This blog wouldn't quite be MY blog if I wasn't fashionably late every now and again, so without keeping you waiting any longer, I bring you my October Birchbox. I have so enjoyed this passed months products and have nearly used most of them up...whoops!
So lets begin with some magic...it was the month of ghostly goings on after all. Egyptian Magic, a cult beauty must have across the globe and apparent miraculous skin cream used by healers, sages and mystics in ancient times according to Egyptian folklore. It claims to maintain radiant and healthy looking skin through its interesting combination of olive oil, bee pollen, royal jelly (whatever that is) and honey. This magical treatment is also completely free of preservatives, fragrance and other nasties which of course had my sensitive skin goose bumping all over the place in excitement. Despite forming an oil, I had to work it into the skin quite hard as it didn't have that spreadable quality expected with this kind of consistency BUT it really did give the feeling of absorbent and rich moisture leaving my arms and legs looking truly healthy and soft. I am a huge fan of body butters so the price tag of this magical mystical cream doesn't quite encourage me to change my mind or shopping habits just yet and of course, being me, I have to add a hint of graphic design snobbery with this one. The packaging doesn't quite scream premium or have that "you will never want to live without me" aesthetic that most rich products of this calibre have, it says to me "Vaseline" or "Sudocrem" and that really doesn't excite me a great deal. Overall, my skin felt lovely and very rich but I think this is a very forgetful product.
This was another product, that at first glimpse really didn't get my beauty addict heart racing, however, I am really cautious when it comes to my teeth after having braces for four years as a teen and not having a filling in all my 23 years (wohoo!) so was intrigued to try this one out. I've been told many times by my doctor to floss after meals and brush three times a day but sometimes this just doesn't really fit into my working hours and to be honest floss is kindof sticky and annoying when it curls up and tangles up with absolutely everything...I know you know what I mean! So this seemed kind of like the perfect solution for me. These tiny little brushes reach the places generally missed when brushing everyday and have a smooth rubbery-like texture which means they are super smooth and easy to use on even sensitive teeth like mine. I must say, I haven't been using them daily, but luckily this lovely Ultra Dex pack came with a handy plastic case that you can pop the brushes in and carry around in your handbag for whenever you need, that freshening up after a onion filled burrito lunch at work or to remove those embarrassing strawberry seeds left from that desert on date night. Doesn't have the wow factor but this is a really handy product.
(Now try your best not to laugh) Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm is the next goodie to review and despite the name that will always make me giggle, I have wanted to try this product for some time. Originally produced to help new mothers relieve the pain of breast feeding, Dr. Lipp later on upped its success and took a dive in the lip department and became one of the most well known multi purpose natural gels/balms. I am a huge fan of the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream using it on sunburn, eczema, dry/chapped lips, cuts and generally just anything that needs a little TLC but feel the Dr. Lipp is a huge contender for this. Unlike moisturisers, Eight Hour Cream and the Original Nipple balm use purified lanolin which the closest thing to your skin's natural oils so is the perfect agent in repairing damaged and broken skin. I must say, I loved this product but in comparison to Liz's Eight Hour wonder, I had to use a bit more than I would normally use of my favourite as it was quite stiff which means I have nearly run fully out :(
I unfortunately only have fond memories of this product as I have completely finished it BUT I have a feeling I will be purchasing it very soon...my cheeks are having withdrawal symptoms already. I absolutely adored The Balm Cosmetics Stainiac. This adorable bright cherry lip and cheek tint really impressed me with its natural look and wonderful sponge applicator which is so easy to wear and left my skin streak free and glowing with a beautiful blush. I haven't tried a great deal of cream or liquid tints before other than Benefit's Benetint which is always a scary process, "go quick or go home" is my motto with that one, leave it on in one place for too long without blending, you are sure to win in the best clown makeup contest (if there ever was one). Unlike the Benetint, Stainiac leaves a light stain which you don't have to worry about being to slow with, apply it with as much time as you like, as little blending as you like, as many layers as you like and it will always give you that English Rose glow.
To restore some kind of life into the ol' barnet, lately I have been going for the au naturel "what this? I've just rolled out of bed" kind of hair, leaving the hair dryers and straighteners at bay so when I saw the KMS Curl Up Wave Foam I got so excited that a no heat hair styling product had found me. Now I don't think I have used a hair mousse since the days of the Croydon Facelift and when the term Scrunching was something us straight haired gals worked all morning before school at, so I was intrigued what would come of this. As I've grown up, the texture of my hair has significantly changed and when left to air dry, my hair takes up a bit of a gentle wave so when using this I had hoped I would see those wild tousled beachy waves every magazine talks about, however, I didn't notice any difference other than my hair was immediately greasy once fully dried and I found random crispy areas when stroking my fingers through the ends. However, I did enjoy trying this out, I love trying different things to what I would normally use but I just don't think mousse is the product for me...someone pass me my serums and oils quick!
Onto a more positive product review and one of my faves in last months box, the infamous Dr Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant. As a teen suffering from mild acne I remember the term Microdermibration being thrown around but it always so expensive. Dr Brandt has come up with this amazing exfoliant which imitates the treatment and you can do it from your own bathroom. I still have the odd few scars from spots when I was younger and hate covering them up so this was the perfect product to come my way last month. It acts as a polish that uses lactic acids to sweep away dead skin cells which deminish the appearance of acne scarring, discolouration and fine lines. I know what you're thinking..."lactic acid? Isn't that used in detergents?" Yes it is but it is very safe to use on your skin but due to its exfoliating and abrasive properties, its best to test this on your hand before using on your face. My skin is really sensitive but absolutely fell in love with this product and I have been using a pea sized amount twice every week since receiving it and have seen huge results. So why 9/10, well as this product is imitating the super science behind the real Microdermabration, it comes with a heartbreaking price tag of £67.00. As I'm sure you can tell, I will be savouring every last bit.
And last but not least...in fact the best on the bunch, Laura Mercier's Foundation Radiance Primer. Laura Mercier is one of those brands that has me lasting after every single product. This one is no excuse and I will most definitely be buying a full size once this has run out. A mixture of this and my daily moisturiser makes for the perrrrrfect combination to keep my foundation lasting all day long. As well as that, like the name suggests, it adds a beautiful radiance the skin which shines through any foundation or BB cream and as fan of dewey looking skin, I feel like it has transformed my daily makeup. A beautiful product, now I want to try the tinted moisturiser and the secret concealer....there's no stopping me now!
