January 2020 Birchbox Review: Oribe Curated Box

I signed back up for Birchbox when I saw that one of their January boxes was going to feature all Oribe products. I'm a huge fan of the brand and the chance to get a bunch of samples for only $15 was too good to pass up.

*Disclaimer: This box was purchased by See, Shop, Love! Post contains referral links.

I had a Birchbox subscription for years but I unsubscribed after my stash of beauty samples became too large. The Birchbox model has changed a little since I last received a box, most notably, they cost $15 per month now instead of $10. Supposedly they're including more high end brands and bigger samples now, but I haven't noticed much of a change in the types of samples sent (through other peoples' reviews).

The box itself is bigger now, with a slide-out bottom like the Birchbox Man (I guess it's called Birchbox Grooming now) boxes. You can save them and stack them up for storage, but I decided to just recycle mine.

Now for the good stuff! The Oribe box had five samples with bonus foil packets. I absolutely love Oribe but their products are pricey, so I only buy them every once in a while. This box featured some that I hadn't tried before, so it was a great way to try them out without having to spend a lot of money.

• Grandiose Hair Plumping Mousse: This mousse "delivers crunch-free volume and body." I actually didn't notice much of a difference in my hair after using this, so for $39 per bottle for a full-sized, I would probably not bother purchasing this.
• Apres Beach Wave and Shine Spray: This product is a favorite. I like to wear my hair in loose waves and this provides just enough hold and shine to keep them looking great.
• Dry Texturizing Spray: I love this spray, too! It provides more hold than the Apres Beach spray and is part dry shampoo, too, so you can apply to your roots for volume and oil control.

I believe these minis retail for around $22 each, so they've already paid for the price of the box and then some.

• Signature Shampoo and Conditioner: These bonus foil packets have lychee extract and macadamia nut seed oil to hydrate and add shine to hair. They don't have sulfates, so it didn't lather that well for my thick hair, but I know Oribe's products are all high quality so I had no doubt that this provided good cleansing. My hair felt soft and clean after.
• Supershine Moisturizing Cream: This cream is great for styling. It works as a leave-in conditioner and also adds some hold for styling, plus smoothing and shine.
• Straight Away Smoothing Blowout Cream: This balm protects against heat and humidity to provide long-lasting sleek, straight styles. My hair was so smooth after using this!

I cancelled my Birchbox subscription after receiving this box because I knew I only wanted to get this curated Oribe box. With the higher price point of $15 now, I think there are other boxes out there that provide better samples for around the same price.

Bottom Line: I do think the Oribe curated box was a great deal and I would definitely purchase a box like this again in the future. I got to stock up on more samples of their texture and wave sprays, plus try the creams and mousse. I'm very happy overall with the sample selection.