I really like that Birchbox now lets us pick one sample, and this month I had a hard time choosing just one, because everything in the September preview was veeerrrryy tempting. In the end, I decided to go with Liz Earle Cleanser + Washcloth duo, just so I could pass it on to my sis, who has dry skin and is still looking for her HG cleanser. Who knows, this might be the one for her!
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| Birchbox August 2014 – limited edition packaging. |
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!
Macadamia Professional Healing Oil Spray – I believe this was one of the monthly samples I could choose from, and I was sooo torn between that and Liz Earle duo. Looks like being nice and picking something for another person was rewarded, and I got a bottle of this oil spray anyway. Yay! 🙂
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| Macadamia Professional Healing Oil Spray – full size! |
I’m already a huge fan of Macadamia hair mask and smoothing hair treatment, but I always prefer spray bottles, because they help me distribute the formula more evenly. So far I only used it once, and I can tell that it will work well for my fine straight frizzy hair. It didn’t weigh down my locks, and also didn’t make them look greasy. Sounds like a winner!
RUFFIAN Nail Lacquer in “Naked” and Dressing Room Nail Lacquer Remover Towelette – I was thrilled to receive this little bottle of nail polish! First of all, I absolutely adore nude colors for nails, because they are low maintenance, and go with everything. And polish remover wipes are always handy for traveling, so I’m kind of storing them all for all those planned and unplanned staycations.
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| RUFFIAN Nail Lacquer in “Naked” and Dressing Room Nail Lacquer Remover Towelette |
I didn’t use the wipe yet, but the nail polish formula was nice and creamy, and went on smoothly and evenly. I’m not sure about the wear time because I only wore it for one day, but it didn’t seem to chip after I did dishes and laundry, which is a good sign. Have you tried this one yet? How did it work for you?
Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream – This is technically a facial moisturizer, but I use it on my cuticles, and it’s one of the best skin softeners ever. This thick balmy formula feels very concentrated, and I only need a tiny amount to cover all of my nails on fingers and toes.
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| Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream |
The reason I don’t use it on my face is because it contains camphor, and my skin seems to be sensitive to it. Oddly enough, it doesn’t bother my cuticles, so I’ll keep treating them to this miracle ointment.
TEMPTU S/B Highlighter – I’ve only heard of Temptu because of their airbrush systems, and always wanted to try using one, but I had no idea they also made normal makeup. This cute little sample has enough product to last through several weeks of daily use!
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| TEMPTU S/B Highlighter |
I really enjoy using highlighters in my makeup routine, and this one is sheer enough to be mixed with foundations for that healthy glow from within effect. It’s also buildable, if you like to add some more shimmer over the cheekbones and along the browbone. The formula contains silicones, making it very easy to spread and mix with any other makeup product, even lipsticks.
And finally, this is my hand-picked Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser Starter Kit, which I got for my sister to try. I actually sampled it before, and for my combination skin it worked just “okay”.
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| Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser Starter Kit |
It left the T-zone a bit shiny, but I could tell it would work a lot better for someone with dry skin, because the formula feels quite nourishing, and the washcloth provides very gentle exfoliation. I hope she likes it!
THE VERDICT
I was actually very pleased with my September Birchbox, it was filled to the top with large samples and full-sized beauty products that all worked really well for my skin. I can’t wait to hear what my sister thinks of Liz Earle system, and I’m always happy to have some more Yu-Be cream, because it’s one of the best cuticle softeners out there. In my book, this box gets an A+ for variety, usefullness, and sizes!
| Product | Retail value |
|---|---|
| Macadamia Professional Healing Oil Spray | $14.50 |
| RUFFIAN Nail Lacquer | $10.00 |
| RUFFIAN Dressing Room Nail Lacquer Remover Towelette | $1.20 |
| Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream | $1.28 |
| TEMPTU S/B Highlighter | $2.75 |
| Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser Starter Kit | $9.00 |
| Box Retail Value | $38.73 |
Temptu is great, Im jelly!
Good to know you like it! I tried it a few times so far and it seems to work really well 🙂
i think it’s a nice box. I love the new look of the box too ♥
It’s really cute isn’t it? It’s a nice change of pace from the usual brown box, but unfortunately I think this was LE packaging just for September =/
We got similar boxes this month! I haven’t gotten a chance to try my Macadamia yet, since I already have any bottle of detangler open at the moment, but I’m excited to use it! I didn’t get Ruffian Naked, but I have gotten Ruffian polishes from Birchbox in the past and really liked the formula–I just wish the polishes weren’t so small for the price!
I agree, Ruffian polishes are really nice, and I actually don’t mind that they’re tiny, because I never finish full bottles anyway, but the price is seriously too steep for the amount we get.
I’m a huge fan of Macadamia Oil.
There were lots of great goodies in that box. I would love to try that Liz Earle cleanser. I think that my dry skin would appreciate it. 😀
I would love to try that Macadamia oil spray. The ruffian polish is so cute too.
This looks like a great box! I have subscribed to Birchbox´s UK version and so far I like it.
I have gotten a lot of these items in other subscriptions boxes. I think the same bands are making the rounds among different box companies.
I love Birchbox, had the best experience at their store. You are going to love Liz Earle, one of my fave cleansers.
The Liz Earle cleanser starter kit looks amazing!
That actual box is sooooo pretty!
This looks like a fun box!!
She is going to loooove that hot cloth cleanser. I have been working on my bottle forever and I’m afraid to run out. I have dry skin 🙂 And that highlighter looks fab.
I like the products in your September box. That nail polish is cute!
I gather so many tubes of yube from birchbox
This looks like a fabulous box. I’m seriously considering signing up for birchbox again.
This box was amazing!
Definitely some goodies in this box – I love the polish and YuBe
By the time I got to pick my option, there were no choices left. Pout! I would have liked the polish and that macadamia healing spray, though I have a sample of it and it isn’t the best smelling. I loves the festive anniversary box, too
Birchbox really seems to be stepping up their game!