Birchbox Signature

Birchbox Signature is the elevated beauty subscription for those who want full-size products from premium brands. Delivered every other month, each box contains 4 carefully curated full-size products worth up to $175. Choose your products from a selection of prestige skincare, makeup, and haircare brands.

Birchbox Signature is the premium tier for beauty enthusiasts who want to skip the samples and go straight to full-size products. Delivered every other month, it offers higher-end brands and greater value per box.

Pricing Plans

Plan	Price	Per Box	Savings
Bi-Monthly	$50 every 2 months	$50.00	-
3-Box (6 months)	$144 prepaid	$48.00	Save 4%
6-Box (Annual)	$264 prepaid	$44.00	Save 12%

Note: Signature boxes ship every other month, so a 6-box plan covers a full year.

What’s Included

• 4 Full-Size Products: No samples - everything is full-size
• Up to $175 Value: Premium products at a fraction of retail
• Prestige Brands: Kate Somerville, Dr. Brandt, Skinfix, Salt & Stone
• Your Choice: Select your products from curated options
• Seasonal Curation: Products matched to the current season

How It Works

Birchbox Signature’s bi-monthly subscription cycle delivers full-size premium beauty products with complete customization:

1. Subscribe and Choose Plan: Select from bi-monthly ($50), 3-box prepaid ($144, saves 4%), or 6-box annual prepaid ($264, saves 12%) plans through Birchbox’s website. Signature ships every other month, so a 6-box plan covers a full year. Unlike Birchbox Monthly’s partial customization, Signature gives you full control over all 4 products.

2. Bi-Monthly Choice Window Opens: Approximately one week before your billing date (which occurs every other month), Birchbox emails you that your Signature choice window is open. Log into your account to see your curated selection of premium products across categories:

• Skincare (serums, moisturizers, treatments, masks)
• Makeup (palettes, lipsticks, mascaras, liners)
• Haircare (styling products, treatments, tools)
• Body care (luxe lotions, bath products)
• Fragrance (designer perfumes, niche scents)

All products are full-size retail items from prestige brands like Kate Somerville, Dr. Brandt, Skinfix, Salt & Stone, and other premium names not typically found in drugstores.

3. Select Your 4 Products: Browse 20-40 available products and choose the 4 items you want in your Signature box. The interface shows:

• Product photos and brand information
• Full ingredient lists and product descriptions
• Retail value for each item
• Reviews from previous Birchbox members who received these products
• Skin type/hair type recommendations

You have 3-5 days to make your selections. Strategic selection tips:

• Balance categories (e.g., 2 skincare + 1 makeup + 1 hair)
• Choose high-value items to maximize your $44-50 investment
• Read reviews to avoid products with common complaints
• Consider seasonal needs (SPF in summer, rich moisturizers in winter)

4. Billing and Confirmation: After the choice window closes, Birchbox charges your payment method ($44-50 depending on plan) and confirms your 4 selected products via email. You’ll receive a packing notification showing exactly what’s shipping - no surprises.

5. Box Assembly and Shipping: Within 5-10 business days of billing, your Signature box ships. Because products are full-size retail items, boxes are larger than Birchbox Monthly’s sample-size packaging. Shipping is free for US addresses (Alaska and Hawaii may have additional fees).

6. Receive and Unbox Your Signature Box: Your box arrives in Birchbox’s signature packaging (larger format than Monthly boxes to accommodate full-size products). Inside you’ll find:

• 4 full-size beauty products you personally selected
• Product information cards
• Birchbox magazine with beauty tips and tutorials
• Access codes for Members Market discounts

Everything is retail-packaged - you’re receiving the same full-size products sold at Sephora, Ulta, or department stores, not deluxe samples.

7. Use and Evaluate Products: Over the next two months (before your next Signature box), incorporate your 4 full-size products into your beauty routine:

• Full-size skincare lasts 3-6 months with daily use
• Full-size makeup products provide months to years of use
• Full-size haircare offers 4-8 weeks of regular application

This bi-monthly cadence prevents product overload - you have 8 weeks to actually use items before receiving 4 more products.

8. Rate Your Products: Log into your Birchbox account and rate each Signature product 1-5 stars. While Signature offers full customization (making ratings less critical for algorithm curation), your feedback helps:

• Inform future product selections in subsequent choice windows
• Provide review data for other members making decisions
• Influence which brands Birchbox partners with for future Signature offerings

9. Access Members Market Benefits: Your Signature subscription includes access to Birchbox’s Members Market - an online shop offering additional beauty products at member-only pricing. Signature subscribers often receive enhanced discounts or early access to limited releases.

10. Manage Subscription Flexibly: Through your account dashboard, you can:

• Skip a cycle if you have product overload (especially useful before holidays when you might receive gift beauty products)
• Update beauty preferences if your skin type or color preferences change
• Switch to Monthly subscription if you prefer sample discovery over full-size
• Cancel without fees (monthly billing) or manage remaining prepaid boxes

Timing: Signature boxes ship every other month. If you subscribe in January, you’ll receive boxes in January, March, May, July, September, November. Choice windows open approximately one week before each billing cycle.

Who It’s For

Best For:

• Full-Size Product Lovers: Those tired of accumulating deluxe samples and wanting retail-size products they’ll actually finish using
• Premium Brand Enthusiasts: Beauty lovers who prefer prestige brands (Kate Somerville, Dr. Brandt, Skinfix) over mass-market drugstore options
• Bi-Monthly Preference Subscribers: People who find monthly beauty boxes overwhelming and prefer deliveries every 8 weeks
• Value-Per-Product Maximizers: Shoppers calculating cost-per-item who recognize up to $175 value for $44-50 represents significant savings
• Full Control Seekers: Those who want to choose every product rather than receiving curated surprises
• Seasonal Beauty Switchers: People who adjust skincare/makeup routines seasonally and appreciate selecting products matching current needs
• Birchbox Monthly Graduates: Existing Monthly subscribers ready to upgrade to full-size products at higher tier
• Gift Enthusiasts Treating Themselves: Those who view bi-monthly Signature boxes as scheduled self-care treats
• Product Testers: Beauty lovers who’ve tried samples and want to commit to full sizes of brands they know they love
• Minimalists Avoiding Sample Clutter: Prefer 4 full-size items every 2 months over 5-6 samples monthly

Not Ideal For:

• Discovery-Focused Beauty Fans: If you love trying many new brands and products, Monthly’s sample variety provides more discovery opportunities
• Budget-Restricted Shoppers: At $44-50 every other month ($264-300/year), Signature is premium-priced compared to sample-based subscriptions
• Monthly Unboxing Addicts: If you need monthly beauty excitement, waiting 2 months between boxes feels too long
• Those Who Hate Making Decisions: Full customization requires active participation - if you prefer experts to curate for you, Monthly’s partial customization suits better
• Emerging Brand Lovers: Signature focuses on prestige/premium brands rather than indie discoveries - if you prefer supporting small beauty brands, other boxes showcase emerging names better
• Teenagers/College Students: Premium pricing and prestige brands target established beauty enthusiasts rather than beginners building first collections
• Impulse Cancellers: Bi-monthly billing creates longer commitment windows - if you need flexibility to cancel immediately, monthly subscriptions offer faster exit
• Those Wanting Physical Stores: Birchbox closed retail locations - if you prefer testing products in-person before purchasing, Sephora Play or Ulta subscriptions integrate with stores
• Sensitive Skin Requiring Patch Testing: Committing to full-size products without sampling first risks wasting money if products cause reactions

Birchbox Signature works best for established beauty enthusiasts who know what types of products work for their skin/hair and prefer full-size prestige items over sample discovery. The bi-monthly cadence prevents product overload while still providing regular beauty treats, and full customization ensures you only receive products you’re excited about. However, the higher price point and requirement to actively select products means this works better as an upgrade for existing Birchbox fans rather than an entry point for beauty subscription newcomers.