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Birchbox April 2017 Beauty Box Review

  • ashleyellebeauty
  • Apr 12, 2017
  • 7 min read

Birchbox is a monthly subscription service that delivers makeup, haircare, fragrance, and skincare right to your mailbox (or front door). This box tends to be a little heavier on the hair and skincare, but you should always receive makeup samples. If you're thinking about signing up for this subscription, keep in mind that they love to send out little fragrance samples. If you don't like that, make sure to log on to your beauty profile and change your fragrance choices. I had recently had my profile set to receive fragrance samples occasionally, and I ended up getting samples as part of my box for two months in a row! I'm very happy to report that after changing my beauty profile, I didn't receive a fragrance this month (*happy dance*)!

The subscription costs $10 per month (free shipping!) and claims to always tailor your beauty box to your specific needs (as stated in your beauty profile). Each month Birchbox allows you to choose between 3 samples choose by the Birchbox team, or a curated box. I went on the Birchbox Help page to find you a clear explanation of each:

"Sample Choice gives you a chance to choose one of the samples for your next box or opt into a curated box, which is a predetermined set of samples. Here’s how it works:

Once Sample Choice has begun for the upcoming box, you’ll be able to make your selection within your account (be sure to watch our Sneak Peek videos to find out when the offer launches each month!).If you choose one of the individual samples, the rest of your box will be based on your Profile and theme. If you choose the curated box, you’re opting in to receive the featured set of samples. If you opt into one of these boxes, your choice will override your Profile and Box History, and this box will come in place of a personalized box. This means that if you’ve received one of these samples in the past, you’ll be able to receive it again.Sample Choice options come at no additional cost. If you choose not to participate, you’ll receive a box based on our monthly theme and your Profile."

Now, let's talk about April's box!

This month's theme is 'Magic Inside'. It's all abut the ingredients inside the beauty products that we use. According to the card that I received in the box, there's 'a ton of magic inside the box so that I can feel my best on the outside'.

Here are the items included in this month's Birchbox:

Davines LOVE Smoothing Shampoo & Conditioner: 2.5 fl oz/ 75 ml & 0.4 fl oz/ 12 ml

I was super excited with what I got this month! 3 hair products, 2 skincare products, 1 makeup product, and NO fragrances? Yay!

This was my sample choice. As soon as I saw that they were offering this skincare product, I chose it as soon as I was able to. In all honesty, I chose the product for my husband. He suffers from a specific type of dermatitis and has very dry, irritated skin. I'm always on the lookout for skincare products that will help him. I didn't test this product out, but he did and he loved it! He told me that he loved the rich creaminess of the product as well as loved how it felt on his skin. It's brought him relief and has helped with the flare-ups. He doesn't use a lot per application, so this should last us a few weeks. As soon as the sample runs out, I'm pretty sure we're buying the full size!

Here is the product claim:

"The caveat with sensitive skin? You want hard-working, yet gentle products. This calming cream was developed specifically to solve redness, blemishes, inflammation, and other irritations. Boosted with centelle asiatica leaf, a medicinal herb found in Asian wetland areas and known for its healing potency, along with Nolsome Capsule, which improves absorption of ingredients, this powerful, repairing formula will have your skin feeling relieved as soon as you put it on."

I haven't tried this for any blemishes, but my husband can speak to the truth of the redness and irritations. This product is a 5-star rating for us!

Unfortunately, this product was a dud for me. It was another one of the sample choices available. Because I always wear my hair up and I rarely wear it down, I may not use this as often as it is intended. That being said, I may be able to try this out in the summer if I do a braid-out. Considering the amount of hair I have and the size of this bottle, I may use it all up in 1-2 uses. If I'm liberal, I may be able to extended it to 3.

Here is the product claim:

"Sugar may not be so great for your diet, but it does wonders for your hair as this texturizing spray's MVP. Formulated with sugar cane, antistatic properties, and flexible styling aids, the spray not only gives you loose, shiny waves, it also nourishes strands. Hair feels soft and the style stays intact even in the face of heat and humidity thanks to flex net resins. Getting perfectly undone, beach babe hair has never been so sweet."

Sounds nice for those who live in a humid climate. If you've tried this before, leave a comment below and let me know how you like it!

I was so, so excited to see a liquid lipstick sample in my box this month! I've never heard of the brand The Beauty Crop before, and I was excited to try this gorgeous brick red lipstick!

Here are the product claims:

"You've got enough to do without tending to your flaking, smudged lip color. Feel confident and take on the day with one less worry on your plate whenever you wear this liquid matte lipstick with incredible pigment and staying power. The vitamin E- and shea butter-enriched formula provides hours of comfortable, hydrating wear while the rich shades give great color payoff and perk up your pucker."

This color looks great on my dark skin tone (didn't need a lip liner with this!) and wears incredibly! It doesn't make my lips feel dry and it goes on very smoothly (not to mention it does. not. budge). Here are some swatches in indoor and outdoor lighting.

(please excuse the awful nails. I'm due for an appointment!)

This lipstick comes in a very generous sample size, so this will last me for a very long time. I'll definitely buy the full size when this is done, because one can never have too many red lipsticks in their arsenal.

This was another sample I was very excited to try. I already have the (MALIN + GOETZ) nighttime acne treatment, so I'm very faintly familiar with the brand.

True to its name, this cleanser has a very grapefruit-y scent. It may bother some who are scent sensitive, but it didn't bother me. The texture is very goop-y and because of that, you don't need a lot to cleanse your face. I tried this cleanser out with my Clarisonic at night and a muslin cloth in the morning. It left my skin feeling very soft. The cleanser didn't dry me out so I followed with my regular skincare routine (the company suggests that you can skip a toner with this cleanser, but I used one anyways).

Here is their claim:

"This triple-threat cleanser from (MALIN + GOETZ) dissolves dirt and oil, clears acne, and balances skin’s pH. The amino acid-based foaming gel taps naturally antibacterial grapefruit to prevent blemishes and exfoliate, while hydrating glycerin and sodium pca leave your complexion soft, not taut. It’s gentle enough for sensitive skin, and rinses away completely—no need for toner. (So...quintuple-threat?)"

I have to try this a few more times to see if I will buy the full sized version. Until then, I will definitely use this entire sample!

Davines LOVE Smoothing Shampoo & Conditioner: 2.5 fl oz/ 75 ml & 0.4 fl oz/ 12 ml

Yet again, another product that I am excited about! I love receiving shampoos and conditioners in my boxes, because I know that I'll use all of them. This little set is no exception.

Prior to subscribing to Birchbox, I had never heard of this line before. Fast forward to the present, I'm finding that many people are in love with this line! The shampoo is a very generous size (2.5 oz! ) and should last me for at least 2 good washes. It smells absolutely incredible, as well. I want to wash my entire body with this stuff!

Here are the product claims for the shampoo and conditioner:

"As a last-minute defense against frizz, we’ve been known to sport a topknot and be done with it. But, sometimes we just want to let our hair down. Luckily, this gentle shampoo is specially formulated to tame frizzed-out and tangle-prone hair. An infusion of olive extract—from Minuta olives grown in Messina, Italy—nourishes and enriches hair with fatty acids, vitamin E, and polyphenols. It leaves our strands smooth for a style that’s more manageable, which helps us get dressed up and out the door faster."

"Nip frizzy hair in the bud (and simplify your morning routine) by using this specialized smoothing conditioner in the shower. The reamy concoction calms frizz and loosens tangles, making your whole hairstyling process a lot simpler. It’s formulated with olive extract from Minuta olives grown on a family farm in Messina, Italy, which infuses strands with fatty acids, vitamin E, and antioxidants for a softer, smoother style. As an added plus, it imbues your strands with a high-shine look, perfect for when you don’t have time to apply product before rushing out the door."

I struggle from coarse hair that has a habit of tangling and frizzing. I'm really hoping that this product does what it says it is. Even if it doesn't, I'm totally okay with that because the scent is to die for.

Final thoughts: I loved my Birchbox this month! Definitely my favorite so far. I'm going to use everything, and I feel as if it was definitely worth the $10 value (it exceeded it, even)!

Are you subscribed to Birchbox? If so, what did you get in your box? Did you love it? Hate it? I'd love to know!

Until next month!

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