Birchbox: October 2012

"Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art." 

--Ralph Waldo Emerson (A personal hero of mine).

Hello Friends,

I've been subscribed to Birchbox for 3 months now and after receiving my October box today, I've decided that it's time for me to start reviewing the subscription. I first learned of Birchbox in May when they collaborated with Gossip Girl to create a GG-inspired box and you know that I wanted one, and I wanted it badly. To sign up, you put your name on a waiting list and it usually takes a couple of weeks to be eligible to join. I hesitated to join initially when I became eligible (and my offer subsequently expired) because of the cost. At the time, I didn't know that you could pay by the month- I thought you had to buy a year's subscription upfront. Now that I have been getting Birchbox for a couple of months and have sampled two other subscription services (Glossybox and Julep Maven), I can really say that I am very happy with my BB subscription. It's like a Christmas stocking every month of the year! Doesn't get better than that.Birchbox is also pretty consistent about the quality of products they sample, the breadth of products in each box, and the affordability of the full-size products and the service itself. It's also somewhat customizable to suit your particular beauty needs- the company works to match your samples to your responses on an initial beauty survey when you sign up.

Another thing I really love about Birchbox is the story behind the company. Two women, Katia B. and Hayley B. created the company to fill an unmet need for consumes in the beauty industry- a way to discover and sample new products and brands and to truly find what works (you can read more about this here.While I don't absolutely love every product in my box every month, I can almost always find something I really enjoy or want to purchase. Another thing that makes Birchbox a great system is that you can easily find anything that you loved in your box on the Birchbox website (and even earn points for buying full-sized products + free shipping- yay!).

One last thing I'll say is that the Birchbox company is truly a hallmark of the times- everything about it is online. I haven't really seen print/television advertising for BB, though I may have seen a quick online ad while watching a show online or an editorial in beauty mags. Everything about the company is online- their shop, their blog, and their fan base. What carries BB forward is its ability to utilize the online beauty/fashion community and communication forums like YouTube and blogs to really get people excited about their service. YouTube beauty gurus often show off their monthly boxes on their channels and most candidly review the products they received, describing smell, taste, texture, size, and familiarity with the products. This way, you can learn about many more products than the 4-5 that you were able to sample directly in your month's box and decide whether you might want to try it later. And if other viewers are like me, watching other people open their Birchbox is equally as exciting as opening your own. Unless of course they have something you wanted but didn't get. Then you're just green with envy.It's okay...there's always next month and the possibility that I might get a beauty blender some day...I'm not bitter... :-)

So as I said, I've been pleasantly surprised and happy with every Birchbox I've had so far. Here's an overview of my box this month (pictured above):

Psst: It's time for me to present LetThemDevourCake's official  blog rating system: I'm rating everything (from Birchbox samples to new teas and tearooms with tea leaves) on scale of 1 to 5 leaves.
5 leaves: Can't live without it, Love it, All-time Favorite It's Extra Delicious, Want to slather myself in it, etc.
4 leaves: It's pretty great, not quite my favorite though.
3 leaves: I like it, I'm willing to give it some time/a couple extra tries
2 leaves: On the fence, smells/tastes weird, Enh...
1 leaf: Yikes. Can't redeem itself. Just, no.
and if it's really godawful...
No leaves: I wouldn't waste my time, throw it out immediately. Make it go away.

October's Theme: Transformation

1) Harvey Prince: Eau Flirt Perfume


I was supposed to receive the Harvey Prince Lavender/Pumpkin scent, which would have been perfect for this season and Halloween! That's not what this is- this is Citrus/Jasmine-scented.The vile is almost impossible to open without spilling and the scent is just not for me. It's "clinically proven to attract men" though. So I guess it's good that I'm not all over it...

I'll give it 2 out of 5 leaves.

2) Mox Botanicals: Pomegranate and Fig Lip Butter



This was one of the products that I was looking forward to more so than some others this month but I was a little disappointed because I was really excited for the Pomegranate/Fig scent/flavor but it didn't really smell/taste like either of these things to me. I love this combination for fall, but the taste is more herbal and kinda funky. It's pretty moisturizing but it didn't do amazing things for my lips. I was really happy to try this product and was happy it was included because I am in the market for a lip butter or moisturizer to work miracles for my chronically cracked lips.

A solid 3 leaves.

3) Ouidad: Climate Control Heat and Humidity Gel



So this is one of those areas where one starts to see the limitations of the beauty profile survey and the customizability of BB. I don't live in a place with heat OR humidity. I live in a place with constant fog- so I guess frizz can be a problem here but it isn't really for me. That's also why this sample might be good to have around- it's not something I'd buy on my own, but if I decide to vacation in Florida, I'll be sure to bring it along. I didn't want to open it just to smell it but I wonder how it smells. Hair products always need to smell awesome. That's just my opinion. Coming out of a salon is like a sensory explosion for me- why do their shampoos always smell so much better than mine?

3 leaves.

4) theBalm cosmetics: Mary-Lou Manizer Highlighter/Shadow/Shimmer



This was the beauty product that I was the most excited to receive this month. I love highlighters, possibly more than any other beauty item because they are so versatile and there are so many different kinds! I currently use Benefit's Watts Up Cream Highlighter, but this little sample will perfectly complement the Watts Up because of its champagne hue. I also love that I can use it as a shadow and it's a pretty generous amount of product for a BB sample. This will be great for travel, it's the perfect size to just throw in a bag and go! Also love that Birchbox included a handy how-to guide for highlighters- it's a tricky product to use correctly but is really worth the effort.

4.5 leaves--yeah Birchbox!

And Last but not least,

Birchbox will usually include a 5th "Lifestyle extra" in the box. This item can be food, drink, coupon (tunes, retail discounts), headphones, etc. This really helps mix things up and is just a really fun added bonus.

My Lifestyle extra for October: Mighty Leaf Tea (3): in Green Tea Tropical, Organic African Nectar, and Organic Earl Grey



First of all, in case you weren't aware- this is a tea blog (among other things) and I am a tea enthusiast (though that word doesn't at all seem sufficient). I was so excited to receive three Mighty Leaf tea bags. As far as tea bags (non loose-leaf) goes, Mighty Leaf is one of my favorite brands. Their teas are super flavorful and are perfect hot or chilled. It's not as easy to find at the grocery store as some other brands like Tazo and Stash and I think it might be expensive but it's well worth it!

5 Leaves.


Okay well that's my box this month. Future overviews will be SO much shorter, I promise. I just wanted to introduce you to Birchbox, if you two haven't met already. Have I sold you yet? You know you want it.

To learn more about Birchbox and to see unboxings from months past, I strongly recommend watching beauty vloggers EleventhGorgeous' videos. These two spunky sisters are hilarious and so full of beauty tidbits. I'm mildly obsessed with their YouTube channel. Careful, once you start, you wont be able to stop...

To sign up for your own Birchbox subscription, click here.

Until next time my lovelies,

d.

P.S.: Me with my first Birchbox in August. So much happiness.