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This post almost didn’t make it into July but better late than never, right? It was really hard to compare this month’s Glam Bag and Birchbox and pick which one I liked best. They both had a good variety of sample products that were just perfect for the end of summer mood and weather. (If you still don’t know what My Glam or Birchbox is, read about it HERE) Here’s what I got this month:

July Glam Bag

I loved this month’s cosmetic bag. The material is really good quality and the colors are vibrant and summery; perfect for this month’s “Beach Beauty” theme. It’s a decent size too. All of the products arrived inside the cosmetic bag and it was zipped shut comfortably.

  • Juice Beauty Green Apple SPF 15 Moisturizer  (Trial Size .5 oz/ Full Size 1.7 oz retails for $38)-  I hate the smell. It smells more like Fruit Loop Cereal than green apples. The texture isn’t very absorbent, which is strange for a moisturizer with such a low SPF number. Anyhow, I find that it works great as a makeup primer under my foundation, not so much as a moisturizer.
  • Nume Hydropunch Hydrating Conditioner (Trial Size .67 oz/ Full Size 8.45 oz retails for $24.99) – Honestly, I haven’t gotten around to try this one yet. Sorry…
  • Josie Maran Magic Marker Lip & Cheek Stain in the color ‘Jitterbug’ (Full Size .09 oz retails for $19) – I was excited to receive a full size lip stain. The color is very, and I mean very bright pink though. It’s nice on the lips, but I have no idea how to use it as a cheek stain without it looking like a drew on blush circles with a sharpie.
  • Yes to Cucumbers On-The-Go Facial Towelettes (10 count, retails for $3.00) – I haven’t used these either, not because I haven’t gotten around to it yet, but because I want to save them for when I really need them (like when I come home tipsy and don’t feel like fully washing my makeup off ;)).
  • Circus by Andrea’s Choice Nail Color in the color ‘Somersault’ (Full Size .45 fl oz. price N/A retails this fall) – I really liked receiving a full size nail polish (yay for two full size products this month!) but personally I hate the color. It is Big Bird yellow. It took about 3 to 4 coats to get a flawless color payoff, and it did last a full day without chipping. It would’ve lasted longer but I couldn’t stand looking at the color on my nails anymore.

Birchbox

This month’s Birchbox was sponsored by Glamour Magazine. There’s not much to talk about the box since it looks the same every month.

  • Amika Obliphica Nourishing Mask (Trial Size .067 fl oz/ Full Size 16.9 fl oz retails for $40) – This hair mask smells great and left my hair super soft. I was able to use only half to get a second use out of it. If it wasn’t so expensive I would consider purchasing the full size.
  • Amika Obliphica Oil Hair Treatment (Trial Size .01 fl oz/ Full Size 3.38 fl oz retails for $34) – I really liked this hair oil. It didn’t weigh my hair down and it didn’t make my hair greasy at all. And trust me, I used the whole packet in a single use. But again, if the full size wasn’t so darn expensive I would consider purchasing it.
  • Boscia BB Cream (Trial Size .01 fl oz/ Full Size 1.75 oz 3.38 fl oz retails for $38)  – I really believe it’s hard to give an unbiased review on sample facial products. Especially when they are not paired to match your skin color or type. And even worse when the amount is too small to give it a good test drive. How would you know if it works for you unless you have sufficient product to test it under different weather conditions and for different lengths of time? So for the sake of not giving a bad review on a product I’ve barely had the chance to test, this one is going to have to be a pass…
  • Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in the color Olive (Full Size .07 oz retails for $15)- At first I wasn’t so excited about the color. (It seems like I didn’t like any of the colors of the samples I received this month, right?) I wouldn’t know how to wear a green colored eyeliner. But, thankfully, it dries almost black, which is great. It looks more subtle than dark black liquid liner. It’s really easy to use, which is perfect for the winged liner look. And it lasts a long time.
  • Harvey Prince “Hello” Perfume (Trial Size N/A / Full Size retails for $26) – This is a really girly and lightly scented perfume. It smells really nice and sweet.
  • Larabar Uber Banana Foster Fruit & Nut Bar (Sample Size .82 oz / Full Size Pack of 16 $27.95) – It’s a bit strange that they would add a food sample into this month’s Birchbox. I really hope they don’t do it again, because I don’t like the idea of eating food that has been sent in the mail. However, if it weren’t for the banana flavor (because I’m not a banana fan) this would’ve been quite tasty.
  • Birchbox Exclusive Earbuds – Real, functional headphones? Hell yeah! Birchbox can feel free to send as many electronic items anytime they want. So they aren’t Beats Audio quality headphones, but they work pretty good.

And the winner of Round 2 is (drumroll please)… Birchbox! My favorite Birchbox items were the hair mask and oil (even if I only did get one use out of it, it was that good), the liquid eyeliner, and the earbuds. It was definitely a tough decision to pick a winner this month but the free electronics won me over. It was a really nice touch. Do you agree? Which one would’ve you preferred to receive this month?

♥