Birchbox September 2014 Unboxing, Review, Pictures: Fresh Paint

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!

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! 🙂

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.

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.

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!

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”.

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!