Birchbox "Decked Out" December 2014 Review

My December Birchbox came sometime over the last few days, yey!


For those of you that don't now, Birchbox is a monthly subscription (cancel/pause any time) where you get a monthly box, delivered to your front door, of 4-6 high-end beauty and lifestyle samples from top brands. The best part, it's only $10/month! (and free shipping!)

Birchbox is always delivered in a nice box and within the packaging; there is always a nice little box (this month it was blue and festive and would make for a really good box to wrap a christmas gift in - which to be honest I used a bunch of my old boxes to wrap gifts in, they are the perfect size for small items!) with all the goodies. The theme this month is "Decked Out" and and the information card always tells you about the items you are receiving. 

If you are interested in signing up for Birchbox, use my referral link. If you review each product monthly you also get credit money in the Birchbox shop (which sells tons of full sized items and when combined with coupon codes you can get some great deals!). If you review each product each month (10 points per item) then you would get 50 points which equals $5 in credit so the box itself pretty much costs $5 which is a great deal! (assuming there are 5 items in your box each month, which there usually is). Here is what I got this month:

Benefit They're Real! Mascara (~$7.67 for .1oz sample) - MORE mascara! ahh, I swear I have more than enough, but this particular one looks awesome so it may go to the front of my stash for next use!

Dr, Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Beauty Balm (~$4.80 for .2oz sample) - I think when I run out of my current BB cream, this will be the one I'll be buying with my Birchbox, points! I really like how it's a 5 in one product (primer, serum, moisturizer, SPF, & tint).

TONI&GUY Prep Heat Protection Mist (~$7.59 for 2.53oz sample) - I hardly ever blow dry or straighten my hair these days, but when I do, this will come in handy!

English Laundry Signature for Her Parfum (~$3.27 for ~0.07oz sample) - had to estimate the size of the sample since it wasn't stated. I'm not a huge fan of this scent, a little too floral-ish for me. 

Acure Organics Sensitive Facial Cleanser Argan Oil + Probiotic (~$3.75 for 1oz sample) - I liked this cleanser, although it's a little pricey so probably wouldn't buy. I'm also not sure how the probiotic works for a face cleanser, but I hear they are good for you to ingest so maybe they absorb through the skin? 

They also included a $10 coupon to the GAP, which needed to be redeemed online to get a coupon that is only good for the store. I don't have a GAP too close to me, or a need to go before the coupon expires so I sent it to a friend. Had it bee eligible for an online purchase, I totally would have used it.

Total Estimated Value of Box: ~$27.08 (not including shipping or the GAP coupon)

Total Cost of Box: $10.00 (Free Shipping)

Overall Impression: Another great box, even if I didn't care for the 

Which box did you get this month? Did you like it?

Want to see previous boxes I've received? Click here to read my reviews!

Disclosure: This post contains referral links! 

Birchbox "Happy Holidays Hacks by Buzzfeed" November 2014 Review

My November  Birchbox came super fast this month. I think it's because they had the option to choose one item for my normal November box or a "Limited Edition" box which they told you what it would include. They've been doing this for a few months now and I've never gotten the Limited Edition box but this time the box items seemed pretty good so I decided to go for it and it seems like everyone who got that box, received them pretty early in the month.

For those of you that don't now, Birchbox is a monthly subscription (cancel/pause any time) where you get a monthly box, delivered to your front door, of 4-6 high-end beauty and lifestyle samples from top brands. The best part, it's only $10/month! (and free shipping!)

Birchbox is always delivered in a nice (usually pink) box and within the packaging; there is always a nice little box with all the goodies. The theme this month is "Giving"  for the regular box or "Happy Holiday Hacks BuzzFeed Life" if you chose the Limited Edition box. Even though I knew what I was getting since that is the way it works with the Limited Edition boxes, they still include a nice information card that tells you about the theme and the items you are receiving. 

If you are interested in signing up for Birchbox, use my referral link. If you review each product monthly you also get credit money in the Birchbox shop (which sells tons of full sized items and when combined with coupon codes you can get some great deals!). If you review each product each month (10 points per item) then you would get 50 points which equals $5 in credit so the box itself pretty much costs $5 which is a great deal! (assuming there are 5 items in your box each month, which there usually is). Here is what I got this month:

Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips: (~$2.90 for 3 mL sample) - This stuff kind of reminds me of lanolin, but it works awesomely! I do wish it was in a different type of applicator tube though. This will be a good lip balm for the winter dry-ness. 

amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo: (~$2.97 for .75 oz sample) - I've received this product in a previous Birchbox and absolutely loved it and am so glad to receive it again. I've tried a bunch of different types of dry shampoo and this one takes the cake. 

Greenleaf Candle (in Silver Spruce): (~$3.58 for 2 oz votive sample) G hates the way real trees smell so I'm sure he won't like this candle too much, but I love the way they smell, so looks like I'll be burning this while he's out on travel. The scent seems strong without burning so hopefully it'll be good and strong when burning too.

Mirenesse iCurl Secret Weapon 24 Hour Mascara: (~$14.00 for 4g sample) - Haven't tried this yet since I'm working on finishing up a few open mascaras but the wand looks cool. It's a pretty pricey mascara so I'll be interested to see if it seems worth the cost.

Dr. Jart+ Pore Minimalist Black Charcoal Sheet Mask: (~$7.00 for one mask sample) - I've tried other Dr. Jart+ face products and have been impressed. I always notice my pores so I'll be interested to see if after one mask they'll be less noticeable.

Total Estimated Value of Box: ~$30.45 (not including shipping)

Total Cost of Box: $10.00 (Free Shipping)

Overall Impression: I loved this box and I knew I would based on the early reveal of it. Every single item in it will be used by me and it was definitely a great value!

Which box did you get this month? Did you like it?

Want to see previous boxes I've received? Click here to read my reviews!

Disclosure: This post contains referral links! 

Birchbox "Fanfare" October 2014 Review

I was away all last week visiting (getting sleeping help from) my parents and came home to lots of mail, one thing being my October Birchbox.

For those of you that don't now, Birchbox is a monthly subscription (cancel/pause any time) where you get a monthly box, delivered to your front door, of 4-6 high-end beauty and lifestyle samples from top brands. The best part, it's only $10/month! (and free shipping!)

Birchbox is always delivered in a nice (usually pink) box and within the packaging; there is always a nice little box with all the goodies. The theme this month is "Fanfare" and the information card always tells you about the items you are receiving. 

If you are interested in signing up for Birchbox, use my referral link. If you review each product monthly you also get credit money in the Birchbox shop (which sells tons of full sized items and when combined with coupon codes you can get some great deals!). If you review each product each month (assuming there are 5) that equals $5 so the box itself pretty much costs $5 which is a great deal! 

My box was "Birchbox 50" - if you click here and then change the last number you can see the different variations of boxes that were sent out, looks like there were 67 different variations this month. This is what I got this month:

Number 4 Clarifying Shampoo (~$3.76 for 1 oz sample) - Gentle cleansing shampoo that won't strip the color, would never buy it full size but this will be good to bring on travel since I could definitely get 2 uses out of the sample!

Number 4 Reconstructing Masque (~$2.84 for .25 oz sample) - I hate foil packets, why do they give one foil packet and one little bottle, just give me two little bottles but on the information card it says the "threw this in" - so maybe thats why it's jusr a packet.! This is an expensive ($58 for full size!) leave-in treatment that better works wonders!

clariSEA Rapid Detox Charcoal Exfoliant (~$4.95 for 1.1 oz sample) - I love trying new exfoliants,and I just ran out of my last sample so I'm excited to try this one. I've never needed to buy any since I keep getting awesome samples!

Perlier Body Cream (~$4.25 for 1 oz sample) - I'll probably give this to my mom, she loves the small sample sized creams to keep in her purse. One of these days I'll become a cream/lotion person... one day.

Lord & Berry Paillettes Eye Pencil  (~$4.50 for .01 oz sample) I just received a similar eye pencil in my August ipsy Glam Bag, I swear I have more eye pencils than I know what to do with... I only wear eye liner on rare occasions, this one is pretty though with a sparkle! 

Jouer Matte Moisture Tint Sunscreen in Nude (~$3.80 for .17 oz sample ) the sample item itself says "sunscreen" but the Birchbox link just says "Moisture Tint" so not sure if they are the same product or not since they both contain sunscreen and I couldn't find a specific "sunscreen" version by googling it. I love these type of tinted sunscreen moisturizers though so am excited to get another brand to try!

Total Estimated Value of Box: ~$24.10 (not including shipping)

Total Cost of Box: $10.00 (Free Shipping)

Overall Impression: I loved this box. 

Which box did you get this month? Did you like it?

Disclosure: This post contains referral links! 

Birchbox September 2014 Review

I received my September Birchbox today and actually took a sneak peek only this morning so was suprised to see it had come today. 

For those of you that don't now, Birchbox is a monthly subscription (cancel/pause any time) where you get a monthly box, delivered to your front door, of 4-6 high-end beauty and lifestyle samples from top brands. The best part, it's only $10/month! (and free shipping!)

Birchbox is always delivered in a nice (usually pink) box and within the packaging; there is always a nice little box with all the goodies, this month's "inside" box was super colorful compared to their normal plain cardboad colored box.  I'm actually not sure what the theme is this month , but the information card talked about diving into fall and celebrating  the 4th anniversary of Birchbox. This is what I got this month:

Mereadesso All-in-One Moisturizer ($28.00 for 12ml travel size sample) - wow, even if I loved this, I could never spend that much money on a moisturizer. It's $120 for a 4 oz bottle that should last 4 months according to their website. Granted, it is supposed to be a anti-aging day/night cream, serum, eye cream, toner AND primer so I suppose if I actually used all those items, it would be cheaper to use this all-in-one. I also like that the foil packet / travel size can be re-closed since the sample which is the "full size" travel size, is definitely more than just one application. 

Number 4 Hair Super Comb Prep & Protect (~$4.80 for 30 mL / 1 oz sample) - I'm not a big leave-in-conditoner type of person anymore, but I will try this out. This is a sulfate-free leave-in conditioner that safeguards color, strenghtens, and nourishes. 

Ofra Universal Eyebrow Pencil ($13.00 for .04 oz full size sample) - I've never used an eyebrow pencil before in my life, so this will be passed on to a friend. This is a water-resistant, universally flattering pencil that glides on for long-lasting definition. 

Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm in Ripe Raspberry ($7.00 for one 4 g full size sample) - Birchbox sells these in a 4pk, but the one received is the full-size for one of them. I wish it wasn't a colored balm though, but overall pretty moisturizing!

Ruffian Nail Lacquer in RUFFIAN Naked + Ruffian Dressing Room Nail Lacquer Remover Towelette ($10.00 for .17 oz  full size sample + ~$1.20 for one towelette) - this is SO not my color at all, will be passed along to a friend and I feel like over $1 for something to remove your polish one time is pretty pricey considering my entire bottle of polish remover is only like $1.79. 

Total Estimated Value of Box: ~$64.00 (not including shipping)

Total Cost of Box: $10.00 (Free Shipping)

Overall Impression: This is probably the highest valued box I've ever received from Birchbox and it had a ton of full-size samples, however it is probably one of my least favorite boxes because so many of the items aren't things I'd use. 

If you are interested in signing up for Birchbox, use my referral link. If you review each product monthly you also get credit money in the Birchbox shop. If you review each product each month (assuming there are 5) that equals $5 so the box itself pretty much costs $5 which is a great deal!

My box was "Birchbox 29" - if you click here and then change the last number you can see the different variations of boxes that were sent out, looks like there were 58 different variations this month.

Which box did you get this month? Did you like it?

Birchbox "Lighten Up" August 2014

I received my August Birchbox about a week or two ago but this lazy Momma is taking forever to getting around to posting about it (this is my 3rd review tonight, you can tell I'm finally getting caught up). For those of you that don't now, Birchbox is a monthly subscription (cancel/pause any time) where you get a monthly box, delivered to your front door, of 4-6 high-end beauty and lifestyle samples from top brands. The best part, it's only $10/month! (and free shipping!)

Birchbox is always delivered in a nice (usually pink) box and within the packaging; there is always a nice little box with all the goodies. The theme this month was "Lighten Up" and included items to help beat the summer heat and and not take ourselves too seriously as we laugh our way into fall. 

Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo  (~$2.97 for .75 oz sample) - I am always looking for a new dry shampoo and haven't found one I love enough to repurchase it but this one definitely smells good and doesn't leave a "hair spray" type feel to my hair either so maybe it'll be the one. 

ModelCo Bronzer in Shimmer (~$7.54 for .12 oz  sample) - This bronzer is a little expensive for my liking but I do love using bronzer when I get dolled up (I probably should use it more often!) so this will definitely come in handy!

Dr. Jart+ Dis-A-Pore Beauty Balm (~$4.24 for .2 oz sample) - This seems similiar (although less expensive) to one of my favorite items, Dr. Brandt Pores No More Refiner, which I happened to receive in this month's ipsy Glam Bag. I hope it works justt as good, because if it does I may actually use my Birchbox points to purchase it!

nügg Beauty Soothing Face Mask (~$3.00 for one mask) -  I love trying new masks and this one will be tried on Friday when I pamper myself with a massage and a pedicure!

Supergoop! Forever Young Hand Cream with SPF 40 (~$1.87 for .17 oz sample) - I don't use hand cream often enough and when I do, I don't ever worry about SPF but I definitely should since my hands are one thing that are NEVER covered from the son. I love all Supergoop! products so I'm sure this one will be great too! I also love that it's "clean" scented unlike so many other hand creams. 

Total Estimated Value of Box: ~$19.62 (not including shipping)

Total Cost of Box: $10.00 (Free Shipping)

Overall Impression: I loved this box. It's not overally "valued" but ever single item will be used!

If you are interested in signing up for Birchbox, use my referral link. If you review each product monthly you also get credit money in the Birchbox shop. If you review each product each month (assuming there are 5) that equals $5 so the box itself pretty much costs $5 which is a great deal!

My box was "Birchbox 38" - if you click here and then change the last number you can see the different variations of boxes that were sent out, looks like there were 64 different variations this month.

Which box did you get this month? Did you like it?

Disclosure: This post contains referral links! 

Birchbox "Power Up" July 2014

I received my July Birchbox a few days ago, since I had already peeked at my account, I knew what I was getting so it wasn't AS exciting to open it, so it sat on my counter for a few days. For those of you that don't now, Birchbox is a monthly subscription (cancel/pause any time) where you get a monthly box, delivered to your front door, of 4-6 high-end beauty and lifestyle samples from top brands. The best part, it's only $10/month! (and free shipping!) 

Birchbox is always delivered in a nice (usually pink, but this month it was blue) box and within the packaging; there is always a nice little box with all the goodies. The theme this month was "Power Up" and was a collaboration with Women's Health magazine and the information card talked about the box having samples to energize your routine plus a booklet of "12 bite-sized challenges" to help you Power Up!

On the information card, Birchbox always explains each item and the value for the full size (I post the value for the sample size received - which is sometimes a full size item).  Here is what I got this month:

suki exfoliate foaming cleanser (~$1.65 for 6g / 0.2 oz sample) -  I always like trying out new exfoliators and this one is "all-natural" so that must make it better, right? And I JUST finished my other exfoliator up in the shower, so this came at the perfect time!

LAQA & Co. Sheer Lip Lube Pencil ($18.00 for full size .07 oz sample) - this is supposed to be less like a gloss and more like a moisturizer that provides shine. According to the Birchbox website, there are 3 color options, but mine looks more coral than nude, so I dug a little deeper after some of the comments/reviews mentioned coral, and on the actual LAQA & Co. website they sell a coral color called "Bee Knees" so I'm assuming that is what I received since the actual item doesn't state the color - looks like when you buy it normally it comes in a box which I assume would have the color listed. This is a full sized product even though it appears travel size. 

Naobay Body Radiance Lotion (~$2.88 for 30 ml sample) - my skin has been SO dry lately, and I'm not a "put lotion on every day type of person" but I think this pregnancy is sucking the moisture out of my skin so this will be perfect to throw in my purse so I have some lotion handy when I'm out and about and my skin is looking super dry. This is a natural and organic product as well.

Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels (~$3.75 for 1 pair sample) - well I'm actually wearing these as I type. I feel like I look really run down lately (getting over fighting a nasty cold + pregnancy = rough looking) and I definitely love the way these feel while applied, nice and cool! Hopefully I'll actually notice some reduced puffiness and returned natural glow once I take them off!

Beauty Protector Protect & Treat Hair Mask (~$6.49 total for two .05 oz samples) - seems odd they would give two of the sample samples, but since they are on the smaller size, maybe thats why, not even sure one tub will be enough for my whole head of thick hair. The instructions say to apply to wet hair and leave on for up to 20 minutes and then rinse out, I wish it would specify if it should be used after conditioner or in lieu of conditioner? Some of us "not so girly girly girls" aka ME have never used a "hair mask" before so I have no idea. 

In addition to the products this month, they included a post card for a FREE one-year subscription to Women's Health Magazine ($9.99 value). Personally, I never have time to read magazines except when I'm getting a pedicure so I won't be getting this as the magazines will just end up in the recycling bin. They are also offering a refund for anyone who chooses that option and sends the required information which pretty much pays for your month of Birchbox. if you choose to go that route. 

Total Estimated Value of Box: ~$32.77 (not including shipping or the Women's Health Magazine Subscription)

Total Cost of Box: $10.00 (Free Shipping)

Overall Impression: Pretty happy with the overall contents other than the lip pencil as I'm more of a chapstick or sheer gloss type of person so the coral color wasn't quite me but the rest of the items were great, and always a great value!

If you are interested in signing up for Birchbox, use my referral link. If you review each product monthly you also get credit money in the Birchbox shop. If you review each product each month (assuming there are 5) that equals $5 so the box itself pretty much costs $5 which is a great deal!

My box was "Birchbox 51" - if you click here and then change the last number you can see the different variations of boxes that were sent out, looks like there were 67 different variations this month.

Which box did you get this month? Did you like it?

Disclosure: This post contains referral links!