BIRCHBOX January 2018—find your happy

January’s Birchbox has the theme: find your happy.

Samples this month are meant to help you ‘feel like your greatest self.’ And, with that I just want to say Happy New Year, Gorgeous! I hope every one’s 2018 is turning out to be successful and beautiful!

Without further ado, here are the fabulous samples I received this month from #Birchbox:

ARROW BOOST Color Enhancing Lip Balm—in Berry Busy

Love that this lip balm is ultahydrating! and that it is self-adjusting to your pH to turn a lovely pink flush (one that is tailored for you, specifically, I guess:). It turns kindof a sheer fuchsia with a violet undertone on me, which IS perfect!

I’ll be wearing this all winter and summer—when lips really need the most moisture boost! It’s nice that it turns such a lovely flushed color, much better than a sheer balm. I give this a definite thumbs up.

BEAUTY PROTECTOR Protect & Volume hair mist

This hair mist is another product that is tailored for me and works perfectly with my fine, straight hair. Protect & Volume is weightless on hair to provide body and shine, WITH the benefit of a thermal protector.

It makes my hair shiny, and instantly soft (I can really feel it). When I first spray it on it has a light, sweet scent but that dissipates pretty quickly. Plus, it’s Paraben free, Vegan, and there is no sticky buildup.

CLARINS Double Serum Complete Age Control Concentrate

The CLARINS sample came in small foldable card to dispense the product. It is called Double Serum because the card has separate reservoirs for 2 different serums, that when dispensed you need to mix in your hand before applying to your face. The reason, they don’t come pre-mixed is so that they will be best preserved for potency and preservation.

Amazingly, this double serum (Hydric + Lipidic System) is infused with 20 potent plant extracts, including Curcuma Turmeric, which is very impressive. All ingredients work together to revitalize skin and fight the effects of aging.

I have, within the last 6 months, started taking a Turmeric supplement due to its powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric is amazing stuff! So, I am happy to see that it being incorporated in skin care.

To use, apply it to your face (keeping it away from eyes, as usual) both day and night before skin cream.

And, this is okay to use even on sensitive skin!

CLARINS Multi-Active Night Cream—Normal to Combo skin (there is also a version for Normal to Dry skin)

That’s right! 2 Clarins products came this month in my Birchbox. This one is a good size sample.

This another wonderful anti-aging product from Clarins, and can be worn over the Double Serum. A white cream, that also relies on the power of plants—particularly teasel and Organic California poppy extracts. This product is considered one of Clarins’s new generation anti-pollution complex that helps comfort and de-stress skin.

Doucce Cosmetics Freematic Eyeshadow Single in Veronica

At first glance, I wasn’t too impressed with the color of this eyeshadow single. Another boring tan shade? But! to my delight, this doucce single is actually more of a shimmering peach than a brown. It makes a lovely all-over eyelid color.

And, I noticed that the #Birchbox site offers an eyeshadow Quad Pro Palette by doucce, in their items for sale, that includes this color (Veronica). The Quad that is for sale is a reusable palette so that colors are replaceable as you run out. Good idea, doucee!

—> and for the last item:

R+Co BADLANDS Dry Shampoo Paste

So, with dry shampoo sprays all the rage these days, it was nice to receive a ‘paste’ version of this product. R+Co BADLANDS Dry Shampoo Paste is actually part dry shampoo and part texturizer.

The way I’ve been using it is to rub a small amount of the paste between my fingertips to warm it, then rubbing the paste into the dry roots of my hair. It can also be used on damp hair, although to me it seems easiest to adhere it to dry hair.

And, it appears to immediately give my hair a little extra spring at the roots. Perfect!

Key ingredients for this are: