Wednesday, May 27, 2015

First Impressions of May 2015 Birchbox

 **If you are receiving this post via email, you may want to check out the actual site as the email throws off the formatting**


Birchbox is a $10/month subscription box. You get around 5 samples or deluxe-size samples of beauty (makeup, skin care, hair care) products. Similar to ipsy, you take a quiz to customize your box and get points for reviewing products in your box and for referrals that you can use to “buy” products on the Birchbox website.

With Birchbox, you get the option (if you choose fast enough) to pick either the curated box, one of your samples or to just let Birchbox pick all of your samples. This month I passed on the curated box and did not get to choose my own sample so I had a total mystery box.

Birchbox comes packaged in a box within a box. This month’s box is gorgeous, as usual. Birchbox teamed up with Emily Shuman who runs the lifestyle blog cupcakesandcashmere. The box is light orange with a check print. These boxes are great for organizing makeup. The box also contains a card detailing the items and the (full-size) value of each item.



I actually cancelled Birchbox after the April box. I don’t get products that excite me so I’d rather spend my money somewhere else. AND THEN Birchbox emailed me and said if I resubscribed they would send a free beautyblender and cleanser…so, I signed back up for May and will be cancelling again. Here's what I received:

Product #1: Coastal Scents Revealed 3 Palette Quad in Desert Bloom (0.08 oz.)
This mini palette has four colors: A matte mid-tone brown, a gold shimmer, a dark fuschia shimmer and a light mauve shimmer. I didn’t swatch the colors because I will be giving this away. I just received the Revealed 2 palette in the April 2015 Boxycharm (see the full review of the palette here) and did not care for it. After using the palette for a bit after reviewing it, I realized that the shadows really dry my skin out so I probably won’t use it again. Hopefully whoever I give this to has better luck than I did.
Value: $2


Product #2: Harvey Prince Sincerely Eau de Parfum (0.05 oz.).
I really hate the way this smells! Plus, I’ve received Harvey Prince from Birchbox before. The notes in this perfume are freesia, orange flower, rose, cyclamen, tuberose, clove, mandarin, bergamot, cedarwood and sandalwood (that’s a lot). It’s hard to describe the scent since one note doesn’t dominate. I usually love sandalwood but it’s definitely overpowered by all the other ingredients. The scent is just not for me.
Value: $2



Product #3:  Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream in Natural Glow (0.17 oz.)
I’m excited to try out Juice Beauty and hope that this product provides good coverage even though it’s a CC cream. I swatched it on my hand and it at least looks like it will be light enough for my skin tone (CC creams that come in boxes are usually way too dark for me). It is a very small sample so I will probably only get one use out of it (maybe two), so it will be hard to form a solid opinion on it. Juice Beauty is organic and this CC cream has an SPF 30.
Value: $4



Product #4: Naobay Oxygenating Cream Moisturizer (0.67 oz.)
I love getting moisturizers in subscription boxes because the samples are usually a decent size. This sample is almost 1 oz. so I will be able to use it for a while and decide if it works for me. This moisturizer is natural and organic and claims to hydrate, protect and soften skin. It contains sweet almond and rosehip oil.
Value: $14

Product #5: Number 4 Super Comb Prep & Protect Leave-In Conditioner (1.0 oz.)
*sigh* Another hair conditioner/detangler. I feel like I get one every month from Birchbox even though I say I do not want hair products (or perfume samples). This smells disgusting (like cleaning products) so I don’t know if I will try it. It claims to strengthen, repair, detangle, protect color and provide UV protection. You put this in towel-dried hair.
Value: $5



Overall Value: $27 (more than half of the value is from the moisturizer)

Like I said, I will be cancelling Birchbox again. I just do not like this box—I only see myself using the moisturizer. Not only do they insist on sending product types that I say that I don’t want, I don’t particularly care for the things they do send anyway. Since I am also cancelling Boxycharm, I will be re-subscribing to the POPSUGAR Must Have Box (one of my favorites).

What are your thoughts on Birchbox? If Birchbox is more your speed and you’d like to sign-up for Birchbox, feel free to use my referral link. You can read all of my Birchbox reviews here.



Disclaimer: All products are purchased by me or my lovely husband unless otherwise noted in the post. All opinions are 100% honest and my own. I do not provide positive reviews for payment. Products that work for me may not necessarily work for you. This post is not sponsored.

Referral Links:
POPSUGAR:  http://popsu.gr/uXzQ  Save $5 off your first box with the code REFER5
                    at checkout enter the following code: M3d2Q1dTT21MR1RTNWJ0KzhRWUo0Z0lWWWtoRnVrZmk0NGNOVWY0MVBHRT0=

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