Birchbox: October 2012

Considering that lavender is my favorite color and I love Essie, you can understand my disappointment in not getting an email to opt- in for the Supergoop box. Ah well, read a lot of unhappy comments about the Goop boxes. I was a bit meh when I found out what was in my box, but it turns out this is a pretty great box! Even if the box image was literally just the box. Are they becoming lazy now?

And to top it off, this box lead me to having one of the best days in a long time! Keep reading to find out more =D.

This time the names of the products are direct links to their page on BB, so you can click for more info =).

Harvey Prince Eau Flirt - Lavender Pumpkin- It combines pumpkin and lavender, two seemingly ill-matched notes that have been clinically proven to spur passionate reactions in men. Olfactory theory aside, we love the combination of seductive jasmine and freesia with sumptuous nutmeg, cinnamon, and amber.

• Stand aside while I profess my love for BB. THANK YOU SO MUCH for introducing this product to me!
• Sample is twice the size of normal vials, maybe 2 ml?
• Both me and a friend agree, it doesn't smell anything like pumpkins, and I don't really smell the lavender.
• It has a slightly sweet fragrance reminding me strangely of bubble gum, but it's not overly sweet, just enough. Then I'm hit with a potpourri scent. It's so strange, these really don't seem like scents that should work together, and yet somehow they do. The cranberry toner I got in Sample Society's box a couple months back smelled of potpourri too, but not the kind that I would want to put on my face. This one's sweet overlying scent makes me want to eat it. It could just be the jasmine that's making me go crazy. Jasmine is one of those scents I find extremely addicting and alluring.
• Now, let's talk about the scent's theme. It claims to make you feel flirty and fabulous. UH, did they put some kind of pheromones in here?? I went around the whole day on cloud 9, feeling absolutely fantabulous! It wasn't even because of anything that happened; I just felt great for no reason. And no, I'm not susceptible to marketing placebo brainwashing effect (unless it's pictures of food...)
• A perfume that flirts for you? that is clinically proven to attract men with its wickedly irresistible fragrance? Well I don't know about all that, but out of the blue, I managed to hook someone from over 100 feet away. Haha maybe it's not just the perfume. More on this in my next Slice of Life post ;P. 
• The scent wears thin towards the end of 10 hours, but that's pretty good.
• The whole "Irresistibly wicked" thing is so perfect for October. Just for kicks, I'll wear this scent when we go pumpkin picking. It's totally the jasmine that's carrying this together. Jasmine is one of those scents with a twist and mystery. Great job this month BB!
• Too bad it's so expensive >.<, BB couldn't you give a bigger sample? ahhh need more BB points. People help me! Use my referral link please >.<

• Full size 100 ml $98, sample size? (~2 ml?) worth ~$2

theBalm® cosmetics Mary-Lou Manizer- this versatile luminizer imparts a soft-focus glow wherever we choose to apply it. Light-reflecting silica particles conceal blemishes and fine lines, while the honey color leaves a sheer wash of shimmer.

• For the longest time, my focus was on the "Manizer" part. I couldn't figure out why they would send us a product that would make us more manly.
• It's pretty tiny looking, eyeshadow size. The back is so cute and says "Free sample- not for sale".
• Cover closes via magnet, how neat.
• Mine had a fingerprint in it... can you see? Uh... I really hope that's just from a worker pushing the pan in, and not from someone sampling my sample. ~_~
• The product is very smooth, and goes on nicely. It gives off a golden shimmer effect. The microglitters (shimmers?) are visible, so if that's not your thing, well. This would make a great shimmer eyeshadow as well. My other highlighters are pink in tone, so it's nice to have something different if I wanted to go for more of that "bronze" look.
• Really like this product overall!
• Full size 8.5g $24, sample size 1g worth $2.82

Mox Botanicals Lip Butter

• A harder balm, so it took some rubbing to get enough product to use. This would be ok to put in your car during summer months, I think.
• Smells familiar, maybe like Welch's gummies?
• Does help my chapped lips a bit, not bad =)
• Full size .2 oz $16, sample size.1 oz worth $8

LiQWd The Perfect Wave

• My hair is not wavy, and therefore this was not a necessarily welcomed product. However, as I have appreciated the other items in this box so far, I will wait and give this a fair shot before judging further. Expect a review sometime this week.
• Full size 150ml $22, sample size 7 ml worth $1.02

LiQWd SiLK Professional Deep Conditioning Treatment

• Another excellent product this month!!
• I've tried a lot of conditioners recently from subscription boxes and whatnot, and each has fallen short.  To be honest, I didn't have high hopes for this one, but I was proved brutally wrong.
• My hair is pretty damaged from dying, and less than stellar shampoos. As soon as I applied this product, my hair completely smoothed out. It became so silky. Not only that, but after it was dry, there was minimal frizz. For the past couple weeks, I've been trying so hard to tame this suddenly unmanageable hair, and this conditioner just handled everything perfectly. I literally woke up, brushed my hair quickly, and was out the door.
• This product is definitely what I attribute my great day too. I just felt so free and awesome that I didn't have to worry about my hair. More on how it made my day day in the next Slice of Life post. ^^
• People complain about these packet samples. I don't really see the difference between having this in a foil packet and a little squeeze tube. Except the squeeze tube might be easier to open in the shower.
• Full size 120 ml $24, sample size 7 ml worth $1.40

Mighty Leaf Tea - Tea Pouches

• Everytime I get tea samples, I do a mental groan. Not that I don't drink tea, I do occasionally  but c'mon. Since I was so pleased with the rest of the box, I decided to try the tea out anyways. 
• The first is Organic African Nectar because I tend to dislike Earl Grey, and I already know what green tea tastes like. The bag is so elegant looking o_O. It's supposed to be mango/ vanilla. It smells kinda like funky herbs and cough syrup. Barely perceptible sweetness (maybe just the water =X). This one's not for me.

• The rest I shall try out during the week. Expect this post to be updated by next week.
• 15 pouches $9.95, sample size 3 pouches worth $1.99

Overall box value: ~$17.23

Very pleased this month and feeling like $10 well spent ^^.

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In other news, made my first order from Birchbox.com. I figured it'd be best to use up my points before the first 30 expire. They were having a 20% off promo too~ I got the Shu Uemura Shampoo Oil that I've been wanting. I also googled all over the place trying to see if the unused amounts are lost. Turns out they are. What does that mean? It means I had $50 to spend, but only had $47 worth of product. Since there isn't anything $3, or less, I didn't add any other items. Thus, that $3 was lost. $3 = 30 points. Lol, I needn't have worried about trying to save the points in the first place. It wasn't meant to be.