Birchbox March 2013

Finally, my March Birchbox! It's only April first! This one arrived literally one day after I left for vacation. Such torture to wait!

 Okay, so this box doesn't look very full, does it? Kind of disappointing visually, but, hey, I don't judge a book by its cover!

So what did I get?

• Benefit Stay Don't Stray Primer. This sample looks teeny, but it has its own little applicator in there and everything. The primer is a nude color and blended into my skin easily and, most importantly, helps eye shadows stay put!
• Whish Shave Cream. I'm not sure how I feel about the scent here. It's basically blueberry cotton candy on steroids. I haven't tried it for shaving yet but I hear it leaves a residue which makes me nervous. I shave my legs so they feel smooth...and residue is the opposite of smooth.
• Madewell for Birchbox Emery Board. Cute, feminine, and useful. Love it. You can never have too many emery boards. It always seems like right when I need one, they all disappear. And even if it were an extra, slipping one in my purse is a-okay with me. Besides, everyone has nails, so I think this is a pretty great universal item!
• Evologie Blemish Serum. Okay, so this one looks small too, but it's not! The serum is really liquidey, so one drop goes a long way. Plus, you're only supposed to use it on blemishes, so goes a lot slower than if you were using it on your whole face. It smells strongly of tea tree oil, but I don't mind that scent and I think tea tree is supposed to have antibacterial properties.
• Caldrea Body Lotion. Ugh. Body lotion? Really? I probably literally have GALLONS of body lotion at my house. I seem to get it way faster than I can replace it. Free gift with purchase? Lotion. "Merry Christmas, person I kinda know?" Lotion. Birchbox? Lotion. Lotion is great and all, and I do have dry skin on my legs and hands, but I hate the way lotion feels. I've begun to tolerate lotion by slathering it on in huge quantities twenty minutes before I shower, sorta letting it soak in, then showering all the gross slimeyness off. However, this happens only rarely, and otherwise I pretty much go lotion-free. I just don't like gunk on me. In terms of sample size, each packet is .25 oz, enough to cover each leg ankle to knee, my arms, and my hands twice. Pretty decent size. The cool thing about this one is that you get three packets with three different scents. I tried the aloe water apricot scent, and it was way too floral for me, but we'll see with the others (tea olive lime and coconut fig leaf). I really hate the formula, moisturizing or not, because it feels like there's a layer of goo sitting on my skin and it takes a LONG time to soak in. This is my lotion nightmare. Seriously, I'd rather get a perfume sample any day. Anyway....

Since I subscribe yearly to Birchbox, I only pay $9/month (vs the regular rate of $10/month). Each month, Birchbox gives you 10 points ($1) per item survey to spend in the Birchbox shop. So that means that even though this month I spent $9 on the box, I am going to get $5 back to spend at the Birchbox shop or on another Birchbox subscription later. If you look at it that way, this box only cost me $4! Not bad for a chance to try out such premium products. I highly recommend Birchbox; it's perfect for a first sub since it's so affordable. Not to mention Birchbox has exposed me to a lot of wonderful products that I never would have experienced otherwise!