Christy's February Beauty Army Box

    
Yay! As I predicted a few hours earlier, both my Beauty Army and Birchbox arrived today! If you haven't checked out Beauty Army yet, you definitely should. Beauty Army is different than most subscription services because they actually let you choose your own samples. After taking a quick profile quiz, Beauty Army recommends a variety of samples, from which you get to choose six. This month I wanted to explore my options a bit, so I retook the quiz a few times to see the variations it would give me. Although sometimes it's nice to be surprised like with other services, I do enjoy the luxury of choosing my own. Choosing allows me to try products that I am actually interested in and know I will appreciate. I am really happy with the samples I chose this month, so without further ado...

  
I love the cute little box so much! I have already re-purposed last month's to hold a bunch of my manicure supplies and I'm sure I'll find a use for this one too. I love the flap opening, it's so much easier to reuse than a regular ol' box!
  

   
I also love the pink camo inside. They have really done an awesome job with their branding, including calling the boxes "troops" that "report for duty" when they are shipped. Those little extras really serve to set them apart. Also how cute is that model?
  

   
And of course, the pink tissue paper. Being a supreme girly-girl, the pink tissue is really a way into my heart. I love that they take the time to individually wrap each item. It's exactly how I would wrap a gift and it feels so much more like a treat that way! And finally, here are my samples:
   

    
I selected:

• Freeman Pssssst! Instant Dry Shampoo – Oh my God, this stuff is so retro. I love it. My grandmother used to use it and I started using it in high school. Us curly-haired gals know what a royal pain in the butt it is to straighten our hair and how damaging it can be. At a very young age (think 14), I learned the benefit of extending a blow-out as long as possible, including using dry shampoo. I used this stuff for years and years and honestly can't remember why I stopped. I think it became hard-to-find or was discontinued for a while, but don't quote me on that. I have never found a product that worked as well and I have tried quite a few dry shampoos since. I had kinda forgotten about the Pssssst! until I saw it on Beauty Army. I really hope it's as great as I remember it being!
        
• CellCeuticals CellGenesis – This is a night treatment meant to firm, tone and reduce wrinkles. Based on what I have read on other sites, it's ideal for all ages and skin types. I was very happy with the CellCeuticals sample I selected last month, so I'm looking forward to trying this one as well. I do like to use a variety of anti-aging treatments because I'm hoping to not only reverse some of the sun damage I've caused myself, but also slow the aging process and prevent new wrinkles from forming. The CellCeuticals products are very pricey so I'm glad to be able to try it at a very low cost!
    
• Indie Lee The Body Scrub – This stuff smells amazing. It reminds me of this lemon coconut crumb cake my dad used to buy from the bakery, it literally smells exactly like it. The scrub itself is not sitting in oil, unlike other scrubs which tend to separate. It definitely does have some oil though, because I could feel it when I scooped out a tiny bit to test on my hand and my hand feels super soft where I applied it. I can't wait to try this one out in the shower, it smells positively heavenly. Although I might end up thinking my arm is a piece of cake and try to gnaw it off...
     
• StriVectin-SD Eye Concentrate – I selected this sample because my eyes are the primary area where I am showing signs of aging, namely crow's feet. I'm sure this is from my days as a camp counselor and lifeguard along with my disturbing addiction to indoor tanning all through high school and college. Sigh. Anyway, this stuff is said to help with dark circles and puffiness along with crow's feet. The packaging says it can be used morning and night, which is nice because I actually use two different eye products, one in the morning and one at bedtime. It would be nice to find an all-in-one. Hopefully it works!
     
• LaRocca Skincare 24K Exfoliating Cream Facial Cleanser – This has a really nice citrus scent to it and definitely looks shimmery in the container. The Beauty Army site says that this is a gentle cream exfoliant that dissolves makeup, moisturizes, and stimulates collagen growth. I'm excited to try it out with my Clarisonic and see how well it will take off my makeup. Plus I love that it's a cleanser with skincare benefits too!
    
• Sun FX Body Shimmer – This is a hydrating and illuminating body cream and the sample size is really generous (2.2 oz). It does have a sort of sunscreen-ish scent to it, which I think is because it contains sweet almond oil and macadamia oil which tend to remind me of the beach. Even as a I am typing this, I keep smelling my hand where I have applied it because it reminds me of vacation. This is a very, very subtle shimmer so you won't look like you got glitter bombed or just got off work at the strip club. Not that I'm not a fan of glitter, because I am and I often use body shimmer in the summer. This is even more subtle than a body shimmer would be but it really does have an "illuminating" effect on the skin, the same way a highlighter would have for your face. This will be absolutely awesome for a night out when rocking a summer tan.

   
All in all, I'm really happy with my samples and excited to try them all out. Have you guys tried Beauty Army yet? What did you select? I hope you love your samples as much as I do! Until next time beauties...
  
xoxo,
Christy