Birchbox Valentine's Day Prize Pack Review

I meant to post this review so long ago, but I've been kind of lazy with my non-sponsored reviews lately.  Better late than never, I guess?  Anyway, back in February Birchbox had a contest on Instagram where if you re-grammed this photo and tagged them in it, you would be entered to win the products in the photo.  To my delight, I was randomly picked as the winner!

As you can see from the photo above, the prize pack was comprised of 11 different items; some cruelty-free, some not.  I was actually pleased to find that most of them were cruelty-free, though.  I was actually most excited about the Chuao Chocopods!

I discovered Chuao Chocolatier through Birchbox and have been a fan of their chocolates ever since.  My favorite bar of theirs is the Firecracker, but I've always wanted to try their other varieties because they're so unique.  This box came with one each of Potato Chip, Popcorn Pop, Honeycomb, Firecracker, Salted Chocolate Crunch, Orange A-Go-Go, Spicy Maya, and Maple Bacon.  All of them were wonderful, but the Salted Chocolate Crunch is definitely a new favorite.

I liked how all of the products were pink(ish) in color, to keep in theme with Valentine's Day.

• Manna Kadar Sheer Glo Shimmer Lotion - I've tried a few other Manna Kadar products before and I think they're great quality.  This lotion was a bit too sheer for my liking, but I will still use it for a light highlighter.
• Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish in PYT - This is my first Deborah Lippmann nail polish, and I was excited to try it because I've been wanting to try one of their polishes for a while.  It wouldn't be my first choice in color, but the formula was very nice.
• Color Club Nail Lacquer in Reign in Spain - I actually already have one of these polish minis from a previous Birchbox, so I'll probably gift this to a friend at some point.  Color Club is one of my favorite polish brands, and this bright coral is perfect for the upcoming summer season!

• Jurlique Love Balm Rose - Jurlique is a new brand to me.  I've obviously heard of them before, but this was my first experience with one of their products.  I like this balm a lot as a moisturizer, unfortunately the rose scent triggers my allergies.
• stila Convertible Color in Poppy - stila is no longer a cruelty-free brand, so I'll be gifting this as well.  This can be used on cheeks and lips, and I guess your eyes, too.

• Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips - This moisturizer only contains one ingredient: medical grade lanolin.  The name is funny, but it's so-called because it was originally used by nursing mothers for, well, their nipples.  It can be used all over, and I like to use it as a lip balm.
• benefit They're Real! mascara - Another product to add to the gift pile, since benefit is sadly not cruelty-free.  I've heard great things about this mascara, unfortunately I can't say I'd recommend purchasing it (there are lots of great cruelty-free mascaras out there!).
• Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick - I can't remember the name of the shade and I'm too lazy to go look, but it's a light pink/red.  I don't wear lipstick, so I gave this to my mom.  I'm also unsure whether or not Elizabeth Arden is a cruelty-free brand, I found an email from the company that states they are, but I couldn't find any evidence on their website.

• 12 Benefits - I was so glad to get a full-sized bottle of this hair treatment!  I received a sample size in my October Birchbox and loved it.  I use it before blow drying my hair as a detangler and heat protectant.  It also has a great scent!
• Pinch Minimergency Kit - I got one of these kits in a PopSugar Must Have box and was less-than-excited about it.  This one at least has a cuter pattern on the bag than my last one, but it's still just an "okay" product to me.  I'm definitely not complaining since all of these items were free, and it is a useful little kit, just nothing that I was too excited about.

Bottom Line: I am so thankful to Birchbox for holding this giveaway, and am so glad I won!  They sent a great variety of items.

*Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.