September Birchbox Review

I was really excited to get my September Birchbox because my last few had been just okay, but this month's had a bunch of samples that I was really excited to get!  Much to my chagrin, upon receiving the box I found that one of the samples had leaked.  Later I found that another one was defective.  I contacted Birchbox, who has always had excellent customer service, and they promised to rectify the problem by sending me an entirely new box!

My replacement box is still on its way, so this review is for my original box.  I love the new design they unveiled, which was done because September is their birthday month (they're four years old now!).  I'm not sure if this is a permanent change, but I hope it is because the boxes are really cute!

The theme, fittingly, was "Fresh Paint."  Not only does it symbolize an anniversary for them, but also the changing of the seasons that September brings.  The informational card also promises more surprises all month, and I know one of them is their Customer Appreciation Day tomorrow.

Even though two of my samples were damaged/defective, I still really loved this box.  I think this is one of my favorite boxes ever, and I've been a subscriber on and off since Birchbox launched in 2011.

• Real Chemistry Luminous 3-Minute Peel - When I saw that this was going to be in my box I was so excited; I've seen it in other peoples' boxes and it was something I really wanted to try.  My first use didn't go so well, but I think that's because my skin was still just the slightest bit damp from washing.  I'm going to give it another chance because I just really like what it can do.  I suppose it would help if I said what it does--it's a gentle exfoliating gel that you apply then massage the skin, causing it to kind of "bead up (for lack of a better description)" and carry away dead skin cells with it.
• Macadamia Professional Healing Oil Spray - This was the sample I chose to have in my box when Birchbox sent out the sample selection options, so naturally I was really excited to try it.  Unfortunately this is the defective sample; when I go to spray it the nozzle doesn't work, it just drips down the bottle and onto my hand.  For now I'm just pouring a small amount onto my hands and applying it that way, but once I have an old empty sample spray bottle I'm going to transfer the nozzle onto it to see if that works.
• Temptu S/B Highlighter - This sample is so tiny!  The shade is "champagne shimmer" and it's a liquid highlighter.  I prefer solid highlighters, but I was interested in trying this one out because I thought the shade was really pretty.  It might be that I'm just not applying enough because I don't want to use up all of the sample in one use, but I wasn't impressed by the effectiveness.  I couldn't really tell that it was there at all (I used it on my cheekbones).
• ChapStick Dual-Ended Hydration Lock Moisture & Renew - I'm not a fan of the ChapStick brand (I don't like their formula, always feels too waxy), but I think this is an interesting product.  One end is a moisturizing balm, the other is a "renew" for revitalizing lips.  I gave this to my boyfriend to try and he liked it a lot.
• Acure Organics Day Cream - I love Acure Organics and I like how ample this moisturizer is in size.  It smells great, too; the scent is citrus-y and light.  It feels really light on my skin and is probably a product I would purchase a full-sized version of.
• Harvey Prince Ageless Liquid Loofah - Harvey Prince is another favorite brand of mine, and their Ageless scent is great (pink grapefruit, mango, and sandalwood).  The instructions on the tube say to not use a sponge with this, since it would lather and exfoliate best when applied directly to the skin.  I found that it didn't, so I still used my loofah sponge with it.  I absolutely love the scent, though!  Oh, and this was the sample that was damaged.  The cap wasn't on securely and it leaked inside of the box (photo below).

Bottom Line: Even though this box had a few technical issues, I was so happy with the selection (and with Birchbox's amazing customer service, I really didn't expect an entirely new box!) that I can't be mad.  I hope that all of my boxes have products this relevant to my interests from now on!

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