November Glossybox Review!

Hey everyone!

Sorry I am so late in posting some of my reviews. My mom was in the hospital around Thanksgiving and I was just slammed for a little at school, so I had a few other things on my mind. Luckily, my mom is okay and I'm doing well in my classes so far, so I can definitely use the rest of my break to catch up on reviews! AND! On my new Google Chromebook that the bf was somehow able to track down for me with the crazy Christmas rush! He's the best. :) It was an early bday present which he let me open early so he wouldn't have to wrap it. I am ecstatic! I definitely felt spoiled this December, although I am most thankful for my mom being well, making up with my sister (a year and a half of not speaking), my supporting family, my wonderful boyfriend of almost 4 years now, my two dogs, and the few, but reliable friends I have. I was having a bit of a rough patch this year, but I am so grateful that it is ending well. The boxes are just the icing on top of the metaphorical cake!

So the first review I'm going to post is on Glossybox. I just got my first one in November. It's one of the higher end beauty boxes, so I was really excited to try it.

Here's a quick rundown of all the things you need to know!

Glossybox

- High end beauty box

- $21/month, and it gets cheaper with the more months you purchase at once

- Referral program (if you get one friend to sign up through your link, you get 200 "glossydots" in which you can exchange for a Glossybox. 1000 glossydots = 1 Glossybox)

November's "Tis the season" unboxing!

The actual box with the items in it was very high quality and sturdy. It's the only one out of all my boxes that I would probably want to keep every month to store photos or my cards that come with my sub boxes.

Again, I love boxes that include the prices of the full sized items.

Makes my job a lot easier, and you can see right away if you're getting your money's worth or not.

Love their little bow.

The loofa soap is what I got as a bonus item for using the code "luxe". I believe it was a part of the Spa Luxe box that was sent out in October. Really bummed I missed that one, but I was content with November's box.

Total Value: 

$53.69

($61.69, counting the bonus soap)

Here is a rundown of the items (prices are estimated using full prices listed on card above):

Illamsqua LTD Lip and Eye pencil in medium (0.035 oz) - $14

I haven't gotten to try it yet as an eyeliner or a lip pencil, but I did swatch it and it's a nice color. At the time, I was a little bummed since I didn't really have any kind of red lipstick or lip gloss to go with this, but then I received a lip gloss in my December Ipsy bag that I could pair it with. I'll probably use it for New Year's Eve. I'll be sure to take a pic once I do! I've heard great things about Illamsqua.

Incoco Nail Polish Applique (Full size set) - $8

This I haven't had the chance to try this one yet either. But it's supposed to last up to 14 days! That's a very long time for something like this. I've gotten gel manicures that haven't lasted up to 14 days. We'll see. I will update once I do.

Kryolan for Glossybox Blusher in Glossy Rosewood (2.5 g) - $9

I was really excited to see this in the box, only because I was running out of my NARS blush in Super Orgasm and was in dire need of purchasing another blush soon. The color looks paler than what I usually use  and it's matte, so I was happy to see that it was actually a really high quality blush that looked nice and natural on me. This is definitely in my daily routine pile.

NuMe Style Arganics by NuMe Argan Oil (0.33 oz)- $4.87

I was happy to see an argan oil in the box since I've always wanted to try one but never could bring myself to buy a full size for myself, as they're usually pretty pricey. I've tried it once after showering, and although it says that it's non-greasy, I felt that it was really sticky in my hands and in my hair. I applied this to damp hair though and air dried. I usually take a shower at night and don't like applying any product in my hair since I don't want any residue on my pillow, but maybe I'll try taking up showering in the morning so I can start testing these hair products out the right way. It has a light, flowery smell. I'll update once I start using it more frequently.

Skin & Co Roma Truffle Serum: Hydro-Toning Day Face Serum (0.5 oz) - $17.82

I'm not much of a skincare routine kind of girl, although I know I probably should start since it's better to start early than late in anything. I like the serum though. I think I vaguely remember someone telling me that a face serum goes on before anything else, so I apply it first before I put on my moisturizer and bb cream. I like the smell. It's light and sweet, although I can't quite put my finger on what it smells like. Almonds? I don't know. I haven't used it daily enough to see if it makes a difference in my skin tone, but I will probably start tomorrow since I've been breaking out a lot lately. I will update once I've used up the whole thing. It goes on very light. You can barely notice that it's there, which is probably a good thing, but the downside is that it's not strong enough to be a moisturizer in this winter desert weather.

Not Shown (forgot to take an individual pic before I used it all):

Heartland Fragrance Co Loofa Soap in Oatmeal & Honey (6 oz) - $8

I really enjoyed the soap. It felt great on my back. Not so great on the more sensitive parts though like the inner thigh, for instance. I just ended up using it for my back, shoulders, and heels. The smell was nice, a little sweet, which I like. It takes a lot a bit of water and massaging to soften up the loofa part, and the soap ends up getting white and moldy looking after a while. It's not that appealing, but it's soap, so it still does the job. It lasted about a month, so that's pretty good. And I've been recycling the leftover loofa by rubbing my regular soap on it, so that's great.

My overall impression of Glossybox is that it offers much more high end products than say Birchbox or Ipsy, but that's because you pay more for it. I think the value does outweigh the cost though, so if you enjoy the more high end brands, I would definitely recommend trying out Glossybox. I would describe it as classy and elegant. Hope you enjoyed my review of November's Glossybox! And if you are thinking about getting one for yourself, or getting one for a classy and elegant lady in your life, I would really appreciate if you used my referral link!

As always, thanks for reading!

TheRxNina

November 2012 BarkBox Review!

Boomer and Sookie's November BarkBox came in yesterday! I was very happy to receive it right before Thanksgiving. They were excited as well, since the last BarkBox had made such an impression. Now every subscription box I bring through the door is theirs, apparently, because I'm always trying to fight them off my other ones lol. I was definitely impressed with November's box! They received the things they love the most, which are toys and treats. Definitely a reason for them to be thankful this month. :)

Quick Rundown on BarkBox:
- $29/month including shipping, price goes down with the more months you buy at once ($17/6 months)
- 4 to 5 goodies in each box
- 10% of each box goes to a dog shelter

- AWESOME referral program (Get one person to sign up, and get one month of barkbox for free!)

The unboxing!

Really loved all the items in the box this month. :)

They have a new app for the iPhone! And it's free shipping on anything purchased through November 30th!

Just about a week till then so hurry!

Value of Actual Items in Box:

Bionic Bone - $12, Acadia Antler w/ Rope (medium) - $15.00, Fruitables Skinny Minis in Pumpkin and Mango - $~5.00 (variation in prices online), Mr. Barksmith's Cool Treats in Pumpkin Patch - $1.30

Total: $33.30

Total w/ discounts: $63.30

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I thought it was so cute that BarkBox kept up with the Thanksgiving theme pretty well. I really appreciated the pumpkin flavored treats (Pumpkin and Mango Fruitables and Pumpkin Patch Cool Treat), and that their Bionic Bone was even an orange color. The pups loved every bit of their new "stuff" and I'm really debating if I need to get two boxes just to prevent "hogging" issues. I actually thought they'd be all over the antler (since they're "buck-ing great!" lol), but I stuck a few of the Fruitable treats in the Bionic Bone with some biscuits to plug up the ends and they were all over it, stealing it from one another! BarkBox is again, a complete win! You can totally tell that the BarkBox staff puts a lot of thought into the products that are included, and it doesn't go unnoticed. It's always a fun time when we get to introduce their new goodies to them and I have included another Magisto-made video to show off their use of the products in the box. They are much more photogenic and less camera shy than I, so I hope you enjoy it! We also got $10 gift cards to DogTV (which is a channel made for dogs who are at home by themselves), and Chewy.com (which is a website that sells treats and food). We also got a $10 off coupon to Rover.com for dog sitting. So that's $30 in savings already! I'm really happy about this month's box. I hope they keep it up for December!

If you'd like a BarkBox of your own for your special pal(s), you can use my referral link here to get $5 off your first subscription! Since the holidays are coming up also, it would make a great gift for someone who's life revolves around their pup(s) (that's me). You'd also be getting Boomer and Sookie a free month of BarkBox, and that would make me SO happy! :D

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Hope everyone has a wonderful one.

Thanks for reading!

TheRxNina

Influenster College VoxBox 2012 Review! (My Very First)

I finally received my College VoxBox from Influenster in the mail today! I felt really lucky and relieved to get one, because it means that I must be doing something right with my reviews. :) Influenster is a reviewing community made up of members that review certain items or companies through their website. Occasionally, they will put together a themed box and will choose a lucky few thousand (out of many thousands) of Influensters to receive and review the box absolutely free. The catch, of course, is that they want you to review the items in the box and take surveys on them and things like that. I don't know the specifics yet since I haven't gone through the process, but I will be sure to update as soon as I do. It does take a little work to receive a box. I had been pre-qualified for the Beauty Blogger VoxBox, which was the one that had been sent out right before the College VoxBox, but sadly, I did not make the cut back then. I had a lot of time to do more reviews though since then (both on my blog and on the site), so that probably helped quite a bit! I'm not really too sure how they choose people, as I'm sure the survey plays a big role in who receives one in the end also. If you'd like to see a more detailed review of how Influenster works, you can refer to my previous post here. Nevertheless, I am happy that I finally got one and that all my hard work is paying off! 

So let's just get on with the unboxing, yes? (Notice that the pictures are better? Yes, that's my new Samsung Galaxy SIII. Uhhhh huh.)

I really love that they put the prices of the full size product.

The pen I got though, was the Pentel R.S.V.P fine in black. ~$1.25

Makes it easier for me so that I don't have to look for them myself. :)

The value of this box was ~$17.70.

The five fabulous goodies that I got to review!

Broadway Nails ImPress Press-on Manicure Nails:

I've actually never used press-on nails before, so this would be my very first time.

I'm trying to save it for an occasion where I could use fancy snake-pattern nails so I will be sure to update when I do! I will most likely apply them this Saturday when we go to SD for the Chargers vs. Ravens game. I probably would pick a more feminine, sweeter pattern, and not something so bold as snake skin, but hey, try something new!

.: Update - I totally put this on during the car ride on the way to San Diego. I had to cut my nails the night before (really short) so that I could make sure my real nails weren't peeking out from underneath. The most difficult and longest part of the process was trying to find the perfect sizes to put on my natural nail beds. After that was done, it took no longer than 5 minutes tops to clean my nails and put them on. Really quick! And I did a lot of pressing after that to make sure they stayed on. I was able to go a whole day with them on, being really careful not to do anything to disturb them too much. They held on pretty strong until I took a shower, then the one on my right thumb started to come off (since my right thumb nail bed is really messed up; lots of grooves), so I just ended up taking all of them off, since there wasn't another size that could replace that one. Overall, they would be great for special occasions but I wouldn't depend on them for a long-lasting mani. At $8 for a pattern, my boyfriend said he would definitely buy them for me. I will probably use them at an upcoming event since they're so easy to use and last pretty well throughout the day. See pics below!:.

You can also see me rockin' my NYC New York Color Showtime Glitter Eyeliner Pencil in this one.

Pentel R.S.V.P Ballpoint 0.7mm Pen in Black:

I've actually had these when I was younger and I believe I liked them. I just prefer a thicker line now, so my favorite pens when I do use them are the Paper Mate Profile 1.4mm Pens. They come in nice colors too. The line from the R.S.V.P. pen is much thinner, but still smooth. I will still put this to good use! A graduate student can never have too many pens. I have a couple classmates who can attest to that!

Tropical Necco Wafers:

I actually don't remember having Necco Wafers when I was younger, but I know they've been around for quite a while. The Tropical flavor did just come out though and includes coconut, passion fruit, strawberry, lime, banana, and mango (if you can't read the tiny print in my picture). My favorite would have to be the coconut and strawberry, but that's just a personal preference. It has a creaminess (in taste) to it. I don't like banana, so I didn't try that one, but my boyfriend was pleasantly pleased with it. It has a chalky consistency, but it's still palatable. I would purchase this in the store if I saw it at the checkout line. I probably wouldn't have if I wasn't able to try it through my VoxBox, so I appreciate the opportunity to try something new I probably wouldn't have on my own. The only criticism I have about it is that the packaging could be done better so I could slide the wafers out by pushing the outside of the wrapper (like you can do with lifesavers). It was a tiny bit of a hassle to have to unwrap the wrapping around the wafer and touch it with my fingers to get it out. I was in the casino when I was eating these, and you know, at the casino, you don't wanna be touching your food and eating without sanitizing or washing your hands first.

Energy Sheets in Mint Boost:

These got bad reviews on the Influenster site when I looked, so I was expecting the worst when I popped it into my mouth. I decided to have one after a bowl of seafood corn chowder at the casino (see pic below). It reminded me of those Listerine strips that were really big back in the day, but "softer" and more squishy in texture rather than being a film you just pull out. So I popped one in my mouth, and it definitely does overwhelm you with minty-ness. It's pretty strong. So strong that I couldn't even taste the meal I just had a few minutes before, but I'm guessing it freshened my breath pretty well. In terms of the "energy" part of it, I did feel pretty awake after popping one on my tongue, but that could have just been the kick from the strong peppermint taste. I did feel a bit of a caffeine buzz from it, but I'm not sure how long that lasted. I'd probably have to test it again during class to see if it really helps. The casino isn't really a place where you feel sleepy. So I will update once that happens! I definitely wouldn't give it an F or a D though... maybe a C or a B (if it does what it says it does), but marks off for the strong peppermint taste... it's just too much. For me, at least. :/

.: Update - They do seem to work during class. There's quite a bit of caffeine in these sheets, 50 mg, to be exact, which is more than what a Coke has (34 mg). I popped two in today, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon, and they did seem to help me stay alert during lecture. I've also gotten used to the taste now, so I would probably purchase these once or twice, but at $6 for a pack of 10, it's a bit pricey. It wouldn't be something I'd put on my "regular buy" list. If it was less expensive, I would consider using it regularly instead of my Starbucks (don't judge me, they're delicious). So I would definitely rate it a B+ now. It would get an A if they were cheaper. I'd maybe pay $2 for a box, but seeing as I have to use two sheets a day, even that's a bit of money. They do freshen your breath up nicely though. :) :.

NYC New York Color Show Time Glitter Eye-liner Pencil in Show-Time Black:

Haven't gotten a chance to try this out yet, and I'm not sure how big of a fan of glitter eyeliner I would be, but we'll see. I'm glad it came in black because I'm definitely not a fan of bright colored eyeliners as I really don't go out enough to get away with that anymore, and I'm not really that much of a bright color-wearing girl, but I will definitely update when I try this, which will probably be this weekend.

.: Update - I was able to wear this on the car ride to San Diego (see pics above under Impress Press-on Nails), and I felt it was a little rougher in texture when I applied it. It might have just been due to it being completely new out of the package or because of the glitter, but once I got it going, it went on a little softer and smoother. I really liked the color and the glitter was cute, but the staying power wasn't that great. I think it's just because I have hooded eyelids, but they were smudging a lot on the upper part of my eyelid. I probably wouldn't use it for all-day wear again but it might be cute for going out to dinner. I wouldn't wear it out dancing though since it seemed to come off really easily, even with primer potion on. :.

Final Thoughts

I am really happy with my College VoxBox! It came with a lot of cool products that I would actually put to use, and of course, how can you complain when it was free? But honestly, I am happy that I got the chance to try all these great products. I was one of the privileged 5000 Influensters who got the College VoxBox, so I'm excited that I did. I will always keep my reviews unbiased though, even if I receive a product for free, because the integrity of the reviewer (in my opinion) is honesty. I read a LOT of reviews and I have to trust that the people who say they love a product or service really does and isn't being bribed to say that they do. If you like doing reviews and are pretty active on social media, I would definitely recommend trying out Influenster in the chances that you get to review a few products from a VoxBox, as you would stand a good chance at getting one.

If you'd like to become an Influenster, just message me through my facebook page, or twitter with your email and I'll be happy to send over an invitation! As of right now, I have 3 remaining, and I will update as they go. Even if I run out, you can always find people with invitations on Influenster's facebook page.

As always, thanks for reading! And have a happy thanksgiving!

TheRxNina

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November 2012 My Glam Bag by Ipsy Review!

Hey everyone!

I got my Glam Bag by Ipsy in today, and I've gotta say that I was really satisfied with this month's items. The Glam Bag is one of the most affordable beauty subscription services out there. November's theme was "Party Perfect". 

Here's a rundown of the things to know about My Glam Bag by Ipsy:
- $10/month including shipping (Canada - extra $4.95 for shipping)
- Receive 4-5 beauty products each month
- Ships to US and Canada only
- Shipped by USPS (for US shipping)
- Started by Michelle Phan
- Community participation with other Ipsters on the website
- No referral program

The unbagging!

This is the packaging the Glam Bag usually comes in. Pretty pink!

This month's collectible bag was a dark brown with a gold zipper (mine got stuck zipping up the inside of the bag),

and it also came with a $20 off coupon to JustFab which is a website that you can buy shoes and handbags off of, but it is tailored to your personal preferences.

The brands that were featured this month.

"Party Perfect" Glam Bag Items

From left to right:

Starlet Cosmetics - Eyeliner pencil in Black (the total absence of light), Nailtini - Nail Lacquer in Millionaire, Chella - Eyebrow Defining Gel in clear, BareMinerals - Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Dare Devil, theBalm - Meet Matt(e) Eyeshadow in Matt Batali (Dark Purple)

Total Value: ~$47.50

(see individual prices below)

Starlet Cosmetic Eyeliner in Black (the total absence of light) - $11 (full sized):

I like eyeliner pencils actually. I was always in search of the perfect one that wouldn't smudge for me the whole day but the lady at Ulta seems to think that since I have hooded eyes, eyeliner pencils are just not for me. So I have long since given up the search. But I still like them, since they are the quickest to use. Although, last month's Be A Bombshell Eyeliner pen seems to work pretty quickly for me now too. Some of the pros about this pencil are that it goes on pretty smoothly and it goes dark as it should. A con though, is that it smudged pretty easily when I ran my finger across it. I would use it for a dinner party, but not as an all day pencil or to go clubbing.

Nailtini Nail Lacquer in Millionaire - $13.00 (full sized):

This is a really pretty nail polish. I am actually a sucker for glittery type nail polishes although Henry isn't very fond of them. I like the sparkle (as most females love the sparkly things in life). I haven't had the chance to try it yet, but I will definitely update when I do! What do you guys think? Maybe a red underneath and then layer for a Holiday-ish feel?

Chella Eyebrow Defining Gel - $11.30 (0.12 fl oz sample)

I was content with getting this in my bag, just because I haven't tried or used an eyebrow gel in years... I would have been happy with either this or the mascara. I liked that they included an eyebrow gel since it's not a common item in these beauty subscription services, while mascara is. I'm a user of the BadGal Lash Mascara from Benefit but not the They're Real Beyond mascara, so that would have been fine to sample too. Anyway, Henry had just told me the night before that my eyebrow hairs were sticking up and down in different directions so maybe that was a sign. I was satisfied with my gel. I heard that other people's gels had been dried out or empty, so I was happy to see that mine wasn't (see picture). It goes on clear and did a great job of defining my eyebrows. I'm not sure if I would purchase it as a regular item though, as I'm a minimalist kind of girl, but maybe Henry is right about my eyebrows, so maybe I should. *Shrug*

BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Dare Devil - $8.40 (0.07 fl oz sample)

I love this lipgloss! It is a bit of a darker color, so I wouldn't be able to wear it everyday. Well, I guess I could, but it's a bit fancy for class. We'll see. Maybe I can pull it off. Anyway, it has a tingly feel peppermint feel and taste to it (which I adore) and actually felt pretty moisturizing. Win!

theBalm Meet Matt(e) Eyeshadow in Matt Batali (Dark Purple) - $3.89 (0.03 oz sample)

This is a dark purple matte shadow, although it looks like very dark gray or black when in the case. I was kind of disappointed to see that there seemed to be something like a fingerprint mark on it... not too noticeable but it seemed like someone just decided to take their pointer and use it as a fingerprint pad. This bothered me a bit at first, but I decided to just make do, so I sprayed it with alcohol and wiped off the top layer with a tissue.

My very first product cameo!

So I decided that since this is a beauty subscription bag review, the least I could do was take a picture of myself with the product on in case there are some people out there who want to see how these look on people with my skin tone. 

What I have on here is:

- Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in #27 (Honey Beige - only made in US) 

- Lancome Le Crayon Poudre in Sable

- Chella Eyebrow Defining Gel 

- Urban Decay Primer Potion 

- Hustle Eyeshadow from Naked Palette on my inner eyelids 

- theBalm Meet Matt(e) Eyeshadow in Matt Batali on my outer eyelids

- Benefit BadGal Lash Mascara

- NARS Blush in Super Orgasm

- BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie in Dare Devil

Facing the vanity light.

Facing away from the vanity light.

Final Thoughts:

Really happy with this November's Glam Bag! After being disappointed that I couldn't use the lip bomb in last month's bag, I was happy to be able to put everything in this bag to good use. So far after receiving two months of My Glam Bag by Ipsy, I must say that I will continue my subscription until I'm too overwhelmed with makeup to continue. But since I don't have that much, I will probably be able to review a few more months for you, haha. If you're thinking about a beauty subscription service, this would be a good pick at $10 a month! You can also participate in the Ipsy community by watching videos, making videos, and they host a lot of giveaways every month usually featuring the product brand that they had in their bag for that month. This would also make a great gift! Although, they haven't come up with a gifting option yet, you can always contact Ipsy Customer Care to help with that.

I should be getting in BarkBox, PawBox, Loot Crate, College VoxBox from Influenster, and GlossyBox for this month, which I'm really excited to review, so watch out for those! I am also getting the PopSugar Must Have box, and the PopSugar Must Have Luxury Box in December (it's an extra treat since my birthday is on the 31st - New Year's Eve). ^^ There's also a PopSugar Must Have Luxury Box for Him currently, but there is only 552 left out of a 1000 at the moment, so if you are really interested in getting some cool stuff in for your man and you've got $100 to spend, go for it!

If you'd like to get updates on my reviews, please visit my facebook page to "like" me or add me on twitter! Or subscribe to my blog! I'm just starting this blog as a hobby, so I would love feedback on how I'm doing! :)

Thanks for reading! <3

TheRxNina

October 2012 Birchbox Review!

Hey Beauties!

So this is also one of my very late reviews, I apologize. But hopefully it will still be helpful if you're thinking about subscribing to this particular subscription box. Birchbox is THE original subscription box (from what I understand). They are the ones that came up with sending beauty products to women around the US every month, for the low price of $10/month, which includes shipping. This is the one where I had to wait about 2 weeks or so to get an invitation to receive a box. Birchbox has you fill out a beauty profile when you join asking you about your particular style, skin tone, hair color, what kind of things you would most like to receive, etc. They use this information to choose which box would be best for you, since they put together a large variety of boxes. If I feel like I want to know what's coming up in the box, I just google the month and year of the box (ie. "October 2012 birchbox preview), and I usually end up on Zadidoll's page where she has it posted what's going to be in that month's boxes before they are shipped out. You can see an example of October's sneak peek here. I don't want to post November's link just because I kind of want to be surprised for November's box. :)

Birchbox also has a referral program, while Ipsy does not. For every friend you refer to sign up for a Birchbox, you get 50 points, and the points can be redeemed to use in the Birchbox store for full sized products. Awesome, huh? You also get 10 points for each Birchbox you purchase every month, so it's easy to accumulate points that way too. 

The brown box is what came inside of the pink box.

October's theme - Transformation

I believe I got box #39.

I really like that they include the price of the full sized item in their packing list.

Since everything was a sample size version, I don't really want to do the math, but I'm predicting that it was pretty close to the $10 price tag.

What I saw when I opened up the box.

They wrapped some of the items in tissue paper with a ribbon.

It's like I opened up TWO presents. :P

Everything I got in this box, 6 items total.

An up-close shot of of theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer, which can be used as an eyeshadow, highlighter, or all over shimmer.

Item Review:

Juicy Couture - Viva la Juicy La Fleur: 

I actually have the regular Viva la Juicy fragrance so I was really happy to see the La Fleur version in my box. It's a lighter, brighter version of the original so I would probably compare them as the original being the night version and La Fleur being the day version, even though they both probably lean more towards a daytime fragrance. I liked it.

Lulu Organics - Lavender + Clary Sage Hair Powder:

I was also pleasantly surprised to see a hair powder sample because I was recently looking for a good dry shampoo. It's supposed to take away the oil buildup from your roots away so you don't have to wash your hair for a couple days (if you want), and also "lifts" your roots so your hair has more volume. It did lift my hair a little but eventually, it ends up flat again soon enough (I have really thick hair though). A lot of people liked the smell, but I thought it was a little overwhelming. If you like lavender, then you'll definitely like the fragrance of it, but I'm not a huge fan of lavender, so I'm indifferent. I probably wouldn't purchase this on my own, but it was fun to try it.

Mox Botanicals - Pomegranate & Fig Lip Butter:

Lip balm junkie. That's me. SO, I was pretty ecstatic to see a lip balm sample in my box! I thought the size was fine though. In fact, I didn't even know if it was a sample or full size. Indeed, it was a sample, but it's still the perfect size to go into a clutch or purse. I loved the flavor. The texture though, I wasn't that pleased about. I feel like it would make a good protectant-type balm if you want to keep your already-moist lips moist, but it doesn't have a huge moisturizing effect. It doesn't last that long either... I found myself reapplying every 30 minutes or so. It was nice to try a lip balm though, you can't have too many lip balms. And my boyfriend could use it too, which is a plus.

theBalm Cosmetics - Mary-Lou Manizer:

This eyeshadow/highlighter confused me... only because I don't use too many highlighters and it seemed like an awfully abundant amount for eyeshadow. But I have to say, when I tried it, I absolutely fell in love with it. The powder holds on a brush really well and it goes on reeeeally nicely as an eyeshadow. The quality is up there, at least to me, since the highest quality eyeshadow I've ever tried is Urban Decay. I would say this was a win, because I actually don't have a highlighter product in my vanity, so I'm probably going to look up some YouTube videos on how to use it.

Twistband - Hair Tie:

Also, a win! I use hair ties every day, the Goody Ouchless version to be exact. I've noticed that they've gotten a bit tighter over the years though, so I can't keep them on my wrists anymore without cutting off circulation. So when I saw this Twistband in my box, I was happy. It did a good job of holding up my hair AND I could wear it on my wrist without feeling like I was losing feeling in my fingertips. Plus, it came in a really cute salmon color, another plus. One bad thing though was that mine were kind of falling apart at the ends, like unraveling, so I took a lighter to them and that solved the problem.

Tili - Bag:

This was a cutely designed plastic baggie that resembles the kind that you find at the airport to hold all your liquid items. Although it's not really anything that special, I appreciated the fact that it was a practical item that I would eventually use. I don't know about the rest of you ladies, but for some reason, when I pack for a trip, my makeup and knick knacks end up taking up 3 cosmetic bags. And I don't even have that much makeup, honestly! So I definitely was happy with this little baggie too.

Final Thoughts

Overall, even though the value of the bag was nowhere close to Ipsy's Glam Bag, I was still very happy with my Birchbox. The biggest reason being that they did a really good job with my profiling (at least for this month) and gave me items that I would actually use. I could and would use everything that I got in my box, and that's a win. I'm really looking forward to  November's box, and hope that I'm just as pleased!

If you're looking for an inexpensive beauty box every month, I would definitely recommend Birchbox.

I'll be getting Glossybox in November, and PopSugar's regular AND luxury box in December, so look out for those reviews! Please, "like" my Facebook page if you want to be updated on my upcoming reviews!

Thanks for reading!

TheRxNina