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It’s Birchbox time!

Birchbox is a monthly beauty subscription service that sends you 5 beauty product samples for $10/month, here is my referral link if you’d like to try it out: Birchbox Sign-up. Use code STILASHADOW to get a FREE deluxe Stila Cosmetics Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow sample in Kitten Karma when you join OR use code REDHOT to get a free deluxe sample of Smashbox Cosmetics Be Legendary Liquid Lip Metal in Crimson Chrome (still valid as of 9/5/2017, while supplies last).

First off – today is the 9th. I have NEVER received any beauty box this early in the month up here in Alaska. I have no idea what is going on but I like it a lot. This is my fifth month subscribing to Birchbox Select – Beta. Here’s my write-up of the program if you haven’t heard of it and here are reviews of my first, second, third , and fourth Birchbox Select boxes. For the fifth time I chose the Pick One, Skip One option. This month I picked Skincare – Toner and skipped Fragrance.

Product Information + Customer Appreciation Day

The first sample in my September Birchbox is the Clark’s Botanicals Age Defying Radiance Cream (.34 oz). I received one of these last summer in an ipsy bag and it worked really well for me. It’s a very pricey creme though (this sample is worth $23.81) so I wasn’t and don’t plan on purchasing it in the future. I am happy to see it again and will start using it immediately! My next product is a Briogeo Rosarco Milk Reparative Leave-In Conditioning Spray (.75 oz). I was sent one of these as well last summer but in a Birchbox. I don’t recall it being anything special, but I always use up leave-in conditioning sprays and is one of the hair care products I prefer to be sent in a Birchbox.

The third item this month is the Marcelle CC Cream SPF 35 Complete Correction – Golden Glow (.24 oz). Last month I was sent a Marcelle City Multi-Protection Tinted Cream SPF 25 in my Birchbox, seems like an almost identical product… I like Marcelle well enough, and I am totally gonna use this “Tinted Cream”, I just thought it was worth mentioning that I was sent Marcelle SPF creams two months in a row, especially since the last two items were also products I had seen in beauty boxes before. On to my next sample, the Paula’s Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment (.16 oz). I have only used one Paula’s Choice product before (BHA Toner) and I liked it, though I don’t think I had enough time to really evaluate it’s effectiveness. I have never used a Retinol treatment before so I am looking forward to trying that at an appropriate time soon.

The last sample in my September 2017 Birchbox is a The Beauty Crop Glamazon Stick Highlight Crayon (.05 oz). This one is a full-size. I love full-sizes but I don’t think this will end up being a product I am that in to; I really love powder highlighters. I will give it a try though, that is the point of getting these samples right? Well we went through the whole box and there is not a toner in there (my Pick One Selection for the month) so I just emailed customer service and requested they send a sample toner. I am curious to see if they say the Retinol treatment is a toner but I went on to their store page and it is not listed in toners, so hopefully I get one sent to me.

One of the perks offered to Birchbox Select subscribers each month is $5 to spend on any item in the Birchbox shop.

I think this is awesome and specifically encourages me to spend more in their shop by checking out what ships for free and redeeming that $5 on one of those products.

For my September box add-on I added the Umbra Poise Ring Holder in Brass (originally $10).

My September 2017 Birchbox Select contained the following 5 items: Clark’s Botanicals Age Defying Radiance Cream ($23.80 value), Briogeo Rosarco Milk Reparative Leave-In Conditioning Spray ($3 value), Marcelle CC Cream SPF 35 Complete Correction – Golden Glow ($7.21 value), Paula’s Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment ($8.96 value), and The Beauty Crop Glamazon Stick Highlight Crayon ($12 value) for a total sample value of $54.97. Not bad for a $15 box. If we add in the Umbra Poise Ring Holder then the total box value goes up to $64.97 for a cost $20. The Radiance Cream and the Retinol treatment are great scores, I always use leave-in sprays and CC Creams, and though I’m not stoked about the highlighter crayon I will give it a try.

Has anyone else tried the Paula’s Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment?