August 2016 Birchbag Edition
Monthly subscription is £10.00 Plus £2.95 P&P
No. of Products in the Box – 6 items
www.birchbox.co.uk
You’ll know what I mean when I say that the *August Birchbag is such a tease, it’s got me yearning for sun, sea and sand and while the weather is somewhat confused this month’s line up will not fail to get you into that summer spirit. Thinking outside of the box they’ve swapped out the traditional box with a Limited Edition Scuba Birchbag which is available in four neon colours and looks very appropriate for poolside. I’m so delighted with this month’s line up as it contains some great highlights from key everyday essentials in addition to a popular US subscriber make-up treat and it’s a really mixed bag that will not fail to help you look, feel and smell gorgeous no matter what the weather throws at us.
Birchbox is a monthly beauty subscription service. The box consists of 5 luxe beauty treats from well-known brands and emerging brands and occasionally you may also receive a lifestyle item too. Birchbox is also a full-blown beauty destination where you can purchase all the brands which have been featured in their boxes with an exceptional and very generous reward program.
1. Marcelle Waterproof Eyeliner – Travel Size. Full Size RRP £10.50
This weatherproof eyeliner by Marcelle which is a firm favourite amongst US subscribers promises to go on smoothly and stay put with a waterproof formula.
If you read my blog posts regularly you’ll know that I hardly step outside of the black eyeliner zone (bit boring I know!) so the shade Mulberry didn’t really excite me much but there’s a lot to be said about the smooth, creamy formula and the longevity so I’ll definitely be purchasing their black version.
2. Philip Kingsley One More Day Dry Shampoo – Travel Size 50ml RRP £6.50
I always long for one more day when I’ve had a bouncy blow-dry at the hairdressers not to mention that I also have a little obsession with dry shampoos so seeing this inside my Birchbag was love at first sight as I’ve been wanting to try this one by Philip Kingsley for so long.
Designed to absorb excess oil, dirt and sebum in the hair, the One More Day Dry Shampoo by Philip Kingsley is the ultimate dry shampoo treatment. Injecting texture and volume into the hair, this dry shampoo works to give you luscious, fresh locks for one more day!
Dry Shampoo is one of those products that I absolutely love in theory, but most brands only do a sub-par job at performing but I’ve heard a lot of great things about this one so I’ve got high hopes for this particular product. Needless to say I’ll definitely make use of this travel sized spray for touch ups during the day.
3. Balance Me Radiance Face Mask – Sample Size 15ml. Full Size RRP £18.00
On the skincare front I received the Balance Me Radiance Face Mask which promises to deeply cleanse, exfoliate and brighten the skin with an incredible line up of ingredients such as ground walnut shells, kaolin clay, rosemary, palma rose, lavender and chamomile oil. Unlike traditional face masks this works a little differently and has a similar consistency of an exfoliator. You simply rub in circular motions to release the beads and leave it for 5 minutes to work the rest of it’s magic before removing with warm water.
4. Anatomicals the buff stuff Citrus Body Scrub – Travel Size 50ml. Full Size RRP £3.99
I’ve had a really positive experience with Anatomicals, a quirky brand that’s fuss-free, budget friendly and their comical packaging will not fail to make you chuckle and catch your attention!
The Buff Stuff Citrus Body Scrub is pink in colour and is packed full of grapefruit and pumice which work together to polish and smooth the skin, getting rid of any dead skin cells to leave you feeling super soft and the zesty scent really awakens the senses first thing in the morning.
Enriched with vitamin E and emollient beads, this bacteria fighting gel leaves hands feeling soft and smelling delicious and it’s compact size means you carry it when you’re on the go.
My Verdict
Thinking outside of the box with an ever so seasonal appropriate and refreshing curation tucked inside a neon scuba bag, everything about the August edition just screams summer although I do feel as though I should be poolside with my scuba bag sipping a mojito! Once again they’ve really nailed it in terms of the products I received this month, there’s quite a few highlights that I’m delighted to welcome to my beauty stash and there’s some great essentials for everyday too. There’s a nice selection of products this month covering makeup, skincare, hair and a fragrance and while there’s a couple of brands I’ve sampled from Birchbox before, the remainder are totally new to me plus it’s always handy to have a travel version of something you already love and own! I think the bag could have done with some lining inside to make it look a little neater but nonetheless it’s still a lovely alternative to the traditional box we’re all so use to.
If you like trying out products from well-known, loved and emerging brands then Birchbox is definitely great for this. The subscription itself is affordable and the monthly rotation of treats introduces you to brands and products you might not have otherwise found, all of which can be purchased within their online shop. Whilst Birchbox send out smaller samples with 1-2 full sized items, in my opinion they are much more consistent and are more likely to send you something that you feel the need to purchase.
Birchbox Offer:
Receive a FREE full-size Mirenesse Glossy Kiss (worth £17.50!) when you join Birchbox, use the code SCUBA at checkout via www.birchbox.co.uk
*PR Sample