Birchbox - November 2013 - Full Review

Hi friends,

I am back with a new Birchbox review - November 2013, that is! And here is the YouTube review:





I always say that Birchbox is either a hit or a miss for me, this November box was a hit. A lot of products I really enjoyed trying as samples and a chocolate too!

This month's theme is "More Good" and with the holidays upon us, a lot of sample boxes are focusing on the gift of giving as well as charity donations. The November box provides a catalog of beauty products (most have been part of the sample boxes this year) for gift giving purposes, whether as stand alone or stocking stuffers.

I actually enjoyed looking at the catalog, it is very well designed, and even though I do not plan on purchasing much from it, it is a nice addition to the box. In addition, Birchbox is donating a proceed of all purchases from their website to NO KIDS HUNGRY. I think that is a great initiative.

And here is the box:

Tiossan - Body Cream - B

Full Size $38

 

 

 

I did not see the big deal about this body cream. It is a good emollient/moisturizer but nothing special. The cream itself has a nice texture, it is neither too fluid nor too thick, making it a good cream for nighttime application and to keep by your bedside table.

Creams can be very personal and some of you may prefer a lightly scented cream instead of an over the top fragrance. I prefer to apply body creams I can layer with perfume, creams that compliment or even enhance a perfume. This one is lightly scented but in a weird way. As I mentioned in the video, it smells like fresh paper, you know, when you go to the store and purchase a ream of paper, it has a specific scent, which is not unpleasant, that is the scent of that body lotion. So for that reason, and despite the actual good quality of the cream, I was not all that impressed. If you like unscented or lightly scented body creams, this one is for you and you can purchase it here. Tiossan offers three more fragrances (this one is called Femme).

 

 

Eyeko - Black Magic Mascara - A

Full Size - $24

 

 

 

Keeping it real here, it's  little pricey for a mascara. I never heard of the brand, let's just assume it's high end with a $24 price tag.

That being said, this mascara is easy to apply - one coat will do - provides good length and volume (not over the top) and it is waterproof!

I do not usually purchase waterproof mascaras as they tend to irritate my eyes, are too much trouble to wash off and tend to flake on me, leaving little sand-like bits inside my eyes. But this one simply stays put. If it were not for the price tag, I would give it an A+! As for the color, it is a jet black. I checked the website and found out that they have one more color: Midnight Blue.

 

 

DDF - Amplifying Elixir - B

Full Size - $70

 

 

 

This is actually a generous size as a sample and for once, subscribers can truly experience a serum and have time to determine whether it is worth the hype. Quite frankly, and aside from sounding like a broken record, I stopped being impressed with serums since I started using my Yves Rocher Elixir 7.9.

I found this DDF version to be too runny and to me, that is a waste of product when too much comes at once and the stuff starts running all over the place - I don't need serum on my hands.

It does not have much of a scent, which is expected from a dermatological product. It does absorb well but I felt that it left my skin tight and so despite its claim as a moisturizer. I did not feel that my skin was more supple as a result of using this product. In fact, and one of the things I like about my 7.9 Elixir, you cannot use this DDF Elixir alone, instead you have to apply a moisturizer afterwards. With my 7.9 Elixir, there have been plenty of times when I did not need a moisturizer after applying the serum, and to me, that is a plus.

So other than that, it's just okay for me and I just can't see myself spending $70 for an okay product. You can check out other reviews here.

 

 

 



Color Club - Nail Polish - B+

Full Size - $8

 

 

 

Generally, I tend to shy away from crazy nail polish colors, for various reasons, being age or place of work. Color Club is a familiar brand as I received a previous one in another Birchbox - that one was a neon purple I thought was actually okay for me to wear and I liked the formula as well.

This one is part of their Cocktail Hour Collection and is called Top Shelf. It has a strong mother of pearl type finish, very shimmery without glitter. The color itself is a rose beige, more like a champagne color which I find elegant. However, as opposed to the previous one I had sampled, this one does not provide the greatest application, Like most polishes in this sort of finish, it is very fluid and tends to run on the side of your nail bed - I don't have tome for that nonsense. That being said, it does not streak much and provides good coverage wit just one application.

 

Chuao - Chocopod - A-

8 pieces $9.95

 

 

 

This is way too expensive for chocolate (just my opinion) and I am only saying this because one single pod is not enough to curb my chocolate craving - I would need at least three of these to feel satisfied and that would amount to almost $5 - no way!

On to the review though - it's DELICIOUS! This little thing packs on some serious bang when it comes to chocolate flavor! In addition, it has a crispy texture and you can see the little bits of honey (they actually look like bits of bee pollen) inside. Really, really good. I would not mind these as a gift, if I say so myself. I am just not sure I would go ahead and purchase them on my own as I find the cost too prohibitive. Check them out here, they come in a whole bunch of different flavors, including PopCorn Pop or Salted Chocolate Crunch! How decadent is that!

 

 

And that will conclude the review for the November 2013 box. This was a good box, way above average, if you ask me, and yes, I am still keeping my subscription!

 

I hope you enjoyed this review, give me a thumb up if you did.

 

You can find me on FACEBOOK and YOUTUBE.

Thank you,

 

 

 

Sophia, NJ.

* This blog contains affiliate advertising for which I receive a small commission. I am not affiliated with Birchbox or any other brand mentioned in the Birchbox review above, all opinions are my own. I am however affiliated with Yves Rocher and Amazon.com