What's In My December Birchbox?

For those who don't know me, I love taking care of myself in terms of both pampering and being healthy. As far as being healthy, I'm far from your bodybuilder type but I lead an active lifestyle and get to the gym hopefully 5 times a week. And while I try to be a healthy eater, I do find myself giving into some guilty pleasure foods occasionally.

But equally important to being healthy is pampering ourselves and one way I like to do that is a monthly gift I give myself....MY BIRCHBOX. I love opening it up and seeing the different beauty samples to try. Then I started seeing all of these videos pop up for people sharing their FabFitFun boxes. I suddenly thought well if they are equally excited about that box, then why not share my excitement.

One thing I love about Birchbox are the choices they give you. From they beginning, you get to fill out your beauty profile so your samples are tailored to you. Then every month you get three options: be completely surprised by the samples you receive, select one sample you know about, or choose their custom box and know everything you're getting. Most months I choose the one sample, but one month I did pick the custom box.

This month the one sample that I knew ahead of time was something that came in my Birchbox previously that I loved. It's the LOC One & Done Shadow Stick - Out of Your Shell. It's a pearl-like color that is waterproof and supposed to deliver up to 11 hours of creaseless color. This retails for $10.

The next sample that I received this month is a brand I've gotten before and love the easy application of. It's the MILK Makeup Highlighter. This highlighter doesn't require a brush and is supposed to provide a dewy sheen as well as a boost of hydration. It contains mango butter, peach nectar, and avocado oils. This retails for $24.

The third sample that I got this month is a type of product that Birchbox has not steered me wrong with yet. I have become even more of a fan of dry shampoo ever since I started coloring my hair red back in July. This dry shampoo is by R+Co and it's their Death Valley Dry Shampoo. This retails between $17 and $29.

One of the key things that every girl needs to get in the habit of doing before their start their makeup routine is applying primer. This leads me to my fourth sample this month. It's Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Primer Oil. I have tried the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer and love that it's doesn't feel greasy so I'm excited to try the primer oil. This retails for $42.

And my fifth sample is the Wilma Schumann Skin Care Hydrating Collagen Eye Pads. These are meant to help hydrate, ease puffiness, and enhance the eye contour. This retails for $18.

These were my beauty samples for December that all fit into Birchbox's theme for the month Shine On. They are all products to help me prepare for an upcoming holiday parties. Now one surprise that I found in my Birchbox that wasn't listed on the sample card is something I'll consider a gift from Birchbox. They included a compact mirror. This way I can keep it in my purse to help keep my makeup looking fresh all day.