Facebook PixelBirchbox Sampler Cleanser Quest Box Review + Coupon - Feb 2016 | MSA
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Birchbox Sampler Cleanser Quest Box Review + Coupon – Feb 2016

Bekki Menzies
ByBekki MenziesMar 3, 2016 | 13 comments

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Birchbox
3.7 overall rating
657 Ratings | 188 Reviews

Birchbox has released a new sampler for facial cleansers!

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

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The Subscription Box:  Birchbox Sampler Cleanser Quest

The Cost:  $25.00 plus shipping 

COUPON: Try any of these coupons for 20% off an order of $35 or more:

TAKEALEAP20 TAKEOFF20 COMEBACK20  MOBILE20 WELCOMEOFFER20 TAKEOFF10 or BEAUTYMAVEN

And don’t forget your free mystery sample pack on orders of $35 or more!

The Products:  5 sample sized cleanser samples

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

This box was available last week, but it looks like it's unavailable currently - hopefully they bring it back soon!

To set the stage for you, I have very oily, blemish prone skin.  I have recently begun taking much better care of my skin, and I am getting into skincare a lot more than I used to be!  

As soon as I saw that this had a Sunday Riley product in it - I had to grab one!  I love Sunday Riley products, and thought the rest of these products would just be icing on the cake to try!

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Vasanti Detox Nutrient-Rich Purifying Facial Cleanser - $3.20

This cleanser is a very rich, foaming cleanser.  It is almost like a gel to foam cleanser, and it has omega-3 and omega-6 for anti-aging properties.  It has a slight medicinal scent, but the scent is not strong at all, and fades quickly.  I followed this up with my Pixi Glow Peel Pads, L'Occitane Rose Water spray, and the Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentrate from the Moisturizer Matchmaker kit (Review coming soon!) I also bought.  

It has a 4-star rating on Birchbox, and it seems that many people buy it because they love the Vasanti Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvinator.  I've not tried that one, but maybe I should!  This cleanser seems like it would be suited for all skin types, but I'm definitely not an expert!

Sunday Riley - Ceramic Slip Clay Cleanser - $10.87

This cleanser is a gel based clay cleanser.  I have to say that the first whiff I got of it, I thought it smelled like stale Vegas casino air...like the casinos off the strip kind of smell.  I know, really specific right?  I can't explain it.  

Anyway, once I got past the smell, I really liked this cleanser.  It did seem to be a little drying compared to my normal balm and oil cleansers.  I tend to add a ton of moisture back in my routine after cleansing though, so I could probably use this cleanser and not have a problem.  I followed this up with my Pixi Glow Tonic, Sunday Riley Good Genes, the NUXE Moisturizer Cream Creme Fraiche de Beaute from the Moisturizer Matchmaker kit, and Sunday Riley Luna.  This one seems like it would also be fitting for all skin types, except the ultra dry.  

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Paula's Choice RESIST Perfectly Balanced Cleanser - $2.85

This cleanser is from the brand of the well known "Cosmetics Cop."  I've used several of her products before, and I have found that they're very solid, affordable products that do what they say.  If you're looking for luxe packaging, and great scents, this isn't the place to go.  If you're looking for solid products that generally work:  check out her line.  

This is a foaming cleanser, which isn't my favorite (kind of ironic, since 4/5 of the cleansers in this review are foaming). but with that said, I'm glad I got to try this one.  I followed it up with my Glow Tonic, Good Genes, and the Beenigma All in One Face Cream from the Moisture Matchmaker.

Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash - $4.40

This cleanser used to be one of my favorites, and I still really like it a lot.  The creamy formula feels awesome to cleanse with, and it seems like it balances and moisturizes at the same time.  It has "botanicals that balance oil production while softening dry areas."  I think it lives up to it's claims.  

This one has a 4.5 review on Birchbox.  It's a great, basic cleanser, and it lasts forever.  One tube of this will last you a long time, especially if you mix it up like I do!  I followed this up with a salicylic acid toner, La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo, and the MDSolarSciences Daily Anti-Aging Moisturizer SPF 30 from the Moisture Matchmaker set.  I think this would be a great cleanser for all skin types.  

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(Malin + Goetz) Grapefruit Face Cleanser - $2.03

This cleanser has grapefruit in it for a natural antibacterial to help blemishes and to exfoliate.  It also has glycerin and sodium pca to help moisturize.  It has a 4-star rating on Birchbox.  

This smelled amazing, but felt a bit drying on my skin.  I will definitely finish up the sample, but I doubt I would purchase this one.  I would recommend it mostly for very oily skin, but again, I have pretty oily skin and found it was a bit too drying for me.  Obviously people love it though, or it wouldn't have such a high rating on Birchbox!  I followed this one up with La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo, and the Naobay Oxygenating Cleanser from the Moisturizer Matchmaker kit.  

Verdict:  This Kit has a value of about $23.35.  Since I purchased the Moisture Matchmaker kit along with this one, I received $5.00 off the two together.  With that, the value just barely meets what I paid for it.  Most of these cleansers were very heavily foaming cleansers, and they are not something I would generally pick up for myself.  I tend to choose balms and oil cleansers that need to be removed with a washcloth to come completely clean.  With that said, I really liked the Sunday Riley cleanser, and if I were in a situation where I didn't have a washcloth to get my cleanser fully off my face, I would probably take the Vasanti or Origins cleansers since they both rinsed so clean and didn't leave my face feeling like the Sahara.  

I loved switching up my routine for a week to try these, so hopefully they bring this kit back for you all to try them as well!

What sample kits have you loved from Birchbox?  Did you snag this one before it was gone?

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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.

Bekki Menzies
Bekki Menzies
Bekki first discovered subscription boxes in 2014 and they quickly took over her life! (Not quite, but pretty close.) She started with POPSUGAR Must Have, then moved to Little Lace Box, Birchbox, Hamptons Lane...the rest was history. Her favorite product find is Beekman 1802 Fudge (so, so good) and her favorite boxes are Birchbox and Hamptons Lane...but she's always looking for a new subscription to try!

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13 comments

Jen

It looked interesting, but I think the value was the reason I passed on this one.

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Maribel:)

Thank you for reviewing this box 🙂 I ? skin care items so was very curious about this set, but bummed to hear how drying a lot of items were on your skin. I have combo skin with acne so most items sounded like a ‘no’ for me except the Origins which is a classic I might have to go back to 😉

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Amber

I have used the Brighten UP! before several times. From one oily, blemish prone skin girl to another, take caution. I’ve tried it on several different occasions spaced weeks apart and had the same results each time, breakout city! It did exfoliate but it seemed too harsh for my skin.

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Ragan

Using a product once (or several times, spaced weeks apart) is unlikely to cause a breakout. Usually the breakouts have been building up for awhile and the timing is just unfortunate. At any rate, I have oily skin and the only thing that really works for me is regular (like daily) exfoliation, which gets rid of the dead skin cells that would otherwise clog pores. I have used the Brighten UP! daily at times, for weeks on a stretch, and it really helped my skin. Another thing that really helps is Epionce Lytic Plus Tx used daily although that is more than $50 a tube and is kind of hard to find (Dermstore has it though) so is not going to work for everyone.

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Nancy Su

This happened to me as well 🙁 Maybe it’s because of the papain? and I actually liked the exfoliation too!

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Amber

Since I stopped using it all together I haven’t had any problems. I have been using the Derma E 2-in-1 charcoal mask and I love it! It’s the perfect amount of exfoliation for my skin. It is a little messy to rinse off so I usually use a washcloth to get the excess off around my hairline.

Kiales

You sound like a Caroline Hirons fan! 🙂

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Bekki

I seriously am a huge fan of the Hirons! I fangirl every time a new Vlog, video, or post goes live!!! Glad to hear that it comes through in my skin care routines!!! Lol. She revolutionized the way I care for my skin.

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Kiales

Seriously – me too. I loved seeing her products/methods in your review 🙂

Cassandra

What is your favorite face wash? You mentioned it used to be Cheeks and Balance. I loved that as well and just haven’t bough it and use whatever samples I get.

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Bekki

My current favorite is the Pixi mud cleanser with glycolic, but I switch it up often! I have a coconut balm cleanser that I love too, from RMS!

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Ragan

I’m afraid to try any more Sunday Riley stuff. I got an eye cream of theirs from a Birchbox LE box last year or the year before and it burned my eyes like nothing else.

I have this aversion to using a washcloth on my face ever since a dermatologist told me not to back when I was in high school…

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Bekki

That’s a bummer to hear about the Sunday Riley eye cream! I haven’t tried it but I am particular about what I’ll buy from that line. Some of their oils smell so bad I can’t stand them on my face.

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