real chemistry

December Birchbox | 2014

Happy 2015 everyone! I hope you all had an amazing holiday, spent time with family and friends, and got the most out of the last few moments of 2014. Somehow this amazing year has come to a close and it’s time for me to share my final birchbox of 2014!

If you aren’t familiar with Birchbox, it’s a company offering a subscription to receive monthly samples of beauty products (They offer boxes for both men and women!). I love it because it’s a mini treat to myself once a month and it’s a great, inexpensive way to get introduced to new brands and products. As an added bonus- it makes a great gift for the girl (or boy) who has everything!

Below is my extra festive holiday birchbox. The boxes are getting more and more decorative with the samples being just as exciting! Check out December’s samples below!

December Birchbox 2014


Let’s begin with the Real Chemistry Luminous 3-Minute Peel. My skin is usually pretty low maintenance, so I am all about what is quick and easy. This peel not only fits the bill, but also works great!  It leaves my skin feeling refreshed and glowing. My only complaint is it leaves my skin a little dry, so make sure you have some moisturizer handy! I don’t normally use peels, but if you rely on them for skin issues, I recommend trying this 3 minute peel!

Next up is the SeaRX Anti-Wrinkle Facial Lift Treatment Serum. I’m not sure how I feel about a serum for my face, the texture is a little sticky and gel-like. I prefer a smoother, thinner lotion moisturizer. But for a serum, it did go on light and smooth. Unfortunately, I didn’t really notice a difference in my skin. To be fair, it’s a little hard to know with such a small sample if there’s actually any anti-wrinkle benefits in it.

Time for the Mirenesse iCurl Secret Weapon 24 Hour Mascara! I should start with saying I am very particular about my lashes. I have a several step process I use in the mornings when I apply my mascara and I thought this product could be a great lengthening agent to use as a base. Although this mascara does a good job lengthening, I don’t find it any more impressive than the other, less expensive mascaras I use. I did find it to hold throughout the day and to come off easily at night. But again, this is nothing overly impressive to me for the price.

Now onto Catherine Malandrino Style de Paris. This perfume smells like a dream! It has an elegant, fruity fragrance to it that lasts all day! It’s a little pricey and strong to be my go-to everyday scent, but I would love to have it for special occasions!

Lastly, I’m wrapping it up with Davines Replumping Shampoo, Conditioner and Superactive! This trio is supposed to add volume to your hair. Although it left my hair smelling amazing and feeling super soft, I didn’t think it ended up adding much volume to my look. For me, this was a great set to mix up my normal hair routine, but I don’t see the value in switching to them completely.

And that’s it for this month’s Birchbox samples. Have you heard of any of these brands or tried any of these products before? Tell me about them in the comments below! Maybe you’re just craving more beauty buys? Check out last month’s post, November Birchbox | 2014.