Birchbox February 2016

• The January box: What’s the occasion? This month, we’re helping you create your own not-quite-everyday looks, from easy hairstyles to versatile makeup techniques.
• An interesting design on this month’s box. The contents itself are pretty nice. My favorite is my sample choice, the Arrow lip balm! Total value of this month’s box: $30.24.
• Not Soap, Radio Body Wash (1.1 fl oz/33 ml; Value: $1.29)
• Product description: In the ever-expanding world of beauty products, soap can sometimes get the short shrift——until you happen upon a collection like this one. Sure, it'll get you clean, but these aromatherapeutic formulas also aim to address the most pressing of your first-world problems——with a snarky sense of humor and seriously delicious scents. Each scent takes aim at a specific frustration, from dieting to work to relationships. “Bubbles, Not Carbs” has a citrus scent that’s said to fend off cravings and horse chestnut extract to tone and firm skin; “Awash in a Field of Four-Leaf Clover is a fresh fragrance with actual four-leaf clover extract from Ireland and green tea to tone and calm; “The Phoenix harnesses spirit-lifting bergamot and smells of persimmon plum; and beach-scented Bathing with Sharks helps energize with royal jelly extract. Liquid Freud is coconut milk- and mango-scented with calming St. Johns Wort; “To Sleep Full of Sweet Dreams” is a stress-reducing lavender fragrance with relaxing clementine; The Stuff That Cupid Dips His Arrows In” is a blackberry and vanilla cream scent with ginseng, which is said to kick up pheromones; and the exclusive-to-Birchbox Joy Inducing” smells of lemon sugar. All are free of parabens, sulfates, and phthalates and are never tested on animals.
• My review: My box came with Liquid Freud (coconut milk- and mango-scented with calming St. Johns Wort). It was a nice scent and fairly light. It didn’t linger on my skin too long after I showered. It lathered well enough and a little bit went a long way for me. I’m tempted to try some of the other scents!
• Dasein Winter (1.5 ml/0.05 fl oz; Value: $2.85)
• Product description: Even though winter is the coldest time of year, it still makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Hand-poured in Los Angeles, this unisex fragrance has notes of blue spruce, black cardamom, forest pine, and French lavender to remind you of brisk nights and cozy homes (after all, the blend was created to evoke a sense of merriment and peace). Plus, the formula is paraben-, glycol-, and cruelty-free.
• My review: I do like the scent and it’s pretty heavy on the forest pine. Though, I most likely won’t use it as a fragrance since it reminds me of my candles. The scent is fairly strong on and lasted for a little while too. Nice scent, just not for my skin!
• (MALIN+GOETZ) clarifying clay mask (0.5 fl oz/15 ml; Value: $7.20)
• Product description: A lesson in efficiency, (MALIN + GOETZ)'s exfoliating clay mask conquers shine and blemishes in under 10 minutes a week. Made for acne-prone skin but safe for sensitive complexions, it taps refined kaolin clay to absorb excess oil and draw out impurities, plus pumice to polish away dead skin. Anti-bacterial witch hazel and anti-inflammatory arnica extract round out the formula, resulting in matte, clear skin. Just like that.
• My review: This worked pretty well and smoothed out my skin. I haven’t used it long enough to notice if it cleared up my skin (but I also am not as acne prone as I used to be).
• PARLOR® by Jeff Chastain Detangling Leave-In Conditioner (1 fl oz/30 ml; Value: $4.90)
• Product description: We don’t often recommend choosing a hair product based on scent alone, but in this case: Follow your nose. Developed by veteran hairstylist Jeff Chastain, this spray combines detangling power with heat protection. Sweet almond extract delivers softness, sleekness, and volume without added weight, while vitamin B5 keeps the scalp feeling healthy and nettle extract adds an extra bump of shine. As for that fragrance? A fresh mix of ripe peach, cut grass, and white woods is reason enough to use it every day. All products from the line are safe for color-treated hair and are free of sulfates, parabens, and gluten.
• My review: I love the scent, but it doesn’t detangle as well as my Beauty Protector detangler that I got from Birchbox a while ago. Don’t get me wrong, it does help me detangle, just not as smoothly as what I currently have. The scent really is pleasant and it might be nice to us as a hair refresher!
• ARROW BOOST Color Enhancing Lip Balm (0.14 oz/4 gr; Value: $14)
• Product description: Between running things at the office, running errands, and trying to hit the gym (to run some more), we usually find ourselves running low on time. Enter: this high-tech, moisturizing lip balm from Birchbox brand ARROW. Formulated to adjust to your unique pH, it enhances each wearer’s natural lip color to create the perfect, just-for-you hue. Nourishing ingredients like mango seed butter hydrate and protect lips, and the lightweight, subtle formulation allows it to go wherever you do—from pre-work yoga to a lunch date to happy hour. Another perk? It boasts a lovely minty scent. Like all products in the ARROW collection, it is vegan, paraben-free, cruelty-free, and gluten-free.
• My review: I LOVE this! This was my sample choice for the month. It works as described and gives me a nice, natural rosy color to my lips. It hydrates pretty well. I thought the scent was pretty light and not like other minty lip balms I’ve tried before. I got a FULL SIZE in my box and this will last quite a while. It’s a nice change-up from my usual Burt’s Bees!