Birchbox UK Review: April 2013 Spoiler

Birchbox UK's April 2013 Beauty Box

I'm a self confessed beauty box addict and I've tried a fair few over the past 2 years... I'm a sucker for travel sized/miniature beauty products as it gives you the chance to try lots of different things without committing to one brand or product straight away. They also fit snugly into a clutch without taking up all the space!

There's just so many skincare and beauty products being released every month that it's hard to keep up with what's hot and what's not so, for me, beauty boxes provide the perfect opportunity to test and try some of beauty's best kept secrets...for only £12.95 a month! Bargainous.

Who is Birchbox?

Birchbox launched in September 2010 quickly acclaimed cult status but was only available in the U.S at the time. It gave beauty lovers a chance to discover more products from the brands they already loved and brands they had never had the chance to try before. In January 2013, Birchbox debuted it's first UK box and subscription service so that us Brits can get in on the action after only being able to read and swoon over our favourite American beauty bloggers reviews of their boxes. Huzzah!

What Do I Get?

Each month, Birchbox subscribers will get a personalised box containing beauty and lifestyle booty. This can be haircare, makeup, skincare and even the occasional tea or sweet treat! You also get a magazine that keeps you uptodate with what's happening in the world of beauty and some step by step instructions for things such as nail art. Some of my fave brands that may be included are:

• Agent Provocateur (here's to hoping they include some naughty knickers in one of my future boxes!)
• China Glaze
• OPI
• Vichy
• KMS California
• Korres
• RMK

 What's In My April 2013 Box?

From Top Left: La Société Parisienne De Savons, Weleda Skin Food, Natio Renew Foam Cleanser, Mirenesse Glossy Kiss, Birchbox Paname Paris Miror and Gerda Spillman Renaissance Age Serum

I'm addicted to that element of surprise you get with every box; it's like having a birthday every month! It's one of the main reasons I subscribe; they're like lucky dip bags :) They're not all the same, some boxes contain a few core products and so only so many of certain products to distribute between the boxes, so it's always good to post a review or tweet the contents of your box so that you can share your goodies and see what you (luckily or not so luckily) missed out on! P.S, it's a good thing to mention here that you should probably include the word "spoiler" in your titles so that those who are awaiting their boxes still don't get their surprise ruined for them ;)

Here's what I got and my thoughts on each product...

* La Société Parisienne De Savons - Full Sized £8.50

I really like the vintage style of this soap, it almost looks too cute to use! The scent coming from this soap filled the whole box and smells divine; a light creamy scent with a hint of lavender. For this reason it was a pleasure to use, the fragrance for me was very relaxing. It says 'Cold Cream' on the packaging and this makes me think of the old fashioned emulsions that get rid of makeup and dirt with no fuss and left skin feel refreshed and cooled (hence the name cold creams). 

* Weleda Skin Food - 10ml (£8.95 for the full-sized)

This is the product i'm most pleased to see in my box! I've been reading the reviews of this 'all natural' moisturiser recently and everybody is raving about...even Victoria Beckham swears by it! That's good enough for me ;) I've been using it on my knuckles where I sometimes suffer from dry skin and so far so good! Skin is left very soft and supple without feeling greasy.

*Mirenesse Glossy Kiss No:14 'Perfect Kiss' Full Sized £17.50

This lipstick is a deep coral shade with a hint of gold shimmer... such a gorgeous shade for summer! I'm really wanting to try the coral lip trend so this was a fab item to receive!


Just look how pretty it is! I think this shade should suit all skintones, but it's going to really pop with a tan I think! 

This swatch of the lippy shows the slight gold glimmer finish. You can definitely make this as sheer or intense as you want - it's easily build able.

I also got the Natio Renew Radiance Foam Cleanser 20ml (full sized costs £9.20) which I was thrilled to get originally. I would have definitely chosen this cleanser over the gentle version that went out in some boxes but after using I felt that my skin was a little to taut/stripped almost for frequent use. It has a lovely delicate scent that i can't quite put my finger on, slightly lemony? I don't know but it's nice. Brilliant for those with oily skin or those looking to brighten dull complexions, but remember to moisturise well after.  The Gerda Spillmann Renaissnce Age Serum is quite dinky being 3ml but it has packed a punch in just the first few uses! I just love how potent serums are... I've been using it at night with my normal moisturiser and in the morning my skin feel quite soothed and nourished. Always good to start your anti-aging regime early rather than too late... Prevention is better than the cure! There was an 'lifestyle extra' in the April box which was the Birchbox 'Paname Paris Mirror' which is worth £7.50 which is now nestled nicely in my bag ready for any touchups I might need during the day.

Overall

I'm very pleased with the contents of my first Birchbox - it's all very useable and i've learnt about some new products and brands that I never even knew existed before! I'm already excited for the May 2013 box which sees Birchbox supporting Fashion Targets Breastcancer. 30% of all sales from their e-shop will be donated to this charity and for every friend that is referred a further £5 will be donated... there's never been a better time to join if you haven't already... Click here to subscribe or find out more about Birchbox and start your own beauty discovery today!