Birchbox January 2015

This review is for the Birchbox from January 2015. 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.

Here is the card with the description of the products. I will review them in the order of the listing on the card.

Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream

Value: $17.73

Rating: 2/5

Notes: This is jam-packed with lots of plant oils, which could be very moisturizing but potentially irritating. I would definitely be careful about patch testing this particularly before smearing it all over your eye area.

Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper Gel

Value: $2.19

Rating: 5/5

Notes: This looks like a good hair gel without too many ingredients. It claims to leave no buildup and it's water-based so it should wash out easily, so I hope it lives up to these promises! I am in real need of a hair styling product.

Miracle Skin Transformer Treat & Conceal Eye & Face in Medium

Value: $7.80 (Amazon pricing)

Rating: 3/5

Notes: This seems like it would make a good concealer, and a little bit goes a long way. However, they sent me the medium shade, which as you can see in the below swatch, is wayyy too dark for my fair skin. Maybe I can wear it under foundation or something.

Mirenesse Glossy Kiss Lip/Cheek Color in Cheeky Kiss

Value: $11

Rating: 4/5

Notes: The color seems nice and neutral, and it stained my arm pretty well after the swatch (shown below). I don't know about using this on my cheeks, but definitely on my lips!

Perlier Revitalizing Body Butter in White Almond

Value: $2.55

Rating: 4/5

Notes: The lotion smells a little soapy to me, which is the only way I can think to describe it. It's not a very offensive smell, but just a little unexpected. It does feel very creamy and moisturizing on my hands, so I will probably keep it at my desk as a hand lotion.

Here are the swatches from the Lip/Cheek Color and concealer:

This was a pretty average Birchbox for me. The total value of the box ended up being $41.27, which is definitely worth it, but I won't use all of the items. I will earn $6 worth of points by reviewing the items and sharing my box on Facebook, so I still think the rewards program is what makes Birchbox consistently the best valued beauty box.