Birchbox May 2013

So far, my experience with Birchbox has been rather disappointing, so I decided to give one last box a go and then decide whether or not to continue with my subscription. I knew that something was not right when I saw this month's box still wrapped up in its little parcel waiting for me when I got home late and completely failed to get excited over it. Whereas beauty boxes used to have be on their toes and I'd be running down the stairs as soon as I heard the door bell ring when it was beauty box time, this time I practically had to force myself to take at least a little peak.

1) OPI | Nail Lacquer

Full size: £11.50 / Sample value: £2.88

OPI! A great brand which I love for its nail polishes and I'd quite happily own every single shade they make (even if I'd have to rent a separate room to store it all). Unfortunately there is no shade name included, so if I wanted to buy the full size I'd be left guessing. The colour itself doesn't appeal to me at all - I own a similar shade and it just looks horrendous on my nails, but you never know, as this might be completely different. It's still very small, though, even as far as mini polishes are concerned.

2) Murad | Hydro-Dynamics Ultimate Moisture For Eyes

Full size: £57 / Sample Value: £13.50

This is another very small sample once you get it out of it's cardboard outer. As it's an eye cream I would imagine you don't need to use a lot, however, so I'll still get a fair few applications out of it.

As a brand, Murad are well known to me and their products have been a bit hit and miss so far, so it's nice to get something new to try out. But even if I love it, I honestly doubt I'll be spending £57 on a full-sized eye cream.

3) Biorganics Hair Therapy | Salon Secret Elixir Hair Perfecting Oil

Full size: £12.99 / Sample value: £3.99

Oh, there we go: Another tiny mini sample. Biorganics actually sell this on their website for £4 for anyone who wants to try before they buy (even though you're technically still buying, just a smaller amount). This is not a brand I am familiar with, but it's nice to have some hair care that is free from any chemical nasties and I'm a big fan of hair oil anyway, so I'm sure this will get used up.

4) Wei | Chinese Rose Foaming Cleanser

Full size: £25 / Sample value: £1.67

Another sample that turns out to be tiny once you get rid of any unnecessary packaging. I reckon I'll get about 3-4 uses out of my tube. However, the cleanser does smell amazing: Zingy, yet comforting due to the mix of citrus and rose. I'm also a bit of a fan of Asian skincare, so it's not going to lay around and gather dust.

Beauty Extra: Wei | Pomegranate Buffing Beads

Full size: £13 / Sample value: £0.65

I know I've been going on about sample size a little this month, but come on... I almost chucked this, because I thought it might be one of those gel-pearl bags that you get in new handbags to keep the moisture out. You're meant to mix these with your regular cleanser to turn it into a face scrub - a nice addition seeing as the box contained a cleanser from the same brand, but the size is just ridiculous. Sure, I'll use it, but I still won't know properly how the product works and performs after just one application.

Lifestyle Extra: Kusmi Tea | Detox Tea

Full size: £13.85 / Sample value: £2.22

I've seen these pop up in beauty boxes before, but never got one for myself. I do like the pretty tin and seeing as I love tea I'll enjoy having a few cups of this. Not sure I believe in its detoxifying properties, but it will be nice to try. I'm sad to say that the little lifestyle extra actually got me more excited than any other products in this month's box.

So, the overall verdict on my May Birchbox? Shocking.

Technically all the samples amounted to a value of £24.91, which is not only very low compared to usual beauty box contents, but overall I feel like I've been ripped off with this box. The samples are tiny and getting one or two applications out of something won't help me decide whether or not it's any good at all.

After doing a bit of research and seeing what some other people got, I am actually genuinely pissed off. I already own the makebelieve bronzer that some people got in theirs, but even though I would have had no use for it, at least it would have shown me that Birchbox have tried. To me it looks like they're desperate to get samples for their boxes and there is just no effort involved in making the boxes exciting.

So, for me it's goodbye Birchbox. I tried and you failed me on three separate occasions and believe me, there are other ways to spend my money.

Birchbox April 2013

There seems to be a reoccurring theme that whenever I get a delivery, it ought to be either just as I'm about to head out for a run, or just as I'm stepping into the shower. So, naturally, this month's Birchbox arrived just as I was leaving the door and I was way too excited to just leave it, so off came my trainers and my jacket and my headphones and god knows what else.

This month's theme is "In Bloom" and considering the warm weather that's suddenly hit us yesterday and caused all the trees on my road to magically explode into pink fluffiness, it couldn't have been a better choice!

1) Gerda Spillman | Renaissance Age Serum

Full size: £69 / Sample value: £6.90

Whoops, looks like a had a little silly moment and took a picture of the back side of the sample. But don't worry, the front is fairly unspectacular, so you're not missing much. I'm feeling much less rebellious against anti ageing products these days, so even though it is minuscule, I'll happily give this serum sample a go. It smells absolutely divine, but unfortunately it's going to have to wait on the back-up shelf until I've used up my current serum. And at almost £70 for the full size it would have to be beyond amazing for me to purchase it after the sample runs out!

2) La Societe Parisienne De Savons | Savon Maya

Full size: £8.50 / Sample value: £8.50

This was the first item I spotted as I opened the drawstring bag and it got me beyond excited. Just look at how gorgeous the packaging is! Then I realised it was soap.

Now, nothing against soap, but I'm just not a person that tends to appreciate it. I use shower gel in the shower and hand wash to wash my hands. Soap is slippy, harsh on the skin and always leaves this mucky, slimy residue on the soap dish. Having said that the scent of this one is absolutely beautiful, so it would be a shame to just leave it laying around. Nevertheless, this is more of an item I'd gift to my nan instead of buying it for myself.

3) Mirenesse | Glossy Kiss

Full size: £17.50 / Sample value: £17.50

This was the other product that stood out to me right away as I opened my box this month. I've never heard of Mirenesse, but pencil lip products are having a big moment right now and I'm excited to give this one a go. It's a full sized product, so I'll be getting plenty of use out of it. The colour I got (14. Perfect Kiss) is also really, really pretty. A fire-engine red studded with a light gold shimmer, absolutely gorgeous! From a quick swatch I can see that application is soft and very glossy, so this seems to be a winner!

Random side note: I keep accidentally writing "Glossy Kill" instead of "Glossy Kiss". Just to show what's on my mind these days...

4) Weleda | Skin Food

Full size: £8.95 / Sample value: £1.19

Considering what an institution Weleda has become, especially concerning natural skincare, I'm almost ashamed to say that I've never tried any of their products. Skin Food seems to be one of those cult creams, which I've heard loads and loads about and finally I get my mitts on a sample to try it for myself!

I do, however, struggle a little with multi-purpose balms like this, as I never know what to actually use them for. Give me a choice of options and I'll sit there fretting and eventually go without anything. I'm thinking of trying this on my feet, as my heels are pretty much the only dry skin area I have at the moment.

5) Green & Spring | Relaxing Conditioner

Full size: £16 / Sample Value: £2.67

I love the design of this little bottle, it's so cute! In this box you'd randomly get either the shampoo or the conditioner and I have to admit that I'm a little peeved, as I much prefer using the same brand shampoo and conditioner together. But oh well...

The scent of this is a tad strong for my tastes - you can really, REALLY smell the lavender and the rosemary that have gone into the product, but I imagine it would leave a beautiful lingering scent on the hair after washing. This is another product that will certainly get used up.

Lifestyle Extra: Birchbox | Paname Paris Mirror

Full size: £7.50 / Sample value: £7.50

Oh, c'mon. You gotta be kidding me. This is literally one of the worst compact mirrors I have ever seen in my life. It weighs about a gram and doesn't even have a lid! If I put this in my handbag it would get ruined within seconds. I don't know who they're trying to fool with the supposed £7.50 price tag, but yeah, good luck selling a mirrored badge for that price. I absolutely hate it when beauty boxes make their own shoddy tools and try to sell them as luxury beauty samples. At least Birchbox had the decency to include this as an extra instead of one of the actual five samples. But I would have much rather received a single tea bag or something, rather than this rubbish. Rant over.

So, my second Birchbox has been full of ups and downs to be honest with you. The only real highlight is the lip crayon, though I will certainly use every single product and I really like the fact that they're all brands I haven't tried before. The inclusion of two full sized products is also a bonus.

The soap on the other hand was a bit of a disappointment, even though it was one of the two full sized products and the mirror... let's no longer talk about the mirror.

The total value of this box comes in at £44.26 for those of you who are interested.

Flash Giveaway: Win this month's Birchbox - CLOSED

For all those who've read my post on this month's Birchbox (it's here) and liked what they saw, you now get the opportunity to win one for yourself! The contents are all the same as in my review post, though of course all the samples and products are completely untouched - yes, even the Lindt chocolates.

This will be a quick giveaway, running just through Easter, so it ends on midnight, GMT, on Easter Monday, April 1. All you have to do is be a follower of this blog on GFC. Follow me on Twitter for an extra entry and tweet about this giveaway for another extra entry. Please leave a comment below with your GFC name and your email address so I can contact you. Don't forget to leave your Twitter username and a link to your tweet if you're going for the extra entries.

The giveaway is open to UK residents only.

Good luck and I hope you all have a Happy Easter!

This giveaway is now closed. I have drawn the winner using random.org and the Birchbox goes to:

Jessica from ohsogawjess.blogspot.co.uk

Congratulations! Please email me your contact details when you get a chance, so I can send out your prize as soon as possible!

Birchbox March 2013

Lookey, lookey, it's another beauty box review. I haven't done one of these in months, as quite frankly, I'd gone off the beauty box craze and felt that there were better ways to spend my hard earned money. But as soon as I heard that Birchbox, the mother of all beauty boxes, was coming to the UK, I've been toying with the idea of subscribing again and finally I took the plunge again at the beginning of the month.

Birchbox are the people who started this whole thing about beauty sample services over in the USA and have now taken over from Joliebox, who originally took over from Boudoir Prive (still following?). The box is housed in a bright pink outer carton, so I instantly knew when my Birchbox had arrived. Inside, there's a Birchbox magazine, which I'm more than happy to read when I get a few minutes, as well as the actual box itself.

In the actual Birchbox you'll find a card with descriptions of all the products, as well as a drawstring bag housing all of the samples. To be honest, I'm not a massive fan of the packaging. The box is a bit plain and unlike all of my Glossyboxes I cannot see myself reusing it. The drawstring bag is also rather pointless and is only going to end up as more landfill.
Included this time were five samples (one of them a full sized product), one beauty extra and one lifestyle extra.

1) Laura Geller | Inkwell Waterproof Gel Liner

Full size: £24.50 / Sample value: £24.50

I'm not entirely sure where I've heard of Laura Geller before; while it's not a brand I've never heard of before I'm not familiar with any of their products. Liquid and gel liners are both products that I never manage to finish before they go off or dry out, so I was happy to receive a full size of this as I'm sure I'll be able to get plenty of use out of it.

The shade I got is black, which is a nice and safe option, though I wouldn't have minded to get a different colour. I also love the little pop-out brush hidden in the lid of the product, which means I can actually chuck this into my handbag for on-the-go touch-ups. The only thing that puts me off a little is the price. £24.50 for a tiny pot of eye liner? It better be amazing!

2) Molton Brown | Valbonne Fragrance

Full size: £65 / Sample value: Approx. £3.25

I've said it loads of times before and I'll say it again: I don't believe these little perfume samples should be made part of a sample box - ever. Having said that, there was a total of six products in this month's box as well as the lifestyle extra, so they shall be let off.

As for the fragrance, it is said to contain bergamot, orange flower, rose, vetiver and leather. It opens up with the floral notes which smell absolutely divine, and then settles into this deep, quite masculine leather scent. It smells pretty amazing, but the leather isn't quite "me", so I doubt I'll treat myself to a full size of this.

3) RMK | Cleansing Balm

Full size: £29 / Sample value: £7.25

Ooooh, this one's exciting. I've heard lots of good things about this product, yet I've never tried anything from RMK before. I've never used a cleansing balm either, even though they seem to be all the rage when it comes to skin cleansing right now, so I'm beyond excited to give this one a go. It smells very strongly of roses, which reminds me of a particular summer holiday in France. It's also a fairly generous sample size, so I think I'll get quite a bit of use out of it.

4) La Sultane De Saba | Body Lotion With Argan Oil

Full size: £26.50 / Sample value: £5.30

This is one that made me wrinkle my forehead quite a bit. It's a brand I have never, ever heard of and the label looks a bit, well, DIY... The scent is very distinctively oriental, which is not something I'm a fan of (I prefer light smells to heavy, oud like scents), but I like the fact that it contains argan oil to soften skin.

What really annoys me, however, is the packaging of this sample. I have no idea how I'm going to get more than a pea-sized blob out of the hard plastic case and I can just see a lot of this ending up in the bin, which would be a shame, really.

5) Yu-Be | Moisturizing Skin Cream

Full size: £19.50 / Sample value: £0.84

When I saw the size of this sample my thoughts went something like: "You're 'avin a ****ing laugh!?". The tube is tiny. Teeeensy, teensy, tiny. It's a cream for dry or very dry skin, which I don't get a lot of, but as my lips were stinging and burning as I read through the leaflet, I squeezed out a little blob there and then and dabbed it onto my lips. And, well... it's pretty good. It sunk in within seconds without leaving any grease on my lips, but still provided instant relief and moisturisation. I can see this being a brilliant product to use on my lips when they're dry and I want to wear a bright lipstick, as it won't make the colour slip and slide off. Nevertheless, I still think they could have been a bit more generous with the size, this is a little bit on the ridiculous side.

Beauty Extra: Sanctuary | 30 Day Thermal Transformation Mask

Full size: £27.50 / Sample value: £2.31

I luuurve a face mask as a great way to destress and give my skin just a little bit of extra pampering, so these will come in handy on my next day off work. Not sure they're going to make me look any younger, but the two step process sounds quite exciting and is definitely something I look forward to trying out. The sachets are quite large, so I wonder if I can maybe squeeze two applications out of them.

Lifestyle Extra: Lindt | Lindor Heart Tin Filled With Chocolate Truffles

Full size: £2.99 / Sample value: £2.99

Lindt chocolates.

They didn't survive the writing of this post.

Enough said.

So, what's the overall verdict on this month's (and my first ever) Birchbox? The total value of the box comes to £46.44 - a good amount, though I don't want to judge a beauty box just by the sample values. After all, what good is it if I fall in love with a 20ml sample of a £200 cream if I will most likely never be able to afford it, anyway? There was a good mix of items, ranging between make-up, skin and body care, though it would have been nice to see some haircare included as well.

It's nice to see a full sized product and chocolates are always much appreciated, though I'm a little bit disappointed with the size of the samples, as I don't find they're really "luxury sized" samples.

Are you subscribed to any beauty boxes?