Birchbox October 2014

Birchbox is a monthly subscription box service. For $10 a month, they will send you 4-5 'Beauty and Lifestyle' samples. 

They also have a points system, which is the best I've seen. 100 points = $10 to spend in the Birchbox shop. Earn 1 point for every dollar you spend (monthly boxes don't count, except for the first one) and they offer a lot of promo codes to get extra points. You can also earn 10 points for each review of your monthly samples. That's like getting $4-5 back each month! You also get 50 points for each person who signs up through your referral. If you would like to try Birchbox, please consider using my link: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/pdwbx

This month's theme: Fan-tastic

This month's theme was all about pop culture and what people are reading and watching this fall. I don't even think the beauty products really match with the theme that month, but usually an extra card or something does. Like this one:

I think I saw about 4-5 different cards like this, asking what we were reading, binge-watching or listening to. I wasn't actually watching Gilmore Girls, but because my card had "for the millionth time" on it, that's what I had to put. I could seriously watch that show a million times and not be bored. It's usually what I put on for background noise when I'm cleaning or baking. I own all 7 seasons but it was just added to Netflix so it's even easier to watch whereever I am. Side note about my love of the show: my mom and I used to watch the whole season after it was released on DVD when I was home for Christmas. We have a close relationship similar to Lorelei and Rory. (Another side note: I also got to meet Lauren Graham and take a picture with her last Spring. She's incredibly sweet and I wish I had more time to chat with her)

beautyblender Sponge + mini blender cleanser solid: It's hard to put a price on this sample because, as far as I know, they don't sell a set like this. Birchbox sells the PRO single (the black sponge) with solid blendercleanser for $32.95 and if you wanted to buy them separately, like at Sephora, the sponge is about $20 and the cleanser is about $17 I think - which is what I did. I already own both of these products but I was SO EXCITED to get this in my box. I seriously love my beautyblender. I bought some dupes before and they don't compare. I really wouldn't even call them dupes because they're nowhere near as soft. For those that don't know, the beautyblender is a soft sponge for blending makeup. You run it under water, where it expands twice its size, and squeeze it out. The water helps the product sit on the surface instead of being absorbed by the sponge. I wouldn't think of doing my makeup any other way. I'm so glad to have another one as a backup. And the cleanser and seriously magical. My sponges and brushes would never get fully clean until I started using this. So I'm really happy to get another one of these.

Camille Beckman Glycerine Hand Therapy: ($13.95 for 6oz) I fell in love with a different Camille Beckman lotion I was sent and this one is really good too. I love having small lotions like this. It's pretty thick, more like a body butter, but maybe a little greasy. You really have to rub it in. Overall, I really like it though.

dr. brandt pores no more vacuum cleaner: ($45 for 1oz) This is a mask that, when ready to wash off, turns blue (or at least a white-ish blue). It's supposed to suck out all your blackheads, but I read that it takes using it 2-3 times a week for about 2 weeks to notice anything. I've only used it a couple times and it seems to help a little. Maybe I'll actually try it a few times a week like it says.

SAGE + fasten Onward Eau de Parfum: ($50 for 50ml) I think some of the text was rubbing off my package... unless it's supposed to look like that? I can't really tell. But I really like that this is a rollerball instead of a spray. It's a nice fruity scent, but I haven't used it often enough to see if I really like it.

ModelCo Party Proof Lipstick in Kitty: ($24 for a trio, so $8) Oh the issues I've had with this. I can't give you a real review of it because I don't have a usable product. If you look in the top right picture, there is a small crack to the package. I didn't think anything of it until I opened it and smelled it. Everyone has been raving about how amazing this lipstick smells. That it smells like strawberries and blah blah blah. Mine smells a tiny bit like strawberries, then it changes and an overpowering smell of unwashed armpit takes over. Even my swatch smelled bad. I also think the color is off. It's supposed to be a pinky MLBB color, but mine seems really brown/orange, not pink. I think it turned bad because of the crack in the plastic. I emailed Birchbox customer service because they're always really good about fixing stuff like this. I got a response fairly quickly saying they would send a new one. 9 days after that email, I got a white envelope with Birchbox written on it. But sadly, it was very flat. I opened it and my assumptions were confirmed - the envelope was EMPTY! WTF?! So I emailed again, but they told me they were out of this sample so they couldn't send me another one. I think that's a bunch of BS. They did give me 100 points to make up for it, but this was my Sample Choice this month and I really wanted to try it. I'm not happy and am considering not partaking in any of their "extra" stuff anymore - sample choice, Birchbox extra, promo code bonuses (ones for an actual product), etc so I won't keep getting disappointed :(

Birchbox September 2014

Birchbox is a monthly subscription box service. For $10 a month, they will send you 4-5 'Beauty and Lifestyle' samples. 

They also have a points system, which is the best I've seen. 100 points = $10 to spend in the Birchbox shop. Earn 1 point for every dollar you spend (monthly boxes don't count, except for the first one) and they offer a lot of promo codes to get extra points. You can also earn 10 points for each review of your monthly samples. That's like getting $4-5 back each month! You also get 50 points for each person who signs up through your referral. If you would like to try Birchbox, please consider using my link: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/pdwbx

This month's theme: Fresh Paint

This month Birchbox had 3 different colorful boxes that went out, instead of the usual brown box.

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser Starter Kit: ($24.50 for 3.3oz) I decided to take the description straight from the website: "This creamy cleanser contains moisturizing cocoa butter, and two of nature’s best astringents: eucalyptus essential oil and rosemary. These plant oils lift dirt off the skin’s surface without disrupting the natural barrier function. The 100 percent cotton muslin cloth gently exfoliates without irritation, even for the most sensitive complexions." The instructions say to apply onto a dry face, which doesn't make much sense to me as a facial cleanser but I did it anyway. I didn't like it. I think it works much better when I use it in the shower with a wet face and hands to lather up, then scrub away everything with the cloth. I do really like this stuff. Not enough to buy the full size (yet anyway) but I really like the muslin cloth. It is very gentle and doesn't feel like I'm exfoliating at all, yet my face is very smooth after.

Perlier Body Cream in Lavender: ($28.45 for 6.7oz) I'm not sure what all I can say about another lotion. It seems to be hydrating enough for the "intensive" label and the lavender scent isn't overwhelming, but instead soothing. Nice sample to have, but not much to say about it.

Cynthia Rowley Beauty Eyeliner in Silver: ($16) I don't understand why Birchbox sends silver eyeliners. Wouldn't a black, brown, or dark blue be better to see if you like the brand? I just don't use silver eyeliners much... and I have 2 of them already from beauty subscriptions! I've been using it to line my bottom water line and I tried it once on top of (as a separate line, not over top) my black eyeliner and I guess that was a nice effect... just more work than I usually want in the morning. It's smooth and bright so the brand itself is good, but I would rather see how it performs with a darker color.

Catherine Malandrino Style de Paris: ($110 for 3.4oz) I don't like getting perfume samples because I just really don't wear perfumes that much. But this is a nice scent. It's fruity and floral. It's a light scent but lasted a while. I'm not sure what else I can say about it...

Dr. Jart+ Pore Minimalist Mask: ($35 for 5 masks) I wasn't overly impressed with this mask. It's essentially a piece of fabric coated in a serum. There are holes for your eyes, nose and mouth but it's a fairly large mask for being "one size fits all" and bunched up a lot around my cheeks and chin. You are supposed to place it on your face and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. I felt like it had way too much product on it and was worried it would drip while I was waiting. I guess it felt a tiny bit tingly, in a good way and I could feel my skin tightening up a little bit. You're not supposed to wash off the rest of the serum when you take the mask off, but massage it into your skin. I feel like that defeats the purpose of a mask. Isn't it supposed to be cleaning my skin? Why would I massage all the gunk back in? My opinion: Not worth it. Find something else.

Birchbox August 2014

Birchbox is a monthly subscription box service. For $10 a month, they will send you 4-5 'Beauty and Lifestyle' samples. 

They also have a points system, which is the best I've seen. 100 points = $10 to spend in the Birchbox shop. Earn 1 point for every dollar you spend (monthly boxes don't count, except for the first one) and they offer a lot of promo codes to get extra points. You can also earn 10 points for each review of your monthly samples. That's like getting $4-5 back each month! You also get 50 points for each person who signs up through your referral. If you would like to try Birchbox, please consider using my link: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/pdwbx

This month's theme: Lighten Up

This month Birchbox did something new and started adding fun adjectives to the shipping labels. Some girls have said they've gotten "The Dazzling" "The Awesome" "The Brilliant"... I like mine. I never would expect anyone to call me Vivacious, which makes it even better I think.

I love this box. I've been a little underwhelmed lately. Not angry or anything about my samples, I just saw some other samples that people got that I would've liked better, but this box is awesome! I'll tell you right now: the amika, the Cailyn and the Harvey Prince products all smell amazing!

amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo: ($21 for 5.3 oz) Whatever "Sea Buckthorn Berry" is... it smells so good! I have a couple bottles of dry shampoo that I need to get through, which has been tough because I just got the Klorane last month but this is definitely something I will consider buying.

Marcelle BB Cream Golden Glow: ($27 for 1.6 oz) The color seems a little dark, and I don't especially like to "glow": oily skin + glow = mess. But I really enjoyed my Marcelle Serum last month. I tried it over the weekend and I think it worked pretty well. It has a nice color and finish - I always put a powder over - and didn't seem to break me out. This also doesn't have any SPF like the other BB creams I have, so that's a pretty big 'con'. I won't be buying a full size, but I love having travel sizes of this stuff for when I do go away for the weekend.

Harvey Prince Ageless Body Cream: ($26 for 12 oz) I'm usually not a fan of pink grapefruit scents but somehow mixed with the vanilla, it smells really nice. This is the 3rd Harvey Prince product Birchbox has sent me and I love it! I haven't used it enough to attest to the moisturizing power, but really... it has shea butter. It can't not be good :)

Cailyn Cosmetics Dizzolv'It Makeup Melt Cleansing Balm: ($36 for 100ml) I have to tell you, this is the best smelling makeup remover I've ever had. It says it uses papaya enzymes so maybe that's the smell? Not sure but I love it! It looks like a lip balm in the container, but you're supposed to scoop out a quarter sized amount to rub on your face. Then it turns into an oil and all of your makeup is swept up in the oil to be washed away. What? Oil on your face?! Yes. I have oily skin and this didn't scare me, because you wash it off. It also claims to be moisturizing too. Maybe it is, but the first time I used it, I used a different cleanser after to make sure all the oil was gone so any moisture was gone too. I always moisturize after I wash my face anyway because it gets dry and tight. I will be buying the full size, but maybe not right this moment. I'm waiting for a good Birchbox promo to come along... but I'm officially a cleansing balm convert.

theBalm Cosmetics Stainiac in Beauty Queen: ($17 for 0.3 fl oz) This is the sample I got to choose this month. I've been wanting to try the Stainiac since I started getting my Birchbox, and almost bought it a couple times but never pulled the trigger. I'm so glad I got to try it now! The formula is more gel-like than other stains (you can see the little peak of product on the wand) so it all stays together. The top swatch is right after applying (in dim bedroom lighting. I was just so excited I had to try it right away) and the next picture is after I wiped it off maybe 5 minutes later. There is a definite stain. I really like it for my cheeks. It's very buildable and at first I didn't put enough on. I figured a few dots would be good enough but I wanted a little more color. I think I could probably wipe it on my cheeks in a line and blend out for the right amount. As for lips, it doesn't apply very evenly. I had to blend and add more to get the right color and "sameness" throughout. It did seem a little drying, so I put a lip gloss over it. After eating a granola bar and drinking some juice on my commute, I think it stayed put. It was later when I was about to eat something else that I was biting at my dry lips and wiping the gloss off that it all came off. There was a faint line of color still around the edges of my lips, but that was easily fixed with a bit of tinted moisturizer. I will try it on my lips again with just some lip balm on top. Overall, I love it because it is so easy to travel with and I just love stains!

Birchbox July 2014

Birchbox is a monthly subscription box service. For $10 a month, they will send you 4-5 'Beauty and Lifestyle' samples. 

They also have a points system, which is the best I've seen. 100 points = $10 to spend in the Birchbox shop. Earn 1 point for every dollar you spend (monthly boxes don't count, except for the first one) and they offer a lot of promo codes to get extra points. You can also earn 10 points for each review of your monthly samples. That's like getting $4-5 back each month! You also get 50 points for each person who signs up through your referral. If you would like to try Birchbox, please consider using my link: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/pdwbx

This month's theme: Power Up

This month, Birchbox partnered with Women's Health Magazine. They included a little booklet of "challenges" to try, including "Get out of your color comfort zone" and "Take a cold shower". Personally, I'm not that motivated. I've been washing my hair in cold water since I dyed it a couple weeks ago and that's long enough for me. 

They also included a card for a free one year subscription to Women's Health. I haven't decided if I want it yet or not... I don't really read magazines, but it's free. But here's what else I got!

Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk: ($19.50 for 3.2oz) I've been using dry shampoo a lot since I dyed my hair again. It's great for the days in between washing, which helps hold the color in. This particular dry shampoo is supposed to be pure and blah blah... it performs like any dry shampoo. Maybe it's better if you have long hair and you're trying to keep curls from the day before. But for my short hair, it's just another dry shampoo. It also claims to not leave residue, but it still does. Oh well. Nice travel size. I love dry shampoo so this was a great sample, but I won't be buying it.

Marcelle New-Age 8 in 1 Power Serum: ($34 for 1oz) I have to keep looking at what the 8 things are, so I've just copied the description off the Birchbox website: "The lightweight formula boasts five peptides, the amino acids that amp up collagen production and improve elasticity, plus xylitol, a natural sugar alcohol that helps skin retain moisture. These potent ingredients work in eight great ways. When it comes to lines, they smooth, provide a filling effect, and visibly reduce even deep wrinkles. They also firm, lift, and strengthen, while working to boost radiance and improve the texture of your complexion. Even better? It does all of this without parabens or fragrance." I haven't noticed much of an effect, except that it makes my face feel smooth. I also haven't decided if I should use a moisturizer on top of this since it's a serum, or by itself because it's supposed to "retain moisture". Overall, I really like this but I don't think I can justify spending $34 on something that I'm not sure all what it's doing. Maybe in 10+ years when I need help with wrinkles?

Cynthia Rowley Beauty Creamy Lip Stain in Sugar: ($20 for .17oz) This month we got to choose one sample from a selection given to us. I liked the Cynthia Rowley Stain in Valentine I got last month so I decided to try Sugar this month. At first I was disappointed because the color looked like the plain glosses I've been getting from Ipsy - kind of made my lips disappear. I figured out that it was just my horrible bathroom lighting and it natural light, it did add a nice natural pinkness to my lips. I love the texture and the stain left behind. I would buy the full size, but I have a lot of lip products I rotate so this little size will last me a while. It also fits very nicely in a pocket or purse.

Naobay Body Radiance Lotion: ($24 for 250ml) So this lotion is all natural with olive oil, avocado oil, and shea butter. I'm not someone who only buys organic and natural (I'm not that Californian yet... lol but kudos to you if you are!) so to me, this is just lotion. It smells kind of like my BeeKind lotion did - lemony but not bad. This is a good size tube so I think I will leave it in my desk at work. 

100% Pure Gingerade Shower Gel: ($15 for 13oz) Like every other Birchbox subscriber, I was disappointed in the amount of product in this package. The package is small enough, but there was barely a teaspoon of product in there. It doesn't lather like it claims, and the smell was just ok. I only used one of these packets so far, but it's enough to know that I do not like nor need a product like this. Wasted sample if you ask me.

I also finally took advantage of the Birchbox Plus offer this month. This is the Triple C Designs Power Card Ultra Thin Battery in Blush. I had been looking to order a portable phone charger (for those long days at Disneyland and whatnot) and this seemed perfect. I was a little more expensive at $28, but it's very thin. So thin that you need to push open the USB slot to make it large enough to fit the USB cord. It also has a small button on the side that lights up with how much power is left. I've used it a few times now and it's been really nice. You also receive Birchbox points for your Plus items. 

Birchbox June 2014

Birchbox is a monthly subscription box service. For $10 a month, they will send you 4-5 'Beauty and Lifestyle' samples. 

They also have a points system, which is the best I've seen. 100 points = $10 to spend in the Birchbox shop. Earn 1 point for every dollar you spend (monthly boxes don't count, except for the first one) and they offer a lot of promo codes to get extra points. You can also earn 10 points for each review of your monthly samples. That's like getting $4-5 back each month! You also get 50 points for each person who signs up through your referral. If you would like to try Birchbox, please consider using my link: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/pdwbx

This month's theme: Away We Go

I was so excited about this box! I was looking at everyone's posts on the Birchbox Facebook page to see what they got and I kept seeing items that I'd gotten before in everyone's pictures! Birchbox says you'll never get the same sample twice so I was getting worried and excited. I never peek at my box because I love to be surprised. I am so happy with what I got!

Lierac Micellar Cleansing Water: ($24 for 300ml) I've never had a "cleansing water" but I really like this. And what a great size! I got a 50ml sample, which is about $6 worth of product! It smells amazing. I can't really describe what, kind of a light floral that disappears right away. It's not great at removing waterproof eyeliner and mascara, but after using a different remover for those things, I use this to get rid of the residue and it's great. Doesn't irritate my eyes at all either.

Egyptian Magic Skin Cream: ($38 for 4oz, $26 for 2oz) I was so happy to get this! I saw it in some people's boxes and was hoping it would be in mine and it was! I'm finding new things to do with this cream all the time. I guess you can use it as a face cream, eye gel, burn cream, hair masque, etc. Mostly I use it on my cuticles and under my eyes. It's sort of like a pressed oil to me. You can rub your finger over it to get just a little bit or dig into it and let it melt a little. Kind of a more stable coconut oil. Another great sized sample.

Cynthia Rowley Beauty Creamy Lip Stain in Valentine: ($20 for full size) Another sample I was so happy to get! Honestly, this was the one I was really hoping for. I've heard such great things about it and I love lip stains. The sample seems really small but it's perfect for a pocket or purse. The full size seems really long and awkward. I love this color too. A year ago I would've been scared to get such a bright pink but now I love it. It is very glossy, pretty moisturizing, and the stain really does last a while. I can't say how long for certain because I wasn't timing it, but I loved having it at Disneyland and only had to reapply twice.
*Birchbox asked us to pick one of our samples for July. Our choices were the Ruffian Nail Polish in 3 colors or this lip stain in Valentine or Sugar. I loved this sample so much I chose to get Sugar in my next box! Yay!

Mally Beauty Volumizing Mascara: ($20 for full size, which this is) The package is super cute with the glitter at the bottom, but it's different than what the Birchbox website shows, so I don't know what's up with that. This mascara claims to "thicken and lenthen lashes beyond your wildest lash dreams". I don't think it quite lives up to that... but I did find it to be a nice natural looking mascara. I've been using it for days when I want to wear less makeup. It separates lashes really well and does lengthen and thicken a little bit.

Harvey Prince Hello: ($55 for 50ml) At first I thought this was the same perfume I got a few months ago and then ordered the full size. But that was Journey by Harvey Prince. I have to say, I like this scent just as much. It's very light and citrusy. I did buy the 50ml of Journey and then they released smaller versions like a rollerball. After some digging, I did find Hello in and 8.8ml for $26. I may have to get that one eventually... or soon since it is a summer scent :)

thebalm "How 'Bout Them Apples?" Palette

In March, I received a sample of thebalm's "How 'Bout Them Apples?" cream for lips and cheeks. I had never used a cream blush before, but I found that I really liked it. I was hesitant to buy the full size because it's much larger than the sample and I didn't know if I had room for it. The more I used the sample, the more I really liked it. I had a bunch of Birchbox points to use so I finally decided to get the full palette. ($32)

"How 'Bout Them Apples?" is a multi-functioning lip and cheek cream palette. Each freshly picked color is formulated to have a smooth finish that won't streak or fade, so there are no bad apples in this bunch!

Here is my sample size on top of the full palette.

The name of the palette is in reference to putting the color on the 'apples of your cheeks' and each color is surrounded by a picture of an apple. The names are also references: the sample came in the color "Pie" (apple pie).

The palette also has these cowboys next to each color. Not sure why. It's definitely not a reason I got this product. A lot of people love these pictures... and sure they're attractive, but most of them are badly photoshopped and I could really do without them.

The top of the box has the colors Cider and Cobbler. Cider is a very pale pink that does not show up on my skin. It *may* work for darker skin tones, but I have no idea. Cobbler is a nice red color. Both are very creamy. (Excuse the fingernail mark in Cider. Didn't even notice until after I took these pictures)

The middle section has the colors Pie and Crisp. Pie was my sample color and it's a very nice coral pink color. It's a very natural flush on the cheeks but more on the coral side on the lips. Crisp is the only color that has a sparkle to it. This picture doesn't show very well, but it's a nice pink with gold flecks in it. It's really great on the lips and a nice highlighting color for the cheeks.

The bottom has the colors Candy and Caramel. Candy is a very bubblegum pink color but is very natural on cheeks. Caramel looks like a scary brown color but it's almost like a bronzer-type color. It looks like you've got a nice tan. Very neutral pink color and easy to wear.

Top to bottom on my arm the colors are: Caramel (the neutral, brownish color), Candy (bubblegum pink), Crisp (with the gold flecks - you can kind of tell in this photo), Pie (coral pink), Cobbler (red), and Cider (non-existent pink).

And here are the colors more blended. The Cider completely disappeared, even on my pale forearm. The colors are very pigmented so you don't need to use a lot on your cheeks but it's very buildable for lips. 

I personally love Cobbler (the red) for my lips. It's a very safe red. The formula seems to last a good amount of time on lips, but starts to get pretty dry. It's also very lasting on the cheeks, but I wouldn't call it a stain. 

Overall, I am so glad I bought this palette. It is very large and takes up a lot of room, but I love the color choices. I've been applying them with a brush, but for my sample I used my finger mostly. If you're a fan of cream blushes, or mutli-use products, you should definitely give thebalm's "How 'Bout Them Apples?" a try!

May 2014 Birchbox

Birchbox is a monthly subscription box service. For $10 a month, they will send you 4-5 'Beauty and Lifestyle' samples. 

They also have a points system, which is the best I've seen. 100 points = $10 to spend in the Birchbox shop. Earn 1 point for every dollar you spend (monthly boxes don't count, except for the first one) and they offer a lot of promo codes to get extra points. You can also earn 10 points for each review of your monthly samples. That's like getting $4-5 back each month! You also get 50 points for each person who signs up through your referral. If you would like to try Birchbox, please consider using my link: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/pdwbx

This month's theme: Freewheeling

This month is all about spring. They also advertised an exclusive Kate Spade offer inside, so everything is themed around that: the outer shipping box was yellow (usually pink), yellow tissue paper this month (I'm glad they started changing it up. It was also always just pink before), and even the inside of the box has a different pattern. 

Here's what I got this month:

Number 4 High Performance Hair Care - Volumizing Shampoo: ($34 for 8.5oz) **Bonus: "We added in this volumizing condition for the ultimate in lightweight hydration. (Full size, $36 for 8.5oz)" It's so great that they included the conditioner, even if in a little packet. It smells really good. The full size packaging is different too: they're box shaped with pumps on the top. This brand is sulfate-free, which I've started using on my fine hair so that's good! The first time I used it, my hair was super soft! The next couple times, my hair almost felt like straw when I was rinsing it. I don't like that at all. Even with leaving the conditioner in a couple minutes. I guess it's soft when it's dry, but not any more than my normal sulfate-free shampoo. Guess I don't have to want this any longer, because I couldn't afford it anyway.

 CoTZ Face Natural Skin Tone SPF 40: ($20 for 1.5oz) Such a tiny tube, and only seems to be about half full. I didn't take a size reference picture but it says 2g on it. It's lightly tinted, oil-free, mineral sunscreen that is supposed to have a matte finish.

 Whish Shave Crave Shaving Cream - Acai Grapefruit: ($20 for 150ml) This comes in 7 different scents and looks like a normal aerosol type can of shaving cream. I like this tube. It's a decent size at 22ml. I loved that it was even printed on the back that it is a Birchbox exclusive. But how can I express how much I don't like this product? First of all, it doesn't lather. It's like a lotion, which made me think I was using it wrong for the first couple minutes. Also, because of the lotion texture, it gunked up my razor (exactly how if you've ever tried to shave without water and just use lotion) and took longer to rinse each time. I hate the smell! I really don't like grapefruit smell so there's that. When I rinsed my hands, they felt super dry and almost like I had oil on my hands and trying to get it off with just water. My legs didn't feel very moisturized either, but I can't say for sure because I used my body wash after shaving and put lotion on when I got out of the shower like I usually do. Sure, my legs were smooth, but they are when I shave really quick under running water too... ick.

 LAQA & Co. Sheer Lip Lube Pencil - Purple: ($18) I don't know if I believe it, but it looks like this little stick is considered the full-size. The website says $18 for .07oz and the sticker on the back of this tube says .07oz. I knew they had smaller sizes but this doesn't seem like a great deal for the price. It's not quite that purple when applied to the lips since it's a sheer, buildable color and it goes over top the pink of your lips. Since Orchid is the color of the year, I understand why they sent this. It goes on smooth and light, but not as moisturizing as my Tarte Lipsurgence pencils. I wore this with a colorful dress yesterday and really liked it. It's not as scary as I thought. It is pretty drying though. The color lasts for a while (I can't say how long for sure since I wasn't paying attention, and reapplied for more moisture) but started to fade unevenly. It's nice to have for more fun makeup days.

SmartyPants All-in-One Gummy Vitamins for Adults: ($29.95 for 30-day supply) This was the "lifestyle extra" this month, which is something the staffers thought was amazing and threw in everyone's (or almost everyone's) box. I'm a little disappointed that there's only 2 in this packet, since the back says a full serving is 6 gummies per day. I'll have to compare it to the adult gummy vitamins I already take, but I think they're probably about the same, but my brand only requires 2 a day.

Overall, I'm happy with my box this month. I'm usually really happy with it and can't understand how people complain all the time about what they got. You know it's a mystery sample service, so why even pay for it if you're not going to at least try everything? I've found a lot of great products from Birchbox already that I never would've tried, or even known about otherwise.