HELLO, BIRCHBOX!: AUGUST 2013

New makeup every month in the mail - am I an adult or what?

So I jumped onto the bandwagon; I joined Birchbox.

For those of you out there who aren't familiar with Birchbox, you can Google it... just kidding, I know you won't do that - it's a monthly subscription service. $10 a month gets you a box in the mail filled with high-end makeup samples. It's fun, because you get to try new stuff that you normally wouldn't buy in full size. It's exciting, because you never know what you're going to get until you open your box. It's awesome, because it tailors your samples to your Birchbox profile, so each box is fairly unique and specific to you. 

I know this sounds silly coming from someone who just wrote a rant about Shoemint and their sneaky, deceptive, subscription ways, but Birchbox makes it extremely clear that they are a subscription service, and - to be honest - 10 bucks is a whole hell of a lot easier to let go of every month than 80.

But I digress...

I signed up for Birchbox a few weeks ago, and finally got my box in the mail! I haven't tried any of the products just yet, but I wanted to share with the Interwebz what came in my pretty little box this month.

Drum roll please...

Jasmine Seven Fresh Feet Wipes

"Alcohol-free towelettes that cleanse and soften with vitamin E, peppermint, and aloe. Refresh feet after running around town or in between shoe changes. Great for hands too!"

This was the first thing I pulled out of the box. Not gonna lie, I was not pleased to see that my makeup sample was actually a foot wipe. I'm glad that I can also use these wipes as hand wipes (as per the description on the card inside my box), but I doubt they'll get much love from me. If my feet are dirty, I'm washing them in the shower. If my hands are dirty, I'm washing them in the sink.

COOLA SPF 45 Sport - Mango

"This sweat-proof, water-resistant formula packs some protective power with six safe sunscreens. Apply all over body at least 15 minutes prior to heading out into the sun."

Another just-not-up-my-alley product. I'm sure it smells and functions great, but sunscreen is sunscreen in my eyes. At this point, I was beginning to think that I had accidentally clicked a profile setting that made the Birchbox people think I was outdoorsy, until...

Amika Obliphica Blow Up Spray

"Lightweight mist that adds lift and leaves and Obliphica berry scent for the perfect blowout. Spray on damp hair before blow-drying. Use on dry hair as a restyling spray for light hold."

Eureka! I don't even care if this stuff works - this is what I'm looking for from Birchbox. I want products that I can test out and actually see results from. Plus, I'm always looking to try new hair products. Added bonus - learned today that the Obliphica berry smells fantastic.

Jouer Eye Definer

"Smudge-resistant eyeliner that glides on smoothly for easy definition. Line upper and lower lids, leaving inner corners free."

Not even a sample size on this bad boy! Birchbox straight up gave me the full size (thanks, you guys). When I opened the cap, this pencil looked dark black or brown. I rubbed some onto my hand though, and it's a beautiful brown shade with very subtle shimmer that I think will be very pretty on my skin. While I'm an Urban-Decay-eyeliner-for-life kinda girl, this pencil did glide on super smoothly. They may have made a fan out of me.

Benefit Cosmetics Triple Performing Facial Emulsion + Total Moisture Facial Cream + It's Potent! Eye Cream

"A three-step system for scoring an ultraradiant, youthful, and deeply hydrated complexion. Apply emulsion to clean skin. Follow with a small amount of facial cream and dab of eye cream."

SCORE! I love me some Benefit and I've always wanted to try a skin brightening kit. While I wish these samples had lids so that I could really milk them, I'll make it work. 

Overall, I was decently pleased with this Birchbox. I love the last three products and absolutely cannot wait to use them. As far as the first two blunders, you've got to expect a certain amount of error when you get a product tailored to an online profile of poll-style Q&As (after all, we're not talking about Match.com here! < sarcasm). After I went through the box, I got online and edited my profile to try to weed out any icky foot wipes or sunscreens in my next boxes.

I'm pretty excited to see what comes in the future! I don't expect to buy any full size products - I just want to have a fun time playing around with samples. Maybe this is premature, but I think I see a long, fruitful relationship with Birchbox just beginning to blossom.