Birchbox: October 2012

Happy New Year! Catching up, slowly, but surely. 

Don't know what Birchbox is?
Birchbox is a monthly subscription service that delivers a little, heavenly box of premium beauty samples to your doorstep. Each month you will receive 4-5 samples (sometimes even full-sized products) and generally a goodie (energy booster, granola bar, etc). The samples range from make-up, polishes, skincare, body, hair, and fragrances. All from luxury, quality brands. Every month is a surprise, but the samples picked for you are based on a survey you fill out letting the gals know your style and skin-type. Birchbox costs just $10 a month, and your box will always be valued way above!
Click here to join Birchbox.

October 2012, Box #24
Fall is about transformation. From the trees to halloween costumes. So Birchbox put together a box that would help change up our beauty routines. It could be adding new products, trying new brands, or switching up your skincare regime.

Information Cards:

Products:

Harvey Prince: Hello Eau de Parfum
Get a glass half full disposition with this optimistic blend of juicy Meyer lemon, white grapefruit, and pink plumeria. 
Full Size: 1.7 oz ($55.00)
Size Received: 0.1 oz ($3.30)
Birchbox has a little love affair with Harvey Prince. This is the 3rd perfume Ive gotten to try. Hello is a light and fresh fruity (lemon, mandarin, and grapefruit), floral (forsythia and plumeria). Its nice, but not really my favorite. I wouldnt pay $55 for it, but its the kind of scent Id get from Bath and Body Works in a body spray. Once Hello settles on my skin, it just smells like I just showered.
Cruelty-free!

Benta Berry: G-1 Moisturizing Face Cream
Light but extremely nourishing, this all-natural French moisturizer regulates oil levels and keeps skin matte.
Full Size: 1.0 oz ($22.00)
Size Received: 0.2 oz ($4.40)
I received Benta Berry's cleanser back in my April Birchbox and loved it. A French, organic, cruelty-free company focused on young skin and simple skincare. I saw all the hype for this face cream on birchbox and makeuptalk and super excited. I tried it a few days ago and it applied thick as can be, did not absorb, and just sat on my skin. Once I started applying my makeup the cream rolled up into balls on my skin. Fail! One website said that your moisturizer balling up may mean you need to pat it on or applied too much. But I don't know. Maybe its not for me. Others love it and I already passed it along to someone who loves it.
Cruelty-free!

Mox Botanicals: Pomegranate & Fig Lip Butter
Made in Portland, this eco-chic balm revives lips with avocado oil and shea butter.
Full Size: 0.2 oz ($16.00)
Size Received: 0.1 oz ($8.00)
I'm not much for lip balm pots. I hate getting my hands all greasy and much rather would use a stick. I mistakenly assumed that this product would be vegan. I mean Portland, Oregon is the mecca of vegans.  But alas, it is not. I got the reply back after I already tried and loved it. It applied silky smooth without being greasy, and the pomegranate smell is amazing. But it does contain lanolin (wool wax) and beeswax. I did ask if they planned on offering a vegan version and the rep said they will most likely offer vegan options in the future!
Cruelty-free! (product not vegan)

theBalm: Mary-Lou Manizer
Play up your best features with this three-in-one highlighter, shadow, and all-over shimmer.
Full Size: 8.4 g ($24.00)
Size Received: 1 g ($2.86)
Oh boy, oh boy. We all know that I love Mary-Lou Manizer! See my detailed review here. I think theBalm knocked it out of the park with this highlighter. It compliments multiple shades of skin, adds a natural glow, and is so pigmented that the product will last a lifetime. I have had this product almost a year and it looks like I've barely used it even though I use it every friggin day. I'll gladly take a mini version to travel with.
Cruelty-free!

Luna Protein: Chocolate Peanut Butter
We keep these yummy protein-packed bars on hand at all times.
Full Size: 15 bars ($14.95)
Size Received: 1 bar ($0.99)
I'm sort of tired of getting food products in my birchbox. Because almost every single one has dairy in it! So I've been having to give away all of my treats to friends. Not all Luna bars have dairy, so too bad that I just so happened to get one that isn't vegan.
Cruelty-free! (product not vegan)

Total value of my October 2012 Birchbox:$19.55

Some months you find new things you love, other times you get to sample things you already love. I can see why people are saying Birchbox is going downhill. But I'll still stick it out and see what the new year brings about.

What do you think of my October Birchbox? How does it compare to yours?  Let me know in the comments below!

If you don't get Birchbox, click here to join! 

Birchbox: April 2012

This month my box came an entire week and half later than it had been since Birchbox switched to UPS-MI! Even my tracking code would not work until a few days ago. I was getting a little impatient since I vowed not to peak at the website before my box came. I loved having my box be a complete surprise (okay, okay, I sort of half peaked, but I only saw two products before I closed the window). From now on I'm going to promise to myself to not peak. It makes it so much more fun and rewarding.

Don't know what Birchbox is?
Birchbox is a monthly subscription service that delivers a little, heavenly box of premium beauty samples to your doorstep. Each month you will receive 4-5 samples (sometimes even full-sized products) and generally a goodie (energy booster, granola bar, etc). The samples range from make-up, polishes, skincare, body, hair, and fragrances. All from luxury, quality brands. Every month is a surprise, but the samples picked for you are based on a survey you fill out letting the gals know your style and skin-type. Birchbox costs just $10 a month, and your box will always be valued way above!
Click here to join Birchbox.

April 2012, Box #20
Birchbox was inspired by the upcoming Earth Day (4/22) for April's box. The box is filled with fresh products that take inspiration from the world around. They state in the card that the products will get us excited to take on everything from garden parties to spring cleaning. I'm not entirely impressed with their interpretation of the theme. I wouldn't consider an alcohol based fragrance anywhere near being wholesome or environmentally friendly. But the other brands I received are committed to using natural products, environmentally friendly practices, and are cruelty-free. So they got it mostly right.

Information Cards:

Products:
Willa: Clear Face Moisturizer
This healing cream is made with aloe, mango extract, and eucalyptus to balance moisture levels without clogging your pores.
Full Size: 1.0oz ($11.50)
Size Received: 0.5oz ($5.75)
It was interesting to read that this small startup company had to deal with big bully, Procter & Gamble, suing them. PG sued Willa because their name is too similar to PG's own Wella line. Willa skincare was started by Christy Prunier when she and her daughter (Willa) realized there wasn't any natural skincare options for preteen girls. It seems only natural to call the skincare line Willa, luckily in October the two companies settled and they won the rights to keep the name! Apparently it cost Willa almost a million dollars in legal fees to keep the name. I applaud them for taking on the powerhouse and beating them at their own game!
Now to the sample!  All Willa products are free of all nasty chemicals and are cruelty-free. As already mentioned, the line was developed by girls for girls. But moms keep stealing the products for themselves, which is why Birchbox picked these products up! The first thing that I noticed about this moisturizer is that it has a serum-like, runny consistency. It truly does absorb on contact and doesn't make my face feel greasy at all. Aloe soothes irritated skin and reduces redness, eucalyptus balances out skin tone, and mango gives skin a shot of Vitamin C to help brighten and reduce the appearance of scars and blemishes. I absolutely loved this moisturizer. I used 3 pumps of it for my entire face and it really did dry in seconds. After a long day my skin is still hydrated and I noticed that my redness has stayed away all day. The fact that this moisturizer is only $11.50 makes it an amazing contender for a summer moisturizer. Adore!

Benta Berry: G-1 Exfoliating Facial Cleanser
Overhaul your skin with this Parisian brand's creamy exfoliator, which has finely ground apricot seeds to sweep away dead cells.
Full Size: 1.0oz ($16.00)
Size Received: 0.1oz ($1.60)
Benta Berry is a French natural and cruelty-free skincare company that also focuses on young skin (12-24 years). When I saw apricots in the description I was expecting St Ive's thick, heavy formula with giant amounts of ground up apricot. But as advertised the apricot seeds are VERY finely ground. You can still feel and see them, but just barely. The liquid is nice and liquidy rather than thick which I like in a cleanser. It has burdock, jasmine, and mandarine to help control oil and purify skin. The exfoliant supposedly has a mattifying effect which is awesome. During the humid, summers, I can't have enough products that help keep my face shine-free! I absolutely adore the fragrance too, it smells like blueberries and clean flowers. I wish I had a lotion in this scent! I'll use this tomorrow and see how it works. The sample is probably enough for just two uses.

Taylor Swift: Wonderstruck
The pop-country songstress' scent is as catchy as her lyrics. We think it's worthy of a standing gig in our vanity.
Full Size: 3.4oz ($59.50)
Size Received: 0.04oz ($0.70)
This perfume reminds me a lot of Viva la Juicy. It may be because they are both sparkling fruity-florals with base notes of amber and musk. Wonderstruck's top notes are raspberry, dewberry, green tea, freesia, and apple blossom. The raspberry makes this note special and the others make it sparking and fresh. It mellows out pretty quickly to the middle notes of vanilla, white hibiscus, and honeysuckle. And at the base is amber, musk, peach, and sandalwood. The peach is actually a really nice addition, it calms the musk and amber down a notch. It is a nice fragrance.  But I don't think it is anything special. I can see a younger girl loving this perfume. It is very youthful. But I don't see myself ever buying this for myself especially since the parent company (Elizabeth Arden) still tests on animals.

Alima Pure: Organic Nourishing Lipbalm in Rhubarb
Both wholesome and chic, this tinted balm is made with plant butters and delivers a natural flush of color. 
Full Size: 0.07oz ($7.00)
Size Received: Full-size! 0.07oz ($7.00)
My March Goodebox introduced me to this company and I've already purchased a full-size of their mineral bronzer. I love the philosophy of the company: they are certified safe and natural, are cruelty-free, and have many programs set up to help the environment. All of their products are vegan, except the lipbalms do have beeswax. We all know that I do use bee products when they are from companies like Alima that ensure the safety of the colonies. The size of the lipbalm head is similar to Softlips, very teeny. I need to apply it a few times over my lips to get full coverage. But the lipbalm itself is amazing. Rhubarb is a sweet, pink blush color that just adds a pop of color to my lips with a gorgeous sheen. Plus it has sweet almond oil to reduce fine lines and peppermint oil that leaves a refreshing tingle. The product reminds me of my beloved Alba's TerraTint Lipbalm in Bloom which also has SPF 8. TerraTints has better pigmentation and is cheaper, but Alima's formula has a more even application. Either way a great addition to my box!

Le Palais des Thés: Tea Bags in Thé des Alizés and Thé du Hammam
Little known fact: the French take teatime just as seriously as their coffee breaks - as evidenced by these sophisticated Parisian green tea blends.
Full Size: 20 bags ($12.50)
Size Received: 2 bags($1.25)
I love tea and currently have a sore throat, so this is the best lifestyle extra for me! The Thé des Alizés makes me want to drool. It is a green tea blend laced with white peach, watermelon, and kiwi. Does that not sound divine!? The Thé du Hammam is a Chinese green tea with rose petals, green dates, and orange flower water. I'm not sure I'll like this one as much, but it may still be delicious. The teas can be served hot or cold and have a small amount of caffeine. I've now tried both of them and let me tell you they are delicious. Although I would recommend using smaller coffee cups. I used them with my giant Amy's and they were very diluted, no matter how long I steeped. But I can imagine they would be packed full of the flavors if only an 8oz serving. The price is a bit steep for 20 bags but they may be nice to have as a luxurious treat.

Total value of my April 2012 box:$16.30

Not the best valued box I've received from Birchbox, but not terrible. As long as I like the products I received I'm okay with a lower value. And I have to say I am satisfied, there are a ton of great products that are AFFORDABLE! To me that beats out having a box worth a ton of money. I love that two of my products are geared toward younger skin and our troubles. Plus all of the beauty brands (aside from the fragrance) are from natural, cruelty-free brands. I don't get why the fragrance is considered earthy/natural when it comes from a company whose parent tests on animals and uses so many chemicals. It would have been nice to see a fragrance from say Pacifica or Lavanila. 

What do you think of my April Birchbox? How does my box compare to yours? Let me know in the comments below!

If you don't get Birchbox, click here to join!