Reviewing Birchbox: My May Box & Time to Break Up

It is month number five of my Birchbox subscription and it looks like our love affair is over.

It’s not you, Birchbox… it’s me.
Actually, it IS you.

Much like a crappy boyfriend, you just DIDN’T listen to what I want…so I’m dumping you.

Here’s what I got in this month’s box:

May Birchbox - open

Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Day Tint (Full-size, $48)
According to the little card that comes in the box, this is a ceramide-infused balm that hydrates, delivers sheer coverage and has SPF protection.

May Birchbox - tint

I don’t wear foundation or any all-over face color… I just feel like it kind of strangles my skin and makes me feel gross all day long. I even went and double-checked my account to make sure that I indicated that I don’t wear foundation, so I’m not sure why they keep sending this kind of stuff to me. I tried it on by putting a thin layer on with my fingers and even though the coverage was light it was still definitely there. Also, the product has a really stinky floral/medicine smell to it so within about 5 minutes of spreading it on my face I went and washed it back off.

ModelCo Party Proof Lipstick – Dusk Til Dawn (Set of 3, $20)
I like the packaging of this lipstick and the color looks pretty in the tube. On my lips it’s a little clay/orange looking though… and I’m not sure how I feel about it. What do you think?

May Birchbox - products

At the price point it really does seem like something I can easily pick up at the drugstore though, so I’m not sure it’s worth the cost of the monthly box.

Harvey Prince Sea Salt Texturizing Mist (Full-size $22)
This was the product I was able to choose for this month’s box, so I’m glad that it was included. I’ve tried a bunch of texture sprays and was happy to try another one. I was super disappointed at the size of the sample though, because in past boxes similar samples were double or triple the size. Actually, I guess I’m not that disappointed at the size of the sample, because it didn’t work at all. Check it out in the picture above with the lipstick – I used the mist to style my hair and it looks exactly the same as if I didn’t put any product in it at all. So disappointing.

Marcelle Hydra-C 24H Energizing Hydrating Gel (Full-size $24)
This gel is a “lightweight, vitamin-packed hydrator that brightens skin and goes on cucumber-cool.” You are supposed to smooth it on your face whenever it feels dry and it can be worn alone or under makeup. In the morning, I always put on a moisturizer with a SPF, so I used my sample after I washed my face at the end of the day. It goes on very lightly and soaks in almost immediately. I don’t really feel like it brightened my skin at all, but it felt okay and wasn’t sticky or anything.

English Laundry Notting Hill Femme (Full Size, $90)
Have I mentioned that I’m super picky about my perfumes? Oh yeah, I do on EVERY SINGLE REVIEW. I even emailed Birchbox after last month’s box and asked them to put a note on my account to not send me perfumes. They replied and said that they’d mark me as not receiving them often, because it wasn’t an option to fully opt-out. So, what do I get in this month’s box? Another perfume. That makes 4 perfumes in the last 5 boxes.

And with that, I’m out.

Instead of my boxes improving each month with my feedback and tweaks to my style profile, they just kept missing the mark. Even though it was only $10 a month, I just feel like it was a waste when they didn’t really seem to care what I wanted. Instead, I could take that $10 to Target and pick up a few products that I’m actually interested in trying out.

I closed my account and used up the rest of my points to order (yet another) beachy hair spray from their store. Once that arrives, I’ll be unsubscribing from all of their emails to make a clean break. It’s too bad, they seemed like a really cool concept, but I’d much rather spend my money with a company that actually listens to my feedback.

In my 5 months of boxes, I did find 3 products I ended up using regularly:

PARLOR by Jeff Chastain Moisterizing Sea Salt Spray (February Box) – This spray smells great and gives me super soft beachy waves when I spray it on damp hair. I use this on a daily basis and really like it a lot. The only reason I keep looking around for another one is that while this does a good job, it really doesn’t leave it SUPER wavy. However, if my choice is between kinda wavy and soft or super wavy and crunchy, I choose this one!

Vasanti Cosmetics BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator (January Box) – I loved this facial scrub so much that it totally replaced my previous favorite (which I had been using forever). The sample lasted for well over a month and I bought the full-sized container ($34) which will probably last me for a whole year. It makes my skin super soft and I swear that it has reduced the appearance of some wrinkles that were starting on my forehead and around my eyes!

Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm (January Box) – I was originally sent this lip color in “coral crush” but ordered both the “ripe raspberry” and “pixi pink” to try out when I accumulated a bunch of points to spend in the Birchbox store. I LOVE all of the colors and have been wearing the “ripe raspberry” to work most days. It is sheer, feels good on my lips and the color is really flattering!

So there you go, my very last Birchbox review. It was fun while it lasted, but now it’s time to move on.

Have you tried Birchbox? How long did you keep your subscription?

 

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Birchbox, I paid for the $10 fee with my own hard-earned money.

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4 thoughts on “Reviewing Birchbox: My May Box & Time to Break Up”

  1. I tried Birchbox quite awhile ago and I remember being unimpressed at that time. I tried Ipsy for well over a year and I was much more satisfied with their products. I received more full size items and items that were closer to what I was looking for. You are able to review each product each month so you can have a little more say as to what you get. I loved it, but I started to accumulate way too much so I had to take a break.

  2. I had the exact same experience with BirchBox. It was really fun in the beginning to get lots of new stuff, but then I realized that I was getting lots of stuff that I didn’t actually like. I am also very, very picky when it comes to perfume, and I’d get one in every box.

    1. I don’t know why they don’t allow you to opt-out of perfume. I guess because it’s so incredibly cheap to send out those teensy little stinky vials instead of a real product that you’d want to try!

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