January 2015 Birchbox: Unboxing + Review

This month's box was just okay for me with not much excitement in the January 2015 Birchbox. The best part of the box was the lip product. Let's begin the unboxing and take a close look at all the products from my January 2015 Birchbox.

Total Cost: $10.00

Actual Value: $23.88

Cynthia Rowley Creamy Lip Stain in Sugar

Retails: $20 Full Size

I think my favorite item was definitely the lip stain. It is a beautiful tea rose color in the tube and when applied on the lips it matches. I thought I wouldn't like it but I will consider buying this when my sample size runs out and try other colors. 

When first applying it on my lips, it tasted and smelled like sunscreen. Eventually, this scent fades. This is very moisturizing too. I think I had to layer about 3 times to get it very opaque. If you want a sheer look, one swipe is enough. Once it began fading, it still looked natural with no cracking or bleeding on the lips.

Harvey Prince "Sincerely" Fragrance

Retails:  $26 (8.8 ml) // $55 (50 ml)

I didn't like this fragrance because its floral scent is too overpowering for me. I think it smells more like Freesia or Gardenias than anything other ingredient in this perfume. Other fragrance notes mixed in are Indian Tuberose, Indonesian Clove Bud, and Japanese Orange Flower.

Neil George Shampoo and Conditioner 

Retails: $9 Each (3.38 oz Bottles)

Never heard of this brand before. The scent of the shampoo and conditioner reminded me of cleaning products so I wasn't a huge fan. The formula for this haircare set contains antioxidants and promises to hydrate hair and give shiny locks. The conditioner is paraben-free and my hair had no tangles when using it.  Both of these are safe to use with color treated hair according to the information card.

After using this for a few days to test it out, I wasn't impressed with how it made my hair feel. It felt a lot drier than when I used my current shampoo and conditioner (Herbal Essences Smooth Collection with Rose Hips.) My dyed hair did look like the color lifted a little after using this so I guess it isn't actually safe for color treated hair. Do not use this if you recently colored your hair.

Tocca Crema de Mano in Cleopatra 

Retails: $10 (2 fl oz.)

This is a grapefruit cucumber scented hand cream. I picked this as my sample choice for this month's Birchbox. I really liked the way this hand cream feels on my skin. It's not sticky or greasy at all and smells amazing. I could immediately feel my hands soaking up the moisture. My hands and cuticles were softer after application. I was happy with my selection. 

Final Thoughts -- Not Related to the Birchbox Contents
I think using Newgistics for shipping was a bad decision in getting subscribers their boxes in a timely manner or preventing it from getting lost. It takes twice as long as it did before. Birchbox should switch back to just USPS the whole way. The tracking information wasn't updated frequently and it was practically lost in shipping so I had to contact Birchbox in the end. :( Third time that my box arrived almost at the end of the month.

What did you like from this month's Birchbox? 

Have you tried any of these products before? 

x Carol

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Birchbox is a beauty and skincare subscription service that ships out a box monthly with 4-6 samples available in their online store. Each box costs $10 a month and you can do a monthly or yearly subscription with the freedom to cancel at any time. They also do a subscription box for men too! If you want to join Birchbox, you can sign up here.