Beauty Review: Birchbox Products from June 2011

As I mentioned in my Birchbox post earlier this month, I was stoked about the products in this month's box. Now, several weeks later, that feeling is pretty much the same. I have to admit that there were far more winners than losers in the box, and I am willing to give the product that didn't completely "Wow" me the benefit of the doubt (more on this later). With no further ado, here is a quick rundown of my thoughts on the products.

Laura Gellar Baked Blush N' Brighten in Apricot Berry (Full size [.32 oz] $29.50): This is by far my favorite product in this month's box. Besides being full-size (and thus totally mitigating my guilt over paying a measly $10 for each month's box), this is the perfect summer blush. It packs quite a punch, so only a little is needed. However, despite being very potent, it also looks natural and lovely when applied. The mix of peach/apricot and deeper berry tones works well with my coloring, but I can definitely see this being a universally flattering to all skin tones. I've never tried Laura Gellar before this box, but I'm definitely excited about trying more products from this company.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil Free Lotion (Full size [125 ml] $24.50): It has been a long time since I've used any Kiehl's products, but this moisturizer reminded me why I like their skin care so much. This lightweight, unscented lotion is great for summer and manages to moisturize without being too heavy (or contributing to my skin's oiliness). If you have oily skin, you might want to stick to using this in the evening during the summer months. However, for dry or combination skin, this could be the perfect go-to summer product.

Kate Spade Twirl (Full size [1.7 fl oz] $65): Although I love makeup, I am a bit of a skinflint when it comes to fragrance since I don't use it that often. While I can't see myself buying the full-sized version of Twirl, I really liked the fragrance. It is light, summery, and feminine without being too cloying. If fragrance is your thing, you might really like it.

Xen-Tan Deep Bronze Luxe (Full size [8 fl oz] $39): First, I will say that, if I had to use a self tanner, this is the one that I would use. It was pretty simple to apply, the smell was nice (it had a definite chocolate scent to it), and the tan was natural looking. For someone who usually turns orange when using self-tanner, this is a revelation in itself.

Unfortunately, I had a mini-crisis with this product. However, I can't bring myself to fault it since it was more than likely my ineptitude that led to this issue. After having a pretty good experience ridding myself of the farmer's tan on my arms, I decided to apply the product to my legs to help chase away their paleness. I gave my legs what I thought was an even coating and spent the rest of the evening working. When I woke up the next morning and got in the shower, I noticed that one of my legs was considerably darker than the other one and that the darker leg had noticeable pale patches. A few days of jeans and exfoliating solved this issue, and I'm pretty certain that the problem was me rather than the product.

Herban Essentials Orange Towelettes (Full size [20 towelettes] $15): These towelettes were a nice balance of functional (they helped me get rid of makeup and excess self-tanner) and luxurious (their orange scent seemed very natural and avoided the fake cleaning products smell I was expecting). Although I don't see myself buying the full-sized product since I don't have much of a need for towelettes, I would definitely consider buying them if I traveled more or if I needed individual towelettes to carry around with me for whatever reason.