Birchbox sends samples (and sometimes full-sizes) of new and exciting beauty products from top brands for $15/month. Birchbox is one of the original beauty subscription boxes and is a great way to discover new makeup, hair care, and skincare products without breaking the bank.
FYI: Starting in June 2020, in addition to the surprise sample box option, there will be two curated boxes offered in greater quantities than the previous curated options: The Clean Beauty Box and the Katia's Picks box. Get more deets here!
This is a review of the Katia's Picks box.
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About this Beauty Box
The Subscription Box: Birchbox
The Cost: $15.00 a month + free shipping. Save with longer subscriptions.
Check our Birchbox Coupon List to get the most up-to-date coupon!
The Products: Beauty and lifestyle samples selected by the Birchbox team.
Ships to: The US, France, Spain, and the UK.
Birchbox Review 'Katia's Picks' - September 2020
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As always, this month's Birchbox came with an info card that lists the products on the front, with a Birchbox Tip listed on the back.
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IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Makeup Primer+, 5 mL - Estimated Value $6.50 (Buy a full-size 30 mL for $39.00)
IT Cosmetics makes some really great products and this primer is no exception. Sure, I am wearing less makeup these days, but I find that I still apply primers even for low-key and light looks because so many primers now have benefits that extend beyond simply making your makeup look better, longer. For example, this formula contains salicylic acid which is great for reducing breakouts and refining pore size. This formula does have alcohol denat inside, which is kind of a hotly debated skincare ingredient, so if you are avoiding alcohol this might not be for you. Normally I avoid it myself, but I didn't notice any negatives with this product for me, even with my dry skin!
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Sunday Riley Saturn Sulfur Spot Treatment Mask, 7 mL - Estimated Value $9.33 (Buy a full-size 15 mL for $20.00)
So, sometimes the products from Sunday Riley have scents that people don't like. This is the first one I have tried where I find the scent prohibitive for my own use! This mask is a sulfur mask and it does indeed smell like sulfur. Which just isn't a scent I can handle on my face! It brings back memories of when I was spending time out West and my shower left me smelling like sulfur at all times from the water. I tried this out on a single spot on my face because I couldn't apply it all over. It did seem to help that blemish shrink, but this is the one Sunday Riley product I will be avoiding in the future.
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Pūrlisse MATCHA GREEN TEA Antioxidant Sheet Mask - Estimated Value $6.00 (Buy a set of 6 masks for $36.00)
On to something that smelled nice! This mask has a very clean and green scent and fits my face beautifully. It was filled with tea extracts and antioxidants and left my dull face with a nice hydrated feel, and some added brightness. The serum was plentiful and I enjoyed massaging the excess down my neck.
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Too Cool For School Rules of Mastic IX Enhancer, 7 g - Estimated Value $0.79 (Buy a full-size 80 g for $8.99)
I really liked this cream and for the price, it's pretty incredible! Inside this tube is a whipped white balm that has so many delights inside: niacinamide, centella, ceramides, and some delightfully fatty oils. Though I thought this might feel super heavy on my face, that whipped sort of texture makes it feel a lot lighter than you would think, and on my parched face, it absorbed pretty much instantly, leaving behind velvety smooth skin. This is exactly the sort of thing I would reach for in the winter as a day cream. The info on the card included this month also mentions you can use it AFTER a moisturizer, which sounds exactly like something I might try this winter when my face is totally chapped from the cold.
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NatureLab TOKYO Perfect Shine Clarifying Scalp Scrub, 1 oz – Retail Value $1.98 (Buy a full-size 8.1 oz for $16.00)
Naturelab TOKYO is my favorite affordable haircare line right now. Everything I have tried from this brand smells great and leaves my hair feeling awesome! I have a slightly contentious relationship with salt scrubs, which is more a result of how thick my hair is. It takes A LOT of salt scrub to get down into my scalp and it is often kind of frustrating. I would have needed a tub twice this size to really do a great job on my head, but I tried to focus more on my hairline with this sample which worked really well! I get dry and flaky there year-round and this gentle salt scrub buffed away some of that dry skin with ease. It also smells amazing!
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ARROW Color Enhancing Lip Balm in 'Berry', o.14 oz – Full Size! Retail Value $15.00
My last item was a very pretty tinted balm from Birchbox brand ARROW. This berry shade is super pretty and the formula here is great! It glides on smoothly, adds a natural flush of color, and has a minty fresh finish. This is totally the sort of effortless lip beauty I wear often these days, even if I am just staying home. It makes me feel just a little extra pretty to have a hint of color on an otherwise bare face, and since my lifestyle is 90% loungewear these days, I will take any little hint of "trying" I can get.
Plummy!
Verdict: This Birchbox had a value of around $39.60 which isn't too wild for a $15 box. Though I keep waiting for the day where that value is higher, I actually really loved this box. The assortment here was full of great brands and awesome products. Aside from the Sunday Riley mask (which did help my zit, I must say), this box was totally delightful!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, but hurry! October is close.
Check our Birchbox Coupon List to get the most up-to-date coupon!
Value Breakdown: At $15.00 for this box, here is the approximate cost breakdown per item:
- IT Cosmetics Primer $2.46
- Sunday Riley Mask $3.53
- Pürlisse Sheet Mask $2.27
- Too Cool for School Cream $0.30
- Naturelab TOKYO Scrub $0.75
- ARROW Balm $5.68
Alternatively, each of the 6 items has an average cost of $2.50
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What did you receive in your September Birchbox?
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