Birchbox October 2013 Review

If Birchbox didn't have such a great point system, I'd have dropped it a long time ago.  However, there is something to be said for $10 per month for samples and getting back about $5 per month in store credit for reviewing the products.

October 2013

I peeked at my box when they were posted yesterday, and I was even more underwhelmed when it finally showed up.

Birchbox October 2013: Beauty Buzz

First up, this box's only really excellent item: Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant.

Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfolient

This is supposed to be gentle enough for even sensitive skin, and it smells like lemonade.  Winning! I have no complaints about this, I use a facial exfoliator once or twice per week and am glad to have a new one to try.  I just hope I don't fall in love with this, the price is pretty steep!

Full size is $78 for 2 oz of product, making the 0.25 oz sample worth $9.75.


Next is yet ANOTHER giant foil packet from Miss Jessie's.  This time they sent me Pillow Soft Curls, which is described as a lotion, not a gel or creme.  Previously, I have tried Jelly Soft Curls (gel: NASTY) and the Stretch Curl Creme (creme: INEFFECTIVE), and I am hopefully through most of this product line.  I don't want any more samples from them.  (Hint, hint, Birchbox.)

Miss Jessie's Pillow Soft Curls

The reviews say this smells like fabric softener, and based upon the other MJ products I've tried, I assume it will be absolutely overpowering and will not fade all day.

Full size is $22 for 8.5 fl.oz.  This 1 oz sample is worth $2.59.


The "Birchbox Find" this month is a ChapStick Hydration Lock in Vanilla Creme.  Birchbox Finds are items that you can pick up for cheap somewhere like CVS or Target.  I don't really have a problem getting them in BB, especially since they are things I'd normally drop a couple bucks on.  This just saves me a trip!

ChapStick Hydration Lock

I'm not going to open this right away, since I have 4 kajillion open lip balms, but I'll use it when I run out of my Noya balm from my August Ipsy bag.  That one really ended up growing on me and I keep it next to my bed for night-time and first-thing-in-the-morning.  Hopefully I like this Chapstick just as much, because they don't have to be ordered online.

This is full-sized and sells for about $2.99 at drugstores.  I'm sure you can find sales or coupons, though.


I then went to open the little cardboard package that contained the rest of my items, and pulled out my lip gloss... and a hand full of eyeshadow.

Oh look, my lip gloss has a brown shimmery disease

Yeah.  I wiped off the outside of the gloss and soldiered on, all in the name of blog reviews.  You're welcome!

Pop Beauty Aqua Lacquer in Flowering Fuchsia. 

Pop Beauty Aqua Lacquer in Flowering Fuchsia

This gloss looks brighter in the tube than it does on my lips, but it is decent.  

Me wearing Flowering Fuchsia Aqua Lacquer
It's not really this bright, that's the lighting

It's not sticky at all, and the mint gives a little bit of tingle.  The applicator, though, is weird.  The company describes it as "spatuala-like" and I think that is appropriate.  It is like the doe-foot applicator, just without the fuzzy part, just the plastic underneath.  It makes for a strange application of the gloss.  Also, the flowers on the tube and the packaging in general make it seem like it's mostly marketed towards 15 year old girls.  It seems a little young, is all.

Weird Applicator

This is full-sized, 10 mL, and sells for $14 on Birchbox.


Last, but not least, is the offending eyeshadow quad from Coastal Scents.  

Coastal Scents Eyeshadow Sample Quad in set #34
Clockwise, from top left: Boca Mocha, Golden Sienna, Pinehurst, Burnished Brunette.

Upon extracting it from the powder in the bottom of the cardboard package, I found that two out of the four colors were smashed into powder.  Of course, they were the two colors I'd actually use in this sample, that's just my luck.  I emailed BB about this, asking them if they could at least send me a new one, but I don't expect to hear back until after the holiday weekend. 

:( Poor eyeshadow!

Left to right: Golden Sienna, Pinehurst, Burnished Brunette, Boca Mocha
One swipe with my finger, no primer

There is 2g worth of eyeshadow in here, and on the Coastal Scents site they sell 1.5g individual shadows for $1.95, giving this quad a value of $2.60.

Total Value: $31.93

All together, I'm not very excited about this box.  The microdermabrasion scrub will definitely get used after I run out of my Michael Todd Jojoba and Charcoal scrub (again, from the August Ipsy!), and I'll get around to using the chapstick at some point.  I am not sure if I am willing to try out the curl lotion- I've hated every Miss Jessie's product I've tried and I don't want to inflict another bad hair day upon myself.  The smashed eyeshadows and teenage girl lip gloss didn't help matters.  At least I got 50 points ($5) for reviews!


Birchbox costs $10 per month and they send you between 4 and 6 sample (and rarely, full-sized) items.  You can review each item for 10 points, and every 100 points gives you $10 credit to use in their online store.  If you want to sign up, you can use my link here.  This will give me 50 points and endless joy.

No special consideration or compensation was received for this post and all thoughts and opinions are my own. All items mentioned within were paid for by me.

Retrospective: Birchbox May 2013

See my first Retrospective for the answers to the quiz that I used.

May 2013: Month 15

Cargo Water Resistant Blush in Bali
Photo from Birchbox

This is a medium rose color and is really pretty on my skin.  I think it looks really natural, and it's very pigmented so you don't need much.  It does last all day, but I can't attest to its water resistance at all.  It will be great for the winter and fall.  I like brighter blushes in the summer! I think this was a good sample size, I have so many blushes that I can't see myself ever using up a full size one!

Full size (11g) $26.00.  The sample was 2.5g, worth $5.91.

Coola Classic SPF Cucumber Moisturizer for Face
Photo from Birchbox

Honestly, I haven't tried this yet.  I have a ton of face sunscreens, but this is in my purse in case of a sun emergency.  I like that the tube is sealed, that makes me feel better about not using it right away! 

$32 for 100 mL.  7 mL sample worth $2.24

Marvis Toothpaste in Classic Strong Mint
Photo from Birchbox

My boyfriend asked why I had such a fancy-looking travel toothpaste when we went to Martha's Vineyard a month ago.  Birchbox is why! This was a weird month.  Um, it's a decent toothpaste I guess.  I was hoping the mint would be stronger (like, Altoids strong), but it is a typical level of mintyness.   

75 mL tube costs $10.50.  The sample was 10 mL, with a value of $1.40.

Miss Jessie's Jelly Soft Curls
Photo from Birchbox

My hair didn't like this at all (and neither did I).

8.5 fl. oz. is $14, the 1 fl. oz. sample was worth $1.65.

Birchbox Finds: Pilot Acroball Pure White in Pink
Photo from Birchbox

Oh, Birchbox, you and your weird bonus items.  It's better than laundry detergent, at least! This is a nice pen, I just wish I got a different color.  The pink is pretty light and I can't use it at work in my lab notebook.  It's in my purse for a time when the black pen I also have in there isn't good enough.

$6.24 for a pack of 4.  Single pen worth approximately $1.56.

Total Value $12.76

Meh. This box was pretty lame overall.  The blush was really the only item I can and will use on a regular basis.


Birchbox costs $10/month, including shipping and sends you a box of 4-6 samples and sometimes full-sized products.  You can review the products you receive for 10 Birchbox points each.  For every $1 you spend in the BB shop, you also receive 1 BB point.  For every 100 BB points you accumulate, you get $10 to spend in their shop.  If you would like to sign up, my link is here and I will earn 50 BB points at the end of your first month.

This post contains products I purchased with my own money.  No compensation was received for this post and all opinions are my own.  This post contains a referral link, see above for details.

Retrospective: Birchbox August 2012

See my first Retrospective for the answers to the quiz that I used.

August 2012: Month 6

Juicy Couture Viva la Juicy La Fleur
Photo from Birchbox

Ho hum, another perfume sample.  I think through BB I have every variation of perfume that Juicy Couture makes.  They all smell the same to me.  Young, light, fresh, and not for me. Too floral.  Meh.  I'll give this another try if I ever pull it out of my jar-of-perfume-samples.

Full size $70 for 2.5 oz.  Sample value (1.5 mL estimate) $1.42.

Miss Jessie's Original Stretch Silkening Creme
Photo from Birchbox

Yes, I have very curly hair.  No, this did not work for me.  I don't like the texture, I don't like the smell, and I don't like the way it made my hair look.  It just wasn't for me.  I tried another Miss Jessie's product recently and liked that one even less!  

Full size $22 for 8 oz.  Sample size was 2 ounces wasted on me for a value of $5.50.

Pixi Beauty Lip & Line in Orchid Rose
Photo from Blush.com since BB doesn't offer this color

See that color? That color is unwearable by someone as pale as me.  That color is especially unwearable in AUGUST when dark, vampy lips are not in style.  I love the idea, and it went on so nicely, I just wish I had gotten a different color!  Maybe I can work it this winter.  Probably not.

This is full-sized, and valued at $18.  Unfortunately, it is just sitting in my give-away pile unless I get courageous.

Schick Hydro Silk Razor
Photo from Birchbox

Birchbox started something called "Birchbox Finds" where they send you drug-store products and tell you how great they are.  You don't have to tell me how great this razor is, I had been using it already!  Thanks for the spare, though, these things can get expensive (that's what coupons are for!).  Some people were a little miffed at this, but a razor is a razor and I have some legs to shave!

Full-size, value approximately $9.99

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream
Photo from Birchbox

The final product was a sample of this cream, which smells heavily of camphor.  It's not everyone's cup of tea, but there is something about a medicinal scent that makes me think the product is working that much harder.  It was a nice sample and I wish I hadn't lost it.  It was good for little patches of dry winter skin.  I tried it on my lips a couple times, but didn't like its texture on my lips, or the camphor smell so close to my nose.

Full size $16 for 1.25 oz.  Sample size was 0.1 oz, value $1.28

Total Value $36.19, but half is a full-size lip product that is totally wrong for me.

Besides the awful hair cream, I was so disappointed in the lipliner/lipstick combo from Pixi.  I had really hoped that I could make the color work, but there is no way that is happening.  Any other color would have been great, but they sent the darkest one they possibly could have.





Birchbox costs $10/month, including shipping and sends you a box of 4-6 samples and sometimes full-sized products.  You can review the products you receive for 10 Birchbox points each.  For every $1 you spend in the BB shop, you also receive 1 BB point.  For every 100 BB points you accumulate, you get $10 to spend in their shop.  If you would like to sign up, my link is here and I will earn 50 BB points at the end of your first month.

This post contains products I purchased with my own money.  No compensation was received for this post and all opinions are my own.  This post contains a referral link, see above for details.

Least 5 Favorite Birchbox Items

My 5 Least Favorite Birchbox Products
Besides almost every fragrance sample ever sent to me, these are my five least favorite items received through Birchbox.

Photo from Birchbox

#5. Miss Jessie's Jelly Soft Curls  (May 2013)
This just did not work for my hair.  I have curly hair, yes, but I like my ringlets to be soft and touchable.  If that means a little frizz, fine.  This smelled like a laundromat and made my hair crunchy and my curls did not stay together, if you know what I'm trying to describe.  It made everything look very strand-y and 90's.  If I wanted to look like I had 90's hair, I'd spend $2.50 on some LA Looks. Not my HG curl product.

Photo from Birchbox

#4 Dropps Laundry Detergent Concentrated Pack (April 2012)
Um, bad choice of "Lifestyle Extra," BB.  Luckily, I'm not sensitive to scents in my detergents.  This smelled fine, and did its job well, but I don't subscribe to a beauty box in hopes of getting my clothes cleaner.  What's next? Tide dishwasher pods? I don't even have a dishwasher! I'm glad I at least have a washer/dryer!  Had this come in a different type of sub box, I wouldn't have had a problem with it.  It just looks out of place next to nail polish and perfume vials.

Photo from Birchbox

#3 LA FRESH Nail Polish Remover Pad (September 2012)
I like nail polish.  I'm also a chemist and I have an affinity for acetone.  I practically shower in the stuff at work, so I don't have a problem with using it to remove my polish.  I just make sure to keep my hands, cuticles, and nails hydrated.  This nail polish remover pad smelled great, and I do like the convenience of the individual packets for traveling- I buy the all acetone Rite Aid brand.  However, aside from the convenience factor, these sucked.  They left behind a very oily residue and did not even remove all of my polish.  I had to go back over everything with a cotton ball and acetone.  Waste of time.

Photo from Birchbox

#2 S.W. Basics Beeswax Lip Balm in Cocoa (October 2012)
Had BB sent me a different flavor, like cinnamon (mmm), I would have been over the moon with this sample.  However, this is representative of a larger theme within my BB products- terrible scents/colors.  This is the most offensive example.  I just don't like the smell of raw cocoa butter- to me it smells like a hamster cage that needs to be cleaned.  It's disgusting.  This lip balm is amazing and in terms of texture and hydration and staying-power, it's one of the best I have tried.  I just can only use it when I have a stuffy nose, and hope that other people aren't offended that I smell like a pet store.

Photo from Birchbox

#1 Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream (April 2013)
Juice Beauty is a great brand and I love the moisturizer I received in the June Popsugar Must Have box.  That one smells like lemonade and has a handy pump to keep the rest of the product sanitary.  Fantastic.  So, I know that this brand can make a good face product, and I just don't know what happened with this CC cream. It has no coverage, is very thick, but at the same time, almost airy, like a mousse.  It's a confusing texture.  It also smells like butt.  Their products are made with organic ingredients and are mostly plant-based (juices and oils).  I really like that about this company.  Too bad I really hate this CC cream.  If it had good coverage, it would be one thing.  If the scent faded quickly, it would be another.  Neither is true.  I gave away the two additional samples of this that came with the moisturizer in the June PSMH.


If I somehow have convinced you to sign up for BB, it is $10/month and this is my referral link.

This post contains items that I purchased through Birchbox.  All opinions are my own. This post also contains a referral link.  For each person who signs up for BB using my link, I receive 50 BB points.