Birchbox Discovery Kit: The Best-Sellers Gift Set + Beauty Booty

The perfect introduction to Birchbox, this 3-month subscription gift card and bag of best-sellers will help you get started on your journey to beauty discovery. Each box contains:

WILMA SCHUMANN SKIN CARE Hydrating Collagen Eye Pads (1 set, $3.60) - These pads are infused with pure collagen to hydrate, de-puff, and plump the delicate under-eye area.

OUAI Rose Hair & Body Oil (0.28oz deluxe sample, ~$2.99) - Once you catch the soft scent from this rosy blend of absinthium, rosehip, and shea oils, you'll want to apply it from head to toe.

SMITH & CULT The Tainted Lip Stained Flatte in Kissing Tiny Flowers (0.19oz full-size, $24.00) - Swiping on this creamy, saturated stain in a rosy-caramel shade will convince you that matte lipsticks can, in fact, be totally delightful to wear thanks to the hydrating peptides in its formula.

STILA COSMETICS Huge Extreme Lash Mascara (0.2oz deluxe sample, ~$10.45) - This inky black mascara lets your lashes go big in every way. Just one coat leaves major volume, curl, and length.

BIRCHBOX Eyelash Curler ($5.00) - When you're on-the-go, lightly clamp lashes for an eye-opening look. Got more time? Heat up your eyelash curler for 10 seconds with a blow-dryer (test the warmth on the back of your hand) to make your curl truly last.

BIRCHBOX Pocket Mirror - This slim, travel-friendly mirror easily fits into your bag or pocket for quick touch-ups.


3-Month Subscription to BIRCHBOX ($30 value)

Every month, Birchbox will send 5+ beauty samples from a variety of makeup, skincare, body care, hair care, and fragrance categories - personalized to you based on your Beauty Profile. Plus, you'll get tips and tricks on how to use them.

A Birchbox subscription costs just $10 per month with no shipping fees or long-term commitments. Any subscription comes with a free gift. 6- and 12-month subscriptions come with greater gifts and savings for you.

Customize your box by choosing a specific sample or adding full-size products to ship alongside your box. Earn Loyalty Points (1 point per $1 spent) by purchasing any subscription or buying from Birchbox's online store. Points can be redeemed for any full-size product in the store. Ten points equals $1 to shop!

Promo Code Bonus!

GLAMOUR DOLLS x Lisa Frank Angled Blush Brush ($5.00) - Fourth-grade us says that combining Lisa Frank with anything is a no-brainer. The vegan-friendly, synthetic hairs are softer than a teddy bear. Aside from being cuddly and colorful, it's a solid makeup tool with the perfect slant (key for looks and contouring).

TIP: It's super important to keep moisture out of the base of your bristles (AKA the ferrule), so after cleaning, hang them upside down to dry.
                                                                                                                    

The Verdicts:

First, the Wilma Schumann eye pads... they held on well to my face and felt great going on. That said, after a few minutes, my skin started to burn and I had to remove them. Now, I have extremely sensitive skin. The burning is an unfortunate side effect from a lot of facial products. And even though I only spent five minutes with them on rather than the recommended twenty, I saw a definite decrease in puffiness under my eyes.

The scent of the Ouai hair and body oil is very light and wonderful! It surprisingly didn't feel greasy. It made my hair and skin silky.

I tend to stay away from light-colored lipsticks because of my fair complexion. This lip stain from Smith & Cult is the right amount of neutral with pinky undertones that actually kind favors my skin tone. I like how rich and moisturizing the formula is as well.

I didn't care for the Stila mascara at all. Now, you may say, hey... you talk all the time about how you are a makeup dummy. Well, I can apply mascara (see other posts). This tugged at my lashes and was c-l-u-m-p-y. The first photo is mascara-free. The second shows one eye done. And, of course, the third is a finished set.

I don't have much luck with eyelash curlers. I think my lashes have natural curl and it's easy to get the look I want with just mascara. I'll pass on this Birchbox eyelash curler to a friend. The Birchbox pocket mirror will definitely be handy for touch-ups on-the-go.

The Glamour Dolls & Lisa Frank makeup brush... I gotta be honest. It's kinda terrible. That being said, it's friggin' adorable and I wouldn't trade having it in my collection. It is, after all, only $5. C'mon on! What do you expect?

The value the kit alone is $46.04 plus $30.00 for the 3-month subscription. Add in the $5.00 for the makeup brush and we're talking $81.06, and I only paid $38.00. AND... I earned $3.80 to spend in the online shop.

                                                                                                                    

Beauty Booty:

In addition to the gift set purchase, I bought myself a present with my Loyalty Points, and received a free goodie bag, but I won't get to try them by press time. I'll definitely review them down the road with other products from these brands.

BUMBLE AND BUMBLE. Mending Masque (5oz, $38.00) - Between coloring, straightening, and curling, it's no wonder our hair feels a little frazzled. Don't fret - this weekly masque is here to give your locks some much needed R&R. Formulated for truly damaged cuticles, it restores strength, increases elasticity, and detangles in only 10 minutes.

RENE FURTERER PARIS Karité Hydra Hydrating Ritual (0.5oz each sample, ~$13.65) - The creamy Hydrating Shine Shampoo is enriched with a gentle formula that protects and restores hair fibers.The deep-conditioning Hydrating Shine Mask is enriched with shea oil and cimentrio, unveiling silkier strands and smoothing hair fibers. The no-rinse Hydrating Shine Day Cream is a lightweight gel-cream formula that hydrates and enhances hair for soft, silky hold that lasts all day.

PROFILE PRO Ultra Nourishing Oil (0.34oz sample, ~$2.30) - This non-greasy treatment tames frizz, while rosemary leaf extract keeps strands strong. And unlike most oils, this one is light enough to create bouncy and smooth locks.

L'ORÉAL PROFESSIONAL Mythic Oil Shampoo (sample) - Thanks to a gentle, paraben-free formula, you can suds up with this shampoo on a daily basis to reduce oil at the root. As if that wasn't enough, the pros at L'Oréal added a special blend of argan and cottenseed oil to give the other 90 percent of your strands some voluminous love.