Recently on Facebook, a few friends and friends-of-friends were discussing and reviewing a product/service called “Birchbox”. I had never heard of Birchbox and it piqued my interest. I looked them up on the internet and it’s actually a really neat little service.
Upon signing up, you fill out a survey about your interests in hair products, makeup, perfumes, household products, snacks, etc. They charge you $10 per month and each month you get a small box in the mail.
The box contains samples (like the 1 – 2 oz samples you might get for free with a makeup purchase) of various products based on the preferences you mentioned in your survey. I just got my first box and was pretty pleased with the variety. The goal for Birchbox is to get you hooked on one of the samples and then they offer full size versions of each product on their website. They include a postcard in the box that explains what each product is, how to use it and what the cost is for a full size version. Here’s what I got in my first box:
Moisturizing Sunscreen: One tube of SPF30 Cucumber Face Moisturizer by a company called Coola. I haven’t tried the sunscreen yet but it smells nice and doesn’t seem greasy to the touch.
Lip Balm: One tube of Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips. This balm works pretty well – it’s a thick clear cream kind of like the Neutrogena Norwegian hand cream I use and it’s also odorless. It’s a little odd to me to use a Nipple cream (for breastfeeding mothers) on your lips and it’s way too expensive for me to replace my chapstick with this but it was neat to try something new out.
Tinted Face Moisturizer: One tube of Marcelle’s BB Cream Golden Glow. This is a tinted moisturizer for your face that they claim can be used as a makeup base or alone. I tried it on it’s on the first day and went sans foundation. The tint was a nice even glow but by mid-afternoon it started to dry up a bit and you could tell I had makeup on. I’ll try it under my makeup next to see what I think.
Leave-In Conditioner: One spray bottle of Number 4’s Super Comb Prep & Protect. This is a leave-in hair conditioner that is supposed to protect hair coloring from fading, the sun and curling/straightening irons. You spray it in your hair after shampooing and then comb through. There is more in the bottle than what appears, I felt like I sprayed a ton of it since my hair is pretty long but the bottle still feels at least half full so I should get to try it out a few more times. At first my hair didn’t feel or look that different but by the next day (hadn’t washed it again yet) my hair was a little softer and smoother than usual. If progress continues I might think about buying this one.
Self Tanner: One tanning wipe (like a wet-nap) that exfoliates, moisturizes and gives color to skin. I haven’t tried this one yet since I’m going on vacation and don’t want to risk a crazy tan. But I might test it out on my super white areas no one gets to see, LOL. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Since I don’t have any set makeup, skin care or hair care products I am pretty excited about this. This is a great way for me to get to try out different types of products without having to buy the $30 bottle to see if I like it. Birchbox bills monthly so you can quit doing it at any time you want but so far I’m pretty excited about it. I can’t wait to see what I get in the next one!
Lip Balm: One tube of Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips. This balm works pretty well – it’s a thick clear cream kind of like the Neutrogena Norwegian hand cream I use and it’s also odorless. It’s a little odd to me to use a Nipple cream (for breastfeeding mothers) on your lips and it’s way too expensive for me to replace my chapstick with this but it was neat to try something new out.
Tinted Face Moisturizer: One tube of Marcelle’s BB Cream Golden Glow. This is a tinted moisturizer for your face that they claim can be used as a makeup base or alone. I tried it on it’s on the first day and went sans foundation. The tint was a nice even glow but by mid-afternoon it started to dry up a bit and you could tell I had makeup on. I’ll try it under my makeup next to see what I think.
Leave-In Conditioner: One spray bottle of Number 4’s Super Comb Prep & Protect. This is a leave-in hair conditioner that is supposed to protect hair coloring from fading, the sun and curling/straightening irons. You spray it in your hair after shampooing and then comb through. There is more in the bottle than what appears, I felt like I sprayed a ton of it since my hair is pretty long but the bottle still feels at least half full so I should get to try it out a few more times. At first my hair didn’t feel or look that different but by the next day (hadn’t washed it again yet) my hair was a little softer and smoother than usual. If progress continues I might think about buying this one.
Self Tanner: One tanning wipe (like a wet-nap) that exfoliates, moisturizes and gives color to skin. I haven’t tried this one yet since I’m going on vacation and don’t want to risk a crazy tan. But I might test it out on my super white areas no one gets to see, LOL. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Since I don’t have any set makeup, skin care or hair care products I am pretty excited about this. This is a great way for me to get to try out different types of products without having to buy the $30 bottle to see if I like it. Birchbox bills monthly so you can quit doing it at any time you want but so far I’m pretty excited about it. I can’t wait to see what I get in the next one!
