Birchbox July

Power Play "This month's box is dedicated to helping you take control of any situation, and to make the most of every minute - on the clock or off duty. We've even called in the experts - namely the characters of USA's hit series SUITS - who were the inspiration for some of this month's samples. Try their picks and don't forget to tune in to the season premiere with @Birchbox on Tuesday, July 16 at 10/9c." Happy Playing!

Well there you have it lovelies! This month, Birchbox teamed up to create boxes inspired by the popular show, Suits. While I have never personally watched the show, Gabriel Macht IS one of my favorite actors and so, I have always been intrigued. Hmm...maybe I SHOULD start watching. As far as the products selected, I can see where a couple of them could come into play with the theme of a long work day but, with the majority of boxes there seems to be a major disconnect between the items and the show itself; I personally feel that they could have done a lot better. With that being said, I am very, very happy with the box that I received! I ended up with box #2 which contained:

• Benefit Girl Meets Pearl
• Benta Berry G-1 Moisturizing Face Cream
• 100% Pure Nourishing Body Cream
• Number 4 Super Comb Prep & Protect
• Birchbox Bobby Pins

I honestly did not expect to enjoy Girl Meets Pearl as much as I do just for the simple fact that I almost never wear highlighters. For the past few years, my go to highlighter has been Too Faced Candlelight, which is supposed to be "translucent" but on my skin tone, it can quickly look too bright if applied too heavily. I am happy to report that I do not have this problem with Girl Meets Pearl. Because of its slight golden pink base, the hint of color is just enough for it to blend into my skin flawlessly without having to worry about a white-ish cast. I love that the sample sizes of this product come in tube form since the full size version comes with an inconvenient twist up application; I have never personally owned the full size but since you only need a tiny amount at a time, I would imagine that the residual product that got twisted up yet remained unused would dry up and eventually clog up the container. I have yet to wear this for the entire day to see how it performs past a couple of hours but, even if it should wear away, the tube would make touching up a breeze. Would I purchase this? Absolutely. Retail: $30.00 // 0.4 fl oz

I have really been enjoying this moisturizer, the light berry scent is refreshing compared to the usual cocktail of chemicals and artificial scents. I love that it sinks into my skin effortlessly, leaves no oily or sticky residue and fortunately I do not experience any of the pilling issues that I have read about in reviews online. My one gripe is that, I do not whatsoever notice any real "mattifying" effect; my t-zone still produces the same amount of oil as it always does and I find myself touching up with my trusty powder after an hour or so. Would I purchase this? I'm going to say yes because it is a nice moisturizer but, the price is a bit on the expensive side and I have other products that I prefer over this. Retail: $22.00 // 30 ml (1 oz)

I must admit, I was quite amused at receiving lotion in the form of "ketchup packets" as the MakeupTalk forum members have so affectionately deemed them. In spite of receiving such a tiny amount (even though there were three packets) the body creme spread quite well! One packet is enough to moisturize both of my arms with a little left over to work into my hands and cuticles. Unfortunately, I can't say that I like the scent much at all; it DOES smell like green apples, albeit very artificial green apples but apples nonetheless. If I were to purchase this, it would absolutely be in another scent; most likely coconut. I do like that this lotion is all natural and devoid of any chemicals so that is by far a plus. Couple that with it being quite good at moisturizing my reasonably dry skin without the dreaded residue and I think we have a winner. So, would I purchase this? Yes as far as performance goes but, the price is too expensive for my liking. Retail: $15.00 // 8 oz

I really, really wanted to love this product but, it was a complete let down for me. The idea of a simple spray standing up to the challenge of my cactus dry hair was almost comical, and as I had predicted, my wild mane won again. I have used this spray almost everyday since receiving it and I have noticed absolutely no difference between my hair normally and when I use this. This product claims to condition, detangle and protect from UV rays, and while I cannot comment on the UV protection, as far as de-tangling or conditioning, this spray did neither for me. I did like that it left no sticky residue nor did it make my hair feel crunchy but, those are the only pro's that I can give this. Would I purchase? No. Retail: $32.00 // 200 ml

I usually adore when Birchbox sends out little extras such as these (my favorite has been the nail file) but unfortunately, these oversized bobby pins just don't do it for me. Since my hair often has a mind of its own, bobby pins are an item that I utilize almost daily but, I personally prefer the hair matching "invisible" bobby pins to the very prominent, HELLO! Birchbox design. With that being said, I do like the pattern, if instead of pins they had been a clip or hair flower, I would have been in LOVE. All personal preferences aside, these are good quality and quite sturdy, they have a super strong hold which means those fly-aways aren't going anywhere! However, the reason that they hold hair so well is because they do not open much at all. Have you ever had one of those infuriating key rings that you have to fight with and chip several nails before they cooperate? Bingo. Alright, they are not THAT bad but, they certainly do not have the "give" of tradional bobby pins. Would I purchase these? No. Retail: $5 // Set of six

Well lovelies, that's it for my July Birchbox, what did you think of the products? I for one have found a new love in the form of Benefit's Girl Meets Pearl and as soon as I save up enough points again, I will be purchasing the full size. Looking forward to the August box!

Much love xo