Today I want to share with you my Birchbox for August 2016.  If you'd like to see my unbox this months Birchbox you can visit my YouTube channel! This month was actually a pretty good month as far as samples go. Sometimes with these you get a lot of smaller items or things you won't use but I'm pretty excited about what I got this time overall. :) There were no "big ticket" items in this months box but the total value was $18.70 so it still exceeded the $10 I paid for it.  So what was inside?

This box has five samples and then a bonus sample.  I didn't give the bonus sample a value because it was a bonus item and it's also a packet so it probably doesn't really HAVE much value.  I'll start with the other stuff. :)

Avene Cleanance Cleansing Gel for Face and Body

Total cost full size: $20

"This soap-free cleanser, made with French thermal spring water, has been keeping European beauties fresh-faced for decades. The gentle formula purifies skin without aggravating it, and is especially good for oily or blemish-prone skin types."

This cleaner smells really fresh and was gentle on my skin without being drying. I don't like it better than my current face cleaner but I was impressed with it nonetheless. 

Beauty Protector Protect & Oil

Total cost full size: $28

"Suitable for all hair types, this uniquely lightweight paraben-free formula protects against UV rays and heat damage like no other elixir we’ve tried. And, using star ingredient argan oil, it also protects, strengthens, and adds a pretty gloss to strands. Call it love at first spritz."

I'm not generally a fan of hair oils. I have ONE that I love and use here and there. This one is light and smells really nice. It has a sort of vanilla like smell. I wish my sample had come as a spray because I think that would be a game changer. But it's still really effective and not super heavy or greasy.

  

Manna Kadar The Day Dream Palette (bronzer and highlighter only)

Total cost full size: $25 

 "This one sets itself apart from the pack with six universally flattering eye shadows, a blush, a bronzer, and two highlighters (because who can’t get enough of glowy skin?) that you’ll use to the very end. This superpigmented palette is versatile (for instance, you can wet the shadows for a more foiled look), so you can go as smoky and dramatic or as subtle as you like."  

I can't vouch for most of this palette since only the highlighter and bronzer were included as samples. I found the bronzer to be too dark for my skin and while the highlighter is nice I prefer a more pink shade there. These would be great on more medium to dark tones or people with more neutral undertones to their skin. 

 Marcelle Hydra-C 24h Engergizing Hydrating Gel

Total cost full size: $25

"Perk up and protect with this lightweight gel moisturizer. With green tea, cucumber extracts, and vitamins C and E, it nourishes and hydrates skin while guarding against pollutants and stressors. This formula glides on with a cooling sensation, soothing skin as it gets to work."

This one I was pretty excited about. I really love lightweight moisturizers because I have combination skin which tends to get oily if moisturizers are too heavy. I also was just introduced to this brand in another box and really loved the product. This gel is true to it's word. It's very lightweight but super hydrating. It also doesn't have a heavy scent like some other moisturizers I've tried. Overall this one was a win for me.

  

Stila All Day Liquid Lipstick in Patina

Total cost full size: $20 for a mini trio 

"This is the longest-lasting lipstick we’ve ever tried. When you open this cute floral pouch you’ll find three deluxe samples in colors that fit every mood: a cult-fave fuschia (Patina), a delicate pink (Aria), and a powerful nude (Carmello). The creamy matte formula also nourishes and hydrates your lips while providing pretty epic longevity." 

I got one of these mini shades from the trio.  It's Patina which is supposed to be a universally flattering pink shade. I quite like liquid matte lipsticks and this one was no exception. One thing I don't love is how they all seem to dry out my lips overtime though. I haven't worn this one for more than an hour or so and didn't have that issue with it but over longer periods of time I'm not sure how it will do yet. 

 

Bonus item!! Shea Moisture Fruit Fusion Coconut Water Weightless Shampoo and Creme Rinse

Haven't used this one yet so no comments so far BUT I love that they gave me twice as much conditioner as shampoo. :)

Which item are you most excited for?  

Happy Independence Day to all my US followers! I hope you're all having a safe and fun holiday. :) Here's a quick nail design I did with Zoya Purity and Janel and Duri Summertime Blues.

It's the final day of the rainbow challenge with The Digital Dozen. Today I have a fun rainbow look for you! It reminds me of octopus tentacles!! Of course from a fun, rainbow colored octopus though!  I actually had the most fun with this one and I think at the end of the day it turned out to be my favorite of the whole challenge.  It's sort of sublet but it's also fun and summery.  I always really love white nails and nail art with a white base so this one was a winner for me.  I hope you enjoyed the challenge! To see what colors I used for my designs this week you can visit my post from day one. :) Check out the other girls art below!

Today's nails are a bit of a replay design!  I really loved the look I did for day one and I wanted to put something over the top of it so that the rainbow and glitter would just peek through.  It's been so long since I broke out a crackle nail polish and while I know a lot of people hate them I'm not one of them! I think they're so much fun and they can really add dimension to your design but without being too difficult or time consuming.  So I threw some on the look and I loved it.  I still loved the swirly brush strokes though so I decided to include both looks for this weeks challenge. :)  I used China Glaze Lightning Bolt for my crackle on this design.  Check out the other girls art below!!

Today is day three of the Digital Dozen rainbow challenge and today I have some fun leopard spots for you!  This look actually reminds me a lot of a Dr. Seuss book I read as a child called, Put Me In the Zoo.  That's the one where Spot wants to be in the zoo so badly that he does all sorts of crazy and fun things with his spots including turning them various rainbow shades. :)  I also really love leopard so any excuse to put it on my nails is good enough for me!  Please check out the other ladies art below!!

It's day two of the Digital Dozen's rainbow challenge and I'm still struggling with the lighting situation but hopefully it's a little better today than yesterday at least.  For today I did some rainbow colored dots. :)  I started out with the idea of doing this as a blobbicure but three tries later the stupid little dots STILL did not want to spread and since I was losing daylight I just decided to do it as a standard dot mani.  It's still really cute but it wasn't the original plan.  Oh well...can't win 'em all!  Check out the other girls art work below!

Well it's that time again! It's time for another week of Digital Dozen art. :) This week we're doing rainbow for our theme.  It's also Spring/Summer time again and since I moved into my house just last fall I'm now in that awkward place where I'm trying to find the best lighting options in my home.  So you'll have to unfortunately bear with me a little bit while I grow into my new place. :)  Anyway I used all of the same colors for this weeks challenge and just mixed up my designs a bit to keep things interesting. The colors I chose to use are all by Zoya and they are: Hannah, Dory, Ness, Cam, Liv, Pippa, and Purity.  For today's design I made things a little fun by adding some glitter polish to the top.  The only thing I really didn't love about these nails was that the colors didn't blend quite as much as I wanted them to. It seemed to go best on my middle finger. Still they were bright and sparkly so I can't complain! :) Check out the other girls art below!