November Birchbox review and first impression
Hi ladies! I would like to start be apologising – this was actually written two whole weeks ago and I have only JUST gotten around to taking photos for it, so I will have to slightly reword it (darn it). Also I’m sorry for my absence from the blog, second year is really starting to kick in already so sometimes (sadly) the blog has to go on the backburner.
Just to run through the basics birchbox costs £10 + P&P £2.95 for the rolling monthly sub, you fill out a beauty profile which explores any skincare problems, your complexion, hair type etc. so your box can be best catered to you AND you can collect reward points which you can use to spend in the e-shop. read about my experience of that awesome feature here. Oh and update! I redeemed my second free gift from birchbox and I picked up the Liz Earle skincare set and 2 BARS OF ORGANIC WHITE CHOCOLATE. ain’t no other subscription box getting my love ever again. ever.
I know some people hate subscription boxes, I certainly am sceptical of most of them, because there is always the worry that it’s not worth the money.BUT I’ve been SO impressed with birchbox for the past 3 months that I’ve been subscribed, they have the best value for money and each month I’ve received a full size product that would cost a lot more, which makes it well worth the tenner plus change.
Free gifts from them thusfar: the beauty blender+ cleanser, Benefit bigger than BB cream, Liz Earle skincare starter kit and 2 bars of chocolate. Total value: £72.53 Yeeaaah!!!
Another thing that I love about birchbox is you can unsubscribe and resubscribe whenever you like, so if you fancy a break from the monthly sub, but then two months later you see a box that spots your fancy, you can pick it up! So because of this I’ve decided to do is a little round-up of my box’s content each month with an overall rating, which should hopefully help you.
So November’s theme is ‘cosy at home’ and I must say I adore this little card, with that famous phrase because (I warn you now you’ll get sick of me talking about this but it’s only been a week I’m still excited ok) I passed my driving test on the 5th of November, and it’s actually a date I will remember despite having the memory capabilities of a peanut. Nice little keepsafe there ^_^ I enjoyed the little bronzing ‘how to’ in the little magazine, as well as some more info on Dr. Jart+ skincare.
In my box….
I loved the full size Dr. Jart+ water-Act Skin Mist (£18), a huge 150ml bottle of GMO-free toner! I never understood the point of using a toner until I went to a Lush bloggers event and learnt about why it’s a great step to add in your skincare routine. I now use toned every-time before I moisturise and I feel like it’s really helped my skin! So to get a huge bottle of this toner, worth £18 was incredible – already more than the cost of the box.
I also love the LipGlam Natural Lanolin Lip Balm (£9.99), cannot believe I forgot to photograph sorry you guys ;( which is full size and retails for £9.99. I am always on the hunt for a good lipbalm, and the fact that this tube is 100% natural and claims to last up to 8 hours gets a huge thumbs up from me! It claims to absorb 300% of its weight in water AND is non-greasy. If this balm works as well as it promises I will be over the moon! Both of these are wonderful additions to my winter skincare routine, and with the value of £28 I’m chuffed to get them for a lot less!
Finally in my LOVE category, this was a like but I tried it ONCE and it has been upgraded you guys! The Beauty Protector Protect & Treat Hair Mask (£16). Another brand that I am new too, and I got two pots. Now I will be reviewing these soon because I am just THAT impressed with it, but basically if you have dry hair which needs a lot of TLC, look this way! I was blown away by how instant the product worked and also how little I had to use. I received two pots and they will last me a good few months which is again super value for money!
I liked the Lord and Berry Bronzer in Sunny(£19) although I was surprised to see how tiny it is! 2g is a decent size for testing a product out, however the packaging in this case isn’t very convenient, because unless you have a e/s palette with slots or a Z palette, you would have to keep opening and closing this to use it. That being said the bronzer itself is a gorgeous matte shade which will warm up most complexions beautifully without leaving a muddy, shimmery or orange complexion. It will also make the most perfect crease shade! ^_^
I wasn’t too fussed about the English Laundry (£60) Signature for her sample size. Although the full size retails for £60, I’m just not a huge fan of trying out new scents. A little like hair care I suppose, because when I find one or two that I enjoy I like to stick to them, but I do appreciate the fact that it’s in its own little spray bottle. I will probably be handing this over to the Ma.
The lifestyle element this time was a mini chocolate bar from Montezuma’s. It is stated that is it made with the finest organic cocoa beans, and actually I thought this was really really delicious. I’m not a huge chocolate person (more a candy girl) but this chocolate is so rich and creamy, its the perfect treat after a long day.
Overall rating for this box: 8
Highlights: Full sized Dr. Jart toner, 100% natural lip balm, super effective hair masks and the introduction to the Montezuma!
If you would like to subscribe to birchbox, feel free to use my referral link here which will earn us both £5 to spend in the e-shop! You can also get £5 OFF November’s box by using the code: NOV5.
If you are already subscribed, what did you think of this months box?
Thanks for reading!
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