The April 2016 Birchbox is themed ‘Spring Awakening’ to celebrate the new season! The samples are packaged in a cute box with a floral motif, designed by Rifle Paper Co. It’s packed with goodies ranging from sexy floral fragrances, restorative treatments for our hair and skin, and natural and ingredient-conscious products. Keep reading for my unboxing, rundown of all the beauty products in my box, and my overall Birchbox April 2016 review!
The Unboxing
My Review
In total, my April 2016 Birchbox came with five samples in the skincare, hair care, makeup, and fragrance departments. Here are the products I received, along with my initial impressions of each.
Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask (Full size: $34 for 8 oz, Value of sample: $4.25 for 1 oz) – This is described as an ultra-hydrating deep conditioning mask – the perfect lifesaver for dry, damaged, or lifeless hair. Formulated with loads of natural ingredients like avocado, almond, rosehip, and argan oils, aloe, biotin, essential vitamins, and keratin protein, this treatment works to nourish, repair, strengthen, hydrate, and add shine and glossiness. The mask smells amazing and feels so moisturizing – I can’t wait to try it out on my hair during my next pamper sesh!
REN Keep Young and Beautiful™ Instant Firming Beauty Shot (Full size: $54 for 30ml, Value of sample: $18 for 10ml) – This hydrating ‘Beauty Shot’ serum gives our complexion a little extra jolt of energy. Formulated with a liquid matrix of hyaluronans, it helps skin retain moisture and diminish the appearance of wrinkles, and revitalizes skin instantly for a firmer, lifted, and plumper look. I love how it feels on the skin – it almost instantly absorbs, and creates a tightening and smoothing effect. It’s sure to come in handy after those late nights of working (or partying…). 😉
Montale Roses Musk – (Full size: $170 for 100 ml, Value of sample: $3.40 for 2 ml) – I love rose scents and own quite a few in my perfume collection – some with light rose notes, and others with deeper, dirtier rose notes. This perfume definitely captures a deeper, richer rose scent – I see it being perfect for Summer evenings out, but not necessarily for daily wear. Be warned though – is very sweet smelling, almost like a Jolly Rancher. Seriously makes my mouth water.
Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm (Full size: $7, Value of sample: $7) – If you like subtle, sheer lip looks, these tinted lip balms from Burt’s Bees are perfect. I especially love them because 1) they’re fragrance-free and 2) they’re 100% natural. I actually prefer this new formula over the regular balm – it feels more hydrating, and the ‘Pink Blossom’ tint in particular is beautiful!
Au Naturale Cosmetics Trio Set (Full size trio: $42, Value of sample: ~$2.50) – These trios are available in 3 options: ‘Alluring’, ‘Lovely’, and ‘Lively’, and include a creamy blush, shimmering eye shadow, and hydrating lipstick. The ‘Lively’ trio that I received includes: bright coral Palermo blush, shimmering nude Ivory shadow, and bold pink Sangria lipstick. Being a new natural beauty product enthusiast, I was super excited to get to try out (3!) products from Au Naturale Cosmetics. I love the creamy texture and sheer, build-able coverage they provide. The blush however is very sparkly – I expected something more ‘natural’ looking – though it does look pretty on the lips.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I was super happy with the products in my April 2016 Birchbox. The samples were all decently sized, especially the full size Burt’s Bee tinted lip balm and the deluxe-sized REN Instant Firming Beauty Shot. I love that they included several natural beauty products like the hair mask, lip balm, and a well-rounded sample trio from Au Naturale Cosmetics (I was so excited to finally try their products out!). The value of all the products was well worth the $10 cost of the box – I calculated around $35.15 for its total value.
If you’d like to try out Birchbox’s monthly box, sign up here. And if you are subscribed, let me know what you thought about your April 2016 Birchbox samples!
