Saturday, June 16, 2012

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.

8 comments:

  1. What's your favorite subscription service? I just get birchbox too, and though I love my Stila bronzer this box, I'm wondering if there's something better out there.

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    1. Ooh I'm jealous, I really was hoping for the Stila bronzer!

      But to answer your question, my absolute favorite services are Conscious Box ($19) and Eco-Emi ($15). They're both a little bit more expensive than Birchbox, but totally worth it. I've loved every single one of the boxes I've received from those services! You can read an overview of all the services I've tried at this page: http://seeshoplove.blogspot.com/p/subscription-services.html

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  2. Ahhh, you got the box I wanted! I wanted the eyeliner and floral water and bandaids!

    I really hated my box this month, with a passion. Sad. Hopefully next month will be better!

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    1. Aw sorry that you hated your box :( That's how I felt about my box from May. Next month's Glamour magazine box is looking pretty good though, so I hope you get some stuff you love!

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  3. Even if you cancelled, it was still a pretty awesome box to receive. I'd have loved it!

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    1. Yeah this box was definitely one of the better ones I've received from Birchbox. I actually did re-subscribe shortly after cancelling this time because I found out that next month they're teaming up with Glamour for a box that sounds like it's going to be great. So I guess third time's the charm, lol!

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  4. Replies
    1. I kind of wish it was a little bit darker upon application, but it's perfect for using on your cheeks.

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