Birchbox: July 2011

Friends, have you heard of Birchbox? Yes, no, maybe so? Well, if not, let me tell you about it... It's basically a $10 monthly subscription service where you receive 4-5 deluxe, high-end beauty samples from a variety of brands - such as NARS, Too Faced, Stila, and Benefit (here is a list of all the brands). The box features makeup, skincare, and lifestyle product samples.

As if the generous samples aren't enough, once you use your products you can go to the website and review the products to accumulate points - points that turn into dollars that you can use to purchase any of the products you've used and loved! It's really a fabulous deal that pays for itself! The mission behind starting the company was to "help women cut through the clutter of the beauty world to find products that work for them."

So I signed up last month and I have been anxiously waiting for this first box to arrive! So, without further adieu, here is a step-by-step photo of me jumping into my first (of many) Birchbox!

 

This month Birchbox collaborated with Cynthia Rowley to guest-curate the box! This gorgeous sleeve was over the box - it's so pretty.

 

Once you open the box, you are greeted with a card that gives a bit of background on Birchbox and that month's items/events going on - like the collaboration with Cynthia Rowley. On the back side of the card is a list of all the items in your box, a brief description of each, and the full-size price of the item. Pretty convenient. 

This is what my box looked like inside, once I peeled back the tissue paper. Look at those goodies! 

Here is a look at my items and my card with their descriptions. An extra treat was included - a favorite of Cynthia's. It was a Kind Almond and Apricot snack bar. I haven't tried it out yet, but I hear it's delicious. So I'm going to get busy using my samples and next month, when my new Birchbox arrives, I'll share my new goodies and give you all a review of this month's items. I'm off to use all my items. Maybe even all at once! 

This service is wonderful if you are really into makeup and beauty. You get to try out a variety of  brands and products without committing. If you love the item, then you can feel confident in an investment of a full-sized item and if you don't like something, you've lost nothing! It's truly win-win!