That's right ladies and gentleman... after all this time being a make-up fanatic and blogger, I have finally taken the plunge and subscribed to Birchbox! For those of you who may not have heard of Birchbox before, it is basically a monthly subscription service where you pay £12.95 per month (including shipping) to receive a box full of wonderful beauty-related goodies. I had always wanted to sign up to a beauty subscription service but up until recently, I did not have the room in my budget - so you can imagine how excited I am to finally be able to do so! I'm really looking forward to discovering new products and brands that I have never tried before. So today, I thought that I would show you all what I received in my first box and my thoughts on Birchbox in general so far. Let's get started!
As some of you may already be aware, Birchbox like to collaborate with other brands quite frequently and January' box is in collabration with Pinterest and this months theme to start off the new year with is the 'Best Year Ever' box - inspiring you to make the most of 2016! I love how visually appealing each box is and so I will definitely be using them for storage and keeping some of them on display once I collect a few.
Upon opening the box, I found all of this months products packaged up in this super cute drawstring bag (which I will definitely be using as a wash bag when I travel!) I love little details like this because it really shows how much thought and attention to detail goes into each months box. After seeing lots of beauty box reviews over the years on various blogs, the Birchbox team seem so creative and fun!
Now onto the products that I received...
Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle Leave In Conditioner
This spray seems to be quite the multi-tasker because as well as detangling and conditioning your hair, it can also be used as a heat protectant too. I loveproducts that I have more than one use as they are a great time saver! Although I haven't used tried out anyof the products yet, I did give this one a quick spritz and it smells amazing!
Absolution L'eau Soir et Matin Cleansing Water
I use my Garnier micellar water every day, therefore, it will be interesting how this one compares. I have never heard of the brand Absolution before, so I'm interested to see what its all about. After reading the booklet explaining more about the products inside my box, this cleansing water seems to have lots of lovely ingredients such as hazelnut oil and aloe vera, which I imagine will feel amazing on my skin.
Benefit They're Real Tinted Lash Primer
I used to absolutely swear by my They're Real mascara, so I'm really interested to see how this lash primer performs. I have really short and straight eyelashes that struggle to hold a curl, so I'm wondering if this lash primer will help me out at all! Benefit claim that this product separates, lengthens and boosts your lashes and preps them for you mascara - I will have to test this out and report back!
Eyeko Fat Liquid Liner
This liquid liner is the full-sized item featured in this months box. If any of you have been following me for a while now, you will know that I do not feel complete unless I am wearing feline flick, so this product is right up my alley. The only thing that I am a little bit apprehensive about is that because the eyeliner is 'fat' aka it has a thick nib, I may not be able to get a super precise line with it but I guess time will tell on that one!
Rituals Foaming Shower Gel
The last item included in this months box is this Ritual shower gel. Although I have most definitely heard of the brand before, I have never used any of their products before. Of course, shower gels will always come in useful but I am really excited to try a higher end brand and see how it compares to a bog standard bottle from Boots or Superdrug. Also, I think that I will really enjoy both the scent and the foaming element of this product too!
As well as the five samples mentioned above, Birchbox also threw in a few little add-ons too. These prints above are actually postcards but I cannot believe how cool they are. I think that they will look awesome in a couple of frames scattered around my bedroom! They also included a #nofilter pink compact mirror (which you can see in the first photo of this post.) As I mentioned earlier, these extra little touches are what make this box really special and exciting in my opinion.
Overall, I am so happy that I finally took the plunge and subscribed to Birchbox. So far, I have absolutely no negatives to report! Not only am I happy with the products that I received in my January box but I am really impressed with how much you get for your money - especially as you get one full-sized item per box too! As you can all probably guess, I am so excited to see what next months box brings and I can really see myself being a loyal Birchbox subscriber from here on out.
I will probably do a blog post about each months box from now on, so be sure to check back for even more in-depth Birchbox reviews in the future! Furthermore, if you're interested in signing up to Brchbox yourself, then click here to find out everything you need to know.
I haven't done a good old-fashioned wishlist in a while and so I thought, why not make my first post of 2016 all about the things that I am currently lusting after? Of course, being the shopping addict that I am, there are waaay more items that I could have included in this blog post, but I somehow managed to whittle it down to just six! So, let's jump right in and talk about why I'm coveting these products right now!
Petal Embroidered Top - £24.00
First up is this super cute top from Topshop. In the past year, I have put on a little bit of weight (not majorly as I am still only a size 10) and furthermore, I have become quite self-concious about the tops of my arms. So, I have been loving long sleeve tops a lot more than usual. I adore the embroidery on this top and the fact that it is ever-so slighlty cropped makes it very on trend too!
Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm - £9.50
I bought my first pot of this stuff all the way back in July, which shows that it definitely lasts for a really long time. I can honestly say that this product has transformed the condition of my lips! I slather it on every morning and every evening before bed to keep my lips feeling nourished and hydrated. It also contains something that gently exfoliates your lips too, which means that is great for prepping your lips before applying a drying product - like a liquid lipstick - which can exaggerate any flakiness. This is a must have product for me and I need to repurchase it ASAP!
Olivia Burton Midi Dial Grey & Lilac Watch - £70.00
I really want to invest in a watch as I have never really been 'into' watches until quite recently. I never really wear much jewellery and I usually just use my phone to tell the time. However, I love the look of this gorgeous Olivia Burton number! Not only does it have a dial which will not be too big for my tiny wrists but it has silver hardware (I hate gold jewellery) and a subtle lilac coloured strap, which is my favourite colour!
Victoria Secret Bombshell Eau De Parfum - £36.00
My parents kindly bought me the rollerball version of Bombshell for Christmas after I picked it out in the store and I have fallen in love with it. I keep it in my handbag and I have worn it almost every day so far! I'm not great at describing scents but according to the website, it has notes of peony and vanilla orchid. Although, I highly suggest you go and give it a sniff for yourself as you will not be disappointed! It may even be taking over as my new signature fragrance, (my beloved Rihanna Reb'l Fleur,) which is definitely saying something!
Oversized Denim Shirt - £34.00
I am in dire need of a new denim shirt as my one is getting a little tatty. So, this oversized one from Topshop will be a welcome addition to my wardrobe. I love using denim shirts for layering and I think that it gives off an effortlessly cool kinda vibe! I could probably find a cheaper alternative elsewhere but when it comes to denim pieces, I like to invest so that they are of higher quality and are more durable!
MAC Lipstick in Taupe - £15.50
Last but certainly not least is yet another MAC lipstick that I am dying to add to my collection. I may already have two gorgeous nudes from MAC (Faux and Velvet Teddy) but Taupe seem to be that little bit bolder and darker, so it will pack more of a punch! I love MAC's matte formulas as they are long-wearing but they do not seem to dry my lips out at all! I am hoping to purchase Taupe really soon so that I can have yet another beautiful shade to add to my ever-growing collection!
So, those are the six items currently on my wishlist! What do you think of them? What is currently on your own wishlist? I would love to know, so please feel free to leave me a comment down below!
Ever since I received my Naked 2 palette last Christmas, I have become truly obsessed with eyeshadow! This year, I have built up quite the collection of both palettes and individual shadows. So, when my boyfriend asked me to send him over a few links for Christmas presents a while back, I just had to add this gorgeous palette from Zoeva into the mix. Much to my joy, the En Taupe Palette appeared underneath my Christmas tree and I couldn't be happier!
Although I haven't actually worn these shadows yet, I am already very impressed with this palette. It is perfect for any of my fellow cool-toned eyeshadow lovers out there! I feel like there are sooo many well-loved, warm-toned palettes out there but high quality cooler toned ones are a little harder to come by in my personal opinion! Plus, at just £15.50, this is one of the most affordable palettes on the market.
Another thing that I really like about this palette is its packaging! Not only is it beautifully designed but it would be great for travelling too, as it is so lightweight and compact!
As far as the actual shades in the palette go, I would definitely use all ten of them! Normally, with every palette I own, there are a few shades that I never really reach for but I feel that all ten of these shades will suit my complexion perfectly. After some swatching, however, I have decided that my favourite shades so far are; Gallery (a matte taupe,) Wrapped In Silk (a shimmery light grey) and Exquisite (a matte, muted plum.) It has the perfect ratio of both matte and shimmery shades so that you can create countless different looks in my opinion!
Overall, even though I haven't actually worn the shadows yet (I will be sure to update you on their wear and longevity,) I think that this palette is pretty impressive given its super affordable price point. The pigmentation is fairly good for a lower end palette (a few shadows could be a little stronger in colour) but even then, they still blend well and are pretty buildable anyway. So, if you're on the market for a new cool-toned palette to take you into the New Year, why not try out this palette from Zoeva? I bet you won't regret it!
