February Birchbox

I was really excited to receive the February Birchbox* this month and discover what was inside- this box has a style theme inspired by LFW, and gone are the days of finding your monthly beauty box rattling with tiny useless vials of the newest £100 moon dust infused eye cream! I'm already planning my purchases of a few of the full size products so this one is a bit of a corker- read below to find out my first impressions of what's inside.

Beauty Protector Protect & Oil Mini (Birchbox exclusive, full size £16)

This golden oil works to protect hair from heat and UV rays, and contains argan oil to condition. My hair is in need of a trim so my ends are a bit heat frazzled and dry, but I've been using the oil every day since I received the box and it makes the ends look healthy and shiny without leaving the hair greasy at all. It has a really lovely scent, like cocoa but also quite fresh (if that's possible), and it's quite thick which makes it easy to work with even if it doesn't pour out in drops. I also feel like it helps detangle my hair and gives it a bit of body, a lot of benefits from just one oil! The full size is £16 and (I think) about 100ml, which is likely to last for ages as I've barely made a dent in this vial.

Urban Veda Radiance Exfoliating Facial Polish Mini (full size £8.99)

This contains turmeric and fruit acids to cleanse and brighten the skin. I've only had the chance to try this once so far, but I like how creamy it is while still having the grittiness of an exfoliator and it made a nice first half of a double cleanse. It also smells exactly like a solid perfume I had when I was little which is nice!

Green & Blacks 70% Dark Chocolate Miniature Bar (full size £2.29)

To be honest I was quite excited to see some dark chocolate in my box, everyone loves chocolate right? I only eat dark as I don’t have milk, so I may have ripped the little wrapper off a bit too quickly after photographing my box contents. It reminded me that I've got some Green & Blacks hot chocolate in the cupboard, 5 teaspoons with hot water is the dreamiest thing you can fit in a mug.

Gilchrist & Soames London Shower Gel Mini (full size £13.75)

I haven't given this one a go yet but to me shower gel is shower gel. In the bottle it has a really nice manly scent, but with the full size costing nearly £14 I can't help but think it's a little pricey for something that's just meant to wash off the days dirt!

Leighton Denny Riviera Collection Nail Varnish in Mines A Rosè (£11)

This has pretty swish packaging and is full size. I like that the formula spreads easily and dries quickly but I always find light colours so difficult to apply and this one took about 4 coats until I was happy that it was opaque enough. The light peach colour is lovely and summery, but I think I might've had more luck with one of the darker shades.

Eyeko Skinny Mini Liquid Eyeliner Black (full size £12)

So far this is really one of the best eyeliner pens I've tried- it's dark in one stroke, doesn't need shaking, the nib doesn't splay, and it's really easy to get a thick or thin line. I've used it about 5 times so far and I'm loving it so it'll be interesting to see how long it lasts before drying out. The full size is £12 which I think is pretty reasonable if it's long lasting and I'm already eyeing it up on the Birchbox website's shop!

I was really impressed with this box, in fact probably as impressed as I've ever been with a monthly box, as the brands are affordable and these are all products that I actually will use up. Next month's box looks one to watch as well as its in partnership with designer Lulu Guiness, so it'll be interesting to see what everyone receives!

Each Birchbox contains 5 luxury beauty samples and subscription costs £10 plus £2.95 per month.