Birchbox UK March 2014 - Lulu Guinness

Oh what a snazzy little box this one is! Sadly its only a cover over the box but it gives you quite a big clue who they have teamed up with for this months box! They have partnered with Lulu Guinness who has picked one of her favourite products that features in the box and a little treat too!

These are the cards that are included in the box with some offers however within the box there is meant to be a magazine connected to Lulu Guinness however mine wasn't included and so Birchbox have promised that it is in the post doh!

Now onto this months selections...

Benefit - Stay don't stray - £20.50 full size

This is Lulu Guinness's pick for the box and it's a good one! At first I did just think it was an eye primer but it is actually a primer for your concealer too which is genius as I always find my concealer wears away during the day. Benefit is quite a big brand so to be found in a beauty box is always a good thing and I'm super excited to try this !

Dr Brandt - Pores no more - £39 full size

Now this is the product that I am excited about the most as it literally sounds perfect for my skin. It claims to refine pores and absorb excess oil which is music to my ears! You can use this in the traditional way that a primer is used, under make-up, or you can apply it over make-up too to instantly mattify the skin. Super super excited to give this a go!

Aroma works - Serenity Body oil - £32.50 full size

I have really got into using oils of late as I feel it sinks in so much better then moisturiser does and just gives your skin an instant hit of hydration so I was excited to see this included. Its smells amazing, really 'citrusy' and includes nourishing coconut oil. Really looking forward to trying this after a nice soak in the bath !

Molton Brown - Rhubarb and rose replenishing hand cream - £10 full size

 Ahh now I do love a hand cream and have constant supplies in my bag to use during the day so this one is more than welcome to join! I have a real soft spot for Molton Brown and this is a fragrance I haven't yet come across. It feels really moisturising on the hands and I can see myself going through this very quickly!

English Laundry - No. 7 For her - £47 full size

I remember receiving a sample from this brand a few months back and really enjoying the fragrance so I was happy to see them back with a new one. This smells really fresh and easy to wear and has a mixture of pear, jasmine, gardenia, vanilla and sandalwood. I feel like this scent is really non offensive and just makes you smell really fresh and put together. Looking forward to spritzing this on me during the week.

Lulu Guinness - Candy rock

Last but not least is the treat form Lulu Guinness which is a stick of rock - Yum! The black and white striped rock is inspired by her spring/summer collection. Looking forward to eating this as a cheeky treat!

I am very happy with this months box and if the products perform as they claim I will have budge proof make-up and sweet smelling skin! 

I feel this month has a lovely mix of products which I am super excited to try :)

Rachel xx

February's Birchbox! UK

So here we have my first Birchbox.. How exciting! :)
I did used to be with Joliebox then they of course merged with Birchbox and for some reason I ended the service but after getting an email saying I could get a free Fresh Lip treatment I jumped at the chance! 
However I must say I feel a little cheated. This is what the email said:
Missed last month's box? Then you missed cult brand fresh® and their delicious Sugar Rosé Lip Treatment. Never fear, though – sign up on Valentine's Day for just £10 per month (+P&P) and we’ll send you a FREE sample of fresh® Sugar Rosé Lip Treatment, along with our fabulous London Fashion Week-themed February box. Hurry! Only the first 100 people to subscribe will receive this super-popular free gift.
So with that I gathered that I would just be getting the free lip treatment along with the rest of the box. Not so. Instead of the getting the korres shower gel that everyone else has got they just simply replaced it with this. Let me know what you think about that? Not sure if that's just me reading it wrong I just assumed I would get the same box as everyone else AND the lip treatment too.
Anyway onto the box! :)

I'm actually really pleased with the box I got.

Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment

So because I took advantage of the email offer I got this in my box. I have to say this is probably the nicest lip product I have ever used. It leaves my lips feeling ridiculously soft and its just gorgeous! It leaves a lovely tint on my lips and it smells heavenly too. Definitely a winner.

 GergaSpillmann Bio-fond Cream Foundation

Now I think this is an extremely brave move to be putting a foundation sample in beauty box. Unless it's something like a bb cream that may only have a few shades anyway or a varied number of shades, like what Glossybox did when they included the Dermablend starter pack, I personally don't think it works. Everyone has different skintones and by the sounds of it Birchbox haven't taken into account people's beauty profiles.
However this did work for me. Give or take I can get away with this colour and I do actually really like this foundation.I would say it's medium coverage which is a must for me as I love foundations with medium to full coverage i.e Estee Lauder Double Wear.  I haven't tried it out enough for me to form a well rounded opinion but so far so good.

 Nick Chavez Beverly Hills Plump N' Thick Leave-in Thickening Mist

 Now I haven't actually tried this out yet. I have to be careful of what I put into my hair as my hair can get greasy very quickly but never-the-less I think its a great product to put into the box as who doesn't want nice big plump hair?! :) Looking forward to trying this out, keeping my fingers crossed it doesn't leave my hair a big ball of greasy mess. Lovely.


Vichy Thermal Spa Water (Limited Edition)

I know people will just say this is glorified water in a can but I am a complete sucker for things like this. It's SOOOOOO refreshing and lovely to use and I can imagine in the summer it will be heaven sent. It does actually say it is enriched with 15 minerals and 13 trace elements and it is advised to be used as a toner, to set make-up or as a refreshing boost so I do feel like I'm doing good for my skin when I do use it. The problem is I can see myself reaching for this all the time so I can imagine it being used up quite quickly and apparently it is limited edition too!


EBOOST Natural Energy Booster

 I am super excited to try this out! You basically mix this sachet with cold water and it is meant to give you an energy boost of some sort. No idea if it works so it will be interesting to try when I get tired and have no energy to play games on my iphone.. ;)   be doing all those important things I am meant to be doing :)



Beauty Extra - Eyelash Curler

I always think eyelash curlers look like torture devices so I tend to stay clear of them as there is something about them that gets me on the little nervous side.. Please don't say I'm the only one?!
Beauty gurus on Youtube always go on about how eyelash curlers are great to use as they open up your eyes so these could be the push I need to try them out. Fingers crossed all my eyelashes stay intact after... ha ha!

So there we have it! 
I really actually liked this box. A great mix of products which I can see myself getting a lot of use from, which when you think about it, is the whole point.
I may send Birchbox an email explaining my confusion on the free lip treatment but let me know what you think.

Rachel xxxx