Birchbox "All Wrapped Up" December 2015 Review

The last Birchbox of 2015 was a pretty great one! Here's my (somewhat delayed) review from after the holidays. The sample choice this time around was for a few different color variations of the Coastal Scenes Pallette. I chose the "Style Eyes" green and gold one because I thought those were two perfect shades for Christmas parties!

My box contained: JUARA Coconut Illipe Hand & Nail Balm(Full-size, $20), Kate Spade Live Colorfully Spray (Full-size, $95),Coastal Scents® styleEYES Palette(Full-size, $12),COOLA® Classic SPF 30 Cucumber Moisturizer for Face (Full-size, $32), and Benefit They're Real! Tinted Lash Primer(Full-size, $24)

JUARA Coconut Illipe Hand & Nail Balm

This lotion has a nice texture that is relatively deeply moisturizing and not runny at all. However, I did feel like it left a bit of greasy residue. I wasn't fond of the scent though which smelled too artificial to me - like one of those pre-mixed pina coladas in plastic bottle.

Benefit They're Real! Tinted Lash Primer

I love the Benefit They're Real Mascara! The primer is very similar - and the same price too. The main difference I noticed is that it is brown instead of black and that it's a thinner consistency, which is actually a good thing IMHO because the mascara can get a bit clumpy after several uses. This gives you a similar voluminous curled look but without the black pigment, so it looks more natural. When combined with the mascara, it really makes your eyes pop. However, I think I'll stick with using it on its own. It creates a nice effect, very similar to the mascara, and I can't quite imagine paying around $24 for both when I'm perfectly happy with just using one or the other.

COOLA® Classic SPF 30 Cucumber Moisturizer I was so excited to get a Coola product this time because I was about to go on a trip to Puerto Rico and only wanted to bring a carry-on bag.  This little sample was just what I needed to be sure I kept my face safe in the 85 degree weather under the Caribbean sun. Admittedly, I got burned just a little bit on my nose and cheeks even after using this, but otherwise I thought it had great coverage, blended well with makeup, was fairly odorless, and had a nice texture that rubs in easily.

Kate Spade Live Colorfully Spray

This scent can be a bit overpowering but overall I think it's lovely & feminine, floral but energetic. The scent reminds me of grapefruit and lily of the valley. It's definitely a powerful scent, so you only need to use a very small amount. It will last throughout the day too! It's very youthful and I would say better for spring/summer than fall/winter. If you're a fan of this scent, I saw a really cute limited edition bottle at Nordstrom Rack recently that's navy blue with gold constellations on it (photo here)!

Coastal Scents® styleEYES Palette

The gold is really nice. It's kind of a rose gold and adds a subtle shimmer like a highlighter would. It's great on its own or layered on top of another color. The green also has a lot of shimmer but it is also a more concentrated hue. I like that because with eyeshadow, I'm usually all or nothing and I hate having to put on layer after layer after layer to achieve my desired look. The palette does loosen up really easily though, so these shadows can end up being a bit messy.