More Birchbox goodies!

One of the awesome things about Birchbox is the fact that you can review the items you receive for a credit of 10 points. Ten points is basically a dollar and when you reach 100 points, that's 10 dollars! With these points, you can purchase other things on the site. So, with enough points (200) I decided to buy a few things I had been keeping an eye on.

Behold!

Not a lot but definitely enough to make me happy at having spent practically nothing on! Really, I didn't spend anything on this stuff, just points. That still blows my mind! XD
But on to the actual products~

Liz Earle Pure Muslin Cloths - I'm sure I've mentioned before somewhere on the internet that I was really considering buying more Liz Earle Muslin cloths. Well, I did! And I wasn't disappointed! These cloths are a really nice size. I was content at the size of the one I received as a sample, I just wanted another one. But not only did I get another one, I got two more! And bigger than the one I already had. They did feel a little more stiff than the sample sized one, but after wetting it, it was pretty much the same. Definitely a win.

Opi Sheer Tints Nail polish (teal) - It really seems more like just blue to me but ah well~ I was really intrigued by this product after seeing a video for it (by Birchbox of course, it's on the same page as the link to the product). I even thought of doing what was done in the video, but realized that I only had one of the polishes. In the end I settled on trying to do a kind of drippy gradient paint effect on my nails. I really liked the outcome although it definitely looks a bit more on the drippy/messy side.

 Different light to get a better feel for the look.


Left has a cooler light.


Right has a warmer light (and a kitty!).

 Before I decided on this look, I tested it out on just nail primer (instead of white polish as its base) and that didn't look so good. So I wiped that off, but dang! This stuff is a bit difficult to get off. It's got a clear shiny layer that comes off first and then the actual colored part is kind of sticky somehow. With that in mind, I thought this polish would last longer and I suppose it did. Longer than just a regular polish I suppose, but I figured it would last longer still. My right hand showed more wear at the tips since I'm right handed, and of course, it was a pain to get off all my nails. But it was worth it in the end as having this effect on my nails was just really awesome. (I love blue, also.)

Ahmad Tea (Mixed Berries and Hibiscus) - Note: On the site, this flavor is listed as "Rosehip, Hibiscus, and Cherry" but the box is named as I've named it in the link. I've only tried this once and it was more bitter than I was expecting, but not bad. I've seemed to have amassed a decent variety of teas lately so I haven't really gotten back around to this one since it didn't strike me as delicious the first time around. Next time, I may put in some honey or heck even just plain sugar. Definitely willing to try again though! (And give out as presents in the meantime!)

So for my first official "purchase" I'm pretty satisfied. I thought perhaps I would have to pay something, like shipping and handling, but nope. My points covered it. I should say though that my grand total was $18.50, but as you can only points in increments of 100, I had to sacrifice 20 points (or... 1.something) in order to get this for free. But that was fine by me. If I wanted to, I could have waited to gather more and bought some other things.

Yay for free! Kind of!