The May 2016 Birchbox is themed ‘Out of Doors’ to celebrate the new Spring season and our emergence back into the great outdoors! It’s packed with goodies ranging from bright lip colors, to sunscreen and at-home self-tanners to get us prepped to spend more time outside. The samples are packaged in a modern looking box covered with pastel paint strokes, giving it a Spring cleaning/renovation sort of vibe. Keep reading to see the full unboxing, along with my May 2016 Birchbox review!
My Birchbox May 2016 Review
In total, my May 2016 Birchbox came with five samples (actually four – one was missing) in the skincare, hair care, and makeup departments. Here are the products I received, along with my initial impressions of each.
Vita Liberata Fabulous Self-Tanning Gradual Lotion (Full size: $30 for 200 ml, Value of sample: $7.50 for 50 ml) – I’m been collecting self-tanners at this point. Between St. Tropez, Tarte, Jergens, and now this one, I’m stocked for Summer! Interestingly, this Vita Liberata tanner sort of stands out from the rest. It supposedly shows results in just a few hours, is tint-free and scent-free, plus it hydrates your skin with organic ingredients like shea butter and melon, ginkgo biloba leaf, and lychee extracts. It’s also parabens, sulfates, and phthalate-free. Being more ingredient-conscience these days, this may be my new fav, so long as the results look natural (review coming soon!).
Jouer Long-Wear Lip Crème Liquid Lipstick (Full size: $18 for .21 oz, Value of sample: $8.57 for .10 oz) – From enjoying our morning coffee to sipping mojitos in the evenings, this lipstick is designed to stay put until we take it off at the end of the day. It has a lightweight, mousse-like texture that leaves looking smooth with a matte finish. I’m loving this shade selection – particularly the one that I got in ‘lychee’, described as a cool dusty rose (swatched below). Does it last all day? Not for me – I’d say I got about 3-4 hours of wear, with the color slowly fading after each meal/drink. On the plus side though, it does smell like vanilla cupcakes!
Jouer Long-Wear Lip Crème Liquid Lipstick in the shade ‘Lychee’
W3LL PEOPLE Bio Correct Multi-Action Concealer (Full size: $22.50 for 7.4 ml / 0.25 oz, Value of sample: $9.12 for 4 ml) – W3LL PEOPLE has been on my radar for some time now – I love that their makeup is 100% natural, organic, and cruelty-free. This concealer has an interesting, mousse-like texture which blends like a dream over the under-eye and eyelid areas. It’s also formulated with pomegranate, organic algae, coffee, and anti-aging peptides to help depuff, brighten, and smooth the eye area. The concealer is incredibly opaque and provides amazing coverage, plus a noticeable brightening effect. Below is a swatch of the shade ‘Light’ on my light-medium, NC25 skin. It’s a nice neutral with a slight peach tone.
W3LL PEOPLE Bio Correct Multi-Action Concealer in the shade ‘Light’
amika Un.Done Texture Spray (Full size: $24 for 5.3 oz, Value of sample: $3.40 for .75 oz) – Similar to the amika Dry Shampoo, this spray adds an extra shot of volume and texture to the hair. I already own the full-size version of this texture spray, but love getting these little travel-sized cans in my Birchboxes (2nd one so far!) – they’re perfect for tossing in my purse or travel bag and using on-the-go.
Supergoop!® Everyday SPF 50 with Cellular Response Technology (Full size: $48 for 18 oz, Value of sample: ?) – And finally, the one sample that was unfortunately missing from my box. It’s an oil-free, lightweight, non-greasy sunscreen that would have been nice to try out!
Final Thoughts
Overall, I was very happy with the products in my May 2016 Birchbox. I love that they included a couple natural, organic, and ingredient-conscience beauty products like the W3LL PEOPLE concealer and the Vita Liberata self-tanner. The value of all the products was well worth the $10 cost of the box – I calculated around $29 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 May 2016 Birchbox samples!
