BirchBox June 2014 Review

I mentioned in a previous post that I was going to try the Birchbox subscription for men. Birchbox sends me a box once a month for $20. Included in this box are grooming samples suited to my profile preferences, as well as one "lifestyle item" (which was a pretty nifty wallet this month). I received my first box yesterday and have since tried out everything in the box. This is what I thought.

This is what the box looked like, it had a little slide out drawer that contained everything.

Each box contains a card explaining what you're looking at.

Smurf Skin Wallet.

 J Fold brand card carrier: This is a slim wallet that's designed to hold just a few cards along with some cash. I got the blue one. I switched to a slim wallet a while back and have absolutely loved it. I'm giving it the ol' college try, switching out my $4 slimclip. This wallet doesn't hold as much as my slimclip, only about five cards. But it has the added benefits of being both soft and looking like it's made from Paul Bunyan's blue ox. If you haven't at least tried a slim wallet, it's well worth consolidating your wallet, especially if you're still carrying around a thick bi-fold walled it your back pocket. 

Almond Tart and Sand Face Wash.

Baxter of California Facial Scrub: My favorite sample. This facial scrub was like taking a Dutch almond tart, mixing it with gravel and sand and then rubbing it on your face; but in a good way. It's an exfoliating scrub that is recommended to be used twice a week. The exfoliation is a coarse sandy texture that works to remove dead skin and such. Also, it smells like a delicious pastry and leaves your skin feeling like dolphin hide. 

Hotel Soap That You Swipe While on Vacation.

Proper Bar Soap: This soap was nice, but it was essentially a glorified hotel bar soap. It lathered up nicely and had a very "standard clean" smell to it. My skin felt not overly dry like it did in my "Irish Spring" days. That being said, I don't think I would spend $10 for a full sized bar, not unless it was made from goat milk and kumquats.

The cheapest Fancy Shaving Cream!

Proraso Shave Cream: I like this shaving cream. So much that I am currently still working through the bar soap version of this shaving cream right now. Still, I gave this a shot to see if there are any differences. If there are, they are too few to notice. The shaving cream uses eucalyptus and menthol to add a refreshing kick to your shaving routine. It's not going to make your face feel like freshly brushed teeth, but it's a nice refreshing feel. If you get distracted while shaving and take too long to complete the task the cream dries and flakes, making the shave less than perfect. This is easily avoided if you just shave in a timely manner.

Concentrated Island Smells in a Bottle.

English Laundry; Tahitian Waters Cologne:  I don't wear Cologne often, but this was a pleasant enough scent. The name is apt, it has smells of coconut palm trees with that standard, sharp scent familiar to all cologne and perfume products. Fun little sample, not an overly strong scent but enough to add a little something extra to your routine.  

Conclusion: I tried out every sample within a span of six hours. The last time I wore that much fancy stuff was on my wedding day, and even then I didn't have the nice shaving cream. The wallet is practical and a nice upgrade, something I'll be using for a while. The rest of the box offered a chance to broaden my pool of grooming products, but the only two I could see myself potentially buying more of is the shaving cream (since I already buy it) and the facial scrub. As an inaugural box goes, it wasn't too bad at all. Not disappointing and can't wait for the next box.

If you're interested in signing up, here is a link to the program (yes it's a referral link and will help me out if you sign up through it).  It's $20 for the Men's box and $10 for the Women's. The Women's box omits the lifestyle item (the wallet in this instance)