January 2017 Birchbox Unboxing + December 2016 Box Review

I've been subscribed to Birchbox for several months now, and I always look forward to seeing what's in my monthly box. I love the opportunity to try products without paying their full price tag and being introduced to items that I might not otherwise have purchased. One thing I wanted to avoid with this subscription box is receiving the items and then never intentionally trying them. This is why each month, when I share what I received in my new box, I also talk about my thoughts on the products from the month before. Personally, I think it's a fun way for us to all learn something together!

January Birchbox unboxing

The theme of January's box was refresh and reset and the items reflected that for the most part. Most of these products emphasized refreshing your skin (two different types of exfoliating treatments), refreshing your hair (a blowout spray and a dry shampoo), and then a liquid eyeliner. I'm looking forward to trying all of the items except I'll need to research the Klorane dry shampoo since it has oat milk in it and I'm not sure if the oats are cross-contamination free. (Gluten free beauty problems.) Do you have any specific questions about these products or ways you would like me to test them?

December Birchbox Review

Now let's jump into my December Birchbox! I never actually posted an "unboxing" post for this one because I ended up taking a break over December, but I DID use the products, so I'll still share my thoughts. :)

Chella Eyebrow Defining Gel ($18) - This eyebrow gel was lightweight and did a good job holding my brows in place. Application with the spoolie was incredibly easy. However, when I finish this sample, I don't know if I'll be rushing out to purchase a full size. I feel like for $18, there are cheaper clear brow gel options that I'd rather try first because I can't imagine that this one is so different. Has anyone tried it and compared it to other clear brow gels?

Real Chemistry Luminous 3-Minute Peel ($48) - This product was a thick, clear gel that made it a little tricky to figure out if I'd spread it evenly across my face. It did seem to peel off my dead skin and left my skin feeling soft, but I didn't give me results that I thought were amazingly different from other exfoliating masks/scrubs that I've used. (For example, I love the Skinfood Black Sugar Wash Off mask, which is only $10.)

Oribe Grandiose Hair Plumping Mousse ($38.00) - If you follow along with my monthly unboxings, the hair products are always the ones that I'm not thrilled about trying. I dye my hair regularly and, beyond that, I don't mess with my hair a lot. I have a heat protector I put on my hair before I blow dry it and am addicted to dry shampoo, but that's about it. All of that to say, I didn't ever do anything with my hair where I might have needed this mousse.

Hey Honey Walk the Walk Propolis Food Cream ($23) - This lotion smells incredible! I think this is because it contains chamomile, which is a scent I find very calming. I've enjoyed applying this to my feet after getting out of the shower and have found that it does leave my feet feeling softer. 

Ardency Inn MODSTER Smooth Ride Supercharged Eyeliner in Black ($20) - This eyeliner was hands down the best product in this month's box! I have oily eyelids (sexy, right? haha) so usually eyeliners begin to smudge throughout the day. This eyeliner, however, stayed in place! I've worn it on multiple 12-hour makeup days and it has yet to fail me. Also, it glides onto the eyelid very easily - no pulling or tugging on the eyelid here!

Have you tried any of these products? Do you have any questions that I didn't answer? Let me know below! I'd love to have a chance to answer your questions or to hear your thoughts on any of the items!