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Birchbox: beauty samples, $10/month
Promo: BBJETBLUE10 for $100 extra points when you sign up
I paid: $1.10 with tax and promo
Box value: $20, My value: $20*
Birchbox sends you five beauty samples a month, generally a mixture of skin/haircare and makeup. It comes in a cute little box that you can re-use. You can review each sample you receive for 10 points, and exchange 100 points for $10 off their online store, including gift subscriptions to their box. When you subscribe, you can fill out a questionnaire telling Birchbox which type of products interest you, though you may still get products you don’t care for. Lately, Birchbox has allowed subscribers to chose between a curated box, that lists what samples are included, and a mystery box. You can create multiple accounts to subscribe to Birchbox and use the same address and credit card, but you have to have a separate e-mail address for each.
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I got three Birchboxes in May. The first one was the one from my regular subscription. I then got a second one with a promo that included a beautyblender sponge and solid kit for free with a new subscription. Finally, I got another box with another promo code that gave you the first box in a new subscription for just $1. That was a deal I could not pass up. My third May box included some products I’d gotten before and some new ones to me. The total value was around $20, which is not great but not bad for a $1 box.
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W3LL PEOPLE The Expressionist Mascara in black, deluxe sample, value $8?
I also got this mascara in my May Birchbox but I like it and I’m happy to have another one. It does a good job of making my lashes look longer and thicker, and it’s easy to apply. Unfortunately, it does smear. Made in the USA.
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Living proof Restore Shampoo, Conditioner and Instant Repair Lotion, 1 oz, value $5
The shampoo and conditioner are foils and I’ll report about them after I try them. The lotion, however, comes in a tube and it should be enough for all of us to give it a try and see if it makes a difference. The claims are pretty amazing, it’s supposed to repair and protect against split ends. I don’t see how it’s possible to repair split ends, other than by making that hair fall off. What it more likely does is hold the different ends of the hair together so it doesn’t look like it’s split. In any case, people give it great reviews for making fine, thick hair manageable. It’s also supposed to help with colored treated hair. We’ll see. All the Living proof products are made in the USA.
Update: I used the three products yesterday on my fine, straight, long hair. They left my hair feeling softer and they have a great scent, which I can’t quite describe. The shampoo was very foamy, there was probably enough in the foil for 3 applications. I tried to use an equal amount of conditioner but it wasn’t enough to detangle my hair. Still, these are good products.
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Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Primer Water, 5 ml, value $1.3
According to Paula’s Choice this is just an overpriced basic toner. It’s refreshing enough when spraying it on my face, though as I don’t wear makeup I’ll just pass it on to my daughter. I like the subtle citrusy scent, it’s very fresh. Made in Canada.
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English Laundry Notting Hill Femme Eau de Parfum for women, 1.5 ml?, value $1.5
I love getting perfumes in boxes, because I love changing my perfume all the time. This one, though, is pretty generic. It started by smelling of, well, perfume and then it moved on to smelling like candy. It’s very sweet. My husband likes it, he likes candy, which leads to all sorts of interesting ideas. This perfume may be better for my girls, so I’ll offer it to them. Made in the USA.
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Naobay Oxygenating Cream Moisturizer, 20 ml, value $14 (but really, less than $4)
I got this in another May Birchbox. It’s supposed to be a face cream and it’s priced like that, but it’s rather light and I think it’s closer to a lotion. It absolves pretty quickly without making my skin feel greasy. It smells like lemon cream sandwich cookies, though the scent goes away pretty quickly. I was disappointed at the size of this sample, though; not only is the tube small but it seems only half filled. Made in Spain.
* The box value is the value of all the products included in the box. My value is the value of the products that my family and I will actually use. I’m happy if my value is at least as high as what I paid for the box.