January Birchbox: Clarity

My January Birchbox arrived yesterday! For those not familiar with Birchbox, it's a monthly subscription service where for $10 you get 4-5 deluxe size samples of beauty products and a lifestyle "extra". The idea behind services like these (and there are a few out there right now) is that trying new products via samples will lead some to purchase the full size product later on. All of the samples sent are available for purchase in full size at Birchbox, and members can accumulate points (100 points=$10). This is my third month receiving a box and I'm enjoying them - it's nice to come home to a surprise. It's my present to myself.


In the past I've received samples of products that I've used before, but this month's box contained products that were all new me. There was a generous sized sample of Algenist's Firming & Lifting Cream, a small container of serum from FIX Malibu, a small spray vial of Juicy Couture, and a full size of Zoya nail polish in the color Kendal. The "lifestyle extra" was a very small sample of 'witchcraft granola (not shown in the box as I ate it while opening the other samples). Also included but not listed on the card were a Birchbox logo magnet and a card with suggestions for mind, body, and soul detoxes, as the theme for this month was "clarity".

I've already tried the Zoya polish (see previous Nail of the Day post) and look forward to trying out the serum and moisturizer. Not sure if I'll wear the perfume as I've developed a distaste for most commercial perfumes, but the spritz I did on the tissue paper smelled decent. Overall though, the value of this box was quite high for the $10 I spent and I can see myself using and enjoying these samples!

Do you subscribe to Birchbox or a similar service? If so, is it worth it to you? What do you like or dislike about it?