Blog

Disclosure: If you make a purchase through the links posted below, I may receive a small compensation. Read the full disclosure.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Birchbox
Cost: Monthly Subscription: $10/month. Birchbox “Strong Start” Limited Edition Box: $45 (one-time purchase)
Ships To: United States. However France, Spain, Canada and the UK also have their own Birchbox subscriptions.
Coupon Code: Shop: Try “welcomeoffer20”, “mobile20”, “take20off” or “comeback20” for 20% off your shop purchase.  And don’t forget to add a Mystery Sample Pack to your cart with your $35+ shop purchase!

The Birchbox “Strong Start” Box is Birchbox’s latest limited edition box.  It’s a collection of goodies that will keep you motivated—and your health goals on track.  The box is a separate item from their monthly subscription and can be purchased in their shop for $45.

My Birchbox “Strong Start” Box shipped via UPS (Birchbox seems to use a variety of shipping methods) and took just a few days to arrive. Shipping is free if you are a Birchbox ACE or if you spend over $50 (it used to be free with a $35+ purchase).

I knew what was coming in this box (Birchbox always releases the contents of their Limited Edition boxes in advance), but I was anxious to see what variations I received.

The Birchbox “Strong Start” Limited Edition Box included the following items:

~ARROW BOOST Color Enhancing Lip Balm ($14): ARROW is Birchbox’s newest in-house line.  This is a color enhancing lip balm.  Sort of like the old school mood lipsticks, but much more subtle.  It’s super moisturizing and turned into an almost shimmery sheer pink on me.  I am a fan of this stuff!

~bkr® Glass Water Bottle, 500 ml (Wren) ($35): Boxes include either a mint (which I received) or Lavender bottle.  bkr bottles are fantastic.  It’s glass, but it’s wrapped in a food grade silicone so it’s not overly delicate.  I also like that the lid (which screws on tightly) has a handle on it so you can easily tote it around.

~Supergoop!® Defense Refresh Setting Mist SPF 50 (1oz) ($12): This three-in-one mist sets your makeup, controls oil and also provides UV protection. You can use it on a bare face or over makeup. I feel like it works better for me on hot summer days (I don’t really need it in the winter), so I am saving mine.

~Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk (50mL) ($9): I suspect some people are super tired of dry shampoo in subscription boxes (I mean we get it all the time), but I will never tire of it!  I use it every other day (when I don’t wash my hair) and I also always pack dry shampoos in boxes of subscription box products and goodies that I give my friends.  Klorane dry shampoo smells great and doesn’t leave white residue in your hair which is key!

~Eyeko Sport Waterproof Eyeliner (Full Size) ($20): I totally thought this was missing from my box.  I was just about to send an e-mail to Birchbox when I decided to check the box (which was already in the recycle bin) one more time.  Sure enough, it was in there.  I am not big on eyeliner, so I will be passing this on to a friend.

~Whish Shave Crave Shaving Cream in Pomegranate (50mL) ($6.67): All Whish products smell awesome, but shaving cream isn’t something I use. I feel like plain old water works fine for me.

~Acure Organics Unscented Argan Oil Cleansing Towelettes (30 count) ($6.99): Some facial towelettes are too drying, but not these!  They are ultra-gentle and infused with argan oil.  They remove not just dirt and grime, but makeup too.  They are vegan, sulfate and cruelty-free, won’t clog pores and are 100% biodegradable.

~Bombas Women’s Ankle Sock (Pink) ($11): Bombas socks are the best!  They last forever and look new after a ton of washings.  I must be super rough on socks because I am always getting holes in them, but not in Bombas.  The Strong Start box included either a pink or blue pair.  I don’t think you could go wrong with either.

~JLab Audio Core, Custom Fit Earbuds ($19.99): Ahh, earbuds.  Unlike dry shampoos, I am on earbud overload.  I opted not to open these yet because once I do they will either end up getting lost or will end up in a tangled mess.  They are a good fit for this box, but just not something I need more of right now.

~GWP & Mystery Sample Pack: It’s no longer an option in the Bonus Shop, but I used coupon code “GRIPSOCKS” to get a free pair of Pointe Studio Grip Socks with my purchase and then added on a free Mystery Sample pack.  I love the socks, but I didn’t think the Mystery Sample pack was overly impressive.  Sometimes I would pay $10 (which is the cost of the Sample Packs if you opt to purchase them alone) and sometimes there’s no way!

All totaled I came up with a value of $134.65 for the Birchbox “Strong Start” Limited Edition Box.  The website states it’s a $138 value, so I must have calculated things slightly differently than Birchbox.  It’s still a great value and even if you don’t love everything in it, you can easily swap or gift some items and still end up saving money.

If you are interested in picking this box up you can use one of the following coupon codes:

~”TAKEALEAP20“, “TAKEOFF20“, “COMEBACK20“,  “MOBILE20“, “WELCOMEOFFER20“, “TAKEOFF10” or “BEAUTYMAVEN” for 20% off.
~”PREP” to get a free TONI&GUY Prep Heat Protection Mist when you spend $35+.
~”TINTWATER“ to get a free Peripera Peri’s Tint Water (assorted colors) when you spend $35+.
~”5CASE“ or “6CASE” to get a free ZERO GRAVITY Tetra iPhone Case when you spend $35+.
~”COLLAGENMASK“, “CHARCOALMASK“, or “GREENTEAMASK” to get a free SOO AE sheet mask when you spend $35+.

You can only use ONE coupon code per purchase, but don’t forget that you can add a Mystery Sample Pack to your cart on ALL orders of $35+ as well.