November Birchbox Review

My first Birchbox was AWESOME. Seriously. I loved just about everything in it. This month .... not so much. But that's OK! I'm all about trying new things, and knowledge is power. Especially beauty knowledge ;). My November Birchbox review might seem a little harsh, but I'm confident more great products will be showing up in December.

1. BeeKind Body Lotion. As a lotion made with honey and ogranic chammomile extracts you would think it smells similar to those things. It doesn't. It smells of lemon Pledge, like the dr. Brandt sample from my first Birchbox. And the consistency is way too runny- I prefer more of a cream. The only thing I really like about this product is part of the funds go to support honey bees and pollenation research. My advice: Donate funds to the bees. Skip the lotion.

2. Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil. My favorite product out of the box this month! My first use was a success and my skin was definitely glowing. Birchbox has a tutorial on different ways to use this pencil, which is really quite helpful since contouring is all the rage. My advice: Read the tutorials, try the pencil, become a contouring queen.

3. Joie Purfume. Scents are a powerful memory trigger. On first whiff I was transported to my sister's bedroom in 1988. This scent, in my opinion, is a mix between big hair and Barbie purfume ... both great things, it just comes on a little strong. My advice: Scent is a personal preference. Try a sample. I won't be buying the $100 bottle.

4. Wei Golden Root Purifying Mud Mask. I felt like I was putting whipped chocolate on my face, but without the chocolate scent. The mask had a nice tingle and dried fairly fast. The full size order is packaged like the sample which is the size of a single coffee creamer ... interesting. And also includes an applicator brush which I'd like to try! My advice: If you're looking for a mud mask explore your options. This is worth a try, but not jaw-dropping.

5. Wei Pomegranate Buffing Beads. I wasn't too impressed with the dr. Brandt microderm sample from last time, and the same goes for these buffing beads. I did like how you add the beads to your own cleanser, but the overall result wasn't anything special. It also didn't rinse off as easy as I would have liked. My advice: Pass. I still prefer my St. Ives Apricot Scrub.

Lifestyle Extra: Mighty Leaf Tea Pouches. I'm not much of a tea drinker myself, but my husband enjoys it from time to time. I commissioned him with trying the three different flavors so he took the packs to work. On his way there, they fell out of his pocket. Mighty Leaf will remain a mystery.