Birchbox (February 2018)

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 subscrip-tion 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!

The February 2018 theme is "Follow Your Heart." Following are the items I received:

LOVE, BEAUTY & PLANET Argan Oil & Lavender Shampoo (3oz deluxe sample, $2.00) - Show your strands some love with this color-safe, paraben- and silicone-free shampoo that gently cleanses while smoothing strands.

LOVE, BEAUTY & PLANET Argan Oil & Lavender Conditioner (3oz deluxe sample, $2.00) - Infused with argan and organic coconut oils, this paraben- and silicone-free conditioner tames frizz and detangles.

CLEAN RESERVE Amber Saffron EDP (0.05oz sample, ~$1.40) - This refreshing fragrance features sweet notes like mandarin oil, rose, lily, and raspberry, and is grounded by a warm medley of musk, saffron, and amber.

R + CO. Park Ave Blow Out Balm (0.5oz deluxe sample, $2.80) - This smoothing balm adds bounce to your blowout while protecting from heat damage.

MARCELLE Ultimate Volume Nano Mascara (0.18oz deluxe sample, ~$6.63) - This mascara's mini brush is designed to reach even the stubbiest bottom lashes and inner corners for a full-feathered look.
                                                                                                                    

The Verdicts:

The lavender scent of the Love, Beauty & Planet shampoo and conditioner is pretty strong, but it left my hair feeling soft and silky.

I love CLEAN Reserve fragrances! This 'Amber Saffron' eau de parfum is wonderful. You can easily sniff out the raspberry and lily and saffron. This isn't candy-like though (which fruit scents can often be). It's a light, everyday kind of fragrance.

The R + Co. hair balm is a little thick and sticky. It smells really nice, though, and does it's job. It added a lot of shine too.

I didn't care much for the Marcelle mascara. It left my lashes with clumps as you can see from the photos to the right. The top pic is my eyes bare. The middles shows one eye done. The last displays the complete job.

Bonus Samples!

FOREO Day & Night Cleansers (0.1oz each) - This duo has you covered from a.m. to p.m. Use the day cleanser to wake up your skin with probiotics and fruit extracts, and the night cleanser to nourish with moringa extract.

ESTÉE LAUDER Pure Color Envy Lipstick in Envious - This lipstick's smooth formula deposits intense pigment and a creamy finish for a show-stopping smile.

The FOREO day cleanser has an almost citrus-y scent. It's one of my new favorite skincare finds. I don't usually like cleansers that don't foam. This one went on almost like a lotion, but I could really feel the clean. And just when I thought the day cleanser was great, I tried the night cleanser. It has a softer smell and a gel-like texture, and again, my skin was super clean afterwards. I would LOVE to try these with a FOREO LUNA someday.

I really like the Estée Lauder lipstick. The foil sample was just barely enough for one application, but it's rich, creamy, moisturizing, and has great pigment.

This February 2018 box has a total value of $14.83. While that's not as high as some other boxes, I get to try eight products from six brands, four of which I've never used before. The curation alone for this (Valentine'so-themed) box alone is just incredible. It's obvious a lot of thought and care went into picking the month's items. Can't wait to see what surprises Birchbox has in store for me in March!