RETAIL THERAPY: Birchbox July 2012 'The Senses'

Frankly, I was pretty disappointed with this month's Birchbox. When I got the email saying that this month would be a collaboration with Glamour magazine, I got super, super excited. I expected some really great high end beauty samples. But, I ended up just getting a things that I wasn't too excited about. Other people seemed to either love their box this month or were disappointed just like I was. This box's theme was 'The Senses' and was supposed to "guarantee a multi-sensory experience". Eh. Maybe next time, Birchbox. 

This first sample was Oscar de la Renta 'Live in Love' perfume. I am not really a huge fan of perfume samples. I just end up letting them sit around in my room and gather dust. Birchbox describes this perfume as: "this elegant floral layers ethereal notes of hyacinth and orchid over a rich base of sandalwood and cedar".  It smells nice, yes, but it just smells too mature to me, to be honest. It's just not my cup of tea. It does have a very strong floral scent, but it's just not as fresh as I like my perfumes to be. 

A full size of this perfume is $25 - $78, so my sample is worth $0.75

Okay, this sample was really, really annoying to me.  This thing is freaking TINY. It's 0.07 fl. oz.  I could probably only use this once and that's it. And even then, I wouldn't be able to really figure out whether or not I liked it.  I've always wanted to try Jouer products because I've heard good things about them, but this is barely even a sample. Ugh. What Birchbox said about this sample was: "This lightweight award-winner is our daily shortcut to dewy skin that feels natural and looks gorgeous". 

A full size of this is $38 for 1.7 fl. oz. so my sample is worth $1.56

The next sample was these boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens. I don't really use blotting papers, even if I have oily skin. They just don't do much for me and I find them to be too much trouble.  I've used these boscia blotting papers before and I liked them, but ended up just not using them.  It's a decent sized sample, though. Birchbox says: "These shine-busting sheets absorb oil with all-natural green tea extracts to leave skin matte".

A full size is $10 for 100 sheets, so this sample is worth $2.50

This was the most exciting product in the July Birchbox.  I know a lot of girls received this Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in last month's Birchbox and I was pretty jealous. I use liquid eyeliner every day so this product is really relevant to me, which made me really happy.  The color is interesting, too.  It's a dark, olive green shade.  I tried it out last night and I actually think it looks really nice.  It's flattering on my brown eyes and is dark enough to still work for every day.  It's a nice change from my every day black liquid eyeliner.  I'm also really pleased with the fact that it's a full sized product. Birchbox says: "Direct from London, these punchy color liners feature a pen-style applicator that's truly goofproof". 

A full size is $15, so this sample is worth $15. 

One of the lifestyle extras this month was This Larabar Uber Cherry Cobbler bar.  I'm kinda...eh...about food in the Birchbox, but I'll try it out.  It looks pretty good, anyway.  Maybe I'll like it and find a whole new snack obsession. Who knows.  Birchbox says: " The latest addition to our snack drawer, these healthy and satisfying bars are packed with dried nuts and fruits". 

A full size is $27.95 for 16 bars, so my sample is worth $0.87

The next lifestyle extra was this set of ear buds.  I thought this was pretty cute and pretty helpful.  I always use ear buds for exercising but I always seem to lose them.  The neon colors of these ear buds is also pretty adorable.  I have really small ears, so normal ear buds tend to not fit my ears and these feel a little big, but I'm sure I could make them work. Birchbox says: "We designed these neon headphones just for you. Pair them with your best playlist." 

This sample is worth $0, since Birchbox made them themselves.

Once again, I was pretty disappointed with this box.  I was really hoping for a great box with a nice actual make up samples since it was a collaboration with Glamour magazine.  But, I was only really excited about the Eyeko Liquid Eyeliner. But, I'm not gonna rule out Birchbox just because this box was disappointing. 

The total worth of this month's Birchbox was: $20.68.

xx,

Jordana