Birchbox February

It's that time again lovelies, Birchbox time! After seeing the sneak peek video for this month, I was so sure that Birchbox was going to knock this month out of the park for me. They didn't but, the stuff that I did receive was pretty good. Nevertheless, my box did have a few hiccups. I received Box 1 again this month which contained:

• Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips
• Skin&Co Bagnodoccia Body Gel
• Color Club Nail Lacquer (Wild Cactus)
• Twistband Thick Headband (Black) 
• Ghirardelli Caramel Chocolate Square

I was excited for the Dr. Lipp because of it's multi-tasking properties. From your nips to your lips, dry skin and cuticles, it seemed like it would be an all around great thing. Well, it is a good product but not great. My frustration first started with the sample size, the tube is very small and on top of that, the tube that I received was basically empty; a thumb nail worth of product and that's about it. Since the balm is so thick (100% natural lanolin) it was very hard to squeeze out of the tube and I had to completely flatten it just to get anything out. As far as performance, it did hydrate my lips pretty decently and made them soft but since the price is $14.50 for only 0.507 oz (15ml) of product, I would try to find a cheaper alternative. I wish I could have tried this on my cuticles but, I just didn't have enough product.

The largest sample in my box was the Body&Co body gel (Olive & Sicilian Orange extracts + vitamin C) The scent is one of those things that you either love or you hate. Personally, I'm on the fence. It's not a bad smell but, it's something that I have to get used to since I'm more of a light scent lover. This gel has a very strong, musky scent that almost leans more to the "manly" side rather than unisex. The scent lingered on my skin after my shower but it was much milder and a lot more pleasant. Aside from the scent, I did enjoy the body gel/wash, it lathered up extremely well even without using much product and it left my skin feeling pretty good. It was not nourishing to my skin even though it contains olive oil but, it did not dry my skin out either. Overall, my skin was left feeling pleasant enough that I didn't feel the need to run and apply body butter. Full size is $17.50 // 8.45 oz (250 ml)

I must admit, at first I was not exactly happy with receiving a green nail polish. My comfort zone has always been black, red or nude nails but, I am happy that I received this after seeing it in person. I've been using it on the tips of my nails and I really love it since it's so different from anything that I own. I have never been impressed with the Color Club brand in general, the few that I have received always chipped beyond belief within a day or two. I must say though, this is the best formula that I've encountered with them. Application is very smooth and is completely opaque in two coats. I personally still won't be purchasing from Color Club but I do look forward to possibly receiving more of their polishes in the future, especially if they have this new formula. Full size is $8 // 0.5 oz (15ml) (Cheaper at other retailers)

Oh Twistband, you keep appearing in my boxes! The biggest dud in my box this month was the Twistband "thick" headband. Just like the Color Club polish, I was not thrilled at receiving yet another Twistband item in my box but, I had plans to use it while washing my face if nothing else. The performance of this headband was just terrible. I could barely move my head without it slipping and sliding all over the place; I had to re-adjust multiple times before I finally gave up and took it off. On top of that, Birchbox claims that these headbands will not leave a crease behind. Well, let me be the first to dispel that claim. The headband not only left a crease, it left a very noticeable DENT in my hair. Set of 6 // $20

To all my chocolate lovers, let's be honest, I'm sure we all enjoyed receiving this little chocolate extra in our boxes. While Ghirardelli is obviously cheap chocolate, it was tasty nonetheless and I enjoyed it.

Overall, this was a nice box for me; it absolutely could have been better but I'm content with what I received. Had my Dr. Lipp tube been properly filled, I would have been much happier. I wish that Birchbox would monitor the samples better so that customers do not consistently receive dud samples like my Dr. Lipp. Quite a few people have reported on MakeupTalk that they have received completely empty Vasanti and Dr. Jart samples. I do realize that some things are always going to slip through but, we shouldn't be seeing the same problems every single month.

Looking forward to March!

Much love xo

Aubrey Elizabeth Apothecary Custom Soaps- A Review

I looked up this seller on Etsy after a friend of mine gave me a couple of her soaps for Christmas. One of the soaps that I was given was a delicious cherry and licorice scented ZOMBIE soap (EXTREME horror fan here!) I was so intrigued by this product that I immediately looked up her shop and that, my friends, is where it all started.

This shop literally sells almost every shape and scent of soap that you can imagine, from waffles and sushi to cupcakes and guns, all deliciously fragrant. I spoke to Aubrey on how everything worked and I ended up placing a pretty decent order on almost everything that caught my eye. My favorites were the cinnamon buns, Hostess chocolate cupcake and the American Rocket.

Most of her products are in the $5.00-$10.00 range and they last awhile so it's pretty affordable. Vegan and goat milk options are also available! My only gripe is I would order products in small batches because for the lighter colored soaps, the longer that they sit around in the cellophane, they become a bit discolored. They still smell pretty good though. Just something to keep in mind.

Overall, I really love these soaps and I'm looking forward to trying the sushi set next. There's no better pleasure in life than smelling like a chocolate cupcake. If you're wondering, yes the scents do linger, especially the heavier scents like cherry and chocolate. Not only did my bathroom smell amazing, so did I for a few hours. There's nothing I hate more than having a wonderfully scented bath product and the smell dissipates five minutes after using it. As far as moisturizing, the glycerin that these soaps contain did lock in a bit of moisture but nothing that lasted too long, I would definitely follow up with a body butter or lotion afterwards.

To get the most out of your soaps, I've found that it's better to cut them in half or more depending on the size. The is because not only is it easier to handle but you aren't worrying about the heat or shower moisture evaporating the soap and you get to use every little bit! That is, if you can handle ruining the cute designs.

Her soaps sometimes contain fresh ingredients like cinnamon, so if you have an allergy PLEASE read her listings, she lists all the ingredients right on the page. Her soaps also contain: glycerin, coloring, phthalate-free fragrance, propylene glycol, sorbitol, water, sodium stearate, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium myristate, sodium cocoyl isethionate, triethanolamine, titanium dioxide, mica and oxide.

*These soaps DO contain sulfates*

You can check out the shop here

Her products tend to go by season so if you see something that you like, don't hesitate to get it!

Much love xo