BirchBox October 2012 - The Poop, I Mean Goop, Version

I feel I should preface this with a bit about BirchBox and my general thoughts about the service. For those of you who are unaware, BirchBox is a service that, for $10 a month, sends a variety of beauty samples that are customized to suit you based on a brief questionnaire filled out when you sign up (you can change your answers at any time if you find the samples are not suited to your tastes). Occasionally BirchBox includes full sized products in your box as one of the “samples.” I find that I almost always like the full-size products, and not simply because of the size. Basically, the main function of this service is to provide you with samples of products or brands that you may not be familiar with and, hopefully, you can find some new favorite products! For me, at the very least, I find it fun to get a box of surprises every month for a low cost and, once in a while I either receive something amazing, or something I have always wanted to try. There are almost always items from a brand I have not tried and I find this kind of fun. I always look forward to opening a new BirchBox. If you are interested in subscribing, I would appreciate it if you used my affiliate link here!
Now on to October’s BirchBox. Subscribers had the option of the regular BirchBox or a “special” Goop Birchbox. After seeing the Teen Vogue special box and wishing I had opted for it, I naively assumed the Goop box would be similarly impressive. Clearly that was a mistake. I have not seen one positive review of the Goop boxes and mine is no exception. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed opening this box and there are products that I will be happy to try out, but I am not doing cartwheels over it – and this is becoming a pattern. My general feeling about this box was…this sucks! And I have been getting this feeling a lot lately. For now, I will continue my subscription, but you need to step it up BirchBox! I say this not so much because of the types of samples being sent out, but the packaging of the samples. And by this, what I mean is, stop with the foil packet samples that are FREE everywhere, not to mention are difficult to use, contain very little product and are just plain disappointing! Anyway, back to the box as I was trying to stay on topic…. Here is what was included in my marvelous (yes, this is sarcasim) October Goop BirchBox:
Jouer Lip Enhancer – I have wanted to try this product, but have not been dying to so I never purchased the full size. Therefore, I am happy enough with this sample. I know this has been in prior BirchBoxes though and I would be mightily disappointed if I had already received this as a sample. Since I have not, I am interested to try it. However, the tube is pretty tiny (0.07oz / 2.3ml) which is a bit disappointing.
Kiehl’s Rosa Arctica Eye – The description reads, “Conquer dark circles with this brightening eye balm, which is made with collagen-boosting resurrection flower extracts.” Great! I have slept terribly lately so I could use a dark circle battling, eye brightening eye cream. I’m not a huge fan of Kiehl’s because their parent company tests on animals and I try to avoid any company related to animal testing at any level, but I am not 100% opposed to it if only an associated company tests. However, this is yet another really tiny sample (0.1oz / 3ml). Not much to try out there.
Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum – Ok, here is where it’s really irritating. There are two foil packets. I hate foil packets. It is fine when they come in your online Sephora order for free, but not in a paid sample box. Not to mention they are a huge pain to use, contain very little and I usually just end up throwing them in a drawer and never using them. I will also add that a sunscreen in October just seems kind of odd. I know it’s supposed to be a daily type of product, but it just seems like something that would be best included in the warmer, sunnier months. Regardless, please stop the foil packet samples BirchBox!
And finally….
Essie Nail Polish in “Lady Like” – I’m sure most people would be thrilled with this since it’s a full-size polish and most people love Essie. I will not purchase Essie polishes since they are owned by L’Oreal (which tests on animals) and there are tons of 100% cruelty-free alternatives out there. This is an issue with my personal beliefs, not with BirchBox. I know they provide samples from some brands that I would never purchase because of my animal-testing stance and when I receive a product from a company I will not buy from, I am disappointed, but I do not blame BirchBox. My only other issue with this polish, and again I do not really hold it against BirchBox because I’m sure plenty of people would love it, but I’m not a huge fan of the color. It’s ok, just not my thing.
Wait! I forgot the joyous “Lifestyle Extra”! It’s a Luna Bar in Lemon Zest. Since these are technically an “extra,” I can’t really complain, but I really do almost always hate these. I also know that this is not the first Luna bar included in a box, and I think people sign up to try new things, not just a new flavor of a repeat product…especially when it’s a “lifestyle” item.
So, all in all, this was a somewhat disappointing BirchBox, though it is not without items I am sort of happy about. I think if it had not been a “special” box, I wouldn’t have been disappointed. When you partner with another company and make it seem that it will be different and perhaps more exciting in some way, it really does need to go a little further than this did in my humble opinion. And seriously, stop with the foil samples! Though I am not doing cartwheels over the “Goop” box, I will say that I did enjoy opening it and there are products I would like to try. I think the combination of a number of disappointing boxes for quite a few months has added to my disillusionment with BirchBox right now, but I have faith that they can wow me yet again!

Did you receive a BirchBox this month? What are your thoughts? Please leave a comment telling me what you think! And if there are any subscription boxes that you’re loving right now, please let me know because I’d love to try out something new!

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with BirchBox in any way, nor have I been compensated for this post.