How the latest and greatest in beauty made my December feel a little bit more gorgeous…or not so much.

Product reviews are from left to right, top to bottom.

Harvey Prince Hello Perfume | What an inspired and truly appropriate name for this new Harvey Prince fragrance. It’s light, refreshing, and with a spritz instantly channels pure sunshine. It’s like literally saying “hello” to those you come into contact with all day long without saying a word. By far, this was my favorite sample of the month. However, I would say its playful scent is better suited during warm, sunny seasons – perfect for spring and summer. I was a bit shocked to see such a citrus-y and floral scent in my box during the dead of winter. Certainly not anything to get too bent up over, but I wish Birchbox would curate their products to be more streamlined and thematic to the time of year. At $55 full-sized, it’s not incredibly expensive and is something I look forward to adding to my fragrance collection. So instead of saying “Hello” – let this perfume do if for you! It’s an A+.

Manna Kadar Sheer Glo Shimmer Lotion |  I wasn’t quite sure what to make of this product when I turned to this sample. So, I read the description and got clear quickly. It’s essentially a pink lotion that sparkles when applied to body and face. I rubbed a bit on my hands and was instantly thrown off that it had absolutely no scent. A body lotion, with no scent? Hmm. While the shimmer on my hands was nice, I thought this would be best served for its main purpose as a highlighter for your face. Now this aspect to the Manna Kadar’s Shimmer Lotion was great. I loved the subtle sparkle to my cheeks over Christmas dinner….and then I my skin broke out. Since I’ve been using the same products on my face without this problem in recent times, I can with some degree of certainty (outside of maybe one too many sugar cookies over Christmas?) blame this product. That means, no go for me. I won’t even risk trying it again to be certain that it caused the breakout (I’m that anal about my skin) – but let’s just say my cheeks were the main area of the breakout, which is exactly where I had applied this product.

Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré (24-Hour Miracle Cream)  | I don’t know if I’d call this a “miracle cream,” but it made my skin happy.  When my face had recovered from the Manna Kadar Shimmer Lotion disaster – I did try this cream and was impressed with the amount of moisture it supplied. My skin can get a bit drier during the winter and I need something a little stronger. This product is light with great coverage, yet doesn’t leave your skin greasy after application. I’ve been happily using the same Murad moisturizer for years now, and while I’ve been rethinking a new moisturizer due to cost, I don’t think this product would make the cut. It’s still quite expensive and you don’t get much of it in the full-sized version at 75ml. I’ll keep looking.

Number 4 Non-Aerosol Hairspray | Admittedly, this came in handy over my holiday travels! It was the perfect size sample to take on the road. And this hairspray was rather admirable in performance. It did a great job of maintaining my hairstyle without flakiness. The caveat is that this hairspray is also good for the environment, hence also the non-aerosol properties, along with being free of sulfates and parabens. This product would be nice for someone who dislikes aerosol sprays and harsh chemicals, while making the world a healthier place. Forgive me in advance, and not to offend my earth friendly readers; but at $30 full-sized, I’ll stick with my favorite L’Oreal Elnett Satin Hair Spray at half the cost and twice the amount of hairspray. I’ll find another way to contribute to a greener world.

Twistband™ Hair Tie | I don’t quite understand the”Twistband” trend. While I love that these are designed to give a supportive hold without leaving that annoying crease where your ponytail sat (they do work in this respect!) – these look rather cheaply made to me (i.e. the “knot” to close the band is near criminal). But for the sake of review – I did use this hair tie quite extensively over the holidays and after about 2 weeks of use on and off, it looks worn out already. $12 for pack? No thanks. 

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