April's Birchbox Is Blooming Marvellous

This months Birchbox is a collab between them and American stationary brand Rifle Paper Co. (I've had a little look on their website and their stuff is gorgeous!). A lot of their products have a floral theme, hence the look of this months box. This box has to be one of my favourites, looks wise, I love florals and the colours of it are so eye-catching as they're not the colours you usual think of when you think 'floral'.

Inside the box this month you get 5 little treats, including a new product from Benefit. As well as this, you also receive a voucher for 25% off at Rifle Paper Co.

What's Inside....

PARLOR by Jeff Chastain Leave in Conditioner

I've had a couple of products before from this brand and they seem to work pretty well. This product is designed to detangle hair and keep it looking super shiny. It also gets bonus points for being Cruelty Free.

Balance Me Tinted Wonder Eye Cream

If any products promise to reduce dark circles then I immediately want to try it. This product is not only designed to help cover dark circles, but also hydrate, firm and plump the eye area. Sounds pretty promising to me! 

Kueshi Foot Care Cream

I think it's pretty much a fact that most of us probably don't take care of our feet as much as we should do. This product by Kueshi is enriched with Almond Oil, Royal Jelly and Tea Tree Oil to help soothe, soften and calm those poor feet of yours.

Cynthia Rowley Beauty Eyeliner in Black

First of all, I'm so please this eyeliner is Black. I've had beauty boxes before that seem to just give random colours that no one would ever use so thank you Birchbox! As for the product, it has a really creamy consistency, at first I was worried this would mean it smudges easily but I was wrong. I'd swatched it on the back of my hand, went to rub it off a bit later on and it would. not. budge. I think that pretty much speaks for itself...

Benefit Cosmetics Dew The Hoola

Now, for the one you've all be waiting for (most likely)... This new product by Benefit is a liquid version of their best selling bronzer of the same name. I haven't actually tried the powder Hoola, so I can't compare, but this liquid version seems pretty promising. As you can see in the image above, I applied a little of the product onto the back of my hand and rubbed it in slightly. Depending on how much you work it will depend on how deep the colour is. This is great for two reasons, you can never really apply too much and, it will be great for most, if not all, skin types. 

Overall, I think this months Birchbox is a definite favourite of mine. It has a great mix of products, including brands I've heard of and some newbies too! That's one of the things I love about Birchbox, being able to try new brands without having to spend money on the full priced product.

What do you love most about Birchbox?

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Becky
XO

Word Up! - March Birchbox 2016

This months Birchbox is a game and beauty-box in one! The top of the box is a wordsearch with 15 beauty related words for you to find. Once you find them all, head over to Instagram, Twitter or Facebook and post a picture of your box to be in with the chance of winning a prize. No cheating now ;)

In total, there are six items in this week's box. The first three I pulled out were...

1. 'Amika' Nourishing Mask

I'm not a massive lover of hair masks in all honesty, I can just never really be bothered with them as I feel they don't do much for my hair. However, if you are a fan of them, this one sounds quite good. It aims to repair and 'intensely condition' the hair using Sea Buckthorn Berry and Jojoba oil.

2. 'Polaar' Polar Night Cream

Apparently, this cream is 'enriched with ingredients that react to the light of the moon'. Now, I don't know whether to believe this or not but it sounds pretty cool! It's said to help with cell regeneration leaving you with radiant skin. I'm looking forward to trying this one out.

3. 'Indeed Labs' Hydraluron Moisturising Boosting Mask

I love these kind of masks, no mess and no fuss. Simply cleanse skin, place the mask on your face, wait around 10-15 mins, remove and rub in any remaining serum. Easy peasy!

Now onto the last 3 products...

4. 'Regenerate' Enamel Science Toothpaste

I've never received a toothpaste in a beauty box before but anything that claims to make my teeth whiter is worth a try! As well as whitening, it also protects against cavities and works to 'reverse the early signs of enamel erosion'.

5. 'ARROW' Boost Colour Enhancing Lip Balm 

This lip balm is paraben-free, cruelty-free and vegan, in fact, the whole ARROW brand is. ARROW is a new brand by Birchbox and, if this lip balm is anything to go by, it's looking promising. The lip balm reacts to your pH and creates a slightly different shade for each person. It's also really moisturising.

6. 'ModelCo' More Brows

Last but not least is this eyebrow gel from ModelCo. It's a brown gel with tiny fibres in it to create the illusion of fuller brows. I'm looking forward to using this as my brows are pretty sparse so anything that promises to make them look thicker is great!

I think this Birchbox is up there with my favourites. There's a good variety of products, which should hopefully mean there's something for everyone. 

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Becky

XO

Best. Year. Ever. With Birchbox And Pinterest

So, this is a little bit late but I thought I'd upload it anyway! I received this Birchbox about the second week in January but I've only just got round to blogging about it. It was planned for last week but EE have annoyingly cut my internet off and I ran out of mobile data so I was a little stranded for a while. My data on my phone refreshed today so here I am.

This month's Birchbox is pretty cute. You get 5 postcard's, with quirky illustrations by Viktorija Semjonova on the front, and the box has lovely pictures on it taken from Pinterest. On the back of the cards it gives you ideas of what to search for on Pinterest.

Inside The Box

This month's box includes 5 products and 1 bonus, I'll get onto that in a minute.

Whish Almond Body Butter

Now, I have to be honest, I'm really not a fan of the smell of this. If you like the smell of almonds then this would be great for you but, unfortunately I don't, and this is almond over load. I might have to pass this on to someone else.

Absolution L'Eau Soir et Marin

This is a 'purifying water for eye and face', it's ingredients include hazelnut oil (a nut again?!) and aloe vera. I get the feeling this will be great for the face simply because of the aloe vera. I can't wait to try it out. I also love that it can be used for both face and eyes, this must mean it's gentle on the skin.

Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle

I always get excited by 'Beauty Protector' products because they always smell amazing. This one is a leave in conditioner that also protects against thermal heat and UV rays, sounds like a winner to me.

Benefit They're Real Tinted Primer

I'm not a massive fan of 'Benefit They're Real', I don't feel like it does what it says it should. It doesn't really give my lashes lift or do anything special. However, when I saw they had released this primer I definitely wanted to try it. I'm hoping it will make a great base for creating really full lashes.

Jelly Pong Pong Highlighter

This is a pencil highlighter that's main use is for along the water line but would also be great for in the corner of the eye or on cheek bones. It seems like it would do a really great job of brightening the eyes. A little bonus is that it's cruelty free!

Birchbox Compact Mirror

This is the extra (or bonus) I was talking about at the beginning of this post. A little mirror perfect for carrying in your handbag with '#NOfilter' and Birchbox's logo printed on the back.

That's it for the first box of 2016! What's your favourite item in this months box? I think mine has to be the 'Beauty Protector' Protect and Detangle spray, simply because of the smell.

You can keep up to date with my posts by following me on Bloglovin', just click the 'B'' icon to the right or click here.

Becky
XO

December Birchbox, Oh Sorry, I Mean BAG!

This months Birch'box' is a bit different to usual, and you might be able to tell why from the title. It's not a box at all, it's a bag. To be more precise a clutch bag that is actually the perfect party accessory for this season!

You can't really tell from the picture but the top part of the bag is green, the bottom right is gold glittery and the bottom left is black leather. All in all i think this is a lovely bag and a really nice alternative to the usual box.

The first products I pulled out of my bag were these three. 

Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream:

This is an Anti-Aging day cream that aims to improve firmness and hydrate the skin. It feels really nice on the skin and smells fresh so doesn't seem like it would irritate your skin.

Roloxin Lift Revitalising Facial Treatment:

To be honest, I don't think I've ever heard of this brand before. The RRP of this product (for a full size) is £79 so it seems like it's a high end product. In the booklet it says this is supposed to diminish pores, firm skin and boost radiance for up to 24 hours after use, so it sounds pretty good to me!

Skin & Co Sicilian Body Gel:

If you've read my blog before you'll know I'm big on smells and this one doesn't disappoint. It smells like something from Lush! The sicilian Orange makes it smell oh-so fruity and good enough to eat (but obviously, don't...). I can't wait to use this.

Next up are these two beauty products. I love seeing beauty products in my Birchbox, especially lipsticks. 

Ciate Mini Nail Polish in Mineral Love:

This is a really cute sparkly pink shade. I'm not massively into pink nails but this might look nice as a topcoat and is the perfect size to take travelling.

Model Co. Ultra Long Lasting Lipstick in Kitty:

As you can see from the swatch above, this is a really lovely pinky-nude colour. It seems like it will be hydrating on the lips and give a subtle pop of colour. 

I was really excited to see these two Benefit samples in my box this month. Benefit are a brand that I always hear so much about so I love trying out there products.

Benefit They're Real Push Up Liner:

I've actually tried this before at a Benefit counter and really liked it. It has a very precise nib and the full size is easy to use. However, I find this sample size a bit fiddly so if this is your only experience of this liner I suggest going to a counter and trying the full size.

Benefit Puff Off!:

This has been on my list of products to try for a while now. I can get quite puffy bags under my eyes sometimes and have a few fine lines so this seems perfect for me. 

Overall, this bag is a real hit with me, and I'm sure it is with many others too! I have so many boxes from Birchbox's that I don't know what to do with them anymore so it's refreshing to receive this reusable bag.

What's your favourite part about this months Birchbag?

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Becky

XO

Stylist Guest Editor Birchbox

It's that time of the month again, Birchbox time! This month there were two boxes to choose from. Option one was 'Back To Basics', this was based around basics that Birchbox felt everyone should own and the second option was this one, the 'Stylist Guest Editor' box. This box includes items that have been hand picked by Birchbox's Stylist's Associate Editor, Joanna McGarry. I decided on this box for the simple reason that I preferred the products in this one as I'd already tried some of the items in the other one. Anyway, without further a-do, here's what my box consisted of this month...

1. When Travelmate Sheet Mask 

This is exactly what it says it is, a sheet mask. It is said to deeply moisturise skin and is especially good for long haul flights and after days in the sun. This is because it will help to bring back moisture to your skin and help restore it to it's former glory. 

2. Bioderma in Sensibio H20

Even though many people rave about Bioderma, I've never actually tried it out before. I'm really looking forward to using this and what makes it even better is that this one is great for sensitive skin.

3. PARLOR by Jeff Chastain Smoothing Blow Out Spray

In a past Birchbox I received a Moisturising Sea Salt Spray by the same brand as this and I really like it so I'm hoping this will be just as good. It has a really lovely smell to it, this is something I think is important for a hair product as scents that you put in your hair can last for a long time. I'm not the best at describing scents but it says in the Birchbox booklet that this has a peachy and woody scent.

4. Rituals Yogi Flow Foaming Gel 

When you first pump this out onto your hand it is a gel but it slowly starts expanding and, when you rub it, it starts turning into a foam (see image above). I like these kind of products because a little goes a long way so it should last quite a while. I have come to find that Rituals products always smell divine and this one certainly doesn't let you down in that area. The scent is Indian Rose and Sweet Almond Oil. 

5. English Laundry No. 7 Signature For Her

I wasn't all that thrilled to see this in my box this month. I do like the scent but I received this in a Birchbox earlier on in the year so it would have been nice to get a different scent or perfume sample. 

6. 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Lip Glaze in Elderberry
Now this is a product I really love. I love the packaging, how it looks on, the feel of it, that it's made from natural ingredients... I could go on. It's formulated with avocado and cocoa butters to help nourish the lips. It's very moisturising when on and the colour is quite buildable.

That's it for my Birchbox this month! If you want to know more, or would like to subscribe to receive a box each month, then just click here. 

Are there any products here that catch your eye? Let me know in the comments!

Becky
XO

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Birchbox September 2015: Happy Birchday!

This month marks Birchbox's 5 year birthday! So to celebrate they've come up with, what I think, is their best box yet. Not only is the content amazing but the look of the box itself is also beautiful. This month, subscribers could choose from two different patterned boxes which had been designed by Birchbox subscribers. I went for this funky patterned one, the other box had pretty watercolour balloons on it.

First up in my box I found these three products.

John Masters Organics Citrus Neroli Detangler:

If you like citrus scents, you'll definitely love this first product, it smells like lemongrass (one of my favourite scents) mixed with other lovely citrus notes such as grapefruit. From what I understand, this product is a conditioner with coconut oil and wheat amino acids that help detangle hair. There are also other ingredients, neroli and grapefruit, that help soothe your scalp.

Laura Mercier Facial Polish:

I've heard a lot about Laura Mercier products but I don't think I've ever actually used one, I'm really into trying out facial scrubs so this is great for me. I rubbed a little of this onto the back of my hand and it has small crystals in it that buff away dead skin, it left my hand feeling extremely soft, but not dry.

Beauty Protector Beauty Wash Body Cleanser:

I know I always seem to go on about how products smell but O-M-G, this smells incredible! When I first smelt it in the bottle it didn't smell of much but then I rubbed some onto my hand and the scent just exploded out of it. I'll definitely be using this straight away.

Next up, I pulled these three products out.

Laqa & Co Cheeky Lip Pencil in Cray-Cray:

In the images the colour of the tube looks a lot darker than what it is in real life (it's actually coral) but the swatch on my hand shows the colour of the lip product itself. This is a very creamy and buildable product. You could wear it as a subtle hint of lip colour or a bright pop, it's totally up to you!

Benefit The POREfessional: Licence to Blot:

I've wanted to try this since it was first realised so I was super excited to see it in my box this month. This is an instant oil-blotting stick. It can be used on top of make up when you're on the go or on it's own. It claims to banish shine for up to 6 hours. I have oily skin so I'll be putting this to the test.

The Birchbrush:

This was another item I was really excited to see. I use a 'Tangle Teezer' on a daily basis and love it, this seems like a very similar product to that but smaller so it'll be perfect for carrying in my handbag. Especially in the Autumn/Winter when the weather starts getting crazy and blowing my hair about. 

That's everything I got in this months Birchbox. Are you subscribed to Birchbox? If so, what was your favourite item this month? I think mine has to be The POREfessional!

If you want to subscribe to Birchbox and receive your own box of goodies every month, just click here!

Becky

XO

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Go Emoji Crazy With Birchbox's August 2015 #Beautyjunkie Box

This is the cutest Birchbox I have received so far! It's got all these little beauty themed emoji's all over is and I just think it's so lovely and playful.

In the box you get the usual information booklet along with 6 beauty/hair products in a drawstring bag. Also in this month's box you get a set of emoji stickers, you can just see them peeping from behind the lid of the box in the picture above.

1. Rituals Rice Scrub - Organic Rice Milk and Cherry Blossom. 

This smells DIVINE. As soon as I smelt it I basically made my mum smell it too because it's just that good! It smells so fresh and clean, if that even makes sense. The scrub is quite coarse so will be good for exfoliating legs to get rid of any dead skin cells before hair removal. It states in the booklet that it can be used on sensitive skin and when it comes into contact with water it turns into a foaming cream. I can't wait to try this one out!

2. Kebelo Clarifying Shampoo.

To be honest, this doesn't really smell of anything. I don't mind that it doesn't have a scent because, on the bright side, at least it doesn't smell awful. I quite like clarifying shampoos because I have an oily scalp and they help to get rid of any excess oils and product buildup. It says to apply once or twice a month, I believe this is so you don't remove too much of your natural hair oils as this can cause your scalp to become dry and irritated. 

3. BioNike Cleansing Water.

This is a fragrance-free cleanser that is suitable for 'hypersensitive and intolerant skin'. It is meant to sooth spots and leave skin feeling smooth and soft. Apparently you massage this into your face and neck using your fingertips, afterwards you wipe off the excess with a cotton pad, sounds interesting! One thing I like about receiving these little samples from Birchbox is that they are great to use when travelling. My normal cleansing water/toner is in a largish bottle, so now I can just take this instead. 

4. thebalm Cosmetics Balm Desert Bronzer.

A teeny bronzer sample from thebalm. The last product I received in my Birchbox from thebalm (the Cindy-Lou Manizer) was really good so I'm looking forward to using this. It's a really subtle and natural shade, perfect for my pale skin! There's a tiny bit of shimmer but nothing too over the top. 

5. Lord & Berry Blush in the shade Lotus.

This is a gorgeous rosy pink coloured blush, perfect for giving you that natural rosy cheek look. The booklet says that this is buildable so you can either create a natural look or add a pop of colour to your cheeks buy building it up. The texture of this is lovely, very silky smooth.

6. L. Erickson Grab & Go Ponytail Holder.

To put it simply, this is a hair bobble (or hair tie, whatever you may call them). There is no metal on the bobble which means no snagging! I probably wouldn't go out with my hair in this because it's silver/grey and my hair is a darkish brown so it stands out a mile. However, it'll be perfect for bed or when I'm doing my make up. 

There you have it, that's this months Emoji crazy Birchbox in a nutshell!

I hope you enjoyed this post, if you want to be updated on my latest posts you can follow me on Bloglovin' by either clicking the widget to the right of this post or by clicking here :)

Becky

XO

Free Your Mind With Birchbox This May

My May Birchbox arrived so thought I'd do a post about what goodies I got inside!

First off, I like the design and concept of the box this month. You can colour it in with the crayons provided, take a picture and enter it into a competition on Birchbox's website where you can win £500 worth of products from the Birchbox shop.

If you aren't familiar with Birchbox, when you first open the box there is a little booklet explaining all the products you have received along with some other info too. 

Underneath the leaflet there is a draw string bag, this is where all your goodies are hiding! 

The first product I pulled out of my box this month is this Moisturising Sea Salt Spray by Parlour. I'm always looking to try new hair products, especially ones for texturising, as many don't seem to work all that well on my hair as it's very VERY straight. I haven't had a chance to use this yet, but it says for an increased hold, spray on damp hair and then use a diffuser hair dryer. I'll probably use this technique and hopefully it will give me some sort of texture. 

Next up is this Stila Lip Glaze in the shade Glow, the image below isn't really an accurate representation of this colour (the lighting was bad, sorry!) it's quite a lot lighter. When applied to the lips it's very sheer and just has a slight pinkish tinge to it. It's quite shimmery so adds dimension to your lips, but the shimmer isn't over the top. It says in the information booklet that this has vitamins A, C and E in it, so should be hydrating on the lips. I'm not a huge fan of lip glosses, as I don't like the stickiness, but I'll give this one a try.

This is the Vinoperfect Radiance Tinted Moisturiser by Caudalie. I don't wear foundation on a daily basis but when I'm wanting a bit more coverage in the day I go for a BB cream or tinted moisturiser, so I was pleased to see this in my box this month. I'm quite pale and am often the lightest or second lightest shade in most products, so the shade Birchbox have sent me is '01 Light', which I'm guessing is the lightest shade they do. It seems to be an alright match for my skin, but I am yet to try it on my face. This has SPF 20 in it and can be used to moisturise and brighten skin as well as cover blemishes.

I am really looking forward to using this next product, it's the RMK Point Make-Up Remover. If you've read my last post you will know I have some favourites when it comes to make-up removers, but I'm always willing to give new ones a try. It states in the booklet that this is an all round make-up remover (face, eyes and lips), but I might just stick use this to remove my eye make-up as the liquid looks like it could be quite oily. 

In this months box we were able to choose which WAH London nail product we wanted from nail varnish, nail art pen and false nails. I chose nail varnish as I barely ever wear false nails (I think I've only worn them about twice in my 22 years) and a nail art pen just didn't seem appealing to me as I was unsure how often I'd actually use it. Anyway, I got the WAH London Nail Polish in the colour Love My Team which is a nice rich red. I've not used any WAH products before so I'm excited to give this a try as I love testing new nail varnish brands.

It says in my little Birchbox booklet that this Number 4 Lumiere d'Hiver Reconstructing Masque is an 'Extra Beauty Bonus'. It's basically like a leave in conditioner and it is supposed to give you smooth, strengthened and shiny hair. I'm always slightly dubious about using leave in conditioners or masques as I have naturally shiny (*ahem* oily) hair so I worry that they'll just make my hair greasy. I might give this a try if I'm feeling brave one day and have a spare 5 minutes after I've washed my hair.

Last but not least in May's box are the crayons needed to colour the box! If and when I finish colouring in my box, I'll most likely upload a picture of it to my Instagram (@Becee) as that's where I post most of my life, if I'm being totally honest. 

Hope you enjoyed having a look in my Birchbox this month! If you want to find out more about Birchbox you can check out their website and subscribe here.

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Becky
XO