My last Birchbox - May 2014

Back in January last year, I excitedly blogged about how Birchbox were launching here in the UK. After seeing all the American boxes, I was so excited to see what would be in ours.  I signed up immediately after being left so disappointed with the last few She Said beauty boxes.

Later that month, my first Birchbox arrived on my doorstep, and I was really impressed.  Of the 4 products in there, I fell in love with 4 of them - this was a good box :)  The next few that followed were just as good and I was really happy with my purchase.  Coming up to the end of the year, the boxes became less exciting, but a couple of good boxes had them redeem themselves.  Then once the year was over, we were back to very lack-lustre boxes, then one good one, and each since just not exciting.

Now, this month's box isn't a bad one, not by any stretch, but when I come to go on maternity, luxuries like this will have to go out the window, as I simply won't be able to afford them anymore - I'll be saying a sad goodbye to Sky TV too :( 

Why did I cancel this now?  I just didn't find it very inspiring and didn't want to spend another £13 to get a disappointing box, I'd rather spend that money on some baby clothes to be quite honest.  So, enough of my back story - here's the May 2014 box!

Benefit They're Real mascara - full size £19.50

I'm not the biggest fan of this mascara - don't get me wrong, it does give me pretty lovely lashes, but if I wear it on the bottom lashes too, if I blink hard my top and bottom lashes stick together :/  I've had quite a few of these small samples before and usually give them away, meaning it's not something I'm likely to use.

Soigne nail lacquer - full size £11 (this is a full size item)

I can't comment on the quality of this, although I do think it was excessively packaged.  It was wrapped in black dense foam, which coated my hands and the product... then in a box - I'd have been happy to have had it as it was :)  The colour itself looks very pretty, a deep coral that would compliment MAC's morange.

Aromatherapy Associates - Revive morning bath & shower - full size £39

Packed with pink grapefruit (LOVE!), rosemary & juniper berries this is supposed to smell quite epic. Apparently it'll soften skin and uplift your mood.  They suggest adding a capful to your bath, or smooth over your body before showering (how unusual!).  I'm quite intrigued by this, so watch this space!

Philip Kingsley - One more day dry shampoo - full size £13.50

I'm not the biggest fan/user of dry shampoo - with having dark hair, this is usually something that tends to make me look a bit grey, not matter how well I brush it out.  On past experience, the Batiste cans don't last very long either, so if that's anything to go by, the Philip Kingsley one could prove to be very expensive.  On the flip side, I really liked the Elzasticizer so this definitely has potential.

Laura Mercier face polish - full size £25.50

Now this I was excited about, seeing as my skin is very dry at the moment, I'm in much need of regular (weekly) face scrubs to get rid of those dry flakey patches, so this I'm looking forward to trying.

LIFESTYLE EXTRA - Imedeen Derma One vitamin tablets - full size £37.99

For me, personally, these were quite a disappointment.  For one I'm vegetarian and these contain fish oil, so I can't have them.  Then on top of that with being pregnant, it's not advised to take vitamins you don't need, all I'm taking at the moment is folic acid with vitamin D - so these will be given to a friend, or the bin.

Do I regret my decision to cancel?  No - I'm sure there'll be some great boxes they'll do, but to pay £13 a month and only like one product every so often is a big waste of money.  Nine times out of ten, these products just sit in their box and I give them away to a friend, as they're not things I'd necessarily use.

This months Biggest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Jaina from Which Beauty Box UK

 

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Yes to cucumbers? Perhaps not...

If you read my April Birchbox post, you'll know I was pretty excited to see these in my box, something different and something that sounded interesting, and that I'd actually use.

Now, normally with anything remotely skincare related, I'd really put it through it's paces before reviewing, but with this little package, I only needed a few days.

The first time I used them I loved the scent, they really do smell like fresh cucumbers and are very cooling on the skin, oh and the packaging is cute.  That's about as positive as this review will get I'm afraid.

After using them for 3 nights in a row to remove my makeup, my skin gradually got worse and worse. By the 3rd night, my skin was starting to burn when I used these, they were coarse and rough, but not like they were exfoliating, more like a light sandpaper.  Then the worst thing, it's brought out excema on my cheeks, making them very very dry, not something I'm used to having given that I usually have very oily skin.  Each day that I used these my skin got worse and worse, I wasn't using any other 'new' products, this was the only change in my routine so I know it was them.  Also, I could feel it when I was using them, they were really irritating on my skin.

So... would I purchase these again?  Absolutely not, I won't be finishing this pack.  I know it seems early to judge them, but my reaction was so severe I couldn't use them any further.  What's more, when I tweeted about it the other night, another girl tweeted me saying she'd had the same reaction :/

I just wanted to share my experience with you, it's not all about 'the good' side of stuff here :)

This months Biggest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Jaina from Which Beauty Box UK

 

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My April Birchbox

So this is my April Birchbox and I must say, I'm pretty happy with it!  I did have my heart set on cancelling this month, but I might re-think that based on this box.  I'm glad there's no perfume samples, and I'm glad they've put some different things in there (i.e. makeup wipes).

Something Birchbox did this month that I really like too is they gave us the opportunity to pick the shade of Colour Club nail varnish we had in this months box too, I opted for 'Heirloom Pearls' which is a pretty pearlescent white shade.  Here's what was in my box all together:

TheBalm - How 'bout them Apples cheek and lip cream - £26 for the full palette

I received the shade 'pie' (love that name) which is a pretty pink shade with a hint of berry.  I love that the full size version is all 6 of the shades in one palette, what a nice idea!

Lord & Berry kohl kajal eye pencil - £10 for the full size

This little pencil is a sample size, certainly big enough to gauge whether or not you think it's a good product and want to re-purchase.  I look forward to giving this a whirl :)

Colour Club Gala's Gems nail polish - £15 for a set of 4

I haven't tried this yet so can't comment on the quality, but I do love the colour.  It's not like anything else I have in my fairly extensive collection so I'm really excited to try it out.

Yes to cucumbers facial wipes - £4.99 for the full size

Apparently these are packed with organic cucumber, they're oil-free and gently exfoliate and moisturise :)  Looking forward to trying these out since I'm back on face-wipes as a way to remove my makeup (don't worry, I cleanse after too) :)

Campos de Ibiza Almendra body milk - £16.55 for the full size

They describe this as 'spring in a tube', light and quick to absorb almond body milk to help keep your skin hydrated, sounds good to me! Looking forward to trying this too!

LIFESTYLE EXTRA - Propercorn Sweet coconut & vanilla - £0.90p for the full size

Now these I've heard a lot about in the blogging world so I'm really looking forward to trying them, I'm saving them for my next sweet craving, NOM!

All in all I'm really happy with this Birchbox, you've done well peeps over at Birchbox HQ!

This months Biggest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Casey from A Topsy Turvy blog

 

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March Birchbox

This is the much anticipated Lulu Guinness March Birchbox.  The box came covered in a black & white striped wrap.  Inside are 5 products and the usual lifestyle extra.  For those of you not familliar with Lulu Guiness, she's a bag & accessories designer, and black & white stripes are her signature design/pattern.  Here's what was in my box in a bit more detail:

Benefit - Stay don't stray - full size price £20.50 (picked by Lulu)

This is benefits' eye shadow primer, it's a 2.5ml sample, so pretty small, but with eye shadow primer you tend to only need a little bit so it's not a big deal.

Dr Brandt - Pores no more - full size price £39

This is a face primer (seems to be a bit of a theme here!) - they say it's a sheer formula that minimises pores and absorbs oil.

Molton Brown - Rhubarb & Rose hand cream - full size price £10

Described as a 'fast-absorbing deeply nourishing lotion that leaves soft and smelling sweet' - I have to admit, that sounds pretty awesome :)  I really like getting hand cream samples in beauty boxes, I keep them on my desk in work where I tend to moisturise the most!

English Laundry - No.7 for her - full size price £47

Described with notes of pear and jasmine, with gardenia, vanilla and sandlewood.  I'm really not a fan of getting perfume samples in beauty boxes, mainly because 9 times out of 10, you could walk into a department store and get the same for free. 

Aroma works - Nurture body oil - full size price £32.50

This you apply after getting out of the bath or shower.  I haven't really used body oils before, but given this one is described as having coconut oil in it, which I love, I'll give it a go, lets hope I don't like it too much though, I don't fancy having to fork out over £30 for a full size one!

LIFESTYLE EXTRA - Candy Rock - stick of rock (picked by Lulu)

In Lulu colours, she picked this out as it represents the traditional sweet shops that inspire her.

For me, some of this box is a hit (Benefit primer, Molton Brown hand cream, body oil), the rest I could happily leave.  This box was really hyped as being the 'Lulu Guinness box' - but she only picked 2 products in it, the eye shadow primer, and the lifestyle extra... that's not really a Lulu box as far as I'm concerned.  I'd have liked to have seen a Lulu keyring or mirror or even a Lulu nail file in here, something that's hers, either that, or her picking out everything in it, to make it products she can't live without, or her favs etc.

This box has left me seriously thinking about cancelling my Birchbox subscription, I feel like I'm disappointed nearly every month recently, which is a shame since I've been a subscriber since the first UK box.

On a more positive note, in the Birchbox store they do free delivery on products from that months' box, which means, you can buy the Benefit Stay don't Stray without paying any postage :)  Every star has a silver lining :)

This months Biggest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Ash from A Beauty Moment

 

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February Birchbox 2014

A couple of weeks ago the February Birchbox landed on my door mat, and because I'm being super lazy at the moment, I hadn't gotten around to blogging about it yet :)  So if you're curious, like I normally am, here's what was in my box :)

** How pretty is this polish!? **

I was pleasantly surprised with this box, I've been a bit... uninspired by recently Birchbox deliveries, this was the first one to get me all *squee* in a few months, I've been on the verge of cancelling for a while, and if I'm honest, I still am, but this box is keeping me going for at least another month :)

Here's a breakdown of what was in my box:

Beauty Protector - £16 for the full size
This is a hair oil, you work 2-3 drops into damn hair to protect your hair.  Birchbox have noted that this is an exclusive launch, so you're hearing about it with Birchbox first!

Eyeko skinny liquid eyeliner - £12 for the full size
A highly pigmented liquid eyeliner perfect for creating a great cat eye flick.  I've only swatched this on the back of my hand, so god knows if it's any good - but it did seem good - not dry at all and very black (which is what I look for in a liquid eyeliner).

Coryse Salome anti-age night cream - £14.95 for the full size
This is a restorative night cream that's supposed to help restore your skin ready for when you wake up in the morning.  Must be applied to cleansed, dry skin before bed time.

Erb Asia eastern hand cream - £19 for the full size
Made with jasmine, rice cream and mint, they combine to nourish, rebalance and soften dry hands.

Leighton Denny nail polish - £11 this is a full size product

An absolutely beautiful colour, it's like a soft grey with a orange/gold soft shimmer.  Something very different from any shade I've seen before.

There was also a lovely Green & Blacks lifestyle extra, a nice little dark chocolate treat :)

All in all I'm really happy with this box, I think Birchbox have done really well.  My favourites are probably the nail polish, the liquid eyeliner (looking forward to using this) and excited to try the hand cream, it sounds lovely!

This months Biggest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Ash from A Beauty Moment

 

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January 2014 Birchbox

It's that time of the month once again for a new Birchbox.  I've been a big fan and champion of theirs since they started here in the UK, but I can't help but feel disappointed.  Don't get me wrong, this isn't a terrible box, but I'm just tired of getting endless amounts of skincare - I want makeup!!  Yes there's a Porefessional (arguably a skincare product), which doesn't actually work for me - it does the reverse and highlights my pores (not a good look).  The thing that excited me most in this box is the Miso soup by Itsu - I love their big tubs of noodles so I'm sure I'll love this too.  I'm sad to see they've ditched their little bags too and opted for pink tissue paper, I much preferred the bags as I could re-purpose them.

All in all I got:

Philip Kingsley moisture balancing conditioner (pretty happy with this)

They claim it moisturises without weighing your hair down, leaving it shiny, smooth and tangle free.

Benefit Porefessional (not a product I'm a fan of)

They claim it magically erases pores and leaves skin velvety.

Rodial Glamtox night (dubious about how the product has discoloured the packaging)

They claim it's a super-hydrating formula, that it smoothes the complexion and plumps fine lines.

Vasanti detox facial cleanser (interested to see what this is like)

They claim it washes away toxins and all traces of foundation

Premae instant renewal body oil (interested to see what this is like too)

They claim it moisturises, tones and detoxifies skin.

All in all a couple of products I'm interested to try.  But I'll be honest, I am thinking about cancelling this box, which is a real shame as I've been such a steadfast fan of it.  

Did you get a box this month?  What did you think of yours?

This months Biggest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovelyLuchessa from Beauty Expression

 

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UK November Birchbox

When I got home today my November Birchbox was sitting on my doorstep waiting for me to open it. With oodles of excitement I rushed in the house and ripped open the packaging to reveal this collection of products.

First impressions?  I didn't really like it.  Lets break it down.

Teabags - I actually don't mind having teabags in my boxes as I love tea (all kinds), I can take these into work and give them a try through the week.

Pencil sharpener - if I hadn't bought one recently, this would have been awesome, but alas I have one and barely use it as it is.

Perfume sample - I think this is what turned the box for me, I'm really not a fan of these in boxes, mainly because I could just walk into a department store and pick these up myself, it's not what I pay £10 a month for.  I know some people like these which is cool, it's just not for me.

Laura Mercier mascara - I'd probably have been more excited by this if I didn't already have a sample one of these, it's actually a decent mascara, but it's something I already have and am using.

Weleda shampoo sample - it's just so small, I could probably get one decent wash out of it given how long my hair is.  It's a good brand which excites me a little more, but it's just not something I'm super pepped up about.

Highlighter pencil -I actually expected this to be shimmery, but it's not, it's a cream/beige pencil, this would be good for brow bones and inner corners of the eye - we'll wait and see how this goes :)

And finally, Matriskin high performance face cream.  In all honesty, I'm really happy with my current skincare routine and I don't really want to introduce any other products into the mix.  I might put this one to one side and keep it for a family member.

All in all a mediocre box, there's a couple of great products but a few duds.  I'm going to give Birchbox another month and if I'm still not happy I'll probably cancel, we'll see how next month goes.

To end on a happy note, have a click here for a happy cute animal funny surprise :D

This months Biggest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Amy from Srslylou

 

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October Birchbox

A few days ago the October Birchbox landed on my doorstep.  For once, I hadn't Googled it to see what everyone had received, so it was a complete surprise.

Let me just say, this is an impressive box!  I won't mince my words, LAURA MERCIER!!!!  Yes, Laura Mercier was inside this box, more specifically, the tinted moisturiser.  This excited me a lot!  I haven't used it yet so I can't comment on whether I liked it or not.  Aside from that excitement inside was also a generous sample of the KMS California Silk Sheen styling creme.  Then we have the Dr Brandt microdermabrasion skin exfoliant.  I'm looking forward to seeing what that can do for my skin :)

Next is the Ultra Dex whitening toothpaste, I always quite like the toothpaste that comes in beauty boxes, it's much better than the perfume samples that you get in other boxes :)  Next up is theBalm Stainiac - a cheek and lip tint.  I'm really loving theBalm at the moment after recently discovering them, so I'm really excited to try this out.  Then we have the famous Dr Lipp nibble balm!  Slightly random, but it doubles up as a lip balm.  I've heard amazing things about this so I'm looking forward to trying it (on my lips that is!).

And finally, there are three sachets of Egyptian magic all purpose skin cream.  I have some pretty dry skin on my elbows so I might task this with tackling that!

All in all this is a great Birchbox, having Laura Mercier in there is fantastic and a real treat :)

This months Bigest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Jess from Coffee Cosmetics

 

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September Birchbox

It's that time of the month again to see what arrived in my September Birchbox!  So without further ado, here's what I received.

I must confess, I did a little squee when I saw that teeny tiny miniature Bioderma was in there, I'm running really low on mine and it's so so cute!

Reverence de Bastien nail polish | £16 in No.14
I know it looks black in the photo, but it's actually a deep blood red/browny colour varnish.  I haven't tried wearing it yet so can't comment about it.  The only first impression I can give would be that I would have expected the packaging to feel a bit more expensive considering this is more expensive than OPI, I mean, it feels cheaper than Essie.  But, the product inside could be amazing :)  I did like the white tea moisturiser they had in a Birchbox a couple of months ago (that'll be in my next empties post).

Bioderma Sebium H20 | £9.99
Hummina hummina hummina! I freakin' love this stuff! I'm just coming to the end of my second large bottle of this (I had two for my birthday in April, so that's how well they last 4-5 months for 2 bottles). I must admit, I'm really getting into French skincare, my skin is in the best condition it's been in ever, and I can only say that since I switched to a combination of Bioderma and La Roche Posay, I sometimes add other things to the mix, but that's what I use daily.  I really highly recommend Bioderma, if you haven't tried it yet and you have some Birchbox points, now is the time to do it, as it's one of this months' products, it's free delivery with them too :)

ModelCo Party Proof Lipstick | £15.50 for a set of 3 (mine is shade Kitty)
I have really mixed views about ModelCo products, I find they're very hit and miss.  Their kohl liner I really liked, but that was about it, however, this lipstick does feel better quality than the previous lipstick of theirs I've tried, this smells lovely too.  It's a pretty nude shade with a slight sparkle, I haven't used it yet or swatched it so I can't comment on the quality of the product, but the packaging feels nice, very solid, and there's a window on the top so you can see in to see the colour, similar to Revlon lipsticks.

Aromatherapy Associates Revive Body Gel | £31
I'm actually pretty excited by this, when I went to the Christmas blogger event in London last year, I had a hand massage by AA and that was my first introduction to them, I felt so relaxed afterwards and my hands felt so soft and smelt amazing.  I haven't smelt this yet as it's sealed up, but I will be giving it a road test over the next couple of weeks and will try to remember to blog about it :)

Molton Brown Ylang-Ylang Nourishing body lotion | £18
In the August Birchbox there was a mini Molton Brown Ylang Ylang body wash in my Birchbox, so it's nice to see them follow up with another product from the same range.  It smells lovely and lets face it, it's a pretty cute bottle too!

Lifestyle extra
I'm very pleased to report the lifestyle extra this month, was a little white chocolate Green & Black's mini chocolate bar, how delicious!

This months Bigest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Karen from Liverpool Lashes

 

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August Birchbox

It's that time of the month again, no, not that, but Birchbox time, hurrah!  I'd completely and utterly forgotten that they were teaming up with InStyle magazine this month, so when this landed on my doorstop I was very excited.  I eagerly ripped open the packaging, unravelled the drawstring and rifled through to see what was in there.  This is what was in mine.

As you can see, there's a LOT in this box!  Seven products in total, five for the box, a lifestyle extra and a beauty extra.  Here's what was in mine with a little summary.

Bluemandarines - Skin cream - £35.00 for the full size
Apparently this is a light peptide face cream that can brighten and protect.  Use it twice a day, massaging it in after you've cleansed.

Montibel.lo - Gold oil - £22.50 for the full size
Argan and amber oil to help strengthen your hair and add shine.  Apply from the mid to ends of your hair (I'm really looking forward to trying this!).

Gerda Spillman - Face primer - £30.00 for the full size
They say this is a smoothing primer that will help your makeup last all day, apply it after moisturising and before foundation, just like any typical primer.

LAWA & Co - Lip pencil - £14.00 for the full size (InStyle pick)
They've classed this as a moisturising lip pencil that's suitable from day to night.  I had the shade 'Ring of Fire' ooh-err!  I swatched it on the back of my hand, very slightly sticky, very good pigmentation and felt quite glossy, not dry at all - will see what it's like actually on the lips though.  It's a really beautiful colour :)

Molton Brown - Body Wash - £18.00 for the full size (InStyle pick)
This is their new formulation in Ylang Ylang which is apparently 'deliciously scented' *gets bottle out and sniffs*, smells very pleasant, slightly floral and slightly spicy, I love that it's purple :)

Propercorn - lifestyle extra - 90p
Haven't tried this specific one (sour cream & chive) but I have tried them before and really like them, looking forward to trying this one!

Gel Mask - beauty extra - £10.00
This is a lovely extra to get, I've already put mine in the fridge ready to have a go of!  I will try it out one morning and do before and after photo's to see if they do help minimise my bags at all - anything that minimises them even a fraction will be a winner in my books!

So there you have it, that's what I received - overall I'm happy with this box, really looking forward to trying the lip pencil, argan oil and face primer out, oh and the gel mask, the other things I could take or leave, but even so I will try them and hopefully like them.

What did you get in your Birchbox?

This months Bigest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Hayley from Water Painted Dreams

 

Written by Georgina Kent

July Birchbox

** Quite some size difference compared to the NARS Orgasm blush **

I'm a big fan of Birchbox, I love their branding and usually their products.  This month, despite there being some decent stuff in there, I'm still left feeling a little jaded.  For me the biggest disappointment was the theBalm blusher - I was so excited when I heard they were going to be included  but my excitement subsided when I saw the size of the sample.  Now, I'm not expecting it to be full size, or even half size, but this is so small it'll be a struggle to get any product on my brush, let alone evenly.  *** EDIT - I tried this out this morning, and it was actually ok to work with, a little difficult but I managed to apply it evenly (it looks lovely!) ***

Anyway, on to the rest of the products, which are actually quite nice (not that theBalm one isn't nice, it's beautiful, just a little small).

Blanc Cachemire | Full size £54.75
This is a 15ml sample of a lightweight moisturising cream.  They suggest massaging it in small circles into your face, neck and decollete.

Dead Sea Spa Magik | Full size £7.70 (surprisingly reasonable!)
This is a silky smooth body lotion.  I applied some to the back of my hand, it felt creamy and luxurious and smelt really lovely.  It absorbed quickly leaving my hand feeling really soft.

theBalm Instain blush in Swiss Dot | Full size £21.50
They say "A silky powder that fits all complexions, blends seamlessly and stays all day" and to "dust over the apples of your cheeks".  Both the product and the packaging are really pretty.  I

VitaBella | Full size £59.00
This is the product in the little bag.  Apparently you but the tablet thingy in a bowl, add the 'oil', wait for a few mins and then apply it to your face.  Will be interesting to see what this one is like :)

Reverence de Bastien | Full size £12.00
This hand cream smells lovely, an almost 'spa' like scent.  I put some on my hands straight away, it absorbed well, left a slightly greasy residue which soon disappeared - this will be making it's way on to my desk at work ready for when my Aveeno (review here) runs out.

So that's my July Birchbox.  For the most part I'm happy, just a little disappointed with the size of the blusher.  But saying that, I would like to see more makeup samples in these boxes, I do feel like it's usually 4 skincare items and 1 makeup (if you're lucky).

What did you get in your Birchbox?

This months Bigest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Stacie from Life is worth the fight

 

Written by Georgina Kent

June 2013 Birchbox

I'm sure by now you've sussed out that I'm a big fan of Birchbox.  I wasn't sure what to make of their redesign as I really liked their old one, so I've been patiently waiting for my little box to turn up on my doorstep - I couldn't not take a sneek peek at other bloggers first to see what they received though :)

What I got

Beauty Protector - this little strange bottle (rubbery and squeezy!) is a leave in conditioner.  On the back of the bottle the product claims to detangle, heat protect, UV protection, seals cuticles, smoothes hair, locks in colour, adds shine, makes your hair weightless, non-greasy and conditions.  Who knows if it does actually do all this, but watch this space to see what I think :)  The full size is £15.

Color Club nail polish - I received the shade 'London Calling' - best way I can describe that is as pistachio green :)  Birchbox were sweeties too and included an extra one to give to a friend.  I'm not sure if everyone got two of the same colour - but I did :)  I have opened up the polish to see what the wand/brush was like - it's long and thin similar to the BarryM ones.  The full size is £10.

Green People sun lotion - they claim that this is a natural SPF lotion suitable for sensitive skin (even eczema & psoriasis).  It has a tan accelerator in it and contains SPF15.  The full size is £17.95.

ModelCo eye pencil - I had the colour black.  It comes with a sharpener in the lid and claims to be highly pigmented.  I swatched it on the back of my hand and it definitely was!  It seemed really creamy too - perfect for blending out under the eye for a deep smokey look.

Carole Franck Phyto-Hydrant - this is a 10ml sample.  They say it's a lightweight moisturiser with potassium and fruit lipids.  It's a non greasy formula which you can use instead of primer.  The full size is £47.25

So that's what was in my June Birchbox - what did you get in yours?

This months Bigest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Shang from The Feminine Crusade

 

Written by Georgina Kent

May Birchbox

If you follow me on Twitter you'll probably have seen that when my Birchbox turned up today, it was a little bit damaged (the box, not the products).  It seems like it had been left in the rain so was water damaged, but the products inside were ok.  I emailed Birchbox about it who were amazing, they gave me some Birchbox points as a sorry which they really didn't need to do as the products were ok, but it's nice to know they care :)  Which is one of the many reasons they're my favourite beauty box :)

So anyway, enough of that, here's what was in mine :D

OPI NAIL POLISH
How cute is this mini OPI polish?!  The sad thing is, I've no idea what shade it is :/  All I can tell you is it's a coffee colour.  Keep an eye on my Instagram as I'll post a NOTD pic when I use it :)  Full size is £11.50 <-- really?

ELEMENTAL HERBOLOGY
This Cell plumping facial moisturiser is in really nice packaging, you know sometimes just the texture and feel of a tube is just nice and tacticle?  That's what this one is like :)  Well, this little baby has SPF8 and a full size will set you back £42.

B/ATTITUDE
This is a body souffle - thought that sounded strange until I opened it, the creme inside has a really whipped texture, it looks really light and creamy, now this I'm looking forward to :D  It smells amazing too!  Full size is £24.

MAKEBELIEVE
Lip Gloss - can I just say, this may be the best smelling lipgloss... it smells of sweet orange, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm yummy!  Lots of glitter in this but a close to nude gloss with an amazing scent.  Full size is £7.50 (this product was full size).

BEAUTY EXTRA
Doctor Duve Anti-aging and firming eye cream - this I've had in an old SheSaid beauty box - I'm actually very hesitant to use it because the full size is so expensive.  What if I fall in love with it? I wouldn't be able to afford to replace it... so not so overwhelmed with this one, possibly for a silly reason :P  Full size is £115.

LIFESTYLE EXTRA
Kusmi Tea (detox tea) made up of mate & green tea with the main scent and flavour being lemongrass. Luckily for me I have a tea infuser so loose tea doesn't bother me - really looking forward to trying this!  Full size is £13.85

This months Bigest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Laura from A Scottish Lass,
and my Big-Pixi3 advertisers Rachel from Emerald Skies, Tom from Daydream in Blue Sammy from Rambles & Jangles, Katrina from Carousel Diary, Hannah from Bailey Cakes and Lyndsay from Fizzy Peaches

  Written by Georgina Kent

March Birchbox

I think it's fair to say, I'm a fan of Birchbox.  I was so incredibly excited when I heard they were launching over here and I'll be honest, I haven't been disappointed with my boxes either, so a real win!  Anyway, I'm sure you all want to see what I got in my March Birchbox, so without further delay here we go!

As you can see, I was a lucky girl, super happy to receive a beauty blender!  For me, the standout products this month were the beauty blender, the Laura Geller purple gel eyeliner (purple is my favourite colour!), the Lindt (no brainer!) and the Yu-Be - yeah it's not the most exciting packaging, but I'm a sucker for anything Japanese!  Things I'm not so keen on - the Molten Brown scent - just because it's not my kind of scent, don't get me wrong, I'd rather smell of that than 'smell' but it's a bit masculine for me.  Also not keen on the scent of the Argan body lotion, I'm sure it's good for my skin, but I really like sweet scents and neither of these fall into that category, so I might 'donate' them to a friend/family member who will appreciate them more.  I'm really loving the gel eyeliner though, it's so pretty!  Here's some swatches for you :)

*drooling over this now, soooo pretty!*

So that was it, despite a couple of products not being right up my alley, I'm really happy with this box, there's things I will definitely use here, which is what separates it out (for me) from my previous Glossy Box's and She Said box's - too often I'd get things I just wouldn't use.  Well done Birchbox on another great one :)

Keep your eyes peeled for a Birchbox related surprise on here next week xo

This months bigest pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Laura from A Scottish Lass,
And be sure to check out my lovely middle-pixi3 advertisers who this month are Sarah from Life in a Breakdown, Angelica from One Little Vice, Fiona from La Belle Dame Sans Merci, and Sally from The Human Mannequin, and the lovely Luchessa from Beauty Expression by Luchessa - be sure to head over to check out their beautiful blogs <3

 

My first Birchbox

Hey guys!  I'm a little late to the party with this since my post was delivered late due to the snow! But I finally got my very first Birchbox a few days ago, and giddily like a little girl I tore it open and this is what I found inside :)

My Thoughts

Seeing as this was the first UK Birchbox, and we'd had a chance to see the US versions, I was actually really happy with this box.  First off the packaging - this has to be my favourite of all the beauty boxes I've had.  It doesn't have any raffia or shredded paper so it's not as messy, #winning!

Next the products.  I'm really pleased with these for many many reasons.  First off, no perfume samples, yay!  It irks me how many of these beauty boxes include perfume samples that you could walk into Boots or Debenhams and pick up for free... seriously, why?  It's also a nice selection of products, a mixture of skincare, haircare and a lip care product.  They're all decent sized samples and there's a cuppa camomile to drink while you're testing out your new products :)  I might add, that cuppa went down a TREAT! I'll be buying some of those, it was sooo good!  Here's a little snippit about each product and my first impression where possible.

TAAJ Creme Mains Delhicates

They say "Taaj Crème Mains Delhicates Hands Cream nourishes, repairs and protects. It's key ingredients - Wheat Germ Oil and Sweet Almond Oil, help protect your hands from winter ailments. As it is rich in Shea Butter, it also softens and heals damaged hands and nails. The scent has notes of Cinnamon, ans is the perfect hand-bag staple for winter month's".
My first impressions: I've only used this twice, but I'm really impressed with it.  It did an amazing job of hydrating my dry hands and keeping them hydrated for a good 4-6 hrs.  During that time they smelt amazing too!  It's thick and non greasy, something I'm looking forward to using more :)
Costs: £10 for a full size

Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Treatment

They say "Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15 moisturises, protects, and smoothes the lips while leaving a rosy tint with a proprietary blend of moisture-preserving sugar, nourishing precious oils, antioxidant-rich polyphenols, and essential SPF protection.  It is proven to provide 6 hours of significant moisture for soft, supple, and youthful lips. The unique formula also offers buildable coverage to customize a sheer or rich hue".
My first impressions: Another winner! It's non-greasy, hydrating and rescuing.  I always suffer from dry lips and this has really helped.  I love that it doesn't leave much colour on my lips, as tinted lip balms and me really don't go... I just look like I'm wearing too much makeup and it's wearing off... not a good look for me!
Costs: About $22 online

WEI White Lotus Eye Treatment

They say "Now there is hope for crow’s feet! This luxurious delicate eye cream uses White Lotus to hydrate and Peptide Argireline to minimize the appearance of lines and wrinkles. The key ingredient, White Lotus flower, has long been revered not only for its beauty, but also for its ability to absorb and retain water after it has been hand-harvested from ponds lined with nutrient-rich black mud."
My first impressions:  I haven't used this yet, so no comment from me :)
Costs: £60 for a full size

KMS California Add Volume Volumizing Spray

They say "KMS California AddVolume Volumizing Spray gives hair up to 70% more volume. Provides your tresses with heat protection and intense fullness. Whats more, it's alcohol free".
My first impressions: I've only used this once, so I won't say too much.  But, it's the strangest consistency! In the bottle it looks like a thick gel, but when you spray it, it's like a watery serum... very odd!  I'm not sure I noticed much of a difference, but maybe I didn't use enough (2 sprays) and I did straighten my hair afterwards... which pretty much negates the volumising!
Costs: £14.85 for a full size

Tea Pigs Dream in Chamomile flowers

They say "All teapigs teas (particularly the herbal ones!) use the whole leaf or flower, unlike most other tea brands. You’ll find the flavour of this blend much stronger and fresher than regular dusty paper teabags".
My first impressions: Now this, I love! One, it looks so pretty in the cup, and two, it tasted freakin' amazing!  I'd actually forgotten how nice Chamomile tea can be, I'd stopped drinking it as the ones I'd had weren't very nice, but this one I thoroughly enjoyed - so I'll be purchasing some of these for myself :)
Costs: £9.95 for a box of 50 (these can be bought in smaller boxes)

All in all, very happy with my little Birchbox, can't wait for the next one, bring on Feb!

This months big pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Angelica from One Little Vice - be sure to head over to check out her beautiful blog <3