My December Birchbox items are as follows:
Number 4 Non-Aerosol Spray
I like that it didn't make my hair look oily. It was also a plus that it didn't leave behind any residue. The only thing I'm not sure about it the scent. When I first sprayed it I thought that it smelled different and nice. But I tend to use quite a bit of hairspray and by the time I was done I was having second thoughts about the scent. All day long I could smell it on me. I'm willing to give it a second chance, but I doubt I'll be switching to it. I'm sure I'll allow it to accompany me on trips though.
Camille Beckman Body Butter
Between cold, dry air and washing my hands all the time, my hands tend to be on the very dry side. I try to help them by using body butter on them every night before I go to bed. I've been doing this for the last year and it seems to make a big difference, so I was excited to get a sample of a new one to try. Aside from the one I normally use, they tend to be overly greasy. This one though? This one was wonderful! It went on nice and smooth. It was a little thicker than I'm used to but you'd never know because once you had it on, it felt good. My hands felt coated and protected, but not greasy/oily. I'm extremely sensitive to scents, so I wasn't sure how I'd like this one or not. The smell is quite pleasant, but it does linger. Because I only use this on my hands it's not as overbearing, but I certainly wouldn't want to put it all over my body. If wearing this in the day time I would bypass wearing perfume since the fragrance of this is enough for me. I'm going to look into other scents and there is a very good chance I'll be switching to this brand.
Manna Kadar Cosmetics Sheer Glo Shimmer Lotion
I use a mineral powder, not liquid foundation, so I decided to use this directly on my skin. The color is very pretty, and it went on light. The only thing I'm not sure about is the shimmer. I'm grateful that's its more shimmer than glitter, but it's still more than I'm used to using. I doubt I'll use this in the winter, but I think it would be an excellent product to use in the summer when I don't want to wear a lot of makeup on my face. Once spring/summer rolls around I'll be sure to use up all of my sample, and if I keep liking it then there is a very good chance I'll add it to my lineup.
Chuao Chocolatier Chocolate Bars
Chuao Chocolatier Chocolate Bars
The choco pod that I received in my box was the dark chocolate with honeycomb. The chocolate itself had a pleasant taste, but you couldn't taste the honeycomb bits because they were so small. The bits were mainly used as a texture, which I felt was similar to a light amount of crisps being throughout. I gave it two out of five stars. Not worth it in my opinion. Maybe the other flavors are better.
And finally...
Benta Berry G-1 Exfoliating Facial Cleanser
I actually have not tried this sample yet. It's rare that I use face cleansers, let alone exfoliating facial cleansers, so I need to remember to throw it in the shower and try it.
Now, I should also explain that Birchbox is a monthly subscription you can sign up for. It's $10 a month and you get a box sent to you with a whole bunch of goodies. You can cheat and look up what you're getting or you can wait like me so you can be surprised on the day it comes. You can also sign up for a yearly subscription and it saves you a couple bucks, but I figured I'd do month-to-month for now. When you sign up you answer questions to set up your profile which will help determine what type of product samples they will send you. For instance, I'm not big on perfume samples, so I am still curious, so I opted to get no more than 6 in a year. That also means that my sister and I may not get the same products as she has a different profile than mine. It's fun to compare.
If, as a reader of my blog, you become interested in trying it out... let me know and I'll send you a referral link. It isn't necessary for you to join, but it does give me referral points and who doesn't like those?! It can also make for fun gifts for friends. Oh, and there is a Birchbox for Men (though it's $20/month instead of the $10). There is a waiting period of about 1-2 weeks, but don't let that deter you. Samples are fun - especially when they are catered to types of products you actually use or are interested in using.
