Birchbox is a monthly beauty subscription box that contains five beauty samples curated for different categories, including skin, hair, makeup and fragrance. You complete a Beauty Profile when you create your customer account to help them choose what to include in your box. For $10 each month or $110 for an annual subscription, this thrifty little box lets you try new beauty products for a very low cost and always meets or exceeds the value of the price paid.

The Homespun Chics paid for this subscription box. All opinions are 100% our own. This page contains affiliate links.

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The theme of the October 2016 Birchbox is Soothing Standouts.

“Take a breather and slow. way. down.”

Five products were curated for this month’s box, designed to revive and restore so you can make the most of your me-time. The product information card has both product details and prices for the two cosmetic, two skincare, and one hair care items included. The prices given are for full size items, so the prices of the sample/travel size needed to be recalculated.

Cynthia Rowley Beauty – Eyeliner in Black .03 oz travel size ($12)

This is a black eyeliner pencil that has a smudgeproof formula. You can sharpen it to as fine a point as you need. The directions say to “trace your lash line for a defined look…smudge within 30 seconds for a smoky eye, and then let the formula set for all-day wear.”

R+Co – Death Valley Dry Shampoo 1.6 oz travel size ($17)

This is a dry shampoo that gives your hair “tousled texture,” great for Bon Jovi hair! It absorbs oil and gives your hair volume and body.

“Death valley is the quickest way to get volume and body into your hair.”

Marcelle – Xtension Plus Curl Mascara .15 oz sample size ($7)

This is a black mascara with a curvy, tapered end brush that hugs the curve of the eye and spreads out all the lashes for a wide-eyed look. It has a buildable, hypoallergenic formula that lasts throughout the day.

Real Chemistry – Luminous 3-Minute Peel .17 oz sample size ($4.80)

This is a peel, not a mask, and it removes excess, dead skin cells as you massage it over your face. It leaves your face soft and resurfaced similar to dermabrasion but is not as irritating.

I gave it a try and found that it did indeed leave my face softer and it is easy to use, but it also irritated the skin on both sides of my face at the jawline, leaving red marks. I read a lot of reviews on this product and most were pretty glowing. Maybe it’s just me. But I do a lot of beauty product reviews and have almost never had irritation problems, so it’s not that my face is overly sensitive. Just saying…

dr. brandt – Pores No More Cleanser .25 oz sample size ($2.60)

This is a non-drying refining cleanser for oily/combination skin. It contains tea tree oil, willow bark and salicylic acid to keep your face feeling fresh and clean. I used this on my face and it did indeed make my face feel clean! I have dry-ish skin but this did not make my face too dry or irritated.

Even with each of the items being a travel/sample size, the retail value of the October 2016 Birchbox came to roughly $43.40, which is over 4 times the price of the box. This is a great way to sample premium products before you commit to purchasing them at full size! And Black Friday is coming up next month, so be watching in case there is a subscription sale that day – you might be able to pick up this little sub box at a hugely discounted 12 month price with an offer like Birchbox had last year!