March Birchbox, product #2: Body Repair Balm by Skinfix

Birchbox, March 2014

Second item: Body Repair Balm by Skinfix

Full size: 2 oz., $18.50 ($16.50 on Skinfix website)

What I got (sample size): .28 oz, $2.59 ($2.31)

First impressions: Really clean packaging, bright design, feels very relateable. A bit less than 1.5” tall, nearly 2” diameter (guesstimating). Looks like it would be a good size to take traveling. The product inside is a beige color, and looks to have microscopic granules of something in it, but that could just be some sort of film over the top. It smells really interesting – in a good way. It has that thick warm scent I usually associate with shea butter, and the smell of the almond oil with it makes a really yummy sweet combination, that for some reason makes me think of cinnamon-flavored steamed milk. Not sure where that idea came from, but it seems to be a good representation of the smell.

Performance: The first time I opened this product (which is touted as an “all-natural balm that quickly repairs and softens severely dry skin – eczema included”) I decided to do a little test. I put some on my finger (there is a very very subtle grit to the product that’s practically undetectable, but it made it feel more natural for some reason – maybe because I use some Lush products with bits in them) and rubbed it on one of my most “severely dry” areas: my elbow. Actually, right on the Birchbox card they recommend using the balm for your elbows. But I only did one. Yup, just the one. It was not what I was expecting. 

While not rough, the balm certainly doesn’t glide on. It didn’t feel especially moisturizing, more like running a lightly greased hand over sandpaper. It just didn’t do as much as I was expecting. It left me feeling as though my elbow was maybe slightly more moisturized, but it felt as though it was going to dry up in a minute. Were my elbows just freakishly dry? Maybe they were. That’s why I decided that the solution was to compare it to my usual moisturizer, Lush’s Sympathy for the Skin. With just a dab of the moisturizer, my other elbow felt instantly smoother. So no, it wasn’t my skin, this balm really just wasn’t helping much.

The next morning I checked my elbows and found that the balm-ed elbow was still rough (though admittedly slightly less rough than the day before), and the moisturizer-ed elbow was still smooth. So it wasn’t a waiting game. 

Today, two days later, my Lush-treated skin was still less rough than usual, and my Skinfix-treated skin had returned to its original state. But I wanted to try again, to give it a second chance! So I pulled out the little tub, and tried just using more. Still, the first rub on didn’t do much. So I did a second layer. Still disappointingly dry. Better, yes, but still not as good as my usual moisturizer. But the directions do say “apply generously,” so on went a slathering of a third layer – so much that I actually had to rub for a good two minutes to even get the balm to sink in. 

 

Finally, after a load of balm, it was comparable to my other elbow. Which was moisturized three days ago. 

I’m sorry, Skinfix: I tried to give you a chance - I really wanted you to work! - but you just couldn’t cut it. You do smell nice, I’ll admit that, but my usual moisturizer smells like pudding, so I’m gonna stick with that one.

So, final thoughts?

Packaging: 5

Scent: 5

Texture: 3 – On smooth skin it still feels weird, as though it soaks in too quickly.

Function (out of 10): 2 – Better than nothing, but not much good.

Overall: 15/25 – But I would not recommend it to anyone. Smells good, yes, but I probably won’t ever use it again. I may try putting it on directly after a shower, to see if it can redeem itself, but I am highly doubtful.

'Til the next box review!

- BoxxyGirl

PS: Birchbox is a $10/month sample box. Interested in trying it? Use code BBM100 at this link to get 100 Birchbox points when you subscribe! Birchbox points can be redeemed for credit in the online store (100 points/$10), and you get more for every box and review! Pretty great reward system, huh?

March 26th Graze, snack #2: Key Lime Pie

Graze box, March 23^rd 26^th, 2014 (overview here)

Second item (to be eaten): Key Lime Pie

Appx. value: $1.50

Contents: lime infused raisins, sponge pieces, mini meringues and green raisins

First impression: Well, it certainly looks intriguing – it’s colorful, and the cute mini meringues are like teeny white kisses. I can’t believe I never thought of green raisins before! Considering how much I love green grapes, I feel so shortsighted. The sponge pieces really aren’t what I’d been expecting; they’re a lot more like disks than the rounded capsule shapes I was expecting. The mix favors raisins (green and lime infused), but the amount of sponge pieces and meringues isn’t lacking at all. It looks like you’ll need a couple of each type of raisin for each meringue and sponge combo.

Taste – Parts: Lime infused raisins are an interesting flavor profile. There was a bit of a clash, in my opinion, and I was left with an odd aftertaste of acid, bitter, and sweet. At first that wasn’t pleasant, but then it grew on me – maybe I just needed to get used to the novel idea of infused raisins. Or maybe I’m just not as fond of lime as I thought I was. In any case, I ended up enjoying them individually as snacks during class, as well as the green raisins, which were much more tart than standard raisins, but just as enjoyable.

The mini meringues were delicious, though the size made it difficult to get those pockets of air that make meringues melt in your mouth, so they didn’t dissolve as well as a larger meringue might, but they tasted about on par with store-bought meringues I’ve had in the past, though had a slightly more concentrated sweetness, since they were less fluffy.

The sponge pieces were definitely not what I’d expected. When given the word “sponge,” one thinks of sponge cake or angel food cake, and this was neither of those things. Again, it wasn’t unpleasant, just not what I’d been expecting. They were not as sweet or as fluffy as I was expecting. “Sponge,” not so much - but not hard as a rock, they were just pleasantly crispy. The sweetness was subtle, and maybe could’ve done with a touch more salt to really round out the flavor. Just as they looked, they were a bit flat.

Taste – Whole: When taken in a one-bite sample, the key lime pie mix was interesting. It didn’t have the same taste as the real pie – the lime-infused raisins offset the balance – but I could taste a vague reference to the dish. Honestly, I preferred eating each of the parts separately rather than all together.

How was it to eat?: To get everything all together was a little unwieldy – holding the larger, harder pieces while trying to pick out the smaller, potentially stickier bits. While the raisins could get a bit sticky, it wasn’t too bad. I found that picking them out one by one, so they didn’t have as much time to warm to my hand, kept things clean. And the pieces are all durable, so no crumbs!

So, final thoughts?

Parts: 4

Whole: 3

Texture: 5

Overall: 12/15 – I’d definitely get this one again, I’d just choose to eat it bit by bit instead of all at once.

‘Til the next box review!

-BoxxyGirl

PS: Graze is a $6/box snack subscription. Interested in trying it? Use this link to get your first and fifth boxes FREE! Tallying it up to 4 boxes a month, that makes each of your first two months $18 – cheaper than a lot of other monthly snack boxes!

March 26th Graze, snack #1: Pina Colada

Graze box, March 23^rd 26^th, 2014 (overview here)

First item (to be eaten): Pina Colada

Appx. value: $1.50

Contents: Dried pineapple, coconut flakes, and mango

First impression: Looks great; all flavors I love! There are a lot of teeny tiny coconut flakes, though (as well as some bigger ones), so it could be a bit messy and hard to get it all. The portions for all of the snacks are about 80% of what I was expecting, but it works as a delicate little tray of healthy snack food.

Taste – Parts: I’ve always been a fan of dried mango, so it wasn’t a surprise to like those yummy morsels. As chewy as always, and just as delicious. I’d never had dried pineapple, and was pleasantly surprised. It had a similar level of chewiness, and tasted surprisingly similar to the mango when dried – still distinctly different, but more alike than I’d been expecting. The coconut however…

I’ve been spoiled in my life, where “coconut” always refers to sweetened coconut “flakes” that more closely resemble grated Parmesan cheese than their form in nature. I had ignorantly assumed that these coconut flakes would be just as sweet. I was very disappointed – and that was entirely my own fault. In fact, I’m glad to have realized it now, so I can go through and take a second look at the other mixes I’d kept as “try” to decide which I may no longer be interested in. If you like natural, unsweetened coconut, you’ll do a lot better with this mix than I did.

Taste – Whole: All combined together, the mixed bite wasn’t bad. Not as sweet as its namesake, that was certain, but it had a nice acidity to it that woke me up in my early-afternoon stupor. The bitter blandness of the unsweetened coconut is a lot easier to handle when combined with other flavors, but, once I realized I didn’t like the coconut, the mix seemed overwhelmed with it.

How was it to eat?: The dried ingredients in this tray weren’t sticky at all, and were easy to pick up without feeling the need to wipe my hands after. However, those tiny coconut flakes were a bit of a pain; they were hard to pick out of the tray, and hard to ration into bites with the larger pieces of dried fruit, and they would be really hard to pick out of a carpet or off of a floor if you happened to spill. This is definitely a vacuum-necessary cleanup.

So, final thoughts?

Parts: 2/3 (lets give it a 3 out of 5)

Whole: 3.6

Texture: 4

Overall: 10.6/15 – Moved it to the trash list for now, but I could see it coming back if I have a craving.

‘Til the next box review!

-BoxxyGirl

PS: Graze is a $6/box snack subscription. Interested in trying it? Use this link to get your first and fifth boxes FREE! Tallying it up to 4 boxes a month, that makes each of your first two months $18 – cheaper than a lot of other monthly snack boxes!