Birchbox Men Review: February 2015

The Birchbox Men selection this month was a whole new world compared to last month, and it's definitely something I would recommend. However, I've decided I'll probably put my Birchbox subscriptions on hold from here out until they can commit to being cruelty-free. I feel like a company with this size and buying power should be the driving force behind change, and although they seem to be heading in that direction, it bothers me that they won't make it official. So sadly I will be waiting for that to change. I really did like this box, though.

The box was in a box with these no-show loafer socks on top. I had seen in my spoilers that I was getting socks (trust me - when you see the socks, you will understand that even if my husband had wanted to keep socks originally, there was no way he was wearing these). So when I opened the box and saw these, I was not happy. However, they appear to be a "bonus item." Neither of us will use them, but since they weren't officially part of the box, I don't mind so much.

Inside the box, though, were the socks we were promised - two pairs! My husband actually laughed aloud when I showed them to him and said they were his. He's basically a tube sock guy, but I can never have enough socks. And these are awesome for me!

The personal care products were mostly unisex, too, which is better in our case. The shampoo from Malin + Goetz is peppermint, which is my favorite aside from citrus! My husband doesn't care at all what kind of shampoo he uses, and this one is small so I may keep it for me!

Proper Soap was also included and I can never have enough soap. This one smells good, is socially conscious, and vegan and cruelty-free.

Our last item was a cologne sample. My husband doesn't wear cologne generally, although mostly because he thinks the majority of it smells awful. This one smells really nice from English Laundry, but I can't find anything anywhere on their policies on animal testing. Unless it's verified they're cruelty-free, we won't use it.

Overall, I actually really liked this month's Birchbox Men and my husband would normally use all these items. However, it's somewhat ridiculous for a company the size of Birchbox to make consumers responsible for checking the products themselves. Until I know the items are cruelty free, I will stick to options that promise it.