May 2015 Birchbox Canada - Subscription Box Review

Birchbox is the original sample beauty box and has been in the U.S.A. since 2010 - and this is only the 6th month it has been available in Canada. It is $10 a month + $4.95 shipping to Canada (you can save money by signing up for a year for $100 + shipping costs). Each month you receive 5 sample (or full size) products based on a beauty profile you complete.

Birchbox Canada describes itself as:
"Five personalized beauty samples delivered right to your door each month. It’s the best way to find the products you’ll love."

(It should be noted that if you see the U.S. Birchbox - Canadian's receive different products. I hope this expands and we get access to all the products available to out American counterparts soon! I like that some boxes (such as Ipsy and Glossybox) offer the exact boxes to Canadians - I am hoping Birchbox does the same at some point!)

Here is the May 2015 Birchbox Canada:

This box is super cute and designed by Cupcakes and Cashmere! 

Birchbox always includes a product card explaining what they have included:

Here is a closer look at the products inside:

Not Soap, Radio "Joy Inducing" Body Wash ~ sample size 1.5 oz for $2.20 (full size is 13.61 oz for $20). In the ever-expanding world of beauty products, soap can sometimes get the short shrift—until you happen upon a collection like this one. Sure, it’ll get you clean, but these aromatherapeutic formulas also aim to address the most pressing of your first-world problems—with a snarky sense of humor and seriously delicious scents.
I like the scent and packaging of this product; however, I feel like I have received more body washes than I would like from Birchbox. 

Number 4 Non-Areosol Hair Spray ~ sample size 30 ml for $5.10 (full size is 200 ml for $34). It’s rare to find a hairspray that’s great for our hair and the environment. This non-aerosol mist fits the mold: it’s full of natural botanicals to nourish strands, and it provides the strong yet flexible hold you need to tame flyaways and support updos. Best of all, the earth-friendly formula doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals.
I generally do not like non-areosol hairspray - I find it is too wet for styling my bangs and that is all I use hairspray for generally! I think I will pass this on. 

Essentiel Elements Body Lotion "Wake Up Rosemary" ~ sample size 1.5 oz for $4.31 (full size is 8 oz for $23). A little grease can be good in your car or your kitchen, but it certainly doesn’t belong on your skin. This therapeutic lotion packs a lightweight formula that’s free of both paraben and petrol, so it won’t clog your pores and produce a greasy residue. It’s also enriched with a host of essential oils, which leave skin smooth, hydrated, and superbly scented.
This lotion bottle is really cute, but the scent is very overwhelming! It is super strong - I will still use it, but probably not for my whole body! 

Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream ~  sample size 0.1 oz for $8 (full size is 0.5 oz for $40). Thanks to this powerful cream, even stressed-out workaholics can feign eight hours of sleep. It fades dark under eye circles with day-to-day application. The thick caramel-colored refreshment works to preserve the elasticity of the delicate under eye area while protecting skin from free radicals.
Thanks to subscription boxes, I feel like I have enough eye cream to last me 10 years! I do have this one already in a line up to try - I think I am going to pass this sample on!

LAQA & Co. Sheer Lip Lube Pencil in "Menatour" ~ sample size 2g for $17.67 (full size 2.83g for $25). LAQA & Co. aims to arm women everywhere with not only the highest quality lip and nail products possible, but also the most convenient lip and nail products possible. From a day of errands to a friend of a friend’s house party to an impromptu selfie, this easy-to-use lip pencil provides high gloss and sheer color, no sharpener required.
This color is described as purple; here is a look:

I'm not really on the purple color lip bandwagon, but I thought that I would give this a shot! I'm quite shocked at the value of the sample because I thought it was rather small - maybe I have friend who wants purple lip color! 

Altogether I received 5 products (all sample size) with a total value of $37.28 - this is a good value. Unfortunately, this box is just not really for me. The lipgloss color was not good, the lotion is quite strong, I won't use the hairspray, and the eye cream and the body wash are fine, just not exciting. 

What did you think of this month's Birchbox?