Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Beauty Subscriptions - Birchbox Edition

I'm kinda failing miserably at this regular posting bit.  Oy.

My newest obsession these days are beauty subscriptions.  I discovered Birchbox last year, and got my first box last May, and I am in love.  LUV.   For only $10 per month, you get 4-6 beauty and lifestyle samples delivered straight to your door.  I love it for many reasons, but the main reasons include finding products I would have NEVER found on my own, plus the fact that it takes no effort on my end to go to a mall or Sephora to ask for samples.

Birchbox has you fill out a profile, and works to tailor your box to your profile.  It's a pretty imperfect process, because they have some 200,000 or so subscribers and on 30-some box variations, but in the entire time I've been a subscriber, there has only been 1 box that I've really been truly disappointed in.

Birchbox is also wicked cool because of a points system - each item that you get in your box is worth 10 points if you review it, and for every 100 points, you get $10 to spend in Birchbox's store.  PLUS, every dollar you spend on the website is worth 1 point, so you collect points as you spend.  The points system alone makes Birchbox worth it for me.  I essentially get $10 in store credit every 2 months.  So awesome.

Last month I decided I love Birchbox so much that I'd get a second box each month.  I think next month (May) will be my last month doing that, but we'll see.  Now, on to my April Birchboxes!

On my main account, where I am truthful about everything - age, make-up preferences, salary, etc, I got Box 23 with Caudalie Divine Oil, Nexxus Youth Renewal Rejuvenating Elixir, StriVectin-SD Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles, Mirenesse Glossy Kiss (in an orangish-red shade), and Mighty Leaf Tea.  Turns out I hate tea, so that immediately went to a co-worker.  The Glossy Kiss lip pencil looked cool, but I didn't want to even try it.  I have so many redish lip colors from the last few months of my subs, that I decided to trade it...it went out in the mail today already - ha!  The other 3 products I haven't tried yet, but I'm super excited.

On my second account, where I am less truthful about my age (I WISH I was in my early twenties!  No, wait...I really don't), make-up preferences, and salary, I received Box 10.  This box had in it (MALIN+GOETZ) cilantro hair conditioner, Herban Essentials Towelettes, Caudalie SOS Morning Eye Rescue, another Mirenesse Glossy Kiss (this time in red), and some Hail Merry Macaroons.  Once again, the Mireensse went right up for trade (and again, went out in the mail today!) - I just can't handle another red.  There is apparently a pinkish color that went out in some boxes that I would have loved to have gotten, but oh well.  I was oddly still VERY please to be getting a full-sized item in both boxes, lol.  As for the other products in this box, I've tried the Morning Eye Rescue for the past 3 days (no results so far), and eventually I'll eat those macaroons.  The conditioner and towelettes I'm not so enthused about.  They'll maybe get used eventually.  Or go up for trade eventually.  This box didn't really seem fit for someone in their early twenties, but oddly enough is probably ok for someone my age, so...it works.

Overall, Birchbox is fabulous, and I love, love, love getting it each month.  I meant to take photos of my boxes to share, but I ended up combining them right away (ie, throwing everything in one box, and then dumping that one box into my large stash of samples), so I never got around to it.  Sorry!!  Next month?

No comments: