Living Proof

Birchbox April 2016

Included products in this month’s Birchbox:

  1. Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Sweet Violet (Full-size, $7 )
  2. RMS Beauty The Ultimate Makeup Remover Wipes (Full-size, $16 )
  3. Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator (Full-size, $34)
  4. W3LL People Expressionist Mascara (Full-size, $23.50)
  5. Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle (Full-size, $23.50)

First Impressions:

I should have known things would only go downhill from here: the moment I logged onto Birchbox.com and was notified that my month’s box selection was “out of stock” and was forced to choose another. I should have realized I probably wasn’t going to love it. Call it a gut instinct or a premonition, but in the end I was right. Upon the boxes’ arrival, I felt myself in a foul mood knowing that what I originally wanted was not in there, yet I tried to remain positive. However, the minute I spotted the boxes’ pattern, I wanted to return it ASAP. I guess its Rifle Paper Co. floral design would appeal to some of the population, but for me it was like staring at a couch pattern I could find on an episode of Mad Men. The box was just hideous plain and simple! And as I proceeded to open the box and analyze its contents, I almost cried (not tears of joy mind you), and here is why.

Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Sweet Violet: Really? No really?? Was this a joke? I mean don’t get me wrong; I love Burt’s Bees products. However, I thought the premise of a beauty box was to try brands that are new or relatively expensive before deciding on purchasing full sizes. Burt’s Bees certainly does not fit into any of these categories. Yet there it lay mocking me, which is ironic because it ended up being the only item I liked from the package.

RMS Beauty The Ultimate Makeup Remover Wipes: I had some high hopes from this product because J.Crew (my favorite apparel company) sells RMS products on their site. So, I figured the RMS makeup remover wipes would be a guaranteed winner. I could not have been more wrong. RMS states, “These wipes are made with pure, naturally antibacterial coconut oil, which melts away even the most stubborn makeup”. What RMS fails to state is that after using this wipe, your face will feel like its been dipped in vegetable oil and that you will need to rewash to clean the oil spill. This month’s Birchbox came with two RMS wipes. After using one, I was close to throwing the remaining one away. However, I figured it could be useful in removing my matte liquid lipstick and I was right. Too bad these RMS wipes are not marketed for lipstick removal because I believe it would serve a better purpose.

Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator: As per the Birchbox card, this is a “customer-fave scrub that mimics the effects of microdermabrasion for glowing smooth skin”. In theory, this product sounds amazing. In practice, it felt like minute shards of glass were cutting into my skin without the added bonus of a glowing face.

W3LL People Expressionist Mascara: I always enjoy testing out mascaras and when I saw this one I was genuinely excited. And yet, I was let down once again because this mascara did not lift nor lengthen my lashes as promised. Maybe it’s the smaller test wand that does not lend itself to the mascara’s full potential, but at almost $24 for a full size I will not be splurging to find out.

Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle: I found this heat protector to be okay. Nothing really worth noting other than I don’t find it to be a great replacement for my current hair protector from Living Proof Perfect Hair Day 5-in1 Styling Treatment ($27).

Final Verdict: Purge

Kiss

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!

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  • Birchbox March 2016

    Birchbox March 2016

  • Birchbox March 2016 Product List

    Birchbox March 2016 Product List

  • amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo

    amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo

  • theBalm cosmetics - Stainiac in Beauty Queen

    theBalm cosmetics - Stainiac in Beauty Queen

  • treStiQue Color & Smudge Shadow Crayon in Aspen Pine

    treStiQue Color & Smudge Shadow Crayon in Aspen Pine

  • Wilma Schumanna Skin Care Hydrating Collagen Eye Pads

    Wilma Schumanna Skin Care Hydrating Collagen Eye Pads

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.

INSIDER TIP 

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

Kiss Kiss Kiss

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!

 

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