Birchbox October 2011 Review

If you're not sure what Birchbox is, it's a monthly subscription service that sends you 5 samples of luxury beauty products for 10 dollars. I know a lot of women out there are skeptical of buying such expensive products if they haven't tried them already. The service is perfect if you love trying new things or simply want to switch up your beauty routine.

Here are four of the products I received this month along with a review.

Orofluido Elixir
I became addicted to this at first whif of it's soft vanilla and amber scent. Not only does it smell amazing, it works extremely well at taming and smoothing unruly strands of hair without being too sticky or greasy. It absorbs quickly and you'll only need a few drops, which makes it easier on your wallet because you don't need a lot of product. I will definitely be purchasing the full size. Price: $30 for 3.4 ounces.

Laura Geller Spackle Tinted Under Makeup Primer in Bronze
I'll admit I was a little scared to try this at first. I'm a pale girl and anything bronze almost always means orange on me, but I bit the bullet and tried it anyway. Unlike most primers, it feels a little wet but silky. It's extremely sheer and gave my skin a slight matte texture. Since this is a primer, I followed up with a light layer of foundation and dusting of translucent power. The results were quite lovely, it gave me a slight sunkissed glow without making my face look too dark. Price: $25 for 2 ounces.

Befine Lip Exfoliator
I'm a bit on the fence about this one. First of all, it tastes terrible. It's not like a sugar scrub where it's okay if you get a tiny bit in your mouth. Second, there's not much of an actual exfoliant in the product. There are a little few bits of ground almond, but they seem to be sparsely distributed. The cream works very well at plumping your lips and makes them feel slightly tingly. To make do, I squeezed a small amount on a wet wash cloth and proceeded to scrub my lips. The results were great, my lips were smooth, soft and looked quite plump. Price: $20 for 15ml.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Cell Renewal Night Cream
When I first applied this, I didn't think I would like it. It has no smell and feels the slightest bit greasy when you first rub it in. Luckily, it absorbs into the skin after a few minutes. I used this before I went to bed and the results were fantastic. My skin looked brighter and felt smoother and softer. It also seemed to fade some light marks from blemishes, which is a major plus for me. I'm not sure if I would purchase this though, the sample was small and with a retail price of $68 for 30ml, it didn't seem to work all that much differently than most retinol creams on the market.