the january birchbox was curated to help you have #thebestyearever (actually their site uses #mybestyearever and the card insert that came with the box says to use #mybestyear). SO totally NOT related but most of my friends are completely clueless (saying that in the nicest way…they admit it) when it comes to social media, much less #hashtags. recently my girlfriends and i have all started chatting via group text msgs (face time would be too much commitment). i pity the friend who doesn’t have their phone in hand and comes back to 87687585865 text messages from us all chatting back and forth. it’s our new party line. but the point of my story is one of my bff’s was like #idontgetit. and it was hilarious because she has no idea why she was hashtagging but it made sense. LOL. guess you had to be there. oh yeah, you guys were here for the review. here’s what i got:

juicy couture-viva la juicy perfume: at first glance i was annoyed thinking….UGH…not the same stinky juicy perfume AGAIN. but then i realized it was a different perfume. and i actually didn’t mind this one. well, that or my sniffer is off because i’ve been battling a cold. it smells much lighter than the other juicy perfumes i’ve received.

amika color pHerfection shampoo: i LOVE amika products. i had never heard of amika before birchbox. the first sample i ever tried was a leave-in oil treatment (similar to moroccan oil) and i loved it. and then i tried their conditioner and LOVED it enough to buy the full-size. and now i finally got to try the shampoo. pretty sure the full size will be included in my next birchbox order. the best part is that it is sulfate free and my hairdresser keeps telling me i need a sulfate free shampoo.

embryolisse lait-creme concentre (24hr miracle cream): i am a bit confused by this. so the packaging made me think it was a facial moisturizer. and the birchbox insert said that it leaves your skin “primed for foundation”. yet, the birchbox site says to use it on your hands & neck?!?! i think they meant to say “face & neck”? all i know is i used it on my hands because they have been extremely dry. i liked that it wasn’t too thick or oily. but probably wouldn’t spend that much on a moisturizer since i love cerave products right now.

theBalm cosmetics “put a lid on it” eyelid primer: i don’t use primers very often (although i have purchased a few) and i wear eyeshadow even less often. so this isn’t really a product i would buy. but i DO love theBalm’s packaging….so cute.

THE EXTRA – juice beauty daily essentials to go: this is one that i probably won’t use. i do not want to interrupt my current skin care routine and unless is says “fountain of youth”, it will probably be given away.

*as much as it may seem like it, this is not a sponsored post. i am a paying birchbox customer. i often get asked, “but doesn’t a lot of stuff go to waste?” and yes, now that i have been a member for over a year…i do sometimes get tired of perfume samples and face “washes”…but to me, it is worth every penny to get a “grab bag” of fun beauty products to try each month. Click here to join for just $10/mo.