October Birchbox Review

I'm a big fan of beauty products, it's not really a secret.  The market itself is huge so I thought it'd be a good idea to subscribe to a beauty box in the hopes that it would introduce me to some new and exciting brands without the fear of having to fork out huge amounts of cash in order to do so.

Previously, I had been a Glossybox subscriber, but after four boxes I had noted the contents were getting somewhat repetitive.  A girl can only use so many different varieties of shower gel.  As such, I cancelled my subscription feeling a little deflated by my experiences.

Recently I'd been hearing good things about Birchbox and when they did their Instyle Edit in August I took the plunge and started a new subscription.  I have to say, thus far I am impressed, every box has been very different and this months box is no exception.

First of all, hats off to the customer service team there, my usual box had been sent to my office, and obviously I'm not there to collect it at the moment.  I gave them a call, and they were more than happy to send me another box, free of charge I might add, to my home address for me to enjoy!

I have to say one thing I do love about my Birchbox is the simple feel to the box itself, it's a lot smaller in size than the Glossybox which was HUGE but the products themselves would only take up a small amount of this.  The products within the Birchbox take up most of the space.

As you can see, the products always come packaged in a mini bag and there's a card to tell you what products you've received this month, how to use them and how much the full sizes cost.  All of the products are available in the Birchbox store for purchase afterwards if you love them enough to want to buy them.

This month I've received the following:

• Laura Mercier Foundation Primer Radiance - 15ml.  I already own the full size of this and I have to say it's amazing, there's a reason it consistently wins the Instyle Best Beauty Buy in the primer category.  The radiance primer gives you skin a nice glow and can be used on it's own.

• Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant - 7.5g.   This promises to brighten your skin and reduce the appearance of acne scars which is ideal for me given the slight scarring on my face.  I'm looking forward to giving this a go and seeing if it makes a difference to my skin.

• KMS California Curl Up Wave Mousse - 75ml. I have used a couple of KMS products before and I have been impressed with the results.  The mousse is designed to help encourage waves whilst protecting your hair from heat damage, I'm hoping this will help me to create a tousled/just got out of bed look.

• theBalm Cosmetics Stainiac - 1.2ml. I've been hearing good things about this lip and cheek stain which apparently creates a natural looking flush.  I shall keep thee posted.

• Dr. Lipp Nipple Balm for Lips - 3ml. OK, I know it says Nipple Balm, but anyone familiar with the brand will know that it was originally created for this very purpose and to help breastfeeding mothers. This is entirely natural and can be applied to your lips or anywhere dry.  I currently have this on (my lips!) and it feels lovely and nourishing; I may have spied my next beauty purchase!

• UltraDEX Recalcifying & Whitening Toothpaste - 15ml. An interesting addition to my box I must say; this is designed to kill bacteria, lift stains and whiten your teeth.  I probably won't rush to use this and will keep it safe for travelling purposes as it's nice and dinky.

• Egyptian Magic All Purpose Skin Cream - 3 x 3ml. I've never heard of this product if I'm totally honest (should I??).  It's CEO claims his name is Lord Pharaoh ImHotep AmonRa, with a name like that, I'm sure it's awesome.  Made with just 6 all natural ingredients, it starts its life as a cream and turns into an oil when you rub it between your hands and it can be used for all manner of things.   I've got nothing to lose so I'll give it on go my forearms as they're looking a little battered from my crutches.

Overall, I'm pretty impressed with this one, there are some really iconic products in here which I've wanted to try for a while but didn't want to take the plunge (or in the case of Laura Mercier, I already own as I wanted to join in the hype). I know a lot of people weren't ecstatic about the October Glossybox; fellow blogger Pretty In Pink was less than enthused.  In November there will be another Laura Mercier product featured in the Birchbox although I've not seen any clues as to what this could be.

If you want to find out more, please visit Birchbox UK for more information.

Hopefully this might be enough to convince you to give Birchbox a try! Let me know if you're interested!