Birchbox October 2014
It’s October! All things pumpkin are coming out of the woodwork, and I like it. I was also very excited about my Birchbox this month because LOOK AT IT. It just looks so pretty sitting there all on its own. Each month, Birchbox subscribers receive a variety of beauty samples to try for only $10.
Harvey Prince Petaly Noir 0.08 (?) oz, $2.60 value
I received a second Harvey Prince perfume sample this month. This time, it’s Petaly Noir, which sounded delicious, but just wasn’t a good fit for me. It’s a heavier scent that is perfect for fall. Unfortunately, in order for the more deep, moody, musky scents to work for me, they need to lean on the sweet side, and this one was more floral. Like the last Harvey Prince scent I received, it doesn’t linger for very long. After about 10 minutes, it had completely faded from my wrist. Good news for me, bad news for anyone that likes it, as the price is relatively high for something of that quality. I searched the whole internet for the sample size and couldn’t find it, so I guesstimated. 0.08 (?) oz, $2.60 value
BeeKind Body Lotion 1 oz, $1.88 value
This BeeKind Body Lotion did not smell anything like I thought it might. With the honey and chamomile, I expected it to smell like…well, those. Instead, it smells like Lemonheads, which isn’t a bad thing. I love lotions with honey in them because they moisturize really well AND I LOVE HONEY, but they tend to get a little sticky if I use too much. This stuff, however, didn’t do that at all. It’s lightweight and not greasy, but I didn’t really feel that it did a spectacular job moisturizing after a shower. It could be useful if my hands are feeling slightly dry, though. 1 oz, $1.88 value
Dr. Brandt Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner 0.25 oz, $11.25 value
I just can’t win with Dr. Brandt. This is the third Dr. Brandt product I’ve gotten from a subscription that ended in total failure. The Dr. Brandt Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner is a gel mask you leave on for 5-10 minutes to remove blackheads. I put some on my nose and my chin and rinsed after 5 minutes. This stuff was pretty harsh on my skin. It burned as soon as I applied it, but the sensation faded as time went on, so I left it. You are supposed to experience a cooling sensation and the gel is supposed to turn blue when it is ready to rinse off, but neither of those ever happened. It turned to a white paste instead. My skin felt really tight and dry, so I didn’t leave it on for the full 10 minutes. After rinsing, I saw no noticeable reduction in blackheads. My face was feeling pretty sensitive, so I put on a heavy duty moisturizer and when I woke up the next morning my skin was peeling in the areas where I applied the mask. Three days later, my skin still feels rough, sensitive, and painfully dry. Needless to say, I still don’t get the Dr. Brandt hype. 0.25 oz, $11.25 value
Lord & Berry Paillettes Eye Pencil in Sparkle Black 0.01 oz, $4.50 value
I think this was the product I was most excited to see in my box this month. Tiny as it may be at this point, I ended up falling in love with the Lord & Berry pencil liner I got in my August Ipsy bag. I really need to bite the bullet and order another one. It’s the perfect pencil liner. Not too hard, not too soft. It is great for tightlining and hangs out on my waterline all day long.
Lord & Berry Paillettes Eye Pencil Swatch in Sparkle Black
The Lord & Berry Paillettes Eye Pencil in Sparkle Black ends up looking more charcoal gray than black. It was dry and gritty at first, but once I broke through the waxy outer layer, it glided smoothly and felt very soft. The glitter shows up better than I expected, but I do wish the pencil was more of a true black than a gray. Since it contains glitter and because it is gray, it’s not ideal for the waterline or tightlining, but may be useful if you like glittery things and don’t want to stand out too much with a bold black. 0.01 oz, $4.50 value
ModelCo Party Proof Lipstick in Kitty Full Size, $8.00 value
I swear I have 5479502353 lipsticks in this same color that are named something cat-related. What is up with that? TheModelCo Party Proof Lipstick in Kitty was the product I chose for my box this month.
ModelCo Party Proof Lipstick Swatch in Kitty
Kitty is a neutral peachy-pink . I get a lot of those in my subscriptions, for some reason. This one swatched pretty nicely and felt slick and balmy, but the color settled into the lines on my lips and made them look crinkly. I’m still on the fence about the color. I am so into bold lip colors right now, it’s ridiculous. Full Size, $8.00 value
Here is how the eyeliner and lipstick look on my face:
Birchbox October 2014 on Face
Total box value is about $28.23. Overall, I’m pretty underwhelmed. After so many good months in a row, I guess I’ve gotten spoiled. I’m not mad, though. As long as I’m capable of adding and crossing things I need/want off of my list, it’s worth it.
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