Birchbox June 2015 Eight is the Magic Number

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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. An eight sample box like this one got me $8 back. I also shared my box on Facebook for an extra 10 points. That gave me a total of $9 back to redeem toward future purchases. You can read my detailed overview of the program for more information. Each month, you get a sample choice or you can select the guest editor box. For this box, I selected the Coola sunscreen.

This is the third of my three Birchbox Subscriptions. Box One and Two were different.

The June Boxes were sent in three colorful designs. Even though I received three boxes, I only got the green and yellow Say Yes design all three times. It is the least attractive of the three, but it is still nice.

The first thing you usually see is a product card. It lists the items in the box and the price 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.

Your eyes do not deceive you. There are eight items on this product card. Prior to this, the most items I had ever received in a single box was seven. I have not received eight since, but after seeing this box, I know it is possible.

All of the June Boxes had a Say Yes insert with a unique code printed on the other side. The codes won a unique discount for 10-20%. The code that came with this box only won a 10% discount, so I never redeemed it. There was no expiration date listed on the email, but the code was invalid when I prepped this article. Sometimes codes are invalid the first part of the month, but they work in the second half of the month. I just checked this morning (the second half on the month), and the code still does not work. It is probably not going to work again. As mentioned on my Birchbox retailer page, some codes (usually general recycling codes) only work in the second half of the month.

This month, the sample choice was between four items: Coola Mango Body Sunscreen SPF 50, Supergoop+ Everyday SPF 50 with Cellular Response Technology, skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels, or Dr. Jart+ Dermaclear Micrometer. The guest editor box, The Tig, should have included: SU hair & body wash is worth, Harvey prince hello body cream, Real Chemistry Luminous 3-Minute Peel, Oribe Cote d’ Azur, and Eyeko Fat Liquid Eyeliner.

All boxes should have included an Eyeko Fat Liquid Eyeliner. Birchbox said they got held up at customs and would be included as soon as they arrived. Since then, we’ve received boxes in July, August, September, and October without another peep on the eyeliner, so I am not holding my breath. The eyeliner substitution in the guest editor box was Marcelle BB cream. In all other boxes, it came with Marcelle eyeliner.

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 0.028oz Marcelle Waterproof Eyeliner in Mulberry is worth $7.70. Reviews on Birchbox are very favorable of this. Those reviewers must have dry lids, because it moved and smudged on my oily lids, and my right eye had worn at least 30% off by the end of the night.

The Mulberry looks vibrant with the flash.

It looks muted without the flash.

Five minutes after swatching, I like to rub the eyeliner (dry) to see if it moves. There are plenty that do not move at all. This one moved a lot less than its Indigo brother, so I was not surprised to see it move less on my eyes, too.

On my eyes in natural lighting, the mulberry is a soft, pretty purple. I am a huge fan of purple eyeliner. This is way more purple than it looks online, so I was pleasantly surprised. After seeing how purple it was, I knew I had to pair it with Julep Showtime eyeshadow.

Please ignore the mismatched eyeshadow. I was testing one eye with a cream eyeshadow base (and the difference is quite noticable).

The purple eyeliner was applied the same way on both eyes, and it looks similar (other than it stands out more against the lighter background).

There was no smudging on the top lashes, but the eyeliner smudged a bit (as most do) on the bottom.

I do not value foils, but I appreciate receiving the 0.40oz MINU conditioner and the 0.40oz MINU hair serum. They will be nice to pair it with the other MINU items.

The 0.5oz Coola SPF 50 Sport in Mango is worth $3.20. I have not used this sample yet, but I’ve been impressed with other Coola items I’ve tried. As a sunscreen fan in general, I try to pick up samples when possible.

The 2.5oz Davines MINU shampoo is worth $7.40. I love the generous size of this.

The 0.05oz Tocca Bianca is worth $2.50. It applies very strong. Thankfully, it settles into a nicer sweet citrus scent. It claims to have musky undertones of rose and sugar, but these scents were muted on me. I’d rate this scent 6.5 out of 10.

The L. Erickson Grab & Go Ponytail Holder is worth $2. I received this in my second box as well, but I love this hair tie and use it almost everyday. It is strong and holds all of my hair nicely. Unlike other hair ties where I constantly have to adjust my hair from falling, my hair barely falls during the day time with this. Once I can no longer use my samples (assuming they eventually stretch out, break, or get lost), I will purchase these.

The box has a $27.60 value. My personal value is also $27.60, because I will try everything. Getting an 8 sample box where I want to try every item and love two of the ones I’ve tried so far makes it pretty successful.

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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