Birchbox Review

I am now going on my fourth Birchbox and I figure it’s time to give a little review!

If you are new to Birchbox or are trying to find out if this service is right for you, hopefully I can help you out a little. Sorry this is a little long!

Sign up for your Birchbox here!

Birchbox is a subscription service for $10 where you receive 4-5 deluxe samples in the mail every month. It comes in a pretty pink shipping box and then inside is another box that looks like this…

the logo is actually a pretty metallic pink but my camera hates me

You can opt to purchase the monthly service which bills you on the 3rd of every month or you can purchase a yearly subscription for $110. I purchased the monthly subscription because I was poor in the summer when I signed up (but not too poor for beauty products.. I know I have a problem). 

There are pros to each membership. Yearly Membership you get a month free and 110 bonus Birchbox points (I’ll explain that in a little) and with the Monthly Membership you get 10 bonus Birchbox points and are able to cancel at any time [not that I want to].

In hindsight if I had $110 at the time, I definitely would have gone for the year, but let’s face it.. I’m a poor college student that spends money as fast as I get it.

After you have signed up, you take a little beauty profile quiz which you can edit at any time.

Some questions they ask you are

• Where do you get your beauty info from
• What beauty styles are you interested in
• Describe your hair
• What color is your hair
• What is your ethinicity
• Skin coloring
• Type of skin

So basically they try to get a feel for what products you are able to use and what products they think you would enjoy. That way, for example, you don’t get a super heavy foundation when you have sensitive skin. Or whatever.

Based on your beauty profile, a box is selected for you. I have no idea how they decide which box you get. I’m assuming there is some intern playing eenie meenie minie moe until she finds the perfect box for you. Just kidding…maybe.

So now you have signed up, completed your beauty profile, and are awaiting your box!

Birchbox says that the boxes are shipped out the first week of every month. I’m not really sure if that is true, but I always get mine around mid-month which is fine by me because in the end Ialways get my box. You will receive a shipping notice once your box leaves the warehouse and then you are able to go on birchbox website and see which box you received. It shows you your tracking code and everything in the box with a pretty picture of what your box contains. 

Like this one!

Source: birchbox.com

My package usually arrives within a few days of the notice, but the warehouse is also located in the NY-NJ area and I live in NJ so it doesn’t have to travel that far.

So now that you know the logistics you are probably wondering what kind of goodies you get. Although the service says you will receive 4-5 samples, so far I have only received 4. Along with your samples you always receive an extra non beauty product gift.

Here is a run down of what I have gotten in the past:

August 2011

• blinc - eyeliner
• Carol’s Daughter - Monoi Repairing Hair Mask
• Pangea Organics - Cleanser
• Wei - Eye Treatment Pads
• *twistband - hair tie

September 2011

• Incoco - Nail Polish Appliques
• Jouer - Lip Enhancer
• LIV GRN - Earth Eau de Parfum
• Pangea Organics - Face Cream
• *Birchbox Friendship Bracelet

October 2011

• Befine - Lip Exfoliator
• blinc - Mascara
• Pangea Organics - Face Scrub
• Redken - shine flash 02
• *Tea Forte - Minteas

November 2011 - review

• Klorane - Eye Makeup Remover
• LaROCCA - Sugar Body Scrub
• Oscar Blandi - Jasmine Protein Mist
• Zoya - Nail Polish in Noel
• *Chuao Chocolate - Firecracker ChocoPod
• *BaubleBar - Wooden Ball Bracelet

Overall I have been very happy with my boxes. I have discovered brands that I had never heard of and really enjoy, and the sizes of my samples have lasted me this long. My favorite box so far has been November I seriously love everything in it, and I plan on purchasing a few things once I run out of my samples. 

I will say that there were times when I was disappointed with the size of a sample or the selection I received. For instance September was a boring month. I got a baby tube of lip enhancer, a small vial of perfume that I didn’t like, face cream that pretty much gushed out of the bottle, and a friendship bracelet that broke. The Incoco nail strips were beautiful so I was okay with that. Although September pretty much sucked, October made it all better. And then November came around and it’s like September never happened. 

Once you get your Birchbox, you have the opportunity to give feedback on each of your samples. This is where the Birchbox Points come into play. For every item you review, you get10 Birchbox points. 

For every 100 points you receive $10.00 off your order. For every $1 spent in the Birchbox store you receive one point. So if you review each item in your box, essentially within 2 months of your subscription you will have $10 off in the store. 

Also, when you refer friends you get 50 points. 

So while the product samples you receive in your box are on the luxury side, they slowly become affordable if you review products and refer your friends!

Customer Service at Birchbox really is amazing. One month I was missing my twistband hair tie and I emailed customer service and within a few weeks I had a new one shipped to me. If you ever have a problem with the service they are more than willing to help you out! 

That’s pretty much all there is to how Birchbox works and what you should expect!

I definitely suggest this service to anyone! I absolutely love it!

Feel free to sign up here!

Has anyone else signed up for Birchbox? How do you like it?

If you have any other questions let me know!

email: nailpolish.rehab@gmail.com