Birchbox is something I often go back and forth with – falling in and out of love.
My recent approach has been to re-subscribe when I see something I’d like to try in the spoilers and then discontinue it afterwards.
I’ve been getting on better with the Latest in Beauty box – where you select the products yourself from a list – but I missed the element of surprise a little too. When I saw that Birchbox were offering a Smith & Cult lip gloss plus the new Benefit mascara in the March box, I resubbed.
But first came the February box…
Each box was themed after a decade this month, and you had the option to select 70s, 80s or 90s. I went for the 80s box but they sent me the 70s flower-patterned one instead. I don’t know if the contents were different or just the box design.
First up, The Beauty Crop Eyeshadow Trip in Love You So Latte. This isn’t a brand I’ve heard of before, but I immediately liked the mix of tones in this handy little compact. There’s a coppery-gold shimmer, a coffee brown shimmer and a dark chocolate shade – all really wearable, earthy tones, exactly the type of shades I use on a daily basis.
I like having a little duo or trio like this in my make-up bag – I have so many palettes, but on an average day I don’t have time to spend selecting, so I like something with just a couple of options to make life easy.
As a coffee lover, I’m also pleased that these shadows are packed with coffee extracts. The caffeine helps to reduce puffiness and brighten up the eye area. I could always do with a helping hand there, so I really like this little collection of shadows and have been wearing them each day. They go on smoothly but the staying power isn’t quite as good as others I’ve tried – but nothing that would put me off.
The next item was the Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm in Pixi Pink. I was in two minds about this – Pixi is a great brand, and lip balm is always something I’m going to use in the summer, but I did get the same product in a darker pink previously. Repeat products are something I really dislike about Birchbox!
I prefer this wearable lighter pink to the one I already own, though. The balm itself is really nourishing, with shea butter and Vitamin E, and the flattering sheer shade is lovely to quickly swipe on lips and cheeks to bring a pop of colour and a nice sheen.
Luseta Coconut Milk Hair Mask isn’t something I’ve tried before, and I’m really loving both hair and face masks at the moment. Everything feels dry and dehydrated, plus I’m having a lot of baths right now to try and ease my pregnancy aches and pains and I love to pop a mask on when I’m in there relaxing.
This nourishing treatment is designed to repair and hydrate, which my dried-out, heat styled locks really need. There’s a mix of fatty acids and vitamins to leave your hair softer and silkier. I popped this on straight away after I got my box, and I only noticed a small difference but it smelt nice and was easy to use.
Percy & Reed Quite Frankly Flawless Finishing Polish is something I’ve tried many times before and never been wowed by. This brand seems to be permanently in the sub boxes of giving away stuff with magazines, so I’ve tried a lot of their stuff but never been moved to buy any! I do like the cute illustrations on the packaging, but the contents never live up to the promise.
This contains horse chestnut and sunflower wax, and is supposed to moisturise and smooth locks without leaving them stuff or greasy. You have to be careful not to use too much, or it can leave your hair quite stiff. It didn’t leave any noticeable shine on my locks and they still feel dry, so I wouldn’t pay for the full size version of this.
Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream came next. Again, this is another brand that are always in the boxes and again, I’ve tried a lot of their stuff and never loved anything. Perhaps this will be the one that changes my mind! Goodness knows, I’ve tried every eye cream under the sun so far.
This one contains natural extracts - chamomile, lemon and cucumber to soothe and brighten, and coconut, rosehip (which is an amazing anti-ager) and carrot to soften the skin and gentle erase wrinkles. If this works, it will be a miracle.
Finally, I got The Shining Lip Lacquer from Smith & Cult in the shade ‘Hi-Speed Sonnet’. I love this brand so much, and their lip glosses are lovely, so this was a big draw for me. They are super shiny and contain coconut essence which leaves your lips hydrated and Portulaca Pilosa extract which adds volume. Plus, the packaging is so heart-quickeningly pretty.
I really love this beautiful delicate pink shade too, which is super flattering and does that magic thing of making your smile look really white. There’s a very subtle shimmer that just lifts the finish as well - I think this may well be my favourite lipgloss of all time.
I’m excited about next month’s box though, which will apparently contain the new Benefit Bad Gal Bang mascara and a choice of the Blaq Hydrogel Eye Mask or Peel Off Face Mask.
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