May Birchbox

I might have been initially reeled in to buy this month's Birchbox by the beautiful marble design - I am a sucker for it! However, before actually going ahead and purchasing the box I took a look at what was actually going to be inside and was pleasantly surprised by what was on offer for this month. 

I have been so excited all week ever since I ordered the box and it finally arrived and yes it looks beautiful on the outside and the pink pull out draw insert is so cute that I will definitely be displaying this box on my vanity, but I was so delighted to receive the products inside. There is a range of different items inside, including a full size product and I am actually excited to try out every single one of them. I also love that this month, Birchbox is all about little changes that can make a big difference to your daily routine, and I have been wanting to change up my rituals and what products I use as of late. 

Marsk-Mineral Eyshadow 'Vanilla Frosting' Full Size RRP £14.49

This is a pigmented powder eyeshadow that can be used as a wash of colour over the lid or as part of an intense smokey look. I gently coated a brush in the powder and then swept it over my eyelid; it's soft and made from natural ingredients which makes it perfect for my sensitive eyes, and it is super glittery and sparkly. Before checking out, you can choose from the shade 'Fifty Shades' or 'Vanilla Frosting' and I chose the latter as I can create more versatile looks with this shimmery white shadow. 

Doucce-Punk Volumizer Mascara RRP £18

I am currently on a lash extensions hype so at the moment I have no need for mascaras, however soon I want to give my lashes a break from the extensions and head back into using mascaras, and this one is going to be the first one I grab for. This is described as a volumising mascara and I love big lashes and I hope this is exactly the look I will achieve when using it. There is a jumbo fibre mascara wand which looks perfect for grabbing every single lash. 

Laura Mercier-Foundation Primer Radiance RRP £29

I have actually been wanting to try this out for a long time, and this is also a big reason as to why I chose to buy the May Birchbox edit this month. I have heard great things about this from Youtubers and bloggers and went straight ahead and used this the very next time I went to do my make up. This made my skin smooth and left it with a radiant glow, preparing my skin for foundation. I am also happy to say that this made my make up last throughout my working day, so basically if this is everything you want in a primer then definitely try this out. 

Whish-Firming Body Cream Rice Milk RRP £27
This is something I am curious to try out as I am always sceptical as to how much these types of products work. The cream is described as being able to firm and smooth your skin for a toned and even result by stimulating blood flow and reducing inflammation, so I am excited to start using it. It contains organic ingredients; shea butter, cocoa seed butter and green tea.

Beauty Protector-Protect & Volume RRP £18.50
I love the smell of this, it smells fresh and clean and you can slightly smell the product in your hair during the day but you can't tell that your hair has any of the product in apart from the scent giving it away as it light and non sticky. This added a slight lift and volume to my hair as well as making it look shiny and healthy. 

I am really impressed with this months Birchbox and have already determined that I will definitely be repurchasing the Laura Mercier primer. 

November Birchbox x Skinny Dip - Product Review

I originally wanted this post to go up on my blog during November so this box would still be available for you to get your hands on. However, University  became very demanding very fast, and I found myself squashed under piles of work, with my exciting blog posts being pushed to the background. Despite this, the products that were within this box are available to purchase anyway, and so I thought I would do a little mini review of the items within last month's box. 

When I heard that Birchbox and Skinnydip were collaborating I knew immediately that it would be something I was going to be very interested in. I was also so attracted to the design on the outside of the box that I felt that I would have probably purchased this anyway without even knowing the products inside! This was my first box from Birchbox so I have nothing to compare it to, unfortunately this box got a few bad reviews from regular customers, however I was very impressed with the selection I got in my box. 

• Lord and Berry Silhouette Neutral Lip Liner 
• Cowshed Cow Pat Hand Cream (50ml) 
• REN Wake Wonderful Night-Time Facial
• Living Proof Restore Instant Repair Cream
• Trilogy Make-Up Be Gone Cleansing Balm 
• English Laundry Notting Hill Femme Eau De Parfum 

The neutral lip liner I haven't actually used all that much yet as I have been wearing the same lip combo for pretty much the last two months, but I think I will get a lot more use out of this one in the coming weeks as will definitely be getting in the christmas spirit and wearing much more red and burgundy coloured lipsticks. This liner will stop the lipstick from bleeding as it is a clear and helps in achieving a more precise lip. 

The Cowshed cow pat hand cream isn't greasy or sticky and is really nourishing. However I am not all that keen on the scent. I looked into the ingredients and I like the scent of everything that is in the hand cream individually, but all together I am not so keen on. Despite this, the scent doesn't linger and I can also see an improvement in my nails. 

I have never tried any REN products before but have been enjoying using this product before I apply my moisturiser. After using it for a few days my skin appears to be brighter when I wake up in the morning and it leaves it feeling super soft. 

I have so many flyaway bits of hair and when I apply the repair cream to my hair a little goes a long way. I apply it to damp hair and when it dries naturally, my hair appears much more smoother without so many frizzy or frayed bits. 

The perfume is one of my absolute favourite items from this box. I love it. My favourtite perfume of all time is 'Si' by Georgio Armani and this smells so much like it, that it's no wonder I love it so much. It lasts all day long and I get so many compliments when I wear it. 

The collboration with Skinny Dip - despite the beautiful box design, was pretty disappointing. The box came with a £10 voucher for Skinny Dip, which is great, but you have to spend a minimum of £24 to use the voucher. I'm not sure if I will use it and so I was disappointed with that. 

I would like to try another Birchbox at some point as I think they offer really great products within a box for an inexpensive price, without having to sign up for a monthly subscription. 

Laura Elizabeth xo