Birchbox Breakdown - January

The weather here still stinks! I have used more vacation days for snow than I have for actual vacation...oh, the joys of being a commuter in the winter!

Today's topic is one of my favorite things - Birchbox! I am in LOVE with the whole idea of Birchbox...amazing little beauty samples delivered straight to your door. I am a beauty product fanatic! I am always trying new perfumes, makeup, lotions, bath products...so the fact that I can get samples dropped in my mailbox monthly is pretty amazing. I also love that I can get some pretty high end things that I would never be able to try otherwise ($70 for a moisturizer that doesn't work...? No thanks!) A couple of my favorite perfumes, and my current moisturizer were brought to me through Birchbox, and I am insanely in love with all of them.

Haven't heard of Birchbox? Let me explain. Basically, for $10 per month, you can get beauty samples (read: NOT full sized items) delivered right to you. All the products you receive are based on your beauty profile, which you complete once you sign up for Birchbox. You can also purchase gift subscriptions, so fellas...make your lady love you even more on Valentine's Day and sign her up! And ladies, there is a men's Birchbox option, so you can send your honey tons of great manly products (for slightly more per month, at $20 per month). If you want to know more about Birchbox and how it works, you can click here.

 Here's a breakdown of my January box!

After you remove the lid and tear open the tissue paper like it's your job, this is what you will typically see with your monthly box! I was pretty pumped to see some nail related product staring me right in the face!

These were my January products (I will give you more info in just a second). I also received a coupon for the Burt's Bees product. 

My boxes tend to focus on eye makeup, perfumes, and nail polish/art/supplies. I get these types of products because I've designed my beauty profile to eliminate the things I don't really use/wear - namely foundation, lipstick, hair products, and powders. I did have an issue at first with getting a lot of foundations and powders. The problem was that 1. I don't wear those things, and 2. They never matched my skin tone! You can choose "fair" from your list of options, but some things were still too dark, and others were way too light. So, I felt like I was "wasting" one product a month. I simply changed my profile, and viola! Fixed!

From my Birchbox product card:

Nail Rock Sequin ~ Full Size $6.99

The UK brand's two-step system for the world's brightest disco-ball mani. Use two coats of polish. Dip wet nails into sequin pot, let dry 20 minutes, and shine on.

* I haven't yet used this product, as I've had a gel manicure on my nails. It is something I love, since nail art is near and dear to my heart. I see a St. Patty's Day DIY mani in my future! This would be adorable on an accent nail with the others painted gold (Think OPI's Glitzerland)!*

From my Birchbox product card:

Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle ~ Full Size $21.95

Best-selling elixir that locks in color, protects from heat damage, and adds silkiness. Spritz onto damp strands before styling. Warning: the heady scent is addictive. 

*They're right. This does smell fantastic! It has also kept my very, very, very fine hair silky without weighing it down. I'm not convinced I want to purchase a full size bottle just yet, but I'm thinking about it!*

From my Birchbox product card:

INIKA Mineral Eyeshadow in Eternal Marine ~ Full Size $20

Packed with certified-organic ingredients, these natural pigments stay vibrant for hours. Apply to lids dry or wet using your favorite shadow brush.

*I haven't used this yet. I keep meaning to, but I am so set in my morning routine, that I keep forgetting to use it, and have been sticking with my usual Too Faced palette.*

 From my Birchbox product card:

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy ~ Full Size $25-$90

Wild berries flirt with mandarin and soft floral notes for a scent that's fun and happy. Spritz onto pulse points to bring out your inner girly girl.

*I was familiar with this scent before my Birchbox. I'm not super crazy about it...it's just too floral-ish for me. Now, last month's sample of Viva La Juicy Noir...YES PLEASE! I always like the "muskier" scents better. (Musky is a really weird word, isn't it?)*

 This was my "Birchbox Find." These aren't always in every box, but are things that Birchbox thinks are great, so they give them to you in addition to your other products (never in replacement of a product). It's a Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Day Lotion with Clary Sage. There was a coupon for this product in my box, as there usually is for a "find."

*This makes my hands super smooth. It's a great one to leave in my office drawer for emergencies when Bath & Body Works lotion just isn't cutting it. For my "go to" lotion (aka my purse lotion), I am still in love with Eos. The lip balm and the lotion...LOVE it!*

While I haven't tried all of my products yet, I am liking the leave-in conditioner, and the Burt's lotion. I always look forward to my Birchbox every month...it's like Christmas! I have also joined ipsy, which is similar. I wasn't crazy in love with my first "bag," so I think I will give it another month or two before I share anything about it. I just want to be sure I like it before I pass along the information!

 
If you are in love with the idea of Birchbox, and the products I received last month, you can use my link to sign up by clicking here.

*These opinions are my own. I was not compensated by Birchbox or any of the other companies mentioned above to share their product. The Birchbox was also purchased with my own money. I just like to share what I love! :o)*