Friday, December 23, 2011

November Birchbox Review


drumroll....



I love Birchbox. I get a little taste of luxury and I’m introduced to a bunch of new products. If you haven’t heard of Birchbox, here is my review on the service! This has definitely been one of my favorite months so far. Here are my reviews for all of the products! :) 
This month included the following
  • Zoya Gems and Jewels Collection in Noel
  • LaROCCA Champagne and Shimmer Acai Sugar Polish
  • Klorane Soothing Eye Makeup Remover with Cornflower Water
  • Oscar Blandi Jasmine Protein Mist
  • Chuao Chocolate Bars - Firecracker Pod
  • BaubleBar Black Wood Pop Bracelet
So obviously my favorite item in my box was the Zoya Mini Nail Polish in Noel.


Noel is part of Zoya’s Holiday 2011 collection. It is described as a shimmery denim shade. This shade has some serious pop to it. I am loving it! It took only two coats for full opacity and the application was smooth as could be. Picture below is without topcoat. 


The other colors available in the collection are…

Source: Birchbox.com
From left to right the colors are: Rina, Holly, Kissy, Izzy, Twila, and Noel. 


I kind of wish I would have received a glitter or Holly (because my name is Holly) but all of the colors are so pretty. Really I wish they just gave them all to me. Dream big, I know. 

**UPDATE: I actually ended up winning this entire collection in a giveaway from Glamour Magazine! Yayyy! Of course only after I bought the Gems collection but still! So excited!

Zoya’s Gems & Jewels Holiday collection retails for $8.00 a bottle. [0.50 fl oz]


Next is LaROCCA’s sugar scrub. 



This is a champagne and shimmer invigorating body polish infused with 24-karat colloidal gold. Made with raw sugar, acai, coconut oil and shea butter among others, this polish really does the job. My hands were feeling pretty dry from the abuse they have taken from all my nail polish removing, but after using this scrub they felt silky smooth. I liked that my hands didn’t feel super oily after I used the product. I know some sugar scrubs can make your hands slick and almost slimy with the after affects from the oils. My hands literally feel more hydrated a day later as I am typing this. 

My sample was 0.05 oz and a little definitely goes a long way. I think I could get around 3 to 4 uses out of this for my hands. I will say that I am not sure how I feel about the scent. I’m not exactly sure what it even smells like, but I guess it smells like acai? I’m only assuming because I have no idea what acai smells like. I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it either. 

LaROCCA Skincare Champagne and Shimmer Acai Sugar Polish retails for $35.00 [6.76 oz]. 


Next is Klorane Soothing Eye Makeup Remover.



What Birchbox says: “..we couldn’t be happier about discovering this pH-balanced formula from a cult French brand.” “The star ingredient is French cornflower water, known for its soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. To create this precious H2O, the flowers are dried in clay overs before their essence is distilled into the ultra-gentle formula.” Sorry so many words, but I didn’t know how to describe it myself. 

I love that this is hypoallergenic. It is definitely a soothing remover, and does not leave you with that terrible oily aftermath. I have pretty sensitive eyes with certain removers and this did not leave my eyes watering or stinging. Also, it only took a few drops to remove all of my mascara.

I don’t like how it feels afterwards when it dries though. I feel like there is residue on my eyes and it is kind of sticky. 

Despite the residue I really like this remover, it’s gentle enough where I don’t have a bad reaction, but strong enough to take away my makeup. 

Klorane Soothing Eye Makeup Remover with Cornflower Water retails for $9.00 [3.4 oz]. 




Proteine di Jasmine has my heart. It smells so good. Infused with wheat and soy proteins, green tea, geranium, aloe vera and jasmine this spray will keep your hair looking beautiful. You can either use it on dry hair to restyle (blow dry, curl, straighten) or on damp hair to detangle and fortify. I prefer using it while my hair is damp because my hair is really thick and tangles easily. 

Oscar Blandi’s Proteine di Jasmine retails for $18.00 [8.45 fl oz]. 

They also sell this on Amazon for a little bit cheaper!
P.S. The 2 oz bottle is sold at ULTA for $8.00! 

Next is Chuao Chocolatier’s Firecracker ChocoPod. 



Yum. Yum. Yum. This was so good. When this package said it would arouse your senses they were not kidding. Dark Chocolate, Chipotle, Salt & Pop Rocks all in one little nougat??
I’ll take ten. I would definitely recommend these for the chocolate lovers out there!
Chuao Chocolates are offered as bars or as ChocoPods (which is what I received in my box). 
Other flavors include:
  • Panko - Dark chocolate with toasted panko breadcrumbs
  • Spicy Maya - dark chocolate infused with pasilla chile and cayenne pepper
  • Potato Chips in Chocolate - milk chocolate with kettle cooked potato chips
They all sounds so good. I wish I would have gotten one of each. Yep, I said it. #fatgirlproblems. 

Chuao Chocolatier Bars retail for $6.00 and the ChocoPods retails for $7.95 (8 pods).

Lastly…



So I also received this cute little bracelet from BaubleBar for referring friends. And by friends they mean my sister! Thanks Gill! 

I just now went to the website that was on the back of that little mint card and here is what BaubleBar says about this bracelet..
A single bead covered in noir pave is a subtle contrast to a string of wooden beads and adds just the right touch of glam. Black wooden beads are strung on a leather cord. A single hematite bead sits in the center and is covered with smoky crystal pave detail.
The BaubleBar Black Wood Pop Bracelet retails for $20. 

Not only did I just get a $20 free gift but guess who I can match now….

Source: BaubleBar

Justin Bieber! Dream come true! I guess these baubles are unisex?

So that was my November Birchbox and I could not be any happier!!

And the value of my box was $35.37 all for $10.00!  [math nerd]

Did anyone else get a November Birchbox?? If so how did you like it?

Feel free to ask me  or email me questions about my Birchbox! 



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