Birchbox Review April 2015 – Mad Men New York Box

ByLiz CadmanApr 8, 2015 | 34 comments

Birchbox Review April 2015 - Mad Men New York Box!

Birchbox is one of the original beauty subscription boxes, and one of my personal favorites. (I’ve discovered so many new brands through this subscription, and their rewards program is the best!)

This month I decided to get an addition subscription so I could review both the curated box (this one), and a sample choice box. From what I've noticed, curated boxes seem to ship before sample choice boxes.

Birchbox Review April 2015 - Mad Men New York Box Packaging

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. This box is the Mad Men New York curated box. (They also offered a California Mad Men box).

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

Birchbox Review April 2015 - Mad Men New York Box Items

The Subscription Box: Birchbox

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

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

Ships to: US, France, Spain and the UK and Canada

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

Birchbox Review April 2015 - Mad Men New York Box Info

Each box comes with a card detailing the items included and some tips on how to use them.

Birchbox Review April 2015 - Mad Men New York Box Cream

Liz Earle Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion - 1.6 oz Value $8.30

I actually thought this was full size when I pulled it out of the box. (Full Size eye creams/lotions tend to be on the smaller side since you only have to use a tiny amount each time).

But then I opened it up and discovered that the word "lotion" is a little misleading for this product. It's a clear liquid. The formula is really lightweight, so it's best applied with a cotton ball. I would consider this more of a refreshing eye treatment, than a lotion.

Birchbox Review April 2015 - Mad Men New York Box Cargo

Cargo Swimmables Water Resistant Blush in Los Cabos - .11 oz Value $7.75

This blush has a good amount of pigment to it. It's a peachy tangerine color with a touch of shimmer. I like the color a lot, but since it is water resistant, I'll have to make sure I don't mess up when applying it!

Beauty Protector Protect & Oil - .5 oz? Value $3.25

I like the scent of Beauty Protector hair care products, and I think this is a great hair oil (I've sampled it before).

Birchbox Review April 2015 - Mad Men New York Box Whish

Whish Shave Cream in Blueberry - .75 oz Value $3

I've sampled this Shave Cream before, and the scent is a little too strong for me. I like the Whish brand in general though - their formulas are free of parabens, sulfates, etc.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel - 2.5 ml Value $6.70

This is another product I've sampled before and liked - and I'm always happy to have more!

Verdict: This box has a value of about $29. I think that's a great value for the $10 cost, and of course, I love the packaging of this box! I'll use everything with the exception of the shave cream, so the value is good for me personally as well.

What do you think of the Mad Men New York April Birchbox? Which box/sample did you pick this month?

Posted in Beauty Subscription Boxes, Subscription Box Reviews, Subscription Boxes for Women

Liz Cadman

Liz is the founder of My Subscription Addiction. She's been hooked on subscription boxes since 2011 thanks to Birchbox, and she now subscribes to over 100 boxes. Her favorites include POPSUGAR Must Have, FabFitFun, and any box that features natural beauty products!

Read More By Liz Cadman >

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34 comments

Sherita

My hair just loves that Beauty Protect oil!

Sarah

I am a newbie and this is my first box. I am geeked! I am still fuzzy on all the different kinds of boxes but mine is the Rifle Paper Co.
First of all, the box is beautiful, I hope I can find a use for it.
I got:
Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle leave in conditioner. I’m not sure how this will work on my curly frizzy hair, but my hippie long haired 10 year old boy loved it after his shower tonight. He said it was much easier to comb is hair lol

Whish Shave Cream. I am looking forward to trying this. I never use shave cream. I like the smell.

Vasanti Brighten Up-I am trying to take better care of my skin so I am looking forward to trying this.

Cynthia Rowley lipgloss in Poppy-Color looks like something I will use

Imperial Garden Perfume-I did not think I would like this, but I sprayed it on and it actually smells kinda nice and fresh for Spring. I hope I don’t get that many perfume samples though.

Looking forward to next month!

Wish

AmyA

Hello! I am a new birchbox subscriber and was wondering if I subscribed just yesterday, (April 11th) will I get this mon the box or is since they already started shipping will I be receiving a box in May instead? I have only ever been subscribed to ipsy so I am not sure how it works for birchbox.

Jace

You should get a box this month; you’ll just miss out on a curated box and sample choice. I subscribed in March and got a March box. And you can tweak your profile if you don’t really like what you got this month.

ConnieK

I chose the Mad Men New York box because I wanted to try the Liz Earle Eye Lotion. I work on the computer for about 10 hours a day, so by the time I get home, my eyes are so tired and uncomfortable. Wiping the lotion across my eyelids and under eyes, with a cotton ball, made my eyes feel so refreshed. I love this product! The brow gel works good and I liked the Blueberry Shave Cream. I like the scent. I used it on my underarms and it was very creamy and comfortable to use. I already am using the Cargo blush and the Beauty Protector hair oil from the previous box. I like them both…so am happy to receive more. This was a box of goodness for me!

Kim

I tried to use the code “Jillian” to get the $10 when I was trying to subscribe to birch box & it didn’t work…..just wanted to let you know 🙁

Liz Cadman

Thanks for letting me know. I’ll fix it. In the meantime try GAP10

Danielle

My box came today. I chose the Jane Iredele lip & cheek stain sample, but I don’t really like anything else in my box much, so now I wish I had gotten the Mad Men California box instead.

The lip stain is great, but I’m not particularly interested in any of the other products I received. For one, I didn’t get a single hair product – even though though those are checked as one of my favorites on my profile.

I got another Harvey Prince perfume sample, which smells nice, but honestly – I get so many (free!) perfume samples from Sephora already. I also got another lotion (also got one last month), but I don’t like the scent. My other two items are a face peel and a CC cream. I’m interested to see how I like them after I try them, but they’re not items I would get super excited about.

The last two months were great for me, and I was hoping it was because of the changes I made on my profile. Now, I’m not so sure.

Is it just me or does it seem like the regular monthly Birchbox is taking a long time to get shipped out this month? They seem to be about a week behind schedule comparing to when my past few boxes have shipped. There is still no shipping info for my box or my BB Plus items (which I was charged for a week and half ago), not even the release of my sample previews online. Has anyone received their tracking info or had their sample previews updated online yet?

Kimberly

I was feeling the same way, too (box running a bit late), but I got my shipping info Tuesday. I stalked the page obsessively to get an idea of when it would show up, but there were no updates – it was just sitting there, not moving. That has got to be the worst thing – just seeing your box sitting with its newly-created shipping label at a hub for DAYS, not moving. Imagine my surprise when I found it on my doorstep after arriving home from work on Friday! In fact, my box arrived before my email offering a sneak peek inside the box online (got the email around 8pm Friday). Perhaps the same will happen with you, and your box will magically beat your tracking info and show up on Monday.

For reference, I live in Florida, got the regular (non-curated Rifle) box, did not add on Plus items, and I’m not a Beta subscriber. Maybe the new $30 Beta boxes are causing a bit of a delay in their shipping process? In any case, I feel your pain. There is no such thing as patience when it comes to waiting for a sub box to arrive.

Yes, I get so antsy when I know a sub box is coming my way! 😀 I got the regular non-curated box too but I think the delay in mine shipping this month was due to adding the BB Plus items. I hope they surprise me in the mail on Monday!

Danielle

Strange, my regular box came earlier than it ever has before. Maybe they ship out in batches and switch it up every month?

Perhaps the shipping has been changed up and more complicated with the addition of the new upgrade boxes and offering two different curated boxes in addition to the regular boxes. I did get my tracking info this morning but last month I received my box on the 12th so this month it’ll probably be the 18th (which is later than usual for me). It’s not a big deal; I’m just more anxious about getting my BB plus items!

Blessedmommi

I have 4 accounts. I received two of my boxes – the madmen special curation on Wednesday and I got tracking for the other two yesterday. I haven’t noticed a shipping pattern as my boxes seem to arrive at different times every month. Sometimes towards the end of the month. But I imagine with the recent changes with the new $30 boxes being shipped and everything else, they are just trying to get a shipping rhythm down I guess. Maybe next month will be better? If nothing else contact their CS team they should be able to tell you when your box ships, BIRCHBOX has the best CUSTOMER SERVICE around 🙂

Christina

I got my tracking early this morning but no sample list online yet

Jessvii

I love the shave cream’s scent! Unfortunately, the amount of product they give you is tiny. I used it judiciously once and I will only be able to get one more use out of it.

The protecting oil leaked during shipping :-/.

The “lotion” is quite watery – I believe “lotion” is a misnomer here. I used it but don’t see an appreciable benefit in my skin’s appearance.

The blush is great, as is the brow gel.

lisha

I cannot wait to get my hands on this! It was due to arrive to me tomorrow but now it’s saying Saturday. 🙁 Which I really don’t understand since I just live a few hours away from where they ship! I have 3 accounts so I’m also getting the CA box tomorrow or Friday! Can’t wait for that one either! I’m also excited for my first upgraded box! I wonder what will be in it, or when it will ship? Does anyone know? So excited to see what’s in it! Just hope I’m not disappointed!

AmyM

How does it work to get multiple boxes? Do you have to make a separate account and profile for each?

Blessedmommi

Hi AmyM,

yes,you have to create different accounts with separate emails. I have 4 accounts total. You’re able to have a men’s and a women’s subscription on one account but if you want multiples each month you need different accounts! Hope this helps!

Katie

I’m actually really happy to hear you say the scent is strong on the shave cream. I love lots of fragrance. Hopefully I like their take on blueberry! I didn’t like the one they sent in a pinkish tube awhile back due to the scent. Yay!

Chichi

I am looking for the March Birchbox (box only). If anyone still have it and don’t want it, please let me know. Thanks! 🙂

Gabrielle

Hi Chichi! I still have the march birchbox. Are you on Swap? If we swap for an item, I’ll just include it:)

Chichi

Grabrielle, I don’t think there is a way to search for my listing by username, so here’s a link: https://swap.mysubscriptionaddiction.com/user/3727/profile Thanks again!

Chichi

That would be great, Gabrielle! My swap profile is SugarPixels. Take a look at my listing and let me know. 🙂

I’ve never added Birchbox plus items to my monthly box before, can anyone tell me if the plus items are shipped together with the monthly box or are they shipped separately?

Whitney

In general, they are shipped with your box, but occasionally, they may be backordered and show up late. Hope that helps!

Thanks for the info!

JoyW

Love!!!

Emily

I actually got 2 containers of the brow gel in my New York box. I see now that it was a mistake so that is a bonus for me because I was really excited about that product

Katie Sparks

I was amazed at the size of the Liz Earle “lotion”! I really liked this box as well as my usual monthly box. I was worried about BB for a while but I think they are getting better and better every month!

Sara

So I signed up for the upgrade to Birchbox Plus, but I already have a yearly subscription. April was my first box and I picked the Mad Men curated one and didn’t get the upgrade items, so I emailed them and found out the upgrade is not available to people with yearly subscriptions, which seems like BS but whatever saves me $20. I was not happy that I was already charged for it, but they’ve issued a refund. Below is their response:

“Hi Sara,

Thanks for getting in touch. I’m happy to help!

After further looking into your account, I see that the Order #109173284 was placed for the Upgraded Subscription. However, at this time we do not offer this upgrade for our yearly subscribers. It looks like there was a glitch in our system where you were able to make this purchase and I’m so sorry for the confusion!

To confirm, I have gone ahead and refunded you the $20.00 for the purchase. Please allow 3-5 business days for this to reflect in your account, depending on your bank.

We hope to soon have the upgrade available for all our subscribers and appreciate your patience as this happens!”

I got the Mad Men LA box, and I like it, the box is really cute itself.

AmyM

Birchbox sucked me back in with the Mad Men box, I couldn’t not get it. Plus, when I had the sub before, I didn’t take full advantage of the points system. Now that I know what that’s all about I’m sure I’ll be keeping it this time around.

Jenny

This is one of the boxes I got, so excited!

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Birchbox Review April 2015 – Mad Men New York Box

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