Monday, August 20, 2012

Birchbox - August 2012

I always get excited towards the middle of the month because that's when my Birchbox & MyGlam bag arrive.  Most months I'm waiting on the edge of my seat for my Birchbox, but this month was kind of a dud month for me.  I wasn't thrilled with everything in my box, but I'm not too upset over it since I haven't had a dud box in several months.  I signed up for Birchbox knowing that some months would be better than others.  I'm just happy to get samples to play with.


Here's what I got in August:
Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss
Beauty Fixation Cuticle Conditioner
Viva la Juicy Fleur Perfume
DDF Brightening Cleanser
Schick Hydro Razor







 I'm never very excited to get a perfume vial in my Birchbox.  I don't wear much perfume & you can get most perfume samples for free from Sephora or Ulta so they are of no value to me.  HOWEVER, once in a blue moon, I find one that I really like & this month happened to be that month.  I really love the Viva La Juicy Fleur perfume.  It was a pleasant surprise for sure.


Full Size: 2.5 oz. - $80.00
Sample Size: 0.05 oz.
Sample Worth: $1.60






I have mixed feelings about the Beauty Fixation Cuticle Conditioner.  I'm SO pleased that it was a full sized sample.  There were 24 of these little guys to try which is really great.  The problem is that I'm a total nail snob & I have a favorite cuticle oil that I use & nothing will ever compare to it.  These literally felt like water going onto my cuticles.  When you put oil on your cuticles it should feel like oil, not like plain old water.  You should be able to feel the difference.  I also have a gripe about paying $5.00 for 24 q-tips.  I guess the premise is convenience, but again, I like my roll-on cuticle oil from Julep & nothing will ever compare to that. 


Full Size: 24 count - $5.00
Sample Size: 24 count (FULL SIZE)
Sample Worth: $5.00




I liked the DDF Cleanser okay I guess.  It was a 2oz bottle which is a deluxe size.  It was kind of weird that some Birchboxes got a 4.5 oz bottle & others got the 2 oz, but I was happy with that size.  It was enough to tell whether I liked it or not.  It will actually last me a while.  I'm not a super fan of this one.  It smells an awful lot like cough syrup to me & I haven't noticed any improvement to my skin tone or dark spots.  Other people mention seeing results instantly.  I guess my dark spots are too dark & too permanent.  That's what 7 pregnancies will do to you I guess.  ha ha ha.  I will use every last drop of it though.  Cleansers are expensive so it's nice having a travel size to take with me on my overnight trips.



Full Size: 250 ml - $38.00
Sample Size: 60 ml 
Sample Worth: $9.12






The lifestyle extra this month was a Schick Hydro Razor.  A LOT of birchbox girls complained about getting a razor in our boxes.  Granted. . . razors aren't really high end beauty products, but they added value to the box & I really needed a new razor.  I didn't realize how badly I needed a new razor until I opened this puppy up.  Man, my old razor was dull.  This thing works like a dream.  I went almost 2 whole days without any stubble on my legs even.  This is definitely a keeper & I'll be buying many more in the future.  Thank you Birchbox for a FABULOUS lifestyle extra this month.


Full Size: 2.5 oz. - $9.00






And the smallest sample I got this month was the Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss.  I have to admit, I was kind of disappointed in this sample only because I know if you contact Jouer personally, they send you this exact same size sample (sometimes more than one) for FREE.  So even though it was SOMETHING, deep down I knew I was PAYING for a FREE sample which stinks.  It wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't gotten a perfume sample that I also could have gotten for FREE in the same box.  But getting both in one box felt like a total rip off for me this time.  But I still love Birchbox & will continue to get & love their samples each month.

As for the lip gloss itself, I liked it.  And it really is a super cute itty bitty thing.  I do wish there was more color pigment in it.  It's quite sheer on which a lot of people like, but I like COLOR.  And with that bright pink in the bottle I thought it would be bright & colorful.  It was a pretty shade of pink on me, just not bright like it looks.  I love the formula though.  My lips stayed moisturized for HOURS with this stuff.  I'm going to have to look through their colors & see if I can find one I really like because I really like the way this feels on my lips.


I just wanted to show you how SMALL this was.  You all know how teeny those perfume vials are that you get for free at Sephora?  Look how big that perfume looks next to the lip gloss.  This literally is the size of my thumbnail.


Not to "compare" or anything, but look at the Jouer sample next to the "sample" MyGlam sent me of their gloss this month.  MyGlam has upped their game & is giving Birchbox some MAJOR COMPETITION.


I really did love the way the Jouer felt on my lips though.  And I don't totally hate the color.  It's a light, fresh pink.  But I'm dying for the same formula in that crazy bright color I see in the bottle.


Full Size: .21 oz. - $20.00
Sample Size: 0.04 oz.
Sample Worth: $4.00




So . . . in the end, not the best month for me with Birchbox, but I still enjoyed almost everything in my box.

Paid for my August Birchbox: $10.00 
August Birchbox Worth: 28.72

If you are interested in being a birchbox subscriber go here to be part of the funnest beauty subscription out there.  It's only $10 a month for a pink box of fun beauty samples delivered to your door every month.  Review your products to earn points.  Use your points to buy beauty products.  It's a win/win.

Until, next month. . . 


1 comment:

  1. I think mine is going to be quite similar. I checked it online, but the only things I remember are the perfume and DDF cleanser. I think I'm also getting a Larabar (yay!), though, so that's fine with me. I already had the Jouer, though, so... idk. :)

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