We all have those pesky automatic withdrawls that come out of our checking accounts every month. For me, it was my Planet Fitness membership that hadn’t been used in literally years (don’t worry, I finally canceled it). But there’s one deduction that still gives me butterflies when I see it on my bank statement– my Birchbox Man subscription.
For those of you who think Birchbox is only for lady-ladies, I’m here to tell you how horribly wrong you are. For those of you who have no freakin’ close what Birchbox is until now (like me, before I started dating Jess, who had the women’s subscription), prepare to have your minds blown.
Birchbox works kind of like a magazine subscription. Every month, a small fee is taken out of your account, and you recieve your box in the mail. The original Birchbox is for “women” (quotes intended, as obviously I am not comforming to BB’s gender binaries). It’s $10 a month, and doesn’t offer quite as much as the “men’s” box. Jess used to get it, and it usually included some small samples, and a bottle of nail polish or a headband or some femme crap like that (no offense, femmes… we love you). If you aren’t into that, I highly suggest the Birchbox Man subscription.
For $20 a month, you get what usually turns out to be a KILLER box filled with sample sized products for skin and hair, gadgets, and style items to make you look extra dapper. Their whole MO is to clean “men” up.
This month’s box came with a Nick Graham tie ($49):
I know, I hadn’t heard of him either. But that’s the awesome part about BB. They’re always onto the newest trends and tools. This is a tie I’d probably never buy on my own– but I will absolutely wear it now that BB has 1. given it to me for free (who doesn’t love free stuff?) and 2. shown me how to “mix it up” (as was the theme of the March box).
Another favorite came in last month’s box. The theme was “gentleman’s code.” I received this great cap from the Knottery, which I admittedly was on the fence about. It says “Mr” on it. The debate should be pretty obvious. I didn’t want people to mistakenly think I was mocking the trans community in any way, shape, or form by being an identified female and wearing a cap that says “Mr.” Ultimately, I decided that I am kind of a mister. I hold doors. I always let the lady order first. “Mr” sort of fits. I wore it through most of the eastern Caribbean and to the Bahamas. I rocked it. And no one neither mistook for a man, or some sort of trans-hating biggot.
The skin and hair products have also been invaluable. I’ve gotten a chance to try samples of $120 moisturizer I would never in a million years buy (let’s be realistic here… I’m not Jordan Belfort). I even actually bought the full sized versions of the Cartier cologne from my first box, and the Ernest Supplies soap-free face wash and moisturizers ($43 for both). You also will now have a bathroom stocked full of… get this… TRAVEL SIZES of just about every kind of hair wax, skin cream, chap stick and cologne known to man (or butch).
Here’s another kicker– if you buy the products from birchbox.com, you get points for every dollar you spend. You can also get free points from writing product reviews. Eventually, those points add up, and you get… MORE FREE STUFF! No, I don’t work for Birchbox Man… Although I bet that’d be a really cool job… I just love their stuff. It’s like Christmas every month when I see that my box has shipped.
I only have a couple of beefs here… Small ones… Not even a half a cow… First of all, I’m not a big fan of the way the marketing is geared toward, well, men. I get it. It’s supposed to be Birchbox MAN. Not Birchbox Butch, or Birchbox More-Masculine-Than-Feminine-Identified-Women… But still, I admit I feel just a little uncomfortable when the sneak peek videos and emails are all referring to “men” and “guys” and “dudes.” It can be just a tad frat-boy at times. That being said, I have noticed a handful of women who subscribe to BBM (and not just those who are speaking for their boyfriends) on the message boards. I don’t necessarily have a suggestion to change this… I’m just sayin.
Second beef— I get a LOT of shaving products. I thought this was just me, but my bro B said the same thing. I think this has something to do with the online profile you fill out when you subscribe so they can better tailor their choices to you. One of the questions asks about facial hair… the answer to which was obviously “clean shaven” (again, it’s not exactly queer friendly, since neither “full beard” or “slightly scruffy” was not a reasonable selection either). My girl has been known to use the shaving creams on her legs. And I’ve done it too. But still, I really think they go a little overboard.
BBM’s slogan is “get more handsome for $20 a month.” And it’s true. In my boxes in the past year (oh hey! I just realized this is my one year anniversary with BBM!!!awwww!), I’ve received some gorgeous designer dress socks, a wool beanie I wear all winter, a pair of foldable sunglasses, things like collar stiffs and cuff links, and a whole mess of other awesome products. I am also never short on face wash, body wash, and moisturizer that doesn’t smell like a Victoria Secret model.
Go to birchbox.com/man and sign up. It’ll be the most important $20 you’ll spend this month (unless you donate to the Red Cross, HRC, Planned Parenthood, ASPCA, or any other human/animal/charitable organizations…then you’re a really great person and you’ve earned this).