You've Got Mail!: February 2014 Birchbox

Happy Valentine's Day to me!! My Birchbox arrived on the 12th and I've been sampling my little heart out. I really am enjoying this month's box. I will say I was a tad disappointed when I opened the box, because my hair oil had leaked everywhere. I still had the majority of the sample left, but it had gotten all over everything else. Normally they put the smaller or more fragile items in a little cardboard box to help cushion some things, but I guess they decided not to this go around, when they really should have. Because of that, I threw the box and wrappings away immediately (well, after rubbing them on my ponytail in an attempt to save the oil) I didn't take pictures right away, but I did manage to get some after.

Beauty Protector Protect & Oil
I was most excited about this little guy coming to me this month. I've loved everything that I've sampled from Beauty Protector. Their heat protecting spray is the best smelling thing ever. Ever. This hair oil boasts that it works on every hair type, protects against UV rays (very important for color treated hair, especially in the summer), heat, and breakage. I've not had a chance to jump on the Argan Oil train yet, so I was very excited to give this a go. I tried putting some on my dry ends and then running it through my damp hair. Oh, the SHINE! It did a great job on my ends, but it really made my hair super soft when I let it air dry in my damp hair. I think I don't have much of a choice on this one. My hair will revolt if I don't buy the full size. My only complaint is that this product is chock full of silicone, which are cheap to make, yet the full size bottle is $25. What gives?

COOLA Tinted Matte SPF 30 for Face
Birchbox loves COOLA sunscreens. I loved that this was a tinted sunscreen with a matte finish. I do not love that the coverage is pretty sheer. This would be great for someone who just needs a little oomf, but not a lot of coverage. Unfortunately, I need some extra coverage. Even if I use half the sample trying to build up coverage on my skin it doesn't do a whole lot. I'm going to pass on this one.

Ruby Wing Color Changing Nail Polish in Kitten Heels
I've sampled a different color of this polish earlier and loved the formula. There are some issues with the color changing piece to this polish, mainly that a top coat really interferes with it (and no top coat means no longevity). I love this hot HOT pink and it was perfect for Valentine's Day. I've had this color on for 4 days straight and it is just now starting to show some wear. Not bad!

Smashbox Cosmetics Full Exposure Mascara
I'll be honest, I've not sampled this one yet. Since you're supposed to pitch your mascara every 3 months I thought I'd save this one for when mine needs to go and use it for 3 months. But the sample size is deluxe and that excites me.

Smashbox Cosmetics Full Exposure Palette
This was my Beauty Extra and it was...not very extra. I would have preferred a smaller selection of colors to sample, but more product. This card has a nice selection of shadows (matte and shimmer) but not a ton of product. Not very thrilling, and I'm glad this didn't take away from my actual samples.

What was in your Birchbox this month? What's your favorite item? Do you like it when other people shop for you?

Sample Colleen at @bevilledeggs.