August Birchbox FAIL!

After having a fairly decent Birchbox last month, this month's box is absolute failure. This month's theme was Back To school and I'm not really sure how my box relates to that. Birchbox also partnered up with Pencils of Promise to donate 15% of the proceeds from the Birchbox shop. Pencils of Promise builds schools in Central America (and I don't mean Kansas). That's nice and all but I'm sure there are school districts here in the US that could use that donation as well. I live in county where the school district has pretty much been gutted by budget cuts. Anyhoo, enough politics, I received the dreaded Box #6.

August Birchbox

• Viva La Juicy Le Fleur Perfume sample 0.05fl oz. (Full Size Retail 2.25oz $70) The uplifting scent opens with a sparkling cascade of mandarin and wild berries. Next, sweet notes of honeysuckle, gardenia petals, and jasmine peek through, followed by a lingering trace of waterlily. This was in all the boxes this month. I don't hate it but I don't particularly love it either. This will probably go in the trade pile. 
• Beauty Fixation Make Up Remover 3 QTips (Full Size Retail 20ct $5) Each swab is soaked with an aloe vera rich formula to nourish your skin, while gently breaking up long-wear makeup. The thin swab applicator fixes minor beauty blunders in a pinch and can be tossed when you’re done. Touch up and go! Please try to hold your applause until the end. That's a whole 3 Qtips with makeup remover in them. I have a pack of these from Almay. I haven't tried these yet but really nothing to get excited about. *Added: I have learned that the boxes with the other varieties of these Qtips (nail polish remover, lip conditioner, etc) all received the full size version. What's up with that?*
• Schick Hyrdo Silk Razor (Lifestyle Extra) Oh yay a razor! Never tried one of those before. There are some coupons on the back as well. I can throw this in my bag when travelling I suppose. Again, nothing to get excited about.
• Comodynes Self-Tanning Intensive Wipes  2 ct (Full Size 8 ct $ 14.99) Made of natural viscose fibers, these napkin-sized towelettes come pre-soaked with a paraben-free, moisturizing formula that works with the natural proteins in your skin to give you a convincing tan.  I got these in my Beauty Box 5 way back in March. I am proud to be pale. I do not tan naturally. I burn to a crisp. I avoid sunlight as much as possible. People also mistakenly take me for someone much younger by about 6-8yrs. (I'm not saying this to be immodest. It just happens a lot). You can connect the dots on your own. I wish more women would accept who they are and give up this fake tan nonsense. If you can't tan naturally you look ridiculous. I find naturally darker or tan skin quite beautiful. I have to admit that every now and then I get jealous that I can't pull off some bold colors but it's all part of accepting who you are. 
• Comodynes Hydra-Tanning Face Moisturizing Summer Glow 2x Foil packs 0.10 fl oz (Full Size retail 1.35 fl oz. $20.98) Rich in vitamins E and F, this quick-absorbing lotion provides skin with continuous hydration. It gives you a buildable tan—if you use it every day, the color will progressively get more noticeable over time. Yay more self-tanner. See previous rant. This is second month in a row I've received foil packets. Foil packets are not deluxe samples. 
• DDF Brightening Cleanser 2 fl oz. (Full Size Retail 8oz $38) A cocktail of potent active ingredients works to fade the look of brown spots, scars, and redness while also leaving skin fresh and smooth. In addition to naturally brightening botanicals like mulberry bark, licorice root, and peach leaf, the formula has exfoliating glycolic and salicylic acids to refine skin’s texture and stave off blemishes. I don't have dark spots or any noticeable redness. So while this product isn't geared toward me specifically, I'll still use it. I used it last night and didn't notice anything special. I'll put it in line with the others. I have at least 7 more face wash samples from subscription boxes. *Added: Two different sizes of this were sent out as well. 2.0z and 4.0z. What's up with sending two different sizes of the same product?*

I typically keep an open mind and at least try my samples but I'm really disappointed with Birchbox this month. I'm not sure why I put up with so much disappointment from Birchbox. Maybe it's the points? I cut MyGlam off for far less. After my No-Buy, I really analyze all my purchases. Birchbox has a new feature where you can see all of your past boxes. So I decided to tally up how many products I loved and hated over the last six months to see if I'm really getting my money's worth out of Birchbox. I'm not one to do math for fun, so this should clue you in on how upset I was about this month's box. Here are the results for 32 products over six months at a total of $60. 

I used a handy online pie chart generator for this.

As you can see, products I didn't like or traded make up the majority at a combined 56% or $33.60. Products I loved came in at 16% or $9.60. So no, Birchbox, is not giving me enough value for my money. I should just cash out my points this month when I get six month 20% off coupon. Part of me wants to stick around for another month because it's Birchbox and was the pioneer in the field of beauty boxes and it should be the best. I can't really argue with the numbers though.