Birchbox December 2014

This review is for the Birchbox from December 2014. Birchbox is a very popular subscription box. It is $10/month for 4-5 beauty and lifestyle samples, which are personalized based on a quiz you take. They seem to stick to the quiz fairly well, though they do state that even if you "dislike" a particular product, you may still get it once a year or so. The great thing about Birchbox is its reward system. You get 10 points for every item you review from your box, as well as a point for every dollar you spend in the Birchbox shop (which includes the purchase of your actual box). You can also get points for referring friends. Every 100 points you accumulate is $10 toward a purchase from the shop, which contains full-sized items, some of which are exclusive to Birchbox. So, it's a pretty inexpensive way to try out products and then use your rewards towards buying the ones you ended up liking or something else entirely.

This month, I chose to get the curated box, which is a box put together by a particular person or organization; in this case, Lo Bosworth and her blog "The Lo Down". I have never heard of this person before, but for the curated boxes, you get to see what all of the samples are going to be, and they looked really appealing to me, so I went for it!

Here is the card with all of the products listed. I will discuss each product in the order that they are listed here.

First up is the Cynthia Rowley Beauty Creamy Lip Stain in the color Hearthrob, described as a classic red. I actually think, based on the swatch below, that it is a little more pink than red. The sample is really tiny! I almost couldn't even find it in the tissue paper! It does seem like a little bit goes a long way though. 

Size: 0.079 oz (~1/2 full size)

Cost: $9.29 (based on cost of full size on Birchbox)

Rating: 4/5

The next product is Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre, a self-proclaimed "miracle cream" that acts a a primer, moisturizer, and makeup remover. This makes sense because one of the main ingredients is "paraffinum liquidum", which is just a fancy word for mineral oil, which is a versatile and generally non-comedogenic ingredient. People make a big stink about mineral oil clogging pores (untrue), but call it something else and it's a miracle cream! Anyway, this does look like a pretty nice skin-care product, so I will likely give it a try.

Size: 0.17 fl oz
Cost: $1.41 (based on Amazon pricing)
Rating: 4/5

The third product is Davines Replumping Hair Filler Superactive. This is a very good sized sample: I will really be able to get a feel for how much I like the product! It seems like an interesting hair product, and I am not entirely sure what is the intended effect. I does have hyaluronic acid in it, which is a very moisturizing ingredient. I know my skin loves hyaluronic acid, so hopefully my hair does too!

Size: 50 mL (1/2 of full size)
Cost: $11.03 (based on Amazon pricing)
Rating: 3.5/5

As a bonus, I also received sachets of Davines Replumping Shampoo & Conditioner. I have had good luck with a different Davines shampoo sample, so I am looking forward to using these. They are sulfate- and silicone-free for people who are into that (like me!).

Next up is a product I actually received in my last box: folle de joie eau de parfum. It's an alright perfume, but a little "mature" for me, so I will probably pass both samples on to someone who would appreciate them more.

Size: 2 mL
Cost: $1.96 (based on Joie website)
Rating: 2/5

The final product is Ruffian Nail Lacquer in the color Ruffian Red. Ruffian nail lacquer is a Birchbox exclusive, and I have not been disappointed with the other Ruffian polish that I got in a previous box. I never say no to nail polish! This is a pretty true red and it goes on perfectly with two coats (see swatch below). I look forward to using it in some Christmas manis!

Size: 0.17 fl oz
Cost: $10 (based on Birchbox pricing)
Rating: 5/5

The total value of this box is $33.69, not counting the packets of Davines shampoo & conditioner. Not too bad, especially considering that I will earn 70 points for reviewing all of the products (equivalent to $7 in the Birchbox store). That's a great return, like spending $3 to get $33 worth of products! I am looking forward to using most of the products and gifting the others. A pretty good month for Birchbox!