September Birchbox Review

▲ Color Club InstaLove Polish This color is absolutely lovely! It's a blueish-purplish tone and goes one smooth and dries quickly. I have gotten Color Club in one of my past Birchboxes (a gold version) and I do like this brand quite a bit!

▲ Dr. Jart + Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF 25+ This is a four-in-one moisturizer, serum, sunscreen, and skin tint. I used as a light under-eye concealer this morning and it has a good texture and scent. I can't say for sure whether or not it's worth the $32 for a full-size version, but I don't mind it in a sample size to throw in my makeup bag as an on-the-go skin tint.

▲ Fekkai Technician Color Care Collection Shampoo & Conditioner Firstly, I think it's really hard to judge a shampoo/conditioner by a sample size, therefore I'm saving this as a travel set for my next trip. Secondly, I stopped buying Fekkai a long time ago when I found out they still test on animals (granted, there are a few products I use that test on animals, but I'm slowly trying to push them out of my routine!). In the past, their leave in conditioners have always been wonderful, but I still won't be buying this brand.

▲ Twistband Hair Tie This is the third Twistband Hair Tie that Birchbox has sent me. Guess what, guys? I didn't fall head over heels the first two times (in fact, I hate multi-colored hair ties), so what makes you think I'm going to order some this time around?

▲ Vasabti Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator I love the texture of this exfoliating cleanser. It uses microderm crystals and papaya and makes my face feel pretty darn wonderful. $34 for a full size is more than I'd like to spend, but I do think it's a really great product and might order it when I have enough Birchbox points to get a discount. Also: Paraben and sulfate free!

▲ The Brush Guard Variety Kit I like this concept since I'm always worried about taking my makeup brushes on trips with me. With that being said, I'm not sure these are the best answer, though. They still have ridges and it's a bit worrisome that the brushes could push up into the holes and actually get damaged. 

Overall, even though I'm not monumentally impressed, this is probably one of the better Birchboxes I've gotten. The products aren't standouts, but at least there's a medium tone of general interestingness (except for the freaking hair tie). Oh yeah, and no sample fragrance! Finally!

This is the last Birchbox from my three-month trial that was gifted to me by the company. This is also my second round with Birchbox and I can say with confidence that I will not be continuing my order with them. I have never been that impressed and would love to look into sample boxes that provide more animal-friendly and organic options! 

Thanks to Birchbox for allowing me to sample your product for the past three months. I hope my honest (even if harsh at times) input on your service helps them develop and tweak the boxes to make  'em better for everyone!