Once a month, for several months now, I’ve received a cute little box in my mailbox. To know me is to know I’m a product junkie. I blame my Dad. He worked for a health and beauty aid distributor when I was a kid. Sure it meant he was out of town a lot overseeing the stocking of shelves but when he came home, oh happy day, happy day! That man brought home samples, full sized no less, of every shade of blush, nail polish, eye shadow, creams and potions you could possible imagine. For a little girl, hell, for a teenaged girl, all that swag was heady stuff! (and gum, he must’ve known someone who distributed gum, you know the Bazooka kind with the comic because I always had copious amounts of gum stashed about!)

Honestly I’m not sure how I stumbled onto Birchbox or where I saw it first but boy am I glad I did. Just the name makes me giddy with glee. What is Birchbox? Well, other than being a monthly delivery of bliss and happiness, specifically it’s a customized sample package of well, bliss and happiness. Their website describes them as “…the best way to discover new grooming, beauty and lifestyle products. Sample top products from high-end brands, get expert advice, buy new favorites and earn points with every purchase.” First off you have to get on the waiting list…yep, their’s a wait list -it’s that popular! I waited about 3 months before I received confirmation of enrollment. Once you get the go ahead (I’m not sure what the wait is like now, or if there even is one as I think they are growing every day), you set up your profile, tell them your likes, dislikes, skin type, coloring, personality – they really want to get to know you – it makes putting the sample boxes together easier. Hey, no one wants a box of things they’ll never use or potentially fall in love with – don’t we have enough junk and trash in our lives?!!? Of course there is a fee involved but unlike gym memberships, there is no contract and you can stop the service whenever you want. The fee is minimal and since some times you get full sized samples – hello Essie nail polish two months ago – in my opinion, it’s worth it.

This month’s stash is Gossip Girl themed…you know, the CW show. My May Birchbox contained samples of Miss Dior parfum, Christian Dior mascara, Keratase masque and shampoo, Algenist firming & lifting cream and some really cute note cards. I can honestly say I will, at the very least try all of the samples provided and I can tell you right now, the perfume and the mascara are pretty fantastic.

Of course if you want to purchase a full size of the sample you can go to their website. There is a frequent shopper type bonus point system that will provide you with discounts if you purchase from their site. In fact, I got over $10 off of a $60 product I would have bought anyway…that’s a win in my book. They have a blog that explains the proper way to use the products. They also offer make up and beauty tips that range from the basic must haves to the trendy how to-s.

If you are looking for something to make you giddy with glee every month…a beauty aid surprise, if you will…check out Birchbox. I’m four months in and I haven’t been disappointed yet. It’s so much fun to sample all of the girly products out there, things you’d probably never buy or even hear of on your own. There’s also a Male version that’s being BETA tested just in case you have a guy in your life who likes to get his cleanse and moisturize on! (***as always, the opinions here are mine, Birchbox did not pay me in dollars or extra swag to write this review…this is just me, tarheelmom, sharing a little thing i love)