Birchbox Review for March 2016

Included products in this month’s Birchbox:

1. amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo (Full size, $24)
2. FHI Brands Hot Sauce Thermal Heat-Activated Conditioner (Full-size, $16)
3. theBalm cosmetics Stainiac in Beauty Queen (Full-size, $17)
4. treStiQue Color & Smudge Shadow Crayon in Aspen Pine (Full-size, $26)
5. Wilma Schumann Skin Care Hydrating Collagen Eye Pads (Full-size, $18)

First Impressions:

amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo: From the get-go, I was thrilled to see this dry shampoo in my Birchbox. I use a dry shampoo at least once a week, in between hair washes. First thing I noticed was that the scent (described as obliphica) was not overpowering like other dry shampoos. In fact, I will go so far in saying that the amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo has the lightest and nicest scent of the bunch I’ve ever used! In terms of end-of-the-day results, my hair continued to look fresh without a trace of oiliness. I can officially say I’m hooked and will purchase the full-sized version as soon as I run out of my Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo ($22 / 4oz. at Sephora).

FHI Brands Hot Sauce Thermal Heat-Activated Conditioner:  I live in a hot, humid city and am always going to the beach or swimming in a pool. As a result, I’m always on the look out for a hair leave-in treatment that can help me combat my often frizzy, dry and mistreated hair. The FHI Heat Hot Sauce Thermal Heat-Activated Conditioner is a lightweight cream that smells heavenly. After washing and conditioning my hair, I applied it liberally and then flat-ironed. I noticed a change almost immediately. The tips of my hair looked less frayed and it left the rest with a healthy shine without looking greasy. While I will have to use it on a more continuous basis to get a full read on how well this product works, I would not hesitate to buy a full-sized FHI Thermal Heat Activated Conditioner given the early great results.

theBalm cosmetics Stainiac in Beauty Queen: Anyone obsessed with makeup has probably heard about theBalm cosmetics line. If not, than this trial size of their cheek and lip stain would be a great introduction to their amazing range of products. As huge fan of thebalm, I was so excited to get this product and try it on especially because of my affinity for lip & cheek products (stay tuned for a later post on this topic). I applied this stain to both my lips and cheeks and fell in love with not only its natural rosy color, but also the staying power. This stain looks like a watercolor painting when placed on the cheeks giving one a natural flushed look. I must say that I prefer the stain more on my cheeks than lips, but that’s because I have a natural rosier lip and so it does not stand out as much as it could on someone of a different tone.

treStiQue Color & Smudge Shadow Crayon in Aspen Pine: I love cream shadows. I have a collection of Bobbi Brown and Marc Jacob shadow sticks and was more than happy to add this little guy to the batch. The packaging for the treStique Color & Smudge Shadow Crayon is plain and unassuming. However, once you open the cap and apply to your eyelids, I have only one word to describe the results: WOW! This shadow crayon packs an intense opaque punch and will not budge under any circumstance. And while I personally don’t care for green shadows, this treStique Color & Smudge Shadow Crayon in Aspen Pine would convert any nonbeliever. The color is a deep rich forest green laced with speckles of gold shimmer that transforms under natural light. I certainly look forward to exploring other colors in their shadow crayon set in the near future.

Wilma Schumann Skin Care Hydrating Collagen Eye Pads: Skincare is high on my list these days…especially as I approach my 40s. And while my affinity for Korean brands is no surprise, I am a newbie when it comes to European brands. Wilma Schumann Skin Care Hydrating Collagen Eye Pads targets the eye area with precision. The pads have a cooling effect that hydrate upon contact and certainly brightens the under eye area. As for plumping and softening my wrinkles, I would say it would take extended use of the product to give a more thorough review. However, I was more than pleased with my first test run with this European skincare product and hope to discover more.

Once I decided to purchase the full-size amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo, I quickly researched where to purchase it. While the Birchbox website sells it for $24, I found Sephora selling it for 2 dollars less at $22!! The other advantage to purchase the amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo vs. Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo, which had been my go-to dry shampoo, was that for the same $22, I get way more product…amika’s 5.3 oz. to Living Proofs 4.0 oz.! Talk about the ultimate deal.

Final Verdict: Splurge

Makeup Deconstructed Rating System:

1 Kiss = Purge: Only one of the products in the box/bag is worth keeping.

2 Kisses = Merge: Two to four products make this box/bag worth merging into your makeup collection.

3 Kisses = Splurge: All five products are amazing and worth splurging on!