After three days of compulsively checking UPS tracker, I finally received July’s Birchbox. And needless to say, the sample I had been coveting most – theBalm Instain blush – was conspicuously absent. As far as boxes go, this one was the least exciting of all. Don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait to try Kérastase Chroma Captive masque (twice!) and that purple shade of nail polish is gorgeous. The bobby pins are cute, too. In fact, I’m wearing one right now to pin back my bangs. And the Benefit Flawless Oxygen foundation evens out my skin tone, giving my face a natural matte finish. However, I think I could’ve done without the shaving cream. There’s a reason I don’t check off the bath products section in my Birchbox profile; I don’t want/need those products. Just sayin’.
Anyway, back to the products I do like. Many Birchbox subscribers seemed upset to receive another Color Club nail polish shade from the Wanderlust collection. But as a nail polish addict, I can’t complain. This month I got the orchid shade “Pardon My French.” It’s a pastel purple I had hoped to receive last month, but got “London Calling,” – a pastel neon green, which is a cool 80’s-esque color – instead. As you can tell, I couldn’t wait to try on the nail polish. Here’s what it looks like:
Another product I couldn’t wait to try was Benefit’s Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow! (their exclamation point, not mine). Admittedly, I was hoping for a CC or BB cream instead of a foundation. However, this foundation has many great qualities. First, it’s a “brightening” makeup that’s oil-free and has SPF 25 (all plusses). Though it’s thicker in texture than what I’m used to, it does provide full coverage to my stubborn blemishes. As mentioned earlier, it evens out my skin tone, and it does brighten my complexion (though I’ve used BB creams that have made my skin brighter). Judging from the texture, I was surprised that the makeup made me looked so natural. And even though it’s not a matte makeup, my skin looked more matte than shiny, which is always preferred. Conclusion: I really like this foundation.
The Whish Shave Cream was the first product I tried (ironically), and it’s also the most expensive shaving cream I’ve ever used at $20. I can’t say it’s better than the drugstore brands. In fact, drugstore brands, like Skintimate, make my legs softer than Whish. However, when it comes to moisturizing and exfoliating my legs before I shave, I prefer a DIY method I found on Pinterest: lemon juice, olive oil, and sugar. This makes my legs smoother than any shaving cream. Coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, and castor oil (either separately or all together) also work for moisturizing skin. I’ve read on another blogs that people really love this product, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
The only sample I haven’t tried yet is Kérastase, so stay tuned for my review of it. I’m sure it will be amazing (at $62, I expect it to be!). I’m planning to write a feature on the best hair masks. Lately, I’ve been using Macademia (which I love) and L’Oreal (for when I’m on a budget). A few months ago, I wrote a review of Ojon deep conditioning mask, after trying a sample in my April box. Hair masks are an essential part of my hair care routine because I have curly hair and use a flat iron regularly, therefore, I need all the moisture and nourishment I can get.
Speaking of hair, just when I was debating buying bobby pins because I always lose them, I received a couple of colorful bobby pins as a beauty extra.
That’s a recap of what I got in my box. After looking at what other people got in their Birchbox on Twitter, I have a little bit of box envy. But don’t let that stop you from sharing your box treats in the comments. You can also tweet to me @stylecontext.
