BYOB! (Bring your own box)
I wanted to make a vlog about my second trip to the Birchbox store, but alas, my roommate is here and I feel a little weird about talking to the camera when people are roaming about the apartment.
I had the day off so I decided to cash in my Birchbox coupon for a free box from the SoHo store. First of all, it came in this really cute bag. Maybe not the best day ever, but a pretty good one nonetheless.
When I got inside, they let me chose which color box I wanted. I reverted to my four-year-old self and automatically chose the hot pink box.
Box color is fun and all, but let's get down to business.
The samples were divided up by type. Maybe it's because I'm a Birchbox addict, but I did already have a lot of the samples that were available. First up was nails. This was a no brainer for me.
I love Ruffian's polishes. The colors are always gorgeous, metallic-y shades that go on smoothly. I bought a beautifully gold flecked green last fall and was excited when a rose gold came to me in my March Birchbox. So when I saw the lavender shade, I leapt for it.
I have two gripes about Ruffians polishes though--#1 would be the thinness of the coats. Because of the metallic quality of the polish, the coats are delicate. The color payoff is great, but the coats are very fragile. I always wear a topcoat over the polish and I find that they chip fairly quickly. The second drawback to these polishes is that they're small! When I got the color Hedge Fund in my box I was so obsessed that I decided to purchase. I was super disappointed when I found out that the sample size was the same as the "full size".
Another sample that I've tried in my Birchbox before. I've been meaning to spring for the full size, but I figured I could put off the purchase a little longer with a new sample. This exfoliant is lovely--a nice balance of a mask and scrub. I have very sensitive skin and so I need a fine grained exfoliant--something that won't be too harsh. This always leaves my skin feeling super smooth. As far as scent goes, it's fairly neutral.
The next section was hair. I was very tempted to get a new small bottle of the Number 4 Prep and Protect spray that I love so much, but I opted for this dry shampoo instead. It would be a little silly to go all the way to SoHo only to get products I've tried before. This line is new to Birchbox and I'm looking forward to trying it.
Last but not least was makeup. I lost my sample bottle of Staniac a while ago and was always tempted to purchase, but honestly, my purse is swimming with lip glosses, lipsticks, stains, and balms. I love lip products but it is obvious by how scattered they are over my entire...life. I don't need more. That being said, I will happily forfeit paying money for another one of these babies.
My four-year-old self loved pink, and I still do--but it's a tricky color for me to pull off in my makeup. I have blue undertones and pink just does weird things for me. Like make me look like a four-year-old who got into her mother's makeup bag. At first blush this stain looks very hot pink. But it's nice and natural and man does this last. I'm wearing it here in all of my pictures. I love the stain as a bartender because I can swipe it on once or twice in the evening and not have to worry about a lot of maintenance, or that I'm starting to look like the Walking Dead 4 hours into my shift.
That being said, I had to scurry out of Birchbox because I came close to buying an overpriced set of coasters with money I don't have. I somehow found myself in Lauderee and had to scurry out of there, too. I can't wait to go back to Birchbox SoHo to actually purchase some new makeup...and maybe that set of ridiculously expensive coasters.
