Birchbox (May 2015)* £10 (Plus P&P - Get free shipping this month with the code FREEMIND)
As you might have noticed, if you're an avid reader of Ellis Tuesday. Despite blogging predominantly about beauty. I have only ever reviewed one beauty box (link here). Well this month, if you're a fan of reading about the latest and greatest beauty boxes on the market. Then you are in for a treat. As I will be reviewing not one but two beauty boxes, starting with the May Birchbox.
When I was the given the opportunity to try out and review this month's Birchbox, little did I know that it would combine beauty (as you would expect). And one of the biggest crazes of the moment; adult colouring/art therapy.
The box itself
Before I even opened the box to unveil its contents, I was immediately won over by the colour-it-yourself design. It's also made me incredibly excited about re-purposing this box to hold my collection of Sharpies. Which seems to be growing steadily month on month. And the fact that Birchbox have provided a dinky little box of colouring in pencils really is a nice touch.
What do you think of my take on the Birchbox design? It's been so lovely to sit and colour it in bit by bit. And it really has taken me back to the days when I would spend every evening after school drawing, painting and creating. But back to the products themselves.
From left to right: WAH London Press On Nails £9 - PARLOR by Jeff Chastain Moisturising Sea Salt Spray (Full Size £17) - N.4 (Number 4) Lumiere d'Hiver Reconstructing Masque (Full Size £36)
The May Birchbox contains one full sized product; the WAH London Press On Nails. And five sample sized products. I was actually surprised to count six beauty samples instead of the five that were promised on the Birchbox site. But it appears that the N.4 (Number 4) Lumiere d'Hiver Reconstructing Masque was added as a little bonus this month. Which I certainly appreciate. My first thought when I looked at the collection of samples together was the fact that I only recognised two of the brands looking back at me.
These two brands, Caudalie and WAH London, are ones that I have wanted to try out for quite some time now. And the others exude pure luxury. I do like the idea of being able to try out slightly more luxurious brands without having to purchase a full size product or investing fully. I was also very intrigued to find that one of the brands, PARLOR, is exclusive to Birchbox.
What's in the box?
I've had a little play around with the samples included in this month's box. And I've been really impressed thus far. My favourite product has to be the Caudalie Vinoperfect Tinted Moisturiser. It's surprisingly hydrating and gives my skin such a lovely glow. Perfect for the summer really. Another summer beauty staple; the PARLOR Sea Salt Spray. This is nothing like the crispy sea salt sprays that I've done my best to steer clear of over the years. And I've also been very impressed by the RMK Make Up Remover.
Then the Mirenesse Lip Rouge is just such a gorgeous shade. Oh and WAH London, how cool are your press on nails? The only product that I've not yet put to the test is the N.4 (Number 4) Reconstructing Masque. But I will be sure to update you on that over on social media at some point.
From left to right: Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Tinted Moisturiser in 01 Light (Full Size £27) - Mirenesse Mattfinity Lip Rouge (Full Size £21) - RMK Point Make Up Remover (Full Size £20)
Unlike many of the other beauty boxes on the market, Birchbox tailor your products to your Beauty Profile (which you fill in when joining) to give you a personalised service. However, depending on your way of thinking, this could be seen as a pro or a con since not every single Birchbox subscriber will receive the same samples in their box.
I don't know about you but I would be a little bit miffed if I received a product that I wasn't that impressed with only to see someone else receive my dream product in their box. But I guess that is something that you would need to consider if you're prone to a bit of jealous Ellis thinking like myself. Hehe. Birchbox also have a points programme which means you can earn Birchbox points to spend on full size products on their site. Which is a definite added bonus of being a Birchbox subscriber.
So what do you think of May's Birchbox? Have you tried any of the products enclosed in this month's box before? And what do you think of the colour-it-yourself design? Have you jumped on the adult colouring bandwagon yet? And are you subscribed to any beauty boxes?
