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Balance me

Beauty Boxes

Birchbox July 2014 Review

July 10, 2014

Birchbox-Jul-14

Birchbox is my only long standing beauty box to come this month so I was hoping for something spectacular after I finally decided to cancel my Glossybox (we’ll see how long that lasts!)

I’d seen a few spoilers for this month, but nothing that was overly exciting – this theme for this box is Sun, Sea & Sand but I can’t say there were many products that instantly made me think of any of those.

weleda

Weleda – Nourishing Shamppo – 18ml sample | £8.95

I’m pretty sure I have one of these from a previous box lying around in one of my samples drawer. It’s natural and organic, but mostly it’s a tiny tube of Shampoo – which I don’t use often – and is marketed at “normal” hair (whatever that is?). It smells Okay and I suppose it will be useful to take on my travels to some upcoming festivals. I really don’t think there’s much more I can say on this one though.

balance-me

Balance Me – Wonder Eye Cream – 7ml sample | £20

I rolled my eyes a little at this and had to bring myself back to reality with a hard shove. I’ve tried Balance Me products and actually, I bloody love them! So what’s my problem? It’s a decent sized sample that will last me a while and I was literally thinking a few days ago about which eye cream I’d treat myself to next.

laqa-swatch

LAQA & Co. Sheer Lip Lube Pencil in “Menatour” – 2g | £14.43

Another brand I’ve received from Birchbox in the past, but last time I ended up with a vile pink colour – this is quite a bright purple colour. Usually being one to roll my eyes at a colour that isn’t red, I’ve recently branched out and tried experimenting with some other shades (thanks to Gemma’s latest Lime Crime obsession and Makeup Revolution’s crazy colours) so I’m pretty psyched to start using this. It glides on beautifully and is a pretty similar formula to the other Lip pencils available at the moment (Clinique, MUA, Rimmel etc). It has a gorgeous minty scent, is retractable but still the right size to throw into your bag.

gilchrist-soames

Gilchrist & Soames – English Spa Sea Kelp Extract Mineral Bath – 40ml sample | £11.25

Ugh – I really don’t know what the hype is about this brand. I recently finished a previous sample of theirs (review coming in my empties later on) and I was not impressed. A lot of their toiletry products remind me of those cheap bottles you end up with in hotels. Anyway, directions for use is to pour under hot running water and enjoy a luxurious mineral bath. Unfortunately I hate baths and can not remember the last time I had one. It’s a shame as it smells quite nice and is a fairly decent sized sample. I’m guessing it will end up as “hand wash” when I’m at festivals or a self-catered hotel where they neglect to provide these things.

whish

Whish – Three Wishes Lavender Body Butter – 22ml | £14.50

This is actually pretty cute. The packaging is quite retro in a modern kind of way – the ingredients all seem pretty natural and above board and since I’ve seen this brand reviewed on a few Vegan beauty blogs I think it’s safe to assume it’s … well … safe. It smells absolutely gorgeous, the consistency is lovely and again the sample size is pretty darn good. I really love lavender, but I know it has a bit of a bad rep and some people associate it with ageing, but I don’t care. Top trumps for this new brand discovery!

ultra-dex

Ultradex – Oral Spray – 9ml | £3.65

This was the lifestyle extra and it helped pull me out of today’s little beauty box grump – Ultradex was formerly “retar DEX” – excuse my immaturity here but when I was a wee lass, this was advertised regularly and would give me and my ‘tween’ friends such a giggle. Blast from the past aside, it has a lovely Vegan stamp on the back and I can imagine it coming in hand for festival season, in between getting up and having the energy to brush my teeth in the morning, a little freshen up should make me feel the world of good.

 

I mentioned my little beauty box grump – I think as I opened this month’s Birchbox I was still feeling the hit from my rubbish Glossybox last month and struggling to get into the groove of things again. Having said that, after shaking myself a little and opening my eyes to this month’s contents, I’m rather pleased. I received a great eye cream from a trusted brand, discovered another, added to my growing collection of bright lip products and I can almost get over my growing irritation for Gilchrist & Soames and their public toilet soap dispenser products! Not to mention the tiny card telling me what I might expect to see in next month’s box (an adorable bag to squeeze my mini toiletries into) I have enjoyed the box thoroughly and I didn’t appreciate it enough until I started writing this review.

If you’d like to pick up a Birchbox, you can do so here via their website for just £10 per month and £2.95 p&p. What did you think of your box this month?

Totally hellbent for taking a second look at seemingly boring products and discovering their hidden beauty!

-Pants

 

Beauty Boxes

Glossybox January 2014

January 21, 2014

Glossybox January 2014

 

It seems like only yesterday I was oooing and aaaahing over December’s Glossybox, and already here is the first box of 2014!

The first thing of note is that the box itself is bigger and well…glossier! This months theme is “Back to Basics” and contains five products, only one (almost sort of two!) of which is full size.

 

Glossybox contents January 2014

I have to say I wasn’t all that excited upon first impressions, the lack of a make-up item and the sample sizes too were a bit of a let down, but on closer inspection this isn’t a bad box at all.

 

Glossy Box Anatomicals

 

Anatomicals – Puffy The Eye Bag Slayer Wake-Up Under Eye Patches

I’m definitely not a morning person, so anything that can banish the night before the morning after is a good thing in my book. I love Anatomicals and their tongue in cheek packaging and marketing, and definitely got a giggle out of the name. You get two sets of patches in the cute pink pouch, but they are single use so I’ll be saving mine for really dire mornings!

2 x full sized products

£6 for 3 sachets from ASOS.com

 

Glossybox Vintage company floral slanted tweezersThe Vintage Cosmetic Company Floral Slanted Tweezers

I can’t say I particularly needed another set of tweezers, but theses are pretty adorable! Made of high quality stainless steel with a slanted edge and a pretty vintage look, they are better than the bog-standard but it is quite hard to get excited about tweezers really isn’t it.

Full size

£8.00 from Boots.com

 

GLossybox Vaseline essential moisture lotionVaseline Essential Moisture Lotion

I tend to think as Vaseline as a very plain and budget brand, something I wouldn’t usually pick up for myself. I gave this a quick try and I feel pretty indifferent towards it to be honest, but I knew there are people who prefer to keep skincare simple and for them this might be okay for a post-shower pick me up.

50ml Sample

£4.99 for 400ml from Superdrug.com

 

Glossybox Balance Me super toning body washBalance Me Super Toning Body Wash

I’ve become quite a fan of Balance Me thanks to various samples from beauty boxes and magazines, so despite shower gel being a bit of a meh product, this was one of the more exciting finds this month. The smell is a delicious mix of juniper, bergamot, geranium and lavender, and it’s always great to know they come from natural oils rather than synthetic sources. The brand  promises 99% natural origin in all it’s products, so great for us eco-types!

50ml Sample

£10.25 for 250ml from Looksfantastic.com

 

GLossybox Yu-Be skin creamYu-Be Moisturising Skin Cream

Another “cult skincare sample”, hrm. I wasn’t overly interested in this, but gave it a quick try and WOW that scent is way way too overpowering to use anywhere near my face! It smells like a very herb heavy vapour rub which is a shame because despite a heavy texture it left my skin feeling amazingly soft. Maybe I’ll save these for next time I have a blocked nose!

2 x 3g sample

£19.50 for 70g from Boots.com

 

So overall a very skin-care heavy box, but I suppose that makes sense for a Back to Basics theme. Let’s hope next month is filled with lovely shiny make-up and exciting treats!

You can order a Glossybox of your very own here for £10 (+ P&P) per monthly box. 

Totally hellbent for a bigger, glossier box – bigger glossier treats to come?

– Gem