Money Can't Buy Me Love or Doe Eyelashes

image via lbeau6.tumblr.com

I can't even begin to remember how many times I've heard the praise of a certain cult favorite mascara. You know, the watermelon-colored tube one? Or the blush from NARS with the title that makes one blush more. For the product-obsessed, certain items are mentioned so often they conjure up images of magical instant glamour. "Poof!", one swipe and you glow.

I once knew a beautiful Australian flight attendant, married to a wealthy Italian man who flew to Rome and Milan every week for work. If all that wasn't enough to induce a bit of envy, she had eyelashes that were so lovely, I was convinced they must be the result of a magic potion of some type. When I asked her about them, she replied, "Lancome".

Working in the spa industry, I had occasionally spent upwards of $150 on a skin care product, $40 on a conditioner, $13 for a bar of French soap, but for some reason had never really broken the $20 mark on mascara. I just couldn't do it. Not when I knew the watermelon tube was lurking at my pharmacy for five bucks.

The truth is though, that watermelon tube never did anything except separate my already puny 15 eyelashes into slightly less puny clumps of 3 eyelashes.

Finally, last month, a mere eight years after hearing "Lancome" in an Australian Italian-inflected accent from my gorgeous friend, I looked the other way and spent $32.

I planned a romantic evening for just the two of us. Me and my new shiny black tube of amazingness. I poured a glass of wine. Turned on the lamp on the vanity to a warm glow and then discovered that my coveted dream product made my lashes look like I'd glued clumps of charcoal to them. Sigh.

Lesson learned. Some people just have good lash genes. Alas, I am not among them.

The moral of this tale? Work with what you've got and don't buy into the hype ;)

The good news - I have naturally high cheekbones. The Nars product? I'll take two please.

Birchbox - My New Love Affair

Product junkies, lip gloss addicts, people who rub strips of fragrance in magazines on yourselves, take note:

This weekend, I received my first shipment from Birchbox. It made me do a little dance.
If you aren't familiar with Birchbox, please allow me to enlighten you.

For a $10 monthy fee (aka: what I probably spend every other day on superfluous carbs), you will receive a cute (I repeat CUTE) pink box stuffed full of premium samples delivered to your door each month.

Birchbox uses a point system, so when you've played with all your goodies, you can then go to the website to rate them for points. "What can I do with these points?", you ask. Well, I'll tell you.

100 Birchbox points can be redeemed for a $10 voucher toward the purchase of full-sized products. You get 10 points just for signing up and 10 points per item reviewed AND (I know. I know. I sound a little too excited. . . I am :) you also earn points per dollar for items purchased from the site.

After almost ten years of working in the spa industry, I've learned that the spectrum of "samples" ranges from annoying little packets you think you will maybe use on vacation sometime to stellar dazzling nearly full-size containers of happiness.

These are the happiness containers. Oh, and the brands. *swoon*. (See tiny hint below.)




Visit the website to take a peek and sign up and um...maybe mention my name if you wish. (You receive 50 referral points when friends sign up!)

You can also give 3 or 6 month gift subscriptions!

https://www.birchbox.com/shop/birchbox-gift-subscription-full-year


Stay tuned for my personal pics and reviews of this month's shipment later this week!