My January 2014 Birchbox Review

Each month now, I've been receiving my beauty subscription boxes and I have to admit lately I've just been so disappointed. I feel like when beauty boxes first were starting out they really cared about the customers and they provided good sized samples of products that we actually wanted to use. I remember watching unboxing videos on Youtube when Glossybox had just started out and the products were actually really nifty and people were pleasantly surprised and it drew us in as customers. Now, I feel like the companies are just using us for money like everyone else and they don't really try to focus on what we want but rather how they can save money and take ours at the same time. I know that this may seem a little brutally harsh but I'm just so disappointed by these subscription boxes because as a beauty enthusiast I count on companies such as Birchbox or Glossybox to help the industry rather than make us feel like sell outs. I actually have canceled my Birchbox subscription now and I know it was a month too soon because the Porefessional was featured in the January box however, it just wasn't worth it for me anymore. How do you guys feel about these beauty subscription boxes? Are you really receiving products you want to use or is everything being shoved into a drawer and forgotten? 

This was actually December's box but as some of you know the Birchbox only ships to the UK at the moment and my good friend Jack had been offering to send the box my way each month. I have to say I'm pretty disappointed with the items this month. It came with another skincare item from NAOBAY and I just don't like this company. I'm not a big fan of their products, I just don't think they appeal to me one bit and this Moisturizing Milk Cleanser just smells gross. I am so put off by products when they have an iffy stench and these always do. My question is why do Birchbox keep providing this brand pretty much every month? I don't understand it. I also received a Citrus Shower Gel from the company Korres and it's not too shabby. I don't really have any complaints and I'm not picky with my shower gels. I would just like to point out that last month Glossybox actually provided a Body Shop Shower Gel sample and although it was significantly smaller than this one, it was way better. The Body Shop is known for their bath and body products and I just had to subliminally compare these two and would opt for the Body Shop brand. My box also came with a Number 4 Non-Aerosol Hairspray and I actually will be giving this to my grandmother because I do not use hairspray. I guess it's all fine and dandy that they're providing a non-aerosol one however, it didn't really peek my interest. The only makeup product provided in my box was a Jane Iredale Cheek and Lip Stain and this thing is absolutely tiny. I mean, it's just itty bitty. The colour is a simple pale pink and it may be a wonderful product but I don't even feel like there's enough for me to test and find out if I actually like this lip and cheek stain. Lastly, and to be honest, the only product I really enjoyed in this box would be my Twistband and that's so silly because it's just a hair scrunchy type thingy-mabob. I have been wanting to try one of these out and am impressed by the fact that they hold up my hair and don't pull out as much. I've been working out a lot lately and the scrunchies I was using just pulled at my hair and it was incredibly uncomfortable so, this was a refreshing alternative. 

All in all, my box was a dud, again! I just think I might be quitting the beauty box subscription service for a while now. I think that my money could easily be spent elsewhere on products that I will actually be using. I know that a lot of bloggers are on a spending ban right now and these subscription services just aren't benefiting my savings at all. I do still have my subscription to Glossybox and that will remain active for now but I'm really not sure about any of this anymore. 

What are your opinions on beauty subscription boxes? Are you subscribed to any different boxes I should maybe try out? Did you enjoy your Birchbox this month? Let me know, down bellow!

Stefanie xx 

December Glossybox

Lately it seems like these monthly subscription boxes are getting worse and worse. I actually ended up cancelling my Birchbox yesterday and now I'm contemplating whether or not I even want to keep this Glossybox one going. I really had high hopes for this month, it's Christmas and the holiday season is here. They totally could of provided some really awesome products that had to do with Christmas or at least not once again have the majority of the box be skincare. My Glossybox this month included: 

24H Aquabooster Serum 

This is basically a serum slash moisturiser that is supposed to protect your skin from the dry weather this winter season. It is promised to provide insane moisture because of the intense ingredients which basically include big words that personally I have no clue about. I am usually incredibly iffy about skincare products because my skin is very sensitive and I don't like pushing goop on it when it's not actually necessary. I didn't find this product very lovely and I think they even had something incredibly similar from the same brand last month. 

Re-Shaper Hair Spray by Sebastian Professional 

I actually have only ever loved my Glossyboxes because they provide such good hair products, last month they gave me a huge full tub of a Schwarzkopf Hair Mask but this month I wasn't too impressed. I don't personally use hairspray and will probably never get around to actually using this product. For girls who like the extra tease and hold, this is probably a nifty little spray can and the sizes are usually really decent when it comes to hair care products, so this little guy can go a long way. 

Renu Lip and Eye Active Lift 

Another skin care product that ended up being a dud. This little bottle is meant to be a sort of eye cream that acts to brighten and reduce the look of tired, dark circles around the eyes. I guess it's also a 2 in one where you can rub it around your lips to plump those babies up a bit. It contains Soy extract and Ginseng plus Magnesium. I actually had high hopes for this product and tried it out the day I got it, and it's been three days now where I've been trying to get under control the horrible breakout I got only in the spots I put the serum. My skin obviously didn't react too well to this product and it was really a shame because I don't have an eye cream and really wanted to try one out. 

Gosh Intensive Lip Colour

This little gloss wasn't actually that bad. It is a two in one lip product that comes out as a gloss but dries matte like a lipstick and it actually didn't dry out my lips or leave them feeling too glossy or any of that. I'm not a big gloss fan, I know every beauty guru under the sun has some kind of weird obsession with lip glosses. I'm just not one of them, I don't like the feeling of gunk being on my lips and sticky lip glosses genuinely make me sick. I just can't get over how gross I find lip gloss, but this product actually is pretty neat. When applied it is a rather sticky formula but the color payoff is brilliant and it even has a handy little mirror on the side for on the go application. I think the only downside to this product is the color, it is a beautiful pink with blue undertones but I kinda wish it would have been a more wearable color. If you're a bold lip lover though, these products are pretty dang good. 

Nails Inc. Victoria Nail Polish 

I love nail polish and there's nothing I love more than buying nail polish than receiving it for free. This is technically not free but you get my point. I was really impressed with this little addition, last month they provided an ugly pink color from some brand I'd never heard of and it had a horrendous formula that came off within seconds. But this month, the polish is a deep wine color (my favourite) and it actually is a really good product. It dries fast and lasts. It doesn't have the amazing power of Essie nail polish but for a little drug store brand, it's actually quite good. 

Cheap and Chip Moschino ChicPetals

This ended up being a little perfume sample and who doesn't love those? I think I've honestly started a collection with the amount of samples I have. I love changing up my fragrance and it's really handy having little travel sized samples to spritz on on the go. This scent is very feminine and fruity but it is really really lovely. I especially liked the cute little packaging it came in. Pretty decent product. 

So overall, this month's box was a two and a half out of five stars. It had some decent makeup products, some not too shabby hair care junk and then some skin care duds. I'm contemplating keeping my subscription going or cancelling it and using those €15 on products I actually want and use. I could basically buy a mac lipstick every month for the price of my Glossybox. 

What do you guys think? Are you subscribed to any monthly boxes? Have you been contemplating quitting? Let me know, down bellow! 

Stefanie xx 

November BirchBox

In October I decided that I would finally start subscribing to some of these beauty boxes. I'm a big fan of samples and trying out new products and I think these monthly beauty boxes are great for just that. Currently I get a Glossybox delivered and as of last month I have also been receiving a Birchbox. Now, living in the small country of Austria I often pine over UK beauty products that just don't make it to other parts of Europe. Birchbox, for the moment, only ships to the UK and my good friend who lives in Wales actually offered to let me have them send it to his place and then he mail it on to me. I quickly jumped on the opportunity to get my hands on one of these boxes and see what all the hype was about. Now since it is quite a process actually getting the box delivered to me, it arrived today so this will be my November Birchbox unboxing at the beginning of December. 

Inside my box this month was: 

Weleda Replenishing Oat Shampoo 

Laura Mercier Body Butter (Ambre Vanille)

ModelCo. Party Proof Lipstick in the colour Kitty

Chella Highlighter Pencil 

English Laundry Signature For Her Eau de Parfum 

Pukka Herbs Selection Of Teas

and the Birchbox Pencil Sharpener 

To be completely honest, I wasn't too impressed. I can't honestly say that I would want to pick up any of these items if I were to see them for sale in a shop. At first glance I can't really judge the Weleda Shampoo quite yet but as for the other ones, I'm just a bit bummed. The ModelCo lipstick isn't the best quality and the formula is a bit drying, the colour itself is a nude that basically resembles my natural lip colour but I wouldn't even choose it for a 'my lips but better' look. The Chella Highlighter Pencil is smooth and creamy and seems of decent quality but to be completely honest, I'm not a big fan of Pencil highlighters and can't see myself actually putting this to good use. The only item I was really drawn to was the English Laundry Perfume sample which is an amazing sweet smelling fragrance. It smells very fresh with an undertone of sweetness, almost a mixture of sugar and bubble bath. But the rest of the items were just a little dull for me, the teas smell nice I suppose but not exactly something I was looking for in my beauty box; the sharpener is handy but not something I really needed and for the hype that the Laura Mercier brand has been getting this Body Butter is really poorly made. It doesn't smell very nice at all and for the price of this high quality brand, I would never rack out £26 for this smelly stuff. 

Overall, my first Birchbox was a dud. I have been getting far better quality products from Glossybox with bigger samples and items I would actually want to repurchase. Maybe it's just because it's my first one and there's always hits or misses with these kind of subscriptions but I'm really hoping for better quality products next time. I will keep my subscription going for another month and see if I might get some better products but if not, I really think I might just have to stick with Glossybox. 

Are you subscribed to any beauty boxes? 

Let me know what you think about this months box down bellow!

Stefanie xx

(Late) October Glossybox

I admit that one of my guilty pleasures is watching loads of beauty videos on youtube and just about every guru under the sun has at one time or another ordered one of these lovely boxes from Glossybox. The other day I went out on a whim and ordered myself my very first box and I'll admit I was very skeptical. It was a bit more pricey than I liked, coming to about 20 euros with shipping and handling and since each box is designated to its country, I wasn't really expecting anything great since I live in a fashion and beauty deprived country. It came a little over a week later and overall I would rate this box a 2.5 out of 5. Now, I know that most of these boxes are hits or misses every month and sometimes they send you really amazing products while other months you get a box of duds. They make you fill out a little survey when applying on the website regarding what condition your skin and hair and such is and I will admit they respected my likes and dislikes and some of the products I have actually come to use. 

The box itself is really cute and perfect for storage so as lame as it sounds, that in itself made me super excited, yay pretty pink box! Upon opening, it was just like all the youtube videos show... perfectly wrapped and beautiful with a little card showing the items you've received and a bit of information regarding each. The two products I was completely unimpressed with were the Marbert Bath & Body Energy Shower Gel and the Naobay Oxygenating Cream Moisturiser. I am incredibly picky when it comes to smells and the Shower Gel, to put it bluntly, stinks. I think they were trying to make some kind of sea breeze smelling stuff but it just smells like a mixture of cheap mens cologne and bathroom cleaner. As for the moisturiser, the full size bottle retails for 32,50 euros and for that kinda money, the formula is just pitiful. I haven't really given it a try so it may just be some kind of skin crack but I am really turned off by sticky creams and moisturisers and this one is just hard to rub into the skin and doesn't have any nice smelling components or anything. It's not that it's a bad product, it's just that it's nothing special or worth oooing and awing over. 

There was also a Balance Me Shine on Tinted Lip Salve in Super Soft Beige which wasn't too shabby, it didn't leave an overwhelming glow on the lips and wasn't sticky or disgusting feeling. I'm not a big fan of lip gloss in general but for when my lips are feeling dry, this could possibly be something I'd reach for. It's not a product I would go out of my way purchasing and it retails for way too much in my opinion (11,70 for a Lip Salve?! Pfft, no thanks) but it was an alright addition to the box. 

Lastly, two items did stand out to me and I have found myself actually using and appreciating them. The Diadermine Lift and Skin Perfection Skin-bettering Multi-Zone Oil is actually a lovely product. It's basically a vitamin oil that comes in a spray bottle that is meant to nourish, lift and rejuvenate your skin. It kinda feels and smells like baby oil but does sink into your skin pretty fast and leaves it feeling and looking pretty dang lovely. I've rubbed it into my arms a few times now and although I haven't seen any noticeable differences yet, it feels nice enough and almost has this glowing effect on the body. I could see it being really nice to use in the summer when the sun is out, a few spritzes on the arms and legs will leave them glowing just slightly and give almost a bronzed, slick, smooth look on the surface. I can also see someone using this for a night out, if you're showing a bit of boob action and you want your chest area to glow and look a bit sleeker than usual, I could image a few sprays of this stuff doing just the trick. The fact that it has vitamins and nourishing junk in it also helps, so yah, why not, it's an item worth a purchase. My favourite product of the bunch would have to be the hair product they included. The Syoss Supreme Selection Restore 10in1 Essential Wondercure is probably my new favourite hair care product. If any of you read my earlier haul post, I also purchased some Syoss haircare items from my local drug store and I absolutely hated them. The dry shampoo and heat protectant were such shit products, I never would have picked up another Syoss item. Then Glossybox goes and sends me this spray and ugh, I'm in love. You're meant to spray it in your hair when damp and just scrunch it in and massage it into your head. I have used it maybe for a week now, every other day and the ends of my hair feel healthier and nicer and it doesn't even feel like I have dead ends or use heat products everyday. My hair genuinely eats this junk up and the formula doesn't get all over my hands or anything. It's also meant to keep your hair from frizzing and as it is getting closer to winter here and humidity is everywhere in the air, frizz has been my worst enemy. This spray has managed to keep my hair in control and still feeling amazing even after a rain storm. I'm still pretty skeptical about the Syoss products and will probably continue to use this one till it's all used up but I would recommend this to anyone looking for a vitalising, vitamin spray to help repair broken hair. 

So overall, I had 2 duds,  1 so-so item, and 2 hits in my October Glossybox. I did go ahead and order myself the November one as well since I am curious as to what they'll be giving away this month, it's exciting and I may be a sucker for spending my money on this thing but.. so be it. I think the box carries items that I personally wouldn't have thought of buying myself but that's the point isn't it? A way of being introduced to new beauty hits and misses that you can either swoon over or rant about in a blog post one day... haha. 

Alright, let me know if you're subscribed to Glossybox or maybe receive some other Beautyboxes you'd like to suggest to me. Would you guys like to see a November Glossybox review once I get mine? (There's going to be one regardless so you might as well say yes!) haha, leave some comments down bellow. 

Stefanie xx