The December 2015 Birchbox was themed ‘All Wrapped Up’, and came packaged as a little ‘early present’ for the holidays. 🙂 It came with little goodies to help us feel festive, like warm sexy fragrances, and hydrating skin serums. So keep on reading for my unboxing, rundown of all the beauty products in my box, and my overall Birchbox December 2015 review!
The Unboxing
My Review
In total, my December 2015 Birchbox included five small-sized samples in the skincare, makeup, fragrance, and hair care departments. Here are the products I received, along with my initial impressions of each.
Harvey Prince Sea Salt Texturizing Mist (Full size: $24 for 6 fl. oz. / 175 ml, Value of sample: $1.08 for .27 fl. oz. / 8 ml) – This is a quick way to add a little extra texture and volume to your hair. I quite like the formula – it’s lightweight and not sticky-feeling, and has a very light fresh, almost fruity, scent to it.
Avène Hydrance Optimale Hydrating Serum (Full size: $36 for 1.01 fl. oz./30 ml, Value of sample: $6 for 5ml / 0.1 fl. oz.) – This serum is absolutely perfect for the Winter months – I’ll typically add a serum into my routine in the drier months of the year to help hydrate my skin even further. I really like this one – it’s lightweight and absorbs quickly, leaving my skin soft, smooth, and supple.
Supergoop!® Daily Correct CC Cream SPF 35+ (Full size: $32 for 1.6 fl. oz. / 47 ml, Value of sample: $2.04 for 3ml) – I actually see this as more of a Summer product. I may end up mixing this with my foundation to add some of it’s benefits to my usual makeup (like the SPF, Omega-3 and Omega-6), or I’ll tuck it away for the Spring/Summer.
Silhouette by Christian Siriano Eau de Parfum (Full size: $68 for 50ml, Value of sample: $1.63 for 1.2ml) – This is a very warm, sexy, sophisticated scent. Definitely made for evening wear during the Fall and Winter seasons, and would be perfect for a holiday party! It reminds me a lot of BCBG Max Azria Bon Genre, only slightly more sweet.
Coastal Scents® styleEYES Palette (Full size: $12 for 12.89 g/0.448 oz, Value of sample: $0.61 for 0.65g / 0.023oz) – I’ve never tried Coastal Scents eyeshadows before, so I was happy to get to sample two shadows in this box. I was a little disappointed though with the size of the shadows – the pans are so tiny! – however, the colors are gorgeous (perfect for adding some drama to a holiday makeup look) and quite pigmented too, so I’m sure to get some use out of it.
Here’s a swatch of the two makeup items, including the tinted CC Cream (left), and eyeshadows (right).
Final Thoughts
Overall, I wasn’t particularly thrilled with my December 2015 Birchbox. The samples were pretty small, and the value that I’m used to seeing just wasn’t there. (In total, I calculated a $11.63 value for all the products.) The box did however come with a $10 off coupon, so that was a nice bonus!
If you’d like to try out Birchbox’s monthly box, sign up here using my link and enter code HAPPY5 to get $5 off your box (valid through January 9th, 2016). And if you are subscribed, let me know what you thought about your December 2015 Birchbox samples!
