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Birchbox
Cost: $10/month
Ships To: United States. However France, Spain and the UK also have their own Birchbox subscriptions.
My May 2014 Birchbox was one of the ones that were delayed this month, but it finally arrived today! I got an e-mail about the delay around the 11th of the month and Birchbox indicated that they were depositing 100 Birchbox points (which is equal to $10 to spend in the Birchbox shop) for the delay, so honestly, I didn’t mind waiting! Since Birchbox is only $10, that’s pretty much a free box right there!
If you aren’t familiar, Birchbox, which is $10/month offers 4-6 hand-picked beauty and lifestyle samples, delivered to your door each month. You can review the samples you receive on a monthly basis to earn points in their shop, which makes the “real” cost of the box even less. Points accumulate until you are ready to spend, so you can stockpile and combine with coupon codes and get some complete steals (which I try to do).
Birchbox ships via USPS and usually ships by the 10th of the month. My box shipped late like I mentioned before and didn’t ship until the 16th this month. Once it left it took only 4 days to arrive.
While the May box was a collaboration, the inner box wasn’t any different than normal. At least not that I could tell by the first look!
I had peeked to see what was coming in this box so it wasn’t a surprise, but I was still very excited to get a look at everything.
The May 2014 Birchbox theme was “Freewheeling” and was all about tossing out the rules and taking a playful approach to everything from your beauty routine to your weekend wardrobe. The box also featured a collaboration with Kate Spade and included an exclusive shopping offer. I received Box #42 (*) this month which included the following:
~CoTZ Face Natural Skin Tone SPF40 ($2.47): I would call this a BB cream with sunscreen. I thought the coverage was fabulous and matched my skin tone nicely. I will be buying a full size of this one when Birchbox restocks!
~Cynthia Rowley Beauty Black Eyeliner ($12): I am not a big eyeliner person (although I probably should be), but I will pass this along to a friend or trade it to someone who will love it.
~Nexxus Color Assure Pre-Wash Primer, Shampoo & Conditioner (~$5): These are smallish samples, but to me they are way better than foil packets, mainly because they are so cute! This trio is sulfate free and I will be packing it for our weekend away!
~Noya Beauty Lip Gloss (Summertime Peach) ($8): This is probably the sample I am most excited about! I love the lip gloss and this is a fun light summery color.
~SmartyPants All-in-One Gummy Vitamins for Adults (~$0.50): I have had these in the past and they are yummy! I should probably buy a bottle of these because they are so good it makes me want to take them everyday instead of forgetting like I do with other vitamins.
All totaled I came up with a value of $27.97 for my May 2014 Birchbox. This wasn’t my favorite ever Birchbox, but including the points I received for reviewing the products, (which is equal to $7) and the points I received for purchasing the box (which is equal to $1) (**), and the points I received because the box was late ($10), the box had a real total value of $45.97. So basically I paid $10 for the box and ended up with all these products PLUS $18 to spend in the Birchbox shop. Not a bad deal at all!
Do you subscribe to Birchbox? Did you get your box yet this month? What number was it and what was in it? If you don’t subscribe (it’s only $10/month) and are interested in learning more, click here.
I got box 33 this month. Those Nexuus samples are so cute! I got a shampoo and conditioner but one was a bottle and one was a foil packet 🙁
A cute package makes all the difference!
The Nexxus samples are the worst. The primer made my hair so gross, it wouldn’t wash out. The shampoo did nothing. It may work on your hair but it made mine a complete mess.
Do you think its because it doesn’t have sulfate? I think it takes the hair a bit to get used to that!
Possibly. The pretreater is the consistency of baby oil, so imagine putting that on your hair and then trying to wash it. It might make a difference that when you buy it, it is a spray but the sample is a “dump it in your hand” type.
Ohh, that makes sense. I am using it today and will report back!
I finally cancelled BirchBox because my boxes were always bad. I would read reviews and then would end up with a box that was nowhere near as good. I kept modifying my settings, but nothing helped. Many boxes I only ended up using one or two items. In 7 months the only good box I got was my intro box.
I like Ipsy better.
I think their point system is amazing, but if you don’t use it, yeah, it’s never worth it then!
I’m thinking about cancelling too! I see a lot of post with awesome boxes buy mine always suck! I’m giving them one more month. The points are awesome and that’s the only reason I’m still getting them.
Oh gosh… I was so excited to try the Nexxus samples because of the packaging! I was very reluctant about the “Pre-Wash Primer” and it turns out I had reason to be! I gave it a try because I always try out all of my Birchbox samples but these 3 Nexxus samples were a total thumbs down for me! Made my hair super greasy I had to take a second shower after my hair was “dry” from my first with my normal products (I now use Fekkai which I also got my Birchbox) just to get that cleanliness feeling back! Not a good experience with Nexxus, I wouldn’t recommend them. But maybe it’s just me. Who knows. Anyways, I really just wanted to give my two cents and find out how you liked them, Jen! Let us know your opinion on them please!
Best,
Natalie
🙂
I am going to have to use these today! I will report back!
I’m amazed they gave you 100 points for the ‘delay.’ My box came yesterday – May 20 and I received no such email. I haven’t peaked yet and I had to go out of time before it came – suspense is getting to me!
Check your account! Maybe they automatically added the points and you just didn’t get an e-mail???
I finally checked. No points. Seems to me bloggers got them, but not regular folks. Boo. Truthfully, I live on west coast and ALWYAYS get my box around May 20. Finally get to see my box today!! Hubby flew it with him to east coast where I already am for a wedding. Fingers crossed!!!
Ohno, tons of people got them! Not just bloggers at all (plus I have no idea how they would even link my blog and my account)! You can check the forums over at MakeUp Talk!
I wonder why I didn’t get the points. Boo! #firstworldproblems
E-mail them!
No extra points for me either. I just received mine today.
You should e-mail!
What was the Kate Spade Saturday offer? I am quite excited for my Saturday pendant coming with my box! Also, my boxes have been sooooo bad lately. If I’d gotten this one I’d have been overjoyed!
It’s 25% off! It’s a unique code.
I am glad to hear I wasn’t the only one who went thru all 47 boxes to see what other people got – I was pleased with my box – 41 but also loved 11, 16, 24, and 25. It did take about 3 months before I got a good box. Although, most boxes had at least one item I would have spent $10 on 🙂
LOL! I peek at a few here and there, but I always like to see how many variations there are!
We’re box twins! XD I canceled and signed up with the 100 point code, then got 100 points for the late box. Pretty awesome, I’d say! I’m thinking about getting a second account with the $5 box code and canceling ipsy because of the point system…. I like BB products so much better, even if samples are small.
We got SUCH a good deal this month with the 100 extra points and then the 7 products to review!!!
For the first time ever, I got the exact same box as you!! I liked most of it. I love that we got a 3 in 1 hair sample (and that we get to review and get points for each of the three separately!), but it was hard to actually get the stuff out. I thought this was a great box until I saw a CANDLE in another one! Unfair! But still, a fave. And the KSS interior is fab!
Did you try the hair stuff? I finally did and I feel like I want to try it again. It doesn’t lather, but I expected that. I think it’s something you need to try more than once to get an idea about??
The black eyeliner has very pretty packaging, I’d love to see that in my UK box.
If anyone else over here fancies signing up, feel free to use my referral link – you’ll get an extra 50 points (worth ?5) to spend in their online shop:
http://birchbox.co.uk/?raf=52282