I can't believe we are in October already! The theme of Birchbox October is self-love and Breast Cancer awareness and if you tag BirchboxPinkUK to your photo on social media they will donate £1 to breast cancer support which is amazing. Also, I was so happy to receive a tote bag as a part of this month's Birchbox, as you can never have too many of them! Go eco-friendliness.
Product-wise I wasn't super excited about this box, but the previous boxes have been so great I'm not too sad about it.
This October Birchbox contained 5 items:
1) Balance Me - Hyaluronic Acid Sleep Spray - Fullsize RRP £20
2) Real Chemistry - Fresh-Start Foaming Cleanser - Fullsize RRP £24
3) Kiss & Smink - The Everything in shade Tulum - RRP £15
4) Klorane - Shampoo with Mango Butter - Fullsize RRP £8
5) Anatomicals Bergamot Cream Body Cleanser - RRP £2
6) Birchbox Tote Bag
Real Chemistry - Fresh-Start Foaming Cleanser - Fullsize £24
The Real Chemistry brand is based in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. At the moment a few products are available on LookFantastic and on the Birchbox website.
FORMULA
The Fresh start foaming cleanser has a lovely iridescent thick creamy texture that applies to skin smoothly, while it doesn't foam a lot, it feels super nourishing and soft on the skin while removing makeup. This is definitely one of the nicest cream cleansers I have tried!
OVERALL
I would definitely recommend anyone to try this out. Would I buy this? The full-size comes with a whopping £24 price tag and I really dislike the packaging so no I wouldn't purchase this. I think £24 cleanser is a luxury product and if I would spend that much money on a cleanser the brand image and packaging would need to be premium.
Score 3/5
Kiss & Smink - The Everything in shade Tulum - RRP £15
Kiss & Smink (smink= makeup in Swedish) was created with simplicity in mind. Achieve luminous cheeks, lips, and lids with the swipe of a finger. - Kiss & Smink website
Tulum is a sheer warm pink with golden specks of shimmer, I could even say this colour is somewhat of a dupe of Nars Orgasm Blush. It states it that can be used on cheeks, lids, and lips.
I was most excited to receive this on October Birchbox. I picked the shade Tulum without realising that the blush has a golden shimmer to it. I should have picked up another shade as golden undertoned blushers don't work for my skin tone. I have fair-cool toned skin and when applying blushers with golden reflects they end up looking a bit off on my skin. If you like Nars Orgasm Blush, you will love this one!
FORMULA
You need to apply this with fingertips, it allows the formula to blend better and you won't end up using too much product. This product is multiuse but I would only use it on my cheeks, on lips I felt it highlighted lines on my lips.
OVERALL
Overall this is a nice product. I wish I had the other colour to give a proper review.
Score: 3/5
Balance Me - Hyaluronic Acid Sleep Mist - RRP £20
Balance me is a UK based brand created in 2005 by two women Rebecca and Clare. The brand is all about clean natural skincare with added essential oils to give your life 'balance'. The brand is award-winning and their packaging is eco-friendly.
I have tried Balance Me products before (from previous Birchboxes) and liked them so I was excited to try this one out.
When I first received this product I was confused, was this a face mist or a pillow mist? I ended up 'misting' it around my bedroom just to leave sticky stains everywhere, I do not recommend. I also used this on my face...Yep, I should have read the instructions, right? I did some research and found that you are supposed to spray it to your hands first - which makes a lot of sense as this is definitely a spray more than a mist. I wish they had named the product something else to make it less confusing or just used different type of packaging.
OVERALL
Anyway, while the packaging is not my favourite I love the concept of this product - body serum and sleep mist in one. It has great ingredients hyaluronic acid, chamomile, lavender, and CBD oil that work to hydrate, plump and smooth the skin. The scent is strong as it should and when you inhale it in - you feel a bit more relaxed.
Overall I could really see myself buying this product to aid my sleep.
Overall Score: 4/5
Anatomicals Bergamot Cream Body Cleanser - RRP £2
Anatomicals is a brand that I have received many times before from Birchbox and to be honest I was a bit disappointed when I saw this shower cream in the October box. Yet again - a shower cream from them.
Even if the brand image is not my cup of tea I really enjoyed this creamy body cleanser - it smells amazing, feels hydrating and nourishing, and leaves skin feeling soft. I do not have too much to say about this other than it is a nice shower cream.
You can purchase some Anatomicals products from Asos, Urban Outfitters and Boots.
Overall Score: 3/5
