Birchbox September 2014 Box

About the Brand

Birchbox is one of the original beauty sampling subscription boxes, and I think it will always be one of my favorites. Sometimes the samples are smaller than I would like, but I’ve discovered a ton of my favorite beauty brands thanks to Birchbox, and they have one of the best reward systems. (For every item in your box you review, you get 10 points ($1) to spend in the Birchbox shop).

Subscribe to Birchbox here

This month, I received 5 deluxe samples and 2 smaller one-time use samples. Here is a small breakdown of first opinions, and I will be doing longer reviews next week.

The first item in my September box is the Acure Organics Day Cream Gotu Kola Stem Cell + 1% CGF. It is a good size sample for a face cream, and is Vegan, sulfate, cruelty, paraben, PEG, petroleum, phthalate, silicone, and gluten free and is 100% biodegradable. All this info on the packaging is super promising, so I can't wait to try it! The one thing I notice, is that there is no sun protection which is unusual for a anti aging day cream, but I will just have to remember to add some sunblock on top, or a BB cream!

THe second item is Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensée Cologne Absolue. Again with the fragrance!!! As I said last month, I am not a fragrance person, and indicated such on my Birchbox profile, and I have now received fragrances in 2 out of 2 boxes since I started my subscription! The last one did not go over very well...it was a bit strong, and not my taste. This one has a nice, delicate vanilla scent, which reminds my of my grandmother who always smells of vanilla hand cream. Also, the company is known for their quality. So, maybe it will turn out better. Check back next week to see how I feel after whirring it for a whole day :)

Next up, Davines OI / Conditioner. I have thick, slightly wavy, slightly frizzy, oily/greasy hair, so I try to avoid conditioner at all costs. But, I will pretty much give anything a try, so I'm game to try this this weekend. I must say that I am surprised by the size of the sample...2.53 fl.oz. That is literally bigger than many of the products I buy! So, I hope I like it!

Now for the 2 bonus samples: Davines OI / Shampoo and Davines OI / Oil Absolute Beautifying Potion. These are 1 time use sachets, although the shampoo sachet is quite robust. Keep your eyes peeled for full reviews.

Then came the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish™ Hot Cloth Cleanser Starter Kit! I love this! I went to the Birchbox store in Soho (I live in Manhattan) before I received my first box, and bought one of the make your own Birchboxes. One of the options, which I had heard so much about was this product, and I immediately went home and used it, and loved it. I don't use it everyday because I like the Origins cleanser I have and my Calrosonic, and this is really its own system, but every once and a while, when I'm in the mood for a beauty day....this is my go-to.

Last is the Pixi by Petra Breath of Fresh Air Lip Balm in Ripe Raspberry. I am obsessed with this color! It is a nice deep pink and I can't wait to try it on.

So, I will def. use most of these products...I call it a win! Let me know what you think of my box and what you think of your box (if you subscribe) in the comments.

- M