Birchbox April 2015 Current Month Welcome Box

See recent Birchbox articles and all Welcome Box articles.

Birchbox gives at least five beauty samples each month for $10. For every review I give, I get 10 points, which is equal to $1 in the shop. A five sample box like this one gets me $5 back. I also shared my box on Facebook for an extra 10 points. That will give me a total of $6 back to redeem toward future purchases. You can read my detailed overview of the program for more information. Each month (after your first), you get a sample choice or you can select the guest editor box. This month was my first with this subscription, so I did not get a choice

This is the second of my three Birchbox Subscriptions. Box One and Three (posting tomorrow) are different.

Of all the special box designs lately, this is my favorite. It actually pained me to select the guest editor box on my primary account (which was my only account when I selected it). I really wanted this box.

The first thing you notice when you open a box is the product card. It gives you a brief description of the products as well as the cost to purchase the full size. Unless you choose to opt out for some reason, you will always get a sample choice. You can either select one item from a choice of 3-4 items or the guest editor box where you know all five in advance.

This month, the sample choice was between three items: a Jane Iredale lip/cheek combo, a Jouer blush, or a Pop Beauty eyeshadow trio. They all looked lovely, and I would not mind any of them. The guest editor box, Mad Men, created two boxes: New York or California. Both boxes looked amazing. I selected the California Box on my main account. There were multiple reasons I decided to open a second box. I wanted the guest editor and sample choice boxes, and I was sending gift subscriptions to all of my sisters.

Guest editor boxes are different on the outside, so if you hoard boxes the way I do, you will not have the signature box created for that month if you pick it. Having a second box gave me the chance to collect both, plus I could have more than one choice in products as well. Birchbox does not allow promo codes to repeat, so the codes I used to order gift subscriptions on Volumes: Two and Three would not work again. I created this account and ordered Volumes: Four and Five using the same promo codes. Having more gifts to send at that point, it made it worthwhile to keep the second account open. Of course, I did not mind the extra choices.

When you order a subscription for yourself or someone else, you will almost always get a Welcome Box. This is a box of customer favorites that does not take beauty profiles into account. As you can see in my Year of Birchbox Gifts Volumes: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, and Eight (9-14 have not been published yet), these boxes are not boxes sent to current subscribers within that month. There is an exception, and this box is the exception. Birchbox sometimes sends a welcome box from the current month if you subscribe before the subscriptions for the month finish rolling out. I subscribed to this box on 04/06/15, so they were still rolling out. That explains why I received a Jane Iredale sample from the current month in a Rifle Paper Box.

You will see when my gifting series is complete that none of my 14 recipients received a welcome box from the current month regardless of when I ordered. That leads me to believe gift recipients almost always get a welcome box, not a box from the current month. I added two boxes in April, one during the roll-out and one outside. The one outside, posting later today, is a welcome box not from the month. In other words, if you personally subscribe and want a box from the current month, subscribing from the 1st through the 10th increases your chances of getting it. Boxes are still rolling out through that date. If you subscribe from the 11th through the 31st, you will probably get a general welcome box. This is not an exact science, because the more popular boxes will sell out faster adjusting the dates a bit.

The 0.06oz Harvey Prince Yogini is worth $5.24. I always use the smallest size to calculate value, because it is the cheapest buy-in to try the product. This sample is about 1/5 the rollerball. This scent is very subtle but pleasant. It lasts on my skin a long time. On a 10 scale, I’d give it an eight.

The 0.17oz Real Chemistry Luminous 3-Minute Peel is worth $4.80. I love this sample, so I want to receive it as often as I can. It helps peels the outer layer of skin leaving softer, even skin. When I use this, my dry patches fade away. This is one of the best things I’ve ever sampled from Birchbox.

The 3ml Supergoop! Daily Correct CC Cream in worth $2.04. It is in the shade light/medium, which is a little darker than my skin tone, but the formula seemed fine. I will use the sample, but I would not purchase this shade.

The Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip and Cheek Stain in Forever Pink does not list a size. It is really tiny, so I am guessing it is 0.03oz. If my guess is correct, this sample is worth $7.50. I like the light pink color. This is great for a very natural look. Unlike typical a typical lip stain, it actually applies a little glossy. It does not feel like gloss at all but rather closer to a lipstick. I found it pretty moisturizing. Considering how sheer the bullet was, I expected this to impart almost no color and was pleasantly surprised with the pigmentation. The lip stain lasted about 3-4 hours, and I like the way it wore. Dry patches on my lips were not highlighted and it looked lovely (not uneven) as the color faded.

It lasted a little longer on my cheeks than most blushes. This color is so close to the splotchy pink-red I turn when I am overheated, so I cannot tell where it begins and I end in the picture.

The 0.84oz TempleSpa Peace Be Still is worth $3.64. This is a face and body balm combo product. While I am not usually a fan of combo products, I will try this in both areas and see where I prefer it. Then, I will use it in the area I like it in.

The box has a $23.22 value. My personal value is also $23.22, because I will try everything in here.

If you want to subscribe, remember to look at start-up offers and all available offers. When you’re ready to spend your rewards points, remember to add your free two piece sample pack when spending $35 from the Bonus Shop. See other Birchbox Subscription articles. View my main page for the guide map to the site and deeper deal exploration.

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