Birchbox sends samples (and sometimes full sizes) of new and exciting beauty products from top brands for $15/month. 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. I received one of the two curated Clean Beauty options.
This is one of our top recommendations if you are looking for a subscription box - the value and sample sizes are amazing. (Check out our list of the best beauty boxes and our reviews of Cheap Subscription Boxes for more recommendations!)
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First Impressions
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Included is a product card that lists the products in your Birchbox on the front, with a Birchbox Tip listed on the back.
Now, on to the items!
ARROW Detangling Texture and Protect Spray, 30 ml - Estimated Retail Value $7.20
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The purpose of this detangling texture and protect spray is to detangle, moisturize, add texture, and provide heat protection. Lots of goals packed into one little product. With my thick curls, I use some very heavy oils to moisturize my hair, and I already have plenty of texture. As a detangler, this product works the same as typical leave-in detanglers. But the heat protection it offers is nice. While I don’t flat iron or blow-dry my hair very often anymore, this will be nice to have on hand for the next time I do. One thing I must mention… To me, the scent is putrid, and yes, it does linger for a bit longer than I’d like. It smells like grandma perfume mixed with bug spray. That’s not a combination of scents that I enjoy but some people out there are sure to enjoy it. In terms of function, even though it doesn’t necessarily work the best for my type of hair, I think this is a great product.
GLOW RECIPE Watermelon Glow Pink Dream Body Cream, 20 ml - Estimated Retail Value $2.33
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New obsession alert! Well, not gonna lie, I’ve always been a little obsessed with the Glow Recipe brand and especially their Watermelon Glow line. But this body cream is one product I have never had in my possession. Was this sample size enough to cover my entire body more than once? Not exactly. But hey, at least now I know the true magic of this product. It has the most delicious watermelon scent, just like the rest of the product in the line, and I cannot get enough of it. The cream has a whipped texture to it that I love. It’s not at all irritating to my skin. After applying, my skin felt super smooth to the touch and had a buoyancy that left me shining bright like a diamond. Dry skin who? We don’t know her, lol.
MERCI HANDY Flower Power Hand Sanitizer, 30 ml - Retail Value $4.00
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Last month’s box included a different scent of this hand sanitizer from Merci Handy, and I’m very happy to have another one this month. Plus, let’s be honest, hand sanitizer is something I am always needing more of, so it’s nice to be able to add this one to my stash. I love the convenient travel size, as well as the fact that the formula contains aloe vera. I’ve noticed that hand sanitizers with aloe vera make a huge difference for repeated use. This sanitizer does not at all dry out my hands like some others, which I appreciate immensely. The scent of this product is nice, bright, and fruity, making it even more enjoyable to use.
NUMBER 4 Lumiere d’hiver Fluoro5 Elixer Restore and Repair Oil, 14.8 ml - Estimated Retail Value $6.41
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This is a great hair oil. A little bit goes a long way. It has a light, pleasant scent that reminds me of a high-end salon. It absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave my hair feeling greasy to the touch. The texture is very lightweight for an oil, and it was easy to apply and evenly coat through my hair. I like how this product helps smooth out any split ends I have, as well as tames frizz and flyaways while leaving my hair looking healthy and shiny. I also like that the product works effectively on wet hair or on dry hair after styling. I found that this product doesn’t weigh down my curls at all, and it leaves my hair texture feeling silky and soft.
ORIBE Detangling Shampoo, 7 ml - Estimated Retail Value $1.39
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Okay, so the product card claims that this Oribe Detangling Shampoo is for all hair types, and it may indeed work. However, this sample is so minuscule that I unfortunately was only able to cover about half of my hair. I do of course require more shampoo than those with other types of hair textures, but I was a bit let down that I wasn’t able to get the full experience. The portion of my hair that was lucky enough to get coated with some of the product felt very nice afterward, and it seems to have left my hair with a little extra ‘softness,’ which I appreciated. I didn’t notice any benefits in terms of its detangling function, it was no match for taming my frizz, and I still needed to add my usual oils to my hair for full hydration. So, even though this product didn’t work for me, it does seem to be high quality and will likely deliver much better results for those with less thick curls than mine.
ORIBE Gold Lust Masque, 15 ml - Estimated Retail Value $6.56
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I have received this product in the past, and unfortunately, it didn’t really work for me. My hair, with its thick texture, completely swallowed up the product. Yes, after one use, the bottle was empty, lol. I kept needing to apply more and before I knew it, the bottle was almost empty. The masque is super lightweight, which is likely great for those with finer hair, but for my hair, I need something a bit more heavy-duty. I really enjoyed the scent of this product, though. It reminds me of walking into a high-end salon. This time around, I’m happy to say that I’ll be able to pass this along to a friend with finer hair. She’s always looking to try different types of hair masks, so I’m excited for her to try this quality product.
Verdict
I thought this was a good month for Birchbox. The highlight for me was the Glow Recipe Watermelon Dream body cream. The scent is truly divine, and I could not love this product more. The Merci Handy hand sanitizer was a fun addition to this box, and it’s a functional item that I will get great use out of. I loved the hair oil from Number 4. It left my hair feeling silky, soft, and not at all weighed down. Arrow’s protect spray is a great product to have around for those times when I’m styling my hair and need some heat protection. Lastly, the Oribe masque and the detangling shampoo. While neither of these products worked the best for my kind of hair, I enjoyed having the chance to try out the detangling shampoo and am very happy to pass along the masque to a friend of mine. Overall, this box was good in terms of the variety of products, even though I was only able to get use out of four of six of the products, and while it contained lots of great brands and high quality, yet very small, products, I was a little surprised by the lower value of this month's curation.
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Value – Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $15
Value Breakdown:
- Texture Spray: $7.20
- Body Cream: $2.33
- Hand Sanitizer: $4.00
- Hair Oil: $6.41
- Shampoo: $1.39
- Hair Masque: $6.56
The total value of my box was $27.89, which is a decent value for a $15 box.
Other Things You Should Know
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you'll likely start with next month's box.
What do you think of the January 2022 Birchbox?
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