I've done it. I have finally given into temptation, jumped on the beauty box bandwagon - the Birchbox bandwagon to be precise - and received my first ever package of incredibly top quality samples.
01. TheBalm Cosmetic's Stainiac in Beauty Queen (full size, £10)
Upon seeing this product, my initial thought was genuinely, "Great, I needed a new lip and cheek stain!" Unfortunately, I still need a new lip and cheek stain as this one doesn't quite do it for me.
I found the doe-foot applicator a bit too hard to use and the gel based formula enhanced every dry patch on my lips and practically wiped straight off my face every time I tried to blend it on my cheeks.
So for me it looks like I'll still be heading over to The Body Shop to replace my beloved Lip and Cheek Stain, which is a very similar shade but has a much easier to work with, watery consistency and a softer applicator.
02. Dr Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips (full size, 15ml, £11.50)
Explaining what this was to my boyfriend certainly wasn't the easiest of tasks, but the concept is actually really simple. Originally this was created for nursing mother's, when along came some genius and found a million and one other uses for it.
So far I've used it to soften my chapped lips, put moisture into dry skin, act as an eyebrow gel and an eyeshadow primer. Next on my list of places to try this product include nail cuticles and split ends.
This really does fall into the category of multipurpose S.O.S products, along with Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream and Lucas' Paw Paw Ointment. Oh, and just for the record, I think the name is genius.
03. The Chia Co. Chia Shots (full box, 10 x 8g sachets, £4.79)
From wheatgrass to acai berries, every few months there seems to be at least one new superfood sending us all into a frenzy. Lately the craze of the moment is Chia - a plant seed packed with more omega 3 than salmon and a heavy accompaniment of fibre and protein and all that other good stuff we know we should be getting.
According to The Chia Co. we should add a teaspoon of Chia seeds to our diet everyday to improve overall health and wellbeing. I'm yet to try these out, but it's certainly something I'm interested in and these little sachets would be great for popping in my bag and taking to work.
The last time I used a mousse on my hair must have been in about 2005 when for some reason the scrunched wet look was all the rage. So when I tried this product out, I did so with incredible caution, only to realise that it probably wasn't the most suitable product for my thick, straight and damaged hair. However this did smell incredible so I'm hoping they do have a range more suitable for me.
05. Egyptian Magic (full size, 118ml, £34.90)
Another one of those all natural, all purpose skin creams that is joining Dr Lipp on the SOS shelf. Basically, you take the cream, rub it into your hands until it turns into an oil consistency and then apply it wherever you want; face, body, hair, nails... anywhere.
Despite the rave reviews this product gets, I just don't think I'm convinced I need to splash out on another one of those products so I don't think I'll be purchasing the full size tub any time soon.
06. Dr Brandt Microdermabrasion (full size, 118ml, £67.00)
After Dr Seuss and Dr Jart, my new favourite doctor is Dr Brandt.
I love a good face scrub as they remove dead skin cells and leave the skin looking and feeling fresh. Microdermabrasions however, are a bit more intensive than your average scrub and this product hails itself as the original home alternative to a clinical microdermabrasion peel.
It contains pharmaceutical crystals and lactic acid which breaks up the top layers of the skin and encourages it to replace lost skin cells with healthy new ones. In the words of Jesse Pinkman, "Science, bitch!"
After using this, my skin felt a bit sore, which is expected, but a few hours later, the skin texture felt so smooth looked incredibly fresh. I applied a generous amount of Simple moisturiser afterwards because I didn't want to use one with any harsh chemicals that might affect my healing skin and I also wanted to replace any moisture lost during the scrub. It was bloody fantastic.
07. Laura Mercier Foundation Primer - Radiance (full size, 50ml, £28.00)
This renowned primer is lightweight and water based, something I personally favour compared to silicone based primers like Benefit's Porefessional.
I only need to apply a very small amount of this to my face and my skin is immediately left looking healthy and any imperfections, such as creases and pores are minimised. It creates the perfect canvas for applying foundation and the radiance is definitely needed during these colder months. To me, this is the most perfect primer I've ever tried and definitely makes my makeup last a lot longer - perfect for long days in the office.
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