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| Image courtesy of Birchbox |
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1. Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensee Cologne Absolue
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| $115 for 100ml |
Normally, I detest vanilla-based things. Except for ice cream. You can't go wrong with vanilla ice cream. Okay, that's not entirely true. I only like vanilla ice cream when it's mixed with something else; the aftertaste of vanilla ice cream by itself is kind of nauseating to me. lol Other stuff though, like candles, body sprays, hair/skincare products or chapsticks, I hate them. The primary note in this cologne is, well obviously, vanilla, so I thought I was going to hate it. But underneath that is this crisp, citrusy scent mixed with a light floral undertone and surprisingly, it mixes together very well. The initial vanilla wears down, but the remainder mixes in with the lime and jasmine secondary notes and creates a scent that is light and classy without being overpowering. It's very fragrant so the scent payoff is not a problem at all, which is another thing that's surprising because it's a light scent but holds up very well over time. You don't have to apply very much at all. It's a very sophisticated smell that I was kind of surprised to realize I liked as much as I did. I didn't like it much at first because I got hit with the vanilla, but it grew on me pretty quickly. The vanilla eventually mellows out and it takes on more of a musky scent. The scent notes don't really fit who I am personally but I do like how it smells so I think I'm going to start taking the sample with me so it can perfume my purse. LOL
2. Number 4 Non-Aerosol Hairspray
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| $30 for 200ml |
The first thing I noticed about this spray was how freakin' wonderful this stuff smells. It is so fragrant and light that I'm tempted to use it as a body spray and not a hair spray. LOL It's very light on the hair, doesn't make it feel crunchy and didn't feel sticky when I sprayed it on my hand (I usually do that with hairsprays to feel it out because how they feel on my hand is most times how they feel in my hair). I think I could get away with wearing this on a light-maintenance day. The smell absolutely blows me away though. It has a beautiful, floral scent that doesn't have that lingering alcohol smell which I think is great. It's really feminine and the scent payoff does last awhile in the hair. I'm in absolute love with it.
3. Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre Moisturizer (24-Hr Miracle Cream)
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| $28 for 75ml |
At first, I was not sold on this moisturizer at all. I had already washed my face awhile before applying it the first time and I hated the way that it dried on my face. My cheeks felt a little sticky and it felt like it had settled on top of my face instead of sinking underneath, if that makes sense. I was getting ready to say I hated it. I decided to try it the following day fresh out of the shower and those results were much better. My skin was soft for hours afterward, I didn't feel the stickiness or the layer of film on top of my face, and I still didn't find the scent pleasing but it doesn't remain fragrant for long. The formula is cooling on the face, it does sink into the skin and it does moisturize, but it's best applied fresh out of the shower. It doesn't leave a greasy sheen to the skin either so it would probably work well enough under makeup. I don't love it, but I like it enough to finish the sample.
4. LAQA & Co. Lil Lip Pencil
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| $18 for 1 full-size, or click the photo to get 5 minis for $32 |
I received the shade Ring of Fire, which is a vibrant red, and the first thing I noticed was how velvety and smooth the texture is. It rolls on so easily and it's extremely buildable which I like a lot. You can either lightly color your lips or you can go for the full-on va va voom lip with this lip pencil. Another thing that I like is that unlike a lot of pencils in this style nowadays, this has a twist up bottom so there's more to the pencil than just what you can see. I had that complaint with the Mirenesse lip pencil I got earlier this year but this one twists right up. It's very portable and I like the versatility. It'd be a good color to use with winter and the holidays looming. I can't tell if it smudges yet because I haven't worn it for a longer period of time yet but otherwise, no complaints here!
5. *Lifestyle Extra* Chuao Chocolatier in Pop Corn Pop
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| $6 for a 2.8oz bar or click the photo to get an asst of 8 mini bars for $9.95 |
Oh. My. Freaking. Goodness. I love this chocolate bar!!! The minute I tried this I was immediately angry that I didn't get a larger sized bar because this was hands down one of the best pieces of chocolate I have ever eaten in my life. I got the Pop Corn Pop bar and it was such a fun experience to eat. It looks a little like a Crunch bar and when you first bite into it it definitely has the texture of one as well...until you open your mouth, then you get a little Pop Rocks effect because of the popping. Each time it pops you get a little burst of chocolate in your mouth and I loved it. It reminded me of when I was a kid, eating Pop Rocks on my porch with my mouth hanging open so I could hear and feel all the little popping in my mouth. LOL It was a light chocolate flavor and didn't have a thick or strong aftertaste but still had all the wonderful decadence of chocolate, so I was immensely surprised to read the label and find out that not only was it 100% natural, it had no hydrogenated fats, artificial preservatives, colors, flavors or sweeteners, and was only 60 calories. I'm in love. There are other flavors to these bars that you can buy too so I'm excited to try them all.
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The Fave:
The Pop Corn Pop bar was my favorite, but out of the regular monthly samples, I'd say the LAQA Lip Pencil was my favorite. I'm always ready to sample new lip products, especially if they're the vibrant red that I like and they're versatile. The LAQA is very versatile in its color payoff which is good at any level you apply it, it's smooth and moisturizing on my lips, it's small and portable, and I like that it's a twist-up bottom instead of just the pencil tip.
The Dud:
Hmm. I hate to say it, but the Embryolisse moisturizer is probably the dud here. I can't feel any of the benefits it provides unless I apply it fresh out of the shower; it doesn't feel good at all if you apply it to a completely dry face. The benefits are nice, but 1-can you find these same benefits in something that costs less, and 2-how does this work for different skin types if it works differently whether your skin is damp or dry? It didn't feel like anything particularly special on my face, so I'm more prone to think that I can find something just like it for a cheaper price. I don't dislike it, but I don't love it either. Other than that, the prices this month are definitely the duds here. I was going to say that the price for the Atelier was way overpriced for 3oz., but I paid around $40 for my 1oz. of Clinique Happy so if you triple that, for 3oz. I'd pay $5 more than what they're asking for the same amount of Atelier. Okay I can take that. But $18 for 1 pencil, or $32 for 5 minis? Ehh. The prices are a little steep this month. Maybe I'm just cheap though. It's probably both.
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Bitchy Review:
I liked this month's box, but I didn't love it. Other than the chocolate bar and the lip pencil, I wasn't necessarily crazy about any of my samples. I don't often use hairspray but my favorite quality about it isn't even its ability to hold curls in my hair, it's the scent. The perfume has a wonderful scent, but I don't know if it's my thing. If my house smelled that classy or even my purse as I said earlier lol, I'd be fine. But for my body, I'm not sure. It doesn't strike me as an 'everyday' perfume, so I'd feel weird wearing it to Dollar General. LOL Good for the holidays and special occasions, though. On the flip side, though, I do think that there was an array of products and it wasn't narrowed down to just one category, which I have always loved about Birchbox. I do wish there had been a little something extra or something a little more holiday-centered since this was the December box, but I'm okay with the regular box as well. This will be my last Birchbox review for awhile as the Subscription Box Series starts next month, but I adore Birchbox so I will definitely be returning to it soon. If I could fit it into my budget along with the new box, I would. I think it would be nice to have something to compare the other boxes to. But for this to be my last Birchbox for awhile, I wish it'd gone out with a bigger bang. I really liked the box, but I didn't love it.
Bitchy Rating:
*** .5/5
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