My First Birchbox

I've seen a lot of my bloggie friends talk about how awesome Birchbox is. My resolution for the new year was to get more into hair and makeup, and that's exactly what I've done. I figured getting samples of different products would help that mission, so I did a lot of research on all of the different monthly box options. There are TONS out there y'all, seriously. It was hard to figure it out but I watched a few video reviews on YouTube and found myself most impressed with BirchBox. For $10 a month (including shipping) you get little samples of trendy makeup and other beauty products sent your way. It's supposedly on a space available basis so I had to wait a good while before I got my first box this month. In total, I'd say I waited about six weeks between the time I applied and delivery. Was it worth the wait?

My box was Gossip Girl themed. I have never seen the show, but thought it was a cute idea since I know it seems to center around fashion and beauty.

Here's what was inside:

1 - Stila Sparkle Waterproof  Liquid Eyeliner in Curacao.

1 - .25 fl oz Color Club Professional Nail Lacquer in Disco Nap

1 - .06 fl oz Dr. Jart + Water Fuse Beauty Balm with SPF 25

1 - Kerastase Cristaliste Bain Cristal Shampoo Packet

1 - Kerastase Cristalise Lait Cristal Conditioner Packet

1 - 3ml Kerastase Lumiere Liquide Hair Treatment

It also included some info on Gossip Girls season finale, a sweepstakes thing, and a savings pass for a clothing website.

So what's my take on it all? I'm torn on it. I was a little disappointed but it's worth giving it another try next month. I don't know who the heck wears blue eyeliner so that was kinda disappointing. I love Stila and I put some on my hand to test it out and it stayed more than 24 hours with lots of hand washing, so it's obviously a great product. I'd consider buying it in the more normal colors. I've always wanted to try Kerastase products because I've heard so much about them, but I was disappointed the "samples" were tear and throw away packets. The email Birchbox sent out made them look like mini bottles, which would have made my Birchbox experience much better. I'm really excited to try the Dr. Jart stuff, because it's got SPF, moisturizer, and tinted foundation which is just awesome. The nail polish, I could take it or leave it. I'm slowly building that collection so that just gets tossed in the bin too.

If you want a grade, I'd give it a C+. I really hope next month is better.

If you are interested in signing up for a spot, click here for more info.


~UPDATE~
I tried the Kerastase shampoo and conditioner and wasn't impressed. I felt it actually dried out my hair. The leave in treatment was great though. The Dr. Jart stuff was awful. It made me look like a ghost compared to my normal skin color, and that's saying a lot since I'm only moderately warm toned. Overall, not worth the $10 and I'm pretty disappointed.