October 2011 Birchbox

I can tell you one thing right now. I love living within reasonable driving distance from NYC. Not because I go there but because that is where Birchbox  HQ is. Which means I get my box super early! And I meant to post a blog post about September's box but just never got around to it.

Anyway, October's box is all about transitioning into the fall season and help with prepping yourself from start to finish... And while I don't know if I feel like it is an appropriate theme for this box, I do like most of what I've gotten. I'll just go through the items [give you the birchbox description and a birchbox item link] and kind of tell you what I think of them so far.

amika - Obliphica Hair Treatment
This versatile hair oil can be used on damp or dry hair, and adds manageability, softness, and shine. Bonus: It smells gorgous

Basically, this is for people who may either style their hair more often with heating products like hair dryers and straighteners. I don't own a straightening iron and I only blow dry my hair maybe twice a month? But I decided to just try it on my hair anyway. And it was nice. Personally, I don't have unbelievably, uncontrollable hair... Ever. So while this product does give my hair a little bit of nice and shiny without too much greasy, it isn't amazing for me. Again, it's going to take me trying when I'm blow drying my hair to really get a good feel for this product.

Also, it would have been nice to have a slightly different bottle. Like one with a dropper function. You just kind of very carefully pour it into your hands, rub you hands together and then spread it evenly through your hair.

Am I going to buy it?: Most likely not
Would I recommend it?: After a few blow dry try-outs

Anastasia Beverly Hills - HydrFull Gloss in Bellini
This plush gloss plumps and hydrates lips and adds a pretty peachy sheen

While I do like chapsticks and similar products, I'm always leery of lip glosses. I have finicky lips that doesn't really take lip gloss all that well. While this doesn't feel as sticky as previous lip glosses, I don't know if I really like it. I also don't know if I really feel the affects it says it has. I don't really get the fuller feel the box says. I do kind of feel the hydrating factor but nothing blows my mind.

The sample is 0.03 fl. ozs and has a little paddle for an applicator. The paddle is a little awkward since I've never used this kind of applicator before but nothing drastic.


Am I going to buy it?: No
Would I recommend it?: If you're a lip gloss person, then yes.

Clark's Botanicals - Intense Radiance Mask
The solution to dull, congested skin. This white clay mask detoxifies pores, conquers blemishes, and even calms irritations. It's glow time.

I always try to be open about the products I'm going to be getting in a Birchbox. And I think this is the most interesting thing I've gotten out of my 2 boxes so far. For my skin, it actually does do some of the things it suggests. My skin definitely looks a little brighter and smoother. And tonight, it also helped call some zit inflammation on my face, which is awesome! Though I don't get a "detoxifying" pore feeling. I have rather large pores on my nose and I always hope that some sort of product will clean them out and make them appear smaller. This doesn't really do that.

The sample may appear to be small but I think it should be enough to get a few uses out of it. Which is what you really need when it comes to something like a face mask. It is a little time consuming with the recommended 25-30 minute wait time but you can easily do other things while you're waiting.

What's also nice is that it doesn't dry out my skin or make it feel super tight. My skin feels smoother and not so dry after using this product


Am I going to buy it?: Most likely not. It's a pricey item at $72 for 1.7 ounces
Would I recommend it?: Depends on what you want it to do. Need a moisturizing mask? Yes. Something to tame zit redness? Yes.

Laura Geller - Spackle Tinted Under Makeup Primer in Bronze
This hydrating primer gives you a flawless foundation for makeup - plus a subtle glow. It works on all skin tones - we tested it!

There are no words to express how excited I was to see this product... Well, more like a Laura Geller product. I have heard many good things about what the Laura Geller line has to offer and while this isn't the particular product I had in mind, I thought it would be a good introduction. And I'm so glad to have it.

For the past few days, I've been trekking to the city for long hours. And this stuff is pretty freaking awesome. While it says it comes in bronze, it really means that it is a very very light bronze. It isn't too noticeable on my face and I'm pretty pasty. I'm fine with that because it is so light-weight. I can barely tell it is on. It doesn't feel dry like my L'oreal Paris Magic Perfecting base [Fun/unfortunate fact for me: the Laura Geller sample size = regular L'oreal Paris Magic Perfecting base size]. And while I probably shouldn't use it this way, I've also been using it as an eyelid primer. It holds up my eye shadow makeup amazingly well. Seriously, there are no words to describe how much I love this product.


Am I going to buy it?: As soon as I'm done the L'oreal Paris Magic Perfecting base... Or maybe before then. It's actually not a bad price when compared to the perfecting base [original price was $10.99 for 0.5 ounces at a Target store, but I had a $2 off coupon]
Would I recommend it?: YES!

The Laundress - Wool & Cashmere Shampoo
This fall, treat your sweaters as well as your treat your tresses with this exceedingly elegant detergent

Err... Yeah, I don't know if I'll use this at all. I can't really give a review on it though. It's a one use packet that was the "extra" in my birchbox this month. Considering I don't really own much wool or any cashmere, I may just use this on my regular clothes. Maybe I'll make sure I have my nicer shirts in there... But honestly, not interested in this at all.


Am I going to buy it?: Nope
Would I recommend it?: I couldn't give a recommendation at this time.



And that's all she wrote. At some point, I'll add my own pictures to give you an idea of what everything really looks like. Maybe get some sizing ideas for you all.