Beauty boxes are a delightful little way to discover new products you wouldn’t necessarily want to invest a hefty price for as an impulse buy. For £10 (plus postage) you receive five beauty surprises, including two full-sized items. You can even modify your own ‘Beauty Profile’ so Birchbox can customise their boxes to suit your needs depending on your personal style, hair concerns, and skincare requirements.
I tested out this month’s beauty box to see how the products measured up in the beauty market. (Please note, each box varies slightly.)
ARROW BOOST Colour Enhancing Lip Balm
I was excited as soon as I heard about this product due to its claims that it adjusts to the ‘PH’ of a person’s lips. This was one of two of the full size items to feature in the box, and being a vegan brand, I thought it had to be good. It starts out as a subtle pink shade on your lips and gradually transforms into a brighter pink. The more you apply, the more the pigment colouring of your lips is brought out, and it can get to the extent where it could be worn as a lipstick. It’s definitely lower maintenance than Vaseline as it’s less ‘gunky’, but my trusty Vaseline still hydrates my lips more. RRP: £11.00
ModelCo More Brows
The second full sized product, and an alternate to Benefit’s celebrated ‘Gimme Brow’, ModelCo promises to create an illusion of fuller brows with their creation, ‘More Brows’. The mascara-style brush application is a little tricky to use, but I’m sure with practice it can be mastered. My eyebrows were definitely looking more textured, but they also felt a bit stiff, as if I was wearing a face mask on my eyebrows. If you naturally have thicker eyebrows, I think this product would be ideal for reshaping and perfecting them. RRP: £13.00
Philip B Drop Dead Straightening Baume
I love trying out straightening products as I have naturally curly hair. It can often become flyaway and rebellious without a straightening product to keep it in check. I ran a coin-sized amount through damp hair, as advised, although this didn’t feel enough. The smell isn’t enjoyable, and reminds me of nail varnish remover but I didn’t want this to affect my confidence in the products ability. Unfortunately, it didn’t leave my hair feeling as silky-smooth as I hoped, and I have used better products to combat frizz and maintain straight hair, so I probably wouldn’t use this again. RRP (for a full-sized version): £20.00
Polaar Polar Night Cream
I’m always dubious about using night cream as I don’t like to apply products before I go to bed, opting for a fresher feel to my face. As it is alcohol, paraben and mineral oil-free, I obliged. It has a nice scent, and doesn’t leave a greasy residual on your face as some moisturisers can. It doesn’t hydrate as well as my usual moisturiser, but judging on its good reviews, it’s probably best used with ‘normal’, rather than ‘dry’ skin. RRP (for a full-sized version): £32.00
Beauty Protector Beauty Wash (full size)
I’ve had a number of Beauty Protector products in the past, and they always smell incredible (the hair products have the a la salon aroma), so I was excited I would be able to wash in the alluring sweet essence. Its foaming texture leaves you feeling instantly cleaner and lathers well on your skin. I hoped its gorgeous scent would linger, and thankfully it delivered. The full price version is a little costly, and I wouldn’t normally pay anywhere near £11 for a body wash – unless it contained pieces of gold. As a sample though, it’s a nice touch to the beauty box. RRP (for a full-sized version): £10.90
Number 4 Lumiere d’hiver Reconstructing Masque
The unassuming packaging of this product means its inclusion is easily overshadowed in this month’s beauty box. But boy, is this the best product in the entire box. This left my hair feeling fantastic and polished (which was unfortunately diminished by the straightening baume). It claims it nourishes and hydrates and my hair certainly felt well fed. This product is perfect for a revamp of your hair for those in between salon appointments. Being 100% vegan, gluten free, paraben free, and sulphate and sodium chloride free, you’re safe in the knowledge that you’re not filling your hair full of chemicals. The only downside to this product is its expensive price for the full-size, but it’s not surprising why. RRP (for a full-sized version): £36
You can purchase your very own Birchbox and all the individual products mentioned in this article here.
Did you get this month’s box? What did you think of it? Let us know in the comments below.
