September Birchbox Review

It's been a busy few weeks, so this is a little late, (ok maybe more than a little late, given that it's October...) but better late than never!  At this point I'm sure no one is really interested in unboxings so I'll just get straight to the point! September was Birchbox's anniversary (see my post about their Customer Appreciation Day) which was the occasion for the extra special boxes (literally, the box itself).

But I know what really matters is what's on the inside (or so I'm told), so I suppose I'll share that too:

From left to right:
1.  Macadamia Professional Healing Oil Spray (at 2 oz., this extremely generous "sample" (generous for a hair oil, at least) is actually sold as a standalone product for $14.5 so if nothing else I certainly got my money's worth, given that a Birchbox costs $10 and you get $4-5 back in points!)  This is supposed to be like a hair oil lite.  In spray form it's much easier to distribute evenly, and the risk of instantly taking your hair from freshly washed to oily mess is much smaller.  It's also supposed to reduce frizz, boost shine, and protect your hair against UV rays.  I think it's a nice spray, and it did seem to make my hair a bit softer.  I thankfully don't really suffer from frizz, and I rarely notice any difference in shine (no matter what I use), so I can't really speak as to those qualities.  I won't even try to get into how well it protected my hair from the sun.  In any case, my hair felt pretty nice, but I already have other products I love too much and make my hair crazy soft that it's hard to compete.  Also, for some reason the smell of the Macadamia Oil spray reminds me of summer camp.  Mind you, it has been quite some time since I was anywhere near a camp-attending age.  But it's a sweet, earthy smell, which smells nice (but not as nice as my trusty Beauty Protector).

2.  Moving on, this month's box also contained the Acure Organics Day Dream - Gotu Kola Stem Cell + 1% Chlorella Growth Factor (1 oz., which is apparently worth about $10 because the $19 full size is only 1.75 oz?)  Anyway, this highly scientifically-sounding anti-aging moisturizer is supposed protect collagen and elastin fibers, which keep skin elastic and firm.  Obviously, this is due to the chlorella growth factor ("CGF") (everyone knew that, right?).  Research indicates that CGF promotes the rapid growth of chlorella (during which each cell multiplies into four new cells every 20 hours - this is faster than any other plant on Earth. That's a lot of new cells.)  It's also been shown to enhance RNA/DNA functions responsible for producing protein, enzymes and energy, stimulating tissue repair and providing protection against certain toxins (source).  So if you're going for anti-aging, this sounds like a decent bet.  But wait, there's more!  The day cream also has gotu kola stem cells, and gotu kola has been used for thousands of years to treat wounds and conditions including psoriasis.  The wound healing properties come from something called triterpanoid which some studies have suggested strengthens skin, boosts antioxidants in wounds and increases blood flow to the area (source - it's a .edu link therefore must be legit).  So overall, sounds pretty great, no?  Well, looking at the ingredients list, there seem to be a whole lot of things that come before either the gotu kola or the CGF (the CGF in particular is almost at the end of the list).  But I can't honestly say I can fairly interpret that - just pointing it out.  As for my experience, this moisturizer has a citrus-y scent but for some reason I don't love it, though I can't pinpoint the reason.  It actually seems to be keeping my oiliness at bay a bit, which I love, but for some reason I'm just not loving the product.  The texture is fine, though not as soothing or refreshing as some other moisturizers.  It works fine with my makeup, as well - no balling up, which I often get.  So why don't I like this?  It's kind of irrational, really, but I think the not-so-refreshing scent, the fact that it just feels ok when I put it on, and the packaging will prevent me from really getting into this.  It's kind of silly, but the packaging just reminds me of a random drug store product.  It doesn't scream "groundbreaking skincare developed by actual scientists" but it also doesn't look especially nice.  So who knows, maybe that's making me biased, but oh well.

Anyway, the third (and fourth) products are the Ruffian Nail Lacquer in Ruffian Naked  and the Ruffian Acetone-Free Dressing Room Perfumed Nail Lacquer Remover Towelette (that name needs to be cut down).  I really like nude nails for work, so I was excited about this one, but I'm feeling kind of meh about it overall.  The hue isn't great for my skintone, and as you can see the formula ended up kind of uneven, so sadly this will have to get used by someone else.  I haven't tried the nail polish remover wipe, which I hear is black, has vitamin E and has a lily scent, but I can't imagine having anything revolutionary to say about it anyway.

5.  Next up is the TEMPTU S/B Highlighter in Champagne Shimmer.  In case you're not knowledgeable about these things (like me), S/B means silicone based, which gives it a nice, smooth texture.  That being said, this is called a highlighter, but given the shade, it would be more appropriately called a bronzer ,at least for me.  I put a bit on my cheeks one day and it seriously made me look more tan (and I mean darker, not just a nice glow).  I wear blush every day but with this on, there was no room for blush.  So I think the name is a bit misleading, but otherwise it's a fine product, except that I don't really use highlighter or bronzer.  I do like the texture though.

Do I look like a highlighter to you?

The final product I got to try this month was the dr. brandt pores no more vacuum cleaner (and I will respect dr. brandt's apparent disdain for proper capitalization).  This is described as a "blackhead extractor mask" that degunks pores for fewer blackheads and smoother skin. It's a light blue gel that turns into a pale blue, crumbly substance when it dries.  After rinsing, I really so no difference in my pores, but I have noticed that if I use a pore strip immediately after, it seems to get out much more gunk than usual, so I think it does help to loosen stuff up, even if it doesn't actually remove anything on its own.  So I do like it for that.  Unfortunately it also seems mildly irritating, at least to the inner corners where my nose and cheek meet (unfortunately also where I get the most gunky stuff).  This may be because the second ingredient is benzyl alcohol, which is a preservative, a solvent (i.e., it dissolves stuff) and the main ingredient in head lice treatment and above all, a potential skin irritant (see here and here).  Or it could be the fifth ingredient, denatured alcohol (i.e., ethanol) or the sixth ingredient, methyl lactate, which is probably responsible for the cooling effect the gel has, since it's a derivative of menthol, but is also classified as a skin irritant (source).  One morning when I used this + a pore strip, the edges of my nose were slightly raw feeling all day.  Nothing painful or even that bad, but still mildly uncomfortable.  So while it does seem to be effective, I probably won't continue using it (or at least, I'll only put it on tougher spots on my face).

Oh and one last thing - Birchbox has a system where each month (for the past few months, at least) you can choose one of your samples out of a select group.  This month, I chose the Davines Oi Conditioner, which came with the Oi Shampoo and Oi Absolute Beautifying Potion, but was very sad when I got my box and that wasn't included.  (Instead, I got the Macadamia Oil, which was another one of the options).  But, I emailed Birchbox about it (they have great customer service, by the way) and they promptly sent me the Davines samples separately.  Unfortunately I rushed too quickly to try them that I forgot to take a picture, but the conditioner was a big, generously sized tub, while they included only a foil packet of the shampoo.  Technically the conditioner was the sample and the shampoo and oil were just bonuses, but come on, why would you give someone one use of shampoo to go with their 15 uses of conditioner??  But I digress.  Overall, using the combination of the three products worked well for my hair, and it made it very soft and light.  Unfortunately, I really don't like the smell - it reminds me a bit of baby powder, which some people are fine with, but it's just not up my alley.  So that's kind of a bummer.  But even if I won't be using the shampoo/conditioner, the Davies Oi Absolute Beautifying Potion seems to make my hair super soft and the scent is pretty faint and doesn't linger, so I may consider buying the full size, but we'll see.

Anyway, that's my September Birchbox for you.  In my opinion, totally worth my $4 (since I got $6 back in points for reviewing each of these on the Birchbox website).  Now, onto October's box!

Memebox Global #12 Unboxing and Review

happy weekend everyone!  today i'll be reviewing Memebox #12 (part of their standard series of memeboxes).  i'll spare you the description of what memebox is and will direct you to my last few posts if you're curious (and please do check it out if you don't know what it is - it's awesome!)

without further delay: memebox 12!

First up we have:

1.  Ryo Anti-Hair Loss Treatment ($3 value)

Description: Infused with biota seed, coix seed, green tea and gold extracts, this hair treatment will not only prevent hair loss but also re-energize and strengthen thin, damaged hair. Its excellent cooling formula will gently soothe and nourish your scalp at the same time.

Thoughts: I don't really have any use for an anti-hair loss treatment, unfortunately (fortunate really) so I will probably give this away.  I've heard it smells strongly of ginseng, so even if it works well as an overall hair treatment, I probably wouldn't love it anyway.  The ingredients looked interesting though, so I looked up a few of them.  Biota seed is apparently often used for hair loss and baldness, but it has also been recommended to prevent the graying of hair (source), which sounds good to me!  I recently realized my gray hair count went up from 1 to 3 so while I'm not really worried about it now, two more years of this new job of mine and I might need this... Coix seed is also known as Job's Tears, allegedly to represent the tears Job shed through all his suffering.  I'm curious about 1) who saw these seeds and said "you know what? These don't just look like tears - they look like Job's tears and 2) who said "hmm these seeds of suffering sound like the perfect remedy to my sad, balding head".  According to this site, coix seed is valued for its "cooling" property, so I guess that's where the cooling comes into this product, though I'm not sure how that helps with hair loss.  It's also supposed to have a number of other benefits, though none I saw that had anything to do with hair.  Green tea, on the other hand, seems to be touted all over the place as a hair growth stimulant, though it looks like it may be related to increasing testosterone, which I'm guessing many Memebox fans have on interest in.  That being said, I doubt the topical use of a hair mask would be potent enough to affect anyone's hormones.  Last but not least (or perhaps it is the least (effective)), I haven't seen anything on gold extract (and honestly I'm not really sure what it is) so I kind of feel like it's either poorly translated or just there for show.

2.  banila co. Claypatra Mineral Salt Clay Pack ($2.52 value)

Description: The 100% pure mud extracted straight from the Dead Sea (consisting of 32% salt and minerals) effectively removes any excess sebum, dead skin and external pollutants clogged up in your pores.  The mineral-rich formula also delivers deep hydration and nourishment to the skin.

Thoughts: I'm a skincare junkie, so this was my favorite product in the box.  I found it a little bit disappointing, though, that not only was it a pretty small container from the get go, but when you turn it upside down, you see that the interior of the jar is even smaller.  Given how little product there is to start with, that extra unused space could be one more application of this mask!  Which is unfortunate, particularly since I liked it the first time I used it.  It was very creamy and didn't tingle like some other mud masks, nor did it feel like it was pulling on my skin once it dried.  I left it on for about ten minutes and when I washed it off, my skin felt pretty smooth.  What I was more impressed with was that my pores actually seemed to look tighter and cleaner (unlike when I use the Originals charcoal mask, which seems to draw everything in my pores to the surface but then leaves it there, making my nose look like a sebum version of Whack-a-mole).  I'll have to see if I still feel that way after using it a few times, but as of right now I'm pretty excited to keep using it, and may end up buying the full size if it keeps up.

3.  Plagentra White Mark Cream (plus foils of the cream, lotion and massage gel) ($5.7 value + some foil packets)

Description for the cream: Ever been stressed over stretch marks on your belly or on your thighs?  Plagentra's White Mark Cream will be your life-saver, with its scientifically approved formula to treat overly stretched skin and balance out any uneven skin tone on your body.

The foil packets were technically listed as a separate item, except that we were instructed to use the cream (bottle) on any areas with stretch marks, whereas the instructions for the packets say to apply the lotion and cream over your face, and then massage the gel on your thighs and legs.

Thoughts: First of all, I would not put stretch mark cream on my face.  This may be just a psychological thing - if they had just marketed it as a cream that targets uneven skin tone that can also be used on your body, I would try it on my face in a heartbeat.  But since it seems to be for stretchmarks and primarily for your body, I'm hesitant to use it on my face.  Also, this seems to be a three-step process - the cream is labeled step I, the lotion Step II, and the massage gel Step III - but the instructions and my instinct are all out of synch. First of all, I would typically expect to start from the lightest (the gel) and end with the heaviest (the cream).  Second, the instructions from Memebox don't indicate that you use these together, aside from applying both the lotion and cream to your face.  Lastly, it's unclear if these are supposed to do different things, but looking online at the manufacturer's website, it appears that the massage gel prevents and reduces stretch marks and helps slim thighs and calves with the "lymph drainage through cool massage and shrinkage of skin". Yea, ok. I'll report back to y'all about my newly slim legs next week. Meanwhile, the lotion appears to also prevent stretch marks and also help skin texture and tone (it does contain niacinamide as well as address wrinkles, pigments and "goose bumps".  This one is also said to reduce cellulite through removal of body water and waste in the cellulite layer.  I have a feeling that will be about as effective as the gel. And finally, the cream seems to be intended for older stretch marks.  I'm actually relieved that this one doesn't also promise some sort of slimming effect, though I still don't expect to see any different from using 15g of this stuff.

4.  L.vida Nail Polish (in Hyacinth Bouquet) ($7)

Do you need a description? This is nail polish. It is blue.  It comes in a pretty bottle.  I'll probably give this away as it's not a color I'll really use, but it seems like a good enough polish. The picture is one coat, and no top coat.

5.  Inter-cos Smooth Sensitive Removal Cream (250 ml (full size) - $43 according to Memebox)

Description: This unique spray-type removal cream allows you to remove any unwanted hair from even the most sensitive areas of the body.

Thoughts: $43 for hair removal cream seems a bit high to me, and I can't say the packaging makes it look particularly luxurious.  It is a pretty large bottle though, so I will get a lot of uses out of this.  Memebox is notorious for marking up the prices on these info cards, so I wouldn't be surprised if the retail value is actually less than this.  In any case, this is indeed a spray-on hair removal cream, presumably so designed to minimize the mess and getting it all over your hands.  That being said, I'm not a huge fan of the spray design.  I don't think a spray is a very good delivery system for cream - this comes out kind of thick, so I ended up with a very uneven layer on my skin - I kind of had splotches with big clumps of lotion and other areas that barely got any.  To get a thick layer all over, I think I'd have to spray a ton, which would ultimately waste product. Also, it's kind of drippy, so I would spray in one area but if I sprayed a lot, it would start dripping down instead of staying in place.  I think I might just spray into my hand next time and then apply that way for more control.  Anyway, Memebox says to leave it on for 15-20 minutes then wipe away, and that you may have to use it more than once for "perfect removal".  The bottle says to leave on for 5 minutes and then test to see if the hair comes off when you scrape it with one of the popsicle sticks, then leave on for another 1-2/5 minutes (it's not really clear) if you need more time.  Silly me, I thought I should follow the manufacturer's instructions because they must know what they're talking about.  Sadly, my hair did not really come off after 5 minutes and upon discovering this I had to reapply where I had scraped off, so I let it sit for another 5, then jumped in the shower because I was tired of it dripping everywhere.  At that point I still kind of had to scrub a bit to get the hair off, and it definitely left quite a bit.  That being said, it definitely did work, but I think next time I'll just leave it on for the full 20 (it didn't irritate my skin at all) and I think it should be pretty effective.

6.  Palan Crysence Organic Essence (120 ml (full size), $60)

Description: Highly praised by beauty experts and hair designers, Palan's famous hair essence is a non-greasy lotion type treatment for dry, damaged hair that you don't have to wash off.  Made from natural herbal ingredients, it's extremely gentle and deeply moisturizing.

Thoughts: Really Memebox?  Labeling this as being worth $72 when it says on the box itself that the price is $60?  Whatever, doesn't bother me, but it's just careless on their part.  It is a nice sleek (and quite large) bottle (and very substantial) and I very much appreciate that it comes with a little plastic stopper that keeps the pump from being pumped inadvertently (great for travel!).  Anyway, I was not particularly excited about this since my hair is already fairly healthy and I don't really use leave in hair products (or if I do, I use Beauty Protector, which I already love) because they tend to just weigh my hair down or make it greasy, and rarely have a positive effect.  So I was going to give this away, but for some reason I just couldn't resist trying it out (for the sake of the blog, of course).  It's a white lotion-type essence, similar to a lot of other leave-in conditioners out there.  I wouldn't say I love the smell, which is hard to describe but kind of like your average hair product with a slight herbal hint) but it's not bad either, and it's very faint and does not linger in my hair.  As for the product itself, I put in a quarter sized amount in my almost dry, medium length hair, and it actually did make my hair softer.  It didn't seem to do much else (but I don't style my hair either - just air dry) but I like soft hair, so I guess maybe I'll actually use up the rest of this.

Final verdict: this was not the most exciting box for me, given that almost all of the value of the box lies in the hair removal spray and hair essence, both of which I will use but neither of which will have me jumping for joy.  Throw in the anti-hair loss treatment, and you've got a pretty heavy hair-care oriented box.  Given that Memebox sells specific Hair and Body boxes that you can buy if those are your interests, it's a bit disappointing to see so much hair-related stuff in this box (though to be fair, the spray is really a body product, but if you then add in the stretch mark cream, this is that much closer to a Hair + Body box).  I also wish there were more skincare (or at least a bigger sample of the Claypatra mask!).  One of the biggest draws of Korean beauty products for me is how much they care about their skin, so what I really want is access to some awesome new skincare products.  But oh well, you can't win every time, and it's certainly not a bad box by any means, just not one I'll be remembering for years (or months, or weeks, really, until I get my hands on the next box...) to come.

Let me know if you guys had any thoughts or questions about any of these products as I'd love to hear other opinions!

As I mentioned in my last Memebox post, there are a couple codes I have to share which are still going on:

right now, if you order through here, through July 30 you can get $5 any order of over $100, and you can get $3 off the Bubble Pop Cosmetics Superbox (note: Superboxes are for full-sized products).  this box looks super fun and there are two spoilers already, the Brilliant Sparkling Powder Set and OSEQUE Melting Cleanser:

Brilliant Sparkling Powder Set:
The CO2 bubbles created when you blend the sparkling powders with water will penetrate deep into your skin, effectively removing all pore-clogging impurities and blackheads for good! These sparkling bubbles will not only leave your skin spick-and-span but also deliver deep moisturizing, brightening, and tightening results! 


OSEQUE Melting Cleanser ($40 retail value)
If you’ve experienced any skin irritations, break-outs, or dehydration from using skin stripping cleansers, OSEQUE’s Melting Cleanser is the perfect solution! Deep clean your pores with this gentle cleanser made from Co2 spring water, quillaja treeextracts, and 17 amino acids for a flawless and luminous complexion!
to get the discounts, you can also use the codes AFFILIATE-1806-RSVYH-XRLS for the $5 off $100 and AFFILIATE-5467-FXZ6R-OUBV for the Bubble Pop Box.   hope you enjoyed the review, and stay tuned for more coming up shortly!