Birchbox March 2016 Curated Box Review

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Price: (as always) $10

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This March, I forwent sample choices in favor of the curated box for two reasons:

1. Scant choice. There were three sample choices:

• Shampoo & Conditioner
• Shampoo & Conditioner (foil)
• Dry Shampoo (one that’s been offered at least three times before)

2. The Milk lip sample. I was curious about that brand!

I love the box design. It’s adorable, like a bubblegum wrapper or a kitschy wallpaper.

The boxes are one of the reason I adore Birchbox. They’re awesome for stashing samples and other knickknacks; plus, they double as great gift boxes!

This month’s curated box is titled: “Ready For Anything.”

The idea behind this box is that it’s “perfect for pulling together a look in no time flat.” While I don’t fully agree, I like that feeling of readiness it seems to embody.

This is the list of the five DS samples:

• PARLOR® by Jeff Chastain Smoothing Blowout Spray
• Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream
• MILK Makeup Lip Color in C.R.E.A.M.
• Smashbox Photo Op Eyeshadow Trio in Filter
• Wilma Schumann Skincare Hydrating Collagen Eye Pads

Save for the Parlor hairspray (I have way too many samples now), these were all items I was excited to try/receive. Despite that spray, I should’ve been pleased with this box.

For example, Kiehl.

Their Midnight Recovery Concentrate didn’t jive with me but I have a soft spot for their lotions. Very moisturizing. Granted, it’s small, but these mini tubs are wonderful when you’re on the road or stuck in a 14 hour flight.

Wilma Schumann eye pads. I love receiving eye pads because I know they’ll get used. Never seen a dramatic change, especially with onetime use, but they feel very refreshing, nice and cool.

Smashbox Trio. Color scheme is a tad bit boring, but I like boring, neutral palettes. Plus, this apparently doubles as a contour palette.

I could pop this in my pouch for emergency touch ups.

Meh, but generous size. I could give this away to a friend who likes hairsprays.

Which brings me to the Milk lipstick in color “C.R.E.A.M.”

This has got to be the smallest lipstick I’ve ever seen in my life! It’s beyond cute. There has to be a barbie somewhere missing her lipstick. Or (as liguriansea of BT mentioned) this is a lipstick seed that will eventually grow into a grand lipstick tree.

It looks so pitiful in my palm, like a baby bird trembling on the ground 😦

I swear, that picture gives me the illusion that the other samples are huge, or FS. But you’ve all seen how small the Kiehl cream is.

… it’s so small!

I can’t even gift this away. Nor does it seem significant enough to garner a spot on my dressing table. In my pouch? I’ll definitely lose it.

The amount of product we receive is “0.4g/0.0014oz.” For comparison, the amount of product in a DS size Bite lipstick, is “2g/0.07oz.” Meaning this sample is 1/5th the size of a regular DS lipstick.

I tried to swatch it and this happens:

Whomp whomp.

This is baffling to me. Considering that it’s a new brand, I figured Milk Makeup would send out wonderful samples that would live up to their claims. I realize the sample designs don’t necessarily translate to the full sized lipsticks, but is this really the first impression they mean to make?

That being said, “C.R.E.A.M” is a rather pretty color.

It’s in that category of dusty, muted Rose that I adore. NARS “Dolce Vita” and Buxom “Sinful Cinnamon” comes to mind, though they aren’t really dupes.

This goes on creamy matte, meaning it does accentuate my lip lines. But as long as you don’t have horrible dry lips like I do, it shouldn’t be a problem.

Because I won’t be doing a separate review for this, here’s the ingredient list for the lipstick.

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How did you like your March 2016 Birchbox? Did any of you have a good laugh over the tiny Milk lipstick? Would you purchase the FS?