November Birchbox Review: Why I've Decided to Try Another Beauty Box
As you all know, I love subscription boxes. I love the ease with which I can try new things. I love that I don't have to leave the house with 2 kids in tow to do it. I love that I don't even have to think about what to get, because the beauty (no pun intended!) of a subscription box is that it's all chosen for me. I first got hooked on subscription boxes back in 2015 when I signed up for Birchbox, and I've loved the concept ever since!
How does Birchbox work? You go to their website, fill out a beauty profile, and they send you the goods! Boxes are sent once a month, between the 1st and 10th, and you can cancel at any time if it's not for you. You choose from 3 options every month: The curated box, which you will know exactly what is in it before selecting; the sample choice box, in which you will select one item ahead of time from a specific list of options and the other 4 items will be chosen for you based on your profile; and the complete surprise box, in which all 5 items will be chosen based on your profile. Once your box is sent, you'll get a tracking number so you can stalk it while you are anxiously awaiting your goodies, which is totally what I do. You'll get an email with what's in your box prior to it's arrival which you can choose to look at before it gets there, or just wait for the surprise. I'll be honest, a lot of times I peek!
If you want to check out my previous Birchbox reviews, you can find them here:
Before we get to why I've decided to part ways with Birchbox, I want to make sure I review this month's box!
The theme for Birchbox's November box was "Ready for Kickoff," meaning boxes were curated to give subscribers items to help us get prepped for the holiday party season. Which, these items I suppose could be considered to do that, but honestly I was a bit disappointed in the selection. I was thinking maybe something with a bit more pop! would be coming, but oh well. Like I said, the options weren't bad, but they were just so...blah I guess. Same kind of stuff I always get.
*amika Touchable Hairspray - 10 oz (Full Size $24): I LOVE amika products. The first one I ever tried was a conditioning hair mask (aka, really thick conditioner) and I also love their dry shampoo. These amika products have the best smell! So I was pretty happy to get this in my box this month. I'll be honest, I don't use much hairspray - pretty much only for special occasions, so this definitely won't be an every day product for me. I guess it works out that I got it as a sample though, since it would take me forever to get through a full bottle.
*Lord & Berry Magic Brow Pencil (Full Size $22):
I have super thin eyebrows, so a good brow pencil is a great option for me. But I JUST got one last month. Granted, it is almost out, but I'd rather try a new type of product all together than get a different brand of something I just got in my box last month. And I'll be honest, I don't love the color on this one much. I'll use it, because I have it, but it wouldn't be my first choice. It's marbled, which is supposed to give it a more natural tint on brows, but it's actually a bit more red than I'd like. And I have red undertones in my hair. It just doesn't look natural to me. If it doesn't look natural to me and I have red undertones, I can't imagine what it would look like on a more true brunette. I'll probably use it in conjunction with another brow pencil, just to make the other last longer. Overall, this was a miss for me.
*Marcelle Hydra-C Eye Contour Gel-Cream (Full Size $27.00):
I'm 34 years old, and have 2 kids under 2. Obviously I'm not getting a ton of sleep and am on the go a lot, so I really like a great eye cream. Marcelle is an excellent brand and I've been very happy with everything I've gotten in my Birchboxes from them, and this is no exception. Some people may say the sample size is small, but people, it's an eye cream! It's not meant to be slathered on. Totally a product where "a little dab'll do ya." I wouldn't buy the full size of this one just because of the price, but I've been using it for the past few days and like what it's done so far, so I'm pretty happy with this one! The only drawback: I seem to keep getting eye creams and serums in my Birchboxes, so it's not like this is a totally new product for me.
*Stila Cosmetics HUGE™ Extreme Lash Mascara (Full Size $23.00):
This was my sample choice this month because I was running low on mascara. Not super impressed. I like wands that separate the lashes, but this mascara wands doesn't really do that, and it makes the mascara go on kind of clumpy. I like the mascara itself - it definitely makes my lashes look longer, I just don't like the wand. I actually apply it with the wand it came with, but then take the wand from my old mascara and run it through my lases to de-clump everything. The sample size however, is pretty good. Definitely will last me a while! This one I would consider a wash I guess. I don't hate it, but I just don't love it like I've loved a lot of the other mascaras I've gotten in previous boxes.
*too cool for school All-in-One Egg Mellow Cream 5-in-1 Firming Moisturizer (Full Size $36.00):
This one is not bad! I like the smell, and it's great to put on at night after washing my face and in the morning before I put on my makeup. It goes on smooth, not oily, but as I apply it, I can almost feel it firming up, which is different from other moisturizers I've tried. It can also double as a serum and eye cream, and it's infused with collagen so it's great for my skin that's not getting any younger! Overall, I'm happy with this sample, but again, I've gotten an eye cream or serum in my last few boxes, so not a not of variety in what they are sending me. I'll keep using it though, because I like having a good moisturizer coming into the cold and dry winter months here in Michigan.
So, you've kind of read part of why I'm not in love with Birchbox like I used to be, but there are a few other factors that have made me decide to switch beauty boxes next month. (For anyone who is curious, I'll be trying out the ipsy Glam Bag - it's the same price and same concept as Birchbox, so I'll be curious to see what they send!) At the end of the day, I thought about it and these are the 3 main reasons I've decided to try something new and cancel - or at least suspend - my Birchbox subscription:
1. Birchbox has a new shipping process, and I really don't like it. I used to get my box no later than the 10th of the month. When I got the email that my box was on the way, it really was on the way. Now, when I get the email that my box has been shipped and I check the tracking number, it's usually in the status that the shipping information has been sent to the Postal Service. Meaning it's stuck somewhere. For about a week. By the time the box actually ships, it gets to me pretty quickly, but I feel like the new shipping process is very misleading. This month I got my box on the 14th or 15th. Last month I got my box closer to the 20th. Overall, just not a great customer experience where shipping is concerned, especially for subscribers who know what it used to be like.
2. When I first signed up for Birchbox, they had a pretty sweet loyalty program. For every $1 you spent in their shop, you earned a point. Also, for every product you reviewed, you could earn 5 points to use in the shop. Every 10 points = $1.00 to spend, so after a few months, you could rack up a decent amount of credit to put towards a full size item. After a while, they did away with the review part of the loyalty program. You can still earn points on items you purchase, you just can't earn them on the reviews. Which isn't a deal breaker for me personally, but it was a huge selling point.
3. Probably the biggest reason I'm leaving Birchbox to try a new beauty box is because I don't feel like they really are customizing things that well any more, as you can kind of infer from this month's review. Two months ago I got a hair oil, which I loved. But I got ANOTHER hair oil again last month. Last month I got a brow liner, which again, I love. But then I got another one this month. I think I've also gotten an eye serum or cream in my last 3 boxes. Now, I know it's supposed to be tailored to my beauty profile, but come on Birchbox. I know you have thousands of different products (I know because I've bought things from the shop several times), why can't you send me different types of products? I just feel like their box customization isn't what it used to be.
Do you subscribe to any beauty boxes? If so, which one? I'd love to hear your thoughts! Stay tuned for my ipsy Glam Bag Review next month!