Birchbox: beauty samples, $10/month
Promo: BBJETBLUE10 for $100 extra points when you sign up
I paid: $1.10 with tax and promo
Box value: $19, My value: $14*
Birchbox sends you five beauty samples a month, generally a mixture of skin/haircare and makeup. It comes in a cute little box that you can re-use. You can review each sample you receive for 10 points and exchange 100 points for $10 off orders in their online store (no minimum purchase), including gift subscriptions to their box. When you subscribe, you can fill out a questionnaire telling Birchbox which type of products interest you, though you may still get products you don’t care for. Lately, Birchbox has allowed subscribers to chose between a curated box that lists what samples are included, and a mystery box. You can create multiple accounts to subscribe to Birchbox and use the same address and credit card, but you have to have a separate e-mail address for each.
I’m getting three Birchboxes June. Birchbox had a great deal of your first box for $1, so I opened (and then cancelled) multiple subscriptions. That said, the value of the boxes has been quite low lately; this one’s was just $19. This is the first one to arrive. This is what I got:
Folle de Joie eau de parfum, 1.2 ml, value $1
This is a really lovely perfume. It’s a great mixture of citrus and soft flours with aquatic notes. It smells like you’ve come out of a good, relaxing shower. It’s happy and summerly.
Marcelle BB Cream Golden Glow, 7 ml, value $4
I’m getting this item in two boxes. I like getting BB creams as my facial skin is not as smooth as it once was, and they are easy to apply. This is generally the only makeup I use. Unfortunately this BB cream does not include sunscreen, which to me is one of the best things about BB creams, so I guess I’ll have to only use it at night. It’s supposed to work with all skin types, I tested it both on my tanned face and my white underarm and it was sheer on both of them with a very subtle shine. It did improve my complexion. Made in Canada.
Supergoop! Everyday Sunscreen with Cellular Response Technology SPF 50, .34 0z (sample value $1)
Samples of sunscreen are always so small that you can’t really get enough for one application. This one is a little larger so it might work. The sunscreen is very light, applies very smoothly and it absorbs very quickly. It smells like sunscreen. Made in the USA.
Marcelle Mini Waterproof Eyeliner in indigo, .8 grams, value $4
I have brown eyes, brown hair and tan skin and I use black eyeliner almost exclusively (I may go for brown once in a while). So I was not in the least excited to get this indigo eyeliner. Fortunately, it tilts towards a gray color so it’s not too bad. Unfortunately, it doesn’t apply very smoothly and didn’t work at all on my lower water line, which is where I usually apply eyeliner. It did show up on my lower eyelash line and it looked OK but not great. I won’t be buying this. Made in Germany.
SARAHPOTEMPA Darby Clip
I don’t often have an occasion to use hair clips, though now that my kids are getting more adventurous with their hair colors I may need to. In any case, I don’t know how to evaluate it. This one is quite tacky in appearance, but it seems to do a relatively good job of holding hair.
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Real Chemistry® Luminous 3 Minute Peel
I got this in my April Birchbox as well. Unfortunately it’s made in China and I don’t use any Chinese products given the corruption and contamination in the country. For some reason many of the masks and peels that Birchbox sends seem to be made in China, so it’s a good thing to check when you get one.
* The box value is the value of all the products included in the box. My value is the value of the products that my family and I will actually use. I’m happy if my value is at least as high as what I paid for the box.