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. This review is of the curated box.
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About Birchbox
The Subscription Box: Birchbox
The Cost: $15.00 a month + free shipping
LIMITED TIME DEALS: While supplies last, use this link and use coupon code SMASHBOXGIFT to get a free full-size SmashboxDouble Exposure 2.0 Palette ($49 value) from Birchbox with a 6-month subscription!
Or you can use coupon code FREEBOBBI to get a free Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Color in Angel from Birchbox with your first box! (Birchbox is $15 a month.)
Check our Birchbox Coupon List to get the most up-to-date coupon!
The Products: Beauty and lifestyle samples selected by the Birchbox team.
Ships to: US, France, Spain, and the UK
Birchbox Curated Box Review #1
This month's curated collections feature products created by female-founded brands.
Each box comes with a card detailing the items included and some tips on how to use them.
We also get a super cute sticker this month!
Finally, included is a card promoting a free roller gift for subscribers with any $35+ purchase.
Let's dive into our items!
Lipstick Queen Mornin' Sunshine Lipstick, 0.05 oz - Estimated Value $10.42 (Buy a full size 0.12 for $25.00)
I have really loved the Lipstick Queen brand for a long time because they have such interesting formulas and super cute packaging. This lipstick starts out as a butter yellow, but it changes based on your skin's chemistry into a pink or coral shade. It was a very natural pink shade on my lips and the texture is slightly glossy and super smooth! You can layer once for just a bit of color, or apply it a few times for a bolder look.
Marcelle Xtension Plus Skyline Mascara, 0.14 fl oz - Estimated Value $9.13 (Buy a full size 0.23 oz for $15.00)
I wasn't super impressed with this formula, but sometimes I will try a mascara out a different day and love it. My lashes are weird. The brush is really slender but very thickly bristled, and the formula is a true black. That skinny brush does help you reach eat and every lash and it does a great job of defining each one. While it did add color, I didn't notice any real difference in thickness or length.
Amika Velveteen Dream Smoothing Balm, 0.67 fl oz – Estimated Value $2.50 (Buy a full size 6.7 oz for $25.00)
Amika has the cutest packaging, but I never really like the scent of their products. They are just a little too sweet and fruity! Aside from that, they do work really well, and this balm was great for giving my hair a little extra smoothness and containing my flyaways. The formula is lightweight and I used it on my dry hair (which is coarse and thick). I simply rubbed it between my hands and then ran them through my hair. The scent really didn't stick around so I am going to hold onto this little tube to toss in my purse for smoothness on the go.
Vasanti BrighterUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator, 0.71 oz - Estimated Value $5.71 (Buy a full size 4.23 oz for $34.00)
I really like this scrub! It smells great and the scrubbies are so fine that they remove dead skin easily without hurting my face or feeling too abrasive. It smells great like I would honestly wear this scent as a lotion or spray! I absolutely noticed more even skin after using this and my face was also much brighter.
Oribe Wave and Shine Spray, 1 oz - Estimated Value $5.18 (Buy a full size 8.5 oz for $44.00)
Summer always brings out my desire for beachy hair, even if I haven't seen the ocean in a really long time! This spray reminds me a lot of the dry shampoo by the same brand because they share the same scent. This gave my hair a medium amount of extra texture and volume, though I usually like a little more drama from a spray. Does it beat our my favorite salty spray? No. But I really like it for those times when I don't want to look like a mermaid caught in a net and more of a posh beach resident.
COOLA Classic Moisturizer SPF 50, 0.24 fl oz - Estimated Value $4.52 (Buy a full size 1.7 oz for $32.00)
I love COOLA sunscreen! I am firmly in the "sunscreen is super important" camp, and this is a great brand that delivers a really comfortable sunscreen. Sometimes sunscreen feels like absolute garbage on skin especially my face! I have been using this brand for a really long time because it absorbs easily and doesn't leave a gross sunscreen film. This brand has really great scents, though this sample is unscented. My favorite is white-tea! They also have a matte finish formula if you prefer.
EXTRA: Amika Velveteen Dream Shampoo Sample - Buy a full-size shampoo for $24.00
EXTRA: Amika Velveteen Dream Conditioner Sample- Buy a full-size conditioner for $24.00
This item was not included on the product sheet, but it is a perfect compliment to the Amika smoothing balm included. Both had a slightly different scent than the balm which I actually liked more. Sometimes different ingredients can make the same scent feel different so this might be the same? IDK! The shampoo lathered up really well and left my hair nice and clean. I used the conditioner on my ends and really liked it as well.
Verdict: This box has a value of about $37.46, not including the Amika shampoo and conditioner samples. This box could cost you between $10-$15 depending on if you are already an existing subscriber. Either way, this is a decent value, especially for such good samples! I could absolutely see myself saving these for travel instead of buying a bunch of 'meh' travel sizes before a trip. The standouts for me were the lipstick and the exfoliator, though I adore the COOLA sunscreen too! I can't say I disliked anything in this box and I thought it was really well curated! I also loved the emphasis on female-founded brands and the box design is so cute!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? If you subscribe to Birchbox now, check the image on the sign-up page. The box design pictured is the first month you'll receive. You can't pick the curated box as your first box, but you'll be able to pick it every month moving forward.
LIMITED TIME DEALS: While supplies last, use this link and use coupon code SMASHBOXGIFT to get a free full-size SmashboxDouble Exposure 2.0 Palette ($49 value) from Birchbox with a 6-month subscription!
Or you can use coupon code FREEBOBBI to get a free Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Color in Angel from Birchbox with your first box! (Birchbox is $15 a month.)
Check our Birchbox Coupon List to get the most up-to-date coupon!
Value Breakdown: At $15 for this box, here’s what you are paying approximately per item:
- Lipstick Queen Lipstick $4.17
- Marcelle Mascara $3.66
- Amika Balm $1.00
- Vasanti Exfoliator $2.29
- Oribe Spray $2.07
- COOLA Sunscreen $1.81
- Amika shampoo & conditioner samples: n/a
Alternatively, each item has an average cost of $2.50.
Check out all of our Birchbox reviews and our favorite beauty boxes!
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What do you think of this May Curated Birchbox? Did you pick a curated box or a sample?
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