Birchbox – October 2016: Whats Your Sign?

This month’s Birchbox takes an astrological theme – there were four different box designs, and which one you got depended on your star sign! As my birthday is in June, I’m a Gemini, so I received the Air box. The box design was so pretty, and I think I got the best colour. The stars on the box even glow in the dark – nice touch, Birchbox!

A special surprise addition to the box, were some words from world renowned celebrity astrologist, Susan Miller. Personally, I love reading horoscopes! I don’t swear by them, but I do think they’re fun and exciting. So, what did Susan have to say about October? She let us know what planet’s signs were moving and which star signs were favoured throughout the month. I also discovered that on October 28th I’m apparently meant to have a sudden clash with a close partner over money – I’ll let you guys know if that comes true or not! P.S – there’s a romantic new moon arriving the day before halloween!

Enough about horoscopes, let’s get onto the exciting bit – what was in this month’s Birchbox?!

The first thing to catch my eye was of course the Manefit Beauty Planner Sheet Mask. I love a good face mask, and this one definitely didn’t disappoint! It was highly saturated, and the refreshing cucumber was perfect to hydrate and wake up my tired skin. It didn’t slip and slide around my face and was easy to apply. The mask is only £1.99 – a very affordable choice of sheet mask, and I would highly recommend this to anyone – especially those who suffer from dry skin.

I’ve tried the MONU Professional Skincare MONUSpa Rosewood Reviving Mist before and absolutely loved it – it’s such a versatile product. Spritz it on a clean face to tone and soothe, or on a full face of makeup to set everything in place. My personal favourite way to use the spray is on the train home after a brisk walk to the station – it refreshes you instantly and makes you feel more alert. It smells beautiful, too – that’s probably the rosewood and sandalwood!

We also received a little lash and brow brush – whilst this wasn’t the best quality, I actually don’t own one of these brushes, so it was very helpful. The bristles are great for combing your eyebrows into shape, and the comb is perfect for separating eyelashes or de-clumping any stubborn lashes after coatings of mascara.

A product in this month’s Birchbox I was particularly impressed with, was the Number 4 Fluoro5 Elixir Restore and Repair Oil. It works wonders on wet hair, prior to a blow dry – it really helps stop frizz and creates a sleek finish. You only need a teeny tiny amount to spread over your whole hair – be careful not to put too much on else your hair will look greasy! At first, this product looks a little pricey at £18 for the full size, but actually, as you need so little of it, it would last forever.

I was really excited by the Aromatherapy Associates Revive Body Gel, but if I’m honest – I’m a bit confused with it. At first, I thought it was a shower gel, but oh how wrong I was! You actually massage it into your skin, like a lotion. It’s meant for a bit of a ‘skin pick me up’, and online research states it works well at toning and hydrating areas prone to cellulite. I’m still not exactly sure how I’m meant to use the product to reap the benefits, but one thing I can definitely say – it smells divine. It reminds me of a luxury spa or massage oils. It’s packed full of essential oils, so I like to apply this on my skin in a peaceful environment and just take time to breathe in and enjoy the relaxing scent.

I’ve saved my favourite product for last – the Lord and Berry Maxi Matte Crayon Lipstick in shade Intimacy. I’ve tried Lord and Berry Lip Crayons before and love them – the colours and stay power are always really impressive! This shade is perfect for autumn – a sort of deep berry pink, with a lovely creamy matte finish that isn’t at all drying to the lips. The crayon is also your perfect companion for a night out – it acts as a lip liner and lipstick at the same time, so you don’t need to faff around with multiple products!

Overall, I was again very impressed with this month’s Birchbox. I love that there is such a variety of products in the box – makeup, skincare, haircare, bodycare and a tool all in one box! You can’t really ask for much more of a beauty subscription box. I’m just excited for what goodies next month’s box is going to hold!

P.S – here’s an additional picture of my cat getting in the way when I was trying to take these photos! What a cutie!