BirchBox

Like most women, I love trying new beauty products, so when I came home to my August Birchbox I was extremely excited to see what was inside!

The theme for the August box is #beautyjunkie, and it really does deliver for beauty lovers. I am obsessed with scrubs, creams and make up, so when I opened the box I was in love – the products looked amazing, and the box even smelt amazing.

Contents:

1 x Benefit High Beam – The Radiance Booster
1 x Rituals Ayurveda Scrub – The Body Smoother
1 x Huygens Exfoliating Cream – The Complexion Smoother
1 x Kebelo Clarifying Shampoo – The Hair Detox
1 x Illamasqua Hydra Veil – The Glow Enhancer
1 x Laura Mercier Kohl Eye Pencil in Black Violet – The Colourful Eyeliner

Kebelo Clarifying Shampoo – RRP £13.95
I love a good clarifying shampoo, so much so that I have even made my own. This shampoo didn’t really give off a scent; it’s similar to baby shampoo though. The only thing I didn’t like about this was that it didn’t lather so you need to use quite a bit (I have shoulder length, thick hair). I was sceptical at first as my usual shampoo is quite good at removing product build up, but as soon as I used my conditioner I noticed the difference! I actually felt the conditioner soak into my hair and when I rinsed it out my hair felt refreshed, soft and squeaky clean.

Rituals Ayurveda Scrub – RRP £10
The body scrub smells great and looks similar to mud masks I’ve used in the past. It’s great to use as a daily body scrub and is enriched with Indian Rose and Multani Clay, it cleanses deep down whilst the micro beads revitalise the skin’s surface. I decided to test it out on my legs before shaving. I scrubbed my legs, rinsed and then soaped up to shave. The hair came off in one go and my legs were soft and silky! Definitely a great product to use in the shower.

Huygens Exfoliating Cream – £17.90
Birchbox exclusive – The first thing I noticed about this scrub was the smell. It was deliciously citrusy, and when applied I could smell the lemons and limes. It’s quite a gentle scrub, but you know it’s working. You can actually use it daily as it’s so gentle – it uses rice powder particles to smooth and purify your skin. When I washed it off, my skin felt smooth, soft, moisturised and smelt amazing.

Laura Mercier Blue Eyeliner – £17.50
I thought I’d test this one out on my eyes rather than just testing it on my hand. I had it on all day at work and it stayed put and didn’t smudge. The colour stays vibrant, but because it’s a gorgeous royal blue/violet, it’s not over the top. The only problem is that when you apply it, it needs a little pressure and can start to drag the skin. I would advise just holding the skin (do not pull), just to steady it. You definitely cannot do the trick of heating the eyeliner to make it darker or stay longer as it just goes a little gooey, then hard and then it just falls off the pencil…

Benefit High Beam – RRP £19.50
Benefit products are always a win and this one does not disappoint. It gives you a gorgeous rosy glow, which is perfect to highlight the cheekbones.

Illamasqua Hydra Veil – RRP £32
Extra beauty bonus – I tested this on my hand as I when I applied my makeup I realised I’d forgotten to use it…
It goes on smoothly and a little goes a long way! The Illamasqua Hydra Veil gives you a gorgeous glow and doesn’t leave a strange smell or sticky texture.

Overall, I must say that this box is fantastic! The packaging smells amazing, the products are great quality and it’s nice to be able to try something expensive without having to break the bank. I’m not one to overly splurge on makeup, only if I know it will be a great investment, and Birchbox is a cheap way to try new products. I really would recommend giving it a try if you want to test out different brands and find something you might just fall in love with! :)