New Birchbox Arrived

Guess what I found in my mailbox this week?  That's right - this month's Birchbox!

For those of you that missed the last post about Birchbox, it is a company that started as a college course project.  Two women obtain full sized sample products from various health and beauty companies and for a nominal fee ($10 a month) send out a box of samples to their customers.  If at any time during that month you fall in love with a product, you can order it at a significant discount.  You can accumulate points for orders, reviews and referrals and these points can be used to purchase other products.

Now, onto this month's Birchbox.

I'll admit, my excitement dwindled a bit when I opened it up.  This month was definitely NOT last month.  But, I think that is to be expected.

This was the highlight of the month for me.  I have worn Eternity since high school.  I switched once to Lauren and while I loved it, it makes me sneeze non stop.  So I went right back to Eternity.  However, I have been using this since it came.  And while it seems very strong at first, it mellows rather quickly and my family has commented "what smells so good" when I walk by.  Since I am not carrying a plate of chocolate chip cookies around, I am guessing it is me that smells so good!

I haven't tried this cleanser yet.  They included two small plastic pouches of it.  I'm not sure that is enough to determine if I like it.  My skin changes so much during a month that I feel I need to use something for at least a full cycle to know if it manages to earn a spot on my counter top.

I am a firm believer in the roll scent plays in our lives.  So this piqued my interest.  My kids were moaning and groaning about doing homework the day the package arrived.  I put some of this on their wrists and had them smell it.  I don't know if it really worked or it was psychosomatic, but they both seemed to perk up and get their work done.

Apparently, these are all the rage.  I have seen college aged bloggers comment about loving them, and one even posted on making your own cheaper versions.  See Katie make these here.  My daughter says a few kids have them at school, but are wearing them as bracelets.  I offered this to her and then found it on my fireplace mantle an hour later.  So not a big hit.  And they are expensive, so I recommend checking out Katie's blog, Let's Be Preppy to see how to make these on the cheap.

Isn't it ironic that in the photo of the full sized nail polish they included, you get a full view of my mini sized old lady hands?  I'm not a big fan of black, gray or dark nail polish.  I actually rarely paint my nails.  I love how my hands look when my nails are painted.  But I hate how they look when it starts to chip.  And somehow, finding time to remove and reapply nail polish has not been a priority around here.  By the time I can paint my nails, it is almost time for bed.

Included in the first picture, but not earning a photo of its own is the decorated zip lock bag they included.  Nice, but until a money tree pops up in the back yard, I am not paying for decorated bags.  Actually, even if a money tree popped up, I would and could find a thousand other uses for it than decorated zip lock bags.  So, no.

Have you joined Birchbox yet?

Birchbox

Have you ever met a person that at first, you think you really are going to like them?  And then, as you spend more time with them, you start wondering if you were wrong.  Have you ever had the same experience with a blogger?

There are a few blogs that I have joined and keep up with on a daily basis.  Occasionally, I will discover another blogger through links.  As a woman who enjoys anything and everything preppy, I tend to spend a good amount of my online time checking out preppy blogs.  A while back, I found one written by a woman closer to my age (most of the popular preppy blogs tend to be written by younger, southern college students).  I bookmarked it and would pop on over to see what was up in her life once or twice a week.

But the shine wore off quickly.  There was the post about her dog getting sick.  Turns out the dog ate some clothing.  Thankfully, the dog was able to pass the clothing on his own.  And she thought it was a hoot.  There is also this underlying sense of smugness -  I can't quite put my finger on an exact post or the wording that leads me to this conclusion.  Its just something I sense in my gut.  Have you ever had that happen to you?  The nail in the coffin for me and what led me to delete the link from my bookmarks was due to her committing a pet peeve of mine.  She has her daughter call her genitals by a euphemism.  The few who commented on the post thought that was "adorable!!!" My comment asking why she didn't use the right terminology didn't make it past approval.  I was willing to overlook the over use of "super!" and "soooooooooo cute!" by a grown woman.  But, an educated, middle to upper class woman teaching her daughter to call her genitalia a "who ha" was my line in the sand.  (And to be clear, Oprah lost me with the whole va-jay-jay thing.)

BUT.......

Yes, there is a but.  One extremely positive thing came out of my time spent reading her posts.  I discovered Birchbox!  Birchbox is a company similar to Sephora or Ulta.  They are an online resource for beauty products.  However, here is what makes Birchbox different than the others.  You need to request to purchase a membership.  Membership costs about $10 a month.  You can buy one for yourself and/or as a gift for someone else.  But, memberships are limited and there is a waiting list.

By now, you may be asking yourself why I would want a membership.  Let me tell you why I bought and maintain my membership.  For $10 a month, I get sent a small box in the mail each month.

(This arrived yesterday!)

I get so excited when a package arrives in the mail, even when I know what is in it.  In the case of Birchbox, there is the added excitement of not knowing what surprises lurk inside!  In the box is a bunch of different samples of beauty products.

This month, I received a sample of Juicy perfume, a Schick razor, hand wipes, lip/cheek stain and DDF facial cleanser.  I am most excited to try the cleanser as it has been on my wish list.  I am a big fan of the DDF  10% Glycolic Toner and will be anxious to see if using both the cleanser and the toner helps speed the fading of some of the age spots I discovered last winter along my jawline (lesson learned to apply sunscreen a bit better.)

My daughter has already pilfered the lip/cheek stain.  Which isn't a bad thing because I noted that when she used it, it really does appear natural.  So if this is a means of satisfying her desire to wear makeup to school and ending our recent daily discussions of what is an appropriate amount and type of makeup for a 10 year old, I may be purchasing a full sized one for her.    If I order it this month, I get a significant discount since it was one of this month's samples.

I anticipate the arrival of my Birchbox each month the same way I anticipate the arrival of my Better Homes and Gardens.  I know that some months, I am going to love every single thing in it.  Some months, I am going to hate it all.  And sometimes, there is going to be that one hidden gem.

So thank you smug, annoying, uncaring for your dog blogger!  Sure you made my blood boil laughing off the threat to your dog's life, and made me cringe imagining your daughter in 15 years going to her first ob/gyn appointment and being too embarrassed to refer to her body with accurate terms.  But you led me to Birchbox.  And for that, I can forgive you -- but you are still deleted.