May Birchbox Man Review

I've had my Birchbox Man box for a few weeks now but I kind of forgot about it...oops! Luckily it's still early in May so this review isn't too late.

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

This month I chose the guest editor box from Baxter of California. Technically the products are for Pete since I'm, well, not a man, but I pay for the subscription because sometimes I feel that they include better items in the men's box than in the women's ones! Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I purchase this for my boyfriend but ultimately I have the final say when it comes to sample choice.

As one would assume, this box had items from the Baxter of California line. I was interested in trying their products because, aside from the shaving ones, I figured I could use them as well.

• Super Close Shave Formula ($1.07 for .5 fl oz) - I guess Baxter has an actual barbershop in L.A. where they use all of these products, but since we live in New York we won't be making it out there any time soon. This shave formula is "smooth and spreadable," according to the Birchbox website, and although it's meant for men's faces I'm thinking I could use it on my legs too if I really wanted to.
• After Shave Balm ($2.25 for .5 fl oz) - This is a glycerin-rich, alcohol-free post-shave balm that can also be used as a daily moisturizer. It has aloe vera to reduce inflammation and allantoin to soften skin and reduce razor burn.
• Clay Mask ($3.60 for .8 fl oz) - I'll definitely be commandeering this for myself because I have oily skin and I love using clay masks. This contains bentonite clay to scrub out stubborn pores and milder kaolin clay to gently exfoliate and increase circulation.
• Daily Face Wash ($.85 for .5 fl oz) - This is a colorless, odorless facewash with anti-inflammatory aloe vera and age-fighting ginger extract. I like that it's simple and odorless and I think that would appeal to a lot of men, too.

• Surfrider Candle ($12.70 for ~2 oz) - I'm guessing on the size of this, but it's a pretty good sized candle for a sample. It's also the main reason why I picked this box; I love candles! It has a beautiful scent that definitely reminds me of the ocean--it's crisp and clean with a little bit of sweetness thrown in, too.

Bottom Line: I think this Baxter of California box is one of the most well-curated boxes I've seen from Birchbox (from both the men's and women's boxes). I liked that they included skincare samples that could be used all together and the candle was a great bonus.

What do you think of the Baxter of California box?

April Birchbox Man Review

I signed back up for Birchbox Man last month, half for my boyfriend but half for me, too. Even though we've only gotten two boxes so far I've been really happy with them!

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

Birchbox Man costs $20 a month, as opposed to the $10 for the Women's box. I think that they definitely make up for the difference in price by increased value, and I also like the packaging of the Men's boxes a lot more. The women's boxes have a top on them that comes off like a regular shoebox, but the men's boxes have a sliding drawer that you pull out from the side. I think I can repurpose these boxes a lot easier than the Women's.

Anyway, Birchbox teamed up with Mad Men for April's box and I was so excited when I found that out! I'll admit that I only watched the first few seasons of the show, but I did enjoy it and I like the whole Don Draper aesthetic (aside from, well, the alcoholism and stuff).

One great thing about Birchbox Man is that every box comes with a full-sized item. Last month Pete got a great watch, and this month our sample choice was our full-sized product.

• Royal Rose Three Chiles Simple Syrup ($2.75 for 2 fl oz) - This was the first half of the sample choice we picked for this month. If you're not familiar with simple syrup, it's basically sugar water that you add to a cocktail for flavor. This one is flavored with fresh poblano, jalapeno, and dried ancho chiles. As much as I love spicy foods, I don't really want my cocktail to taste like a pepper so I swapped this.
• The Mason Shaker Whiskey Stones ($17.00 for 6 stones) - I love whiskey and when I saw that these stones and the syrup were available for sample choice I snatched them up right away (I'm paying for this box after all, not Pete)! We just bought a bottle of single malt 12-year Aberfeldy scotch that will go great with these. If you're not familiar with whiskey stones, they're great to drink with liquor because they take the place of ice cubes and won't dilute your drink.

• Baxter of California Facial Scrub ($2.13 for .5 fl oz) - I ended up posting this for swap because I already have a ton of exfoliating products to use and I knew Pete probably wouldn't end up using this. It looks nice, but a lot like other scrubs I've used.
• das boom industries Everywhere Lotion Detroit ($3.00 for 1 fl oz) - Man, this stuff smells terrible. It has argan oil, rosemary extract, and Vitamin E, all of which are great ingredients for smooth skin, but I just couldn't get past the smell. The scent trio includes tobacco, musk, and motor oil. I don't mind tobacco or musk in lotions, but I am not a fan of smelling like motor oil.
• PLANT Body Wash ($2.11 for 1 fl oz) - Now this I do like the scent of: sandalwood, cedar, and ginger. I might just steal it for myself. Even better, it's made in Brooklyn at a nonprofit workshop that employs adults with mental and physical disabilities. The product itself is free of parabens, silicones, and other "mystery chemicals" (as the product page calls them).

Bottom Line: Our April Birchbox Man had a total approximate retail value of $26.99, which isn't crazy high, but it's more than the cost of the box and I'm happy with that. I also really liked most of the products we got and I think that's what's most important!

March Birchbox Man Review

I bought a Birchbox Man box for my boyfriend a while ago, but we only got that one box because he wasn't really interested in continuing the subscription.  I signed up again this past month because they've been including some great items recently, based on other reviews I've seen, and I figured that even if it comes with something Pete won't use I'll either take it for myself or post it for swap.

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

March's theme was "Boldly Go."  I really like the photo on the info card; I wish the women's boxes came with pretty pictures, too.  Before I get more into the review, Birchbox Man costs $20 a month and is exactly what it sounds like: a Birchbox for men.  It functions the same way as the women's subscription; you fill out a user profile and get a box of skincare and men's grooming products sent to your door.

We didn't get to do sample choice this month because it was our first box, but that's okay.  I subscribed under my email address instead of creating a new account for Pete because that way I get the points for reviewing the products!  Plus I have Ace status, so we get to do sample choice early.

• English Laundry Royal Aqua ($1.52 for .07 fl oz) - One of my all-time favorite perfumes is English Laundry No. 7 For Her, so I was very interested to see if I would like this as well.  I sprayed it on myself (I'm not against wearing men's colognes) but didn't care for it, but it smells great on Pete.  The info card describes it as a "fresh-air fragrance" and I think that's a pretty accurate description.  It has notes of watermint, basil, ginger, and sandalwood.
• PRORASO Shave Cream ($.69 for .35 oz) - This is an Italian-made shave cream with eucalyptus and menthol.  I imagine this feels quite tingly when applied.
• Billy Jealousy LiquidSand Exfoliating Facial Cleanser ($3.00 for 1 fl oz) - This is a Birchbox exclusive item.  I used it before Pete did and decided that I'm going to keep it for myself!  It barely has a scent and has gentle exfoliating particles in it.  I love it and I would totally buy a full-sized version.

• BareBands Watch ($39.00) - Alright, so we didn't really care what the total retail value of the others samples added up to because this watch more than pays for the box!  The bands are kind of like an elastic hair tie (but rubber) and are form-fitting without being too tight or irritating.  It's perfect for working out, or just wearing around throughout the day if you so choose.
• DTRT Samples - I'm not going to bother trying to figure out the retail value of these because they're just small foil packets.  They're technically a "bonus" item, made up of the Water Wise Lotion, Dear Matt Lotion, and Bright Idea Serum.  I'm probably going to end up using these myself, and I'm interested to see if the Dear Matt Lotion is any good because it's for oil-control.

Bottom Line: Even without sample choice this box was great!  Pete loves the watch and I think the grooming samples are also great (especially the Billy Jealousy cleanser).  I like that Birchbox man includes bigger items like the BareBands watch and I think that it's well worth the $20 price.  The total approximate retail value here adds up to $44.21.

July Birchbox Man Review

I purchased a Birchbox Man subscription for my boyfriend to try out, mostly because I was curious to see what was included.  We were both pretty impressed with the July box, so I'm glad we gave it a shot.

The packaging is basically the same as the women's box, except the men's is in blue and is a little bit taller (when lying like in the picture above).  I like how the men's box opens, too--the inner container pulls out like a drawer, instead of lifting up from the top like the women's box.  A minor detail, but I thought it was kinda cool.

My boyfriend, Pete, came to visit Tuesday night to stay for the July 4th holiday and the box arrived on the same day.  I wanted to be able to save it for him to open, but I'm impatient so I opened it when I got home from work.  I figured that since I paid for it I could open it before he got here!

A Birchbox Man subscription costs $20 a month, as opposed to $10 for the women's box.  It's a little bit pricey, but I think that's because they might not have as many subscribers to the men's subscription yet.  Here is what was included in the box, along with Pete's thoughts on the items:

• CoSTUME National Scent Intense - Pete isn't a cologne user, but he still liked this sample because he's interested in trying something new.  The little vial had an atomizer, which I prefer because they're just so much easier to use.  Pete was indifferent to the scent, but I really liked it so overall this was a decent sample.
• Quirky Cordies - This was Pete's favorite item in the box.  When I saw that it would be included in every July box, I knew that he would really like it.  It's pretty simple in the grand scheme of things, just a rubber gadget that you can slip your cords through to be organized.  He even said something along the lines of, "I know it may seem dumb, but I really like this!"
• Quirky Wrapster - This is the only item in the box that he said he wouldn't use, so I kept it.  It's something you can wrap your earphones around, but I'm going to use it as a stand for my iPhone instead.
• BENTA BERRY Super Moisturizing Face Cream for Men - Face cream is definitely not something that Pete would ever think to buy for himself, so I'm glad that this was in his box.  I tried using it myself, only to realize that it's scented for men.  It did smell great, though!  The texture of it is interesting, it's not entirely cream but not entirely serum either.
• Supersmile Professional Whitening System - This was Pete's second-favorite item in the box.  I've used Supersmile products before and I liked them, and I know he's excited to see how this system works.  He was a bit surprised at how small the bottles were, but I told him that it'll probably last longer than it seems.
• Jock Soap Bloody Orange Body Bar - Blood orange is one of my favorite scents, but I couldn't really smell anything when I sniffed this.  Pete didn't comment much on it, but it's something he'll use.

Bottom Line: Both of us were happy with the July Birchbox, but I did cancel my subscription after receiving this first box.  We only wanted to try out just one, but based on the items included I would recommend it to anyone who was interested in trying it.  I think it's perfect for guys like my boyfriend who want to try more personal care and grooming items, but just don't have any idea where to start.

I have some close-up photos of the items under the "read more."