Well hello. Yes I realise I am totally a month behind with this title but this post is going to be a review of the Birchbox October ’19. It’s my very first time trying Birchbox out after a friend told me to sign up for it. She was raving about one of the products and so for £12 per month, I thought I’d give it a go. I recently just received my November box which will be up later this month once I’ve tried everything out. So let’s dig into my first ever Birchbox.
First of all, this isn’t a sponsored post. HURRAY – because it always seems like I’m doing sponsored content at the moment. What I love about the Birchbox, and it’s the same with November’s box too is the packaging it comes in. There’s a lot of detail that’s put into the box which doesn’t go unoticeable. This one was partnered with Look Good Feel Better, which is a charity that supports both the physical and mental wellbeing of people undergoing cancer treament. It’s the only international one around so the work they do is important. All proceeds of the box go to the charity, which is such a lovely thing for Birchbox to do.
Unpacking the box, I felt a bit like a kid at Christmas because I had no clue what I was going to get. As a joining offer, I knew I’d be getting a sample of the MAC In Extreme Dimension Mascara 3D in Black. The rest was a mystery and I’ve now given them all a go. So let’s start with the one that my friend raved about.
thisworks – In Transit Camera Close-Up
Now I’ve heard of the brand before and that’s due to reading about it online through other bloggers. However, I’ve never been fussed to actually try the brand. What I think Birchbox will offer me is a better understanding of beauty brands without having to spend hundreds of pounds on products that don’t work for me. Most of the products offered in the Birchbox do seem to be travel-sized or smaller versions. This one at the usual size would be £32.00 and at 40ml, I think that’s reasonable considering you’d only be using a small amount unlike what you’d use for a foundation which is usually only 30ml.
This one was just under half the size and I’ve only used it a couple of times. I’ve yet to use it under my makeup because I’ve either forgotten too or I’ve just been working at home and have no excuse to wear it! The cream is slightly thick but applies very smoothly. I can see how it’s a three in one product because it does feel like I’ve given my skin a little pampering afterwards. The cream when applied has a slightly tackiness to it which is what you want in primer because it helps the foundation and your makeup in general, cling to the skin.
It gives a nice subtle shine to my skin which doesn’t look oily. I think for all these products that I review I’m going to give it my rating out of ten and this one deserves a high marking. I will probably want to re-purchase this at some point. 8/10
Philip Kingsley – Body Building Weightless Volumising Shampoo
Weighing in at 250ml and priced at £19.50, this is one product that I was excited to try because I reviewed another one of Philip Kingsley’s products earlier on this year. As someone who has quite heavy and straight hair, the idea of adding a little bit of volume sounded very appealing to me. I used this product very recently and I have to say I was a little disappointed. Let’s start with the postives, the smell reminded me of being in a salon and therefore brought out all of the relaxing vibes I was after. However, after I washed the product out of my hair, it definitely felt very dry and lacking of moisture.
I then followed it up with a different branded conditioner which then left my hair feeling soft again. I don’t know whether the conditioner that’s Philip Kingsley would have helped but the dryness of my hair after using the shampoo certainly didn’t leave me feeling much confidence in the product. It lathered up very nicely in my hair though but I couldn’t say it made much difference in the volume of my hair.
Unfortunately this was a disappointment for me but in no way reflects the rest of the brand because I love the elasticizing hair mask. 4/10
MAC – In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash
I got three eye makeup products in this box and the first was a free sample that was part of the joining offer for getting my first box. I actually realised the other day that I have this in a full-sized version already. This costs £20.00 to buy as a full-sized product which is definitely on the pricier range of most high-street mascaras. This one was a sample size so nothing too major but it certainly gave my eyes a little pop. It definitely gives them some more volume and highlights every inch of my eyelashes which I like. I always look for something that will add volume, rather than clump on my eyelashes. There’s not much more I can say about this other than the wand is quite thick and long, which might be problematic with those who have smaller eyes. 7/10
Marcelle – Curling & Lengthening Mascara
With Marcelle, this was a brand that was exclusive to Birchbox. I loved this mascara more than the MAC one because of the curled wand. I feel it does more to lift the lashes up and to get an even coating of the mascara over every single lash. This one is more reasonably priced at £14.50 and comparing the two together, this one performs slightly better. I think once I’ve finished with my current mascaras, I’ll probably re-purchase this one. 8/10
Ciate – Fierce Flicks Eyeliner
Now another eyeliner that I’m obsessed with and will forever re-purchase is the Soap & Glory Supercat Eyeliner. This is highly pigmented and always creates a flawless finish for me. I was excited to try Ciate’s Fierce Flicks Eyeliner and also because it’s the same style pen as the Soap & Glory one. However, unfortunately it’s just not the same as the Supercat Eyeliner. The pigment isn’t there with the Ciate Eyeliner and it’s isn’t a full coverage. It also so appears alot more watery and less black on the eye. For £15.00, you’d be better off spending less money on the Soap & Glory eyeliner. Not that fussed with this one and don’t think I’ll be using it going forward. 3/10
Vitamasques – Evening Goggle Eye Mask
And finally Vitamasques, a brand I’ve wanted to try for a while now. This Evening Goggle Eye Mask is everything and mainly because I looked like the most extra person when wearing it. This mask comes in at £5.99, which for sheet masks I’d say is a little on the pricier side. However, I feel the ingredients within these masks are a lot more luxurious than other sheet masks have. This one a half mask that went around the whole eye area and made me look like a funky burgular.
It contains ingredients like Copper and Hyaluronic Acid. Hyaluronic Acid is one of my favourites to put onto my skin because it leaves the skin looking so refreshed. It’s definitely one that I loved wearing and the excess that’s left behind I let sit on my skin, instead of wiping it off. When it comes to sheet masks, unless it says to wipe it off, then leave it on the skin to soak in. 9/10
First impressions of Birch Box is that it’s great value for money. You definitely get a great choice of products and that are all tailored to you. I knew that there would likely be some products that I didn’t like but I think for £12, it’s a great way of introducing yourself to new brands and to also give as a gift for someone who loves beauty and skincare products. Have you tried Birchbox before? Let me know in the comments below.
