October 2011 Birchbox - shipment #1

Hello, Beautiful!

This is my October 2011 Birchbox shipment. My husband's Birchbox is still in the mail, on its way. I'll post his box contents once it arrives!

For more information on Birchbox, or to sign-up and start receiving your own Birchbox every month, CLICK HERE to visit http://www.birchbox.com/. Just $10 each month!

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October 2011 Birchbox

My Birchbox beauty profile was set to Trendy and Classic.

The Included Info Card:

SHIPMENT QUICK-STATS:

• Value of October's Birchbox Shipment: $19.27 PLUS whatever the value of the face mask is, which did not list a size (value is approximate)
• Total # of Items Received: 5
• # of makeup items: 2
• # of nail items: 0
• # of skin care items: 1
• # of body care items: 0
• # of hair care items: 1
• # of fragrance: 0
• # of other items: 1

Now I'll break it down, product-by-product...

ANASTASIA Beverly Hills HydraFull Gloss in the shade Bellini

• DESCRIPTION ON INFO CARD: This plush gloss plumps and hydrates lips and adds a pretty peachy sheen.
• MY THOUGHTS: I've never tried any Anastasia products, besides her brow stuff. I'm interested in this gloss; the applicator is different from anything else I currently own. It's like a flexible spatula/paddle thing. I haven't actually taken the time to swatch it on my lips yet because I'm sick right now, but I'm looking forward to trying it out. The color, Bellini, looks a little too orange for my skin tone, but I guess I'll see soon!
• FULL SIZE: 0.07 fl oz @ $21 *** Please Note: Birchbox lists the wrong size on their info card. They say this gloss is 0.7 fl oz when in fact it is 0.07 fl oz full sized. Big difference in value! Shame, shame, Birchbox!
• SIZE I RECEIVED: 0.03 fl oz
• VALUE: $9.01

 





 








CLARK'S BOTANICALS Intense Radiance Mask

• DESCRIPTION ON INFO CARD: The solution to dull, congested skin. This white clay mask detoxifies pores, conquers blemishes, and even calms irritations. It's glow time.
• MY THOUGHTS: I'm always up to try new masks, so this will be a product I try out for sure! There is a light scent to it and it's rather creamy. I'll give this a go the next time I watch a movie, since you need to leave the mask on for 25 to 30 minutes.
• FULL SIZE: 1.7 fl oz @ $72
• SIZE I RECEIVED: ?
• VALUE: $?

 

AMIKA Obliphica Hair Treatment

• DESCRIPTION ON INFO CARD: This versatile hair oil can be used on damp or dry hair, and adds manageability, softness, and shine. Bonus: it smells gorgeous.
• MY THOUGHTS: This was leaking when I opened my box (you can see the leak spots on the tissue paper in the pics above). I was worried it may have leaked out completely and evaporated, but luckily it's still mostly full. This is a product I'll probably use at some point, but I don't know when. It's not a product I would buy in a store, so it's nice to have a sample size to try first. I'll add this to my hair oils area and try it out in the future. As for the "gorgeous smell"; it's okay. It reminds me of something, but I can't put my finger on it.
• FULL SIZE: 3.38 fl oz @ $34.00
• SIZE I RECEIVED: 0.34 fl oz
• VALUE: $3.42

 

LAURA GELLER Spackle Tinted Under Makeup Primer in Bronze

• DESCRIPTION ON INFO CARD: This hydrating primer gives you a flawless foundation for makeup -- plus a subtle glow. It works on all skin tones -- we tested it!
• MY THOUGHTS: I already have this, also in a deluxe sample size, and I really like it. Laura Geller makes fantastic primers! Her Bronze tinted primer is nice but doesn't really change my color, which is a good thing because it works for everyone. It does add a warmth to my skin though, and if you have fair skin you may see more of a warmth. I'm happy to have another deluxe sample size of her primer!
• FULL SIZE: 2 oz @ $25
• SIZE I RECEIVED: 0.50 oz
• VALUE: $6.25

 

 THE LAUNDRESS Wool & Cashmere Shampoo

• DESCRIPTION ON INFO CARD: This fall, treat your sweaters as well as you treat your tresses with this exceedingly elegant detergent.
• MY THOUGHTS: This was their included "extra" for this shipment. At first glance I thought it was an actual shampoo, for your hair. I've never referred to laundry detergent as shampoo, but I guess that's what makes this "special". Honestly, I don't use this. I have a kid and barley have time to do my own laundry, let alone pamper my laundry. I'm lucky to have an awesome washer & dryer that will wash even dry-clean-only items on the delicate or hand wash setting and they come out perfect. This just isn't something I need. Just like when Victoria's Secret came out with their special laundry detergent; I had wanted it -- but that was before I had a kid. Now I'm just happy if my clothes make it from the laundry room to my closet, on hangers. 
• FULL SIZE: 16 fl oz @ $19
• SIZE I RECEIVED: 0.5 fl oz
• VALUE: $0.59

OVERALL REVIEW ON THIS BOX...

I'm happy this month was fragrance-sample free! I'm just not into fragrances so I was super excited to not have another sample to toss into a bin for someone else.

The makeup items are fantastic, and I'm excited to use the face mask. The hair oil is so-so for now; I may feel differently after I try it. The only product I didn't like was the laundry detergent... or should I say laundry shampoo.

And this is just a personal pet peeve of mine, but there is no size printed on the face mask container and I can't find the size anywhere else! I love to do an exact value breakdown and that totally throws it off. I emailed Loren (from Birchbox; she's been incredibly helpful to me in the past) to ask for the size because if I don't get it I know it will be one of those things that just bothers me. I'm weird like that! Hopefully she'll know and I can report back with value info on that product and add that value amount to the total box value.

Additionally, I recently found out the Anastasia gloss is not 0.7 fl oz -- like Birchbox printed on their info card. It is, in fact, 0.07 fl oz.

This month, Birchbox seriously ticked me off with their size info -- both by providing me an inaccurate full size and by not including any size at all on a sample.

Let me know what you think...
Did you receive a Birchbox shipment this month? If so, what are your thoughts on your box box? From what I know, there were 17 different shipments that were sent out. Discuss in the comments below.