Review : March Birchbox

Back at the start of the month I posted my first thoughts on my Birchbox for March but this is the full review of every product I received.

In the box for this month I received Benefit's Stay Don't Stray eyeshadow and concealer primer, English Laundry No7 perfume sample, Molton Brown Rhubarb and Rose Replenishing Hand Cream, Dr Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner, Aroma Works Body Oil, and a stick of Lulu Guinness rock.

Luckily I already have a sample size of Benefit's Stay Don't Stray so I have this one as an extra.  I really like this primer as my eyeshadow definitely lasts even when working in a hot hospital ward for 12 hours, but even if I don't wear eyeshadow it helps to even out the skin tone of my eyelids and hide any veins that show.  I don't really use it for my undereye concealer but the one time I did try it, it felt a bit more cakey on me so I decided to only use it for eyeshadow primer.
£20.50 for 10ml

This is the second sample of frangrance from English Laundry that I've received from Birchbox -the first being the Signature for Her a few months ago.  No7, in my opinion is more of a fruity than floral scent which suits me better I think.  I still really like the Signature scent but I think I might actually buy the No7 scent when my sample runs out - which will probably be soon because I carry it in my uniform on placement to quickly freshen up on the go.
£47 for 50ml bottle

Hand cream is something that I always carry around with me - sometimes even a selection - as my job makes my hands really dry and cracked if I don't moisturise.  Lately though my hands have been particularly irritated so I haven't had as much of a proper test of the Molton Brown Rhubarb and Rose Replenishing Hand Cream as I would have liked.  In the two occasions that I have used it my hands did feel very soft but my favourite aspect has to be the smell. I am a major fan of rhubarb and the fact that this was the dominant scent was a delight to me. The rose is a very subtle note underneath the rhubarb which lifts it and stops it being too sweet and sickly.  I'll need to do more testing on this hut overall it was very pleasing.

£10 for 40ml

Dr Brandt is a brand that I received in one of my first Birchboxes and this time around I was provided with the Pores No More Pore Refiner. It can be applied under or over makeup and claims to be mattifying for oily skin.  Nowadays I am tending to embrace me natural glow without the oiliness so I later a mattifying primer to prevent oil breakthrough under my illuminating primer.  At first glance this product seems very similar to Benefits Porefessional as it has the same colour and almost the same texture - I find that the Pores No More is a lighter and thinner texture but still with that silicone feel.  Pores No More does have a slight tea tree type scent which makes me think it's actually doing something for my skin but I'm not all that keen on the scent to be honest.  It does have an instant mattifying effect on my skin but I don't feel it's as effective at holding back the oil breakthrough as the Porefessional and as such I wouldn't buy Dr Brandt over Benefit. However if you don't have oily skin and want to go for that matte finish then this may be for you.

£39 for 30ml

The final offering in my March box was the Aroma Works Body Oil in Serenity.  I do really like body oils as I find them to be less sticky and quicker absorbed into my skin than creams and butters.  This oil is extremely fast absorbing and didn't leave a greasy film on my skin or hands which I loved. There's isn't much or a glowing shine left though which is a bit disappointing as I like this in an oil.  The scent is very nice and reminds me of a type of sweet but I can't bring to mind which one.  It does have a hint of lavender in it aswell which I find is very pleasant and tones down the sweetness. Overall it's a very nice oil and it's a brand I'll be keeping an eye out for in the future.

£32.50 for 100ml

Overall a very pleasing box for this month if a bit disappointing that it was all sample size products.

Birchbox costs £10 per month (+£2.95 p&p) and every month you are sent a curated selection of high end and luxury products to test.  For every product and box there are surveys to complete which earn you points to spend in the Birchbox online shop.

If you are interested head to www.birchbox.co.uk to find out more.

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