BIRCHBOX Review - August 2014

OK. So I missed July's review. My bad. With the transition going on, I just didn't have time to try all the products, and I hate not being able to give an honest review. I've mentioned it before, but I much prefer to do a "how did I like all the products" review instead of an "unboxing" review where I just tell you what I received. Plus, I feel like I'm getting my money's worth when I actual try the samples, since that's kinda the point of getting them. Now I'm just rambling. Moving on to August.
The first thing I can say about this box is that is was ADORABLE. So many cute touches. It started before I even opened the box. They added adjectives before everyone's names on the shipping label. Mine was addressed to "Elegant Elizabeth". The next cute touch was the sleeve that the smaller products came in said "Tee-Hee". I don't know why but I thought it was adorable. Also, the description card was fun.

Now onto the reviews of the actual products. In the good category we have:
Vasanti Detox Nutrient-Rich Facial Cleanser (sample size)
My face felt really clean after using it without being too dried out. Definitely no tight skin as can happen with harsher cleansers. I approve of all but the price. $24 for a bottle of cleanser is a bit much.
Dr. Jart+ Pore Medic Pore Minish Primer (sample size)
I fell in love with the Dr. Jart+ CC cream when I got that sample months ago, so I knew I liked the brand (plus it's a Korean company and I'm kinda partial). This stuff was pretty good too. It didn't feel oily or overly thick and I saw a difference in my pores. It smelled nice too. Not scented, just not too medicinal smelling.

Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo (sample size)
The surprise success award of the box goes to this sample. I usually hate dry shampoo. I don't feel like it works. My hair usually feels even more greasy after using it, but of course, I felt the need to try it anyway. I didn't wash my hair for 2 days (you know I like doing things FOR SCIENCE!), and this morning I sprayed the roots with this, then ran my fingers through my hair a couple times to work it in. Not only did it smell amazing, but my hair immediately felt less greasy and that's saying something. I'm a wash my hair every day kinda gal because I have really oily hair so this was super impressive. Granted I wasn't going to wear my hair down because it had all kinds of unsightly creases from being in a bun all day yesterday, but at least it didn't look gross.
You be the judge. Does that look greasy to you? It doesn't feel greasy at all. This definitely gets an A+ in my book.
Next we go to the bad category:

Noir Long-Wear Eyeliner (full size)
Normally I love getting eyeliner samples (although I've amassed quite the collection) and I was happy to get a full size one this time. Too bad it was not good. First, it went on more of a charcoal color than a true black, but it went on smooth and being the optimist I am, I just thought I'd use it when I didn't want something as dramatic. Well, I put it on 5 hours ago, and this is what it looks like now.
Not only was there transference to my upper lid which I hate, but it's almost completely gone. "Long-Wear Eyeliner" my patootie. If it can't even last 5 hours, it's not long wear. P.S. It's super hard to take pictures of my own eye. I don't know how my make up artist friends do it all the time.
Lastly we have the meh category:

Harvey Prince Ageless Body Cream (sample size)
It smelled very perfumey. I mean, that makes perfect sense since it's the lotion version of the Ageless perfume, but I prefer my lotion to be lightly scented (and usually fruity). Good news is, the smell didn't overwhelm all day. It was strong going on but within 30 min, I could hardly smell it anymore. The lotion itself was adequate.
Overall, it was a good box. I liked most of the products, and thought the theme was cute. I can't wait to see what next month brings.
If you're interested in signing up for BIRCHBOX, use my link here!
Happy Shopping!