April's Birchbox

After much anticipation and many disappointing trips to the mailbox, my April Birchbox finally arrived.  It was a bit late this month because it contained something a little different, and required special shipping. 

This months Birchbox "theme" was Earth Day, and in honor of Earth Day the boxes were loaded with earth friendly products.  I was excited to receive this months Birchbox because I had heard it contained nail polish.  Nail polish can't be shipped by air, hence the special shipping and long wait for my box.

My box was indeed filled with eco friendly products.  Inside the box I found skincare, fragrance, nail polish and as an extra, a lovely tin of Italian Chamomile tea.  Unfortunately,  the cleanser lid had cracked and leaked a bit in my box.  It wasn't a catastrophe by any means, just a bit disappointing.

The perfume sample was Liv Grn, Natural Eau de Parfum.  The description on the Birchbox card states it is "made from biodegradable and sustainable ingredients".  The scent is described as "bright, grassy and laced with orange and neroli".  I really like this fragrance and will definitely be putting this on my wish list.  The fragrance is not overpowering and brings to mind a bright spring day with big fluffy clouds.  Best of all, 10% of the sales go to Global Green.

The nail polish that I was so excited to receive turned out to be Zoya,  Dove.  Dove is one of the colors in Zoya's spring collection, perhaps my least favorite. Birchbox describes it as a "chic gray hue".  Obviously there are people who love this color as it is very popular, I'm just not one of them.  I also already have the color;  I received it as part of their International Women's Day promotion.

The skincare portion of the box contained the cleanser I referred to earlier and Weleda, Wild Rose Smoothing Facial Lotion.  The facial lotion contains organic rosehip oil, which is full of antioxidants and vitamins.  I love the light rose fragrance and have enjoyed using it the last few nights.  Would I buy it?  I'm not sure.  It is lovely on the skin, but I don't notice anything spectacular about it.

The cleanser was the biggest disappointment.  It was the Suki, Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser, something I had been wanting to try.  Obviously the cracked lid and spilled product played a part in my disappointment, but it was the way my skin reacted that sealed the deal .  Birchbox describes this cleanser as a "magical two-in-one" cleanser that foams when you add water "and remedies dull skin and clogged pores with raw sugar, rice flour, and organic lemongrass".  I loved the strong smell of lemongrass, the feel of the cleanser foaming up and the gentleness of the exfoliant, but it left my skin stinging and red.  A full size of the Suki, Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser is $29.95.  Thanks to Birchbox, that's money I have saved.

The bonus sample in this months Birchbox was a tin of Zhena's Gypsy Tea, Italian Chamomile.  I'm not a lover of chamomile tea in general, but this one is pretty good.  After making a cup of tea, I throw the used tea bag in a bowl of hot water for an hour.  I then use this water to rinse my face at night after cleansing. 

I contacted Birchbox by phone and by email 4 days ago regarding my cracked cleanser.  I have not heard back from them.  I'm not overly upset about the cleanser being cracked, but I am upset about their lack of response.  A simple return call or email apologizing for any inconveinance would of gone a long way.  Today (4/25) I received a very nice email from the Birchbox team apologizing for the cracked cleanser.  That's all it took, and now I'm very happy.

Overall I'm very pleased with this months Birchbox.  Not all the items in my box were a hit, but that's kind of the point.  I got to try products I've been wanting and was introduced to products I was not familiar with.  For $10/month I still feel my Birchbox subscription is a good investment.  Let's not forget how fun it is to open it every month.


April's Birchbox
Sorry for the picture quality, my camera took a siesta.


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