So I've been wanting to sign up for a Birchbox subscription for a long time and I saw a sponsored post come up on my Instagram feed advertising the free Spectrum brush in every box in February and to be honest, that was my calling! I know it's March and I'm currently reviewing the February box, but I had to wait until I got paid on the 28th so the box didn't arrive until March, so you can forgive me for being a bit late to the party!
Birchbox is a monthly beauty subscription for £10 a month (plus £2.95 postage and packaging) and each month you get five beauty products to try. As a new subscriber I also received a free lip lacquer from Smith & Cult! You can tailor your profile so you'll be sent products that are more catered towards your personal beauty preferences and there's also an online shop where you can purchase the products you really loved!
What's In My Box?
Keeome Hydration Therapy Mask
Sheet face masks have been doing the rounds recently so I was pretty excited to try this one. It was a little bit fiddly to get out of the packet as there was so much serum on it and it's vaguely terrifying walking around with a bit of cloth stuck to your face, but I definitely felt a difference when I took it off. I have to say, dry skin isn't something that is really an issue for me; I get it occasionally on my face but it's never been a serious problem, so I probably wouldn't buy this particular mask, but I'd definitely try some more products from this brand as my skin felt so soft after using it! The mask is currently retailing at £29.00 for a pack of five, but since the pack says you only need to use it about 2-3 times a month, that's not too bad value for money. Still a little bit expensive for me, so I'd probably shop around for a cheaper alternative!
Rating - 4/5
Doux Me Pure Spring Mist
Ok so I actually had to Google what the hell this is meant to be used for. Guys, this is water in a can. There is literally nothing else to describe it as. According to the description on the Birchbox website, it's meant to re-hydrate tired complexions and you can either use it before you moisturise or as a setting spray for your make up. While it did feel nice and refreshing and probably would be handy to have in the summer, it's just water at the end of the day and it really didn't have any benefits to me. I'm also slightly flabbergasted that there are people in this world who don't have access to clean drinking water and here are companies charging £16.00 for water that you spray on your face. Like, am I the only one who sees an issue with that?? I think I need to finish this review here because it's making me really angry thinking about it.
Rating - 1/5
Beaver Professional Daily Moisture Conditioning Spray
I really suffer from dry, frizzy hair and have been trying countless products to try and tame the mane, so I was excited to try this one. I find blow-drying my hair to be the main factor in my frizz and this spray is supposed to be used on damp hair. I honestly couldn't see much difference, if anything my hair felt drier than it normally would using just a blow-dry spray. I did squirt a little on my hands and tried running it through after it was dry as like a finishing serum and that seemed to help a bit. I'm hoping this is something that you have to use multiple times before you see the difference. It's selling for £11.50 on the Birchbox shop, so it's not a hugely expensive brand, just not for me unfortunately! (P.S if anyone knows any good products for frizzy hair, feel free to comment them down below)
Rating - 2/5
Pop Beauty Bright Up Your Life (Naturally Bare) Palette
So this little eyeshadow trio is a sample size for the full palette - you get 10 shades in the full-size and if those are anything like the three I've tested, I may have to treat myself to that! These shadows are so pretty and so pigmented and for £15.50 I think that's an absolute steal! All three shades had a slight shimmer to them, so I'm not 100% sure what finish the other colours are. If it's a mix of shimmer and matte colours then it may well be a new contender for my everyday eyeshadows! These colours were really easy to apply as well so they're perfect for beginners and even using this trio by itself gave me a really nice look! I'll pop a picture down below of the finished look so you can see how they came out!
Rating - 5/5
Spectrum Collections Marbleous Tulip Eye Contour Brush
I can barely contain my excitement over this brush! I LOVE Spectrum brushes; I've never owned one myself but I've borrowed my friend's before and they are possibly the nicest, softest brushes I have ever used! They're also super affordable (this one is £4.99) and come in a huge range of different colour options. This is the C06 brush and it's a dense, slightly tapered blending brush that is perfect for smudging out shadows and adding definition to the crease. The one thing I will say about this one is because it's so dense it will pick up a lot of product, so it helps to use a lighter hand with it, but I just love it and I will definitely be adding to my collection soon!
Rating - 5/5
Smith & Cult The Shining Lip Lacquer
So this one was the little freebie I got for joining Birchbox. I've never heard of this brand before so I was quite interested to try this out. It swatched really well and had a lot of pigment to it on the skin but when I applied it, it seemed almost clear. In fairness this shade is very nude so it was probably quite close to my natural lip colour. That being said, the actual gloss itself is gorgeous to apply and I don't think I will ever get over the shine on this stuff. It is a little bit pricey, being sold on Birchbox for £21 which I personally think is really expensive for a lip gloss but I suppose the quality of the formula is probably why it costs so much. I would love to try some of the other shades this comes in so maybe I'll be popping it on my birthday/Christmas lists!
Rating - 3/5
So this is the finished eyeshadow look using that Pop Beauty trio! I did have to use the shade "Nooner" from my Urban Decay Naked 3 palette as a crease colour because all three of these shades have a fair amount of shimmer to them! I used the pinky colour on my lid, the darkest shade on the outer corner/into the crease a little and then the lightest shade as a highlight in my tearduct and on my browbone. I'm also wearing the Smith & Cult lacquer here too, and you can really see how glossy it is! 'Til next month, Birchbox!
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