How I Feel About My First Beauty Box Ever...3 Weeks Later

I think I was a little late when it came to joining the beauty box subscription craze. Maybe I was afraid of committing ten dollars a month when I'm already on a tight budget, but I did eventually take the plunge. My first choice for a beauty subscription box was Ipsy because I've been watching Michelle Phan's Youtube videos for a few years now and I had heard Ipsy gave the most makeup samples, but there's currently a waiting list. So I decided to join Birchbox despite the fact that it gets a lot of mixed reviews. A lot of beauty box "unboxings" are people's reactions when first seeing their box. I thought I would mix things up a little and tell you how I feel about my first box...three weeks later.

My box arrived on December 12th (I think). Maybe it was the Christmas spirit in the air or something but opening up the box really did feel like my birthday or Christmas. The products came in a beautiful blue box with gold details (that I will definitely reuse as home decor probably) and were wrapped in blue tissue paper. But you could wrap sticks and rocks in tissue paper and I would be excited to open it. 

The Rundown of My Products:

1. Excuse the lighting in this picture. I took it at night with with only a reading lamp to light the products, so it's hard to see what the products actually look like. The first product pictured is Coola Mineral Sunscreen/Natural BB Cream. Its perks: it's tinted, it has SPF 30, and it's unscented, which is nice when your face is already sensitive to sunscreens. The con: the sample is only .17 fluid ounces so I may be able to get two uses out of it. I haven't even tried the product yet because I want to save it! 
2. The second product is English Laundry's Signature perfume. I really, really like this strong floral, woodsy scent. I had heard of English Laundry before but had never smelled any of their scents so I was very happy to see it in my box. The sample was roughly the size of any perfume sample you can get at a department or beauty store. 
3. The third product is the one I have used the most. Tocca Hand Cream in Cleopatra is grapefruit and cucumber scented and paraben free. The lotion goes on smoothly but definitely combats the dryness of "winter weathered" hands well. It does take a while to absorb into your skin, however. About thirty minutes after applying the lotion my hands still felt a little greasy. Also, I'm not much into really fruity scents and the grapefruit scent definitely overpowers the cucumber one. The lotion comes in a one fluid ounce sample, a really nice travel size.
4. The fourth product is from Lord & Berry, an Italian company. It is a mini liner in #5072 Sparkle Black. When it arrived in the mail the pencil was sort of chalky and hard to use, but after sitting in my makeup container for a few weeks it softened up and now it glides on pretty well. The hint of sparkle is not over the top but makes it different from a basic black eyeliner. I wore this eyeliner over the holidays but by the end of the night it had melted off. Next time I should apply an eyeshadow primer before I apply it maybe...
5. The fifth and final product is Real Chemistry's Luminous 3-Minute Peel. According to the back of the box it "helps with controlling acne breakouts, diminishing dark spots, reducing ingrown hairs, evening skin tone, brightening complexion" and "smoothing & resurfacing skin texture." I was hesitant to use this product because I see a dermatologist regularly and have prescription medicines that are the only products I'm supposed to use on my skin. My curiosity got the better of me however and I tried it once. My skin felt immediately smoother after just one use and my skin felt surprisingly hydrated as well. Once is enough for me though because I'm afraid how its ingredients will interact with my other skin products if I continue regularly using them all. Though the sample is very small (only .17 fl. oz), it's not an everyday product so you could get some decent use out of it over time. 

When I watch beauty box unboxings on Youtube the products always look bigger, so when I received my box it was tinier than I imagined. It easily fit in my mailbox. Even in the picture I took the products look bigger than they are. So I guess the camera really does add ten pounds (or just makes things look bigger).

The verdict: I'm pretty excited about my subscription. I live in small-town Tennessee and the nearest beauty store is about forty minutes away. It's really not that far, but I can't just go whenever I want; it takes a little time and I have to plan my trips. So the fact that I can experience a variety of new, higher-end products and they're shipped to my door is pretty nice. Yes, the samples are small and probably not too different from those I could get in department or beauty stores. Also, I'm afraid I'll start receiving the same products over and over. I've heard that's happened with some Birchbox users in the past. But for me convenience is king right now, so we'll see what happens.

Do you currently subscribe to a beauty box? Which ones are your favorite/least favorite? Let me know what ones I should check out in the comments section. I've heard good things about Boxycharm...:)