PDP Exclusives by Rebecca

Thursday, September 22, 2011

My first Birchbox!!

The girls in my makeup group all subscribe to Birchbox and I finally decided to join.

What is Birchbox you ask?
Birchbox delivers the best products and the best insider secrets, without any fuss. Every month Birchbox members will receive a curated box of luxe beauty samples. Each box will span beauty categories and deliver exciting products that fit into both your day-to-day routine, and into those days when you want to turn up the drama a notch.
Co-founders Hayley Barna and Katia Beauchamp met at Harvard Business School. They created Birchbox to help women cut through the clutter of the beauty world to find products that really work for them.
Each month, you'll receive a  selection of 4-5 samples that we’ve tried (and retried) ourselves.  You'll receive anything from skincare to makeup to cult beauty tools, from well-known brands as well as emerging gems.
A subscription to Birchbox is $10 a month or $110 for the year. I am in California and I received my September box around the 16th. The packaging is sturdy! The box below was in the pink box above.
Inside the packaging was totally cute and very neat. This month was Birchbox's 1 year anniversary so they included a note of thanks as well as a card explaining each product contained in the box.




Incoco Nail Polish Appliques
These nail polish strips make it easy to get a flawless manicure without worrying about smudging or streaking. They come in a range of styles, from simple solid colors to out-there designs (leopard, anyone?). Best of all, the strips last up to two weeks and comes off with regular polish remover.
I was most excited about these!! I have wanted to try the Sally Hanson ones but the $10 price tag is a bit much for me. These were pretty easy to apply. I had them on in less than 5 minutes. I like these because there is no drying time which is great for me because I am almost always too busy to let my nails dry. These claim to last up to 2 weeks but I had some chipping at the tips within 4 days. This brand sells for $7.99. I would buy these again mainly for the neat designs. Thumbs up for this product!!

Jurlique Age Defying Ulta Firm and Lift Cream
Jurlique sources its ingredients from its own biodynamic farms in Australia. For this cream, they’ve tapped into a host of skin-rejuvenating botanicals: yeast extract spurs tissue repair; rock samphire extract plumps up fine lines; and beach tree bud extract helps generate fresh skin cells.
I have not had a chance to try this cream but I am excited too. I am in the market for some good age defying facial products. This stuff retails for $70 for a 1.7 oz jar so for me to purchase this it would have to AMAZING. I will use this all next week and update then.
UPDATE: I used this cream for about a week and did not notice any change or benefits. I did not care for it AT ALL and would not buy it in full size.

Friendship Bracelet
Birchbox sent out this bracelet as a gift for their one year anniversary.
It is sweet of them but the bracelet went to my kids.

Salvatore Ferragamo Attimo L'Eau Florale

The bright fruity opening note, courtesy of pear and lotus blossom, is just the opening act for a procession of sweetly floral rose, peony, and slightly musky. Plus, the light pink packaging and pink gold band are fittingly feminine — leave it to Ferragamo to make us feel more like a lady!
I love perfume samples and I really love floral scents so this is a win for me. This product retails for $85 for 3.4 fl oz. which again is too much for me to spend on perfume. I will stick with the sample.

colorescience pro® sunforgettable® Mineral Sun Protection

sheer mineral sunscreen that provides UVA and UVB protection and goes on dry. Did we mention that it’s water-resistant and as easy to apply as your translucent powder?This unique formula feels lightweight but it’s more powerful than liquid sunscreen. Finely ground, high-quality titanium dioxide and zinc oxide create a protective veil on your skin that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Dimethicone gives this powder a smooth, creamy feel, allowing it to glide over skin without irritating it.

I do not have much experience with mineral powder and I hate the feeling of sunscreen on my face so I feel like this is a neat product.
 I applied it on my bare face above. I think when I try it again I will apply a light coat on top of my foundation. I feel like it played up my skin imperfections and pores. Ick. This retails for $50 for .21 oz which is also WAY to expensive for me.

Jouer Lip Enhancer
minimizes the appearance of fine lines and boosts your lips naturally without that annoying tingly sensation found in so many other plumpers.The key ingredient in this amplifying treatment is Maxi-Lip, which increases blood flow to your lips without any stinging. Beyond looking fuller, your lips will also be well hydrated because of the built-in vitamin E, shea butter, and jojoba oil.
Sorry for the blurry picture!!
I have used this a few times. It was really moisturizing and felt nice on my lips but they did not appear any fuller. This product retails for $14 for a 0.33 oz tube. Not a bad deal but this is basically a nourishing lip treatment so there are cheaper alternatives.

Overall I am pretty pleased with this box. It is so much fun to be  able to try out products I normally would not buy! This was my first box but it appears that each month there are 6-10 different products and each box gets a variety of those.When you sign up for Birchbox they will ask you a few questions and that helps them decide what products to include in your monthly boxes. You can buy full-size versions of your sample in the Birchbox shop. You earn a point for every dollar spent and 100 points translates to $10 to spend on more full-size products which is really cool.

If you are interested in joining Birchbox click here . That is my affiliate link and I will get points when you sign up. Month to month subscriptions can be canceled at anytime. Just make sure you cancel before the end of the month!

Do you subscribe to Birchbox? If so what did you think of this months box?

Thanks for reading,

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3 comments:

  1. You are EVIL! I adore mini sample sized items. I am poor not a good combo. WHaaaaa LOL

    Cute! i can't wait to see what are in your monthly boxes!!

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  2. It is awesome Crystal! If you sign up before the 1st you will get next months box <3

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  3. That's a cool idea for a business. I'll have to check their site out. :) Thanks for going item by item with comments and what they're supposed to do, etc. :)

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