Birchbox June 2011

It's a mystery....

Hello! I hope all of you have had a good day! Mine has been surprisingly good. I got to catch up with a good friend of mine, work was busy but productive, and my June Birchbox was waiting for me when I arrived home. Since my past two Birchboxes have arrived in the middle of the month, it was a very pleasant way to end the day. What's particularly exciting is that, since I got my box earlier than usual, I didn't get a chance to find out what other people have received, so the contents were a surprise as well.

This month's theme is "vacation-ready products," and I'm loving what I got in my box. This month, I received:

My first look

• A sample of the Kate Spade perfume Twirl
• A large sample of Kiehl's new Ultra Facial Oil Free Lotion
• A full-size Laura Geller Baked Blush N' Brighten Blush in Apricot Berry
• A large sample of Xen-Tan's Deep Bronze Luxe
• Two Herban Essentials Orange Towelettes (this was my extra for the month)

These products look amazing, and the people at Birchbox really outdid themselves with this month's box. Besides getting a full-size blush from Laura Geller (priced at $29.50), the Kiehl's product isn't even available in stores yet, which gives me a sneak peek at this moisturizer. I also love that I got a mix of makeup and skin care. While some reviewers have either had much worse luck than I have or are much more discerning, I find that I am pretty easy to please when it comes to Birchbox. The only thing that I'm a little iffy about is the self-tanner. Since I'm Asian, I've found that some self-tanners turn me orange. However, I will definitely give it a whirl and hope that I don't turn into an Oompa Loompa.

From left to right: Kiehl's  Lotion, Laura Geller Baked Blush N' Brighten (top),  Kate Spade perfume,  Xen-Tan self tanner, Herban Essentials Towelettes

So far, I've tried Twirl and the Laura Geller blush. Although I am a cheapskate when it comes to fragrance (1.7 oz of Twirl is $65, much more than I would pay for perfume), the scent is very pretty. The blush, which can also be used as a highlighter, is pretty but very potent. I'm going to have to use a lighter hand when I apply it next time.

I'll post a more complete review on the products in several weeks (after I've had a chance to spend more time testing them). If you have questions about Birchbox or about the products (from this month's box or from previous months), please feel free to leave a comment below!