My First Post in Awhile --- August Birchbox Review

August Birchbox

Wow, what a busy several weeks it has been! I've been wanting to blog but haven't found a spare moment. Work has completely taken over my life and since I actually get paid to do that, I thought I should probably prioritize my real job over blogging. My goal is now to get back on track and hopefully even up my post quota. Thanks for reading!

LAQA & Co. Lip Crayon - This was a generously-sized sample, and I like that it's a smooth, crayon-like lip color. But I could tell just by looking that it was way too magenta for me! (I believe I got the Humble Brag shade.)

Ursa Major Fantastic Face Wash -- This has a great sweet/salty/minty smell that's like a mojito and/or margarita in a bottle depending on which scents you more strongly pick up. Either way it's a cocktail for your face. Since it's on the face for such I short time, I can't get overly worked up about face wash...unless is Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, which I'm obsessed with. I wouldn't purchase this Ursa Major face wash because I much prefer the creamy types. My second favorite to Liz Earle is Lancome Creme Radiance Cream-to-Foam Cleanser.

Scalisi Skincare Anti-Aging Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 -- I hate reviewing anti-aging Birchbox products because the samples are way too small to use long enough to know if there are any age-defying benefits. So while I can't speak to that aspect, I liked the consistency. It was kind of thick and creamy, but not overly heavy. It's great that it's SPF 30. The Birchbox website states, "it smells amazing- the faintly floral scent is a far cry from eau de SPF." I beg to differ. It smells like sunscreen with a hint of some other scent. I find it hard for products to mask that sunscreen smell, although you probably wouldn't want them to load up on fragrances just to cover it up. While I don't like that SPF smell at all, I suffer through it knowing it's protecting my skin and preventing wrinkles.

I am Juicy Couture Eau de Parfum -- I really like sweet smells, but I wouldn't say I love them for an everyday scent. I like a confectionery-like fragrances much more for candles than for perfumes.  This one was a little fruity, a little musky and a little woodsy. When I'm in the mood for a sweet scent, this is a good one. Although, I tend to like sweet scents that are heavily vanilla-based, and I don't get a lot of vanilla out of this one.

PARLOR by Jeff Chastain Smoothing Blowout Spray --  I cannot fathom how anyone with fine hair can use this! I HATED it! It turned my hair into a flat, greasy mess. I had to use multiple dry shampoos to breathe some life back into it. If I had had time, I would have re-washed it. This was just terrible. The Birchbox description said, "This Smoothing Blowout Spray ensures a beautiful result every time." No, it does not. "The lightweight spritz adds instant volume..." quite the opposite! I guess it MIGHT work for someone with very, thick dry hair, but for me, it was just awful.