Birchbox {June 2012}

I'm a big fan of Birchbox, but I wasn't very happy with my May samples. The only thing I got excited about was the BB Creme sample, which turned out to be an empty tube. I got too busy to contact Birchbox about it at the time, but overall, that box (ironically styled after "Gossip Girl" which was a disappointment all the way around in May) was a bit of a letdown.

Luckily, June picked up May's slack!

I got this in the mail on Wednesday and tore right into it. It's called "Jet Set" for summer traveling, which is a cool concept. This box was right up my alley.

Nothing smells quite as refreshing as rose water. This was subtle and lovely, but it did fade over the next two hours. For being a fan of the scent, I've never owned my own version of rose water, so I was excited when I saw this!

This is Japanese hydrating cream, which can be used anywhere from your lips to your cuticles. I tried it on my cuticles but for the first time in six months, my cuticles are relatively healthy! (Must be all this humidity.)

I got VERY excited when I saw this in other friends Birchboxes. I've never been brave enough to try lip stains before, so I was thrilled to see that this was the only overlap I had with everyone else. I tried it already and I like the color very much.

Liquid liner is old hat for me. A couple years ago, when I had money, I'd tried everything under the sun, from samples to department store makeup counter versions to drugstore clearance racks. I finally stumbled across Make Up Forever's cream liner, which is thicker than liquid liner, and I've used that for over two years now. But this Eyeko stuff was amazing. I ran in to the bathroom and applied this as soon as I got it out of the box, and (with a steady hand and years of practice behind me, mind you) it went on like a dream. The tip is very fine, so I was able to do a winged look, too! I'm saving this baby for fancier occasions, though.

These are... baffling. I've never understood the concept of "designer" bandages. And a box of 20 of these rings up at $15/box. That's insane! If I really want to draw attention to a cut or abrasion, I would use a cartoon bandage like the rest of the world. I will throw some of these into my purse for emergencies.

Birchbox also included a cologne sample for their new Birchbox Men. I tossed it to Mr. Cheddar, who sniffed it and said he didn't like it. Sorry, Birchbox, you didn't gain a customer. He also didn't understand why a Men's Birchbox would cost $20 when the regular box (for women) only costs $10.