Birchbox

Kelsey Duffy
Feb 28, 1:34 PM
I’ve completely fallen in love with Birchbox! They are so awesome and have the best samples. The day my box comes in the mail is the most exciting day. I’m so thankful for the birchbox team; they make finding the perfect products a million times easier. I recommend then to all my friends-​female AND male.

This company has the best customer service ever not to mention great promotions and amazing products. I am a monthly subscriber and I have discovered wonderful products thru the monthly boxes.
I purchased an expensive perfume, after receiving a sample in one of the boxes, but when I received it the bottle was leaking. I send an email about it and less than 12 hours later I got a replacement on the mail, and a shipping label to return the bottle for free.
Then I realized I tossed the top of the bottle in the trash by mistake so I contacted the company via chat and they pretty much told me «no problem» and that I was probably not going to be able to ship it because its considered hazardous material (since it was leaking).
This is the best customer service experience I had ever. I will be a client for life!
I have a subscription and I am giving my friends a subscription for birthdays, christmas, etc.
It’s money well spent and quality products I can actually purchase on their website.

LOVE Birchbox. They have the best customer service team a company could have. So helpful and sweet. Even when I am not thrilled with all of the samples I receive I stay with the company because the people they have working for them are amazing!

I just got my first box today and my five little samples — much like my IPSY but not as customized. I have my daughter-​in-​law getting both IPSY and Birchbox along with me each month so we can compare. Our Ipsy samples are totally customized to us and what appeals most — birchbox is supposed to be like that but we got the exact same thing so it cannot be filtered as well. It is 10.00 a month and I got some high end samples to try. I know some ladies get free samples at the make-​up counter — I have never been one of the lucky ones and the sales ladies are not just willing to hand them over and the few times I have asked they act like they don’t have anything even perfume – so I am in the boat of paying for samples also it introduces me to products that I may have seen in the pages of Glamour or Cosmo or have not even heard of before. Currently I am enjoying getting fun little gifts in the mail every month. I think it may get old after awhile and the good news is you can cancel at anytime! They often send you «deals» and «offers» to upgrade your box and they have them for men too.

I have loved me some
since my first subscription box, but they have gone above and beyond with there customer service!!! I recently ordered 2 bottle of a new favorite perfume of mine, that I found on Birchbox.
Upon opening the second bottle, I removed it from the packaging & it was empty! I was so sad.
I emailed them, not expecting anything but just because I guess & not only did they send me a replacent bottle they also added extra Birchbox points to my account!!!
***AMAZING PEOPLE & COMPANY. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!***

Okay, secret tip– look out for promo codes. This adds a star, for sure. If you get a monthly subscription, there are almost always 100 point promo codes to use, which equals $ 10 to use in the shop. and since the subscription is $ 10, you’re literally getting it for free.
Right now, use any of the following promo codes when you sign up for a month to month subscription for 100 extra points:
BBKIWI100
BBJETBLUE100
BBSTORE100
BBPLUS100
Since becoming addicted to Birchbox, I’ve nearly stopped shopping at Sephora and Ulta. Most products that these stores have, birchbox has in their online store as well– and the points perks make it worth purchasing. Birchbox stocks prestige brands like benefit and smash box, and they almost always have a 20% off promo code lurking around somewhere. Free shipping most of the time, as well. Make sure to add a free mystery sample pack with a purchase of $ 35 or more!
Let me break it down a little further: Birchbox is a monthly subscription service, which costs $ 10 a month for a box of 5 sample sized (and sometimes full sized) hair, nail, skin, makeup, and body products. The online shop allows you to purchase full sized products, and you do not have to subscribe to the monthly box in order to purchase products in their online store. If a subscription box isn’t your thing, but you’re interested in stocking up on hair or makeup products, search the web for promo codes and enjoy a better deal than Ulta or Sephora could have ever offered. Happy shopping!
If you’d like to subscribe, you can skip the wait by subscribing here:
. Don’t forget to use one of the promo codes above!

I am a huge Birchbox fan.
In my mailbox each month is a cute pink&white package filled with 5 beauty goodies.
$ 10/​month or $ 110/​year both includes free shipping.
BB is a subscription service gear towards skincare/​lifestyle. A little bit of everything.
Sampling various high-​end products in the comfort of my home. I skip the LA traffic, where to park, and sales associate persuading me to purchase $ 125 beauty stuff so I can get a complimentary tote bag.
BB customer service via email is amazing. Live person will respond to you within 2 days or sooner. Should you come across an issue, not only will they make it right, but BB will throw in an extra something for the trouble.
You can accumulate points, and redeem them towards your favorite full size product. Your quick sample reviews turn to $ 5 in points each month. I am a yearly subscriber $ 110/​year. In other words, my box costs me $ 4.17/month.
BB is the way to go if you…
— prefer high quality over low end quantity
— too busy or live far to shop at the beauty stores
— wasted money on full size products that did not work out
Below I listed items from each category that I received this last 12 months in my Birchbox. I have A LOT more, but will list 2 of my absolute fave. This was hard to narrow down.
F A C E M A K E U P
ModelCo Bronzer
Chella Highlighter Pencil
E Y E S
Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner in Mansha (plum)
100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara (black)
L I P S
LAQA & Co. Sheer Lip Lube Pencil in Bees Knees (coral)
Cynthia Rowley Beauty Creamy Lip Stain in Valentine (red)
S K I N C A R E
The Aloe Source Vitamin C Antioxidant Crème
StriVectin-​AR™ Advanced Retinol Eye Treatment
Paula’s Choice RESIST C15 Super Booster
DDF® Wrinkle Resist Plus Pore Minimizer Moisturizing Serum
P E R F U M E
(So far only TWO perfume samples ever received. Awesome!!)
Catherine Malandrino Style de Paris
Harvey Prince Cherie Blossom
H A I R
Neil George Shampoo and Conditioner
Phyto Phytolisse Ultra-​Glossing Finishing Serum
Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle
B O D Y
Whish Shave Crave Shaving Cream
Antica Farmacista Bath & Shower Wash
C L E A N S E R
Avèné Extremely Gentle Cleanser Lotion
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish™ Hot Cloth Cleanser Starter Kit
L O T I O N
Caldrea Body Lotion
Whish Three Whishes Body Butter
L I F E S T Y L E
Greenleaf Candle in First Blush (smells so good without lighting it)
Fatty Sundays Gourmet Chocolate Covered Pretzels
ShowStoppers® Designer Fashion Tape in Black
Jasmine Seven™ Wipes
N A I L P O L I S H
Color Club Gala’s Gems in Breakfast At … (color is exactly like Tiffany’s & Co)
Ruffian Nail Lacquer in Hedge Fund (shimmering green/​gold)

I’ve been subscribed to Birchbox for a year and a half and love this service! The ability to sample things before you buy them is awesome (haven’t we all spent too much money on some hair/​beauty product only to have it be less than awesome?). I’ve seen a number of complaints about sample sizing on social media posts but I’ve generally been very happy with the sizes and items I’ve received. If you go to your account settings and edit your profile, you can make changes to things you’d like to receive, your skin/​hair type, etc. I’ve never received a box I thought was bad — I generally love (and will purchase) at least 3 – 4 of the 5 samples I receive every month. If you don’t get things you love, I’d recommend updating your profile as step 1.
In addition to the monthly samples, you get 10 points on their website for reviewing what you sample every month. 100 points is equal to $ 10 off on full-​size purchases so in two months you would probably get $ 10 worth of points! It’s amazing! I just purchased $ 66 worth of products and only spent $ 26 because of all my accumulated points. And you get points on your full-​sized purchases as well (1 point per dollar, I believe). They also have great limited-​edition boxes you can purchase and generally always have special deals running in their bonus shop. I love the mystery sample pack you can add on to any $ 35+ order for free!
Last, I want to comment on their customer service, which is phenomenal! I’ve only ever had a real issue once (my order was switched with another person’s) but they resolved it incredibly quickly and sent me the correct products right away. They’re also very helpful when you’re looking for recommendations (I just asked them about products for wavy hair and received a ton of recommendations). They have always been friendly and very helpful the few times I needed it. And while they have had some issues when rolling out new features (Sample Choice wasn’t working for some people, though I didn’t have an issue), they seem very quick to make things right and keep everyone happy. I can’t recommend them enough!

I’ve been subscribed to Birchbox off-​and-​on since 2012. For my lifestyle, Birchbox works well. Ten bucks a month and I get 5 to 7 premium samples delivered to my mailbox, and when I review the samples, I earn points towards dollars to use to buy full size items in the Birchbox store.
I travel a lot, so I love having a stash of samples to throw in my carry on to take with me, and if I particularly love a product, I use my points combined with a promo email code and end up scoring a huge discount on a full size product. I’ve found some great products through Birchbox (L’hiver no. 4 and Supergoop) that I never would have tried and liked if not for the Birchbox service.
Yes, some months the boxes aren’t very good, so for that I deduct a star. However, there have been several months where almost my entire box has been full of great, useful products.

Seems like a cute, fun idea. However, it’s a complete waste of money because you’re only receiving samples. Their packaging is nice, but waste as well. Do I recommend them? Unless you like to waste money, I don’t.
If samples are what you’re looking for, then get them for free.
Silly idea.

A friend of mine liked this a lot. I tried it for three months and all I got was a bunch of useless junk. Tea bags, stinky oil, etc. Canceled. waste of money.

Gosh I can’t believe people are such whiners. I don’t like tea either but every box is always worth at least $ 10 even if you get 1 – 2 tea packets. I’ve been getting monthly Birchboxes since November and there has only been one that I’ve been truly disappointed with where I disliked everything besides 1 thing.
I love being able to try out new products without having to commit to a full sized container and a full sized price. I look forward to my Birchbox every month and they have a really awesome points program. You get 10 points for every review you write on your monthly box items, there are 5 – 6 items in each box. You also get 1 point for every dollar you spend on purchases outside of the monthly boxes and lots of times they give you extra points if they’ve made a mistake or something. I’ve been given 100 points multiple times for small mistakes on their part. I’ve probably saved $ 100 now with their points program.
They also have amazing customer service. Once my box said it was delivered on the tracking info but it wasn’t in my mailbox like usual and they sent me a whole new one even though the first one came back to me eventually-​it was delivered to the wrong address.
Birchbox is an awesome company and is great if you want to try new beauty products and find new things that you’ll love. You might get some tea, but your box will be worth $ 10 even with 2 packets of tea.

NEWP! just cancelled my subscription. I know it’s only $ 10, but it is a *waste* of $ 10.
First — I signed up recently. Just got my first box. They never taped it closed. That’s right, they sent me an OPEN box. Well done.
Second– 2 of the 5 items I was sent were tea bags. wtf? I filled out my profile to indicate I wanted no food samples. Apparently that meant nothing to them. I mean seriously, what a waste, who wants food samples in the mail? I’ve seen some unboxings on youtube and the food samples they send are usually crap you can pick up in your grocery store on the cheap. Anyway, what did they send me? Food samples! *Two* tea samples that I have no interest in trying and already threw out. I don’t trust most tea — there’s a big pesticide problem. Thanks for wasting my money on pesticide tea, Birchbox.
I called them up and asked why I got 2 tea samples and lodged a complaint. I explained that I filled out their survey and indicated I wanted no food, no snacks etc. I was told that they cannot guarantee I won’t receive anything I have indicated I don’t want… Then why the hell do you have the survey in the first place??? The only reason I was okay with trying this box was because of the survey where I could indicate the things I don’t want them wasting my money on. But they’re going to waste your money on those things anyway.
Nope, done, cancelled. «We understand Birchbox isn’t for everyone.» Was their reply. Yeah, I’m not sure it’s for *anyone*.

Really underwhelmed with Birchbox. At my request, my little sis gave me a 3-​month subscription for Christmas. First box took ages to arrive. Samples were small, not premium.
The box was weighed down by a milk chocolate and toffee bar from Ghirardelli. Lame. If you wanted to impress me, try dark chocolate with orange peel from a boutique company. Instead, I got something my grandma would buy in an overstock store. Plus I wanted makeup and moisturizer — not chocolate.
Today I just received an email from Birchbox telling me I had one box left and that February would be my last one unless I renewed. Hold on, since when does 1+1=3? My sister bought three months, the first arrived in January, so how can February be the last box?
Verdict: You can get much better stuff by shopping at Sephora and taking advantage of their free samples and bonus points. With Birchbox, you’re paying cold hard cash for lower quality samples than the ones you can get with Sephora for free.
I feel bad I asked my sister to spend her money on this — and worse when she asks me how I like it. I’ve avoided the question for now — but at some point I’ll tell her so that she doesn’t sign-​up for the same disappointment.

I’ve been hoarding beauty products most of my life. Thus, Birchbox provides my monthly fix. But in true addict fashion, a small fix usually doesn’t satisfy the craving for more. more. more.
For the majority of 2012, Birchbox practically wowed me with awesome products, with a good handful of them full size — Laura Gellar bronzer, Stila eyeshadow, ModelCo lipgloss and more. But over time I feel like the quantity of said (awesome) full size items has gone down, making me question the integrity of my «dealer.»
I keep seeing Facebook teasers that show full size products that claim to be in other members boxes (Stila liquid lip as of late) but I haven’t gotten a quality full size makeup product in a hella long time. And the full size items that I have received have been poor color choices for my skin tone (brown/​nude lipstick), ColorCube nailpolish (crap quality), or flaky mascara. Sad panda.
However, I will dole out some love that the profile questions are getting super specific and it seems like the Birchbox gods are listening (very few perfume samples now, yay!). I also very much appreciate the opportunity to write reviews for points off my next purchase. Overall, I’ve sampled some really great products (from smaller/​lesser known brands) that have turned into daily/​weekly staples for me and that’s the point, right?!
At the end of the day, it’s my monthly treat. My monthly fix. And until I get really peeved with itty bitty samples of crap, I’ll probably stick with it for a while.

Before I get into the tiny cosmetics, perfumes and extras Birchbox sends me every month, let me disclose some pertinent info:
I live in Canada. Birchbox isn’t available in Canada. I have this sent to a friend in San Francisco who then mails it to me. This makes him a champ, and Birchbox in the handful of annoying companies that have not yet figured out how the border works. That, or they think Canadian women live in balaclavas due to sub zero temperatures, thus not being a good market for them.
Now onto the goods:
I have only been subscribing to Birchbox for a few months now. I have no major complaints, however, I originally thought the quantity of the products would be somewhere between sample and regular, and the majority are just sample. This being said, I love me some samples and $ 10 a month for (usually) one full product and four excellent samples is pretty good.
PEPPER POINTS for the profile adjustments you can make on their site. I went in and told them what I liked, didn’t like, how pale I was and that I had frizzy hair. This has made the products they send me quite personalized. Hair oil, coral lipstick and ivory Benefit concealer? Exactly my style! Merci, BB.

They sent some chocolate-​and-​potato-​chip thingy once. It was goooood.
Well, there you have it, friends. The highlight of my Birchbox experience.
My review echoes the sentiments found in most of the other three-​stars-​or-​less reviews. Too many crappy perfume samples. Too many eye creams. Not much of anything I couldn’t get for free from Sephora.
The nail polishes have been pretty decent; the hair products (sans the packet shampoo/​conditioner ones because come on… you could get those in the mail) and hair accessories have been a-​ok. But most of the color cosmetics (read as, say, a full-​size lip gloss) come in shades that I can’t imagine ANYONE of any skin tone legitimately purchasing. If you want me to buy xyz product, the sample is your chance to hook me. Don’t play me, bro! I don’t want your worst selling shade. Hook your girl UP!
In short, save your $ 10 a month. Once the novelty wore off, I found myself tossing more than I was saving. Sad face, Birchbox. Sad face.

Before I knew what Birchbox was, I’d heard these magical things about all the cool beauty products they send you every month when you subscribe, then I started subscribing to Birchbox and realized what Birchbox really is: Paying $ 10 for samples department stores will give you for free. LAME.
I wish I weren’t the very last person on Earth who found out about Birchbox so I could warn people about what it really is: A nice rectangular gift box with 5 (mostly) sample size items (like tiny sample tubes of perfume, or a Bic pen), only you pay $ 10 for it and every few months they stick a granola bar that’s the size of your thumbnail in there as a bonus.
I joined in mid 2012, so maybe that’s when it started to get lame, but I’d say that over the course of a little over a year I’ve really only used *maybe* a handful of items, and I can only think of two occasions where I really felt like I got my $ 10 worth, when they sent this full-​size black liquid eyeliner pen that I thought I liked, and almost bought on their website, till I realized that it only lasted for week before the black eyeliner was more of a grey and the wand was all dried out, and a mascara that I was really excited about until I realized that every time I wore it, people would tell me I had black sh*t under my eyes because it was flaking off all over.
Nonplussed, I am.
I’m canceling my Birchbox this month because I’d rather just watch $ 10 burn than realize after a year that I now look like I’m a professional sample mini perfume tube hoarder. I don’t know if I caught them right when their quality dropped off, but I stuck around for a year like a hopeful dummy and I’ve finally had enough. The most fun I’ve had with a Birchbox recently was trying to gauge how insulted I was going to feel after opening the box I’d just paid $ 10 for. The last few things I got excited about in the Birchbox ended up being horrible once I actually used them — Mascara that flakes all over my face and in my eyes, eyeliner that cracks and runs down my cheeks and makes me realize I’m developing crows feet. Not anymore. I’m off mailer-​boxes for a while now.
When you realize that the thing you like most about Birchbox is seeing the box in your mailbox, and the part that you like the least is opening it up every month and realizing you just forked over $ 10 to see what disappointment looks like.
I always see them post this great stuff and full-​size items to their Facebook page, but NONE of those items are ever in my box. I repeat: LAME.
I was going to give 3 generous stars because I’m sure the shipping costs them a pretty penny, and because those boxes are great for re-​gifting things in, but then I remembered the one weird single tanning cloth in a wet wipe packet that *maybe* would have been enough to test out on one arm and the crappy single-​serving packets of shampoo and condition that wouldn’t even amount to enough product to wash just my bangs, and I had to reconsider my generosity.

I’ve been a member for three months now. I don’t see what all the hype is. I haven’t received one full size product yet except for a nail file. Sometimes I all I receive are skimpy packets and three tea bags last month. Plus they charge your credit card weeks before your box even ships, then they send you an email that shows tracking which is never available and say it could take up to another 10 days to receive your box of skimpy samples. This month there are supposed to be 2 full size products so I’ll wait and see what arrives in my box IN TWO MORE WEEKS.
They could ship the box a lot cheaper with flat rate by USPS small box and our boxes would arrive within 3 – 4 business days. .
I get better samples from Nordstrom on Sample Saturday. Some people sell their birchboxes on ebay for less than Birchbox’s price which is probably where my skimpy sample packets will also go.. I’m considering cancelling my membership

Birchbox may be aiding and abetting product whores like Yours, Truly, but at 10 bucks a pop, you really can’t go wrong! In some cases, you wind up with enough samples of something like eye cream or lip balm, that you don’t even need to keep buying it anymore. It is possibly the best sampling box out there, with easily the best value. It has stayed at 10 bucks for the entire 2 years + I’ve been a member. I’ve tried out the Test Tube for 30 bucks every three months but that was just so overwhelming. I never even used half the products in the box, not to mention that accompanying magazine that was more about plastic surgery (and accompanying photos) than it was about beauty products. *Nightmares*
Even if you don’t like all the products in your box any given month (nail polish in beige or orange? Really?), it’s ten measly bucks and there’s going to be *something* in there that you like or maybe even a full size «sample» that rocks your world and becomes something that you can’t live without (hello fuschia Tarte lip pencil).
I really appreciate being privy to smaller brands that I probably wouldn’t have encountered otherwise. Another nice perk: when you go on their site and give feedback on your box (and they’ve recently added a review feature, Unilocalers!), you get points that add up to 10 bucks off your next purchase.
Birchbox has become so popular that there’s actually a wait list to join these days. But don’t nobody think I’m giving up my subscription anytime soon. There’s an indescribable joy one feels when the small package arrives mid-​month. I’m like a kid, as even if I’m on my way out the door, I rip open the packing box to get to the small Birchbox, throw off the lid, peel pack the pink tissue paper to reveal 5 product treasures (and sometimes a cute lil bonus). I know. You’re so going to put your name on that wait list now. Hopefully someone doesn’t have to die before another spot opens up ;)