May Birchbox Review

May Birchbox has finally arrived! Yippee! This month, Birchbox had a collaboration with Gossip Girl, so the boxes came in black instead of their usual pink.

As you can see in the top right corner, Birchbox had a fancy little black Gossip Girl sleeve.
Now for the breakdown! *metal music plays*

Twistband Hair Tie 12 for $18

So these are really neat.  I got a pink one, which you can see in the above picture, bottom center.  The hair tie is not necessarily for me because I have very short hair (just past my chin) but the versatile thing about these little guys is you can wear them as a cute bracelet! Then if someone with long hair has a hair-mergency (I just made that up) you can give them your arm candy of the day.  :D I love love love the assortment of colors and although a bit pricey compared to the $2 pack for 50 bands at the drugstore, these are definitely a better alternative because they're thicker, so not as likely to stretch out as quickly, and they're metal-free so you don't have to worry about your precious little hair strands getting caught in their claw-like grasp.

Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF 25 1.7oz for $32

If you guys have been paying attention, I'm an organic freak.  So at first I was excited for this, until I read the ingredients.  :( Sad. What a waste, for me at least because I'll never buy a full-sized tube. Now, I'm not saying this isn't for everyone, only for those with chemical-conscious minds and skin.  My friend who also received her Birchbox this month, loved it so much she immediately bought a tube.  So there's hope for you yet, young padawan! (geek reference, :D) Alright, despite my aversions to the ingredients, I nonetheless had to try it out.  It's tinted, which I totally didn't expect.  I love the appeal though: an all-in-one tinted moisturizer with SPF 25.  How often do you find SPF 25 in a moisturizer? Not often.  (And ladies, you should always wear SPF.)  It smells like foundation smells, so meh.  However, once I put it on my skin, it appeared to blend with my fair complexion and felt only minimally greasy.  So if I wasn't me, it'd pass my test.  But I am me so it doesn't. :P

BVLGARI Omnia Crystalline Eau de Toilette Spray 1.33oz for $64

Honestly, I've got enough samples of perfume to last me a lifetime.  Seriously.  I don't hardly use them because I'm allergic to most (well, I should clarify...I'm allergic to ladies and men who wear too much perfume/cologne).  This fancy little spray (I never understood the appeal to having perfume spelled in a different language.. Toilette makes me think you spray this on the toilet.  Go ahead, laugh.)  smelled decent, not too strong, but I prefer something more fruity and flowery, like Oh Lola! by Marc Jacobs. <3

Stila Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner $22 in Flash (wanted Rock Candy)

Funny story.  My boyfriend opened by Birchbox before I did, pulled out the eyeliner box, and proclaimed, "You got poop."  I'll admit, the color certainly looks like it came from a baby's bottom regions, but this stuff is hardy.  The color that comes out is a sparkly dirty gold color (I wish I'd gotten Rock Candy, that one looked more brown) but man! Does it stay on! I put it to the test on my hand under soap and water and it held fine.  Then I scrubbed at it with waterproof makeup remover and it faded a little.  I had to scratch at it with my nail to get it off.  So that won't be fun on my eyes.  But I imagine that it'd be easier to break down after all-day wear.  So although I'm not a fan of the color, I still like this product.

Ojon Volumizing Conditioner 8.5oz for $23

This brand is totally new to me.  I was wary at first, because the only organic shampoo/conditioner that I know of is Acure, so I immediately checked the ingredients.  It's nowhere near as pure as Acure, but it's certainly better than say, Suave. *shudders*.  The price is too steep for me.  I'd rather spend 23 bucks on Juice Beauty or more Acure, because I can get both Acure shampoo and conditioner for the price of Ojon's conditioner alone (Acure costs $10.99 for either shampoo or conditioner).  Meh. If I were a celebrity then maybe. But I'm not.  As for the smell, it was pleasant.  It reminded me of something I'd pick up on the shelves of a high-end beauty salon.  As for how it reacted to my hair, I can't really say I saw a difference.  It made my scalp a bit itchy, but I've been using my organic shampoo/conditioner for about two weeks now and my scalp is only used to 100% chemical-free stuff.  So this stuff threw my skin off balance and it was temporarily itchy.  But hey, if you're a name-brand spender this is the stuff for you.  Just not me.

Overall, I was a bit disappointed with Gossip Girl's/Birchbox's collaboration this month, ONLY because I received nothing truly organic. :( I'm hopeful for next month!

And remember ladies, if you want to sign up, use my code!

https://www.birchbox.com?raf=96r8z

I get 50 points for each person who signs up, and you do too! Every 100 points equals $10 in the Birchbox store so check it out ladies! And sign up!