My September 2014 Birchbox

Hello beauty lovers,

My September Birchbox is shipped out on September 10 and arrived on September 16. 

I received samples of:
* Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensée Cologne Absolue* TOCCA Crema da Mano Luxe - Hand Cream* R+Co BEL AIR Smoothing Shampoo* R+Co BEL AIR Smoothing Conditioner* Harvey Prince Ageless Liquid Loofah * Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate* Pixi by Petra Breath of Fresh Air Lip Balm

After being disappointed by my last two boxes (July and August 2014), my September box came like a breeze. I love almost all of the items in my box and I am very happy to receive such a fantastic ensemble. I selected the Shiseido Ultimune serum which came in a very good size for a sample. The shampoo-conditioner samples were foil (single use) but they put two foil per item so the total shampoo-conditioner set is good for two uses. The lip balm is full size. Tocca hand cream sample size is very good too. Prince Harvey shower gel sample was also in a tube of 15 mL which is okay.  I still don't know why do I still receive shampoo-conditioner samples although I especially told in my profile that I do not want to receive any hair products. But that's okay this month since the Shiseido, Tocca, and Pixi items made me very happy. This box definitely worth the 10 bucks I paid and  a bit more :)

Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensée Cologne Absolue sample was a small tube (the regular perfume sample container), like all other samples of the brand this one also came with a sleek postcard. I do not like to receive fragrance samples since I am very conservative with my perfumes and I wouldn't change them frequently or based on a sample. I put this in my profile, but I guess they have to send some from time to time which is okay as long as I receive them less than 4-5 times a year. The scent was not my style. The vanilla tone is not over-powering (so, you don't have to worry about smelling like a cupcake :) ) but something makes it strong in a way that is not appealing to me. When I tired on the back of my hand it stayed for a long time, I guess the effect will be stronger when applied on pulse points.

Tocca Crema da Mano Luxe is a very good hand cream. The one I received is Bianca and it has green tea - lemon scent. Small amount of product is enough for both hands. It does not feel greasy at all, so I was able to open a bottle right after putting it on ;) The sample size is very generous and the packaging is stylish. It immediately became my new purse staple hand cream.

 

R+Co BEL AIR Smoothing Shampoo is an average quality shampoo which did not do anything special to my hair that my current shampoo didn't (my current shampoo is

Matrix Biolage Volumbloom Shampoo). It lathers well and creates good amount of bubbles but it does not have any Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS) in the ingredients which is great news. The foaming agent used is Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate which is much gentler than SLS and it is sulfate free. People with sensitive skin can also use this shampoo since DLS is not a skin irritant like SLS. This shampoo also smells nice and the scent is not the strong-overpowering kind which is good.

 

R+Co BEL AIR Smoothing Conditioner is an average quality conditioner which did not do anything special to my hair that my current conditioner didn't (my current conditioner is

Matrix Biolage Volumbloom Conditioner). It is a gentle conditioner and the scent is similar to that of the shampoo.

 

Harvey Prince Ageless Liquid Loofah came in a standard Harvey Prince 15 mL sample tube. It has a very fresh, fruity scent that I like a lot. It did not lather well and dried my skin a little bit. Maybe it is better on normal-to-oily skin types but it didn't agree with my dry skin.

I selected Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate in late August. I tried a foil sample of it a while ago and liked it a lot. I thought it would be nice to receive it in a bigger sample. The 1.5 mL foil was good for 3 days (am and pm). I'm sure this 10 mL sample bottle I received will be good for a month. I liked all of the Shiseido products I used/sampled so far and this serum was not an exception to the rule. Shiseido always make high-quality products. 

Pixi by Petra Breath of Fresh Air Lip Balm came in Honey Nectar which is a nice, neutral shade that I like a lot. The sample is actually a 4 grams full size product. I like how it glides on smoothly and does not leave any marks or lines on my lips. I usually have dry lips and this balm hydrates them well. I like how it smells too. If you remember from my last Birchbox post, I am very sensitive to scents of lip products. Luckily, this lip balm has a faint fruity-floral scent which is very pleasant. The only negative thing I noticed is that the hydration fades quickly, so I have to reapply it frequently even if I don't eat or drink. Other than that it's great. It immediately became my second new purse staple after the Tocca hand cream.

The September box is a pleasant surprise for me. After two disappointing months, Birchbox made me very happy this month :) Since I received 7 samples, I was able to get $7 back through sample reviews which made my September box cost only $3. Of course, I immediately used my points to get dr. brandt® Exclusive Camera-Ready Kit which I have been eying for some time. I will review it soon in another post ;)

For those of you who are not familiar with Birchbox yet: It is a monthly cosmetics&skin care subscription service that costs $10/month (including shipping). They usually send 4-5 deluxe samples (and sometimes regular foil ones :/ ) of usually new and trendy brands.

For more information you can check the official page here.

Disclaimer: I am not paid for this review. All opinions in this review and all of the other review in this blog are my own.

My very first Birchbox (July 2014)

Hello beauty lovers,

I have always wanted to try Birchbox but never got the subscription until late July. On July 24 i decided to give it a try. They shipped out my box on July 30 and it arrived on August 5.

I received samples of:
* Number 4™ Super Comb Prep & Protect
* Supergoop!® Daily Correct CC Cream ​SPF 35+
* Cynthia Rowley Beauty Eyeliner
* SmartyPants All-in-One Gummy Vitamins for Adults
* Harvey Prince Hello Body Cream

I can't say I'm impressed with my first box.

Number 4 spray smells awful. It's like molten plastic and it does not do anything for the frizz, in fact I think it makes my hair even frizzier than before using it. I won't be using it :/

Supergoop CC is okay-ish. Thou, it is a bit heavy in texture and becomes cakey on the face. Definitely not good for hot summer days. Plus, my husband was not crazy about its smell. So, I cannot use this one either :/

Cynthia Rowley eyeliner is a good product actually, but I received it in silver and that is not a color I can use. If I had blue eyes I would definitely rock it everyday, but I have brown eyes, so boohoo! :( It is a good size thou, very close to the full size. Also, the application is very smooth and smudge is minimal. If I received it in black or brown, I would be really happy.

Smarty Pants gummy is something I can never consume for one big reason: It is not Kosher/Halal or vegetarian. It has pork gelatin in it! Come on Smarty Pants, $30 for a bottle and you cannot even use a good vegetarian gelatin?! It will go to one of my non-Kosher/Halal friends.
Harvey Prince Hello cream is something I am happy about. It has sweet, citrus scent and feels very fresh on skin. The texture is a bit thin and runny but it is perfect for these hot-humid summer days. Love it! 

Plus, I received a free 1-year subscription for Women's Health magazine since this box was curated with them. There was an option to get a $9.99 refund instead of the actual magazines, so I went for this option. I filled out the form and mailed it with my subscription confirmation&July 2014 box shipment e-mail print-outs. Let's see how it turns out. I will keep you updated on this.

For those of you who are not familiar with Birchbox yet: It is a monthly cosmetics&skin care subscription service that costs $10/month (including shipping). They usually send 4-5 deluxe samples (and sometimes regular foil ones :/ ) of usually new and trendy brands.

For more information you can check the official page here.

Disclaimer: I am not paid for this review. All opinions in this review and all of the other reviews in this blog are my own.