The month's box celebrates the launch of Birchbox's very first exclusive own-brand of make-up. It's called LOC, or "Love of Color". This month for a sample choice, we got to pick one of three LOC lipstick shades or one of two LOC eyeshadow shades. I went for the "Glam Life" lipstick shade.
I loved the glamorous color scheme this month. The teal and grey box top with the decorative rose pattern is absolutely gorgeous. I'm definitely going to repurpose it in some way. I also liked the accompanying cranberry tissue paper inside. It matched my LOC lipstick!
My box contained: Obliphica Professional Seaberry Serum - Fine to Medium (full-size, $38), Harvey Prince Sincerely (full-size, $57), LOC Collection for Lips (full-size, $18), Temple Spa La La Lagoon Aromatic Bath & Shower Gel (full-size, $18), theBalm Frat Boy Blush/Shadow (full-size, $21)
Obliphica Professional Seaberry Serum - Fine to Medium
I've used this product a couple times now and really love it so far. All you need to do is apply one spray into your palm, spread it on your hands, and run it evenly through your hair just after taking a shower (while it's still wet). A full size bottle would definitely last you a long time.
I've been really impressed with how soft and silky my hair was each time I used this serum. It makes it look and feel healthy. It's also a great alternative to a leave-in conditioner when you're traveling.
Harvey Prince Sincerely
Harvey Prince is definitely one of Birchbox's favorite brands. This is about the fifth or sixth sample I've received from the brand (this is the third or fourth perfume). The products have all been pretty nice, but I have yet to actually buy anything from the brand.
This is definitely a more unusual scent than the other Harvey Prince perfumes I've tried. It has notes of South African Freesia, Japanese Orange Flower, Moroccan Rose, Turkish Cyclamen, Indian Tuberose, Indonesian Clove Bud, Spanish Mandarin, French Bergamot, Lebanese Cedarwood, and Australian Sandalwood.
Looking at this description you might think it would be a bit musky, spicy, and exotic. However, I actually think it smells primarily of Freesia, with a hint of Orange Flower, and Tuberose. It's definitely very light and floral. I didn't think it was particularly youthful, though. I think I will share this with someone looking for a more mature scent. It would make a great gift for mothers and grandmothers this holiday season!
LOC Collection for Lips
This was my sample choice selection, in "Glam Life". While it looks like it would be a pretty dark plum/wine color, it actually ended up being a bit lighter and more magenta/rose. It glides on really nicely and has a nice moisturizing quality. It's also pretty long-lasting.
The only critique I have is that the pigment seems to concentrate on any areas where you have try skin, essentially creating darker "spots" in those areas. So, I would highly recommend using a lip exfoliant (like this one from Lush or this one from Mary Kay) before applying this product if you have chapped or dry lips from the winter weather.
Temple Spa La La Lagoon Aromatic Bath & Shower Gel
Temple Spa is a brand distributed by Gilchrist & Soames , which is another Birchbox favorite like Harvey Prince. I've received at least four or five samples from them before.
This product has notes of Ylang Ylang, Eucalyptus, and Patchouli. I would say the Eucalyptus is the over-powering scent, as it is quite invigorating. It goes on in a pretty nice foamy white lather. I think it is pretty moisturizing too. Overall, I actually like this product a lot more than the other brand Birchbox has included that are distributed by Gilchrist & Soames. I think this one is very unusual.
While I like the scent quite a bit, I think it is pretty gender-neutral - or perhaps a bit more masculine than feminine. I think it would make an excellent holiday gift for a dad or boyfriend!
theBalm Frat Boy Blush/Shadow
As you've seen in my previous posts, I'm pretty obsessed with theBalm. I think all of their products are pretty fantastic. I love how they create such natural looks, that many of the products are multi-purpose, and that the packaging makes them really easy to take on trips.
I like how this blush has some tan/nude tones in it so that it would look great on lots of different skin types. It's finely ground like an eye shadow which means that not only does it perform double-duty, but it's also easy to control the pigment concentration you want on your cheeks. If you want the color to be especially radiant, apply the powder with your finger. If you're going for a more subtle look, use a brush.
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