Birchbox is an odd beast. When I first learned about the sample subscription I was torn. On one hand, I have a problem with wanting to try a million different things which leads to my purchasing a million different things (something that is all around a bad situation), so a sample program seems like it would be the perfect solution to my little problem. On the other hand, being spoiled by Sephora and other cosmetics companies, the idea of paying for samples seemed ludicrous to me. Even if it did only cost ten dollars a month, I couldn't wrap my head around the idea of
paying for a
sample.
It was months before I finally broke down, I had to try it. It was too much like getting a surprise present every month for me to resist. After a four week period on the waiting list, I finally signed up for a subscription at the beginning of October.
I've definitely read a lot of bad things about Birchbox. People complain about Luna bars in their boxes, that they don't give out enough makeup samples, that the quality is slipping. Still, I had to find out what all the fuss was about. So, this month, I got my first box.
Of course for my first box things couldn't be simple. This month, Birchbox gave subscribers the option to chose between two different boxes: the typical BB box or a special box make in coordination with goop. That's right goop a.k.a. Gweneth Paltrow's blog. Now, for most people this would seem like an easy choice. Gweneth Paltrow is horrible. She uses the n-word freely (and explains it away by citing that she's ~best friends~ with Beyonce). She'd rather die than let her kids eat cup-a-soup. She's just. not. a. good. person. Still, I chose the goop box. Why? Maybe it's because while Paltrow can't "pretend to be someone who makes $25,000 a year" I can glad pretend to be someone with money coming out of my ears. Yeah, that's probably why.
Pictures of what I got and my feelings on it after the break.
