Posted December 21, 2019 by notcreative Beauty Protector

Birchbox December 2019 Review For Once It’s All About You And A Coupon Code

By Kimberly

My December 2019 Birchbox review is ready. Birchbox subscriptions get customized to your beauty profile. All boxes are a mixture of haircare, makeup, and skincare. There are times when body care items pop up, and you can select an option to receive no more than 6 fragrance vials a year in your profile. You could get a box with 2 haircare items, 2 makeup items, and 1 skincare item or any similar variety, but you will rarely see more than 2 items from any category unless the third is a foil. If you are looking for a box that is mostly makeup or mostly skincare, this is not it. Those looking for a well-rounded sample box may enjoy this subscription.

Annual Birchbox Review

This is my December 2019 Birchbox review, but you can see a synopsis of a year of Sephora Play Box reviews vs a year of Birchbox reviews. Every year, I review my $10 boxes (for me at least) against each other, so I can declare the annual winner. This is also helpful for those who would like to see a year of reviews for either box in one place. Birchbox did raise its prices for select members, but it is still $10 for me. For those who are not ACES on the $10 plan, I will consider that when I do the annual comparison for 2019.

About the Birchbox Subscription

The $10-$15 charge processes immediately for new subscribers and on the 1st in succeeding months. Boxes usually ship from the 8th through the 12th. At the end of every month (actual date varies), Birchbox will email an option to select a sample (from a choice of 3-5 items), or the featured box where you know all samples up front. Those who respond to that email can also opt out of one type of sample. If you want a sample choice and the featured box, I suggest making a choice and purchasing the featured box separately. Subscribers can review 5 samples for 10 points each once during the lifetime of the account. Those who pay full-price for their subscriptions up front get points to use toward shop purchases. People who use a discount code on up front subscriptions will not get points. No one on a month-to-month plan gets points for the subscription either. The amount spent for the subscription goes toward the $300 annual minimum to achieve Aces status.

December 2019 Birchbox Theme

Birchbox makes a custom box design for each month. This month has a galactic design. It makes me think of a fancy compass. I love that it opens like a keepsake box and is made of very durable cardboard.

There is a frame with a poem in the lid, but you could easily substitute a picture inside.

The first thing you normally see when you open a Birchbox is a product card.

The back of the card goes over the theme, which is a thank you from Birchbox to its subscribers.

Contents are loose inside the box with a single piece of black foam at the bottom and a single sheet of tissue paper encircling the items. The tissue helped keep the items in place, so everything arrived intact.

December 2019 Birchbox Sample Choices

Option 1: There were four curated boxes to choose from.

Female-Founded Brands: Briogeo Be Gentle Be Kind Replenishing Superfood Shampoo, Briogeo Be Gentle Be Kind Replenishing Superfood Conditioner, ModelCo Highlighting Shimmer Whip, Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Lengthening Mascara, Real Chemistry Luminous 3-Minute Peel, and ARROW BOOST Color Enhancing Lip Balm Berry Busy.

Golden Glow: TOCCA Maya Eau de Parfum, Whal Myung WM5™ Antioxidant Rejuvenating Serum, MAC Cosmetics Lipstick Delish, Smith & Cult Nailed Lacquer Shattered Souls, Oribe Matte Waves Texture Lotion, and Beauty Protector Protect & Oil.

Holiday Favorites: Acure Radically Rejuvenating Sheet Mask, Love of Color Shadow, MAC Cosmetics Strobe Cream, ModelCo Highlighting Shimmer Whip, and Beautaniq Beauty Glow Serum.

Night Out Routine (Aces Exclusive): Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle, Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream, Lipstick Queen Method In The Madness Lipstick, DOUCCE Punk Volumizer Mascara, thisworks® deep sleep™ pillow spray, and Love of Color One & Done Shadow Stick.

Option 2: Swap For a Full-Size Lipstick

Lipstick Queen Frog Prince Lipstick

Option 3: Select a Sample

Briogeo Be Gentle Be Kind Replenishing Superfood Shampoo and Briogeo Be Gentle Be Kind Replenishing Superfood Conditioner, (MALIN+GOETZ) Brightening Enzyme Mask, or Phase Zero Makeup Blusher in Cotton Candy.

Option 4: Swap For Points

Turn your Monthly sub money into points to redeem in the shop. Points expire, so make sure you will make a purchase soon if you pick this option.

Option 5: Do Nothing

This is best for those who want a surprise.

I chose curated box two.

My December 2019 Birchbox Subscription Review

This box includes: a fragrance, a nail polish, two haircare products, one skincare product, and one makeup product.

The 0.17oz Whal Myung WM5™ Antioxidant Rejuvenating Serum is worth $8.16. This is a hydrating serum that has some interesting claims. It claims it uses Skin Fitting Membrane Technology to help skin absorb the formula’s five-herb complex and 11 vitamins to restore vitality and strength. I think the moisture beads look awesome.

The full-size 0.1oz MAC Cosmetics Lipstick in Delish retails for $18.50. I love MAC lipstick and this is the main reason I selected this box. It’s always nice to get a good deal on a full-size one.

The bronzy-peach shade has a pearly finish, which is really festive. I think it looks like p great party topper. Once I wear this, I will edit in a picture and review.

The 0.05oz TOCCA Maya Eau de Parfum is worth $2.24. I have not decided whether I will keep this or not. Wild iris, sweet violet leaf, blackcurrant complemented by patchouli and oakmoss notes do not sound appealing to me. Then again, it would not hurt to try it and pass it on if I do not like it.

The full-size 0.5oz Smith & Cult Nailed Lacquer Shattered Souls retails for $18. I really love these polish bottles. They are beautiful and substantial. It would be nice if they fit in my nail polish holders, but they are a work of art. When it comes to the polishes themselves, the quality is hit or miss. Compare this to my other gold nail polishes.

The 0.5oz Oribe Matte Waves Texture Lotion is worth $6.18. I love products that work with air dried hair, because that is the way I roll more often than not. This is something I will try and hope I do not love given its price.

The 0.25oz Beauty Protector Protect & Oil is worth $2.33. I am guessing on the value, because I am unsure on the size. This is a sample I’ve enjoyed in the past. It has a very sweet scent, which I love. My hair never looks greasy, as long as I do not apply too much. If I have frizz, this does seem to help, but it does not help as much with fly-aways.

I added the Chuao Chocolatier Taste of Holiday Gift Set for $10 to the box, because I thought I saw a card in a precious box that said we would get $5 off any full-size item added to the December box. When I was charged, I only got $2 off instead of $5.

My husband and I had the Exploding Coal and For The Love Of Peppermint. The boys had Joy & Gingerbread and Cookies All The Way. They were good, but I am not sure they were worth $1 each, which is what I ended up paying.

Was My December 2019 Birchbox Worth It?

The December 2019 Birchbox has a $55.41 value. That brings the value for the average box in 2019 to $42.15. My personal value is also $55.41, because I will probably try everything in this box. Other than the perfume, which really misses the mark, this box is right us my alley. Everything in it delivers on things I already enjoy or things I really want to try. If it was not a December box, I probably would have been less thrilled to see a glitter polish and pearly lipstick, but I get the glitzy theme. My hair and skin and living for the moisture this box is bringing.

Subscription Start-Up Offers

See my list of Birchbox subscription offers. Want to subscribe? Click that link to see the current start-up offers. If you’re reading this around the time I’ve posted it, the one I posted below will work.

Get a kit based off how long you commit.

What are your thoughts on my December 2019 Birchbox review? Do you think it is better than past boxes so far? Let me know below. If your purchase is over $25 (longer subscriptions or purchasing something from the shop with the subscription), you can pick a free item from the bonus shop if you do not use a subscription start-up offer or discount code, which I cover on my Birchbox Deals Page. Some discount codes on that page will not work on subscriptions, but I will post any that work on my Birchbox Subscription Deals Page. You can always add a free two piece sample pack when spending $35, because it combines with any promo code. Tips For Getting the Best Deal lays out all the ways I know to save money at Birchbox. Product reviews do not always make it into the haul article, but you can always type the product into the search bar to see if I’ve mentioned it or reviewed it elsewhere. Subscribe to the blog to get updates on all posts. View my main page for the guide map to the site and deeper deal exploration.

Disclosure: Affiliate Links

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I'm Kimberly. Shopping is always more fun when I've found the best deal available, so I am always on the hunt. My father instilled that in me, and I love that I carry a piece of him. Sometimes, my husband and sons (13 and 8) let me shop for them, too. They do not use as many beauty products as I do. We can all benefit from nice products, even though their routine ends with moisturizer. That is when I can convince my 13-year-old to apply it.