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Birchbox: beauty samples, $10/month
Promo: BBJETBLUE10 for 100 extra points when you subscribe.
I paid: $1.10, including tax
My value: $24*
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 their online store, 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.
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This month I got 3 Birchboxes by subscribing from three different e-mail addresses (see my reviews of box 1 and box 2). Birchbox was running a promotion that you could get your first box for $1, and I couldn’t pass it up! This is the third box I got and I am excited because 4 of the 6 products that came in the box are new to me. This is also the most valuable box I got of the three, with a value of $24 – not great, but it looks to me like Birchbox values are going down. This will be my last month with multiple boxes, though. From next month on it’ll be just one box a month.
This is what I got:
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COOLA SPF 50 Sport in mango, .5 oz, (sample value $3)
I like getting sunscreens in my boxes. This is a large enough sample that should work for a full-day application – perfect for a trip to the county fair. It has a pretty strong mango scent; it’s not my favorite but a great improvement over regular coconut sunscreens. It applied pretty smoothly though my daughter said it made her skin feel tight. Made in the USA.
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Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream, 5 ml, (sample value $6.5)
This cream is supposed to help repair your skin and it gets great reviews on Amazon. While my skin is not particularly dry right now, I could tell it is really moisturizing. I’m planning to use it on my face after spending time on the sun. The smell reminds me of sandalwood, not really a favorite but it’s light enough that I don’t mind. Made in Korea.
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Vasanti Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face RejuvenatorImage may be NSFW.
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, 20 g, (sample value $5.5)
This is yet another product that I had to look up just to know what it is. It turns out that it’s an exfoliating cleanser and it gets great reviews on Amazon. It’s made in Canada, so what’s not to like?
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Comptoir Sud Pacifique Vanilla Extreme Perfume, 1.2 ml, (sample value $1.25)
I’m always happy to get perfumes in my boxes. I don’t usually like vanilla in my boxes, so I didn’t think I would like this perfume. But it doesn’t smell as much of vanilla as of toasted marshmallows. I applied it on my wrist and now I want to eat it. My oldest daughter smelled the vanilla first, and all the way from the next room! My husband thought it smelled of sugar cookies, and that was yummy enough to eat. I’m not sure when I’ll wear this sample, but it’s fun to have it. Made in France
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Marcelle Mini Waterproof Eyeliner in mulberry, .8 grams, value $4
I’m happy to get a different color of this eyeliner in this box. I usually only wear black eyeliner, but I think this one looks well enough on me. It’s pretty much purple It wouldn’t apply on my water line, however, which is where I usually wear eyeliner. Instead I tried it on my lash-lines. Made in Germany.
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SARAHPOTEMPA Darby Clip, 1 piece, value $4
I also got this clip in my first June birchbox. My youngest daughter, who loves to play with hair, is happy to have a pair.
* This is the total value of the products that my family will actually use from this box. I’m happy if this value is at least as high as what I paid for the box.