Birchbox January Review

I've been a Birchbox subscriber for a few months now, and am really happy with this month's box.  If you're not sure what Birchbox is, it's a monthly sample box of makeup and beauty products that are tailored to your personal profile.  It's a 'discovery' box that hopes to introduce you to new brands and products that will fit your style, skin tone, and hair type.  Each box is $10 and ships free, so it's my personal beauty splurge each month.

This is what came in my January 2013 box:

amika Color pHerfection Shampoo

Overview: This color-friendly shampoo contains Siberian sea buckthorn berry oil, which is loaded with omega acids and vitamins to promote hair health. The silky shampoo sinks into each hair follicle to quench dryness and repair damage. The sweet scent comes courtesy of wild cherry extract.

Review: This shampoo smells amazing, and suds up nicely.  My blonde hair loves to turn brassy with our water, so I like that this shampoo is a color protectant.  My hair also felt less dry and winter ravaged at the ends after just one use.  $22 for a 14.37oz bottle is a little steep for my budget, but the shampoo seems to do everything it says it will and -seriously- smells great.

Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrè

Overview: This velvety moisturizer gives skin the ultimate silky finish, thanks to generous amounts of soothing shea butter and aloe vera. It’s rich without being heavy, and can be used on all skin types. Plus, it doubles as a makeup remover, post-shave soother, and baby cream.

Review: Chalk it up to pregnancy hormones, or my skin overcompensating for the dryness in the air, but my skin has been an oily mess the past few weeks, so I just tried this as an overnight cream. I also might be getting a little anxious about entering my 30's in less than 6 months and taking skin care a little more seriously nowadays. A 24 hour miracle cream 'slathered' on before bedtime seems like something I should start doing.  This is a 'cult' cream out of France that gets rave reviews.  It also costs a pretty penny at $28 for 75mL.  Then again, how can you really put a price on avoiding a wrinkly neck?  I'm not sure I'm a convert yet, but this brand was new to me and it was nice to try.

Juice Beauty Daily Essentials Organics To Go

Overview: Juice Beauty's Organics To Go collection is a five part skin regimen. The Cleansing Milk is a creamy cleanser made with grape seed and sunflower oils that purifies skin and banishes makeup. The Green Apple Peel Sensitive is an award- winning peel made with a gentle yet effective dose of organic, fruit-derived hydroxy acids and raw sugar cane, while the Antioxidant Serum is a light, peptide- and vitamin-infused hydrator. The Hydrating Mist is made with rosehip, ylang ylang, and organic fruit juices to give skin an antioxidant boost, and the Nutrient Moisturizer is a lush cream rich in fatty acids derived from plant oils.

Review: I am NOT new to this brand. Citrus Lane included a sample of the nutrient Moisturizer in a previous box, and I loved it so much, I am not using the Organics To Go collection myself. At $29, it's a great price point to try out all five parts of the collection before making the big leap to buy the full size products. I'm actually planning on a video review of this product line, so look for that in the near future.

theBalm® cosmetics Put a Lid On It™

Overview: This eyelid primer is the Thelma to your eye shadow’s Louise. The velvety formula guarantees that colorful shadows stay bright and smudge-free for hours. Suitable for all skin types and tones, the sheer formula blends in seamlessly and doesn’t leave any kind of residue on your lids.

Review: I've been using a primer under my foundation for a few years now with great results, but hadn't yet tried an eyelid primer even though I'm always dealing with creasing and smudging eye shadows - Thus I was very excited to try out theBalm's primer. The cheeky packaging is very cute, and at $18 I think the product will last long enough to make it worth your money. You only use a little bit with each application, and I was impressed by how smoothly it applied. The last thing I wanted to do was tug on that delicate eyelid skin, but it went on evenly and was not greasy. Even better, this product hasn't even launched yet! It will be available in February, but some Birchbox users like me were already able to try it - just another perk of Birchbox.

Juicy Couture - Viva La Juicy

Overview: Top notes of wild berries and sweet mandarin flirt with lady-like middle notes of honeysuckle, jasmine, and gardenia. Warm base notes of caramel, amber, vanilla, sandalwood, and praline hover beneath it all.

Review: In a few weeks - okay, probably about 8 weeks - I'll have a newborn and will stop wearing perfume for a while.  But in the meantime, I'm loving all the perfume samples from Birchbox.  At $90 for a 34oz bottle, I won't be purchasing the full sized product anytime soon, but I like having the little spritzer sample in my stash for future date nights.  I love the warmth - and dare I say sexiness - of the vanilla and amber, and the sweet mandarin hints make it acceptable for daytime use.  Hannah thinks it smells 'pwetty!' and Chris ... lets just say he approved. *wink*

Birchbox also offers a Men's box and newly introduced a Home box as well.  Both of these are at a higher price point than the Woman's sample box.  This post contains affiliate links.  I purchased this product myself and do not receive compensation from Birchbox for my reviews.  My opinions are my own.