Today I received my March 2014 Birchbox. This Month's Birchbox is a special edition Lulu Guinness collaboration.
Firstly, this is what the outside of the box looks like. It has the signature stripey Lulu Guinness-designed sleeve around it which is lovely!
Lulu Guinness Birchbox March 2014
Birchbox don't do printed special edition boxes like Glossybox does. They just put the regular box inside a sleeve, which is a shame as it will probably just get recycled.
Now, onto the inside!
The first thing I saw was the Lulu Guinness 'Life Lessons' booklet. This also has black and white stripes to match the sleeve. Inside are a few tips about life, from Lulu herself. I love the page designs inside the booklet!
I also got a voucher for a free Benefit brow makeover with 'Gimme Brow', a card with a discount code for £20 off a £100 spend at the Lulu Guinness online store, and the usual card with all the details of the products I received on it.
Product card (it never includes sizes!)
For all those not familiar with Birchbox, they usually put the products into a little drawstring bag which is quite cute, and is also re-useable. The last two I received had orange detailing, but this one had a teal coloured string and branding which I love! This is what the drawstring bag looks like:
And this is what was inside the bag...
As has been the norm so far with Birchbox, I received very small products. None of them are full-sized, but all are good brands which aren't usually cheap to buy. I guess Birchbox goes for quality over quantity.
Here are all of the contents of the box inc. leaflets
Closer look at the products
Left to right:
Korres Citrus Body Milk (sample)
Hydrating body lotion, containing almond oil and shea butter. It smells quite nice. Korres is a Greek brand that I have never tried before so I look forward to using this.
This bottle contains 50ml of product which is worth about £2.37.
Full sized product RRP £9.50 for 200ml
Dr. Brandt 'Pores No More' (sample)
This is a pore refiner for use under foundation - it minimises pores and absorbs excess oil. Last month I received Benefit Porefessional in my Birchbox which is the same thing, so I'm a little disappointed to receive another pore refiner so soon, especially as Porefessional did nothing at all for me. I'm hoping this one might work better! Small sample but you don't need to use a lot of product.
Sample size 7.5ml, worth £9.75.
Full sized product RRP £39 for 30ml
Benefit 'Stay Don't Stray' (sample)
Primer for eyeshadow and concealer. This will come in handy as I have just ordered lots of new eyeshadow palettes (I haven't worn eyeshadow in years!) and I will be sure to post a blog about them when they arrive. I received the shade Light/Medium, and it also comes in Medium/Deep.
The size is 2.5ml, worth about £5.
Full sized product RRP £20.50 for 10ml
Christopher Wicks 'English Laundry No.7' Eau de Parfum (sample)
This perfume is part of the English Laundry range by Christopher Wicks. I have never seen or heard of these fragrances before so it's nice to try one out, but I really don't like receiving these small perfume samples as one of my main items in a beauty box. They should be free extras!
For that reason I am already a little disappointed with this product. It does smell quite nice but it's not really my type of scent. I may give it to my mum :)
Sample size 2ml worth £1.88.
Full sized bottle RRP £47 for 50ml
Molton Brown Rhubarb & Rose Replenishing Hand Cream (sample)
This smells just like Rhubarb & Custard sweets! I do like the smell and it makes my hands look and feel very soft and silky. At the moment I have plenty of hand cream from various beauty boxes but this is a nice size to pop into my bag. The packaging is plain but nicely designed.
This is a 7ml tube which is worth £1.75.
Full sized product RRP £10 for 40ml
Lifestyle extra: Lulu Guinness Rock
This is a Lulu Guinness-themed stick of rock. It has the co-ordinating black and white striped design to match the box sleeve and booklet, and has this super-cute message in the centre:
Lulu <3 Birchbox!
It is peppermint flavoured and tastes delicious! My teeth will not forgive me when I've finished with this :)
The paper Lulu Guinness label was inside the wrapper and some of the backing got stuck to the rock when I tried to peel it off. However, after all the weird and inedible things I ate when I was a child I'm sure I'll survive eating a little bit of paper ;)
Of all the lifestyle extras I have received from Birchbox, this is my favourite.
Verdict:
So there we have it - the March 2014 Lulu Guinness Edition Birchbox.
Overall I'm fairly happy with this box. All of the items will be used, but I am a little disappointed with the lack of full-sized products. This is the third month in a row that I've only got small samples in my box.
I must say, however, that I'm really glad I didn't receive the other box which contained the Cellu-Cup and a tiny bottle of body oil (instead of the Korres and Molton Brown).
Also, with red lips being such a huge part of Lulu's signature look, I was really expecting a red lipstick and maybe some more Lulu Guinness-themed items.. ideally one of her gorgeous purses (joking, teehee! That would be a dream!)
This box cost me the regular Birchbox price of £12.95 (£10 plus £2.95 P&P) and has an approximate value of £20.75. Not the best value box out there at the moment, but useful items nonetheless. You can learn more about Birchbox and these products here:
What do you think of this box? Do you own any of these products already?
Also, do you currently subscribe to Birchbox? If so, let me know what you received this month (and what you think of it) in the comments section :)
Love, Sarah NailsfromNothing xx
