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 – 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 – 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 & 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 – 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 – 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!
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
