July Birchbox - Jet Set Edition

Since November I've been receiving my monthly beauty boxes from Birchbox with five beauty samples and a lifestyle extra in the little pink packages and this month's edition is a Jet Set collection for July. Filled with handy products for the summer, the July box is mainly focused on keeping skin in flawless (well, there abouts) condition with the wear and tear of heat, sand and sun not wreaking to much havoc on our delicate skin. This came in the post yesterday so I have not as yet had a chance to try any of the products but the ones that stand out I will review later on in the month. 

The headlining product in the box is the 'Creme De Jour Protectrice' from Blanc Cachemire, a miracle moisturiser which is quite obviously French and is £54.75 full size so I will see if it lives up to its price which seems a little steep for a daily essential product.

I want to try out the Body Lotion from Dead Sea Spa Magik soon as well because I used this brand's cleanser for ages before I came across the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish and that was very good for my skin. However, I do think body lotion is one of those essentials that for summer you just need a large tub of, whatever the quality of the product.

The InStain Blush looks fairly interesting as it is minuscule (about a 1.5 cm square of the product) but it swatches very heavily so I'm slightly nervous about putting this on my cheeks as it is very vibrantly orange toned!

What looks like my favourite product of the box is the Fluide Fraicheur Phyto-Hydrant by Carole Franck which besides the complicated name looks like a very good primer and is a decent 10ml sample. It's a lot more liquidy than my current primer (I suppose that would be the 'fluide' bit) and has the texture of a moisturiser so I'm very keen to try it!

The hand cream by Nougat London, I'll be honest isn't the most thrilling product. I can't judge because I haven't tried it yet but it seems pretty standard though I'll admit it does smell incredible.

Oh, Birchbox, why do you insist on these Lifestyle Extra products. So far, I've been overwhelmed by strange cultural tea and remedies and this month I've got Chia Shots which are supposedly mixed into anything to 'improve overall health and wellbeing' by packing a load of vitamins and minerals into your diet. I shall try.

Topshop Eye Crayon in Gold Digger

     Firstly, wow. I consider Topshop to be one of those High Street brands that is amazing quality but generally at the pricey end of non-designer shops, so when I picked up this eye crayon for just £6.50 I was a very happy bunny. I don't wear eye shadows regularly preferring a very black eye - I do not leave the house without some sort of eyeliner on - but I love these coloured pencils because they add a pop of colour to the eye, brightening it and they are so simple to use. 

     For everyday use, I'll sweep this pencil from the inside corner to about half way across my lid and then carry the flick on over the top with my usual black gel liner. If its a more glam occasion then I'll use it all over as a block colour base or all the way across the bottom of my eye underneath the water line. 

     The gold digger is a very metallic colour and looks almost like foil on the skin. Its lasts for most of the day but it does wear throughout as the pigment isn't the strongest. One thing I would look out for though; its a pencil, therefore it requires a sharpener. However, your average kohl sharpener will not do the job as this crayon is a lot thicker than normal pencils. Topshop sell one for £3 which stupid Lucy is now going to have to purchase...

Mask of Magnaminty

     Before you go ahead and judge, it's not as bad as it looks in the pot : honest. There are so many Lush lovers out there and I am quickly becoming one of the them. Lush has always struck me as an indulgence brand with its crazy soaps and bath bombs being  slightly unnecessary for me as a shower person and baths make me feel guilty that I could be something more productive in that time (faintly ridiculous as I waste so much time on other less relaxing activities...yes, Twitter that was aimed at you). So I was thrilled when in the Brent Cross Lush shop I came across all these products for skin that had the great Lush ingredients but that I can use regularly!
     The Mask of Magnaminty does live up to its name : it is very minty. Looking at the pot though, I have found it also contains honey, evening primrose seeds, peppermint oil and vanilla absolute. However, it's minty in a refreshingly nice way and makes me think of the Elizabeth Shaw chocolates in hotels. It has quite a lumpy consistency as you can see but once it's on the face it dries smooth in a matter of minutes and is ready to come off in 5 minutes. The pot says 5 - 10 but I've found if it's left on for more than 7 my face cries at me to get some water on it before it falls apart!
     Although most face masks' aim is merely to give a deep cleanse of the skin and improve the balance of oils on the face, this Mask is designed to tackle spots, which as a teenager is the thing I like least about my face. I have used this three times over the course of a week and the majority of my spots have gone with all redness abated, though a few little under-the-skin spots remain to be tackled. This is really helping my skin and will be essential for keeping my face in good condition this summer.