Sequins and Sea Breezes: 2013

4th and ocean

It's that time of the month again! No, not that time, I'm talking about Birchbox time! I always love getting my Birchbox and seeing what kind of goodies they sent out this month. I was especially excited for the December one since I figured they'd have some fun things I could add to my Christmas wish list. While I was disappointed I wasn't overwhelmed with excitement either. Here's my review on the products in this month's box!
1. Benefit Benetint - I'm already a fan of most things by Benefit including their High Beam Highlighter. I've been wanting to try the Benetint for awhile but I've read mixed reviews on it so I was most excited to get this trial. I definitely had the same mixed reviews that most people had. I loved it as a cheek stain, it blended easily (with my fingers) and produced a subtle yet noticeable flush to my cheeks. When I applied it to my lips as the lip stain I wasn't quite as satisfied. I found it a bit hard to get on evenly so the color wasn't consistent. I'd definitely recommend it though, it's the perfect compliment to that barely there make-up trend. 2. Manna Kadar Cosmetics Sheer Glo Shimmer Lotion - Mixed with foundation this highlighter gives you a nice dewy glow all over or just a dab on each cheek gives you a more noticeable shimmer. It goes on smooth and sheer so it's not too shimmery for every day wear but definitely has enough of a glow to be great for holiday parties. I'm not sure I see a real difference between this highlighter and my normal highlighter though so I'll probably just stick with my normal one in the future. 3. Number 4 Non Aerosol Hairspray - Ok, here goes my "you can't be serious" girl moment. I don't really like hairspray. Scratch that. I hate hairspray. I always complain about how my hair refuses to hold a curl but in it's defense, I pretty much always refuse to use hairspray. With that being said, this actually wasn't a horrible hairspray. I hate the heavy, sticky feeling most hairsprays give you, but the Number 4 hairspray is light and flexible. It doesn't give you the "helmet hair" feeling and it actually has a fairly pleasant scent. I probably still won't use hairspray on a regular basis but this one is definitely a better choice for me. 4. Shea Terra Organics East African Shea Butter - This was actually a great trial to receive since I usually get dry skin during the "winter" (it's hard to actually consider it winter when it's still 85 degrees out). I loved how silky and moisturizing this way however I wasn't really a fan of the scent. It was a bit too "perfume-y" for me but definitely did it's job of making your skin soft and smooth. Supposedly it doubles as an eye cream but I haven't tried that yet as my skin is really sensitive. 5. bliss that's incredi-'peel'! - This actually comes as a wash and "peel" pad but I only received the sample of the pad. After one use I can definitely say I noticed a difference in how soft my skin felt. It did a good job of exfoliating without over-irritating. It was gentle enough to feel like I could use it several times a week. I love that bliss creates "spa-worthy" products you can use at home that seem to be on a similar level to what you would get if you went to the spa.