With the enormous number of boxes Birchbox sends out, I’m surprised they even bother with themes anymore. To honor the August theme Lighten Up, Birchbox included products that will help us kick back, relax, and enjoy the remaining days of Summer.
HOW IT WORKS
Birchbox is a subscription service that delivers a box of luxury beauty samples to your doorstep every month. Subscribers receive 4-6 samples and sometimes even full-sized products. At $10/month Birchbox is one of the cheapest monthly beauty subscriptions out there, the value of each box usually ranges from at least $15 and can be as high as $60. They also have a nice rewards program, where for each completed product survey you get 10 points, every 100 points earns you $10 in Birchbox credits – a currency to use in their online store for full-sized products and even gift subscriptions.
If you would like to use my referral link then click here to join Birchbox. Thank you!
Laura Geller Cool Lids Cream Eyeshadow in Silver Sands – I chose this sample to be included in my Birchbox this month because I heard so many great things about the brand and their products. And here it is, finally in my hands, in all its shimmery glory!
I really like the formula, because I can build up the opacity for an almost chrome-like effect, or sheer it out for gorgeous diffused shimmer. I have nail polish that is an exact match for this color, too, so I can be all matchy-matchy 🙂 Either way, this sample did not disappoint, and I’m glad I picked it. Now I’m curious to try other shades from the collection, because I love this one.
Harvey Prince Ageless Body Cream – Harvey Prince took Birchbox subscribers by a storm with their fabulous fragrances, and now they offer body products, too! I received this sample of their new anti-aging body cream, infused with pink grapefruit and vanilla extracts, with rich base of coconut oil and shea butter. The lotion is very heavily scented, which may bother some people. Harvey Prince fragrances are fairly powerful to begin with, so I expected their body care line to be strongly scented, too. The fragrance is something between fruity and floral, and lasts on the skin for many hours. I kind of wish they made an unscented version, because I enjoyed the way this lotion made my skin feel.
nügg Beauty Revitalizing Face Mask – Nugg is a totally new brand to me, that I had no idea even existed. They make masks with 95% natural ingredients, and package them in single-use capsules. In my August box, I received the Revitalizing mask that is perfect for a morning pick me up, according to Birchbox. As a mask fanatic, I am thrilled to give it a try, because I love the idea of mask in a pod. Isn’t it nice that you don’t have to expose a full jar of product to air and germs? The company recommends using the whole pod once a week for best results.
Neil George Shampoo & Conditioner – My first reaction was “who in the world is Neil George?”, so I looked it up and as turns out it’s actually two people – Amanda George and Neil Weisberg, that co-founded Neil George Salon in Beverly Hills, where stars like Heidi Klum and Nicole Kidman go to get their hair done. Well, who am I to doubt the fabulosity [is that even a word?] of those two gorgeous women? Both shampoo and conditioner samples are pretty generous in size and should last a couple weeks. The fragrance is minty and fresh, sort of reminds me of eucalyptus or something. However, after I took a look at the ingredient list, I noticed that the formula looks very simple and generic – sulfates, dimethicone etc. I can’t imagine these products being very effective.
THE VERDICT
This was just an okay box, because it had both hits and misses. I really liked Laura Geller liquid eye shadow and will most likely use it a lot. I also look forward to trying the mask, the ingredients sound very promising! I also liked the formula of Harvey Prince body lotion, but the fragrance is way too strong for my liking, so I’m not sure what to do with it yet. As for the shampoo & conditioner, even though the sample sizes are very generous, the formulas seem too simple [the bad kind of simple].
| Product | Retail value |
|---|---|
| Laura Geller Cool Lids Cream Eyeshadow | $12.50 |
| Harvey Prince Ageless Body Cream | $0.91 |
| nügg Beauty Revitalizing Face Mask | $2.99 |
| Neil George Shampoo | $4.50 |
| Neil George Conditioner | $4.50 |
| Box Retail Value | $25.40 |
1. I am OBSESSED with the Harvey Prince lotion I got in my last bag! 2. I got this amazing Benefit moisturizer sample in this box and I was so in love I used up 30 of my points and paid 12 dollars for the full size. 3. I got that shampoo too, but they accidentally sent me two instead of a conditioner. SO I emailed them and they still sent me another shampoo. They couldn’t’ do it again because “the warehouse was having problems” so I ended up with 100 Birchbox points. So that’s my story. 🙂 Also, I tried the shampoo alone. Not a fan. I like a little lather in my shampoo and it was majorly lacking it. Plus the scent didn’t stay, and my hair just didn’t feel as clean as regular store bought (Dove). Weird, right? Still. Not a fan of that shampoo at all.
Okay I’m done. I went on quite a tangent there. Have a great day 🙂
Box*
300 points*
1. I agree, these lotions are seriously wonderful! Harvey Prince really nailed the formula on these, and now they have to release them in lighter scents for us scent-sensitive ladies out here, haha 🙂 I would totally buy a full size!
2. Congratulations on finding THE moisturizer, it’s so hard to find the right one! I tried benefit eye cream and it was great, too. Their skincare line really surprised me in a good way.
3. Well, yay, at least your box ended up being free, since they gave you 100 points back! That shampoo really didn’t work for me ether, and neither did the conditioner. That’s too bad, because the sizes are great, and they would have lasted a long time. You’d think a salon-brand product would have higher end quality, right?
You have a great day, too, and thanks for commenting! <3
What a pretty cream eyeshadow!
Isn’t it just the loveliest platinum shimmer? The formula is great as well.
“Fabulousity” is definitely a word. I use it, all of the time. 😀
That creme shadow… Rawr!
Wahoo, thanks for clearing that up for me, I’ll be sure to use it more often now that I know it’s a legit word, haha 🙂
Ooh, that masque looks cool. I love the idea of a pod. Take it on vacation, or a ‘staycation’, which is what I’m doing this Labor Day weekend.
It does, doesn’t it? What a neat idea, I wish more companies made masks like that. They’re perfect for those vacays and staycays.
I love Silver Sands!
It’s beautiful!
I’d love the Laura Geller shadow, too!
You would! This color would look so pretty on you, Allison! <3
This Laura Geller eyeshadow looks really pretty!
It really does, the swatch doesn’t do it justice. You should see how it glimmers in the sun, it’s quite a stunner in person!
That Laura Gellar shadow looKS awesome. I am semi on the fence with Birchbox. But so afraid it will get good once I cancel. Lol… great unboxing
I know exactly how you feel Jamie, I’m kind of on the fence myself, but I stick around because I love discovering new brands, and the points are sweet, too. That eyeshadow made the whole box worth it!
That cream shadow is pretty
It really is! And the sample is a very generous size, too, so it will last a long time.
That cream shadow looks lovely!
It really does, and I am very much in love with it. The tube is quite large for a sample, too, so it’ll last a long time.
I like the look of the Laura Geller product
It’s beautiful!
I got almost the same box, with only a different body lotion (although I’ve gotten Harvey Prince before and it was awesome). I was also skeptical about the shampoo and conditioner given the ingredients and was unsurprisingly disappointed in them. Such a bummer considering they are a decent size (half of a full-size bottle, apparently).
Glad I’m not alone in my disappointment with those hair products. You’d think that a five-star celebrity salon would have better formulas, right?
Seriously. I had such high hopes until I read the label. Hopefully next month will make up for it!
You were right about the shampoo and conditioner–definitely the bad kind of simple. My hair felt so stripped and the conditioner wasn’t very moisturizing at all. It’s a real shame, because they gave out such nice sizes!
Yikes, I’m so sorry to hear about your hair 🙁 I hope a nice deep conditioning treatment can bring it back to health; being stripped of all oils and moisture is no joke. I hate when that happens, I end up getting the worst static ever and look like a red fluffy dandelion 😉 Too bad, since the samples are really generous.
The cream eyeshadow looks so beautiful
I want that eyeshadow!
Silver Sands is beyond gorgeous! So pretty. Another must have.
Our boxes were so different! I wish I’d have gotten that Laura Geller!
I like this box better than what I received from Ipsy.
Looks like a decent box! Worth the money, but nothing to be overly excited about. I would have been happy with it
I think this is a great box!