Birchbox... April 2015

I recently received my April 2015 Birchbox. Based on Instagram and Facebook, I know that many people receive their boxes long before I do. Every month, many people seem very disappointed in what they are receiving in their boxes. I could see how some months could be better than others, but, at the end of the day, we are paying Birchbox to send us 5 samples based loosely on a beauty profile. We pay $10 a box and get $5-6 back based on completing product reviews. If you don't like surprises, don't pay for a subscription box service like Birchbox...

Moving on, here is a quick review of the box and what I received in my particular April Birchbox! 

April 2015 Birchbox-in collaboration with Rifle Paper Co.

Each box comes with an info card about the products included.

I received 5 samples this month. In April, as Birchbox subscribers, we had the opportunity to select two different Madmen themed boxes. These boxes come with 5 products that are preselected. If you chose either of these boxes, you know what all 5 samples and your beauty profile is not taken into consideration.

Sample 1: Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip and Cheek Stain- Full Size $25

This cute little sample seemed a little undersized when I got it. When I opened it up, the product was lodged in the cap. I did manage to get it back out without destroying the entire thing. (I did have an issue with another product, so I emailed customer service. I will detail my experience after the product review!) Once I got it straightened out, I tried this little guy out. I wasn't sure how I felt about the color in the tube, but when I put it on, it was a very nice reddish tint. I didn't really like it on my cheeks. I can't get over how using lip stain on my cheeks actually feels on my skin. It wasn't sticky or anything, just felt... weird. The lip stain lasted a very long time. Overall, I probably won't purchase this because I don't wear lip color very often, but I liked it and will enjoy the sample product I salvaged. 

Sample 2: Obliphica Professional Intensive Hair Serum-Full Size $38

This sample came with the lid a little loose and spilled part of the sample all over the rest of my box. (See Customer Service review below.) Overall, I liked this sample. It made my hair soft and really kept the ends from getting frizzy and dry when I used it. I have another hair serum I use on a regular basis and I felt these were comparable. I will be sticking with my regular serum because I like the smell better. It's also a little cheaper than this product, but my decision was made almost entirely on the smell. This product doesn't smell bad by any means, I just think I have one already that smells even better! 

Sample 3: POP Beauty Eye Shadow Palette-Full Size $26

I loved my trio from POP Beauty. The colors are vibrant and last for a very long time. I, again, don't use eye shadow very often, so spending $26 on a palette with a lot of colors I will never use isn't going to happen. This sample will last me a very long time! If I could get just these three colors again when I run out, I would purchase it without question! 

Sample 4: Real Chemistry 3-Minute Peel-Full Size $48

This is my first experience with a peel. I don't think I quite had enough on my skin the first time. It did make my skin very soft and I felt like my moisturizer absorbed into my skin very quickly. I plan to give it another shot-although I am not sure if there is enough left in the bottle to really get the full experience. This is a sample choice for May 2015 and I am considering choosing it to give it another go! I can't make a decision if I will purchase it or not quite yet. 

Sample 5: Whish Shave Cream-Blueberry-Full Size $20

Bleh... Blueberry scented.....

First--this smelled awful. I am not sure who made this decision...but no. Just no. I used up this sample and it seemed to work about average--nothing more spectacular than my $3 shave cream from the dollar store. I will not be trying it in any scent because I will not be spending $20 to end up with something that smells as bad as this... 

Customer Service Review

As I mentioned above, I encountered customer service on this box. I emailed them within 15 minutes of opening my box about the spilled sample. I also mentioned the Jane Iredale sample was stuck in the cap but I managed to get enough to try it out. Within 5 minutes I received a response. (I actually received two responses... Two customer service reps responded at the same time.) They immediately processed a replacement sample of the hair serum. I was also credited 50 "sorry" points for the lip stain sample. I was very impressed with how quickly they responded and how the problem was resolved. Birchbox customer service was fantastic!

Interesting in Birchbox? I would appreciate it if you use my referral link, here! I get $5 to spend a Birchbox for each review. Sign up so you can refer friends too! I purchased this box myself from Birchbox and get nothing for my review.