In the spirit of giving, they have partnered with (RED) “to raise money and awareness for the global fight against AIDS”. Every time I share the facts on my box (not quite sure what the "facts" actually are) and tag it with #shaRED on Twitter or Instagram, Birchbox will donate $1. Pretty cool, although if you read the fine print, it is up to $10,000 which is still quite generous so that’s pretty bad ass! (Plus they have donated $15,000 regardless of shares – go Birchbox!)
On to the less important, but more interesting for the purpose of the blog – the products! I’ll start with the item that I chose. As you may recall, Birchbox has begun sending out an email with a choice of samples to pick from that will count towards one item included in your box. This month I went for the Royal Apothic Cuppa Cuppa Firming Tea Tree Treatment Mask. I know absolutely nothing about this company or the product, but it sounded cool so I went for it! It is a firming and brightening mask that is made with antioxidant-rich tea. I love masks, so this sounded quite nice. It’s a small sample (0.33oz / 9g), but nicely packaged and enough maybe for 3 masks if you’re stingy like me. Very happy with this one! J
Moving right along we have another sort of small sample from Klorane. It is 0.8oz / 25mL of their Floral Water Makeup-Remover with Soothing Cornflower. Klorane is not a cruelty free company, so I can’t say I’m terribly excited about this one, not to mention that I’m perfectly happy with my current eye makeup remover. If you’re interested though, it is hypoallergenic and claims to remove even waterproof eye makeup. It smells nice too.
Another brand that is unfortunately no longer cruelty free is Laura Mercier and there is a fantastic sample from the brand! It is a giant (for a sample box at least) sample of the Foundation Primer – Hydrating! This size sample (1oz / 30mL) of some of their other primers retails for about $20 at Sephora! Not entirely sure why they sent me a hydrating primer based on my profile, but it feels really nice on my hand and definitely seems soothing and hydrating without being greasy. I’m pretty sure this would suit even oily skinned gals, so anyone could love this. Not quite sure what I want to do with this sample since it’s not cruelty free. I’ll probably forget I have it and it will sit with so many other samples I’ve long since forgotten! J Anyway, if you don’t insist on cruelty free products, this is an amazing sample. I’m actually happy to see a really good size sample from a well-known company for a change. A bit torn about it, but it is an awesome sample!
As a bonus, there’s a Firecracker ChocoPod. I’ve had this in a full-size bar and it’s actually pretty good! It’s basically just dark chocolate with “sea salt, a dash of chipotle and popping candy crackle….” It’s a bit spicy with delicious chocolate and, of course, the unusual sensation of popping candy. Sounds crazy, but it kinda works.
Now on to the little pouch of all things tiny! J The first sample is from Bain de Terre and it is a little vial (0.25oz / 75mL) of Argan Oil & Passion Flower Color Therapy Styling Oil. It is “a lightweight blend of essential oils that nourishes hair and adds megawatt shine.” Nice enough I suppose, but I’m not terribly excited for yet another hair oil. I’m not sure about Bain de Terre’s cruelty free status either. It smells just ok – kind of a standard hair product scent – and it’s just an ok sample, but I’ll take it!
I’ve saved one of the best for last! It is a little itty bitty sample of Cindy-Lou Manizer from theBalm!!! It’s so insanely cute! I really love these mini theBalm samples. They are so tiny, but usually last a while and they’re packaged just as quirkily as the full-size products. Plus I love theBalm’s products! Cindy-Lou Manizer is a beautiful rose gold highlighter. It’s a beautiful color, but I don’t love it as a highlighter on my skin tone. It actually makes a great shimmery eye shadow and this is the perfect size for a shadow! I actually have the full size Cindy-Lou Manizer so I may just pass this along to someone else, but I’m thrilled to receive an awesome, though tiny, sample from theBalm this month!!!
I have to say that I am very pleasantly surprised by November’s Birchbox! J The sizes are pretty good, the products are interesting and seem more varied than usual. There is the cruelty free issue, but that’s usually there – someone has started a petition hoping to provide a cruelty free option, but not much has come from it yet. Apparently Birchbox has taken notice, so that’s at least an impressive start. Anyway, given that these aren’t expected to be cruelty free, this is an amazing box! That’s really the only thing I would change about this month, and for a Birchbox, that’s saying a lot!!! Well done, Birchbox! Keep it up and make it cruelty free, and I think you’ll have quite a few more fans. J
