Birchbox Haul + Mini Giveaway!

Yes! My big Birchbox order finally arrived! As you probably know, the Birchbox store is a regular candyland of beauty products, home goods, as well as lifestyle items and when you have points to cash in? It's hard not to lose yourself in the plethora of palettes and powders. Because of my refusal to spend any points over the past few months, I was able to save up (for once!) and get a total of seven products for a whomping $3.98! How fantastic is that?

For those of you that are new to the Birchbox scene, all BB subscribers can earn points via leaving reviews on the samples they received for the current month, friend referrals, as well as receiving points back on placed orders. The best part? These points add up pretty quickly since every Birchbox itself is worth between 40-70 points and every 100 points is equal to $10 in the BB store.

Keep in mind, this post is just going to be "first impressions", full separate reviews will be up as soon as I have tested everything out for a bit. So, what did I finally cash my points in for???

• Nexxus Youth Renewal Rejuvenating Elixir - $20.99 // 0.94 fl oz
• Nexxus Hydra-Light Leave-In Conditioning Foam - $16.99 // 5.5 fl oz
• Shea Terra Organics Rose Hips Black Soap Deep Pore Facial Cleanser - $16.00 // 4 oz
• Tibi Empire Pouch (Gift W/ Purchase) - $28.00
• Amika Mini Ceramic Styler (Gift W/ Purchase) - $29.00
• DDF Brightening Cleanser/Stila Lip Glaze (Two Pack) - $10.00 

My first experience with the Nexxus Elixir was back in my April Birchbox, this leave-in serum claims to combat damaged, aging hair as well as rebuild strength using ingredients like keratin, argan oil, vitamins, proteins, and omega 3's. Sounds pretty amazing right? Even though the sample bottle that I received was incredibly tiny, I was able to get quite a few uses out of it and surprisingly, I did notice a great improvement with my hair and a decrease in frizz. I'm looking forward to testing out the full size and seeing if the improvement continues.

Okay, okay we're on a bit of a Nexxus kick here but, this was yet another Birchbox sample that was sent out in the past although I never actually received it myself. Since all of you have heard by now just how dry my hair is, I won't go into how I am always on the lookout for new conditioning products. Wait...I just went into it, didn't I? Okay, moving on. I had been wanting to try this product out ever since I first heard about it and I will admit, the words conditioning foam had me intrigued from the very beginning. I have used this everyday since receiving it and I honestly have yet to notice any conditioning magic, my hair feels exactly the same before and after. I am hoping that with continued use perhaps I will notice an improvement?

As someone who has both acne scars and hyper-pigmentation, you would think that I would have purchased this a long time ago (why I did not I have no idea). I have dabbled with black soaps in the past but they were always the cheap brands that sucked every ounce of moisture out my face after using it and because of that, I moved onto other products. But recently, I have been seeing a lot of talk and rave reviews over the Shea Terra brand of skincare and I have been coveting this since. The best thing about this face wash is that is 100% pure, it is exactly what it is supposed to be without all the additives and funky stuff. I have been using this everyday now and each time my face is left feeling cleaner, looking brighter, healthier, and more awake all without so much as a dry patch afterwards. Alright, I sound like an infomercial but I cannot believe that I have finally found a black soap that does not leave my skin dry, tight, and peeling; if these are the results of a few days, I cannot wait to see my how skin is after I have been using it for a few weeks.

Since Birchbox has really been pushing the Tibi collaboration as of late, I jumped at the chance to get a free clutch/makeup bag with my order. And well, I am glad that it was free. While it is a nice bag with a cute print, I do not think it is worth the $28 price tag. Even thought it does seem sturdy and nicely made, the quality doesn't seem to be any different than similar bags available at Target (not to mention my bag arrived smelling like cheap plastic). If they were trying to make this into more of a clutch purse, I would have liked to see the back as a sort of faux leather material instead of the plain grey fabric. Overall, I am glad that I have it since it was a gift with purchase but, I would have been disappointed had I paid full price.

How cute is this mini styler? Okay, I realize that my hair is past my shoulders and so this would probably not be adequate for straightening my entire head but on days where my bangs will not cooperate (which is quite often) or for those pieces of hair that are close to the ears or too close to the roots to risk burning yourself over, this will be quite perfect. I have used this once so far and while it does get very hot, it certainly takes longer than 10 seconds to do so despite what the packaging claims (about 3 minutes give or take). As far as performance, the claim of it being gentle on hair and not tugging is absolutely true, I was able to glide it through my hair without any discomfort whatsoever. The coolest feature? This little guy even has ridges on both sides for better gripping and control. As for straightening ability, it did an excellent job at straightening my wavy roots which is something not easily done. If the full size straighteners were not so expensive, I would happily be purchasing one but, for now I'm content with my Instyler and using this mini for touch-ups and travel.

An old favorite here, my trusty DDF Brightening Cleanser. I LOVE this stuff! I first tried this back in my October Birchbox (the Goop edition) and in the months that it took me to use up the bottle (this was a huge 4 oz sample) I did notice a big improvement with my acne scarring and how my skin felt as a whole; my skin felt smoother, and looked a lot brighter and not so dull. Although it did not make my acne scarring fade completely, I still love this cleanser; so happy to have another bottle on hand.

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Now, a Stila Lip Glaze is something that I will never wear as I personally do not enjoy lip gloss so, I've decided to give it away to one of my lovely readers! I really hope no one is offended by me giving away a product that I received for free, I just figured that someone else would get a lot more use out of it than I ever would.

Giveaway Rules:

• You must be subscribed to Dollface Beauty via GFC, Bloglovin', or email to enter
• Sorry lovelies, but since this giveaway is so small it is US only!
• This giveaway will be open for 5 days! I will announce the winner first thing 7/26/13
• To enter, please leave the comment "I Heart Stila" below along with your blog link (if you have one)

And of course, the prize is this Stila Lip Glaze in "Camera"!

And don't fret, I will be having a proper giveaway very, very soon which will be open internationally!

Much love & Happy Shopping! xo

This giveaway is now closed. No entries.