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Birchbox: The Date Night Made Easy Review + Tutorial

Jessica Hapak
ByJessica HapakFeb 14, 2019 | 35 comments

Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Box 1

Birchbox
3.7 overall rating
657 Ratings | 188 Reviews

Birchbox recently added a new discovery kit to their lineup — The Date Night Made Easy Kit!

FYI – this kit is still available for purchase!

Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Box 2

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

Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Group Shot

About Birchbox

The Subscription Box: The Date Night Made Easy Kit

The Cost: $32 + $5 shipping

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

Ships to: The US and Canada

Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 Review

Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Info Sheet

Here is the info sheet for the box and the price of the full-size products.

Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Colour Pop 1 Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Colour Pop 2

ColourPop Super Shock Highlighter in Flexitarian, Full-Size! Retail Value $8

I was surprised but happy to find a full-size ColourPop highlighter in this kit since it isn’t a brand Birchbox carries. I enjoy the pigmentation of the super shock eyeshadows, so I was not surprised to love the formula of this highlighter- it’s buttery, it blends well, and it actually can add a natural hint of light if you use a delicate hand. To be honest, it’s probably the best $8 highlighter you will find.

Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Benefit 1 Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Benefit 2

Benefit Cosmetics GALifornia Sunny Golden Pink Blush, 0.08 oz – Retail Value $16

If you follow my makeup reviews you probably know that blush scares me. This blush looked especially fearsome thanks to how vividly coral it looks in the packaging, but it ended up surprising me! I used a very deft hand and the end result was a lovely flush of color that looked natural (and quite pretty!). I only used a tiny bit, and it blended out extremely well. I love that it came with a mini brush, too!

Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Mac 1 Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Mac 2

M·A·C Cosmetics Cremesheen Lipstick in Hang Up, Full-Size! - Estimated Value $18.50

I couldn’t find this shade online, which means it may have been limited edition or discontinued. The cremesheen formulas from MAC have a satiny, almost dewy finish, and they are extremely comfortable to wear and non-drying. The downside, however, is that they don’t last as long as matte and they transfer a lot, too. Hang Up is described as a cool plum with blue undertones, and I think that fits the color well.

Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - LOC

Love of Color Liquid Shimmer Shadow - Stardust, Full-Size! Retail Value $10

Stardust is a champagne shimmer liquid eyeshadow with a bit of pink undertone, and it is a lovely neutral shade that can really brighten your eyes up. The color glides on smoothly, and I didn’t have any issues with creasing.

Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Stila

Stila Cosmetics HUGE™ Extreme Lash Mascara, 0.20 oz – Estimated Value $10.45 (buy the full-size version for $23)

This mascara from Stila is one I am always happy to have more minis of- it lengthens, curls, adds volume, and is jet black. I always feel like I am able to get good lash definition without clumping when I use this, too.

Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Eyeko 1

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner - Black, 0.04 oz – Estimated Value $12.57 (buy the full-size version for $22)

Eyeko gets a bad rap because of its frequent (most would say too frequent) appearance in subscription boxes, but this is actually a pretty great liquid eyeliner. The pen tip allows me to get as close to the lash line as possible, the color is jet black, and I always end up with decent results (which is impressive, considering I am not good with black eyeliner).

Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Smash Box

Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Foundation Primer, 0.25 oz – Estimated Value $9 (buy the 1 oz version for $36)

It seems crazy to me that this tiny tube has such a high value, but here we are. Regardless, I actually do like this primer quite a bit. This was actually my first introduction to higher-end primer, and my friend gave me this primer as a Valentine’s Day present when I was a senior in high school! This always makes my face feel super smooth, it helps my foundation go on evenly, and I have found that it wears well throughout the day.

Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Mirror 1 Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Mirror 2 Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Mirror 3

Birchbox Mirror

I got this exact mirror about a year ago from Birchbox in a different discovery kit, and I think they just had extras so they decided to include it in this kit, too. It's a mirror. It does what mirrors do. Personally, I wish it had something to keep the glass from getting smudged, otherwise, it is going to come out of my makeup bag pretty dirty.

Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Swatches

Here are the swatches! From top to bottom we have the ColourPop highlighter, the Benefit blush, the MAC lipstick, the LOC eyeshadow, and the Eyeko eyeliner.

Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Step 1

To get date night ready I started with a clean, bare face and applied my Smashbox primer and my go-to concealer, Tarte Shape Tape (I wear fair-beige). Next, I took the Galifornia blush and added a tiny bit of powder to the apples of my cheeks before blending it out with a fluffy powder brush.

Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Step 2

Next, I applied the LOC liquid eyeshadow to my lids. I covered my lids and then took a clean blending brush to blend the eyeshadow into my crease and soften up the edges.

Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Step 3

I then added a thin line of eyeliner using the Eyeko skinny.

Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Step 4

Next, I took my Sephora fan brush and added the ColourPop highlighter to the high points of my cheeks, my brow bone, my cupids bow, and the tip of my nose.

Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Step 5

I then applied a few coats of mascara.

Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Step 6

I prepped my lips using the MAC Prep + Prime lip primer that I got as a free gift with purchase from Birchbox. I lined my lips with the Huda Beauty Lip Contour in the shade Famous (shout out to the $3 Ipsy add-on program!) and then went in with the MAC lipstick.

Birchbox The Date Night Made Easy February 2019 - Finished Look

To finish I lined my brows and applied a setting spray. I also ended up blotting off some of the lipstick so that the color would be a bit less pigmented and less likely to transfer- when I think of Date Night I think of something tasty, and I don’t want my lipstick getting in the way. What do you think of my finished date night look?

Verdict: I thought this Date Night Made Easy Kit was awesome! I really loved the Benefit blush, a lot more than I thought I would, and I think the kit as a whole was thoughtfully curated to give you an easy-to-achieve date night look. I was also happy that this included three full-size products, too. Value-wise, Birchbox promised an $89 value and by my math, this kit is worth $84.52 for everything except the mirror. That means the mirror must add about $5 to Birchbox's promised value. I recommend picking up this kit if you enjoy fun makeup.

To Wrap Up: 

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, as of publication, this box is still available!

Value Breakdown:  The box cost $37 ($32 + $5 shipping), which means you’re paying $4.62 per item.

Value Breakdown: At $37 for this box, here’s what you are paying approximately per item:

  • ColourPop Super Shock Highlighter: $3.50
  • Benefit Cosmetics GALifornia Blush: $7
  • M·A·C Cosmetics Cremesheen Lipstick: $8.10
  • Love of Color Liquid Shimmer Shadow: $4.38
  • Stila Cosmetics HUGE™ Extreme Lash Mascara: $4.57
  • Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner: $5.50
  • Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Foundation Primer: $3.94
  • Birchbox Mirror: n/a

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!

Are you grabbing The Date Night Made Easy Kit? What is your go-to date night look?

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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.

Jessica Hapak
Jessica Hapak
I am a staunch believer that pineapple doesn’t belong on pizza and when I’m not working as a family law attorney I enjoy hiking the Louisiana trails (alligator sightings are a favorite!) or relaxing with Duchess, my cat. I’m a sucker for anything labeled a mystery box and I’ve never met a bath bomb I didn’t like.

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35 comments

Anna

Really well done tutorial and you look so pretty!

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Jenn

Wow, that blush is so beautiful on you. Your makeup looks flawless!😍

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Jessica Hapak

Thank you so much Jenn! I am really loving the blush, too!

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Michelle

Jessica, or anyone else who uses shape tape, do you ever use it for blemishes or just as an under-eye concealer? It’s thinker than what I’m used to so I’m having a hard time blending it out over blemish spots. I’ve been meaning to try it under my medium-coverage foundation for a more subtle cover up.

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Jessica Hapak

Hi Michelle!
I actually use it all over as a lightweight foundation. I dab it all over my face and then go in with a damp beauty blender. If you have an angry pimple this probably won’t cover it as well as you like, but I do think it does a good job for acne marks. When I REALLY need to cover a pimple I reach for the Makeup Forever Full Coverage Concealer. That baby DEFINITELY covers pimples.

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Kristy

Soooo pretty!!! Glad I saw your review online. I picked this up with the free Mystery pack and used the $5 in free points! Great job as always!!

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Jessica Hapak

I know you’ll love this kit Kristy! Thanks for reading 🙂

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Kristin

I love benefit blushes that color is perfect for you!

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Flora

Jessica, you have such pretty skin, even before all that makeup, you don’t even need it even though all those colors look great on you! I wish I had your long lashes too. Out of all the Eyeko eyeliners, I’ve tried, I like the skinny the best, although I mainly do a thicker half-cateye (and I’m fine with getting Eyeko in all my subs 😉

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Jessica Hapak

Thank you so much, Flora! I have really been trying to take care of my skin as best I can.

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Dani G

Gorgeous!!! This look is perfect for a date night IMO because most guys I know prefer a more natural, you-only-better look than the layers upon layers and 20 different products at one time look that seems to be the popular way to go these days. It’s also a perfect everyday look. You’re just amping up your natural beauty plus it seems pretty easy to learn and won’t take up much time.
All in all probably my favorite tutorial on MSA so far. Great review, great step-by-step instructions and photos, with an overall look and shades that should work for almost anyone. Honestly when I first saw this kit I thought it seemed a bit boring. You changed my mind completely!
So impressed with this kit and with your use of it!

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Jessica Hapak

Dani! I am blown away by your kindness. Thank you so much!

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Lori

Omg, this is sooooo great! Hope you do more tutorials in the future!

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Jessica Hapak

So happy you liked it, Lori!

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Jen

May be my favorite makeup look on you yet! Those eyes are simply stunning❤️⭐️🌸

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Jessica Hapak

Thank you so much Jen!

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Megan

So pretty! Thanks for the tutorial. I am slightly makeup-challenged and like to see how it actually looks on people, not just swatches.

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Jessica Hapak

Happy to help, Megan!

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Cheri Nappi

Definitely a great date night look for you! To bad the lipstick wasn’t a color stay the as I thought it looked great before buying. But gotta say, I know this isn’t part of the box.. the braids made the look not only gorgeous, but added a bit of sweetness to the look ☺️

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Jessica Hapak

I do love my braids! Thank you Cheri!

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Sarah S

Such a beautiful look! You look fantastic!

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Jessica Hapak

Thank you Sarah!

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Rach

Beautiful!

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Ashley

Your whole makeup look looks beautiful, but your peepers look amazing! Cute hairstyle to boot!

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Jessica Hapak

Thank you Ashley!

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AmberC

You look really pretty! Everything looks great on you!

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Jessica Hapak

Thank you Amber C

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Leslie

Love your tutorial! It really shows how you could use these items to make a comfortable look for most. I am pretty pale and thought the blush may be too strong for my skin tone, but you showed me the way. 🙂 Thanks, Jessica!

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Jessica Hapak

Happy to help! The blush is super awesome.

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Em

This is great! I’d love to see move reviews with tutorials like this. Thanks Jessica! (BTW, you look fantastic with these products!)

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Jessica Hapak

Thank you so much, Em!

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June

Very pretty look!! Thanks for the overview, it’s great!

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Tara

I think this is my favorite makeup look on you! You look great!

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Julia

Jessica, you are inspiring! Thank you so much! This was helpful to a makeup klutz like me.

Could you come to my house and use one of my four Eyeko liners to do my eyes, LOL?

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Jessica Hapak

You’re so sweet, Julia! Thank you!

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