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Birchbox Curated Box #2 Review + Coupon – October 2019

Marne Orenich
ByMarne OrenichOct 13, 2019 | 17 comments

Birchbox Box 2 Glow Time Review - October 2019

Birchbox
3.7 overall rating
657 Ratings | 188 Reviews

Every month, Birchbox sends samples (and sometimes full-sizes) of new and exciting beauty products from top brands for $15/month. They allow subscribers to pick between a curated box (all samples revealed) or a single sample choice with the rest of the items arriving as a surprise. Birchbox is one of the original beauty subscription boxes and is a great way to discover new makeup, hair care, and skincare products without breaking the bank.

This review is of the "Glow Time" curated box.

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FYI - sign up to get email alerts for our Birchbox Spoilers to learn about Birchbox Sample Choice and Curated box options each month!

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

group of 6 items laying down around birchbox

About this Curated Beauty Box

The Subscription Box: Birchbox

The Cost: $15.00 a month + free shipping. Save with longer subscriptions.

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: The US, France, Spain, and the UK

Birchbox October 2019 "Glow Time" Curated Box #2 Review

 

There are two info cards in this month's Birchbox. One of the cards details the included six items and has "Trick or Treat" tips on how and when to use certain skincare products. The other card talks about how to get $5 off and a free box for yourself when you buy a gift subscription for the beauty-lover in your life.

 

NuFACE Prep-N-Glow Cloths, 2 ct. - Total Estimated Value $2.00 (Buy a full-size 20 ct. for $20.00)

I wasn't expecting much out of these wipes since it's hard to get me to switch from Neutrogena. However, I found this cloth to be tough on makeup while not drying my face out (like Neutrogena wipes do). They're also quite a bit larger than the more normal current cleansing wipes I use and have a "scrubby" side with little "microdots" to get some exfoliation action out of it too. I found the nubbins a little too rough for my skin, so I don't think I'd get use out of that side. While these seem to be a great option for makeup removal and also contain hyaluronic acid, at $1 a piece, they're a little pricey for me to switch to for an everyday face wipe.

 

R+Co HIGH DIVE Moisture + Shine Crème, 0.5 oz. - Estimated Value $2.90 (Buy a full-size 5 oz for $29.00)

R+Co quickly has become a favorite hair care line of mine through Birchbox discoveries. This moisture and shine crème has a wonderful scent and can also be used as a leave-in conditioner. I tend to use a very small amount and run it through the middle-ends of my fine hair when it's wet to be sure I'm not overdoing it. After blow-drying, it left me with great smelling soft hair that looked a little less frazzled and damaged.

 

Specific Beauty Radiance Repair Night Treatment, 0.7 oz. - Estimated Value $26.76 (Buy a full-size 1 0z for $65.00)

This night cream from Specific Beauty is a little on the thinner side and has a slight off white color to it. It has virtually no scent and absorbed very quickly onto my face and neck and left me with a soft feel to my skin. Retinol, niacinamide, and shea butter work together to try and even skin tone as I sleep and smooth out any uneven texture. Only time will tell if I see results on this one, but I've liked the feel of the product thus far.

 

Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator, 0.71 oz. - Estimated Value $5.71 (Buy a full-size 4.23 oz for $34.00)

I tend to love exfoliators because scrubbing face feels so good and productive to me. I received this same product in the August curated box I reviewed and it reminded me a lot of my beloved Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Exfoliant because of the micro scrubbies in there that feel gritty yet gentle and the thick consistency. This is a great size too which should yield plenty of washes.

 

Kiehl’s Youth Dose Eye Treatment, 0.10 oz. - Estimated Value $7.80 (Buy a full-size 0.5 oz for $39.00)

This eye cream stands out to me due to the peachy pigment that makes it seem almost like a color corrector. It seems to go on transparently although the tint claims to "instantly brighten" my under eyes. Tell that to my 2 hours of sleep baggage. This tube suspiciously had very little product in it. I had to squeeze and squeeze to get it to come out, so the size of the tube doesn't really mirror how much is inside. I think I can get about 5 doses or so out of this, maybe. It is a little thicker than other eye creams I've tried though and it has a soft powder-like satin once it's on with a matte finish.

 

Lancôme Juicy Tubes Ultra Shiny Lip Gloss in Tickled Pink, 0.33 oz. - Estimated Value $12.54 (Buy a full size for $19.00)

Here, we have an almost full-size version (it almost fooled me) of what I now know to be a cult classic lip gloss. Both my best friend and fellow MSAer Megan confirmed that these were THE JAM back in the early aughts or so. I guess I've always been a gloss hater because these did not show up on my radar until this box arrived. After the history lesson, I found myself warming to the thought of wearing this strangely named product on the daily. This soft mauve gave my pout a shiny subtle coloring and really felt hydrating while smelling super fruity. It doesn't feel overly sticky at all, but once I was driving with my windows down and my hair stuck to it, I was back on the anti-gloss train. Ah well.

Verdict: The Glow Time curated Birchbox ended up kind of neutral to me. Nothing blew my mind, but everything seemed like a pretty solid product. The R+Co Shine Crème and Vasanti exfoliator were prob my top two and I can clearly find a friend to pass the Juicy Tubes on to. I came up with an estimated value of a whopping $57.71 which is a fantastic deal for a $15 box, so that definitely makes these products feel a little bit more valuable.

To Wrap Up: 

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? If you subscribe to Birchbox now, be sure to check the image on the sign-up page. The box design pictured at the bottom is the first month you'll receive. You can't pick a curated box like this one as your first box, but you'll be able to pick it every month moving forward.

Check our Birchbox Coupon List to get the most up-to-date coupon!

Value Breakdown: At $15.00 for this box, here's what you are approximately paying for each product:

  • Facial Cloths x2: $0.51
  • Moisture Cream: $0.75
  • Night Treatment: $6.96
  • Exfoliator: $1.48
  • Eye Treatment: $2.03
  • Lip Gloss: $3.26

Check out all of our Birchbox reviews and our favorite beauty boxes!

Keep track of your subscriptions by adding this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

What do you think of the value of this curated Birchbox

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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.

Marne Orenich
Marne Orenich
Marne is a lipstick connoisseur, record collector, and twice over cat mom. She loves discovering new clean beauty brands and has quite the collection of beautifully packaged serums and moisturizers.

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17 comments

Joy

I received a shipping notification with tracking info 11 days ago. It STILL says USPS awaiting package. I’ve emailed birch ox twice about this and I get some automated response. I already canceled even before I knew about this i#ue but at this point I’m considering disputing the charge with my CC company.

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Pamela

Well, sadly I was right, we (or at least *I) are not getting the boxes we picked for Oct. This is the second or third time I’ve had to email them with an issue and I’ve only been subscribed for 10 months. I won’t be renewing.
They gave enough points worth $5.00 in the shop and early pick for November (we’ll see if that actually happens) but they are picking ALL the items for my box for Oct now. Apparently we don’t even get ONE choice. Not real happy with them!
And to top all that out, they still haven’t shipped. 🙁

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Dea

You were certainly right! This is very disappointing.

Prediction (may I be proved wrong!): A black eyeliner and a shampoo sample.

I’m not an Ace, so those $5 in points will at least cover the shipping whenever I place an order.

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Pamela

Basically they are delayed, but here’s the link for what Birchbox is saying about Oct boxes and orders. I’m a little miffed that I found this on their website and they didn’t even bother to send out an email. Where’s the customer service? *rolls eyes*

https://support.birchbox.com/hc/en-us/articles/360035100431-Delayed-October-Boxes-and-Orders

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Dea

I did not receive an email. This (link) was posted on the 11th (Friday), and said “will be shipped early next week”. Early next week = 15th. It’s now the 17th. Let’s see some action, please, or at least be forthcoming about WHY. What is the actual problem? Did a fire destroy the inventory? Did you forget to pay rent on the warehouse and were locked out? Is the entire warehouse staff on strike? Did the county health inspector need five hands to count the rats in the warehouse and therefore shut it down? Some transparency might help here.

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Aileen

lol I admire your imagination. Me, too, still waiting for a shipping notification. Maybe they are calling bankruptcy.

Melissa

I did receive an email about the delay.

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Nat

Thank you! I went ahead and canceled my sub. This is not a good first impression at all. I still hope to get this box

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tammy g.

I rejoined birchbox the first of this month, and yet to here from them…this is one reason I quit last time…I did e-mail them this morning, sent back we will get back with you in a 24-36 hour wait time…if this is how it still is going I will cancel next month..

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Marion

I picked this box! I’m a sucker for R+Co, & I’ve never actually tried Juicy Tubes despite hearing about them for years! I really like to have the NuFace cloths for my travel bag.

The only thing I won’t use from this box is the Vasanti exfoliator, which I’ve gotten from Birchbox at least 2 other times… and which I’ve swapped away at least 2 other times, lol.

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LisaFalana

Birchbox is obviously having some shipping issues. I received the Sept box so late in the month, I wasn’t sure I would get it, then turned around and sent my Oct box in the first week of the month so I received 2 boxes about a week and a half apart.

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Pamela

No sign of mine coming either. I emailed them to find out what was going on because it looks like Oct isn’t even EVER coming (according to my account).

I’m worried that I won’t get the box I asked for in customization though 😕
First they basically said, be patient, but I knew something wasn’t right. So the day after she told me that boxes should all be shipped, I emailed them again 😂

All they said was that they noticed some boxes didn’t go out. They were taking care of it. If they didn’t go out on time, I have a feeling we won’t get the boxes we asked for 🤷🏻‍♀️

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Dea

And no “it’s the wildfires in California” excuse, please, Birchbox. My box is shipped from Tennessee and travels eastward. You *do* have the supplies in stock, because you’ve already shipped all curated boxes to the MSA staff. I’ll allow you the Monday holiday, but let’s see some action on Tuesday. Hint: “Label created” is not action.

(Fanning oneself). Excuse me.

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Dea

It’s the 13th of the month, and Birchbox hasn’t even shipped it to me yet. That is very unusual for them. 🙁 Only the September box shows up in my account, even though I received the emailed confirmation that they reserved this box for me.

This will be my third Vasanti scrub sample from boxes over the years, and it lasts a LONG time, which is great. I have no idea whether anyone has ever purchased the full size of this product, because it does seem to show up frequently from Birchbox and ipsy.

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Nat

Me four. I signed up Sep 23rd and they sent me September right away. I picked this box. Got confirmation. They charged me for it. It just says processing. I am actually glad to hear others in the same boat. If I don’t get this box, I am cancelling

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Caligirl

Same here really strange. I usually have my box by now. Shows October processing. Not sure what is happening.

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Suzanne

Me three! Weird.