Hi, friends! It is time once again for my monthly Birchbox unboxing! Are you excited? I'm excited. Maybe you would be more excited if you got a monthly Birchbox. Do you get one? Because you should.
%2BEdited%2BLogo.jpg "Birchbox")
Birchbox? What's that? - Birchbox is a monthly beauty and lifestyle subscription service. It sends 4-5 deluxe samples that are curated to your beauty profile. It is $10 a month, and has a wonderful rewards program, in which you can earn points for reviewing products and making purchases in the Birchbox Shop. You can then redeem those points for full-sized products in the Birchbox Shop! It's probably the best rewards program out there, in my opinion, which was one of the big draws in me signing up. If you're interested in subscribing to Birchbox, I would love it if you used my referral link. Thank you!
I would just like to point out that Birchbox started putting adjectives in front of our names on the shipping labels this month. Birchbox, you flatter me.
%2BEdited%2BLogo.jpg "Birchbox")
It was sent in the usual cardboard box. Is it just me, or have the boxes gotten smaller? At least the lids. I had a hard time closing it, as if the lid was just barely wide enough to fit on top. Weird.
%2BLogo.jpg "Birchbox: August 2014 Review")
This month's theme was "Lighten Up." I'm glad they didn't include a long explanation on the card this time, because I feel guilty for never reading them.
An info card! Woohoo!
Okay, enough with all of that. Let's get on to the good stuff~
LAURA GELLER BEAUTY Cool Lids Cream Eyeshadow in Silver Sands
(Full-size [.26 fl oz]: $19) (Sample-size [.17 fl oz]: $12)
This was the third month that Birchbox gave us the option of picking one of our samples (the first being June's Birchbox). We had four options, or the option of choosing an already-curated box of five samples, so I chose this. I solely wear cream eyeshadow nowadays--because using a brush and powders shadows is so much effort, plus it alleviates my having to use a primer/base--so this was a no-brainer pick for me. This is a buildable cream eyeshadow that lasts all day and has a really beautiful sheen. It's sort of a light taupey-silver color, which usually isn't what I go for, so I figured I should expand my horizons. I get why they call it "Cool Lids"--it really does give a slight cooling sensation when applying it, which is fun. I've always wanted to try one of Laura Geller's products, and I really like this so far!
NEIL GEORGE Shampoo and Conditioner Duo
(Full-size [$3.38oz]: $9 each) (Sample-size [1.69 fl oz each]: $4.50 each)
%2BEdited%2BLogo.jpg "Neil George Shampoo and Conditioner")
These are created by Gilchrist & Soames, whom you might recognize from hotel soaps and hair products. Birchbox lists these as $9 for the full-sizes, but who buys a 3oz bottle of shampoo? One 16oz bottle sells for $44, which is completely outrageous. For that price, I should never have another bad hair day again, but I thought these were incredibly "meh" bordering on "ugh" (that's an effective rating scale, right?). The shampoo contains SLS as a cleansing agent, yet it didn't lather, and somehow still managed to strip my hair to no end. Then, the conditioner is light and didn't seem to provide any real moisture, which is like, you had one job and you couldn't even do that right? These get a thumbs down on all counts, but I'll still use them up because I'm a poor college student.
PAULA'S CHOICE Resist Intensive Wrinkle Repair Retinol Serum
(Full-size [1oz]: $37) (Sample-size [.24 fl oz]: $9.25)
I've been wanting to try Paula's BHA (salicylic acid) for awhile, but this wasn't exactly what I wanted. I don't know why I was sent this, because as a barely-twenty-something, I really shouldn't be using retinol this soon in the game. I know there are battling ideas on this, about how early is too early to use prescriptions such as Retin-A. I was reading this article from Into The Gloss and I have to say, I strongly agree. Read it over if you're interested in taking up a retinol regimen, or if you're just curious as to how it works. Much like how I feel about medicine, I feel like if you overuse it, over time it'll become less effective. So, for now, I'm going retinol-free. Maybe I'll pick it up in ten years, but for now this sample is going to my mom.
(Full-size [5oz]: $38) (Sample-size [.75 fl oz]: $5.70)
I received their Grapefruit Acai Shaving Cream in my May Birchbox, which I haven't tried yet (oops), but I did try this! It leaves a beautiful sheen to the skin, leaving what looks like micro-glitter on your skin so it shines in the sun. It also smells like coconut--yum! I really liked it, until I saw the price. I wouldn't repurchase this, but I will definitely enjoy it until it runs out!
The Stats:
- Laura Geller Cream Eyeshadow: $12
- Neil George Shampoo: $4.50
- Neil George Conditioner: $4.50
- Paula's Choice Retinol Serum: $9.25
- Whish CC Cream: $5.70
- Total Box Value: $35.95 (wow!)
The Best: I'm really happy with the Laura Geller Cream Eyeshadow, as I am the Whish CC Cream.
The Worst: I can't decide if I dislike the Neil George Shampoo or Conditioner more. Though I have to say the Paula's Choice, since I can't get any use out of that.
The Verdict: How damn, this box is worth over three times what I paid for it! That's what I'm talking about! However, the Paula's Choice is essentially a third of that value, and that's the item I can't use. Poo. Well, at least my mom will get some use out of this month's box.
What did you get in your Birchbox this month?
Disclaimer: I purchased this Birchbox with my own money. Not affiliated or sponsored.
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Bloglovin' | Google + | Email Newsletter
