If you're not familiar, I'll start with Birchbox and give you a basic run down.  Birchbox was started in 2010 by two women who met at Harvard.  When you sign up, you answer some questions to help you receive beauty items that you will like.  It's $10.00 a month and does have a brief waiting period. 

 You can invite friends for points, it's 50 points per friend, which equals $5.00.  You can also review items and get points.  It's 10 points per review.  Those points will allow you to purchase items in their Birchbox store.  I recently made a purchase with my points and found it to be fast and easy.  It was also totally free.  I didn't even pay for shipping!

They have women and men boxes and the men's boxes are $20.00.  My boyfriend has this and has received some pretty cool stuff.  He also usually gets his box before me.  Grrrr face!

If you're the type that wants to know, the 10th of each month you can take a peak and see what you got!

Birchbox recently made some changes and has been allowing people to pick a sample.  I personally LOVE this!  The samples in the box can be hit or miss, but you generally get about five items.

They come well packaged in a box and this month had a very pretty box.

The theme this month was "Decked Out."  It comes with a card that explains the theme and gives the prices.

My first item was Davines Replumping Superactive.  Davines started as a research laboratory that made hair care products for high end companies.  They started in Parma, Italy in 1983.  They believe in sustainability and natural products and are a brand that Birchbox uses quite often.  The Replumping spray smells heavily herbal in the bottle but lightens when sprayed.  It is a leave in plumper.  I'm kinda excited about this as I have very fine hair and some thickening won't be bad for me!  It is $39.50 for a full size, so I'm happy that the sample size actually allows me a chance to use it long enough to decide if I want to take the plunge for a full size.

For the most part I was thinking about doing a follow up post and reviewing the products I received.  But for this mask?  I'm wearing it right now.  As I'm writing this blog post.  I love masks lol!  Royal Apothic claims to have come from from an old book of apothecary recipes that was found and the then recipes used to make their lovely products.  The mask smells heavenly, like tea and a hint of honeysuckle.  It is a clay mask that's an odd mauve brown.  It is supposed to contain green, black, and white tea with purple and Kaolin clay.  It has a fine grit to it.  Exfoliating masks generally do.  It seems the exfoliating material in this is pumice.  It tingles when you put it on.  It did make my skin feel smooth, but I'm glad I get to try it a few more times to really decide.   The full size is $58.00.

Mirenesse is an Australian brand that is cruelty free, organic and sustainable, free of parabens, mineral oil, sulphates and much more.  The color I received is named Sydney.  It smells like strawberries.  Normally I'm not into fake strawberry things because do you know how many chemicals it takes to fake the luscious strawberry? A lot.  But maybe with this company I can tell myself it's not so bad!

The color is very similar to Kat VonD Bachlorette.  Sydney is just more pink, less red, and a little lighter.  It is one of those colors I would wear all year long.  It has a contoured club applicator that I think is meant to hug the lips for better application and it does apply easily.  It is $29.00 for the full size.

W3LL PEOPLE is all natural and made in the USA.  It is also cruelty free.  I received the Bio Brightener in Moonstone.

It's a pretty champagne colored high lighter.  The full size of this is $33.00.  It's supposed to optically diffuse light (don't most high lighters?) and actually be good for your skin.

Lastly, I received an English Laundry Perfume.  It's in the scent, Signature.  Christopher Wicks is a men's fashion designer.  It is listed as an Oriental Vanilla scent.  It is supposed to have notes of white chocolate and quince.  It is good for day and mellows to a very light scent, especially for an eau de parfum.  It is $70.00 for the full size.

I'm not over-whelmed by this box.  It has some things that might be good but none of it was too exciting for me.  I'll review the Ipsy one I received next and let you know in that one which one I felt won for this month.  Although I did not have my blog and therefor did not review my last months bags and boxes, I felt last month was a Birchbox win.

* I pay for my own Birchboxes with money I earned at my day job.  

** I do have a link for Birchbox and if you want to use it, it's here.