Birchbox, January 2014: A Review

Anytime a box can introduce me to a product I can't live without its a great month!

Nelson j Beverly Hills Argon Oil 7 Healing Mask

Wowsa. I actually already have purchased the full size of this product and it is shipping out as we speak! I got the rosemary mint scent as a sample but I have ordered the coconut scent. My husband loved the rosemary mint scent and it did smell amazing. I am obsessed with coconut so I want to give that scent a try as well. They also have a pomegranate scent available. It recommended using it in towel dried hair, but that seemed like an extra step just to rinse it in the shower. I just squeezed excess water after shampooing. I did not leave it in the full 5 minutes as I was in a bit of a hurry that day. This made my hair so touchably soft. Honestly. I could not stop touching my hair. Have you ever tried Redken All Soft? This is like All Soft on steroids. I have color treated hair that I style on an almost daily basis. Talk about damaging. I've found masks before that also make my hair soft. Whats amazing about this? The second day after another shampoo, my hair was still amazingly soft. The lasting effect really surprised me and won me over for sure. It also recommended shampooing after using on fine hair. My hair is fairly fine and I didn't shampoo after and it wasn't greasy or heavy. Check it out here. If you have dry or damaged hair it is 20 dollars well spent! This is the first time I can say I was thrilled to receive a foil packet!



Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Kit
I like that I can use this at my sink without making a huge mess. You apply the cleanser to dry skin. Another plus side is you can use it on your eyelids to remove eye makeup. My eyes are very sensitive and I used this to remove my eye makeup without problem. It comes with a muslin cloth to "polish" off the cleanser. The muslin cloth provides exfoliation. I wouldn't say it is a miracle cleanser and the price point is just too high for me. The Liz Earle website sells it for 25 bucks for a 3 oz bottle.



Under Armour Braided Mini Headbands

I wanted to love this headband. It has a rubbery grippy side to help prevent slipping. It is braided so it is about 1/2 to an inch wide. I have never found a headband that didn't slip. I tried this out at the gym. If I keep it right at the line of my scalp it will stay on, but if it is moved back by even a millimeter it slides off. It is a cute style. It did work for me better than the single strand thin headbands. Many stores sell them and the price varies but around 20 for a 3 pack. 

Ruby Wing Color Changing polish

I got the color kitten heels. It is such a fun color. The pink is super hot pink, and it is supposed to change to a red color. It is a very bright color. The pictures really don't do the color justice. For me it is a color great for summer pedicures more than a fingernail color. It is grey and yucky here and when I tested the outside "solar" color it did not change. Birchbox should have included it in a summer or spring box. My husband made fun of me saying it was for "12 year old girls" but I think I'll have a lot of fun with it this summer. It took two coats to get a good saturation which is pretty typical for most polishes. It chips fairly easily but I'm hard on nail polish! The bottle I received says "mini" on it, but seems to be a decent size. The full size sells for 10 bucks on most sites, but I found it at Amazon for 7.95 plus free shipping.

Camille Beckman Glycerine Hand Therapy

Love this stuff! I got the scent Midnight Monarch and it is fantastic. It includes notes of bergamot, jasmine, patchouli, and sweet vanilla amber. As I was doing some looking into the brand I realized I've used this stuff before! A lot of gift shops and specialty shops carry it. I dislike the butterfly graphic. I can't explain it but my husband says it "looks like something you buy on etsy". It absorbs well leaving your hands feeling super soft without being greasy. Now that I realize what the brand is (I recognized their older packaging) I've loved this brand for a long time. I've received it as gift years ago. I hardly ever use up lotions etc because I have so many, but I used this up in no time. I love the new freshness they are bringing to their brand. A little less old lady-ish. I found it at these three stores in my area using the store locator: Malley's Pharmacy, Beaver Bark, and Gadgets and Goodies. Very random stores as you can see. You can order online from their website for 14 dollars. This is definitely worth the money. You may recognize their other packaging:

If you are interested in having your mailbox become exciting once again, consider joining Birchbox. It is a $10 recurring monthly fee to have deluxe samples in lovely packaging delivered to your door! It's a like a mini-christmas every month! Plus you can review products and earn points to buy items in the Birchbox store. Check it out here: Birchbox