February Birchbox

Well I'm glad Birchbox is stepping up their game, for the most part. Even though I received another itty bitty sample, I got an awesome full size one to make up for it. I'm still happy with Birchbox and don't plan on canceling my subscription anytime soon. This month's theme is Spotlight, a box filled with bold makeup designed to turn heads...let's take a closer look at my samples!

Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint:

This is an oil-free tinted moisturizer with SPF 20. Contains light-diffusing minerals which gives the skin a soft flow and antioxidants to help improve the skin. This is the itty bitty sample I was talking about, I got about 4 uses out of it. Which isn't bad, better than only 1 use so I was able to get a good idea of it. I received the shade Pearl, which is the lightest shade. I'm not really a fan of tinted moisturizer just because I need full coverage. As expected this was very light coverage...what I really didn't like is this made my skin look really oily, not "dewy" so I did not like this tinted moisturizer at all. Full size is $38 for 1.7 oz.

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant:

"Dermalogica's bestselling, award-winning formula uses rice bran and powerful natural enzymes to buff away your skin's outer layers without any redness or irritation. Just add water to the unique powder to activate it's super ingredients. The rice bran base is rich in phytic acid, famed for it's brightening and softening properties. Other actives include papaya enzyme, salicylic acid and finely ground colloidal oatmeal, all proven to smooth skin and remove debris."

As you can see, I have the full size of this product and I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE it! It is a staple product in my skin care routine. I've been using this product since June of last summer and my skin has never been better (okay I still get little pimples here and there, but nothing like I use to). The past couple months I've been trying out different cleansers but I keep coming back to this one. I take about a teaspoon of the product, mix it with a little bit of water, put it all over my face and then use it with my Clarisonic for one minute every single night. You might think exfoliating everyday is not good for you skin, but this product is very gentle and meant to be used daily.

The full size is $50, but it's BIG and will last you a long time. I've been using mine for over 8 months now I'm about half way through it, so it's easily going to last me more than a year. So if you like this product but the price scares you, trust me it will last you a LONG time so it's worth the investment. I've been meaning to do a full review on my blog but hadn't got around to it, so here it is...I HIGHLY recommend this product!

Eye Rock Designer Liner:

These are stick-on eye liner appliques, very interesting! Each pack comes with four different designs, ranging from classic cat eyes to bold runaway-inspired styles. They are a cool idea, but I didn't really like them. First time I tried to peel one off, it got stuck together so I couldn't even use that one (which you can see in the picture above). The size will definitely not work for every one's eye shape, and cutting them without touching the sticker and losing stickiness is impossible. They are not comfortable, they feel like stickers on your eyes. They shapes aren't that flattering either, I tried two of the four they they just looked ugly on me. They look natural (like real eye liner) from far away but not up close. I'd rather rather practice doing different eyeliner shapes than apply these.

beautyblender:

YESSS I got a beautyblender!!! I haven't bought a new one since my dog chewed up mine a few months ago...I accidentally left the room with my makeup case open, I came back to find something pink inside his mouth and was like, "what the?! NOOOOO my beautyblender!" Haha anyways I LOVE this sponge for applying foundation. The soft texture and elliptical shape allows foundation to blend into the skin with a natural finish and no streaks. I soak it with water, squeeze out the excess, apply little dabs of foundation on my skin and then use a "bouncing" or "tapping" motion to blend all the foundation. I know there are other cheaper versions of this, the only other one I've tried is from Sonia Kashuk and it works well, but not as well as the beautyblender. Another product I would highly recommend, you can purchase two for $25.95 or the travel kit which comes with one sponge and a cleanser  for $23.95 (which is better in my opinion because you don't really need two).

Nail File:

This little heart nail file was the extra in this months box, so cute right? I think it was a perfect touch for Valentine's Day, I'll be keeping it at my desk work!

I really liked Febraury's box, got a beautyblender and a travel size of my favorite cleanser/exfoliator. The Eye Rock eyeliner were interesting to try but I didn't end up liking them or the tinted moisturizer. Are you still sticking with Birchbox or have moved on another company? I'm glad I stuck with them and I hope next month's box is just as good!