Birchbox Home "Snow Day" Review

I had $40 worth of Birchbox points to use and I didn't want to use them on one overpriced product, so I decided to use them to buy the Snow Day Home Box.  I've never purchased a specialty box from Birchbox before, but this one was really cute.

This box costs $39 and contains a great variety of items.  I think the selections fit the "Snow Day" theme really well, and I liked most of them a lot.  My only gripe is that I wish the skincare/beauty products were larger sizes, but overall this box made me happy.

• Mox Botanicals Body Soak in Matcha & Clementine ($4.45) - I'm not sure when I'll be able to use this because I don't take baths often (my tub just isn't big enough for it to be a relaxing experience), but I've heard good things about this soak and this brand.
• L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream ($1.78) - L'Occitane is an iffy brand for me, because while their products are not tested on animals, they sell in China, so their products will eventually be tested on animals due to Chinese governmental regulations.  I prefer to steer clear of any testing, so I won't use this--but it makes a great stocking stuffer, so I'll regift it to someone else.
• S.W. Basics Organic Lip Balm in Cinnamon ($4) - Now here is a brand that is entirely cruelty-free, and amazing!  I have the lip balm flight (set of four) from this company back when they were named Sprout Skincare.  The cinnamon balm is still just as wonderful, and it's definitely my favorite item in the box.  It's incredibly smooth and smells amazing and I just love it!
• Chantecaille Flower Infused Cleansing Milk ($5.08) - I've never used any Chantecaille products before, and this sample is so tiny (.27 oz) that I doubt I'll really get a feel for how it works with my skin.  I definitely wish the sample size was bigger for this one.
• Chantecaille Jasmine and Lily Healing Mask ($7.90) - This sample is even smaller than the cleansing milk at .17 oz, and that's really disappointing to me.  I know these are both expensive products, but my issue with tiny skincare samples is that they don't last long enough to see whether or not the product is really a good fit for your skin.

• Happy Socks Combed Cotton Crew Socks ($10) - I love tall socks for the wintertime.  These are a fun pattern and really soft.  I've worn them a few times under my boots and they keep my toes nice and warm.
• (MALIN+GOETZ) Votive in Cannabis ($13.58) - I was really excited to get this candle, the scent options were either dark rum or cannabis, and I was actually hoping for the cannabis one.  I think most people who also received this box (at least, the ones who blogged about it) wanted the dark rum scent, but I was really intrigued by the "cannabis" name.  It smells nothing like marijuana (I only know because I was an RA in college and had to call university police often because people smoked in the res halls!); it's a masculine scent with a mixture of lemon, orange, fig, pepper, oakmoss, sandlewood, and amber-patchouli.  I actually have it burning right now as I type this!

• Scrabble Birchbox Edition Mini Game Set ($36) - I think the $36 retail for this is a little bit ridiculous, but this travel-sized Scrabble board is really cute!  I've never played real Scrabble before, only Words With Friends on my phone, so I'm excited to use this with my friends and family.
• Askinosie Chocolate Single Origin Cocoa Powder ($3.20) - I'm glad that Birchbox included some food items in this box, and hot chocolate is the obvious choice for a "Snow Day" theme.  This is what I consider "fancy chocolate:" it doesn't have that overly-saccharine taste that the average store-bought kind has.  I actually think this would be better for baking, but I'm too lazy to bake so I've been mixing this in with my coffee and it's delicious.
• Three Tarts Gourmet Marshmallows in Cinnamon ($2.20) - These marshmallows were really delicious, too.  I (of course) added one in with my Askinosie cocoa, but I soon realized that it was so big that it wouldn't fully melt.  I divided the next one into two pieces and it was the perfect size.
• Jonathan Adler Fireplace Matches in Purple Flame ($10) - This was my least favorite item in the box.  I don't have a fireplace, but I do burn a lot of candles.  I'll find a use for them, but I was mostly disappointed that this was included because I think it's a stupid product.  $10 for matches?  No thanks.  I understand that it fit with the theme, but I would have rather received something else.

Bottom Line: If my math is correct, and there's a good chance that it might not be, this box is worth approximately $98.  The value is greatly inflated due to the $36 retail price of the Scrabble board, but even if this box was worth only the $39 price tag I would be happy because I got it for free.  I still think it's a really fun box even if you pay full price for it, and it makes a great gift for the holidays, too.

*Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.