This is a Birchbox redemption story. I started subscribing to Birchbox years ago. I don’t remember the exact date but I’m pretty sure it was close to the beginning of Birchbox. (And we all know what happened next–Birchbox changed the game and now you can get a subscription box for anything in the world.) As a poor-ish person a few years ago, I always allowed myself my $10/mo fun present each month. There’s something just so fun about taking that few minutes to open a cute pink box that’s just for you. They introduced me to the makeup artist staple beautyblender and Tarte Lipsurgence lip tints and I’ve been devoted fans of both forever. However, back in 2011 I realized that I hadn’t gotten any products I liked in months and they kept sending me Juicy Couture perfume samples and gross protein bars. I didn’t care for that perfume and I can buy my own food, thanks. WHERE IS THE MAKEUP?! So I quit Birchbox.
But. Now I’m a very important Professional Blogger/Journalist/Scientist. And I had heard that Birchbox had improved a lot over the years. So I decided to give it another try. FOR SCIENCE. (Sometimes I get Science confused with Boxy Ladies.)
I have to admit, right when I opened up the outer cardboard box and was presented with the cutest pink/purple/teal box EVER, I was already sold. And I hadn’t even seen the contents yet! I was trying to think of which of my treasures I would keep in this box. So cute.
Then I was presented with September’s Card-o-Products, depicting the theme as “Fresh Paint.” The back of the card describes each product and their full size price point.
I’m most excited about the Dr. Jart Pore Minimalist Black Charcoal Sheet Mask. (Pack of 5/$35) As previously discussed, I love Dr. Jart’s bb creams. They are the bomb. But I’ve never tried any of his cleansing/mask type products. One of my current favorite drugstore products is Garnier’s Clean + Blackhead Removing Scrub. Someday I’ll go into the details of why I love it so much but in a nutshell, it has charcoal and charcoal does great things to my skin. I struggle with adult acne (I would have been so pissed in high school if I had discovered then that acne would just NEVER GO AWAY) so I think this mask will be great for me. I can’t wait to try it.
I’m also very excited about Temptu’s highlighter in Champagne Shimmer. (Full size $27.50) This reminds me a lot of a NARS highlighter I love. I only need a tiny bit to highlight my cheekbones to give my face a fresh, glowy look and this formula and color looks similar. I’m glad to have a smaller size I can throw in my purse so I can “glow-on-the-go.” I just made that a saying. This formula is a bit thinner than the aforementioned NARS but still works very well and it’s easy to blend. Because of the color, I only need a tiny bit to add a hint of color and glow. I used it over my blush on my cheekbones but you could easily use this on your collarbone, browbone, wherever you need some shimmer.
Additionally, they included a Dear Clark shampoo and conditioner set. (Full sizes are $24 each) The shampoo says it’s infused with Texas botanicals. I’m not exactly sure what that entails, as I just envisioned shampoo stuffed with bluebonnets, but these smell very strong. They kind of remind me of what an Aveda salon smells like. There is definitely a darker floral, herbal smell. As a bottle blonde, my hair is on the dryer side but when I used it this morning, this pair made it feel soft and manageable. A big plus for me. However, the smell is VERY strong and did not seem to dissipate throughout the day.
The only product I’m not super fired up about is the Acure Organics Day Cream. (Full size $18.99) This smells really good, kind of like oranges, but it doesn’t have SPF in it, which is surprising to me for a product marketed as a day cream. In these days, it’s kind of dumb to need two products when one will do. However, this cream is vegan, sulfate free, cruelty free, petroleum free, peg free (?), phthalate free (?), silicone free, gluten free, and is 100% biodegradable. So if those things are important to you, then this product is for you.
Birchbox has always included a bonus item called the “Birchbox Find” and this month it is a double ended ChapStick. One side is for Day and includes sunscreen and the other is for Night and includes tamanu oil (?), natural butters and antioxidants. I am a chapstick fiend and is part of my day and nighttime routines so I’m excited about this product. I’m going to start using it tonight!
I’m giving the September Birchbox an A. They have definitely upped their game since I ended my subscription a few years ago and I felt that old level of excitement come back as I opened it up and saw that damn cute box. Click here if you are interested in subscribing to Birchbox for $10/mo!
PS- Today is Jill’s birthday so Happy Birthday to my favorite co-blogger/partner in crime. I love you, girl. xo
xo,
Lauren
I so hear you on the daycream SPF thing. I absolutely love Josie Moran Argan Serum Foundation and Loreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB…I get compliments when I wear them, and that is my gold standard. but they don’t have SPF and they don’t look the same when I wear sunscreen underneath. I wish I hadn’t tried them because it is so frustrating. Incidentally, they are both white lotions with beads…does Dr. Jart have beads?
No beads! If you don’t need a ton of coverage, go with Premium. If you need a bit more, go with black label. I’m back on premium and I love it so much.
Call me silly but I imagine Texas as more of a desert area with cowboy hats aplenty, so this “shampoo stuffed with bluebonnets” is the perfect descriptor. Maybe it’s why it also punches you in the face with scent, “everything’s bigger in Texas,” even the odors?
That is exactly what Jill thinks Texas is like. She’s never been here but she definitely calls it The Desert. Never mind that I live by a lush river area. But yeah… Bluebonnets are ubiquitous.
I’ve never been to Texas either, or that far south for that matter. I do know several Texans and some either live in pure desert flatland or big cities with lots of trees.
Yeah. It’s really not the desert. But it’s pretty sad in the bare parts. There aren’t like, tumbleweed and cacti. But there are dead armadillos on the side of the road.
We tend to have a lot of dead deer here. This is a heavily forested area though. Nice to know the roadkill differs
We have dead deer as well but not as much near me.
That’s pretty much all we have, besides the random opossum. Deer kinda live on our properties anyway and every now and again one gets ambitious
We have a lot of squirrels.
Our squirrel population has dwindled significantly.