Birchbox was the first beauty box company to launch in the UK, so it earns it status as being very special. Since then there seems to have been an explosion of other beauty boxes flooding the market, but with Birchbox celebrating their 5th birthday, it has clearly got something right.
For their birthday box, Birchbox have gone back to their roots in the USA with each product coming all the way from the good old USA and it is a great box!
My first item comes from New York and it is from Bliss. A 30ml tube of Foot Patrol is one of those all in one products. It exfoliates, cools and conditions your feet giving them a bit of TLC. Now after the Summer, my feet do need some TLC as I've pretty much lived in my Fitflops. Alpha hydroxy and salicylic acids slough skin while cooling peppermint stimulates tired toes and it does, as a cream, smell absolutely delightful and is instantly refreshing when applied. A top tip is to apply to your feet before going to bed, pop on your moisturising socks and wake up the following morning with incredibly smooth feeling skin.
Next there is a 30ml sample of Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant which hails all the way from Seattle. I am not familiar with the brand, so I am looking forward to giving it try. To use you apply once daily to clean skin using a cotton wool pad, you don't rinse off or remove but instead apply your moisturiser over the top. This product utilises Salicylic Acid to exfoliate, remove impurities, soften and brighten the complexion plus it is also said to reduce redness and build collagen.
Next I have a 30ml sample of John Masters Organics Citrus Neroli Detangler which hails all the way from New York. This conditioner uses Coconut Oil and Wheat amino acids to help detangle, repair and nourish the hair shaft, with neroli and grapefruit soothe those troublesome scalps. When using it, you can either rinse it out after 1-3 minutes or you can also use it as a leave in treatment.
Next up from San Francisco and Benefits POREfessional range which every subscriber will get to sample. ThePOREfessional Licence to Blot (which I reviewed here). For me this is a lifesaver of product. It works as an oil blotting stick which is designed to instantly mattify the skin, giving those of us with a slightly shiny t-zone a long-lasting shine-free complexion. This sample size if perfect for make up bags and for carrying in your handbag.
The fifth product is another that all subscribers will receive and it is Laqa & Co Cheeky Lip Pencil which comes all the way from Brooklyn. My Lip Pencil came in the shade Humble Brag which is described as being a pretty blush pink shade and it is a multitasking item which can be used on the lips and cheeks. It is easy to apply and is really pigmented, much more so than I was expecting it to be.
The final item is the Birchbrush. A product which you could say is the Birchbox alternative to the Tangle Teezer. Designed to sit comfortably in my hand, this bright orange brush is brilliant, I already love it and it does a great job of easing knots out of my hair without tugging and causing breakage and it also works really well if you have a hair mask on to brush it through and massage into the scalp, so again another fabulous multitasking tool to have.
I think this is a brilliant box. It has a nice mixture of products which are all a really good size, perfect for a long weekend away, to pop into your handbag or to sample at home.
What do you think to the Birchbox Birthday Box?