May 2018 Birchbox Review

This post is going to be shorter and a bit skimpier than usual because my sleep cycles have been shorter than usual. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. For those of you not in the know, Birchbox is a $10 monthly subscription that provides patrons with 5 samples of skincare, hair care, fragrance or the occasional (see: rare) lifestyle item. Since I’m obscenely behind we’re looking at May this month. May’s box contained:

  

[comfort zone] Remedy Cream to Oil Ultra Gentle Cleanser – $3.50

Matrix Total Results Mega Sleek Shampoo – $2.00

Matrix Total Results Mega Sleek Conditioner – $2.00

Hanalei Lip Treatment – $6.41

Nyakio Kenyan Coffee Face Polish – $4.00

I’ve seen more oil cleansers making the subscription box rounds lately, [comfort zone] bring the most recent one. This cream to oil cleaner does a great job at removing base makeup and leaves my face feeling well hydrated but I feel the need to wash my face afterward with a second, water-based cleanser to void that oily, filmy feeling later on.

 

 

I usually complain about receiving shampoos and conditioners because they aren’t the most exciting samples to see and the sample sizes are often too small. This month however, I received Matrix Total Results shampoo and conditioner and it was... still not exciting but the sample sizes were generous for three vigorous washes (wash day is typically once a week for me) and I can once again put off shopping for staples. The packaging was nothing spectacular, the little bottles looked like they would fit in in a men’s subscription box. The duo was nondescript and smelled like they would fit in in any beauty salon. Like the scent, the performance would fit in with other beauty salon products as well. With each wash I was able to lather and rinse twice. The shampoo lasted longer than the conditioner by one wash day but this allows me to use a deep treatment conditioner instead. The Matrix conditioner itself did a serviceable job of hydrating my hair but I also used a metric assload of product on the second wash day.

It was May, 2016 when I first encountered the love of my life, Hanalei Lip Treatment. It is so buttery and moisturizing, not at all drying. The best part is the sweet flavor of the balm. It tastes like a lip scrub but without the scrub. I love how it is the perfect travel size. I haven’t opened this one yet because everybody was pretty disgustingly sick for about 2 weeks here and I would rather not contaminate a lip product, even if it does happen to be a squeeze tube.

Using Nyakio Kenyan Coffee Face Polish was a decadent experience. The rich coffee smell was soothing and made me feel like I was slipping into a hot cup. The grit in this scrub is pretty formidable. I can see it being quite uncomfortable, neigh painful for sensitive skin. I found myself checking to see if I left my face in the sink at one point. I would only use it perhaps once every two weeks or so, or whenever I feel like I need some serious exfoliation. I have so many scrubs and exfoliators backed up in my stash right now that unfortunately I will have to put this little guy on the back burner.

May was a pretty practical month for Birchbox. Everything I received will get used and not grudgingly so. The box just barely breaks cost at $17.91 but if it saves me a trip to the store and I still end up in the positive I cannot hold it against Birchbox. Was it the most exciting box? Not by a long shot. Is it useful? Absolutely.