Why I Love Birchbox, A Review

 

Update: At this time, I no longer subscribe to Birchbox. 

If you know anything about me, you know I am a beauty product junky. If you didn’t know then you must have missed this post, and this post, and this post. So now you really know I love beauty products.  I also really love Birchbox.

P.S This post contains affiliate links. Should you sign up for a BIrchbox, I will make a small commission.

So why am I so crazy about Birchbox? For $10 you get to try five new products. Plus you get a super cute box. Yes, that $10 includes shipping. As someone who has tried a lot of beauty products this is a great value. I’d rather be out $10 for 5 samples that I wasn’t , about then spend $30 on a full-size product and end up not liking it. So don’t buy a full size you say. One eBay a sample size of a Dr. Brandt product can range from $3 to $6! Birchbox is still a better value.

Why I Love Birchbox

Now on to the full part where I show you the samples I have received over the last six months.

Birchbox Month 1

This was my first Birchbox and it wasn’t great. Sometimes it takes a month or so for them to figure out what type of products you like.

I wasn’t crazy about the Cargo Blush and Bronzer Duo since I don’t use bronzer.

The COOLA Makeup Primer with SPF is an interesting idea, but my CC cream already has SPF in it.

I already have a favorite sunscreen for my body so I don’t need the MD Solar Sciences Sunscreen.

The TOCCA Crema da Mano lotion smells nice, but I’m just not a lotion person. If you like lotion I would really recommend this brand. The smell is nice but not overpowering.

The winner in this month’s box was the Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle. It works well without weighing my hair down and smells amazing.

Total score 1.5/5

Birchbox  Month 2

This box had some really great things in.

While I need no help making my brows look fuller, I know Birchbox included the Benefit Gimme Brow because a lot of people do.

I also really love a good lip crayon but the color of this PBJ Smoothie Stick was just alright.

I  tried the Balance Me Congested Skin Serum but it is too expensive to buy for what it is.

The Kiehl’s cleanser was a really great sample size and is such a great cleanser for people that need a deep clean that doesn’t strip away all your skins moisture.

The Oribe Texturizing Spray is great too. I love anything Oribe. This spray is meant to give your hair volume but some people love to use as a dry shampoo also.

Total score 3/5

Month 3

So this box had more misses than hits, but the hits it did have were home runs.

I do like Milk products but I haven’t bought into the whole oils for your skin thing.

I was looking forward to the mascara and really wish I would have picked a different one for sample choice. I wasn’t really crazy about the brush on this one.

I love love love the Dr. Brandt PoreDermabrasion. Once I use up my Philosophy I will seriously consider making this my go to exfoliating product.

I also really like Living Proof hair products. If I didn’t use Aveda, Living Proof would be a serious contender. They sent me Living Proof No Frizz Styling Cream as well as a foil packet of shampoo and conditioner.

The additional sample I received was a set of  Klorane Eye Patches, which you can read about here.

Total score 2/5

Month 4

This box had a lot of goodies in it.

I got this box right when matte was having a moment. I received the Stila Matte About You. If you haven’t gotten in on the matte trend, it isn’t too late.

I’d never heard of REN before this Birchbox. I received the REN Flash Hydro Boost Plumping Emulsion. It is great for people that are starting to worry about aging skin and wrinkles.

I haven’t tried the Profile Pro Nourishing Oil. I have fine hair so the last thing I really need to do is add oil to it.

The Organic Pharmacy was another new brand that Birchbox introduced me to. I love any mask that promises to make my skin glow.

While I love Oribe, I’m not sure how much use I will get out of this Oribe Beach Wave and Shine Spray. Nothing under the sun can make my straight hair have beach waves. The product did deliver on the shine though.

Total score 4/5

Month 5

I was super excited to see the Milk Highlighter as a sample choice for this month’s box. I had been wanting to try a stick highlighter and this one does not disappoint. Want to find a great highlighter, read this post.

While I don’t have dark spots, I do have acne scars. This Kiehl’s Dark Spot Solution is a perfect product for me to try. If you have dark spots or scars this would be a great sample for you too.

I’ve had good experience with Davines in the past, but this time my experience was mixed.  The Davines Hair Filler Spray is great for fine hair if you can get past the smell. It really gave my hair a ton of volume. Surprisingly, the shampoo and conditioner sample had a much better scent.

Not pictured is the Dr. Brandt Pore No More Cleanser. I have large pores so this is a great sample. I have been really impressed with all of the Dr. Brandt products that I have tried.

My last sample was a small tube of COOLA Unscented Matte Tint. I wish I could just tell them not to send me any COOLA products but that isn’t an option.

Total score 3.5/5

Month 6

This is the most recent Birchbox I have received so I haven’t had a chance to use all of the products yet.

I was worried to be getting another mascara sample since the Elizabeth Mott was so disappointing. I had no reason to worry. The Marcelle Xtention Plus Curl is really great. I had no clumps and it did make my lashes look longer.

With winter approaching I was glad to receive a sample of this Dr. Lipp Miracle Balm. It will be nice as a back up (I’m always losing my chapstick) when my lips get dry, but I don’t see this being a product I will purchase in full size.

Birchbox has really been pushing the Oribe products. This time they sent me the Hair Plumping Mousse.  I commend Birchbox for trying to send me something for my fine hair, but I stopped using mousse after the 90s.

I don’t know why, but I haven’t used the Dr. Brandt Skin Exfoliant yet. Oh I know why because I’m still currently testing another set of products that you will hear about soon.

The last product, Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre, is supposed to be a multi-tasker, but to be honest I’m not seeing myself use it. It contains aloe and shea butter which is likely to make it too greasy for my skin.

Total score 3/5

How It Works

Now that you have seen all the great goodies I have received, I bet you are wanting to know how they pick the samples and what the heck is sample choice.

When you sign up for Birchbox you fill out a really simple questionnaire about yourself. It will ask what kind of hair you have, what your major skin concerns are, and the like.  From the questionnaire, they pick 5 samples from the companies they have partnered with.  Sample choice is an option to pick one of your samples. For the July sample choice, everyone made a selection of one mascara out of three choices. For September the sample choice was between three different Milk products. If you don’t care about the sample choice, you don’t have to select any of the three (that’s what I’m doing for the November box).

Now if you really don’t like surprises, you can pick the featured box. The featured box contains 5 samples that are curated for the month. Everyone that picks the feature box gets the same samples. I picked the curated box in June.

After you receive and try your products, you give feedback by rating your products. This helps them pick better items for you next time.

While I hands down love Birchbox, they mostly send skincare items. If you are looking for more than one makeup sample a month, this wouldn’t be the subscription box for you.

Want to check out some of the products above? Check them out here. Want to sign up?  I’d love it id you used my Birchbox link.