Hello friends! If you've never heard of Birchbox, it's a monthly beauty sample subscription. In essence, you pay a fee of $10 a month, and receive a box every month with 5 beauty samples delivered to your door. The products range in size from sample-size to full-size. You then have the option of purchasing the full-size version of the sample via their website.
What I like most about the Birchbox program is that you have the option to review your samples the month you receive them. For each sample you review, you're awarded ten "thank you" points. When you accumulate 100 points (the equivalent of 10 product reviews), you receive $10 off the purchase of a full-size item in the Birchbox online store! I did the math- if you review each item you receive in a given month, you'll earn 50 points. Thus after two months of review, you'll have earned $10 off! I currently have $30 worth of these "thank you" points sitting in my account that I intend to cash in shortly!
#1
Ruby Wing// Color Changing Polish (in “Kitten Heels”) $10.00 Full Size
This nail polish is supposed to change color between natural light and indoor light (from pink inside to a darker red outside). I didn’t find this to be the case. It was a uniform hot pink color both indoors and outdoors. I find the color-changing to be gimmicky anyway- I don’t see the point in my polish looking different in sunlight, so I wasn’t too disappointed. That being said, I was satisfied with the quality of this polish, and actually thought that the hot pink color I ended up with was very pretty (it’s pretty true to the color it appears in the bottle). I would recommend this brand on color and quality alone, but can’t say it does what it advertises.
Here's what it looked like on my toes in the shade versus in the sun:
#2
Juicy Couture// La La Malibu $72.00 2.5 oz
I have never been a fan of Juicy fragrances in the past, but I try to keep an open mind with every sample and give each one a fair shot. I feel like all their scents are very similar (that might be because I don’t like any of them) and are generally too sweet for me. I’m a big floral fragrance girl (I wore Calvin Klein Euphoria and Euphoria Blossom for a while, and now Marc Jacobs Daisy and Daisy Eau So Fresh), and this Juicy scent had hints of floral, but also a strong fruity smell. Together, the combination was just too sweet and overpowering. I prefer a cleaner, subtler smell. I would not purchase this item. Also, in terms of Birchbox value, these fragrance samples are basically throwaway items, and I’m always very disappointed to see them in my box.
#3
Caudalie// Makeup Remover/Cleansing Water $28.00- 200 ML Full Size
I am very careful about which products I use on my face because I have random allergies (I haven’t quite pinpointed which ingredients I’m allergic to yet, but certain face products cause me to break out in a rash). I gravitate towards natural products because, well, they’re natural, and that leads me to believe they’re better for me, with fewer harsh chemicals. I used this makeup remover with a cotton ball to remove my everyday makeup (powder foundation, powder blush, mascara, liquid eyeliner) and found that it worked as advertised. I used it a second time that evening to remove heavier makeup, and although I didn’t press too hard with the cotton ball, I found that the skin around my eyes became red and irritated. However, I will say that on normal days I would only use the makeup remover once a day, so I should be able to avoid the sensitivity. I also had to use a bit more of the product than I would have liked to remove the makeup, so I’m on the fence about this particular remover.
#4
Sarah McNamara// Miracle Skin Transformer/Face Spotlight $48.00 1.5 oz Full Size
I’m always interested to see products in my box with SPF. I’m fair-skinned and have always been told that my moisturizer should have an SPF for every day protection. I currently use Estee Lauder moisturizer with 15 SPF that has a very nice cucumber scent and cooling sensation. This Sarah McNamara sample was 20 SPF, which is a nice amount of protection. It’s said to have a "shimmer effect," but I thought it was more like a bronzer. The color was brown coming out of the tube, and although it did blend well, the shimmer was too exaggerated for all-over coverage. It’s the kind of thing I could wear on my cheeks, but not my entire face, and that raises a new set of issues, because that means I have SPF only on my cheeks and could end up with a crazy tan. Also, I didn’t like the smell. It was very bronzer-meets-sunscreen, and not subtle like a moisturizer. I wouldn’t buy this product. Also, the price is kind of astronomical for such a small-sized product.
Here's what it looked like on my skin:
#5
Beauty Protector// Protect and Oil $25.95 4 oz Full Size
I’m a huge fan of Beauty Protector (the Leave-in Conditioner is amazing!!!), and this product didn’t disappoint. Like other Beauty Protector products, the oil smelled amazing. I applied roughly a few drops per the instructions (it was hard to measure drops due to the way the sample container is constructed), and applied it toward the ends of my wet hair. It felt very nice in my hair, and most importantly, it didn’t leave a gummy texture. The directions did say that it could be applied to dry hair as well, so I’m interested to see how that would leave my hair feeling. This is something I would consider buying.
So in conclusion, even though I'm not always thrilled about the products I receive, I really enjoy the opportunity to spend time getting to know these samples at home as opposed to trying products in store and feeling pressure to decide whether or not they're right for me on the spot. I've also discovered some really awesome beauty tools in my two years of membership. I highly recommend if you're a beauty geek like me! And Birchbox stores your box history, so if you're not in the market for hair oil one month but find yourself looking for one down the line, you can just click over to your history and see which products you've sampled in the past. Pretty convenient!
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