As I mentioned back in both first and second Boxycharm unboxings, I am EXTREMELY obsessed with monthly subscription boxes. The concept is awesome, and with so many different kinds of boxes out there, there’s a box for everyone. I swear. Just Google it. There are like… a billion-trillion.
Anyway, when my husband saw how fun it was to be getting super cool stuff in the mail every month, he decided to hop on the subscription box bandwagon, and quickly became part of one of the most recognized (in my opinion) boxes of all time, Birchbox.
Birchbox Man launched in April 2012, two years after Birchbox for women was introduced to the market, to bring guys tailored shipments of grooming and lifestyle products. No longer just for ladies, Birchbox opened up a whole new world for men looking to up their grooming and lifestyle games.
Birchbox Man is a $20/month subscription, and every month, subscribers will receive a curated box of five, grooming, and/or lifestyle samples. From there, decisions can be made if the products are worth the money, and can purchase the full-sized items from their shop. Like other subscription services, you can earn points that can also be redeemed in the shop. Pretty sweet. You may notice right away that the Birchbox Man box is $10/month more than the women’s version, but from what I gather, the men’s boxes are more lifestyle geared, and include clothes and gadgets here and there. Exciting.
Also, the Birchbox Man website and YouTube channel are pretty awesome, chock full of videos and other reviews with tips and tricks and other manly grooming things. They really do a good job of information you as a customer and getting you involved and engaged in all that they’re doing.
Anyway, this month Michael received his very first Birchbox Man box, and we were all very excited about it. Especially him, but I have to say, I was pretty dang excited. You know what else? He let me open it before he even got home. I was like, FURREAL?!?! But yeah, I got to tear into it and give him the low-down while he was at the airport on his way home from a business trip. I felt special.
The first thing I noticed was how awesome the box itself was. It’s like a little drawer.
You pull the drawer out, and all of the little samples are nestled neatly in tissue, covered by a description card, much like any other box you’ll get. The card explains the theme of the month and each product in more detail.
This month’s theme was “Let’s Do This Thing,” and much like everything else for the month of January for ever is starting over, fresh clean slates, and new beginnings. The trend in women’s self-care would be skincare, and it seems that the trend didn’t sway too far when it comes to manly ambitions.
While not exactly skincare focused, the box’s contents were totally aimed at getting you all clean and looking sharp for what’s to come in the new year.
The first product I pulled out was the Baxter of California Deodorant, which retails for $18, full-sized. According to Birchbox’s product breakdown, “We’re all for trading in our old-school deodorant for a more natural alternative—especially since aluminum and alcohol, two mainstays of drugstore varieties, are the ingredients responsible for pit stains. But “natural” is sometimes code for “less than effective.” Thankfully, this aluminum- and alcohol-free odor-buster gets the job done in spades. Plus, its citrus and herbal musk scent is significantly more sophisticated than your typical stick.”
Michael already traded in his alcohol and aluminum deodorant stick in favor of Anthony’s Alcohol-Free Deodorant, so he was excited to try this product. The smell is fresh, a bit fruity and a touch musky, but fully delicious. It’s not too strong, so after he swiped a bit on, it wasn’t like he was wearing a fragrance. He just smelled fresh.
The one thing about the packaging of this little guy that was a bit tricky is that it’s a push up type deal. You stick your fingers in the bottom of the package, push the product up, use it, and then squish it back down. Somehow, Michael managed to use enough force to push the entire product up and out of the packaging, and sent it rocketing across the bathroom and into the laundry bin, where it got lost. Luckily, we found it, and after washing it off (??!?!?!), he stuffed it back in the package and hoped for the best. I didn’t know what washing a stick of deodorant with water would do, but hey, it seems to still work and be effective. An important point to note is that we’re not sure if the full-sized product is packaged in the same fashion, so be careful if it is.
The verdict? Michael likes it. It’s nice, smells good, works well, and didn’t leave any marks whatsoever on his clothing.
The second product I pulled out from my unboxing was the Billy Jealousy Fuzzy Logic Strengthening Shampoo, which for a full-sized product goes for $22. That’s some pricy shampoo there…
Birchbox Breakdown: Few phrases strike terror in the hearts of men quite like “male-pattern baldness.” Quell your fears with the help of this fortifying shampoo that fights hair loss from the root. The award-winning formula both thickens and volumizes hair, resulting in locks that not only last, but looks great too.
This stuff is intense. The smell alone had me feeling like I was standing on a glacier in the middle of a freezing ocean with a fresh breeze blowing in my face. Seriously. It’s crazy intense with pepperminty-menthol, and if you’re like me, then you’ll love it. I just couldn’t get enough of the smell, and accidentally huffed some up my nose. That wasn’t fun.
The verdict? Michael liked the way it left his scalp tingling, and left his hair feeling. He said it felt soft and more manageable, as well as appearing thicker. The formula was really sudsy, which he enjoyed, and like I said, the smell was a true wake-you-up. Another winner.
The third product I pulled from this month’s box was Gilchrist & Soames Spa Therapy Body Wash, which full-sized retails for $15.
Birchbox breaks it down by saying, “We always feel refreshed after treating ourselves to a seaweed wrap—when we have the time and budget to get one. Now we can enjoy elements of the spa treatment during our daily scrub down: This body wash from Gilchrist & Soames is loaded with extracts of Japanese sea wrack. The natural formula hydrates and reinvigorates skin, and leaves behind a fresh aqualeaf and citrus scent.”
Now, I fell in love with this scent on first sniff, but it really wasn’t Michael’s cup of tea. He likened the formula, scent and results to that of hotel body-wash, which is nothing special, and he’s pretty much a hotel body-wash connoisseur at this point. It’s super sudsy, which is nice, but he just couldn’t get over how not-special it was, and how much it reminded him of the hotels he stays at for business travel.
Lucky for me, because that means I get to use it. It leaves my skin feeling pretty much the way normal body-wash leaves my skin feeling, but the super fresh and citrusy-watery smell it leaves behind makes me happy.
The verdict? Not so blown away by this product. And that is being nice. “I really don’t like it. I mean, who would spend money on it?! Granted, it’s no Motel 6, more like a Westin, but… NO.” Like I mentioned, it’s very hotel-ey, and not special at all by any means. Neither of us felt like we’d just left a fancy spa with Japanese sea stuff. At all.
Item number 4 was a teeny, tiny sample of Hanz de Fuko Sponge Wax, which at full-size retails for $17.50.
Birchbox breaks it down: We love a good two-in-one product—who doesn’t?—and this matte finish, high-hold wax combines the pliability of a pomade with the staying power of a gel. Ideal for short- to medium-length hair, the versatile formula is good for everything from grungy, bed-head looks to more polished coifs. Use it to spike your hair or go for a pompadour. The sky’s the limit.
At first, I was really disappointed by the miniscule size of this sample, but once Michael got home and tried it out in his hair, I realized that you really only need a little and it goes a long way. And it’s awesome. It smells sort of like almonds and it works just like it says.
The verdict? This product ranks as Michael’s #1 product from this month’s box. He loves it, and is considering purchasing the full-sized version of the stuff. Hooray!
The 5th and final item in this months’ Birchbox Man was the full-sized bright orange Tango Orange Square from Bonobos Cotton Pocket Square, which goes for $42. This item alone pays for the box twice over, but was it worth it?
Birchbox breakdown: “True sailors are made, not born. So before you spring for that catamaran, try a nautical accessory on for size. This little square of cotton—with rounded corners and a classic anchor pattern—is a smarter way to test the waters, though no less seaworthy.”
When I saw this pocket square at the bottom of the box, I had to laugh. I knew that Michael was really looking forward to getting his little square, but… it’s bright orange. With white polka dots… *crickets*
While it is 100% cotton, and very soft, the thin square of fabric itself is pretty hideous, and does not match a single thing going on in his wardrobe. At all. Ever. Nope. Too bad they didn’t ship out the WAY more attractive blue and ivory one from the website!
The verdict? Not very happy with the square, but is glad to know about the Bonobos brand, as he found a few ties that were more suited to his suits, and style.
So at the end of the day, Michael and I were both asking the question, “Is Birchbox Man worth the $20/month? Is it really that awesome?” Instead of answering right away, he decided to give it a whirl for another month, and then make a decision whether he stays or moves on. The true winners this month were the Hanz de Fuko sponge wax, the deodorant and the shampoo, and the duds? He could really have done without the body wash and the pocket square.
Interested in getting a box for yourself? Click here!
