Awww! A bright, colorful can of amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo! I’m kind of picky about dry shampoos, mainly because of the scents and the grit factor. I just want grease absorbed. The lovely BirchBox card claims it is a “Weightless spray […] that refreshes hair sans residue.” Sounds promising. As for scent, I know I’ve received samples from this company before and everything smelled wonderful. This apparently uses their signature “Obliphica” scent, so high hopes there! J It contains Sea Buckthorn Berry as well, which I’m definitely a fan of for the face, however it also has some nasties like Butane and Propane (I’m assuming to make it an aerosol, but still, that sounds scary!) It’s a decent sized can (0.75oz/21.3g), although dry shampoo goes so quickly that I’m not sure how long it will last. But I’m definitely excited to try it! J Even better, it has the Leaping Bunny logo on it and, though I haven’t checked the Leaping Bunny list for amika, if it’s been legally used then that’s even more awesome!
We have a natural and organic product next (what’s going on BirchBox?!?!). It is from Naobay and it is their Body Radiance Lotion. I love body lotions, especially if they’re natural and organic! J Naobay is a Spanish brand and the Body Lotion contains olive oil, avocado oil and shea butter to moisturize. The scent to me has kind of a fresh Asian vibe. I feel like there’s a hint of ginger to it, but I’m terrible with scents, so I could be waaay off. Whatever it is, it’s a nice, refreshing scent. Sounds lovely and it’s a good size sample (30mL/1.01oz), though again, for a body lotion it may not last too long. So far I’m impressed with these sample sizes! My world is turning upside down! J
Sticking with the surprisingly large samples, we have another one! This time it’s from Laura Mercier whose products I tend to like, but they’re no longer cruelty free. The packaging is actually really nice for a mini size too! I should tell you what it is – it’s the Tone Perfecting Eye Gel Crème. It’s supposed to brighten the eyes and smooth tone and texture. It sounds fantastic and there are 0.17oz/500mL to try out! It smells good too. If it were cruelty free, I’d be really stoked. Since it’s not, I may pass it along to someone else so I don’t discover that I love it and feel tempted to buy it. J
There’s also a little card sample (it's not considered one of the actual samples, just a bonus) of the famous Tinted Moisturizer from Laura Mercier with three shades for different skin tones. It’s not much, but you might be able to test in on a small section of your face. J
I suspect that this next sample is full sized! That’s virtually unheard of from BirchBox these days! J It’s a Long-Wear Eyeliner from Noir Cosmetics. I believe the shade is “Forever Noir,” which is just a standard black. It looks really nice, but nothing revolutionary. It is a fantastic sample in terms of size though! I’ve never heard of this company before, which I usually find exciting – assuming they’re cruelty free. J
Last, but certainly not least, we have a product from theBalm! I love theBalm so that’s wonderful too! J It is the Stainiac in the shade “Beauty Queen.” I feel like I’ve received this sample in another BirchBox before, but either way, I’m excited! J Stainiac is a tinted gel-stain for both lips and cheeks. Given that this takes such a teeny tiny amount of product, it’s a decent size sample too (1.2mL/0.04oz)! And theBalm is cruelty free, so yeaaaaaa!!!
I’ve gotta say that I’m quite shocked by this BirchBox. The sizes are surprisingly good and the products sound nice. There’s a nice blend of hair, body, face and makeup. Really pleasantly surprised! Definitely keep this kind of thing up BirchBox!!! See how they hook you? You get an unexpected decent box just when you’ve given up hope and then the cycle of disappointment starts all over again. So cynical! J If you’re interested in subscribing to BirchBox, check out my referral link here, or simply visit their website. I am still sitting here in shock by sizes of these samples – and they seem decent as well! So happy for a change! J Let me know what you think of August’s BirchBox! Would you consider subscribing after this, or do you just know there’s a dud waiting for next month? J
