January Birchbox

This is my third Birchbox! I continue to be incredibly excited when I see that my monthly box is in my mailbox, and I was particularly excited when I opened this one up. The packaging and presentation was adorable! I am not regretting this subscription one bit, and at $10, it is such a nice little treat.

What I got:

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser: I tried this one last night, and I followed the directions wrong. It says you are supposed to put the product onto a dry face, but I moistened mine first, assuming you used it like a regular facewash. Still, it took all my makeup off and my face didn't feel dry, so, I'll try it again (properly) for the next couple of weeks and see whether it makes any notable difference in my skin.

Under Armour Braided Headband (not pictured): This one is not pictured because Mia ran off with it as soon as I took it out of the box. It's cute, and it's really tight on my head, which I guess is a good thing? I have never been able to wear one of these stretchy headbands without it slipping off my ponytail, and this one is no exception. But, I think it will work just fine for washing my face. Not something I am likely to buy.

Omnipotent Duosity Hair Treatment: There was only enough sample for me to do this hair treatment once. I did it this morning, following my shampoo and I'll admit that I was initially really impressed. The package comes in two parts that you mix together, and once they get mixed, the product foams up. Once I saw the foam though, I was kind off... worried about putting that kind of chemical on my hair, but I did it anyway. It didn't feel like a conditioner, and after styling, my hair feels like it wasn't conditioned, but it is really shiny and strong. It does smell a bit chemically, though. As if I had just colored my hair. I won't buy this - I would have been much more interested in a deep conditioner or a dry shampoo.

Camille Beckman Monarch Body Butter: I didn't like this one. The lotion part may have been good, but the scent was so strong that I had to wash it off my hands!

Coastal Scents Revealed Palette: How adorable is this tiny little eyeshadow quad? I haven't used it, but I did sample a tiny bit on my finger and it felt good - like a nice quality shadow. The colors are really nice, exactly what would use. I don't wear eyeshadow during the week (usually just a bit of eyeliner that I smudge with a highlighter cream), but when the next time I do, this is what I'll reach for. Honestly, I probably won't buy this but I love that I got the sample. This sample size is really generous for someone who rarely wears shadow, and this will last me months!

Birchbox: First Impressions

So, I think my turning 30 this year has made me much more aware of my quick descent into middle-age. I've always been somewhat mildly interested in make up, though in my adult life, my "daily beauty routine" never consisted of anything more than moisturizer and concealer. As I started working, I added on tinted moisturizer and blush. But that was it. Really.

But, since my pregnancy, I really started getting down on my appearance whenever I did a quick check in the mirror on bathroom breaks. Blame exhaustion from growing a person, and then exhaustion from raising a child, just yeah, blame exhaustion. That's really all it comes down to, isn't it? When you're tired, or stressed, or sick, you age?

So I started on my hair experiments, which have been pretty successful. As an update to that, I've noticed dryness creeping back into the picture since I am not conditioning as often (damned if you do, damned if you don't, amirite?) so I'm on the hunt for a deep conditioner, if anyone has any recommendations.

With a hair routine now set, and with results that have really made me feel good about myself, I decided to start spicing things up with my skincare, too. I started reading The Small Things Blog a little while ago, and have been trying a few things out. I've added eyeliner, and even lipstick! I also want to do a bit better in taking care of my face, eyes, etc. So, when I started hearing about those monthly beauty box subscriptions, I decided to jump on the bandwagon. I think there are a few out there, but I decided on Birchbox because of the price ($10/month) and its general popularity. I got my first one a few weeks ago, and I was pretty underwhelmed until I started using the products. With Birchbox, you get 4 samples of products based on your member profile, every month of varying sizes. You get one additional non-beauty item, like teas, chocolates, things like that. I've found the sample sizes of the beauty products to be pretty decent. I've been using some of them daily and still have product left to take me through the end of the week, at least! So, here are my thoughts on what I got in my box in November.

I got:

DDF Amplifying Elixir: This stuff is nice, I feel like my skin has gotten some nice hydration. I don't think I'll be buying this product full size, since it costs $70, but I will consider adding in a serum if I can find one that is more affordable but still not greasy, like this one.

Ayres Body Butter in Midnight Tango: As far as body lotions go, it's nice and thick but the smell is not at all my style. It's musky and strong - kind of like patchouli. Maybe in another scent?

Supergoop CC Cream: This stuff was the best. I absolutely loved it, and it was leaps and bounds better than the BB cream I was using. I've been using BB creams for about a year now, but whatever the difference is that elevates a BB to a CC is significant. I ordered the full size yesterday and just squeezed out the last dollop from the sample, so I hope it gets here fast!

Fatty Sunday Pretzels: A tiny bite - tasted good, so a nice little treat, I guess?

and a dark blue nail polish, a brand I had never heard of. It is a pretty shade, but I haven't had any time to do my nails. Maybe Saturday!

So, all in all, I'm pretty thrilled with my decision to subscribe to Birchbox. I'm super excited to get my December box, which should be on its way to me any day now! I'll take pictures of my next one to include in my review.