March marks my fourth Birchbox Canada box and so far my results have been mixed. My first one was good, the second? Fantastic! Unfortunately February's was so disappointing to me that I considered cancelling. But luckily, I stuck it out and was pleasantly surprised yet again in March. Read on to see why!
Tah-dah!
What Is Birchbox?
Birchbox is a mid-priced monthly box ($10CDN for the box + $5CDN shipping for a neat $15 a month), that offers a unique rewards system. If you write product reviews on the Birchbox site for your products each month, or refer friends to the subscription, you can earn points to use in the Birchbox beauty shop which carries a variety of products from the brands found in the boxes. It's a neat way to give back to your subscribers and I look forward to finally taking advantage of it. It's similar to Julep's 'Jules' but it doesn't ONLY reward purchases.
Another fun thing about Birchbox is that they allow you to see what your products are before they hit your door, so it can be a surprise or you can spoil yourself if you want. Me? I've spoiled it for myself every, single, time.
In My March 2015 Birchbox I Received:
Beautyblender & Clean Solid
When I saw the early spoilers this month's box would include a Beauty Blender, and I mean the REAL Beauty Blender, I was really excited. I've owned knock-offs of these before and they never came close to working as well as the BB does. My first impression? The texture of the real BB is softer than knockoff brands, and it also provides a firmer grip, making it easier to roll and blend product around the skin. It doesn't seem to 'eat' as much product either. I can't wait to see what I can get up to with this tool.
Harvey Prince - Ageless Perfume
I've tried a few products from Harvey Prince from my Birchbox and Beauty Box 5 subscriptions, and I think this is my favourite thing so far. Ageless is a bright, complex scent with big, pungent notes of pink grapefruit, jasmine and sandalwood. It's woodsy but fruity, with a fair bit of staying power. It feels like a more adult scent than I'm used to, but I'm thinking that may not be a bad thing with my next birthday coming up. (Oh god, oh god)
Mirenesse Mattfinity Lip Rouge
When I saw this lip rouge in my March preview, I wasn't looking forward to it. The Cynthia Rowley stain was so disappointing last month that I didn't have much hope this one would be good. But I'm happy to say that I was COMPLETELY wrong! This lip rouge has a nice passionfruit smell, a doe-foot applicator (I find they are often the best for lip coverage) and is a genuinely attention-grabbing rouge. The formula doesn't feather and while it does require a bit of touch up if you're eating and drinking, it's so lush and moisturizing that my lips do not feel dry at the end of the night.
Paula's Choice Resist Barrier Repair Moisturizer with Retinol
I was a bit unimpressed to see this product in my subscription box because I don't necessarily enjoy being given anti-aging products. I even emailed Birchbox about my concerns and the CSR I spoke to recommended this brand due to their ability to work well with sensitive skin. Soooo I decided to at least give it a try. This is a lightweight moisturizer with retinol that yes, is light enough for sensitive skin, but it doesn't have a lick of SPF in it so I need to layer it under ANOTHER product anyway so I don't see the point quite yet. I'll see if it makes any difference in another week or so.
Fekkai PrX Reparatives Conditioner
While I've heard about Fekkai hair products before, I've never tried anything from them until this week. Generally I use very light-weight conditioners because my hair loves to retain residue but the scent on this one was SO TEMPTING I had to give it a try. It smells of vanilla and argan oil and does a wonderful job of moisturizing my split ends. HOWEVER, it is one of those heavy conditioners so I don't see it joining my regular routine.
The Verdict?
My March 2015 Birchbox is a step in the right direction. I'm completely in love with the Mirenesse lip stain, the Harvey Prince perfume has quickly wormed it's way into my scent routine, and the Beauty Blender is changing the way I make my face up. The restorative conditioner is ok, and the moisturizer is a bit meh, but I'll take it for the products I DO love. I did complain about my February box and managed to get April for free, so we'll see how I feel about continuing next month.
If you're curious, use my referral code to subscribe to Birchbox today and try it for yourself.