Birchbox

Today, Heidi from StyleBlueprint Louisville lets us in on her latest obsession, Birchbox.

For my birthday last year, I received a small box in the mail. I opened it and it was literally a box of beauty treats–a bevy of larger sample-size things that I would never buy for myself. It was a Birchbox.

Since that time, I have heard a lot of buzz about this service. For a small monthly fee, Birchbox sends you a box of goodies. You can try the latest and greatest things on the beauty market, without having to commit to buying any of it. As their website states, you can find out what you love and then “buy with confidence.” After seeing my makeup drawer, you know that I need to be buying with more confidence.

Let me state that I am not being paid by Birchbox (but I’m open to that). I’m writing the story because it is bubbling up in conversations lately. I’ve asked three Birchbox customers for their reviews: my sister, Mary Harmon, my son’s teacher Rebecca Prechtel and StyleBlueprint Atlanta’s Katherine Snell. Here are their reviews.

Mary Harmon:

I discovered Birchbox in January of 2010. I don’t remember how I came upon it, but I will be forever grateful that I did. It changed my life for the better.

Even Mary's cat is excited about Birchbox.

You’re probably wondering what Birchbox is after my previous sentence. Is it a magical place, an unpublished biblical scripture, a wise monk, eye cream made with water from the fountain of youth? The answer is none of the above (well, the last one might be true).

Birchbox is basically a treasure trove of wonderfulness delivered to your mailbox once a month. Or, according to their official website, “Birchbox is the best way to discover new grooming, beauty and lifestyle products. Sample top products from high-end brands, get expert advice, buy new favorites and earn points with every purchase.”

Every month, Birchbox members get a goody box filled with beauty samples specially suited to fit them (due to the intensive beauty profile one fills out when becoming a member). Samples include anything and everything beauty: makeup, nail polish, hair care products, lotions, potions etc.

Mary's April Birchbox

A membership will cost you $10/month or $110 for a 12-month subscription. Is it worth it? YES! I should emphasize the seriousness of this “YES!” by noting that I am not one to use bold, italics, and/or exclamation points lightly. Or ever. The $110 cost for a year’s worth of samples (as you can see from the pictures, we are not talking about those puny department store sized samples) easily results in an upwards of $500 worth of products.

Mary's Birchbox bounty from the past few months.

Birchbox has brands that are hot off the floor, ones that you have yet to hear of, but that will be all over your beauty blogs a year from now. Therefore, I strongly recommended giving Birchbox a shot. It makes every month that much brighter. Sorry readers, I felt like I needed to end on a cheesy note. Insert smiley face and thumbs up here.

Rebecca Prechtel:

I first heard about Birchbox from a blog I like to look at from time to time. I went online and googled it. I learned from the website that they have three different options to sign up for. The option I chose was the “Monthly Member.” Each month, $10 is taken out of my checking account electronically. Soon after the amount is taken out, I receive my box in the mail.

I wait anxiously each month for my box. It always looks so pretty. Inside my box is a card that lists everything in my box and how much each item costs. I have received lipstick, perfume, nail polish, facial cleaner and many other wonderful items that I can’t wait to try. Many of the items I probably would not spend the money on if I hadn’t tried it first to see if I like it. If it is something that I think I will not use, I try to find somebody that might like to try it. It is so much fun to get a special little treat in the mail each month!

Katherine Snell:

Katherine's Birchbox.

I found Birchbox in the same way that I tend to find most cool, new things… through a blog! I frequently like to switch up beauty products like my face wash and moisturizer. Before Birchbox, the problem was that I usually found myself staring at rows of bottles of new products, not sure if I wanted to commit to a full sized $30 face wash, especially without knowing how it would work for my skin. Birchbox is like having a friend recommend fun beauty products that they really like and think would work for your skin type.

It is also wonderful to have exposure to different brands that I wouldn’t have found myself. And, even if I know I won’t buy the full size product, it is great to have all of those little samples for traveling. It makes packing my little ziploc bag full of 3.0oz products a breeze!

The company was founded by three young women, all of whom attended Harvard Business School. Their resumes are impressive and so is the company concept. It makes you shake your head, saying “Why didn’t I think of that.”

Here are the basics:

• $10 monthly fee for women, with free shipping of your Birchbox once a month
• $20 monthly fee for men
• Ability to give the Birchbox as a gift to others
• Full-size products available
• Great brands (one of the creams I received was $100 in the store full-size)

If you are a current subscriber to Birchbox, I would like to have your opinion. Feel free to leave a comment below or email me at [email protected]