Birchbox February 2016

In case you are unaware, Birchbox is a monthly beauty subscription box. It costs $10 a month and you receive multiple sample size item. These boxes allow you to try tons of new products that you may have never even heard of before. The other fun thing about Birchbox is that every time you purchase an item from their site, or review a product from your box, you receive rewards points! Once you collect 100 points, you get $10 off of your next purchase. These points definitely add up quickly between buying your box, and reviewing the products.

Each month, Birchbox allows subscribers to pick one of their samples. If you prefer surprises, you don’t have to pick one. You can choose to be surprised instead. They also offer full boxes that have been made by a guest. This month’s guest editor box was a Date Night Box for Valentine’s day. The sample choices were the Hey Honey Take it Off Exfoliating Honey Peel off Mask, Arrow BOOST color enhancing lip balm, REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask, and the Whish Revitalizing Cleaning Oil.  

The products I received this month were as follows:

12 Benefits Instant Healthy Hair Treatment (Full-size $22)- This is an all-in-one spray that is meant to detangle, protect, hydrate, and heal. I haven’t tried this yet, but I’m always skeptical of products that claim to be all-in-one. It does smell decent, so we’ll see what happens.

TOCCA Eau de Parfum in Emelia (Full-size $68)- This perfume is said to have notes of citrus, fig, and flowers. I have to admit I don’t like this perfume and it will probably go in the trash. First thing I don’t like is the way the sample is packaged. I prefer the small perfume samples to come in a spray as opposed to a stick that makes it difficult to apply. The scent is very perfume like. I know that sounds silly, but when I think of a classic perfume scent, this would be it. It’s a little old for my tastes.

Hey Honey Take it Off! Exfoliating Honey Peel Off Mask (Full-size $29)- This is a peel off mask that is meant to brighten skin by peeling away dead skin. It uses alpha hydroxy acids, which is a vague way to say that it’s a chemical exfoliant. This was my sample choice this month as I love peel off masks. In elementary school I used to put glue on the back of my hands and wait for it to dry, just so I could peel it off, so obviously I’m obsessed with the fact that this is now acceptable for my face. If you don’t like that feeling, you won’t like this mask, but I LOVE it. It has an interesting scent that I couldn’t quite figure out. At first I didn’t like it, but then it grew on me. My skin also felt noticeably softer immediately after use.


COOLA Tinted Matte SPF 30 for Face (Full-size $36)- This product is a matte tinted moisturizer with SPF (obviously). It is meant to moisturize while also evening skin tone. I haven’t had a chance to try this yet, so we’ll see. It says that it’s unscented, so that’s nice, but I’m a little wary of the fact that it’s matte. I have dry skin, so it matte product tend to cling to my dry patched.

ARROW BOOST Color Enhancing Lip Balm (Full-size $14)- This is Birchbox’s newest in house brand and it is mostly skin care. I was super excited to receive this because I almost picked it for my sample choice. This is a lip balm that adjusts to your pH to create your own personal natural hue. I do like that it does make a visible change to your lip color, and I like the texture. I don’t love the smell, as it’s a bit fruity, but it doesn’t leave a weird taste behind. It also does a good job of moisturizing my lips!

Overall, I’m very pleased with this box. There are a lot of products that are variances on what I use in my everyday life, so it’s exciting to try them. The perfume is a bit of a throwaway, but it didn’t ruin the box or anything.