Birchbox (December 2015)

We're only a few days away from Christmas and I know it's totally cliché to say it, but seriously, where has the year gone?! Craziness. I'll be taking a bit of a blogging break over the holidays, as I usually do, but before that I wanted to share my thoughts on this month's Birchbox (c/o).

To me, Birchbox has always been one of the original beauty subscription boxes. I remember hearing about it years ago when it was only available in the US and the company has come such a long way since then. For one thing, they now ship to Canada! But they have also expanded considerably, offering a men's box and a whole host of exclusive brands in their online shop (like Parlor by Jeff Chastain, a line of hair styling products that I got to test out a few months ago).

Here's what my December 2015 box contained:

Kate Spade Live Colorfully Perfume Sample. This is one of the good kinds of perfume samples that comes in a mini spray bottle (versus those little glass vials) so it makes for both easy portability and application. The fragrance is fresh with a tropical vibe thanks to the blend of white florals and coconut.

LOC x Tati Vibrant Matte Lipstick in Glam Life. I had never heard of this brand before but that's because it's a Birchbox exclusive curated by Youtuber Tati Westbrook (GlamLifeGuru). Glam Life is a dark berry shade that's perfect for Fall/Winter and the formula is really nice as well.

Sunday Riley Good Genes Treatment. Sunday Riley is a $$ brand that I've wanted to try for quite some time now... I'm always hearing/reading such good things about their products on Youtube and other beauty blogs. The Good Genes Treatment is one of their cult products, an all-in-one treatment and mask that's supposed to brighten and restore damaged skin.

JUARA Coconut Illipe Hand & Nail Balm. I love coconut so that was a huge plus for this product right off the bat. It's also moisturizing and not too greasy, and the sample size is great for throwing in my purse for on-the-go.

Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo. I use a ton of dry shampoo and I like trying new ones, especially sample sizes when I'm travelling for work. Perk Up Dry Shampoo works well to get your hair feeling refreshed and the packaging is super cute, but there is not much volumization (for that, I always go back to my tried and true Batiste XXL).

Overall, I liked everything I received this month which is surprising since I'm usually underwhelmed by most beauty-only subscription boxes. I think it's because some of the brands are more expensive (Kate Spade and Sunday Riley, for example) and these are all products I would actually use.

P.S. If you need a last-minute gift, how good would a Birchbox subscription be? Just saying.