Retrospective: Birchbox November 2012

See my first Retrospective for the answers to the quiz that I used.

November 2012: Month 9

Chuau Chocolatier Honeycomb Chocopod
Photo from Birchbox

My extra was a Chuao Chocolatier ChocoPod, dark chocolate with honeycomb. That lasted all of two seconds after I opened my box, and was absolutely delicious! There were little crunch bits of caramelized honeycomb in it. Yum!

7 Pods retail for $7.95, value of a single pod $1.14

Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper
Photo from Birchbox

I received a sample of Curly Hair Solution's Curl Keeper for the first time in November. This actually is not bad and works pretty well.  It does tend to make my hair a little crunchy, but nothing that I can't handle.  It's not that bad of a deal, too.

Sample was 30 mL ($3 value), full size is 100 mL for $10. 

Jouer Signature Fragrance Rollerball
Photo from Birchbox

I also received a little roller ball vial of Jouer Fragrance Cornucopia oil. The note that I picked up right away was the honeysuckle, it brought me back to my childhood walking to and from the ocean on a road lined with honeysuckle bushes! This is a very wearable scent for me, I keep it in my purse for those perfume emergencies.

The sample size is 1.18 mL, it is $42 for the 7.09 mL full size, which includes a tiny 2mL lip gloss. Assuming the lip gloss is a bonus gift, that would make this sample value $6.99. 

ModelCo FIBRE LASHXTEND Mascara
Photo from Birchbox

I love that there is a mirror on the tube! This is one of the nicer fiber mascaras I have used. It definitely makes my lashes longer, and slightly fuller-looking. 

This is full-sized, retail is $24.

Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer in Bronze Shimmer
Photo from Birchbox

This adds a nice subtle shimmer wherever you apply it. Honestly, I tested it out after I got it and haven't used it since.  Maybe I'll put it in my makeup bag to remind me.

The sample size is 1.5 mL, full size is $20 for 14.1mL, making this a $2.13 aliquot.


Total Value $37.25

Overall, I was really happy with this box.  That chocolate was DELICIOUS and I used the mascara until it was dried up and no longer useable.

Birchbox costs $10/month, including shipping and sends you a box of 4-6 samples and sometimes full-sized products.  You can review the products you receive for 10 Birchbox points each.  For every $1 you spend in the BB shop, you also receive 1 BB point.  For every 100 BB points you accumulate, you get $10 to spend in their shop.  If you would like to sign up, my link is here and I will earn 50 BB points at the end of your first month.

This post contains products I purchased with my own money.  No compensation was received for this post and all opinions are my own.  This post contains a referral link, see above for details.

My All-Subscription Box Vacation, Part 1

I'm going on vacation! It's a "surprise," but I'm pretty sure we are heading to somewhere on Cape Cod for two nights and most of three days. Vacations are great. Not only do I get to stuff my face with delicious foods with the excuse that, "I'm on vacation," I get the chance to use up some of the sample products I've received from subscription boxes. Sub boxes are great; I haven't had to buy a travel size of anything in over a year! I killed so many foil packets in Europe last summer; it was fantastic. Here is what I am packing for my weekend away:

Hello, hair products!

 Number 4 Clarifying Shampoo (Birchbox December 2012). I love this stuff, it smells great and is sulfate free! I only plan on shampooing once while I am there, so it's fine that this is clarifying.

(MALIN + GOETZ) Cilantro Hair Conditioner (Birchbox October 2012). This is ok. It's not my favorite conditioner, it's not quite strong enough for my hair, but it's fine for travel. I'm almost out, I have 1 use left in the bottle.

Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle (Birchbox April 2013). I've already expressed my love for this product *um yeah, let me actually upload that entry*. The travel-sized bottle makes me happy. I might just sleep with it under my pillow in the hopes that some magical hair fairy grants all my wishes.

Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper (Birchbox November 2012/ July 2013). This will do just fine for the beach.

Davines Oi/Oil (Birchbox June 2013). This is part of their 3-step system. I already used the conditioner packet, and the shampoo contains sulfates so I try to use it only every now and then (it smells sooo good though!), so this is all I have left to try out of the three. I plan on straightening my hair if we go out to a fancy dinner and this will be my finishing product. There are also some twistbands hiding under there. I like them a lot and have a ton everywhere; my car, my desk at work, upstairs, downstairs, in the side table by the couch, in the bathroom...

All the face gunk I'm bringing

LA Fresh Makeup Remover Wipes (Ipsy March 2013) These are perfectly adequate for wiping the day off of my face at night. They will do just fine for this weekend away. \

(MALIN + GOETZ) Grapefruit Face Cleaner (Birchbox October 2012) I haven't tried this, but everything else by this company has been decent. I love the smell of grapefruit, so I'll probably like this. I'm assuming this will be enough for 1 night.

Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser  (Birchbox June 2013) I'm bringing my last little bit of this with me for the second night. I loved this product! I think it's too expensive to buy the full price, but maybe if I save up my BB points for a while I will splurge on it. It smells delicious! I may or may not have tasted a little bit and we will just say that it smells better than it tastes.

Coola Mineral Sunscreen- Unscented (Ipsy July 2013) Sunscreen is a must-have. I'm also bringing SPF100000000000 for my body and face if we go to the beach or spend any amount of time outside. This is just for every-day anyway use under my makeup.

Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentré (Birchbox January 2013) This is supposed to be good. We shall see. This is for at night, I didn't feel like packing my big full-sized Juice Beauty moisturizer that was in the June Popsugar.

Marvis Classic Strong Mint Toothpaste (Birchbox May 2013) I like this toothpaste, but not enough to buy it. The sample is nice and I don't have another travel size at the moment. I'm going to the dentist a few days after we get back and will get one then ;) All of this fits into the little silver makeup bag that Ipsy sent in December 2012. Excellent.

This post contains items that were received in Birchbox and Ipsy, both of which are purchased with my own funds.  All opinions are my own.

Birchbox July 2013

Am I supposed to know what "Suits" is? A *show* picked out a face cream? huh? Birchbox teamed up with the USA network show, "Suits" this month to bring us a new box of perfectly adequate samples.

July 2013 Birchbox, Suits Edition

Anything look familiar? How about this... 

photo from Birchbox

Yeah. I got the same sample in my November 2012 box. However, when I went to my Birchbox box history to confirm this, I saw that they had already realized the error of their ways and had credited me with 100 extra points. Way to be on top of your game, BB! I'm impressed. Fortunately, this is a decent hair product for me and I was tempted to buy the full size after using up my first sample of it. Have you seen my hair? It's curly. It likes products like this. 

I'm all set on face creams for the rest of my life.

This was the Suits pick, and it is Benta Berry G-1 Moisturizing Face Cream. It smells light and a little flowery and seems like every other face lotion I haven't heard of but will slather on my face anyway. Again, I don't break out easily and don't have any kind of dry or oily skin issues. This will be fine for me. 

Their cute design is their only redeeming feature.

These are big and got stuck in my hair and I don't like them. 

Party proof? Halloween party, maybe!

I was really excited to see this lipstick in my box. However, it is in the color "Get Naked" which makes it look like I don't have lips at all. If this was another color, I would be in love! It smells like strawberries and goes on really smoothly. It doesn't dry my lips out, though it accentuates the creases and dry patches a bit. It's too bad about the color choice for my particular complexion. 

Where did my lips go??

I also got a spritzy sample bottle of Juicy Couture's Couture La La. It smells like every other Juicy sample I've gotten. I have a pretty bad nose for scents, so it takes something unusual for me to notice it. Couture La La is a little floral and a little fruity and pretty blah for me. According to my boyfriend, "it doesn't smell like much of anything. Nothing stands out." I hate getting perfume samples, but this was my first one in a few months, so I can't complain too much. 

Here is a summary of the value of my July box: 

Curl Keeper, 30 mL: $3 value. (Full size $10/100 mL) 

Moisturizer, 5 mL: $3.67 value (Full size $22/30 mL) 

Bobby Pins, 2: $1.67 ($5/6) 

Lipstick, 3.8g: (Full size) $8 as part of Birchbox's set of 3 for $24. From ModelCo site: $16.95 

Couture La La sample, 1.5 mL: $1.35 ($90/100 mL) 

Total value: $17.69 (low end) or $26.64 (high end) depending on how you value the lipstick.

I will also get 40 points for reviews (can't review the curl keeper a second time) and the extra 100 points for the duplicate. This adds $14 to my total. Considering I only pay $10/month for this service, I think it's a great deal. Have I had better boxes? Yes. But, I can use the points toward something I love instead of something I just want to use up. 

Here is my referral link, if you would like to sign up.

This post contains products purchased by me through Birchbox.  All opinions are my own.  This post also contains a referral link; I will receive 50 points for every person who subscribes to Birchbox by clicking my link.