November Birchbox
For November, I chose the box curated by Tati Westbrook, aka Glam Life Guru on YouTube. I had never heard of her before because I'm not a big YouTuber, but I loved her choices, so she gained a follower. Since I'm not a Birchbox Ace (meaning you've reached a certain level of dollars spent/points earned), I don't get to make my monthly box selections a day early. That means I don't usually get the box or sample choice I want when they open it up to us commoners. But the last few months, Birchbox has had some website glitches on sample choice day, which usually did not work in my favor. This particular glitch did. For whatever reason, I don't think the emails went out on time to tell everyone to go select their choices. But I went to the website anyway and was able to make my selection and wound up with this awesome box.
Avene Hydrance Optimale Hydrating Serum -- This is so nice and fresh! It has just the tiniest hint of a barely-there scent, just enough to not actually have a fragrance but at the same time, not smell medicinal. It's not greasy or thick and dries quickly. I love that I can put in on irritated skin. I use a retinol that sometimes bothers the skin on my neck, and this helped a lot. I use it in conjunction with my other products.
Jouer Lip Enhancer -- The best way I can describe this is luscious and luxurious. It feels great when you put it on and adds a soft shine. Although the curator of this box suggested wearing this at night, I think it's great for daytime, too. Looking through the bottle, it looks like the balm may be just the slightest bit pink, so it adds a teeny bit of color...or at least gives that illusion. It's not a tinted lip balm, per se, but it definitely looks different than other clear balms I've used. I have no clue if it actually enhances your lips, but it's great for moisturizing and for its aesthetic appeal.
Shiseido ULTIMUNE EYE Power Infusing Eye Concentrate -- The skin around my eyes tends to be sensitive, and I once had an allergic reaction, so I don't like to use eye creams with much scent. This was one was definitely too scented and slightly irritating around my eyes. It burned a little when I put it on and I noticed some redness the next day, so I stopped using it. The consistency is more of a gel serum and I prefer a cream for eye products. This is the one miss for me in this box.
Living proof Perfect hair Day (PhD) Dry Shampoo -- I am surprised by how much I like this dry shampoo! I'm very picky about dry shampoos and have tried many that I don't like. I knew this one was getting rave reviews, but I was still skeptical. I have other Living proof products that I really like, but none that I am 100 percent blown away by. But now this one is my favorite! I prefer dry shampoo powders to sprays, so I'm glad this one is like a spray powder. It gets rid of oil and adds volume, which is great! I spray it, massage it into my scalp and then use a round brush and hairdryer much like I would if my hair was wet. It really revives the style and looks pretty much like I have just washed my hair. I have not tried it on super sweaty hair, though. The one thing I do still prefer about powders over sprays is that you can see and control exactly how much you're using. Sometimes with sprays I feel like some of it is getting wasted in the air, so the can doesn't last as long. But all of that considered, I am strongly considering purchasing this in the full-size.
LOC One & Done Shadow Stick -- This was another product that pleasantly surprised me! Although eyeshadow looks great, it's one of the makeup steps I frequently skip because it can be a pain in the butt-- it takes a while switch brushes for different parts of the eye, the powders fall on your eyelashes and undereye, etc. But this is a game changer. You can quickly and easily swipe it on, and it's smooth and easy to blend, unlike other shadow sticks I've tried. I received the Day Trip shade. I never thought I would wear gold eyeshadow, but I love it and I think it's really fun. I'm strongly considering purchasing this in other colors.
