This month's Birchbox came a little bit later than normal for me, and unfortunately there was a problem with my box (I'll get into that later on in the review). However, BB customer service has been outstanding and they are sending me a brand new box to compensate!
For those of you who don't know, Birchbox is a monthly beauty/makeup/lifestyle subscription box for $10/month. They send out 4-6 mini, deluxe, or full size samples of products. While they tend to send out smaller samples than other services, I have discovered so many new brands through this service, which is their main objective. They want you to SAMPLE their products and then purchase the full sizes of the products in their shop. Plus, they have an excellent points system, where you can trade in your points for cash to spend in their BB shop!
Now, onto this month's box!
The theme this month is "Rainy Days". I love the bright blue tissue paper that they used this month, it's a nice change from their normal pink. Each BB this month included a "tip" for a rainy day. I got tip # 31 out of 52 total. I thought this was a cute little addition to the box this month, although I don't think I would ever pay the $10 that the full 52 tips cost.
Now, onto this month's products!
Color Club Art Duo Pen in Black
This is a full size product, however on the BB website it only comes in a set of 3 for $25, so this single bottle is valued at around $8.33. This pen has two sides, the lid comes off for a precise pen-style tip for fine details, or the whole cap twists off to reveal a slender striper brush. I'm not very good at nail art, however with this pen it should make it a little easier, and I'm excited to try out some new designs.
Cynthia Rowley Beauty Eyeliner in Silver
The full size of this product (0.04oz) retails for $16, making this 0.03oz sample valued at $12.00. A few weeks ago, I received an email from BB saying that my box this month would include a Cynthia Rowley eyeliner, and I was given the choice between a black liner or silver. Since I have received more than enough black eyeliners in my subscriptions over the past couple of months, I immediately chose silver. I love this metallic shade, and it is a gorgeous liner. I definitely look forward to using this liner on date nights!
Madison Reed Nourishing, Color Enhancing Shampoo & Conditioner
And this is where the problem with my Birchbox occurred this month. As you can see, I was supposed to receive both a shampoo and conditioner, however they sent me two conditioners. I contacted BB support about the small mix-up, and they offered to send me a whole new box to compensate. I have had nothing but positive experiences with their customer service, and they really do go above and beyond to fix even the tiniest mistakes.
The full size of the conditioner (8 oz) retails for $19.95, making these 1oz samples valued at around $2.49 each. I am waiting til my next coloring before I test out these samples, so I can't comment on how well their color-enhancing claim is. They smell amazing though!
KIND Snacks Healthy Grain Bar - Maple Pumpkin Seeds with Sea Salt
This is a full size bar, however they are sold in boxes of 15 for 11.88, making this single bar valued at around $0.79. I am extremely picky with grain bars, and this is not my taste at all. I will be giving this away to someone who will enjoy it a lot more than I will.
Overall, I paid $10 for this box and received $26.10 worth of products. While this isn't my favorite Birchbox, I will still get use out of everything and received 50 points for doing reviews, which is $5 towards my future purchases in the BB shop.
What did you think of your Birchbox this month?
I feel like I haven't blogged in forever! I have been patiently waiting for my boxes to arrive this month, and once they did arrive I ended up battling a pretty rough stomach bug/dehydration, so I apologize for the delay on these posts.
For those of you who don't know, Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service for $10/month that sends out deluxe & full size products. I always recommend Ipsy for those who wish to build up their makeup collection, since they tend to send out A LOT of makeup products. They also use the same brands pretty often so it's easy to build up a nice collection. Their value always well exceeds the cost of the bag and I have been very impressed with Ipsy these last few months!
Typically, I receive my Birchbox first and then my Ipsy bag a few days later. I was shocked this month when I saw my Ipsy bag arrive well before my BB did!
Now, onto this month's bag!
The bag itself is a cute little vinyl bag, with a record on it to go with this month's theme, "Beauty Rocks!" It's a little cheesy, but the bag will still be put to good use.
Now, onto this month's amazing products!
Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm in Apple Pink
This is a FULL SIZE product and retails for $19.00! When I found out that I was receiving this item in my bag, I was hoping for this color over the other color that they sent out (Acid Pink). This balm leaves a very matte finish, but can be paired up with a basic gloss for a different finish. This is a great everyday color and I can't wait to add it to my collection!
Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil in Black Velvet
The full size of this product (0.04oz) retails for $20, making this travel size (0.03oz) valued at $15.00. This was another product I was extremely excited to receive. Urban Decay is an amazing makeup brand, and for Ipsy to include it in their bag was a nice surprise. This eyeliner is a new product that UD has released in their Summer 2014 collection. This is a more matte, softer version of their popular 24/7 liners. It is intended to be blended out to create a smokey-eye, although it can also be used as a stand alone eyeliner as well. I'm not big on the smokey eye (I look like a raccoon every time I try!) I will be using this primarily as a regular eyeliner. The matte formula leaves a less-harsh line than other black liners, which I love.
Demeter Jasmine Perfume Oil Roll On
This is a full size roll on and it retails for $10.00. I have heard nothing but good things about Demeter, so this was another welcome product. The Jasmine scent is very floral, and although it's a scent I don't normally wear, I think it will be a great scent for the springtime and I'm excited to try it out.
dr. brandt microdermabrasion
The full size of this product (2 oz) retails for $78, making this 0.25oz sample valued at around $9.75. I have been receiving a lot of exfoliating creams in my subscriptions lately, but I love the dr. brandt brand so I was excited to receive this product. This formula is designed to mimic the brightening and smoothing effects of an in-office microdermabrasion treatment at home. So far I have been loving this product- my skin feels smoother even after just one use.
Elizabeth Mott pop! goes the shadow in Champagne
This is another FULL SIZE product and retails for $12.99. This is a GORGEOUS shade, and I am a big neutral shaded eyeshadow junkie. The color goes on very sheer, but is buildable and is perfect for any occasion.
Overall, I paid $10 for the bag and received $66.74 worth of products!! This is one of my highest valued Ipsy bags ever. I really feel like Ipsy has been stepping it up a lot this year and I have been very impressed so far with their bag values. This is a great bag for me as I will use everything that I received. If you are interested in signing up for Ipsy, you can click here or leave a comment below!
What did you think of April's Ipsy bag?
