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Birchbox Review | November

How the latest and greatest in beauty made my November feel a little bit more gorgeous…or not so much.

Product reviews are from left to right.

DDF® Amplifying Elixir | When I saw DDF in my box, I got a little more than excited based purely on reputation alone. Wow, the DDF. In my Birchbox. Turns out, there wasn’t too much get excited about. My first stint with the famous DDF brand was experimenting with their Amplifying Elixir used after cleansing and just before moisturizing. The product touts that it “transforms skin, boosting its natural moisture barrier up to 50%” (whatever that means!). To give it some credit, this may be a product that takes frequent use over a period of time to really notice anything happening, but I wasn’t impressed. It burns upon application and makes my skin feel a bit sticky. This product retails for $70. For that cost, I should be more assured by now. This is a pass. Just use a good moisturizer and you’ll be fine!

Tiossan Body Cream | This is a really nice body cream. I received it in the “Terranga” scent, which I wasn’t too crazy about at first use, but decided it wasn’t too bad after all. It has a great texture and went on silky smooth without any residual greasiness (don’t you just hate that in a lotion!?!). The reason I’ll stop writing any further about this product is that it’s $38.00 for the full size. Mind you, full-sized is a mere 6.5 oz. No body cream is worth all that, unless it’s made of gold.

theBalm® cosmetics Stainiac | This did absolutely nothing for me. Aside from the fact that I’m really over “lip/cheek stain combo” products in general because they never seem to work with my skin tone – I didn’t like the way the product felt upon application nor the shade I received, “Beauty Queen.” It didn’t show up on my lips very well and when I went back to look at my lips mere minutes later after several layers of applications, what did faintly show up 5 minutes before was gone. Perhaps this would work better on a gal with very fair skin; but if you have some color to your skin, like myself, skip this product. It’s worthless.

Color Club® Harlem Lights Collection | If you recall, from my very first review of Color Club’s nail polish, I’m a fan. I continue to share this sentiment as I’ve begun experimenting with their “Baldwin Blues” shade in their Harlem Lights Collection. It’s my first time playing with dark blue nails, and I’ve been having too much fun with this color! A huge perk worth noting? This polish was on for almost a week before I noticed my first chip!

Folle de Joie eau de parfum | Folle de Joie which means “Crazy With Joy” in French makes me happy just thinking about the name. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there is something unique about this scent. It’s light, fresh, floral, but citrus-y. I was surprised this product came in my Birchbox so late in the year. I know Birchbox’s aim when curating samples is to think about season and themes when selecting products. This fragrance, although okay year-round, would pair nicely with Spring and Summer. I think a bit more drama is necessary in fragrances as we approach winter. As much I like the sample and will contiue to enjoy it, this product retails for $98. There are too many other exciting fragrances on the market to justify the nearly $100 cost at this time. Either way, it makes me crazy with joy!

Ahmad Assorted Teas | What was right on time and themedappropriately to the chilly temperatures developing outside was Ahmad’s tea assortment. As of writing time, I’ve only sampled the English Breakfast and no complaints here. I found the sample flavorful and bold. I’m anxious to try the Black Raspberry next. In fact, tonight might be the perfect time to head home after a long day and brew a spot of tea. Baby, it’s cold outside!