchbox.
I didn’t even really care what the other products would be all that much and trying them all is still on my to do list, but I’m very happy with what all I got.
Especially the Color Club nail polish in That’s My Jam.
Even though I have it in a somewhat similar color already, no complaints here.
The Corioliss Argan Conditioning Mask, is an intense five minute conditioning treatment. Which would be great if I could just remember to bring it in with me into the shower!
I found the BORGHESE Fango Purificante Clay Cleanser to be of interest. One of the reviews mentioned that it left their skin feeling particularly dry. After reading that, I’ve decided to hold out on trying this particular sample until the summer, in order to hopefully save my face the same fate.
Fragrances can be a hit or miss. I own a ton (mostly samples), but tend to use the same few more often than not. I didn’t exactly love the Catherine Malandrino Romance de Provence Eau de Parfum, but I also didn’t exactly hate it. I don’t think it will be one of the few.
I just got the sample choice email for March, can’t wait to share my choice! Do you have a Birchbox subscription? What sample did you choose?
I just got the sample choice email for February, so I figured I should probably get my December Birchbox post up.
For December I went with a sample choice instead of the curated feature box. Not for any particular reason, other than wanting a certain two colors for the Coastal Scents eye shadow palette sample. I also got a sample of shadow/blush by The Balm Cosmetics. I’m not so sure how I feel about it as a shadow, but I’m willing to give it a try.
I’ve sampled a few Harvey Prince fragrances, and now they make a sea salt hair spray. I really like that way it smells. Like, I sprayed some on my hair, forgot I had and kept trying to figure out what that amazing smell was. It was me. Well, it was my hair. I mean it could be complete ineffective as a hair texturizing mist and I would still use it as a hair fragrance.
Not getting the feature box made me think I would be missing out on the Juara hand and nail balm, but nope. I ended up getting it anyways. Not that my purse really needed another hand cream, but who doesn’t like having options?
My last sample was Klorane Dry Shampoo. I never blogged about it, but I tried Ipsy one month a LONG time ago and this was one of the products I’d gotten in my bag. I will say that I started using dry shampoo more often recently, so I will happily take an extra can.
For February, I also added on an item. Which means two Birchbox posts next month too.
If you want a piece of this Birchbox action, sign up here between now and Valentine’s Day and we could both win a Beauty Blender!
