February brought many smiles, but one that stands out was the day that I got my first Birchbox. Several of my girlfriends had been raving about theirs for months, posting pictures of their beloved treasures on Facebook, completely giddy. It was infectious. I almost passed on the craze thinking that it might be a total waste of money, that I would just start collecting samples of things that I would never use and create unnecessary clutter in my bathroom cabinets. After all, I had my go-to products that I was already happy with through years of trial and error.

Until one fateful January day when I thought about it from the perspective of treating myself to a little monthly surprise and indulge that side of me that likes to be in the know about any and everything! I decided to use this opportunity to experiment with colors and products that I would otherwise overlook due to the sheer volume of what’s on the beauty market and commit to really try the products (or as I ended up later doing, swap things out with other Birchbox ladies if it was something I knew I wouldn’t use).

Three weeks later, I got an invitation. Two weeks after that, my customized Birchbox was in my hands!

{1}. Color Club Nail Polish in Wild Cactus: This is why Birchbox is cool! I probably would’ve never tried green nail polish without the low risk of getting a decent sized sample to experiment with first. I’ve gotten lots of compliments on my now festive toes.

{2}. Ghirardelli Chocolate: A small piece of chocolate inspired by Valentine’s Day was this month’s treat. I’m sure most of us are very familiar with Ghirardelli Chocolate and it would’ve been a bit nicer to get something more off-beat or original.

{3}. Lancôme Le Base Pro Makeup Primer: Admittedly, this was the product that I didn’t use much before writing this post. I did use a bit of it and liked the texture and non-greasy feel as a primer before foundation use, but wouldn’t purchase this full-sized. My foundation already has a great all-day wear and doesn’t need this expensive extra boost.

{4}. Miss Jessie’s Pillow Soft Curls: I’m African-American and therefore, have a very distinct hair texture making me extremely picky about what I put in my hair. 🙂 Since I knew this was likely something I wouldn’t use, I swapped with a fellow Birchbox friend for a perfume she said she would never use. Win, win!

{5}. Vasanti Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator: This was the first product I saw that I was super excited to try. (I’m very anal about good skin care!) Of course, this is a product that is likely more telling the more you use it. I’ve used it a handful of times and find it be very gentle while exfoliating my skin; though if I’m completely honest, I’m happier with the tried and true (and much less expensive) St. Ives Apricot Scrub. I plan on finishing out the sample, but doubt a full-sized purchase will come of it

{6}. Nicole by Nicole Richie: The perfume I took on from a friend to try out instead of the Pillow Soft Curls was Nicole Richie’s fragrance. At first spritz it seemed very strong, but once it settled into my skin it was just okay. To its credit, it is a lasting scent. I can still smell it on me as I type this sentence 6 hours after I put it on. Again, I’ll finish out the sample, but won’t be adding it to my fragrance collection.

OVERALL

Not a bad first Birchbox! It was great fun to play with the products and at $10/month, I think I got my money’s worth. Unfortunately, there isn’t anything in this month’s selections that I would consider buying in the full-sized version. The most exciting aspect was trying out a new nail polish color that I’ve gotten tons of compliments on! Until March…stay tuned and stay beautiful.

If you’re a Birchbox user, I’d love to hear about your February goodies! Please feel free to leave me a comment below…