Birchbox: How I Get Salon Quality Beauty Products for Cheap
For those of you out there that are moms, you know that right after you have your baby, you generally feel like the biggest slob in the world. For the first nearly 2 months of both my girls' lives, leggings, big shirts, ponytails and dry shampoo were my jam. To be completely honest, I think I showered maybe every 3-4 days for the first few weeks. So gross I know, but this is real life, people! Since I wasn't going out in public all that much, I was totally ok with it - my poor husband probably was cringing inside but bless his heart he never said anything about it. Once I emerged from the fog of the 1st 6-8 weeks of adjusting to life with a newborn, I found both times that I had the itch to feel a bit more like myself again, to start to try and look more put together and presentable to the public.
Enter Birchbox. I LOVE box subscriptions. Of all types. Be it clothing, beauty products, or other samples, I love how easy they are. Whether or not you are a parent, undoubtedly you have times in your life when you are busy and just don't have time to indulge yourself. Maybe you don't like going out shopping for clothes or makeup. Maybe, like me, you find yourself in a style rut. This is why I love box subscriptions. They help me try new things and get me outside of my comfort zone without requiring me to leave the house. A lot of times, I have found an article of clothing or a product from one of my subscriptions that becomes a staple for me that I never would have tried otherwise. The best part - Birchbox in particular is only $10 a month! People, that's like the cost of a really nice drugstore mascara.
How does it work? (I'll talk about Birchbox specifically here) You go to their website (linked above), fill out a beauty profile, and they send you the goods! Boxes are sent once a month, between the 1st and 10th, and you can cancel at any time. You can choose from 3 options every month: The curated box, which you will know exactly what is in it before selecting; the sample choice box, in which you will select one item ahead of time from a specific list of options and the other 4 items will be chosen for you based on your profile; and the complete surprise box, in which all 5 items will be chosen based on your profile. Once your box is sent, you'll get a tracking number so you can stalk it while you are anxiously awaiting your goodies, which is totally what I do. You'll get an email with what's in your box which you can choose to look at before it gets there, or just wait for the surprise. I'll be honest, sometimes I peek!
Since I'm on Birchbox's mailing list, I get updates on sales, BOGOs, you name it. This past month, I re-upped my subscription 1) because I am in need of a cheap update to my beauty routine and 2) I got a free box with the box I bought. Both of my boxes came this past Friday and I tell you, it's like a mini-Christmas morning every time it comes. Also, how cute are these boxes?
Because I've already babbled quite a bit here, I'll start getting to the point for you and bullet point all of the items I got this month, if I've tried them, and what I like/don't like about them, starting with the Regular September Box and then moving to the BOGO box.
Regular September Box:
*Beauty Protector Protect & Oil (Full Size: $28): This is a great brand, and I've received a few of their other products in previous boxes and have also purchased their full size products. I haven't tried this yet, but definitely will. This is an awesome brand to protect your hair if you use styling tools. Everything I've tried of theirs smells divine!
*Lollia by Margot Elena In Love Eau de Parfum (Full Size: $50): Haven't tried this one yet. I'm not a huge fragrance person, but like getting these every now and then. I wouldn't buy the full size because it's more than I would want to spend on something I don't use that often, but sample sizes though are perfect for me and Birchbox does a great job of sending me scents that I like.
*MAC Cosmetics In Extreme Dimenstion 3D Black Lash Mascara (Full Size: $23):
LOVE IT. I used this mascara just this morning. You guys, I have stubby short lashes. This made me feel like my lashes looked longer, and the brush does a fantastic job of separating lashes so it doesn't look clumpy.
*Marcelle New-Age 8-in-1 Power Serum (Full Size: $37): Haven't tried this one yet either, but have liked Marcelle products in the past. I'm 34 and starting to see the effects of my age (and my kids!) on my skin, so I'll be curious to see if this one actually "fills in fine lines, lifts and firms" like it claims. To be honest, I'm skeptical that any topical treatment out there actually does this, or if we just THINK it does...
*Pixi by Petra LipLift Max - Honey Sheen (Full Size $14): Another one I like. I feel like I constantly have dry lips unless I have something on them, so I'm a sucker for glosses, lipsticks, and moisturizing stains. This one has a hint of menthol in it, so feels cooling on too! Birchbox typically sends glosses in the full size, and this was no exception.
Bonus Box:
*Kérastase Cristalliste Masque Cristal - Nourishing Masque (Full Size $62.50): I tried this the other night and loved it. My hair is super dry at the ends, and I only wash it every other day. This conditioner made it feel softer for 2 days and smells awesome. I wish the full size weren't so expensive, because I'd totally buy it.
*Cargo Blush and Bronzer Duo (Full Size: $35.00): I am wearing this today and love it. I don't use a lot of foundation/bronzer/blush on my face because I'm pretty pale and don't want it to look like I'm overdoing it. This was a perfect color combo to give me a bit of color, but not look like I've caked on the makeup.
*bbrowbar Brow Definer in Mysore Sandalwood (Full Size: $25.00): Much like my lashes, my eyebrows could always use some oomph. I will readily admit that in the past, I've used eyeshadow to fill them in. I didn't even know how to use a brow gel or brow pencil so when I received one in my box about a year ago, I had to ask someone at work. Now brow pencils are my BFF. This one has just enough color but not so much that it looks unnatural. Bonus: this came full size!
*ARROW Waterproof Brightener in (Full Size: $16.00): I don't love this one. I've gotten it in a previous box so was a little disappointed to get it again since I've already tried it. I also can't seem to master the eyeliner highlighter look. And I don't care to figure it out either.
*COOLA® SPF 30 Rōsilliance® Organic BB+ Cream in Golden (Full Size: $52.00): GIVE ME ALL THE COOLA PRODUCTS! I love love love everything from COOLA that Birchbox has ever sent me. This is a skincare line that has SPF in every product, and for a gal that has a family history of skin cancer, this is music to my ears. This BB cream, as well as every other COOLA product I've tried, goes on smooth and light and smells great. I can't even feel it on my skin. Added bonus - it's organic! The only thing that will hold me back from purchasing the full size is the price. Just too much for me to justify.
Well folks, that's a wrap on my first Birchbox review. If you're interested, head on over and check them out and comment back here what you think!
What are some other subscriptions that I should try out? What have you liked? What have you not liked? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
This week's blogs are going to be mostly product reviews, since I got my Birchbox AND I'm product testing a few Thirty-One bags this week. Stay tuned in a few days to see what I have to say about these three bags!
