June Birchbox Review

My June Birchbox came in the mail the other day, but I already knew what was going to be inside.  I have this terrible thing where I can never let myself be surprised -- around Christmas I have to tell my boyfriend to not tell me one single thing about my gift because I'll torture him with questions until he gives me a hint or two, and then I ultimately figure out what it is.  The same applies to my sample boxes; I always log in to the site before my box arrives to see what is going to be in there.

June's theme is "Jet Set," which is cute and fun.  I do have tentative plans to jet off to Minneapolis this summer to visit my best friend, so all of the travel-sized samples I've amassed will come in handy for that.  Overall, I'm content with this box.  When I first peeked at the items I didn't love them, but once I played around with them I changed my mind.

The variety this time around was nice, and I actually liked one of my lifestyle extras for once!  Here's what I received:

• Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner - I'm pretty sure that this is a full-sized product, which retails for $15.  I'm a total fail when it comes to applying liquid liner, so I usually stay away from it.  This one, however, is super easy to apply because the tip is shaped like a marker.  The shade I got was black, which I liked because I don't ever wear colored eyeliner.
• Melvita Rose Floral Water - This is probably my favorite sample in the box.  The company is Leaping Bunny certified as cruelty-free, so that automatically gives them a HUGE thumbs-up in my book.  The bottle is a decent size, and it's spray toner and "mid-day skin refresher."  I took it to work and used it twice throughout the day, and it took the edge off of my oily skin.  Plus, it smells so nice!
• theBalm Stainiac in Beauty Queen - I've reviewed a few of theBalm's products here before and I'm a big fan of the brand.  I actually already own a full-sized Stainiac, so I'm going to be giving this sample away as part of my 500 follower giveaway (stay tuned for that!).  I like this lip and cheek stain because it's very light.  Fans of dark stains probably won't love it as much because it really gives a very gentle wash of color, but I love it.
• Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream - Apparently this is Japan's best-kept skin secret.  It can be used on hands, lips, feet, or anywhere that needs some moisture.  I liked the texture of it -- it was very smooth and absorbed well, but the smell is kind of off-putting.  The sample itself was teeny tiny, too.
• Cynthia Rowley Dress Up BAND-AID - I am surprisingly pleased with this lifestyle extra, because for once it's something I'll actually use; though I prefer to not buy this particular brand (owned by Johnson & Johnson, which tests on animals).  I shut my thumb in my car door a few weeks ago and my nail is starting to peel off (yuck), so I've been going through bandages like it's my job.  These are fun and I was impressed that Birchbox sent a full box of 20 of them.  At first I figured they'd send us only two or three individual BAND AIDs.
• John Varvatos Star USA - This lifestyle extra is one I'm not pleased with.  It smells nice, but it's a men's cologne!  I know that the whole reason they included it was to promote Birchbox Man, but sorry, I buy Birchbox woman for myself, not so I can give a sample to my boyfriend.  I know that sounds selfish, but seriously.

Here's a comparison photo of the full-sized Stainiac (.3 oz) and the sample from Birchbox (.04 oz).  I saw on some posts and videos that people thought the Stainiac they received was full-sized, but it clearly isn't.  The sample is still an ample amount, though, to try and see if you like the product.

Bottom Line: This Birchbox was better than other recent ones, but I still cancelled after I received it.  For $10 it's not a bad deal at all, but I'd rather stick with my other subscription services that consistently send me lots of items that I love, instead of Birchbox which only occasionally sends me things I like.

*Disclaimer: I purchased this box with my own money and was not asked to review it.  The honest opinions here are entirely my own.