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Birchbox Subscription Box Review + Coupon – March 2017

Haley Faye
ByHaley FayeMar 18, 2017 | 33 comments

birchbox-march-2017-box

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: For a limited time, new subscribers use coupon code MESMERIZE to get a FREE full-size Pixi by Petra Mesmerizing Mineral Palette in Plum Quartz

COUPON: 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!

OR

Check out the 30% off sale for everyone, too!

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

Ships to: U.S., FranceSpain and the U.K. 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 an info card. This month’s talks all about their theme surrounding Women’s History Month, featuring powerful, high-performing (just like women!) products.

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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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R+Co Dallas Thickening Shampoo - 0.23 fl oz, Value $0.65

R+Co Thickening Conditioner - 0.23 fl oz, Value $0.68

I thought these two smelled great and worked well in my hair. I just feel like there was such a small amount that I really didn’t get the chance to see any thickening affects or anything. I also barely had enough shampoo for one go-through in my hair. I like the products alright but these foil packets underwhelmed me.

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Real Chemistry Fresh-Start Foaming Cleanser - 0.5 fl oz, Value $2.86

This moisturizer is creamy and smells nice! It’s light and grapefruity. It did a good job removing my face makeup, but don’t get this stuff in your eyes. Also, I looking at the reviews for this it seems like it may be a little drying. I always used face oils and serums and heavy moisturizers, so maybe those helped, but I didn’t notice much drying after one use.

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Beauty Protector Protect & Volume – 0.5 oz, Value $1.47

I love Beauty Protector’s products! They smell so good – very sweet. This is a volumizing thermal protection spray, which is something I use every single time I heat style. I thought this product worked well, and I’m happy with it!

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Arrow Enhance Waterproof Eyeliner + Brightener – 0.028 oz, Value $8.50?

FYI – this sample has a weight of 0.028 oz, but the full-size listing on Birchbox’s site says .02 oz, meaning it would be smaller than this sample. The only thing I could think is that the full size has the brightener double-ended with an equally sized black liner and maybe both the brightening liner and the black liner are 0.02 oz each? And the sample has a little more of the brightening product by itself? That’s my theory, so I’m assuming this pencil should be valued at about half of the full size.

This was my sample choice this month. Arrow is Birchbox’s house brand, and this product is meant to brighten your waterline (the inside of your lower lash line) and the inner corner, plus you can also blend it on your brow bone for some highlighting there. I like it and think it works really effectively. The pigmentation is high so you really don’t need much at all to make it show.

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Benefit They’re Real Double the Lip lipstick in Lusty Rose - 0.02 oz, Value $6.67

This is a brand new product from Benefit so I was excited to see it in my box. It’s a two-tone lipstick designed to help your lips look fuller and voluptuous by having a darker liner color on the outside of your lips and a lighter main color on the inside. It saves you a step and also saves you from matching the two.

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You can see the darker liner color on the tip of the tear drop shape. I don’t usually wear multiple colors on my lips, so this is a new thing for me to try. Also, when I wear lip liner it’s usually underneath the whole lip to keep my lipstick in place or a clear reverse-liner to keep my lipstick from feathering.

I thought this was an interesting product and easy enough to use. You’re supposed to flip it upside down to get your bottom lip, which felt a little awkward but I feel like I could get the hang of it easily in a few more tries.

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Paula’s Choice Resist Anti-Aging Eye Cream - 0.16 fl oz, Value $10.56

This eye cream provides a blend of anti-oxidants and hydrating ingredients. These include shea butter, which explains why the cream seemed to have a little bit of a crumbly texture when I first squeezed it out of the tube. Once it warmed up on my hand, though, it was really creamy and I actually totally love this stuff. It offers intensive hydration and feels great on my eyes. I haven’t noticed a difference in the anti-aging properties yet since I haven’t had enough time with it.

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Here are the eye brightener and the lipstick swatched. You can see the two colors of the lipstick well here.

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Here I am wearing the eye brightener and the Benefit lipstick. Like I said earlier, I don’t generally wear two different colors of lipsticks in one look, so this really looked a little 90’s to me at first. But looking at it and blending it just a little by patting my lips together gently helped make it look more wearable, I think.

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And here, I just mixed the two colors of the lipstick together to show you what it looks like, in case you’re not interested in the two-tone look and just want to have a pretty new normal lipstick.

Verdict: I really like my March Birchbox! All of my products were new to me, but also all from brands I already know and love so that was fun. The value adds up to $31.39, which I’m happy with from a $10 box!

What do you think about Birchbox? Did you grab a curated box or pick your own sample?

Starting at $17.00
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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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33 comments

Amanda

Which gets the better samples – opting for the curated box or the surprise sample box?

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Bonnie

Any time I get packets as one of my samples (it’s different if they’re a bonus item), that sub is seriously on the chopping block. I have cancelled two for this already. Especially for hair products, since many beauty lovers have long hair. Packets are just a really crappy way to try out a product and are generally free samples.

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michelle

I switched to this box this month as it looked good, I got one item from this review. The lipstick, bad color for me and very drying. I received a black eyeliner, which I look terrible in black, when sending an eyeliner why do sub boxes always send black (?) The naturaltech plumping spray looks interesting. The only thing I like in the box was the add on Pixi by Petra Mesmerizing eye palette…nice rich browns and a lovely highlight color with a hint of shine. Off to check spoilers for next month, hope it’s better

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Ann

Haley, I love the two toned lipstick look on you! You look amazing with all the products you have on. Just a dab of highlighter on your cupid’s box would amp it up perfectly.

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michele

? for you all – the box add ons – are they only from a select few items or can I add whatever I want? I’ve been waiting to order a few things but couldn’t figure out how to add them on. TIA

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Jenn

I just signed up because the curated March box looked great. Little did I know that you can’t get that box if you’ve just signed up. You have no choice but to get a completely random box. How disappointing. Instead I’m gettin a box with dry shampoo, sunscreen, and perfume samples. ugh. If the next curated box isn’t decent, I’m definitely cancelling. Leaving it to chance is not worth it if this is what I end up getting.

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nancyisshopping

Starting month 2 you can try to get the curated box. Why not wait until they announce what is in it before deciding to cancel? It could be another good one.

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Sandy

Haley thank you for always modeling the makeup it helps to see it on. And you always look so pretty! I swear every lipstick color looks great on you!! I’m so excited to try the eye brightener!!

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Tamara

I’m new to Birchbox this month and just got my March box and it was completely different. Had a few of the same brands but completely different items. Is that normal with Birchbox?

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nancyisshopping

The first box is always random samples. Starting the second box you have a bit more choice …you can try to get your sample pick or ask for the curated box when the selection day comes (usually one of the last days of the month.).

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EC

If it’s your first box it is a welcome box separate from that month’s selections. Aside from sample choice where you can chose 1 item and the curated box, I’ve never seen variations based on a beauty profile, at least not in the last 5 years I’ve been subbed and reading online reviews,

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Jira

Yes, I think Birchbox usually pick different things for different people. Except for curated box, which is the same for everyone.

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Tamara

Ok. Thank you!

Abby

Great box! That eye brightener looks awesome–can’t wait to try mine!

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Nan

That blended lipstick looks great on you. Thanks for the review.

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Chrissy

I got the exact same box. Pretty happy with Birchbox this month. Also, am curious to see how next month goes. I signed up out of curiosity to see how much better my box might be for an extra $5 and if I don’t like it I can always switch back.

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SMD

I received a COOLA moisturizer sunscreen that appears to have expired January 2017. That plus the foil packets have me thinking it might be time to cancel.

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SMD

I am wrong about the expiration date. I was looking on the wrong side. It expires 1/2020. A reprieve for the moment.

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Kathy

If my box looked this good i would not have dropped them!

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CMarie

Haley,

Is this one of those pay a little extra Birchbox variations?

I received the usual 5 samples in my $10 box this month, not 6.

Two were the same eyeliner and the beauty protector.

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Geena

People who get a tiny tiny perfume vial should be 6 sample boxes too, but no…

So glad I dropped Bbox.

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Luna

The Birchbox variations where people paid a little extra goes into effect beginning with the April box. I’ve also received boxes with up to 7 products in the past. I’m almost positive I even received 8 products one time (most likely it was 2 packets & a perfume vial as the bonus items).

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Haley Faye

CMarie, no, this is the standard $10/month sample choice box. I have sometimes received boxes with 6 samples if it includes a foil sample, even before I started reviewing. What samples did you get?

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Svetlana7e

I received 6 samples, but one was a foil packet, which I did not even consider a sample

CMarie

I received the Arrow eye brightener (my choice), the same beauty protector, coastal scents smoky duo, Kiehl’s super multi corrective cream, and Evo dry shampoo. The Evo dry shampoo I will add to the other 10 dry shampoo samples gathering dust that I probably will never use. I would have appreciated an extra sample, to compensate for the one or more that I won’t use.

I would think that if you’re giving out an extra sample, you would do it for all your customers, especially your ACE?

I’ve been on the fence about cancelling this sub, and recently received an annual offer for $99, but the link didn’t work. I didn’t bother with cs.

I also get BB man for my collegiate son, and it is usually pretty decent. I’ve tried some of his samples, which can be better than the ones I receive. I’m an ACE, and almost every month the early selection link doesn’t work until about 12 hours after the email is sent. I’ve tried the link in the MSA posting as well, but no go.

I’m thinking I’ll probably cancel the women’s sub soon. I’ll give the men’s another month or two.

Kathy

I wish I could send a photo of my box because it was pathetic. Skimpy small products and not worth 10$. This box is not what I received.

Dea

You’re right that the two colors give that 90’s look of marking only the perimeter with a liner (“monkey lips”). After blending the two colors, it looks great. Lesson: Just get a lipstick with one color! Sorry Benefit, that’s a FAIL. Sometimes I think that the makeup companies come up with silly gimmicks for the sole reason of getting there before someone else comes out with that silly gimmick.

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Amber

The “silly gimmick” has been used for quite some time by Korean makeup companies. It’s not supposed to look so severe. It should be slightly blended together for a gradient effect.

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Nicole

Is the Arrow enhance brightener a twist up or do you need a pencil/makeup sharpener for it?

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Hillary

It’s a sharpener kind.

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marsha

LOVE your makeup- what mascara are you wearing?

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Haley Faye

Thank you! I wear Roller Lash by Benefit

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