Got my Birchbox last week! Always excited about this one :) From what I've seen on other blogs, it looks like everyone got a slightly different box, some better than others of course. Mine was pretty good for my "beauty lifestyle" I guess you could call it. I have a VERY low maintenance daily routine and play with products on the weekends or when I have some real free time (usually my "free" time is filled with my many projects/chores/errands/favors for others/etc...).
Anyway, back to my point of the box matching my routine pretty well...
My daily makeup consists of:
*Neutrogena Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 30
*Some sort of blush (stain, cream, powder -- depending on how much time I have and where I am applying it -- stain (need mirror & good lighting), cream (good for rushing/on-the-go/at the stop light... i know, i know... dangerous but at least I'm at a light and not doing it while driving! :P)
*Concealer (I've switched out my old L'Oreal one for the Chella highlighter stick I got in a past Birchbox)
*Lip Balm/Gloss/Stain
*Mascara (2-step kind)
The contents of my box included many things that I'll defintiely use! Cheek stain, dry shampoo (!!), tinted face lotion w/ SPF, tea, and body lotion! See the goods below :) ...
Yay another tinted moisturizer! This one has SPF 20 though... I prefer higher (as I mentioned earlier, my Neutrogena one has SPF 30).
When I 1st tried this I mixed it with my current tinted cream because I thought it was going to be too light, but I recently tried it alone and it totally blended in AND didn't make me look more pale at all! I do like it to be a tiny bit darker than my color though (like my Neutrogena lotion), sort of gives a "glow" but doesn't look like too dark foundation. Also, it's about twice as much than my current one and has less SPF so I don't know if this will be a long term use thing for me.
Verdict:
Good: blends well (even though it looked too light), has SPF, not too heavy/not too light
Bad: not enough SPF, expensive, not tinted enough
Whish: Body Butter [Pomegranate] (20mL) -$3.20 value
My Mom was visiting when I received this box and she fell in LOVE with this lotion. If I hadn't as well I would've given it to her lol! I'm going to keep this in mind for when present giving time comes around again; she would love a full size bottle I'm sure ;) The scent was more like passionfruit (according to my Mom) but still delicious smelling
Verdict:
Good: Absorbed quickly, , and it was a medium consistency -- not too watery, not too thick, great scent
Bad: None from me!
Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk - $6.50 value
I LOVED this sample! I try to not wash my hair often because it tends to get really dry and also it takes awhile to dry and I'm always running around busy lol, just being honest here!
Anyway, I have really dark brown hair and in the past used baby powder to soak up oil but hated the smell. I was preparing to make a DIY dry shampoo w/ cocoa powder & what not when I got my Birchbox with this gem in it!
I've used it a couple times already (I got the box a few weeks ago fyi :P) and it works GREAT for me! Just a few sprays, let it sit for a couple mins, brush it out and you're good to go! I've only used it before putting my hair up in a bun though, so I'm not sure how well it works if you want to wear your hair down.
Verdict:
Good: does what it should and does it well! No visible residue, nice light scent.
Bad: Slightly pricey, but def worth it for me!
Benefit: Benetint (2.5mL) - $6 value
I used to use this in Highschool & part of early college -- before I really started paying for my own things lol - Benetint is like $30 for a bottle!! So, I was happy to add this to my makeup bag again, and it's a sample so it's tiny (adorable) and fits so well in my little makeup bag!
However, I need to get more practice using this stain as I've clearly forgotten how. Whenever I use it I just look splotchy. I'll discover my old technique again soon! ;)
FYI skin type (for makeup review): My skin is mixed hardcore = italian/german/brazilian mix/english [i.e. can get very pale in winter, can tan well but doesn't last long, can burn too, slightly yellow skin tone, combination skin - but more dry than oily, at least in the winter lol]
Verdict:
Most of the good & bad are sort of interchangeable... It's watery (good/bad based on your preference), it last a LONG time (good if applied well/bad if you're a noob like me and make it look splotchy).
More Good: nice light scent, great light natural looking stain for lips
More Bad: Pricey, takes some practice to apply.
Ahmad Tea Sampler: Mint, English, Apricot (3 bags) - $0.53 value
Tea is always nice to have around :) No bad aspects here! Unless it was either tea or another beauty product; I'd prefer more product less tea in that case, bc I can go buy my own specific tea that I like.
Birchbox also included these resolution cards, kind of a waste of paper I think. I barely looked at them. What are we supposed to do with them? I don't get it lol. I mean I know there are some good suggestions, but did they really need to print out this huge thing on nice cardstock to just be recycled or thrown out?
Total: $20.48 value (not including S&H, etc.)
What did you get in YOUR Birchbox?! I'm curious!
Now, I'm going to go out and enjoy what's left of my "snow day" in S.E. Texas :P
xo, T
P.S. If you're interested in signing up for Birchbox, I'd be SUPER appreciative and thankful if you use my referral link:) As you may know from my profile, I'm currently applying to a Nursing program so funds are extremely limited. Getting some referral points will totally help keep my reviews going! I enjoy doing this because I know how hard it is to get real HONEST reviews of products. I'm so sick of reading paid reviews, etc etc so that's not what I do here. I keep it real :)
Thank you ladies & gents <3
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