Birchbox Review: February 2013 Welcome Box

What do I buy with my Birchbox points? More Birchboxes of course, and I just got myself another 3-month gift subscription. Just like my regular box, this one also included a little Ghirardelli square as a bonus.

Note: I’m hosting a giveaway for a chance to win a “Try Me Kit” of your choice from Bona Clara cosmetics. Click here and scroll all the way down to enter.
About Birchbox: 
Birchbox is a subscription service that delivers a box of luxury samples to your doorstep every month. Each box is customized to match your beauty profile to ensure you get the samples you want, you will usually get 4-5 samples and sometimes even full-sized products! The samples vary from make-up and skincare, to food and beauty accessories, and each box is carefully hand-wrapped. At $10/month Birchbox is one of the cheapest monthly beauty subscriptions out there, the value of each box usually ranges from at least $15 and can be as high as $60. They also have a nice rewards program, where for each product survey you complete you get 10 points, every 100 points earns you $10 in Birchbox credits which you can redeem in their online store for full-sized products. 
If you would like to use my referral link then click here to join Birchbox. Thank you!


Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle Spray 
Very impressed with this leave-in conditioner! I typically wait to brush my hair until after it’s dry to make sure I don’t damage it, but I wanted to try out this spray and used a little bit on my soaking wet hair right after showering. The effect was immediate – my hair seemed to be instantly detangled and the comb went right through 🙂


theBalm cosmetics Hot Mama Shadow & Blush All-in-One 
I already own a full-size of this blush but it was nice to get a spare to put into my little cosmetic bag that I carry around in my purse. A lot of people compare the color to Nars blush in Orgasm, but in my opinion they aren’t exactly dupes of each other. Orgasm is more rosy, and Hot Mama is more of an orangey’ish shade. 


Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator
I received this sample in one of my past Birchboxes and really liked it, just not enough to buy the full size. It’s very gentle but pretty powerful, and I also appreciated the fact that it was unscented. The effect is very similar to a gentle microdermabrasion and the texture reminds me of Hydroxatone Microderbamrasion cream that I got to try several months ago.

Juicy Couture Couture La La
Just like the rest of JC perfumes, this one smelled fruity, citrusy and youthful. I already have a lot of full-sized perfume bottles that I use regularly so this sample will be given away to someone in my family who likes it.


Ghirardelli Milk & Caramel Squares 
I buy Ghirardelli caramel squares all the time, so although this was a delightful sample it wasn’t exactly exciting or new, but it was still nice to receive.

• The best: Beauty Protector spray was my favorite sample in this box. I will use it a few more times to make sure my first positive experience wasn’t a fluke and maybe buy a full size if all goes well.
• The worst: Not really the worst, but if I had to name something it would be the JC Couture La La perfume sample which I wasn’t going to use.

The verdict: My Welcome box was better than my regular box, which makes me quite happy. I was glad to be introduced to Beauty Protector spray and to receive a pocket-sized Hot Mama for my cosmetic bag.

Are you a Birchbox subscriber? What do you think of this month’s box?

Disclosure: I purchased this.