Birchbox Review, January 2014

Birchbox January 2014 Review

Birchbox was so early this year that my online profile hadn't updated with my box items when this arrived.  I'm not complaining, I get the box early and I don't spoil it for myself! Win-win.

Birchbox January 2014: Go Time

The box felt pretty full, which made me excited.

First Look... is that a hairspray? womp womp

I was slightly miffed to see an aerosol container, thinking it was another hairspray.  I don't like hairspray.  However, the actual product was much more interesting.  Read on...

Birchbox Finds: Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Day Lotion with Clary Sage

Every so often, BB will include a drugstore product in that month's box.  These "don't take the place of regular samples" but sometimes they seem to.  I don't mind, as BB tends to send products that are really nice, and generally are something I wouldn't spend money on.

This face lotion by Burt's Bees lives up to the company's reputation.  It's a nice facial lotion that absorbed quickly.  I'm not sure if there is enough in the 7g sample to decide if it really does reduce visible signs of aging like lines and wrinkles, but I don't really believe any products actually do that anyway.  It has a moderately strong scent that might not appeal to everyone, but I don't mind it.

Sample size is 7g, and the full size (50g) is $18.  The sample is worth $2.52.

Harvey Prince Journey

Although I normally hate perfume samples, and I have my BB profile set to send me the minimal number per year, I wasn't sorry to see a new Harvey Prince scent included this month.  I bought a full size of their Ageless perfume after getting a sample in BB, and I have liked another scent, Hello, after trying that one.  This isn't my favorite of the three, though.  It smells like orange and grape candy.  Mixed together.  It's super sweet and fruity, and though there are other exotic notes listed, all I smell are orange and grape.  Eh.  

Full size is $55 for 50 mL, and the sample is about 1.5 mL, making it worth $1.65.

Serge Normant Meta Revive Dry Conditioner

Ahh... the non-hairspray.  It's actually a dry conditioner.  What?  I have dry shampoos, and I actually like one or two of them, but I've never heard of a dry conditioner.  I suppose it makes sense.  The bottle says to use it on the mid-to-ends section of hair after dry shampoo.  I did, and it made my hair soft and added a fresh, but not overpowering, scent.  I like this idea, especially if I have straightened or curled my hair and don't want to add in a water-based product (hi, frizz), but still want to condition.  

Nice.  This is what BB should be about: introducing people to new and interesting products that they might not hear of otherwise.

Full size is 3.2 oz for $25, and this 1.2 oz sample is worth $9.38.

Inikia Mineral Eyeshadow in Eternal Marine

Next up is a mineral eyeshadow by Inika.  Eternal Marine is a gray-based shadow with muted green and blue tones on top.  It's really pretty, and will definitely need a primer.

Eternal Marine swatched once over bare skin

This is a nice change of pace from the weird mineral shadow colors I've gotten in sub boxes.  This is a very wearable shade that will look nice with every eye color.

This is full sized, 1.2g, and sells for $20 on the BB site.

Nail Rock Nail Velvet in Navy

Last up is something that I couldn't believe BB sent!  It's a nail velvet set from Nail Rock, which includes a polish and a velvet flocking powder for on top of the polish.

Nail Rock Polish and Velvet Powder

I did a quick test of the set, since I've never done a velvet mani before.  I had on 2 coats of Julep Lucy, so I just added one coat of Navy polish on top (good coverage!) and dipped my finger in the little pot of velvet powder.  I used a finger of my other hand to tap off some of the excess (tapping the knuckle, not the nail) and let it dry.  I've seen some people repeat this process (polish, then powder, then let dry) twice, and I think that would be a good strategy.  I didn't get full powder coverage on my nail from just one dip in the powder.

Nail Rock Velvet Mani on ring finger

This is an interesting look, it's fuzzy!  

The sets sell for $4.99 at Urban Outfitters.

All together!

Total Value $38.64

This was a great start to the year.  I'm not crazy about the perfume scent, but it was from a brand I like.  The eyeshadow is beautiful, the nail kit is perfect for me, the dry conditioner is unique, and the face lotion is a decent find.  Add that onto the $5 credit I'll get for reviewing these products on the BB site, and this was an awesome box.

Birchbox costs $10 per month and sends you 4-6 samples of higher-end skin, hair, and makeup products.  Each product you review gets you 10 BB points, and every 100 points can be redeemed for $10 credit to the site.  This is one of the best deals out there when points are incorporated. If you want to try it out, please use my link here.  I'll get 50 BB points.

All items in this post were purchased by me.  All thoughts and opinions are my own, and no special credit or compensation was received.  This post contains a referral link; see above for details.