December 2015 Birchbox

Birchbox is a monthly subscription box ($10 plus tax) of personalized beauty, grooming, and lifestyle deluxe sized samples tailored to your profile. You can accumulate points with each box and redeem those points at the Birchbox shop. If you review all your products in each monthly box, you can accumulate 50 points which is equivalent to $5 and half the value of the box.

I was out of town at the end of last month when subscribers had an option to customize their box. By the time I remembered to check my account, there were no options left for me. I couldn't even select a shade for the Coastal Scents Palette. I'm making a mental note now to access Sample Choice at the appointed date so I can customize my January box.

Looks like there's a curated K-beauty box!

Christian Siriano Silhouette by Christian Siriano Eau de Parfum ($22-92)

I've been subscribed to Birchbox since June of this year and I've been fortunate enough to only receive two perfume samples so far. I do remember filling out my profile and requesting the minimum number of perfumes possible. The scent of this perfume isn't horrible but I won't be using it. It's too strong for my taste and will give me a headache throughout the day.
Top Notes: Cassis, Grapefruit, and Mandarin
Middle Notes: Freesia, Sheer Jasmine, and Rose Noir
Bottom Notes: Tonka, Musk, Amber, and Woods

Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip and Cheek Stain in Forever Peach ($25)

This is the cutest lipstick/cheek sample. It contains natural ingredients like olive and avocado oils as well as rose flower wax and beeswax for moisturizing. The packaging is just slightly over 1.5 inches. It has a fruity scent which is the kind of scent I prefer in a beauty/skincare product. The shade selection is off since it's definitely a shade for the spring and summer seasons. There are 2 other shades for the lip/cheek stain: Forever Pink and Forever Red.

Coastal Scents styleEYES Eyeshadow Palette in socialEYES ($12)

socialEYES is described as beautiful, deep neutrals for everyday looks.

formalEYES (I would have chosen this one) offers lovely nudes and rosy pinks for a big night out.

glamourEYES offers gorgeous, bold colors for special occasions.

I really like my Coastal Scents Revealed 3 Palette. It's a pretty good quality considering the very affordable price tag and the amount of shadows you receive in the palette. The pigmentation is very good in the glamourEYES sampler and it doesn't seem chalky at all. I'm not sure if I'll get any use out of this but the shades are pretty.

gorge* I'll Make You Look Amazing Daily Spray ($29.95)

Birchbox has been really good with the hair products I've received so far. Now that my hair is long, I actually am interested and have a need for things that make my hair look shiny and voluminous. This is a leave-in conditioning spray that detangles, repairs damaged strands, enhances volume, adds shine, and protects hair from heat tools. I also like the possibility that this spray can reduce oil since I struggle with an oily scalp. There is a distinctive scent to this which I can't quite place. I'm catching a whiff of coconut and something citrus like along with something else.

(MALIN + GOETZ) claritying clay mask ($48)

Again, this is the perfect product for my skin type according to the product description. I definitely struggle with oiliness and this unusually warm weather in NYC isn't helping the situation. If you read my blog regularly you also know I suffer from pesky blemishes. The mask is for acne prone and/or sensitive skin and contains ingredients like kaolin clay, witch hazel, and arnica extract. I have a ton of masks (not sheet masks) I need to get through but this sounds promising.

FINAL THOUGHTS
This was an above average box for me but there wasn't anything exciting in it. I was expecting Birchbox to include an extra item or put something amazing in the box since it is the last box of the year. The perfume is a dud for me, the Jane Iredale lip/cheek stain is meh, and I'm not sure if I'll use the eyeshadows. However, I am looking forward to trying the hair product and the clay mask. So it's 1 miss, 2 maybe's, and 2 hits.

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Thanks for stopping by,
Jennifer