Birchbox review, July 2014

Name: Birchbox
Details: Offers sample sizes of quality beauty products, ranging from fragrances to makeup to skin care to hair care, and more.
Price: $10


Before I start this review, I'm going to post a heads-up about the $50 Birchbox gift card that I'm giving away on August 1. Head here to sign up: Birchbox giveaway link

Okay, back to business. I received my July Birchbox yesterday. Here are the goods.

Women's Health, eh? Sounds like this box will have some energy/workout products that I'll be too lazy to try out.

1. Cynthia Rowley Beauty black eyeliner (full-size retail value: $16)
2. NAOBAY Body Radiance Lotion (full-size retail value: $24)

Eyeliner and lotion...I can use both of these. So far, so good.

3. Number 4 Super Comb Prep and Protect (full-size retail value: $32)

4. Supergoop! Advanced SPF 37 Anti-Aging Eye Cream (full-size retail value: $45)

SPF 37 is a very specific number, isn't it? Regardless, I like both these items, especially the hair product. I'm always up for trying out new conditioners.

5. SmartyPants all-in-one gummy vitamins for adults (full-size retail value [30-day supply]: $29.95). The idea of gummy vitamins for adults is a weird one to me. It's as though the manufacturer assumes that I think vitamins are so icky that the only way I'll take them is if they look and taste like candy. I suppose that's the case for some people. In any event, I'll try these out, though I sure wouldn't pay a dollar each for them.

I also received a certificate good for a year's subscription to Women's Health. I have no interest in subscribing because I don't need to be "bikini ready in 10 days," nor am I looking for the "cutest denim cutoffs for [my] body." However, the card indicates that, if a person doesn't want to subscribe, she can send in the card along with proof of her Birchbox purchase and receive the $9.99 value of the subscription, so I'll probably do that. After all, $9.99 will almost buy me another Birchbox!

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To sign up for Birchbox, head over to the website using my referral link: Birchbox subscription link

July giveaway! Fifty bucks to spend at Birchbox

This month's giveaway from Subscription Prescription is for a $50 Birchbox gift card! Spend it however you'd like...on a subscription, on individual beauty supplies, whatever tickles your fancy. See below for your chances to sign up! I'll be randomly selecting a winner on Friday, August 1.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/8dfd776/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

Birchbox review, June 2014

Name: Birchbox
Details: Offers sample sizes of quality beauty products, ranging from fragrances to makeup to skin care to hair care, and more.
Price: $10

I received my June Birchbox over the weekend. Let's take a peek inside.

This months theme? "Away We Go."

1. Coastal Scents Revealed 2 eye shadow palette set (full-size retail value: $34). I'm not big into eye shadow, so a sample is the perfect size for me.

2. Davines Oi oil (full-size retail value: $20-$41). I LOVE hair products, so I'll definitely be using this. It's meant for curly and wavy hair, and comes with other products that I'll mention below.

3. Gilchrist and Soames London Collection body lotion (full-size retail value: $16). I love lotion, and I can never have enough of it around my house, so this will be put to good use.

4. Harvey Prince Singular Scentsationals Imperial Gardenia fragrance (full-size retail value: $29). Birchbox did a great job of selecting a variety of products for this month's shipment. I'm always up for trying new scents, so I was happy to see this in my box.

5. Davines Love Curl Enhancing Conditioner (full-size retail value: $24-$41). Another of the Davines curly hair products that I mentioned previously.

6. Caudalie Polyphenol C15 Anti-Wrinkle Defense Serum (full-size retail value: $34). I'm firmly convinced that I don't need to worry about wrinkles yet, so hopefully this product will last for the, oh, thirty years that it will take before I find it useful. (That last sentence was said firmly tongue-in-cheek, by the way.)

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Good job, Birchbox! I enjoyed all the products that I received in this month's shipment. I've consistently been impressed by how much swag I receive for ten bucks, so I hope that momentum continues!

To sign up for Birchbox, head over to the website using my referral link: Birchbox subscription link

Birchbox review, May 2014

We all know what Birchbox is, right? Right. So let's get on to it, and find out what I received in my May shipment.

 
After the unveiling comes the items:

 

1. Votive candle in "First Blush" from Greenleaf Candle Co. (full-size retail value: $17).
2. Body wash from Caldrea (full-size retail value: $18)

I love candles, so I was excited to receive one in my Birchbox. Plus, I can always use body wash, so these were great finds.

3. Body lotion from Caldrea (full-size retail value: $22)
4. Face natural skin tone from CoTZ (full-size retail value: $20)

Another product from Caldrea, this one a body lotion, which I can definitely use. The CoTZ product is a mineral sunscreen, which my pasty skin will need come summer.

5. Shea butter lip balm from Pixi (full-size retail value: $8). Thanks to subscription boxes, I have enough lip balm to last a lifetime, but what the heck, I don't mind having another tube.

6. Color Assure pre-wash primer, shampoo, and conditioner from Nexxus (full size retail values: $11.99 to $17.99). I'm always on the lookout for new hair-care products, so I'll be giving these a try.

Plus, I received some random coupons.

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As usual, I was happy with my May Birchbox. I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to samples, and usually enjoy everything I get unless it's something that's of poor quality or something that I absolutely won't use. If you're interested in trying out Birchbox for yourself (for $10 a month, you'll receive four or five premium beauty samples), head over to the website using my referral link: Birchbox subscription link

Birchbox review, April 2014

I'm way behind in posting this Birchbox review, partly because I was inundated with other boxes this past week, but mostly because I set aside the Birchbox after I received it, and forgot about it until yesterday. That's not a reflection on the quality of the box, though; it's more a reflection on my sometimes scatterbrained state of mind.

Anyway, here's what I received in my April Birchbox. (Please bear with me on the photo quality; my cat was sleeping on the table where I normally take photos for this blog, and I didn't want to wake him, so I had to switch locations. I'm not super happy with this background and lighting, but my cat got his beauty sleep, so that's something, I guess.)

1. Orange Sanguine Cologne Absolue from Atelier Cologne. This cologne has a citrus scent that I was surprised to discover I liked, given that my taste in cologne and perfume runs toward the floral rather than the "food-y."

2. BeeKind body lotion. I LOVE lotion, as I have a problem with dry skin, so I'm always up for samples like this. (BTW, and I know this is off-topic, but I have found the BEST lotion for dry skin: Human & Kind Family Remedy Cream. I received it in an Escape Monthly subscription box that contained items from Ireland, and it's fantastic. My hands were so weather-beaten by winter, and this has helped whip them back into shape.)

3. "Gold Struck" polish from Color Club. This is a cute color, and according to the information from Birchbox, it has a "luxe pearl finish," so I'm excited to try it out.

4. Sumita Color Intense Pencil in Black. I like eyeliner, and though I typically stick to browns and grays, I'll give this one a try.

5. Healthy Grains Bar from KIND Snacks. When I first opened my Birchbox, this item was sitting on top, and I was really confused because I didn't realize that the company sometimes includes food samples in its packages. In any event, this bar was REALLY good...sweet and salty at the same time. And, because it's healthy, I can eat, like, ten of them at once, right?

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This month's Birchbox had a good variety of items. I wasn't super excited about any of them, but I didn't dislike any of them either, so I consider that a win. (That's in contrast to another subscription box that I just received, for which I paid $50 and ended up liking only two of the six items inside it. That's a review for another day, though.)

I'm going off on a lot of tangents here, aren't I? I'll finish this post by reminding you that, if you don't subscribe to Birchbox and would like to do so, head on over to the website using my referral link: Birchbox subscription link. The cost is $10 per month, and you'll receive four or five samples of beauty items and cosmetics (and, apparently, food).

Birchbox review, March 2014

This was my second shipment from Birchbox, a company that, every month, sends a box of sample-sized luxury beauty products to its subscribers. Birchbox was one of the first subscription box companies on the market, and has a huge following. Plus, at $10 a month, it's one of the most affordable. I received my Birchbox about two weeks ago, and am now finally getting a chance to review it, so let's get on to the items, shall we?

1. Air Repair rescue balm (full-size cost: $12)--this is a balm for dry, cracked skin, which, after the winter we've had, means pretty much every square inch of my body that's been exposed to the elements. I can definitely use this product.

2. Control Corrective oil-free healing lotion (full-size cost: $35)--this is a hydrator that, according to the product description, "works to purify and tone skin while rebalancing oil levels." Sounds good to me; I'll give it a try. I also received a cucumber bead cleanser that wasn't listed on the information card, so I'm not sure if it was a freebie or a mistake, but I'll take it.

3. Coola tinted matte SPF 30 for fall (full-size cost: $36)--I have skin that turns from pale to lobster after about 15 minutes in the sun, so this will be a great moisturizer to use during the summer.

4. Keims cleanshine energizing shampoo (full-size cost: $9.50)--I have dry, curly, color-treated hair, so I typically use sulfate-free shampoos, but I can always stand to be energized, so I'll give this one a try.

5. Vasanti Cosmetics BrightenUp! enzymatic face rejuvenator (full-size cost: $34)--this "mimics the effects of microdermabrasion for a bright and smooth complexion." I don't typically use exfoliants on my face, but I'll test this one out and see what happens.

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Once again, I loved my Birchbox and was pleased with the variety of products that I received. I just love getting these boxes in the mail! Want to get a Birchbox of your own? Sign up using my referral link and I will have my dog, Henry, issue a bark in your honor: Birchbox subscription link

For those of you who already get Birchbox, let me know what you thought about yours...leave a comment below!