Birchbox Limited Edition Box Review Birchbox x Vogue: Transformation

Limited Edition Boxes are my favorite items to purchase from Birchbox. These are a mixture of full and sample sized items that usually fit a specific box theme. All boxes have a value far greater than the cost so they are a great deal when the items you want to keep exceed the value of what you’re paying. Better boxes sell out quickly, but the ones that linger will occasionally pop up in the sale section for 30% off. Aces sometimes get 40% off on sale items. Predicting which ones will sell out is not always easy so I buy the ones I really want close to the release date. If you’re on the fence because of price, wait it out.

Birchbox released a new limited edition box today, 03/22/18, the Birchbox x Vogue: Transformation. Aces usually get notification one day sooner than everyone else, but that did not happen with the box. My Aces account did receive the email about 6 hours earlier than my other accounts. In 2015, I had 3 active Birchbox subscriptions so I have 3 accounts. Only my active account is in Aces status.

I purchased the first iteration of this box on 06/23/17. That was during my blogging break so I have not and will not provide an official review. It was a beautiful box that Birchbox valued at $224 and was easily worth the $68 charge. Getting discounts and redeeming points always helps. As an Ace, I earn 1.3 points per dollar spent so I earned another 60 for today’s purchase after redeeming the 75 I had in the bank. For those with a keen eye, I lived in California in 2017. Birchbox charges sales tax in California, but not in Nevada for shop purchases. Strangely enough, Birchbox does charge sales tax for subscription purchases in both states.

The Birchbox Limited Edition Box Birchbox x Vogue: Transformation retails for $68. Birchbox estimates this box has a $265 value. Scroll down for what this box is actually worth.

While I love the packaging on all limited edition boxes, this white box is really sleek. Using this to package a gift will definitely happen.

The contents are loose inside of a box with white crinkle cut paper.

A product card going over the items is inside, an important note for those planning to take select items before gifting the box to someone else. You could either omit the card or have no shame in admitting you took things. Unlike the cards that come inside the subscription boxes, the price to buy the full-size is not listed. All of the items inside this box are full-sized.

The back of the card goes over the box theme. When the box gets curated with someone, in this case Vogue, you will usually get a few words from the curator and some reasoning behind the theme or items. This box was inspired by the March 2018 Vogue issue. That issue unpacks the increasingly relevant theme of “Transformation” in: beauty, fashion, culture, politics, and entertainment. Vogue sees these products as tools of inspiration and empowerment. I am not one to argue with vision and obviously purchased the box, but I think that statement is a bit of a stretch. While I am all for the theme and movement in beauty and politics, these products will not help me get anything other than better looking. And, that’s okay with me.

The full-size 1oz Milk Makeup Blur Stick retails for $36. Getting a sample of this is one of the reasons I purchased the Sephora Favorites Limited Edition Selfie Kits. I still have not tried it yet, but I obviously want to and will soon. This stick promises to minimize pores and smooth fine lines. If it works, I will love it. Whenever possible, I prefer to sample full-sizes (the mini could have slight differences). Someone may end up with a brand new mini if I do not like this.

The full-size 0.1oz MAC Cosmetics Retro Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo retails for $17.50. This is a lipstick I already own so I will not keep this duplicate. Blue-based reds are my favorite reds, because I think they look better on me than orange-based reds. As I purchased this blue-based red separately and already enjoy it, I can vouch for how great it is. MAC makes comfortable matte lipsticks that I enjoy wearing. They are not the most moisturizing or the longest-lasting, but they look and feel good enough for me to grab when I am in the mood for a matte lipstick. Once I wear this again, I will edit in a picture and an updated review.

The full-size 1.01oz Huxley Secret of Sahara Grab Water Essence retails for $58. Is it strange that a product I had never even heard of was the main selling point for this particular box. When I saw this box had only 7 items, two of which I already owned, I contemplated not getting it for about a minute. Then, I read about the contents. This essence/serum combo promises to pull moisture into the skin and feel lightweight doing so. If it works, that will be amazing.

The full-size 0.21oz YSL Beauty Mascara Vinyl Couture in I’m The Storm retails for $29. I’ve never tried a glitter mascara before and cannot even think of what event I would wear this to. Through the luxe, see-through container, it looks beautiful. My guess is the glitter is holographic and hopefully eye safe. Hopefully, natural light picks this up. Once I wear this, I will edit in a picture and a review. Because mascara goes bad fast, I will not open or try this until I find an occasion I believe is worthy of such sparkle.

The full-size 7 Ampoules of Babor Perfect Glow Ampoule Concentrates retail for $39.95. An ampoule of product that gives my skin moisture and illumination sounds divine. This seems like a great thing to try on a day I go somewhere without makeup, which is almost everyday. I want to see what it can do for my dry skin.

The full-size Saturday Skin Spotlight Brightening Mask retails for $6. Brightening masks are probably my favorite type, because they provide the moisture I need and the effect I want. My skin has a lot of hyper pigmentation, sun spots, and acne scars. A mask that adapts to the contours of my face and brightens up my complexion sounds perfect. I hope it works.

The full-size Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair!™ Deep Conditioning Hair Cap System retails for $9. This is something I’ve wanted to try since Tati of Glamlifeguru first mentioned it. I do not have her budget so $9 a hair treatment just seemed unreachable to me. Getting it in this set is perfect, because I am a lot more willing to drop $9 a treatment after I know it works. It uses a cap to lock in the benefits of the ultrarich hair conditioning mask. Once I try it, I will let you know how it goes.

The offer to receive 12 issues of Vogue for $15 is general. There is no promo code to redeem it. Simply go to the URL vogue.com/birchbox. I never count coupon or offer codes in box value, because they are only valuable for those who redeem them. While I am sure the curator wants everyone to subscribe, that is not going to happen. This offer is truly a blanket promotion anyone can use so I cannot see how anyone could argue it gives value to the box. As a current Vogue subscriber, I will not take advantage of this offer. What is sad about this “deal” is I found a one-year subscription available through another link for $12. Those using the Birchbox link will actually pay more than those who find the better offer.

Whenever you spend over $35, you can add a free 2-piece sample pack to your cart. This combines with any promo code, because you add it directly to your cart. Birchbox sells this for $10 for anyone spending less than $35. It has been a long time since the value was over $10 so I highly discourage anyone spending less than $35 to buy it. I received a 0.33oz foil of L’Oreal Mythic Oil Shampoo ($0; I don’t place value on foils), and a 0.5oz Bumble and bumble Bb. Don’t Blow It ($3.75; using my standard method of pricing it from the cheapest possible buy-in). These are both items I’ve received before but have not tried yet. Whether I keep them or not depends on how much I like the originals in my collection. Discount promo codes are on my Birchbox page, but you can always view the Bonus Shop for GWP promo offers. Promo codes cannot be combined. Choose the one you like best. For this order, I used SOPHISTICATE, which gives (Sophisticate listeners) 20% off a $30 purchase.

The box retails for $68, and it has a $195.45 value. That is way under the $265 Birchbox estimate. Where is Birchbox getting the $70 in missing value. I only have 3 guesses. My first guess is they are placing some value on the Allure coupon. While I do not like when companies do that, most seem to. It is also possible they are using the price to purchase a set of the sheet and hair masks sold in this box. Those masks only have 1 of each item, not the 5 (for the sheet mask) or 4 (for the hair mask) you get when you purchase a set. Overlooking a small discrepancy in box value is not a big deal, but Birchbox needs to fix this one ASAP. Even if they want to add the coupon into the box value, they cannot add much. Their discount is not even the best available. My personal value is $177.95, because I will keep everything other than the duplicate lipstick. This is a great deal for me, and I am extremely happy with the value (even though it is a lot less than advertised). Anyone with dry skin will probably want to try this box.

If you want to subscribe, remember to look at start-up offers. Look at discount offers and items available in the Bonus Shop when shopping the store. Remember to add your free two-piece sample pack when spending $35 from the Bonus Shop. Tips For Getting the Best Deal lays out all the ways I know to save money at Birchbox. See other Birchbox articles and Limited Edition Boxes. View my main page for the guide map to the site and deeper deal exploration.

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