December 2012 Birchbox Review

Hello, world.

The December 2012 Birchbox is something that I was really looking forward to. Mine was one of those that were delayed so even before it got here, there were already reviews and videos online of other Birchboxers unboxing and reviewing theirs. After watching the official sneak peek video, I found out that they had a bigger variety of samples this month so we were all getting very personalized boxes.

In the spirit of the holidays, this months Birchbox is wonderfully different. The theme is "All Wrapped Up," and the box itself has designs on it. It was definitely a refreshing change. I guess that might be why this months box is extra varied because they wanted it to be our Christmas gifts.

The first sample is the 29 Preserves Skin Care collection by 29 Cosmetics. I have never heard of 29 Cosmetics, but this collection is super natural. The products are made from grapeseed extract. As the name suggests, this sample is the whole collection with a little bit of each product. It may look little but each sample is enough for your whole face, except the eye emulsion, which I still have left over after two uses.

I am still on the fence about this collection. The cream cleanser doesnt strip your skin, it leaves it soft to the touch, but it isnt anything special. I used the serum extract as a day moisturizer. Its a little too oily for me. The eye emulsion, though, is wondrous. Its thick and it really does soothe your eyes. The night moisture moisturizes but again, nothing special.

Personally, I feel like you can achieve the same results with ordinary skin care products but it does say that this collection contains the antioxidant-rich grapeseed extract so it probably works on a long-term scale. So, I wouldnt write this collection off without trying it for yourself.

If you buy from Birchbox, you can add this sampler to your cart for FREE!

This is the Fibre Lashxtend lengthening mascara by ModelCo. I love this sample! And its not ONLY because its an awesome mascara. This is a FULL-SIZE sample, very rare in Birchboxes so I was happy about that. The tube itself also comes with a mirror so yay for those of you who dont carry around mirrors in your purses.

The mascara itself is wonderful! Im usually not a fan of lengthening mascara. Im more of a volumizing mascara kinda gal. But BUT I love this one because its very consistent in its lengthening. You also only need one coat to see the difference. You can use two coats if you wish but all it does it clump your lashes without adding any more length. I myself usually put on one coat of volumizing, then one coat of lengthening so this product works perfectly for me. I definitely recommend trying this!

The full-size product sells for $24.

Ah, yes. Nicole by Nicole Richie, the fragrance by Nicole Richie. Ive seen this around but have never sampled it. Im usually into these luxurious heavier scents so I was really excited to get to finally sample it.

This is a heavier scent of creamy amber, rose, and a hint of vanilla. I say heavy but I dont mean HEAVY. What I mean is its not one of those lifty happy springtime scents. Its one of those sexy sultry scents that make you think red feather boa and black stilleto heels. Love!

The full-size product (50ml) is on sale at FragranceHut.com for $31.79.

THIS POST IS GETTING LENGTHY BUT PLEASE HANG IN THERE.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love my hair. I play with it a lot so I really need to take good care of it. I have such an excessive amount of shampoo and conditioner and serum and protectant you have no idea. ANYWAY this is a clarifying shampoo by Number 4.

I have an oily scalp so I need to wash my hair every day, once every two days AT MOST. But the thing is that my ends are dry, which makes it harsh on them that I wash so much. Thats why this product is awesome. Its a low-suds formula that cleans buildup without stripping your hair of essential oils. You can also feel the softness of your hair once you wash the suds off. Its wonderful.

The full-size product (250ml) sells for $32.00.

There is one other sample but I havent gotten around to trying it out yet so check back soon, probably within the week.

If you want your very own Birchbox, click here.