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Birchbox Subscription Box Review + Coupon – November 2016

Haley Faye
ByHaley FayeNov 9, 2016 | 18 comments

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Birchbox
3.7 overall rating
657 Ratings | 188 Reviews

Every month, Birchbox lets subscribers pick between a curated box (all samples revealed) or a single sample choice and be surprised by the rest of the items.

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My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

This review is of the Sample Choice, $10 a month, box. 

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The Subscription Box: Birchbox

The Cost: $10 a month (get one month free and $10 to spend in the shop with an annual subscription!)

LIMITED TIME DEAL: While supplies last, use coupon code TWOFORONE to get a FREE extra Birchbox with your first month of a Birchbox subscription! The box design—and the goodies inside—will be a surprise.

OR

Get $5 (50 points) to spend in the Birchbox shop when you subscribe with coupon code SUBSCRIBENOW50

OR

Try any of these free gift with purchase coupons on orders of $35 or more!) And don’t forget your free mystery sample pack on orders of $35 or more!

The Products: Beauty and lifestyle samples selected by the Birchbox team.

Ships to: US, FranceSpain and the UK and Canada

Check out all of our Birchbox reviews and the Beauty Subscription Box Directory!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

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Each box comes with a card that has a blurb of the month’s theme and focus. November’s theme is about the “extra, just-because details that make all the difference.”

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And the flip side of the card always lists the names and details of the items in your box!

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Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream - 0.2 fl oz, Value $6

I’ve heard a lot of good things about Dr. Jart’s Cermidin products so I was looking forward to trying this. I think it works well and the formula is definitely ultra-moisturizing, but it just has an odd smell… slightly medicinal, maybe? I’m not sure. It works well so it may just be that I have to get over it. It dissipates quickly for me anyway.

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R+Co ANALOG Cleansing Foam Conditioner – 1.5 oz, Value $7.25

I’ve tried a cleansing foam conditioner before from the Macadamia brand, but that’s it aside from this one. I’ve never tried an R+Co product before, though! All in all, I really like this product. It smells really good and I need less than I thought I did. My hair feels hydrated, clean, and the good smell has lasted all day.

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Living Proof Full Thickening Cream- 0.5 fl oz, value: $3.65

I wish this sample were bigger because this is my new favorite discovery! Living Proof products have been a hit or miss for me with the ones I’ve tried before, but this product works really well. You apply a pea-sized amount to your damp hair, starting just past the roots and going all the way to your ends and then blow-dry “to activate.” My hair is usually fine and a little wispy, but this cream really helped it feel thicker/more voluminous and had a hydrated feeling weight to it all day. I’ll have to add the full-size to my cart for when I run out of this!

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Coastal Scents Blush & Bronzer Palette – Value $1.50?

This was my sample choice this month – a little blush + highlighter duo samples from Coastal Scents’s new Blush & Bronzer palette. I do have to point out that I think this could possibly be a little confusing for some subscribers because the big words on the packaging says “blush and bronzer” but when you open it, it’s actually blush and highlighter. That’s fine for me, because I’ll use a highlighter more, and the rest of the packaging clearly states “this sample includes a blush and highlighter from the new…. palette.”

But I’m mostly clarifying this because I noticed that one of the handful of reviews of this on Birchbox’s site is negative saying that the “bronzer” in this sample didn’t work at all for her even though she’s super pale… sounds like she didn’t realize it was a highlighter, not a bronzer, and hopefully others won’t be dissatisfied due to confusion/misunderstanding.

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All of that being said, I really like this duo! I think the packaging could be better… the shape (and size) of the tins makes it hard to apply ideally to my brush and face. I could make it work with a little extra effort, though, so it wasn’t unusable. The blush formula is highly pigmented and blends well – a little goes a very long way! Just this sample would last me quite some time if it was easily usable… The highlighter is really pretty, too. The formula is just right for me – a very fine shimmer so that it’s not “sparkly.” It definitely adds some glow to my complexion.

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Ardency Inn Modster Smoothe Ride Supercharged Eyeliner – 0.8 g, Value $14.10

This waterproof eyeliner had actually been on my “to try” list for a while! The formula is creamy and very soft/smooth. It applies with zero tugging on my lid at all. It has great, opaque pigmentation and stayed put all day. I’d love to try some of their brighter and bolder colors.

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Here are swatches of the eyeliner, blush, and highlighter.

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Here I am wearing the eyeliner, highlighter, and blush. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I love the color of the blush because it’s a little warmer than I usually reach for. Also, I think the highlighter adds a great touch of glow. The eyeliner formula is so much softer than I’m used to working with so it took a bit of patience and a steady hand for me to really be happy with the application and create a solid line, but I think it’s a really nice product all in all.

Verdict: I wasn’t super excited about my November Birchbox just from opening and looking at my samples, but after trying each on I’m actually really happy with it. I think every single item (except for maybe the ceramidin) pleasantly surprised me! I know I’ll use up as much as I can from every sample. The value of my box adds up to $32.50 which I’m happy with for a $10 box filled with new happy product discoveries for me!

What do you think about Birchbox? What samples did you get this month?

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Birchbox ($15 per month) was one of the very first beauty subscription boxes—we’ve been reviewing it since 2012! Each month, subscribers get a new mix of 5 beauty samples, such as makeup, skincare, haircare, and fragrance items. Birchbox lets you choose whether you’d like a box of items picked ju... read more.

Haley Faye
Haley Faye
Haley Faye first discovered the wonderful world of subscription boxes in 2012 and began writing for MSA in 2014. Over the years, she has found many subscriptions to love. Now a mom of three, her favorite boxes are ones that dress her kids, help her get organized, feed her family, send her snacks, and offer educational fun for her children.

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18 comments

Caroline

Well, I just received my Nov box and it does not match what was shown on my account as receiving. It doesn’t even include the sample choice I picked. I contacted CS though and they’re sending me the correct box right away. Very impressed!

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Samantha

If it weren’t for the full-size Chella Eyebrow Pencil in my Birchbox this month, the value would be pathetic. They sent me the tiniest samples of everything else! I got a Coola primer sample, and I had read reviews that the sample was tiny, but this is beyond belief and false advertising. The tube says .10 oz, but I don’t even think it’s that much. I cannot believe the amount in this tube is 1/10 of what is in the full-size one, and if it were, then that is the most overly priced product ever. Depending on the curated box and selection next month, I might cancel. I’ve spent too much money on subscription boxes and Sephora’s VIB sale anyway.

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Alex

I cant believe that I’m going to end my very 1st sub box. I just have been so disappointed for months. Ipsy and Lip Monthly are too good to bother with Birchbox 🙁

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JenMags

Just got my box, I was actually interested in it based on the products and then I saw the sizes. Compared to Play and the other boxes, all samples (except the eyeliner) were super tiny. Not sure that the hand cream sample will even cover both hands. Yet another month that I regret signing up for a year subscription.

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TK

Very disappointed in my November box. Only one product I will even try. I got another black eyeliner(yuck), another Living Proof hair product( not a fan), a face cream(just ok), tinted eye cream, and a perfume sample. I will try the eye cream but everything else is going. I can’t believe they are giving perfume samples as one of the 5 samples!

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Krista

I’m not a big fan of my box this month, and the second free box I got with the “mysterybox” promo was awful (a Burts Bees lip balm which is OK I guess, a water spot mask by a brand I can’t remember and had never heard of, a Briogeo conditioning hair mask, Tocca Florence perfume which isn’t terrible smelling, I just hate perfume samples, and a makeup trio from Au Naturale that is so small and junky it should have been in foil). The first free box I got with that promo was pretty good, so I guess I should just be happy about that.

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Kp

I got amika hairspray. The pbj smoothie stick . tocca hand cream. Derma e charcoal mask and 2 foil packet of makeup remover wipes. The box was a pretty rifle paper co box b

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heat7918

Box twins! That almost never happens to me – just got it this evening so haven’t tried anything yet. Great review!

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Emily

I got the same R+Co product a month or two ago and it was a huge fail for my hair. I ended up using it as shaving cream.

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Amilita

I got the same box loved it! Also as an ace they gave us 50 points ($5) free to spend in the shop well I bought a $5 hair mask and used the code mysterybox and got a box with five samples all for free shipping and everything so it was a nice gift for us aces

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Teresa G.

Great review! The only common product in my box with yours is the R+Co cleansing foam conditioner. I’m super excited to try it, as I’ve been able to get my hair washings down from every day to every 2-3 days. I’m always on the lookout for great smelling products that minimize my need to shampoo often.

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Alexandra

Hey! Just to let you know, Birchbox doesn’t ship to Canada anymore (well according to their website https://www.birchbox.ca/index.html )

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Marion

Ha ha, I thought the same thing the first time I tried a Dr. Jart product, and now every time I try a new one, I’m hoping it has that distinctive smell!

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Dianne

I have the coastal scents full size palette. I got it from Boxycharm. I love it. I’m starting to hit pan on the highlight shade. It has the perfect shades. But I wish the pans in the palette were bigger. I like it better than all of my higher priced palettes.

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Christy Peeples DuBois

These do look really good on you, they honestly do. I’m going to have to get the living proof and try one of their eye liners.

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Sara Green

This would have been a great box for me!!

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Dea

Yes, the ceramidin smells weird, but it feels great on the skin, so I’m a fan! And the sample is a very generous size.

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Amber

This looks like a good box! I have the full-size ceramidin cream, and I love it. I think it has a slight floral smell that I’ve come to really enjoy. R+Co makes some of my favorite hair products (I love the dry shampoo paste), but it sounds like I could benefit from the Living Proof product, as I also have fine hair. Thanks for the review!

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