By Kimberly

My January 2020 Birchbox review is ready. Birchbox is a long-time leader in beauty box subscriptions, because it sends a variety of products to sample. All boxes contain a mixture of skincare, makeup, haircare, and more. At times, they also feature fragrance, body care, accessories, and even beauty tools. Because Birchbox carries products from low to high-end, we also get a mixture of affordable products we can try guilt free and expensive products we can indulge in. The best part is finding things I love (so I can purchase them) and things I hate (that I did not have to purchase at full price to try with my own money first).

Birchbox Frequently Asked Questions

Are There Any Promo or Coupon Codes For joining the Birchbox Subscription?

Yes, Birchbox always has one. You can find the most recent one available at this link. If you happen upon this article shortly after its published, you can also choose one of the ones I’ve featured below if you’d like.

How Much Does the Birchbox Subscription Cost?

• ACES pay $10 a month. *Grandfathered or not!
• Grandfathered members with annual plans pay $12 a month. *Annual plans are still paid monthly at Birchbox.
• Grandfathered members with 6-month plans pay $12.50 a month. *6-month plans are still paid monthly at Birchbox.
• Grandfathered monthly and 3-month members pay $13 a month. *3-month plans are still paid monthly at Birchbox.
• Annual members pay $13 a month.
• 6-month members pay $14 a month.
• Monthly and 3-month members pay $15 a month.

*Grandfathered (a member before 03/24/19).

When Do I Get Charged For Birchbox Subscription?

The $10-$15 charge processes immediately for new subscribers and on the 1st for succeeding months.

When Do the Boxes Ship For Birchbox Subscription?

Birchbox ships from the 8th through the 12th.

Do I Get Rewards Points For the Birchbox Subscription?

There is not a rewards program other than getting 10 points each for reviewing the first five products on your account. Once you’ve done that, you cannot get any more rewards points from your subscription without referring new members into the program. On that note, feel free to use mine if you would like to join.

Can I See What I Got In a past Birchbox Subscription Box?

This is helpful if you liked something but cannot remember what it was. You can view contents on one box at a time accessing the links through your Birchbox Box History.

Can I See What I am Getting in My Next Birchbox Subscription Box?

I find that the items will get listed in the Birchbox Box History around the 10th. Some people call or search the Internet for spoilers before that. Others are even lucky enough to get their boxes before that. By the 11th, everyone who wants to know generally can.

How Can I Get Better Birchboxes?

If other people are getting boxes that you want, it might be time to tweak your Birchbox Profile if you aren’t ready to throw in the towel.

How Do I Update My Birchbox Profile?

Make sure you update your Birchbox Profile, because it does a pretty good job of sending products based on the beauty preferences you’ve selected. Of every subscription I’ve had, I think Birchbox nails this better than any other. Despite people claiming it repeats, it really doesn’t (unless people choose to get repeats in sample selection, curated boxes, or change their email addresses). Seriously, this profile thing works!

When Do I get to Make my Birchbox Sample Choice?

Birchbox Sample Choice happens at the end of every month for the following month. The date changes each month. You will get three emails from Birchbox. One is your email showing what the options will be for the upcoming month. In this email, it will also tell you what date you can make you selections. A second email will arrive on the date you’re allowed to make your selection. ACES get to make selections one day ahead of other subscribers. The last email is a confirmation that your sample choice is confirmed. If you do not receive all three of these emails, remember to login to your account at the end of the month and manually make your selection. You do not need the email to do this. An option to choose should be right at the top of your Birchbox Box History.

Which is Better Play! by Sephora or Birchbox?

This article covers my Birchbox January 2020 Box Review, but you can see a synopsis of a year of Play! by Sephora Box reviews vs a year of Birchbox reviews. Every year, I review my $10 boxes against each other, so I can declare the annual winner. This is also helpful for those who would like to see a year of reviews for either box in one place. Birchbox did raise its prices for select members, but it is still $10 for me. I did consider the raised prices in the 2019 review.

January 2020 Birchbox Theme

Birchbox makes a custom box design for each month. This month is covered in blue dots. It is back to the pull-out box, which it says is a treat. I much prefer the standard box. That one is much more sturdy. These break more easily.

The first thing you normally see when you open a Birchbox is a product card.

The back of the card goes over the theme, which is Birchbox Tips.

Contents are loose inside the box with a single piece of black foam at the bottom and a single sheet of tissue paper encircling the items. The tissue helped keep the items in place, so everything arrived intact.

January 2020 Birchbox Sample Choices

Option 1: There were four curated boxes to choose from.

Spotlight on Oribe

Oribe Signature Shampoo, Oribe Signature Conditioner, Oribe Straight Away Smoothing Blowout Cream, Oribe Supershine Moisturizing Cream, Oribe Grandiose Hair Plumping Mousse, Oribe Après Beach Wave and Shine Spray, and Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray

You-Time

Popmask Starry Eyes Warming Eye Mask, Pai Chamomile & Rosehip Calming Day Cream, thisworks® deep sleep™ pillow spray, JUARA Coconut Illipe Hand & Nail Balm, Acure Seriously Soothing Biocellulose Mask, and Hush & Hush MindYourMind Dietary Supplement

Out-of-the-Blue

R+Co HIGH DIVE Moisture + Shine Crème, Marcelle Micellar Water – Normal Skin, (MALIN+GOETZ) revitalizing eye gel, Beautaniq Beauty Butter Lip & Cheek Balm, Comptoir Sud Pacifique Vanille Abricot Eau de Toilette, and too cool for school All-in-One Egg Mellow Cream 5-in-1 Firming Moisturizer (not pictured).

Routine Boosters

Acure Seriously Soothing Under Eye Hydrogels, TLW Let’s Get Naked Frizz Fighter, Lipstick Queen Shade Shifter Old Flame, Grande Cosmetics GrandePRIMER, and Daily Concepts Multi-Functional Mother of Pearl Soap Sponge

Option 2: Swap For a Full-Size Lipstick

ColourPop Got Me Beaming Highlighter Palette

Option 3: Select a Sample

TLW Let’s get naked, Marcelle Xtension Plus Curl Mascara, or Touch In Sol Pretty Filter Glassy Skin Balm

Option 4: Swap For Points

Turn your Monthly sub money into points to redeem in the shop. Points expire, so make sure you will make a purchase soon if you pick this option.

Option 5: Do Nothing

This is best for those who want a surprise.

For the first time since same choice was introduced, I inadvertently went with option 5. I do not even know what happened. With the holidays and everything I had going on, I completely spaced it. Based on the box I received, I will try harder not to let it happen again.

My January 2020 Birchbox Subscription Review

This box includes: one lip product, one haircare product, one skincare product, and two makeup products.

The 0.1oz Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips is worth $2.90. I have received this sample before, but I have not tried it. Until I do, I cannot say whether I will keep this duplicate. It has a lot of great uses, and I can always use more balm. This may just stay with me.

The 1oz Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle is worth $2.94. I love this detangler, and I select it whenever I can. It surprised me to see it because I’ve received it before. Hopefully, this does not mean Birchbox is going to start repeating samples. This is a good repeat. That is not the case with others.

The 0.15oz Marcelle Xtension Plus Curl Mascara is worth $8.04. This might be a fabulous mascara. I just have so many and ones from awesome brands waiting to get tried that I am not going to open an off brand one. They expire so quickly that I do not see the point in having too many open at once. It makes more sense to give them to someone who can use it. On the other hand, I am a reviewer. Maybe I should start trying more of these. We’ll see.

The 0.17oz Pai Chamomile & Rosehip Calming Day Cream is worth $6. I am guessing on the size, because there is not one printed on the sample. It is a sensitive skin moisturizer that claims to calm redness as it repairs and regenerates damaged skin. This specially formulated moisturizer soothes and hydrates. If this works, my skin will love it.

The full-size 0.14oz Beautaniq Beauty Butter Lip & Cheek Balm Cocoa Rose retails for $16. This is a lip and cheek balm. It claims to give a natural, dewy flush of color. The cream formula is made with 90% natural plant-based oils to hydrate skin.

I definitely like the shade and though I can see this working on the lips and even the cheeks, I feel it will be too emollient for the eyes (a third way the manufacturer suggests).

Was My January 2020 Birchbox Worth It?

The January 2020 Birchbox has a $35.88 value. That brings the value for the average box in 2020 to $35.88. My personal value is at least $22. It could be as high as $35.88 if I keep all the repeats and try the new mascara. So, why am I disappointed even though I doubled what I spent even on the low end? I really wanted that Colourpop palette. Had I remembered to customize, I might have gotten it. Even if it sold out before I had a chance to select it, I would have loved the Routine Boosters Curated Box. It was worth it. However, I would like to see Birchbox return to six product boxes. No more of this five nonsense. Yes, this has a full-size product, but Birchbox was sending six even in boxes with full-sizes mid year in 2019. I feel like it started regressing toward the end.

What are your thoughts on my January 2020 Birchbox review? Do you think it is better than past boxes so far? Let me know below. If you know anyone who could benefit from this information, please use the sharing tools below to help them see this on various forms of social media or private email. Thanks for reading and sharing. If your purchase is over $25 (longer subscriptions or purchasing something from the shop with the subscription), you can pick a free item from the bonus shop if you do not use a subscription start-up offer or discount code, which I cover on my Birchbox Deals Page. Some discount codes on that page will not work on subscriptions, but I will post any that work on my Birchbox Subscription Deals Page. You can always add a free two piece sample pack when spending $35, because it combines with any promo code. Tips For Getting the Best Deal lays out all the ways I know to save money at Birchbox. Product reviews do not always make it into the haul article, but you can always type the product into the search bar to see if I’ve mentioned it or reviewed it elsewhere. Subscribe to the blog to get updates on all posts. View my main page for the guide map to the site and deeper deal exploration.

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