February Birchbox Review

Birchbox is a monthly subscription that sends 4-5 beauty samples every month. It allows you to rate your items and earn points that can be changed into cash to spend in the Birchbox store. This is my 3rd Birchbox and I've already earned $30 to spend in their store by rating my items. It's already paid for itself! Birchbox also has a great referral program. For every friend you refer, you receive 50 points ($5 in the store).

Cost: $10/month

I love how they address me! 

Birchbox often lets you choose between a regular, randomly chosen box of items or a specially curated box. I usually like the surprise of the regular box, but when I looked at the choices this month, I decided go with the special box. This month Birchbox worked with Rent The Runway to come up with this grouping of items. It included a coupon for $30 off a $70 purchase on Rent The Runway. I have a wedding coming up, so I could potentially use this. We'll see.

An information card is included to explain how to use each product. I love when boxes do this. Sometimes the products are pretty straightforward. Some have very minimalistic labels or are in a foreign language, which make them much harder to figure out.

First look: When there are smaller products included, Birchbox puts them in a special holder. 

Fekkai Blowout Hair Refresher Dry Shampoo (Value: $6.93)
I've used Fekkai products before, and they're really high quality. I've been on a dry shampoo kick lately, so I'm always excited to see them in a subscription box. This was the main reason I chose this specially curated box.

dermaE Anti-Wrinkle Scrub (Value $3.19)
I really love how thick and creamy this scrub is. It's exfoliating, but not too rough on my skin. I would definitely purchase the full size of this.

the Balm Read My Lips gloss-Rose Pink (Value $4)

This was just okay for me. I like the Balm cosmetics, but this was one of the least favorite products of theirs that I've tried. I'll throw it in my bag to have on hand, but probably wouldn't buy it again.

Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner (Value ~$5)

This is shockingly bright navy blue. I'm sure it looks great on some people, but I'm not even going to try it. I'm passing this on to my sister or a friend.

Not Soap Radio Pheromone Activation Bubbles (Value $1.75)

This smells really great and was a good choice for a February/Valentine's day item. We are in process of buying a house with a huge soaking tub, and I'm saving these to use after we move. I've never used a pheromone activating bubble bath. Hopefully it works. :)

Birchbox is still one of my favorite subscription boxes. They're affordable, consistent, and easy to use. I love how organized their website is compared to other subscription box services. This is one of the ones I'll definitely continue in the future! 

Total value: $20.87

This isn't one of the highest values they've had, but it's still well worth the $10 investment.

Disclaimer: This post contains referral links. If you click through and order a subscription, I will receive points to spend in the Birchbox store. I pay for my birchbox subscription with my own money. No compensation was received for this review. My opinions are my own.

February Ipsy Review

Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription box that sends 4-5 items curated around a central theme and the user's feedback. The items are packed in a stylish, fun makeup bag. (Isn't the bag so cute this month?)

Cost: $10/month with FREE shipping

Eva-nyc Up All Night Volumizing Spray (Value $3)
My hair is super thin, so I need all the volumizing help I can get!

City Color Creamy Lip Stain (Value $4.99)
This is much pinker than it looks in the photo. It was an okay gloss, but I've gotten much higher quality ones in recent boxes. I'll probably stick this in the giveaway pile.

Model Cosmetics Blush (Value $5)
I don't wear blush very often. If I do, it's BareMinerals. I couldn't find how big the full size of this is, so I estimated the cost based off the smaller size. This will be gifted. 

Emite Makeup Professional Eyelash Curler  (Value $25)
I always love getting brushes and tools in boxes, so this is a nice addition. I already have a lash curler that I never use though, so I'll pass this on. I think my mom will love it. 

Mitchell and Peach Face Oil (Value $23)

I've only used this once and I love it already! It's such a great addition for those of us who have super dry skin during the winter. I feel like I can't put enough moisturizer on these days, and this solves that problem- just a few drops will do. This bottle will last me forever! It smells nice, but not overpowering. This made the entire bag for me!

Overall value: Approximately $61 

I didn't like this Ipsy nearly as much as I did the January bag, but I'm still a huge fan. I'm sure my mom and sister will agree, since they'll be getting some of these items, too!

January Ipsy Review

Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription that sends 4-5 items curated around a central theme and the user's feedback. The cost is $10, and shipping is FREE. 

This was my first time getting an Ipsy delivery. I've been on the waiting list for over a month, so I was pretty excited when I got an email saying my glam bag had shipped. 

The bright pink bubble mailer is pretty eye-catching. I definitely saved this to use for the future. (Yep, I'm that person... at least in the case of shiny pink office supplies.