May 2012 Birchbox

I received my very first Birchbox in the mail over a week ago so this post is a bit late, sorry! I was super excited to become a Birchbox subscriber and even more excited to open my first box. So without further ado, let’s get started…

The first item I tried was the FusionBeauty Lip Fusion Lip Balm Conditioning Stick which smells great and goes on amazingly smooth. I tried this product before reading up on it and couldn’t believe how nourished and hydrated my normally dry, cracked lips were after one use. I used the product a few more times over the next three days before finally deciding to Google it. I found it online where it normally retails for $22.00 which is pretty steep for a lip balm. It claims to increase the water content of the skin by 6000% in four weeks with daily use. Despite how much I love this product, I can’t say for sure that I’d purchase a $22.00 lip balm without at least a 20% discount. I’d love to try the pink tinted butterscotch flavor choice they make!

The second item I tried and can’t help but use everyday since is the Arquiste Flor y Canto perfume which is the best perfume I have ever smelled. Prior to trying this perfume last week, I wore Gucci Guilty on every weekday and anytime I went out. I don’t know much about scents and undertones but I know what I like and Flor y Canto has everything I like.

Besides making love to my senses, this perfume speaks to the history buff in me because it is a unique “concept scent” developed by Rodrigo Flores-Roux and Carlos Huber that is said to evoke the scent of an Aztec summer festival in Tenochtitlan circa 1400. The fact that this perfume gently stays with me over the course of an entire day is a huge selling factor for me as usually my scents wear off in a matter of hours. This perfume retails for $165.00 and can be purchased through Birchbox, online at http://arquiste.com/shop/online.html and also at Barney’s. Having premiered this year it is likely to become more widely available in the summer and fall. I look forward to purchasing this perfume in the future.

The final two items in this month’s Birchbox were a hand cream and hair conditioner. I’ve been using the Caudalie Hand and Nail cream and threw it in purse for on the go purposes. To me it’s your standard run of the mill hand cream and didn’t particularly stand out. I liked that it had a light fragrance that doesn’t claim or overpower anything else you might be wearing when you use it. The Ojon Damage Reverse Restorative Conditioner will be put to the test on my vacation next week. When there’s sand, salt and chlorine all working on my hair, I’m sure I’ll need a good conditioner and since I’m not checking my luggage the sample size will be perfect for traveling. Check back for that review soon.