August Birchbox Review and Why I Unsubscribed

This will be my last Birchbox review for a while; I decided to unsubscribe after over four years of boxes. Why? The service isn't bad, but recently they made some changes and I decided I could live without it now. Plus, I can always resubscribe if I want to.

*Disclaimer: This box was purchased by See, Shop, Love!

Birchbox is the first subscription I ever signed up for and it's been one of my favorites for a long time. They're cheap ($10 per month) and send high-end products customized to your needs. What could be bad about that? Nothing, really. But the reason I unsubscribed was because they changed their Points program.

I've actually been considering nixing Birchbox for a while, not because it was out of my budget, but just because it started to feel like an unnecessary expense. My last few boxes have just been so-so, and I have so many samples that I was either trading what I got or putting it in my closet, maybe to never see the light of day again.

I finally decided to pull the plug after they changed their Points system. The main reason I stuck around Birchbox was because you could earn rewards points for every product you reviewed from your box, and I was able to get a ton of free and discounted full-sized items using those points. But as of July, new subscribers only get 10 points per review for the first five products they review. After that, the only way to earn points (to my understanding) is to purchase full-sized items. Without that extra perk, Birchbox became non-essential to me. Now that I have Play! by Sephora, which I consider on par with Birchbox and one that I can't easily resubscribe to if I cancel, I decided to give Birchbox a break.

August's box was decent for me. My favorite item was the one I picked for sample choice, and everything else was similar to or a direct replica or something I already had. Obviously it's going to get a little redundant when you subscribe for so long, but it's just another reason why I won't miss this box too much.

• Acure Organics Coconut & Argan Oil Cleansing Towelettes - I like using cleansing towelettes after work to remove my makeup and refresh my oily skin, but I'm not sure how much I'll like these. I've used a coconut oil wipe from a different brand I didn't care for it at all because the coconut oil left my skin feeling heavy and oily, which is the exact opposite of the feeling I want from a cleansing wipe.
• Coola Mineral SPF 30 Daydream Makeup Primer - I have a lot of primers, but I'll keep this sample for travel. This is one product I'm okay with having a repeat of since I know I'll eventually use it.
• Manna Kadar Cosmetics The Day Dream Palette - I already have this exact mini palette from another box, so I don't need two. Also, I read on the Birchbox site that a lot of subscribers received theirs damaged. I'm glad mine didn't break, but I will still be putting it up for trade.
• Oribe Apres Beach Wave and Shine Spray - I was super excited that this was available for sample selection because I love Oribe! I've used this product before and it's great. To be honest, it doesn't really give my hair much wave, but I use it to set my style after I add waves with a curling iron.
• R+Co BADLANDS Dry Shampoo Paste - I like using dry shampoo when I'm too lazy to shower in the morning and I was curious to see how this paste worked. I've only ever used aerosol dry shampoos before, and I think I'll stick to them. This didn't agree with my oily scalp and left too much residue.

Bottom Line: I've been a Birchbox subscriber for a long time so I kind of feel like I'm breaking up with a friend, but I know I can always easily resubscribe if I start to miss it too much. I think they're a great subscription with wonderful customer service, but right now I just don't really need more samples. I may be back in the future, though!