Birch Box

It had been a few months since I last treated myself to a subscription box, so when I spied that Unidays were offering 50% off the October Birch Box, I decided to sign myself up for the month.  I did however make a rather silly mistake, as I signed up for the 50% off box on October 31^st, and then was charged on the 1^st of November again for the next month’s box.  I wasn’t that fussed though, as both boxes looked really pretty, and there was a few bits and bobs between the two boxes that I was keen to try out.

October

So I’m not going to lie, there was only really one product that I was interested in when I signed up for this box – the This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray.  I have recently become a fan of the stuff, so I was really keen to stock up on it to tie me over till Christmas.  Sadly I didn’t receive this in my box, however I did anticipate this as I did the order, seeing as I was ordering on the last day of the month.  If I’m totally honest, there wasn’t really anything that wowed me in the box – other than the styling of the actual box itself.  Inside contained a facial mist spray, hair oil, eye brow brush, a sheet mask, a lipstick crayon and an aroma therapy shower gel.  Not to sound snobby, but these are all items that I either buy myself a regular basis and have plenty to keep me going, or items that I tend not to both much with.  The facial mist does feel great on my skin, the lipstick crayon is a gorgeous colour and I love the way the hair oil makes my hair smell (like a hairdressers) however I probably won’t bother much with the other items.  I’ve got a brow brush, and the mask is not cruelty free, so this box wasn’t a winner for me.  I did however LOVE the design and drawer style of the box, and I have it nicely displayed and in use in my room. 

November

Seeing as I had no idea what to expect in the November box, I was actually quite excited by what might come.  The delivery was as quick as the first one, only taking a few days to arrive after the payment was taken.  Again though, sadly the contents were not items that I was thrilled by.  Now don’t get me wrong, they are all great products, just not stuff that I go mad for.  My November box contained another facial spritz spray, a leave in hair conditioner, a lipstick primer, BB cream and a facial moisturiser.  All great products, all cruelty free, just these are not the kind of items that I had hoped to receive in a monthly subscription box.  I’ve been loving the Nuxe moisturiser which I’ve been using under my primer, and the lip stick primer does work a treat – however it’s not something that I think I will bother with when I run out of the sample.

I like to keep my routines pretty simple, and so adding extra bits and bobs really complicate things for my and clutter up my toiletry bag!  None the less, I will be using up all of the products above over a period of time, however for the time being I will be cancelling my Birch Box subscription – as this beauty box is not the one for me.

Did you treat yourself to any of the above boxes?  Were you more thrilled with the contents than I was?

Until the next one,

You Beauty Box

After my lust list post, I went ahead and placed an order for this months You Beauty Box - the samples looked amazing and I just really fancied splurging a little bit.  I signed up for the gold membership which allows you to pick 4 products you would like to try for just £10.95 and free delivery - which is a pretty good price if you ask me!  Alongside my picks, I also recived a sample satchet of a serum, a travel sized toothpaste, a £5 off voucher for a boutique in London and a save £20 when you spend £60 or more on another online website - not bad for under £11!  Here's what I went for this month - which was actually a pretty hard decision to make as there were lots of good samples to choose from!

Nuug Revitalizing Facemask

This cute little pocket sized facemask is something that I’ve been dying to try for a while – but didn’t fancy paying a bomb for online!  I had heard so many good things about the Nuug range, they’ve got something for every skin type and have now also created a mask for dry lips (which I really need to try now!)  My box contained The Revitalizing mask – flaxseed and peppermint oil working together to revitalize and plump dill, tired skin for a radiant look.  I applied the gel like mask to my face, and as I spread it evenly it began to create a really tingly and fresh feeling all over, which I adored because I love to feel that the mask is actually doing something.   The little pot suggests wearing for 5-10 minutes for the best results, however I kept mine on for about 25 minutes.  I was having a chill morning midweek, and felt that my skin really need a little extra tlc.  This mask really didn’t disappoint, it left my skin feeling so smooth and clean, and even better the tingly sensation continued even after I washed away the gel!  I would definitely recommend washing off in the shower though, as it was quite tough and a little messy washing off over the sink.  I finished my little morning pamper with the sample sized sachet of Verso Super Facial Serum, which I really liked the feel of.  It was a thick cream/gel like consistency, and really helped my skin keep that fresh and clean feeling throughout the whole morning!

Bloom and Blossom Rejuvenating Mist Spray

I am so in love with this, it is so refreshing on my bare face, and feels really nice when I spray some onto my make up. I've found that a couple of sprays of this bad boy really helps my make up set, and I don't look like a sweaty patchy mess anymore at the end of any work shift! It smells like lemon and lime, which is one of my all time favourite scents - I just love citrus!  They also supplied a really decent sized bottle too, this 40ml spray will last me at least 2 months I reckon, as I don't wear make up everyday.  It's perfect for chucking into my handbag for a freshen up on those days when I'm non stop, and fits nicely into my make up bag too.

This Works

This is another fab product that I'm glad I got to try out, as it feels so good!  The cream it really thick, yet when you apply it to the face it turns into this really light weight cream, you can't even feel it when it's rubbed in!  I've been using this as a base to my make up, and I've noticed that it really does make my pores look a lot smaller, especially on my cheeks where I'm most conscious of them.  This is the perfect primer for you make up, or the most amazing moisturising for those days when make up just doesn't sound appealing in the slightest. 

Oils of Life

If I’m being completely honest, this particular sample was one that I wasn’t really crazy about – which is sad as it was one of the ones that I was most looking forward too.  It’s quite a small sample at around 7ml, but I’ve had three or four uses out of it now and still have some left in the bottle.  I’ve been using it at night after a shower, and it does get rid of that tight skin feeling  - however it’d not done anything special.  It’s probably something that you need to use for a long period of time to see a difference – so if it’s ever on sale I will maybe give it another go!

Overall, I'm really happy and impressed with this purchase.  The majority of the samples were great sizes, enough to get a proper feel for the product so I know now if I should splurge on the full size bottles or not.  The You Beauty Box is really flexible, you don't need to subscribe for several months at a time, and you can stop whenever you like too which I love.  I'm going to wait and see what next months box will bring - this probably won't be something that I treat myself to every month - but I certainly look forward to the next one I place an order for.

What's your favourite beauty box right now?

Until the next one,