Feedback Wanted: Team BIC’s 2024 Holiday Gratis Thread!

[TeamBIC]

Happy Holidays, BIC! 🤍❄ We’re sending select members a token of our appreciation for their participation in the Beauty Insider Community all year round, and this thread is a place for recipients to share their unboxings! 🤗 It warmed our hearts to see how much you loved last year’s epic Community Faves-themed countdown, so this year we’re sticking with a similar format, while putting a new spin on the unboxing festivities…. with 10 Days of Trending Picks from Team BIC!

You may recognize some of these products being buzzed-about on social, or in rotation on our Trending at Sephora page. 🤳🔥 They may not be official Community Favorites just yet, but if you love what you try, you could very well skyrocket them into Sephora.com greatness by tagging them in your Forum posts or future Gallery looks! 🤩 

Similar to last year, recipients will have 10 Sephora products to unveil across 10 days … but you’re welcome to open on your own schedule (we won’t judge)! Though packages may arrive on varying schedules, they should all land before mid-December. While you’re free to begin unboxing your gratis as you wish when you receive it, we are challenging you to post photos and share your thoughts on each of the products according to the schedule below so we can all experience the magic together (starting with the gift labeled “Day 1”)! You can absolutely post product photos and reactions earlier if you like – we might just suggest hiding them behind a spoiler tab to make it easier for other recipients to avoid any unwanted sneak peeks at the surprises in future days ahead! 

• Day 1: Tuesday, 12/10
• Day 2: Wednesday, 12/11
• Day 3: Thursday, 12/12
• Day 4: Friday, 12/13
• Day 5: Saturday, 12/14
• Day 6: Sunday, 12/15
• Day 7: Monday, 12/16
• Day 8: Tuesday, 12/17
• Day 9: Wednesday, 12/18
• Day 10: Thursday, 12/19

We’re so excited to see those unboxings and get your reactions! Hit the “Reply” button and don’t forget to use the “#” symbol to tag any of these Trending Picks you mention!

PS: Don't forget the swag! 😉 You may notice that our Ambassadors were gifted a little something extra, so box contents will vary slightly!

[WinglessOne]

Thank you @TeamBIC for including me in another fun round of holiday gift mysteries! This year I’ll try not to look inside any of the bags ahead of time. 😅 That urge is partly why I’m VERY grateful for the BIC merch you thoughtfully included this year: I got to “unwrap” those early, hooray! 

No mistaking which retailer & forum these came from. 😄

I love card cases/wallets like that striped one because I can keep one in the Land’s End canvas tote I usually carry around town. (My tote has an attached internal strap that I always clip to the zipper of one of these little cases.) I use them to hold receipts, bandaids, and other small flat things to free up space in my purse. I’ll put this Sephora case into rotation soon! I especially love the yellow trim in combination with the other colors. 

It’s the little details that make me smile.

When I first felt that case, I thought there were a couple silica packets inside. So I was very surprised to find the cute hair clips in there! 🖤🤍 They’ll definitely come in handy! 

And the snow globe… oh my goodness… I used to collect snow globes but gave most of ‘em away before my last move, so having this one is a nostalgic hug. Gonna keep this one in my new(ish) beauty space. 

Also a good prop to help me get to know my new phone’s front camera. I was prepping for bed, then stopped to open the snow globe box because I couldn’t wait til morning. 😄

Speaking of getting to know my new phone’s cameras: I also took a short video of the snow globe. Waiting to see if it makes it to my Gallery so I can link to it. 

I had visitors when I retrieved my Holiday Gratis package. The youngest visitor (14 years old) reeeaaally wanted the polkadot box and gingham bag, so I let her have both. 🙂 I’m keeping the 10 pouches of secret goodies in my BIC tote, like I did last year. Let’s see how long I can keep myself from unzipping that tote bag and opening a pouch or two! 😅 

Congratulations to everyone else who received this generous gratis! 

[lmaster]

Congratulations @WinglessOne 🎊

[WinglessOne]

Thanks @lmaster !

[quspork]

Congrats, @WinglessOne!

[WinglessOne]

Thanks @quspork !

[Ispend2much6]

@WinglessOne  Congratulations!  Nice shot of the snowglobe in action.

[WinglessOne]

Thanks @Ispend2much6 !

[jaaayp]

Congrats @WinglessOne !!! Your photos are sooo cute! 😍

[WinglessOne]

Aw, thank you @jaaayp ! ☺️

[tsavorite]

Congratulations, @WinglessOne !  I'm so glad for you that you are waiting to open the daily gifts with everyone!  It's really fun!

[WinglessOne]

Thanks @tsavorite ! Last year I peeked early inside a pouch or two. I also figured out what was inside another couple pouches just by feeling them from the outside. 😅 I’m trying not to make guesses this time, but we’ll see how long that lasts! 

[eshoe]

Congratulations, @WinglessOne! That was pretty kind of you to let your niece take home some goodies, too. Those boxes are great for holding things...LOTS of things! Hope your new phone's camera lives up to your expectations, I am curious just how good it is compared to a DSLR.  Enjoy everything! 

[WinglessOne]

Thanks @eshoe ! Oh, my box+bag recipient is a friend’s kid, not my niece. (I am an aunt, but my niece is waaay younger than 14; she could fit inside that polkadot box.) The teen in question has officially staked her claim on any other BIC polkadot boxes I receive that I don’t plan to reuse. 😅 

My new phone is an iPhone 15 Pro, so the camera’s not really a match for a DSLR. But compared to the camera on my old iPhone XS, this new one’s a noticeable improvement. I mean sure, camera quality has evolved with each iPhone release, but this phone’s front camera is quite impressive! I’m still playing around with the rear camera but, so far, it’s taking more vivid shots than my old phone’s rear camera—so I end up making far fewer temperature/tint/curve adjustments while editing to get true-to-life color. Not that a DSLR wouldn’t also have issues with color temp/tint/etc., but it’s nice to spend less time tweaking that stuff for each photo. 

Speaking of DSLRs though, I’m still kinda bummed to see ‘em discontinued by nearly all the big camera makers. Mirrorless tech has definitely taken over. Mirrorless cameras aren’t bad at all, especially midrange and higher (eh, entry level cameras can sometimes have issues). They even have some advantages over DSLRs. But I’m glad DSLRs are still available on the reseller/after market, along with their lenses and other stuff. If I was a pro photographer, I’d still want a DSLR over a mirrorless camera. Heck, I’d also still want a 35mm film camera. 

[eshoe]

Ok so how do you know so much about so much then, @WinglessOne …I had no idea about dslr cameras being D/C. Now I need to research mirrorless cameras.

I remember the days of the 35mm, those were fancy 🤩 looking at older photographs it’s incredible to see the clarity in them. 

[WinglessOne]

@eshoe  Heh, I just occasionally keep up with photography tech. Photography’s been one of my favorite art forms for decades. 🙂 I still miss the old days of spending hours with b&w enlargers in darkrooms. Mirrorless cameras have quickly come a long way, quality wise, so I’m trying to decide whether to buy a DSLR or mirrorless—or just stick to using my phone camera. “Good” photography is more about skill than equipment, after all. 

When 35mm cameras were first being overtaken by DSLRs, I grumbled a lot. 😅 But at least DSLRs still had most of the physically adjustable settings of a 35mm. Many mirrorless cameras (and some DSLRs) have automated/digitized a lot of those settings. And mirrorless cameras don’t make that DSLR “quick, move the mirror outta the way” shutter sound. Or I dunno, maybe some have a setting (like iPhones do) that plays that sound with each camera click, to appease old heads like me. 😂 I will say a mirrorless can take MUCH faster continuous shots (burst shots) than a DSLR, thanks to not having to move an internal mirror contraption outta the way. That’s one of the mirrorless pros. They still have kinda sucky battery life though, compared to DSLRs. 

And then there are 35mm film cameras which don’t need batteries at all unless the camera has some digital tech, like my old dearly departed Canon A-1 camera. I still say that was the best camera I’ve ever owned, and it was 100% film. Digital photos are great nowadays, and there are plenty of effects/filters/edits one can make to get that old school 35mm look. But I’m too biased to claim they’re better than film photos. 

[curlychiquita]

Congratulations, @WinglessOne! It was sweet of you to give the box and bag to your 14 year old visitor!

[WinglessOne]

Thanks @curlychiquita ! She insisted she needs them more than I do. 😂 I was happy to oblige!

[Cissy63]

Congratulations @WinglessOne 🎉. Everything looks great 👍 

[WinglessOne]

Thanks @Cissy63 !

[blackkitty2014]

Congratulations @WinglessOne 🎉🍾🎈. The hair clips, the card/coin holder and the snow globe are truly darling. 🥰❤️🌹

[WinglessOne]

@blackkitty2014  Right? Whoever came up with the snow globe idea deserves a bonus!