august birchbox review

Another amazing box came to me from Birchbox this month, which made for an incredibly happy week of product trials in my tiny San Francisco apartment.  I was actually so busy with my day job and recipe work that it took me longer than my standard three days to get into all of these great products.  My roommate was shocked, and asked if I was okay.

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I loved the Finishing School theme this month, and found all products reminiscent of what I think Finishing School embodies: the tiny little details that, when attended to, make a huge difference in the end result.  So ladies, as we cling to the edge of easy summer beauty routines, but ultimately find ourselves thwacked into the fall grind… I urge to you stay polished by attending to yourself.  Remember to take off your makeup, moisturize, and sink half an hour into a nourishing mask for those poor locks you’ve reverted to straightening every day.  You’ll be amazed at the difference these little details will make in your attitude.

Now onto the products.

Juice Beauty’s Green Apple Peel – Sensitive was my absolute favorite product from this box.  I noticed an immediate and lasting difference in the suppleness and brightness of my skin, just as promised.  The sample was also huge, and I look forward to stretching it over 3 more masks (4 total uses).  One MEGA useful note: a “peel” does not signify that it should be removed by peeling the product layer away from the skin.  Follow the directions – in this case, rinse.  Your skin will thank you for not poking and prodding at it.

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My next favorite was the Sumita Eye Base.  This pencil is seriously the stuff of miracles.  Recommended use is under-eyes to combat dark circles, but the notes suggest trying it anywhere that needs some extra coverage – for me, this is my lid itself.  I’ve always had some slight discoloration in my eyelids and in the past, I’ve used concealer or foundation to obtain the even base I’m always after.  The problem with that strategy: I have to set it with powder or my shadow creases.  The two-product layer beneath my shadow always feels heavy on my lids, and even worse, sometimes cakey.  This pencil solved both of these problems.  A few quick swipes of the soft formula and I had an even layer of product on my lids.  I blended it gently with my finger, and noticed how smooth the finish was – it was the ultimate cream-to-powder consistency.  I also loved that the base functioned as both a concealer and a primer; it really held onto my shadows without being “sticky” under my brush.  I plan to buy these buy the caseload.  They’re just that good.

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Let’s talk Dr. Jart+.  I was so excited to try the Premium Beauty Balm, but found it to be the most disappointing product in my box, solely because the tint never quite adjusted to my skin tone (I’m on the light side of medium).  I applied the beauty balm right before work in place of my regular foundation.  I did love how little product I had to use, but noticed right away that it was far too light.  I left it on anyway to see how it would hold up over the course of the day.  Yep, I looked a little ghostly all in the name of this blog.  Aside from the shade not working for me – and from what I can find, it only comes in one – I did think this was a terrific product.  It stayed in place on my skin all day without any primer, and did have a great texture and finish.  I’d recommend this to anyone who is a true “light” in most facial products.

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The Yes To Cucumber Facial Towelette did a surprisingly great job of removing my makeup.  My reservations were not brand specific; I’ve generally been opposed to these things for daily use because I find them to be too dry, which results in tugging and rubbing on the delicate skin of my eyes… yuck.  This wipe stayed moist throughout the removal of my eye makeup, which included a thick line of black gel eyeliner and black mascara; however, it did get a little dry before I got my foundation off.  I’d definitely buy these in single-use packs to keep on-hand at my desk and in my purse (this would be great to have in case of an impromptu sleepover…), but I’ll stick with my cotton-ball and liquid remover for daily use.

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I’m always ecstatic to see Miss Jessie’s in my sample boxes, and this time, Birchbox gave me not one, but two products to play with.  The best part of this story?  Both are restorative treatments that forced me to spend a full fifteen minutes steaming in the shower.  What a treat!

The original Super Sweetback Treatment didn’t feel like it had done much of anything when I rinsed it out and towel dried after letting it steam into my hair for a solid fifteen minutes.  Shame on me for doubting Miss Jessie.  My hair air dried into this beautiful, shiny, bouncy, lustrous work of art.  It felt as soft and supple as it does when my stylist adds a gloss treatment to my toner.  My waves held their definition (read: they didn’t turn into frizzballs) despite a night of tossing and turning on a standard cotton pillowcase.  I got compliments all day!

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The Rapid Recovery Treatment yielded similar bounce and gloss after a steam and an air dry, but my crazy hair still managed to frizz through it.  If I had to buy just one, I’d go with the Super Sweetback treatment – it just seemed to work better on my hair.

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Now that I’ve gone through all of my August boxes, I’m ready for September.

Do you subscribe to Birchbox?  What products did you get this month and how did you like them?  

so, what did you think?


@anisamariek



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