So... I thought a lot about whether or not I was still going to feature my Birchboxes on the blog since they're leaving the Canadian market and there will only be one more box for us Canadians after this... but then I decided that since I've been with Birchbox since the beginning I would just be there until the end as well. So keep in mind as you read this that the box will be gone after next month (EDIT: Apparently Birchbox changed their statement after releasing it and made February the last box, guaranteeing that if they ever come back to Canada, they will not be getting my business.) If any of the product interest you, they might be worth spending your Birchbox points on! Brightsides! There won't be an Ipsy vs. Birchbox post next month, because I feel like that was about deciding between the two services and there's really no point in that anymore.

Anyway, if you're interested in seeing what I got in my February Birchbox, keep reading!

If you checked out my original unboxing posts on January's subscription boxes, you'll know there was a pretty decisive winner and won't be at all surprised about how the comparison turned out. This has been an interesting month, though, and perhaps the last month that I'll actually bother to feature an Ipsy vs. Birchbox, since Birchbox is exiting the Canadian market. I am on the lookout for another subscription to replace my Birchbox one, as I've gotten a little bit spoiled getting two boxes a month, so if you have any suggestions I'd love it if you'd leave them in the comments! Now, without further adieu... let's proceed to the slaughter, shall we?

Keep reading for more!

So... On one level, I can understand this. I honestly had been wondering how much longer Birchbox was going to be able to be in Canada at the price that it was, considering the falling Canadian dollar, so I'm not really surprised that they are exiting the Candian market.

(Keep reading for rant....)

So... Last week I completely screwed up. I had every intention of including an update along with my Birchbox unboxing about last month's box - and then I completely forgot and went ahead and posted it without it. The only excuse I really have is that it was Friday and I just wanted to go home, drink coffee, and watch Forensic Files on Netflix. Ahem. I am a wild woman, no?

This prompted me to try something new on the blog. I feel like I do so many of these unboxings and then I never really mention the products again unless I use them up. Seems like a waste, doesn't it? So now I want to try something a little bit new and make posts every month updating you on what I actually thought of the products that I received in my box and decide which service wins the month. For the time being, I get Ipsy and Birchbox, though I suspect that might be changing in the future, but I will continue doing updates as long as I'm getting subscriptions! Also, I'm going to try to be better about actually using all of the products right away, since I tend to kinda sock them away.

So, without further adieu, let's update!

Gotta tell you guys... My Birchbox came fast this month. I randomly decided to check and see if my tracking number was up on the Birchbox site, and it was so I tracked it and Canada Post told me it was out for delivery. I love when that happens! This month's box is really cute. On the top of the box it says "2015: The Year Of ______" and they've included stickers so that you can choose your own way to end that sentence. I personally chose "creativity" for my box, because I feel like I've been lacking a little bit in that department the last few years, and I'd like to spend more time in 2016 embracing the artisitic part of myself that has always really been a big part of my life. Anyway, enough about that! Let's get to what's inside!

Another month, another Birchbox! Since it's Christmas time, mail seems to be particularly slow at the moment, so this is a lot later than I was expecting it to be. That said, a certain other subscription isn't even close to being here yet, so.... Anyway! I missed out on Sample Choice this month, which was a little annoying since I was fairly sure it was supposed to open on the 27th, but was already completely full when I went on the 27th - and I know I'm not even close to the only one. A little annoying.

How I feel about this month's box is a bit of a mixed bag - made infinitely worse after seeing all of the PR boxes that were sent out that contained things like the Sunday Riley Good Genes in a VERY generous sample and the Balance Me Eye Cream. I'd really have loved to receive either of those - especially since I got 2 hair products in this month's box. Anyway, keep reading to take a look at what was in my box this month!

Me and Birchbox were having a bit of a shaky relationship for a while there, but as soon as I felt like I was ready to leave they started hitting me with boxes that I've really been loving. Isn't that always the way? I know a lot of people opted out of continuing their Birchbox subscriptions a few months ago, but I have to tell you guys that I'm actually really glad that I stayed! I finally spent some of those Birchbox points I had been collecting and my little haul is going to be here soon - which is super exciting and my favorite part of Birchbox - and then this box came and solidified at least another month of me and Birchbox sittin' in a tree. How's that for cheese for you? Let's move on!

Keep reading to take a look inside my Birchbox!

I have to admit... I have no patience to wait and see what I'm going to be getting in any of my subscriptions until they arrive. I'm definitely the person who starts stalking for spoilers as soon as the beginning of the month hits, so I knew what I was going to be getting in this month's Birchbox long before it got here. Funny thing, though, I wasn't really sure how I would feel about any of it. Birchbox Canada has definitely, I think, been a little hit and miss for most of us. So how did September's box measure up?

Keep reading to take a look at what I got this month!

So, I have to say, after last month's Birchbox fail, I wasn't holding out much hope that this month would be better. I know a lot of people who cancelled their subscription last month, but you guys know how much I love getting my subscription boxes and I just couldn't bring myself to give up just yet. Also, Birchbox Canada has promised that they're listening to people's complaints and trying to do better, so I'll hold on a little longer. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised by this box and am happy to share with you guys what I received this month.

So if you're interested in seeing what's I received in this month's Birchbox, keep reading!

So, of course, both my Ipsy and my Birchbox arrived in my mailbox about 2 hours after I got on a plane last week and I was left wishing I had caught them and eager to rip into them when I got home. This month's Birchbox Canada was a collaboration with Best Health Magazine and included a subscription offer of some kind... but I kinda lost it, so I couldn't tell you what it was. Pretty sure it wasn't free though. Anyway, I'm not going to keep rambling on here... Let's just take a look at this month's box.

Keep reading for a closer look at the products.

This month's Birchbox theme is "Say Yes!" I feel like this is an absolutely fantastic theme for the summer, because this is the time of year to get out there, try new things, meet new people, and have new experiences. The days are longer, the nights are warmer, and you just have no excuse. Bring it on, Birchbox! Since this summer is going to be extremely busy for me - with various weddings, trips, and camping adventures already on the schedule - I'm all about my travel sized products at the moment and am likely to end up really digging into a lot of the subscription box products I've got in reserve... And I'm always happy to add to the collection!

So, let's take a look at what Birchbox is adding (in their absolutely adorable SAY YES! box) this month!

First off, sorry it's been so long without an update here... I had a little case of the distraction last week and couldn't muster the attention span to do... Well, pretty much anything. I'm hoping that my state of mind is going to be a little more on point this week so I can get out some good posts for you guys! The first one I've got is my May Birchbox Unboxing, which is always exciting for me. This month's box was curated by Emily Schuman from Cupcakes And Cashmere to promote her new book Cupcakes And Cashmere At Home. This month's box is very, very cute with a peachy toned geometric pattern and gold branding. Pretty, pretty. I'm finding that I'm really liking these boxes to actually store all of the samples that I have on reserve from beauty subscriptions. This one will look cute in the pile.
 

Keep reading to take a look at my samples this month!

Birchbox time! It's been a great month for subscription boxes and this is the last one I'll be unboxing until next month. I got all my boxes within a 24 hour period this month, so I got hit with a lot of new products all at once - Let's be real, I'm certainly not complaining. This was also the month of really beautiful boxes, which started with my Glossybox and ending with this month's Birchbox!

I'm done with adieuing, so let's look at what was in the box!

If you were paying attention to his blog or social media, you know that I was really excited about this month's Birchbox. When they announced that every subscriber would be getting a beautyblender in their box, I was definitely on board. The value of that alone more than pays for the cost of the box, and for those of us who had been wanting to try a beautyblender but were weary of the high price tag, this was a perfect opportunity. Of course, that's not the only thing in the box, which always makes it extra exciting.

Keep reading for a closer look at what I received in my box, and also the result of what my personal favorite subscription service was this month!

Birchbox Canada announced on their Instagram today that all of their subscribers will be receiving a Beauty Blender in their March box! For anyone who didn't have a reason to try out Birchbox Canada, this is a pretty damn good incentive to give it a go. The value of the Beauty Blender alone more than pays for your box!

So far, I've been loving Birchbox since they entered Canada and it has become a monthly excitement for me to figure out what I'll be receiving in my box every month. If you're curious, you can check out my previous Unboxings here on the blog.

For those of you who haven't yet subscribed to Birchbox Canada, the box costs $10 a month plus a $5 shipping charge and you'll receive 5 beauty samples. One of the best features of Birchbox, other than the obvious excitement of a box of beauty products delivered to your door every month, is their points system. Basically, you get 10 points for every product that you review from your boxes, and every 100 points = $10 to spend on the site! The points system definitely makes this an incredibly good value!

If you want to sign up and get your March Birchbox, which is guaranteed to include a Beauty Blender, make sure you sign up by March 17! From where I'm standing, it's a no brainer, and I personally can't wait to receive the March box! Look for my Unboxing later this month!

** This post contain referral links.

As you may recall, I was very excited about last month's Birchbox. This month, I was admittedly pretty much stalking the website to find out what I would be getting this month... and that's where the weirdness started. Well, it's wear the weirdness ended as well, but it was some real weirdness. When I first looked at the products I would be getting, I was disappointed because it looked like I would only be getting 4 products in my box. A couple of days later, I checked back again and saw that it had changed and there were 5 products listed. Unfortunately, I was kind of bummed that I would be receiving a Harvey Prince fragrance sample. After 2 months of receiving products from Harvey Prince, I was hoping to get other brands this month. I assume they must have realized that they were going to repeat again, because the next time I looked (which was actually because I was checking for a tracking number) the fragrance sample had disappeared and was replaced with something else. Earlier this week I looked again - again checking to see when my box would arrive - and noticed that the items in my box had changed yet again. Where there was once a hair product listed, there was instead an eyeliner. I don't know what happened that the items included in my box changed three times, but it was certainly odd. Anyway, my box got here today with the items that were listed on my last peek, so keep reading to take a look at what I got!

I am such a nerd. I peeked several times until the Birchbox website finally told me what I was getting this month and I was really excited. Like, really excited. I have to admit that upon receiving the box, I'm a little less excited, but that isn't to say that I dont' still love this box. Because I do. Now, admittedly, there are two brand repeats from last month, which is kind of a bummer, but since they're still products that I've never tried I don't really have such an issue with that. I have to say that after my highly disappointing Ipsy bag (which came in the UGLIEST BAG EVER!) this looked extra good. I was so disappointed with Ipsy this month that I didn't even have any desire to blog it. I figured that my spoiler post was enough. I'm going to hang tough with Ipsy for one more month and see how I feel about it then, but I might shift my consumer dollars entirely over to Birchbox after that. We'll see. I'm still hoping that Ipsy is going to wow me next month and all will be forgiven.

BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT MY BIRCHBOX. Keep reading for a closer look....

December marks the first month that a couple of very popular subscription services are available for the first time in Canada. One of those subscription services is Birchbox, which I signed up for as soon as I was able. I've had my eye on Birchbox for a while, curious to try the more popular subscription services that hadn't been available in Canada until now, so it really was a no brainer to sign up. My first box arrived today, my UPS man arriving earlier than usual to surprise me, and I couldn't have been more excited to tear into it. The box itself is a raw reusable cardboard box with a cute chevron lining that I think will be nice to store various small makeup items in in the future. A small feature, but one that I actually really enjoy. I received 5 products in this month's box.

If you're interested in taking a look at what I got, keep reading for a closer look....

That's right, friends! Just after Glossybox made its entrance into Canada, Birchbox is making its entrance as well! For just $14.95 a month, you'll receive 5 personalized beauty samples delivered to your door each month! Just head over to Birchbox.ca to sign up! And keep an eye here at Prairie Beauty Love for future unboxings of my own Birchbox subscription!

XO.

** This post contains my referral link.