February Birchbox!

I signed up for Birchbox after reading about it at Allison Lehman: Show + Tell.  Birchbox is a monthly subscription service for upscale beauty products.  For $10, you get a box with 4-5 generous samples including makeup, skincare, fragrance, body, and hair care.  Even though I don’t wear a lot of makeup regularly, I love trying new products, but hate to spend a lot of money on things that I may not like.  The boxes are customized according to a profile that you fill out, though I don’t think everything was appropriate for me based on my profile.

With Birchbox, if you like an item from the monthly box, you can order it with free shipping.  There is a point system in which you receive 10 points for every box you receive and 1 point for every $1 that you spend on products.  100 points = $10 for future purchases.  If you have a beauty-loving friend or family member, you can purchase gift subscriptions of 3, 6, or 12 months.   The best part is that there is no commitment – you can cancel your subscription before the first of the next month if you don’t want it anymore. 

Wanna try Birchbox?  I’d love it if you used my referral invite: Click here

On to the box!
This is what I received in the February Birchbox:

1. Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant – This is an exfoliating powder to which you add water to create a paste to buff dead cells away.  I did not have high expectations for this, even as I was using it.  It was a little hard to create the right consistency (especially not even knowing what the consistency should be).  I had to make some adjustments with more powder and more water to get to a paste that I could massage on my face for 1 minute.  I didn’t feel like it was really doing anything while I was massaging it in, but after I rinsed, I could tell a HUGE difference.  My skin felt SO clean and so smooth.  I was shocked, because it’s been a little dry and flaky in patches lately.  It still felt really soft and smooth in the morning.  I would love to use this regularly, but at $50 for a full size bottle, it’s above the price that I’m willing to pay.     
   
2. Eye Rock Designer Liner – These are single use, stick-on eye liner strips.  They are pretty crazy, so I don’t know when I’d wear them except for a costume party or to be funny.  I just don’t wear eye makeup like that.  I’ll hang on to them for the right event, so I can’t really give a review of these. 2 packs of 4 are $13, which isn’t bad if you have something specific to buy these for.
3. Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint – I’m not a big fan of tinted moisturizers because my skin get a little oily throughout the day.  I use a moisturizer and then mineral powder foundation, so this type of product just isn’t my thing. Full-size $38, which I’d never pay for any tinted moisturizer.
4. Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Serum – I was surprised I received this because I didn’t indicate that I am concerned about acne in my profile.  I do get blemishes here and there, so I wasn’t terrible disappointed.  I didn’t really like the serum much though because it was pretty liquidy, which made it hard to dispense the correct amount without squeezing out too much.  I can’t speak for how well it works, as something like this needs to be used for a longer period of time than that sample will allow.  It didn’t burn or dry out my skin though.  Full-size is $29, which seems like a lot, but if it’s a product I needed and liked, I’d probably pay for it if I had a lot of acne. 
5. Supersmile Powdered Mouthrinse – Add water to this powder-filled pouch to create a mouthwash to freshen your breath and whiten your teeth.  I really like the convenience of this because it would be easy to throw in your purse or for travel.  Pack of 24 is $16.  I’d probably buy these if I traveled a ton or was on the go all of the time.  As it is, I usually only use mouthwash at night, at which time I’m home. 

Overall, I still really like the concept of Birchbox and will continue my subscription for now.  As far as matching my profile, I didn’t think the blemish clearing serum was a good match (my skin concerns were aging and sun protection), nor the Eye Rock Liner as I selected classic, natural, and trendy for beauty style, but not adventurous which I really think the Liner suits.  I’m also disappointed that I received so much skin care versus makeup because I selected “the latest makeup color” as something that I would splurge on.  After looking at all of the products that could have been in the February Birchbox, there were definitely several products that would have been more appropriate for my profile. 

Note: I purchased my Birchbox subscription on my own accord and am not being reimbursed for this review.  I just really like the concept.
*referral link included