Birchbox March 2014 Unboxing!!

So I was thinking about doing a side by side comparison post of my Ipsy and Birchbox. But I do not like comparing them, because really the only comparison between the two are that they are both $10 a month. I sub to them for completely different reasons and expectations so I will keep them separate. I like this month's box. I have had better, but I am still very pleased with it. Here is what I got:

My Box:

First impressions: I was a little bummed that I did not get the How 'bout Them Apples cheek stain from TheBalm. That little package was so cute and I am an uber fan of TheBalm! I was also a tad disappointed I did not get any makeup products, but at the same time it is good I didn't. It's not like I need any more makeup! lol Also, 6 Products this month! Yes please! Let's begin with my favorite product of the month!

Keims Cleanshine Energizing Shampoo

LOVE THIS! This will be a repurchase! I have thin hair...cry for me later...and this just made my hair so soft and manageable. My hair has a stupid tendency to knot up at every moment. I am always brushing my hair or cutting it super short. It is so frustrating, I've been learning to kind of just let my hair go wild, but then this little beauty came into my life. LOVE IT! I wish it was foamy and sudsy, but I am not going to complain. Love it!

Air Repair Rescue Balm All-Purpose Skin Salve and Lip Balm

 I was excited for this product. This weather has been messing up my lips so bad. They are fine now, but next time they are chapped I will be running to put this on them. I did test it on my lips already, and it's definitely not a normal lip balm. I will not be using it on my lips unless I need too. The flavor was...umm...not a pleasnt one. It's not meant to be though. I will be using this on dry skin though.

Vasanti Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator   

I haven't used this yet. I am excited to try it though. I like exfoliators, but I also fear them. I don't have problematic skin, so I am typically weary of trying things that might mess that up. 

Control Corrective Cucumber Bead Cleanser and Oil Free Healing Lotion 

I forgot to save the edits to this photo lol Like the Vasanti I have yet to try this, but I am excited too. I like the fact it comes with a healing lotion. 

Last but not least I received COOLA Tinted Matte SPF 30 For Face

 When I got this I may have groaned. I received a teeny tiny COOLA sample in my ipsy and was just not impressed at an overpriced sunblock. I change my mind about this product though. I haven't tried it yet, but I am keeping an open mind. The fact that it is tinted makes me a little more open minded. I don't wear any foundation or BB creams because I am too pale for them. I want to find something that will just give me the lightest of coverage, just to even out my skin tone and I am hoping that this will provide that.

Overall, I am very pleased with my box. I am hoping for a hand lotion for next month. I would say that at this point this is a 6/6 box, because I am excited to try everything.

Birchbox February 2014 Box Opening!!

My second box from Birchbox came! Now, this is technically my first month with them. I did receive January's box, but I signed up way after the 15th cut off date. I used the Us Weekly promo code to join so I think that is why I also received January's. I am so shocked that I got my box this early! I am used to getting my ipsy bag around the 15th, so to get a box on the 8th is so exciting! 

 So, this month Birchbox did a collaboration with Us Weekly. I don't know how often they do collab boxes, or what the difference is, but I LOVED THIS BOX! I am so very pleased with it.

What did I get? Well I shall tell you *Drum Roll Please* MY BOX!

*SQUEALS WITH EXCITMENT!*

I got the three things I wanted the most! I shall start with what I was most excited about!

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner

I have been dying to try a liquid eyeliner pen forever! I did not want to have to pay a lot of money for something I am unsure I will like. I am a pencil girl, so using a liquid pen is VERY new to me. I am SO excited to play around with this. I have had a eyeliner pen on my ipsy wishlist practically every month and I never get it. It is funny to me that I finally got it in my first month's Birchbox. I should have joined a long time ago! I am very pleased with the size. It will be great to throw in my purse, and its so cute!

The thing I was also really hoping I got was the Beauty Protector Protect & Oil

 I was so very happy to see this in my box. It leaked a teeny tiny bit, but no big deal at all. The little jar is so cute and it smells AMAZING! I cannot wait to try this out. Also, the card says this was an exclusive launch. I feel so honored to be trying it first. Oh la la.

 OPI Sheer Tints in Be Magentale With Me

AHHH! Mini Nail Polish! AHHH SO CUTE! (Idk if you can tell or not, but mini things make me so happy) I love samples! This was the third thing I was really hoping to get. I LOVE OPI nail polishes. They are one of my all time favorites and to get this is very exciting. They are one of few nail polishes that do not chip. I tried it on one nail, but not a full manicure yet. I will be doing that later tonight. The card says to wear alone for a sheer bit of color or over another nail polish to get a shade shifting effect. I will be putting it on top of another color. My nails are slightly stained black from the nail polish I have on them now, so I won't do it alone

Juicy Couture Couture La La Malibu Perfume

This is another ipsy complaint that Birchbox full filled. I LOVE perfume. LOVE IT! I collect it and ipsy has NEVER sent me a perfume even though it is marked that I love it. Birchbox has me covered though! I really like the smell of this. I will throw it on my purse. 

Harney & Sons Fine Teas Wrapped Satchets Tea in Organic Bangkok and Mint Verbena

I know some people do not like receiving teas in their box, but I am A-OK with this. I love teas!! I am very exciting to try these especially the Mint Verbena one :D MHMMM

Sherlock reference: Moriar-tea. That's what people BREW! HAHA

I love everything in this box!!

Box rate: 5/5

I cannot wait till next month!

January 2014 Birchbox Opening!

So, I have been really bad at posting things since school started up again, but I got my first Birchbox in the mail and had to share what I got! I have been on the fence for quite some time about joining. I thought they sent out a lot of foils, and I wasn't really into that. After creeping on the MUT thread for awhile I realized I was wrong, but still never pulled the subscribe trigger. what finally intrigued me was the points system. There was a conversation about it on the ipsy thread and I found a promo that gave me 100 points just for signing up. I could not resist that and I finally took the bullet. I am so glad I did! I love my first box!

Now I took some pictures of what I got, and I have been unable to try anything else so this is such an unboxing/ first impression post. I did not take a picture of the pretty packaging. I was too excited to wait so I just ripped right through it. Patience was never a virtue of mine. I was very impressed in the care of packaging though. The tissue paper was a cute touch and everything was packaged so nice and not a mess. I like that they put the smaller things into the little envelope. 

MY BOX!

I am very pleased with everything in this box! I was worried at first, because there is an insane amount of variations. I was worried, but I lucked out!

I was so hoping I would get to try out the Nail Rock. Luckily, I received it! I was very thankful not to get a pinky color. I love darker nail polishes and blue is so pretty! I have a feeling I am going to make a huge mess with this, but I make a huge mess out of everything, You all should see my life! HA!

ITS SO PRETTY!!! I tend to stay away from glitter polish because its so hard to take off, so I am wondering how difficult it will be to take off actual glitter, but I am very excited to try this! I LOVE GLITTER!!!!!!! One of my tattoos actually stands for "Looking for treasures in the things that you threw, like a magpie I live for glitter, not you" So for me to receive a glitter topcoat is perfection.

I was super excited about the INIKA Mineral eyeshadow. I was looking at all the colors online and thought Eternal Marine was the prettiest color, and guess what color I got? ETERNAL MARINE!! Lucked out again! It is so pretty! 

I thought this color would be more blue, but to me it looks like a storm cloud over the ocean. It is so pretty! It is right up my alley of colors. I can see myself using this very often. I love the size of the sample too! There is no way I could use a full size, but this will give me plenty of use without feeling overwhelmed with product. 

See, doesn't it look like a strom cloud?? So pretty! This was just one swipe with my finger with no primer! It's so pigmented!

My next two products were Fekkai Brillant Glossing Shampoo & Conditioner.

Normally, I wouldn't be so excited over shampoo and conditioner, but this time I am. I have been on the lookout for a new shampoo and this smells SO GOOD! I have been feeling so blehh over my hair lately, I hope this makes it look better. I am currently growing out a pixie and it's almost to a bob length, but not quite. I'm struggling with styling it until it grows out though. Maybe some shine will make me feel better about it.

My lifestyle extra is a Reviver Dry Deodorant Wipe.

I am rather intrigued by this. It is suppose to eliminate odors on clothing and hair. I am one of those people who are always self conscious about smelling. No one has ever told me I smelled, but I take insane precautions not to. I am a perfume hoarder! haha so this will come in handy! It is going in my purse right now!

I am so very glad I signed up for Birchbox! I am looking forward to the Us Weekly collab box coming up in February! If you would like to sign up, I would really appreciate it if you used my code: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/qp6v4

I hope you all have a great Friday and weekend! Much Love, Randi