My favorite time of the month is here - my Birchbox has arrived! It's always so nice to have something fun to open when I get home from a long and stressful workday. Throughout the week I've had a chance to try everything out (with the exception of the Bobby Pins...they haven't matched an outfit that I've worn yet) and I'm pretty happy with all of the products I received.
Here's what was in this month's box:
theBalm Instain Blush in Swiss Dot
I was so excited to see Instain in my box this month. It was one of the products that Birchbox had revealed as a sneak peek and it was the one I was most excited to try. I haven't really had a chance to use many products by theBalm before, but I've heard good things and really would like to explore more of the brand. Swiss dot is a matte peachy coral color. It's super concentrated, so only a little goes a long way. If you read my previous post about OCC's Lip Tars, you'll see that I'm wearing it in my silly photo collage. It's actually a really pretty color for the summer, and I think I'm going to find myself wearing it often over the next month. It's supposed to be a "staining" formula to provide extra long wear and resistance to heat and humidity. So far I've had really good success with this. One application is enough to have vibrant cheeks from morning until bedtime. If I didn't have a stockpile of blush already I'd definitely consider buying this full-sized.
DDF Acne Control Treatment
My skin has been freaking out lately (thank you, stress), so DDFs Acne Control Treatment came just in the nick of time. I've only used it a few times, so I can't speak too much as to it's long term results yet. So far, though, I think it's helping. Most acne products I've used with Salicylic acid are in a gel form, and tend to make my skin tight and flaky. This, on the other hand, is a cream formula that leaves your skin feeling smooth and non-greasy. My blemishes are looking less red and angry, which is a step in the right direction! I think I'll need a few weeks of continuous use to really have a solid verdict.
Atelier Cologne Mistral Patchouli
The next product in the lineup is Atelier Cologne's Mistral Patchouli fragrance. This was probably the least favorite item I received this month. I do really enjoy a good fragrance, but this scent was way out of my comfort zone. Patchouli has a very distinct earthy and woodsy sort of character, which I think a lot of people either love or hate. I can't say that I hate it, I guess it just doesn't feel very "me"(I'm more of a feminine fruity/floral fragrance kind of gal). It reminds me a lot of my aunt, who is a Patchouli lover. Maybe if I see her I can pass this along to her. On the positive side, this is a super concentrated high quality fragrance with crazy lasting power. Long story short, if you're a patchouli fan, I'd definitely recommend this.
Kloraine Extra-Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk & Birchbox Bobby Pins
The last two items in my box are treats for my tresses. Dry shampoo is one of those things that I just recently discovered and wish that I had known about years ago. With my hair being so dark, and my scalp being so oily, it usually looks dirty if I don't wash it every day. Sometimes my hair is even starts to look less than wonderful before the day is over, and previously my only fix is to pull it back in a ponytail and hope for the best. Now I can spritz some dry shampoo on my roots and wear my hair down for maybe even another whole day! The only downside of dry shampoo is that it can sometimes leave a powdery whiteish cast on your hair (especially for us dark brunette people), so finding the right formula is extra important. I've really liked this Kloraine Dry Shampoo. It refreshes my hair, absorbs extra oil, and adds volume. Plus, the small bottle is perfect to throw in my purse for touch ups on-the-go. Perhaps I'll have to use this in conjunction with these super adorable new bobby pins I have (pics later, maybe?).
As always, if you're interested in joining Birchbox, you can join here. Already a subscriber? I'd love to hear about your experiences as well!
Semi-related side note - my Ipsy glambag came in the mail today! I'll definitely be taking some pics and posting my review soon, so stay tuned!
All righty lovelies, that's all for today. Stay gorgeous!
Lauren
