To begin, I'm really happy with how punctual my Birchbox shipping was this month. My box was shipped out on the 5th and I got it by the 7th! It's such a refreshing change from Ipsy.
Birchbox? What's that? - Birchbox is a monthly beauty and lifestyle subscription service. It sends 4-5 deluxe samples that are curated to your beauty profile. It is $10 a month, and has a wonderful rewards program, in which you can earn points for reviewing products and making purchases in the Birchbox Shop. You can then redeem those points for full-sized products in the Birchbox Shop! It's probably the best rewards program out there, in my opinion, which was one of the big draws in me signing up. If you're interested in subscribing to Birchbox, I would love it if you used my referral link. Thank you!
As usual, it arrived in a small, cardboard box. I'm still trying to figure out a way to utilize all of my boxes for storage. Ideas, anyone?
This month's theme was Beauty Buzz, in which Birchbox gave out products that were raved about in the beauty community. I always thought that Birchbox did this every month, so I was a bit confused by this, but I'm mainly concerned about the products anyway so I wasn't too bothered by it. It also includes the ever-so-helpful information card, which I love dearly. Why doesn't every subscription service do this?
I didn't get a chance to look at my Your October Products section on Birchbox (I almost called it a Glam Room, oops!) before receiving my box, so it was a complete surprise. It was a lot of fun not knowing what I would be getting, so I think I'll try to keep it a secret from now on.
On to the contents! Of course, just as a reminder, you can click the pictures to enlarge them.
Benefit Cosmetics Fake Up (Sample-Size [.5g]: about $3.50)
(Full-Size [3.5g]: $24)
I was so excited to see Benefit in my box! This sample is pretty small, I won't lie, but all eye products are pretty small. Your eyes aren't that big--products last awhile. In the picture on the right, I rolled up the product as far as it would go. It's not very much, I'm still content with the size of this product. I think I'll get a good amount of use out of it, plenty to see if I'd want to repurchase.
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser (Sample-Size [1 fl oz]: about $7)
(Full-Size [3.3 fl oz]: $21.50)
Liz Earle Pure Muslin Cloth (Sample-Size (1 cloth): $3)
(Full-size (2 cloths): $6)
If you scroll up and look at the picture of the open box, this cleanser and cloth came in the fancy blue box (like a Tiffany's box, but for skincare). It feels so luxurious! I also think this is a really generous size for Birchbox to be sending out. I think I'll get plenty of uses out of this. Though, I have to say, I'm kind of bummed about the cloth counting as a separate item. Either way, I'm excited to use this cleanser once I finish up my Fresh Soy Face Cleanser.
Pop Beauty Aqua Lacquer in No. 5 Flowering Fuchsia
(FULL SIZE [.34 fl oz]: $14)
I can never get enough lipgloss! I really liked Pop Beauty's Lip Crayon from my July Ipsy bag, so I was excited to get this. This looks scary and bright in the tube, but on the lips, it's more of a sheer hot pink color. It's super glossy and shiny, but still toned down enough for everyday wear due to the sheerness of the color. It's not too terribly sticky, which I like. It's also full-size! Whoo!
BIRCHBOX FIND: Chapstick Hydration Lock Lip Balm ($3)
To my novice Birchboxian knowledge, a Birchbox Find is when the creators of Birchbox find a really neat product in the drugstore but know all of their customers will be in an uproar if they make it count as one of the items (If you need an example, see Ipsy's Facebook page. People are complaining about the Wet 'n Wild left and right). Every subscriber receives the Birchbox Find in their box that month, and it doesn't count towards their four or five products. Cool! I haven't tried this yet, since I have so many other open lip balms, but I'm happy to have this. I love lip balm. I hoard it. I need it.
The Stats:
- Benefit Fake Up Concealer: $3.50
- Liz Earle Cleanser + Cloth: $10
- Pop Beauty Lip Gloss: $14
- Total Box Value: $27.50 (that's almost triple what I paid!)
The best: Benefit Fake Up, because I have a strange obsession with concealer and will probably get the most use out of it.
The worst: None, really. But the fact that the cleansing cloth counts as a full item is kind of a let down.
The verdict: Overall, I'm pretty happy with my Birchbox. Technically, I received five items total, but not counting the Birchbox Find, it's technically four. I'm a little bummed that the one cleansing cloth counts as an item, but not really that much. The Pop Beauty Lip Lacquer is full-size and getting a 1oz bottle of cleanser is pretty sweet, so I can't complain. And I got a product from Benefit Cosmetics in my box! I'm really pleased with my decision to switch over from Ipsy to Birchbox.
What did you get in your Birchbox this month?
Disclaimer: I purchased this box with my own money. I am not affiliated with, nor sponsored by, Birchbox.
