Retrospective: Birchbox April 2012

Without any subscription boxes coming in, and with me being too lazy to get off my butt and look though my cabinet to pick something to write a review about, I figured I would go through all my past Birchboxes and do a retrospective review of the products.

Here is what my profile looks like (and has always looked like):

My level of beauty knowledge is: Dedicated enthusiast: I love learning and exploring

I can never have too many: Haircare products, makeup products, nail polishes

For me, fragrance samples are: Not my favorite- please send me no more than 6 fragrance samples per year

I'd love to see more of these types of extras in my Birchbox: Organic and natural products, small acessories 

I am signing up for Birchbox because: I want samples, samples, samples!; I'm looking to experiment and change my beauty routine

My beauty style is: Classic- I err on the side of traditional, think Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn; Low-maintenance- I tend to be pretty natural and don't spend much time getting ready

My hair is: Curly, dry, too short for a ponytail

My hair is closest to: Blonde

I do the following to my hair: Color treat, curl with a curling iron, straighten with a flat iron, always let it air dry- why mess with nature?

My ethnicity is: White or caucasian

My skin tone is: Fair

My complexion is best described as: Normal

I am most concerned about: Cellulite, hyper-pigmentation or dark spots, sun protection

My day of birth is: 1987

Birchbox has you fill out this profile, and whether or not they take it into consideration when they send products is another thing all together.

April 2012.  Month 2.

After my amazing first ever Birchbox the month before, I couldn't wait for April's goodies to show up in my mailbox!

Amika Obliphica Nourishing Mask
Photo from Birchbox

This was nice.  I had long hair at the time, but I was still able to get two full uses out of the packet they sent.  It made my hair very soft and smelled really good.  That's all I remember.  I didn't get a full-size, so I must not have been blown away.

Full size 500 mL for $40.  Sample size was 20 mL for a value of $1.60

Dropps Laundry Detergent pack
Photo from Birchbox

This was in my Birchbox least favorite 5.  It was just fine for a convenient washing machine pack, but I was a little weirded out seeing it in a beauty subscription box next to some nail polish and a hair mask.

Full size $6/ 20 drops.  Value of a single drop is $0.30.

Zoya TRUE Spring Collection in Lotus
Photo from Birchbox

This is a nice muted purple with some slight pink shimmer to it.  My favorite way to wear it is with Julep Brooke over it (a sheer purple microglitter) to bring out the shimmer.  Zoya makes a really nice nail polish and has great wear time.

Full size 0.5 oz for $8, sample size 0.25 oz valued at $4.

Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift
Photo from Birchbox

I actually pulled this out of my perfume sample grab bag and wore it yesterday.  It wasn't terrible, but it did fade faster than some of the other (more expensive) perfume samples I use.  At least once a week I try to spritz myself with a random sample so I don't feel bad that they are sitting in a big jar on my dressing being neglected.  This is just meh.  Not much of anything going on.  It's fruity and flowery.  Nothing musky or woody.  Very appropriate for a teenage girl, if I ever happen to age backward.

Full size $59.50/100 mL.  Assuming the sample is a standard 1.5 mL, it has a value of $0.89.

Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer
Photo from Birchbox

I have a love/hate relationship with Juice Beauty.  Most of their stuff I love, but when I hate something, I really hate it.  This moisturizer was nice, and I remember it smelling really good.  I am lucky enough to have good skin, without any problems, so I am not very picky about my face creams.  I use one every morning and night, but I don't have to shop for particular ingredients, or avoid others.  This was nice.  I'd gladly accept another sample of it.

Full size $28.00/2 fl. oz.  Sample size 0.17 oz for a value of $2.38.



Total Value: $9.17

Again, under the $10 I paid, but the 50 points for reviews more than made up the difference.  3 out of the 5 samples were things that I liked, one was a total miss, and one was a perfume sample.  I just don't really like getting them.



Birchbox costs $10/month, including shipping and sends you a box of 4-6 samples and sometimes full-sized products.  You can review the products you receive for 10 Birchbox points each.  For every $1 you spend in the BB shop, you also receive 1 BB point.  For every 100 BB points you accumulate, you get $10 to spend in their shop.  If you would like to sign up, my link is here and I will earn 50 BB points at the end of your first month.

This post contains products I purchased with my own money.  No compensation was received for this post and all opinions are my own.  This post contains a referral link, see above for details.

Least 5 Favorite Birchbox Items

My 5 Least Favorite Birchbox Products
Besides almost every fragrance sample ever sent to me, these are my five least favorite items received through Birchbox.

Photo from Birchbox

#5. Miss Jessie's Jelly Soft Curls  (May 2013)
This just did not work for my hair.  I have curly hair, yes, but I like my ringlets to be soft and touchable.  If that means a little frizz, fine.  This smelled like a laundromat and made my hair crunchy and my curls did not stay together, if you know what I'm trying to describe.  It made everything look very strand-y and 90's.  If I wanted to look like I had 90's hair, I'd spend $2.50 on some LA Looks. Not my HG curl product.

Photo from Birchbox

#4 Dropps Laundry Detergent Concentrated Pack (April 2012)
Um, bad choice of "Lifestyle Extra," BB.  Luckily, I'm not sensitive to scents in my detergents.  This smelled fine, and did its job well, but I don't subscribe to a beauty box in hopes of getting my clothes cleaner.  What's next? Tide dishwasher pods? I don't even have a dishwasher! I'm glad I at least have a washer/dryer!  Had this come in a different type of sub box, I wouldn't have had a problem with it.  It just looks out of place next to nail polish and perfume vials.

Photo from Birchbox

#3 LA FRESH Nail Polish Remover Pad (September 2012)
I like nail polish.  I'm also a chemist and I have an affinity for acetone.  I practically shower in the stuff at work, so I don't have a problem with using it to remove my polish.  I just make sure to keep my hands, cuticles, and nails hydrated.  This nail polish remover pad smelled great, and I do like the convenience of the individual packets for traveling- I buy the all acetone Rite Aid brand.  However, aside from the convenience factor, these sucked.  They left behind a very oily residue and did not even remove all of my polish.  I had to go back over everything with a cotton ball and acetone.  Waste of time.

Photo from Birchbox

#2 S.W. Basics Beeswax Lip Balm in Cocoa (October 2012)
Had BB sent me a different flavor, like cinnamon (mmm), I would have been over the moon with this sample.  However, this is representative of a larger theme within my BB products- terrible scents/colors.  This is the most offensive example.  I just don't like the smell of raw cocoa butter- to me it smells like a hamster cage that needs to be cleaned.  It's disgusting.  This lip balm is amazing and in terms of texture and hydration and staying-power, it's one of the best I have tried.  I just can only use it when I have a stuffy nose, and hope that other people aren't offended that I smell like a pet store.

Photo from Birchbox

#1 Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream (April 2013)
Juice Beauty is a great brand and I love the moisturizer I received in the June Popsugar Must Have box.  That one smells like lemonade and has a handy pump to keep the rest of the product sanitary.  Fantastic.  So, I know that this brand can make a good face product, and I just don't know what happened with this CC cream. It has no coverage, is very thick, but at the same time, almost airy, like a mousse.  It's a confusing texture.  It also smells like butt.  Their products are made with organic ingredients and are mostly plant-based (juices and oils).  I really like that about this company.  Too bad I really hate this CC cream.  If it had good coverage, it would be one thing.  If the scent faded quickly, it would be another.  Neither is true.  I gave away the two additional samples of this that came with the moisturizer in the June PSMH.


If I somehow have convinced you to sign up for BB, it is $10/month and this is my referral link.

This post contains items that I purchased through Birchbox.  All opinions are my own. This post also contains a referral link.  For each person who signs up for BB using my link, I receive 50 BB points.