★ May Birchbox Unboxing + April Review ★

★ May Birchbox Unboxing + April Review ★

Birchbox is a monthly beauty and lifestyle sample box for $10.88 monthly.

Ships to: U.S., France, Spain, UK, and Canada.

Each month, subscribers have one of three options to choose from.

You can choose the featured box: You see everything that will be in the box

You can choose the single sample: You pick one sample to be in your box and the rest are random

You can choose the random: Don't do anything and everything is a surprise/random

This box I chose one sample and the rest was random (I chose the large real chemistry peel)

You take a quiz when you subscribe to help steer your items to your tastes.

You can review the items that were in your box for points. Each item is worth 10 points in the Birchbox store. $5 in store is 50 Birchbox points.

According to the Birchbox website: "At this time, individual product feedback does not significantly impact the samples Birchbox members will receive in future boxes."

Each box comes with a card that has the monthly theme and a list of the contents with the price and instructions.

1. Real Chemistry Luinous 3-Minute Peel Body - Deluxe Size 15ml $3.15 (Full Size - 160ml $34)

I would have preferred the version of this for faces (as this one is for body). I'm happy to have ANY sort of peel or mask (favoriteeee items). 

Website claims:

Exfoliation

Gentle

Evens tone

Smooths rough patches

Not iritating sensitive skin

Full body (feet->decollete.. including bikini)

Luminous skin

Soft skin

Suitable for:

Keratosis

Eczema

Body Acne

Ingrown hair

Dry skin

2. ModelCo Lip Lacquer - In "Viva" - One 1.5ml $5.33 (Trio 3x 1.5ml $16)

 The trio is the colors Creme Brulee, Morocco, and Viva (This is Viva)

 Below: One swipe

 Above/Below: Dab a little on and it blends nicely on the lips to cover with a subtle tint

 Below: No product

 Below: Nice color!

This color looked radical in the container but is a nice pink on my lips. I expected it to be bright but it is close to my natural lip color. I saw a lot of people commenting that this wasn't sticky but as someone who doesn't prefer glosses... it is sticky to me. Ha ha. When I part my lips there is a pulling (is my definition of sticky).

WATERMELON scent! No taste.

Website claims:

Shine

High pigment

Rich color

Nonsticky

Moisturizing

Fuss-free wear

Hydrating

3. Coola Classic Face Sport SPF 50 White Tea - Deluxe Size - $3.20 (Full Size - 50ml $32)

I never wear dedicated SPF on my face because it ALWAYS breaks my face out. I will always try them though because of how important it is that we do wear SPF.

The white tea scent smells sweet with subtle floral - I'm sensitive to scents and this one is SUBTLE!

Website Claims:

sensitive skin

non-irritation

no breakouts (we'll see)

ultrasheer

infused with evening primrose and linseed oil to blance moisture levels and even skin tone

water resistant (80 minutes)

White tea scent

4. Coastal Scents StyleEYES Palette - Two shades black/grey - Sample $3 (Full Size 8 shades $12)

I have four palettes from coastal scents (revealed 1-3 and the smokey) So I passed these to a friend because I have shades VERY similar to these. 

It wasn't sealed but the packaging had a sticky seal (easily breakable)

The packaging has a magnet closure (love that)

5. Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo - Deluxe 0.75oz $3.39 (Full Size 5.3oz $24)

Dry shampoos rarely do anything for the oils in my hair! I don't use them usually though because of the scents! It is always overpoweringly SWEET or floral. They sit in a cloud around my face all day after using them. I have already used this (as soon as I opened the box) and it DOES have a very sweet floral scent but it dissipated after a few minutes. I didn't notice any difference in my hair oils though.

Website Claims:

absorbs excess oil and dirt

leaves hair clean and deodorized, lighter, softer

Antioxidant

Fatty acid-rich obliphica oil

moisturizes

strengthens hair

repairs split ends

enhances shine

Rice starch

No aluminium shavings

No talc

Safe for color-treated hair

Total spent for the bag: $10.88

Total bag is worth: $18.07

Total saved: $7.19

This isn't my favorite box thus far... I'm excited about the peel but that is the sample that I chose. I regret not going with the box that all the samples were shown because I liked at least two of those products a lot.

I'm not a fan of dry shampoo, lip gloss, or spf.. and I already own the shadows. Since I'm a new subscriber though they have very little reviews from me to base my boxes off of! 

Five items: 3 Sealed: 2 No Seal

Sealed: Sunscreen, Peel, Lip gloss

No Seal: Shadow and Dry Shampoo

★APRIL REVIEW★

 Link to unboxing

1. Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator - Sample Size - 0.7oz $5.66 (Full Size 4.23oz $34)

I enjoyed this product but it didn't wow me. The grit is ultrafine. Subtle scent.

 2. Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask - Sample Size - $4.25 (Full Size 8oz $34)

I used this twice and I have to say that I DID notice a softness in the ends of my hair afterward. I was surprised. This still has several uses left and I might buy this after I'm out!

 3. Whish Shave Crave Shaving Cream - Sample Size - 22ml $2.35 (Full Size 150ml $16)

I got the lavender scent, a scent I normally don't care for, and I really like it! I will be repurchasing this product. The scent was pleasant (I'll try pomegranate, coconut, or grapefruit when I purchase). It left the area SQUEAKY clean.. I usually have issues trying to wash shaving creams off! It seemed to really help with shaving too! I'm surprised and glad to find this gem.

 4. The Beauty Crop PBJ Smoothie Stick - Full Size - $14.95

Comfortable, wears even, and can be a nice tiny of color of it is applied VERY softly. Other wise it looks like a blue toned red. No scent.
Cons: This was VERY drying... it dry down worse than any liquid lipstick I own!

 5. Supergoop! Daily Correct CC Cream SPF - Sample Size - 3ml $1.10 (full size 87ml $32)

Great color! Light coverage but it was perfect for my tastes. Didn't run when sweating.

Thank you so much for following along

Lip Balm Obsessed: A Review

I'll be reviewing Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm in original today.

I currently own four lip balms. I bought Nivea Kiss of Smoothness Hydrating Lip Care with SPF 4. It is horrible. I don't like the smell, I don't like how it feels (like hard Vaseline), and I don't like that it doesn't do ANYTHING. So, I'm not reviewing that one in detail. I'm just informing you and tossing it.

Look at how much I used though... dang. I had to make SURE.

The third balm I have is regular old cherry Chapstick. My Hubbins bought it for me when I was sick. It lives in the medicine basket in the bathroom now.

Burt's Bees
Beeswax Lip Balm
with Vitamin E & Peppermint
100% Natural
$2.97 at Winco

I purchased this because as someone who is obsessed with lip balms it was a crime that I still hadn't bought a SINGLE Burt's Bees product. I saw it on sale (they are normally $3.30. Yeah.. I couldn't pass up THAT big of a sale lol) and picked it up because I was looking for something to make my lips soft.

It is tingley (I think because of the peppermint) on my lips. I love the peppermint smell even though I'm not that into all of those peppermint, spearmint, and what have you.

It has no taste. Zero taste which is a plus in my book. Its balm. It will stay in my purse in the emergency pocket (click here to see what that is) until it is needed.

I wish that it made my lips SOFT. They weren't chapped or hurting but they were a little rough.

I didn't like the FEEL of it. You know when you are outside in the blistering cold and you pull out COLD balm to put on and it is like trying to smear cold butter on soft toast. This is like that even when WARM. Its gummy and kind of weird. I can't rub my lips together smoothly.

That being said I'm IN LOVE with the peppermint tingle.

So, I went out and purchased a second (I told you I'm crazy for balms) Burt's Bees lip balm. This time It is Burt's Bees Revitalizing Lip Balm with Blueberry & Dark Chocolate. Click HERE for that review!

Thank you so much for following along!