Happy Birchday beauty box September review

This little beauty box was the perfect accompaniment for me recently when I was working away from home. The only thing I didn't take with me were the lip crayon and the blotting balm. Working as an archaeologist it wasn't really necessary to keep my face looking nice, let's be honest I spent most of my time covered from head to toe in mud so it was really unnecessary. A good skincare routine however should not be overlooked and it's even more essential when working outside in harsh/cold/wet conditions.

I absolutely love the Bliss Body Butter in sage and lemon. It solves a multitude of sins and I definitely think it's going to become a staple favourite. It was the perfect travel size for when I was last working away and it meant that I could pop it in my bag and not worry about taking up any space.


I used the Bliss Body Butter morning and night as it works really well to prep you up. The lemon and sage scent is really energizing and refreshing, it smells good enough to eat. It isn't too overpowering but there's definitely a lingering scent there. I used this as an all over-body moisturiser when I was working and since I've returned I used it on my feet. Unfortunately the un-glamorous life of a field archaeologist means you're on your feet all the time often in tight steel toe boots. Over time my feet have dried out and have started peeling because of my shoes. The Bliss Body Butter sorted this unsightly area right out. I applied the Bliss body butter on to my feet overnight and left it to absorb into the skin by wearing cotton socks. After a couple of applications my feet were back to their normal smooth self. I will say however that I also applied this the next morning and after walking around for a little while, my feet felt very slippery even on carpet. If you are going to use this on your tootsies do it at night time to really let it sink into your skin.

The moisturiser is quite thick (which isn't unusual for a body butter) and it sinks right into the skin. There's no greasy residue and it's the perfect moisturiser. The only downside with this product is that when you're approaching the end of the (sample) tube it's really quite difficult to get the rest of the moisturiser out. I will definitely re-purchase this when I run out, I love it that much! It ranges from £6.50 to £22 depending on the size and the retailer but I think I'll opt for the £6.50 version.


I have a collection of sample skincare tubes that live at my boyfriend's house and the Beauty Protector Beauty Wash was one of them. I've since finished the bottle and it seemed to last quite a while which was surprising given the small size. I'm undecided about the Beauty Wash partly because it foamed and lathered when I was showering which I don't really like. The write up in the booklet states that it has a 'sumptuous fragrance' but if there was one it wasn't overpowering. In fact it had very little fragrance to it which I'm not sure is a good thing given that you're meant to smell like the shower gel you're using. Evidently the Beauty Protector Beauty Wash doubles up as bath crème which I guess makes sense as to why it foams up. I think the Beauty Protector Beauty Wash is better suited to the bath but it worked for a quick fix when I'd ran out of other shower gels. The Beauty Protector Beauty Wash retails at £8 which is dearer than most shower gels.

I bought a tangle teaser years ago when they first came out and although I like it I don't really believe they're as good as they claim to be. The idea is that you can use them wet or dry and because the bristles are positioned on a diagonal it makes it easier to remove tats from your hair. I disagree however and I only ever use mine when my hair is wet. I usually put my parting in using a long-tail comb then I use my tangle teaser to get as many of the tats out. After this there's usually still some tats lingering so I use a wide paddle brush to leave my hair silky soft. I've found that when I use the tangle teaser when my hair is dry the bristles get stuck or it doesn't remove all of the tats. The Sally Hansen tangle teaser that I have is an ergonomic design but the Birchbrush pictured above is a lot smaller. It was quite difficult to use as you can't really get a proper grip on the brush. It's ideal for travelling though as it's small enough to throw into your handbag but it doesn't really work as an everyday hairbrush. Unfortunately, the plastic used in the Birchbrush is really hard and sharp so you actually scrape your scalp when brushing. It's an alright brush for quick fixes but it won't replace my other hairbrushes, wet or dry.


Birchbox went all out on the lemon scent this month and the John Masters Organic Citrus and Neroli Detangler was no different. I prefer to use the Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance Leave-in-Conditioner but as this is a large and heavy bottle the John Masters Organic Citrus and Neroli Detangler was the perfect size for travelling. The John Masters Organic Citrus and Neroli Detangler retails from £4.49 to £19.95 and prices in between. The John Masters Organic Citrus and Neroli Detangler has a subtle lemon scent and works to condition the hair rather than sit on top of it. It does exactly what it says on the tin and removes all tangles and tats which is great. I applied this after my shower as I would normally with the Aussie Leave-in-Conditioner but I'm actually not sure if the John Masters Organic Citrus and Neroli Detangler is a wash out or leave-in-conditioner so don't take my word for this. I can't really comment on the texture of my hair though as I was using hotel shampoo which dried my hair out no end but I'm sure that in conjunction with your normal shampoo it would be the perfect accompaniment.

I was really quite unsure about the Laqa and Co Cheeky Lip crayon in Humble Brag and I'm not entirely sure why. In all honesty I think it was the packaging that put me off. The lip crayon that Glossybox sent out recently (the competitor of Birchbox) was an actual pencil with a clear lid so you could see the colour. The Laqa and Co Cheeky Lip looks a bit like a pink felt tip pen. The Laqa and Co Cheeky Lip is quite chunky for a lipstick with quite a large lid so it looks a little odd given that the logo dominates the tube. When you pull the top off the inside isn't any more appealing as it literally looks like a Crayola crayon. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I twisted the end and applied it to my lips. The Humble Brag Laqa and Co Cheeky Lip is quite a bright pink lipstick which of course I love. It's not too bright that it looks ridiculous but it's definitely noticeable. It's a little greasy but I like this as it feels like it moisturisers my lips as well as looking good. I really liked this lip crayon and it's definitely going to stay in my handbag alongside my Glossybox lip crayon. The only issue unfortunately is that it does smell strongly like a crayon so that's not great but it's worth it for how it looks. It also tastes like a wax crayon but if you can bypass the smell and the taste it's a really pretty colour. It does eventually dry onto the lips after a little while but as I applied it without a base coat first my lips cracked underneath. For once this wasn't a problem as it meant my lips were nicely exfoliated. The Laqa and Co Cheeky Lip crayon also stays put after food so it has an enormous amount of advantages. At £17 however it's very pricey for what is essentially a chunky felt tip pen.

And finally last but by no means least is the Pore Professional License to Blot by Benefit which
retails at between £11.56 and £15.50. I wasn't sure about this when I received it so it took me a while to use it. As I'd also bought the Kleenex Shine Absorbing Sheets I wasn't entirely sure when I would next get an opportunity to try the Pore Professional License to Blot out. The Pore Professional License to Blot can be used before make up acting as a base or on top of make up to manage shine control. I decided to use this after I'd applied my make up and it worked an absolute dream. The sample size was about 4oz (whatever that is in metric) and it was essentially a giant and chunky lip balm. It has the same kind of creamy feeling as lip balm which felt weird dragging it across my face. My problem shiny areas are my upper lip and across my cheeks where a nice shine develops over the day. I tried the Pore Professional License to Blot when I was at work on a busy Saturday when it was absolutely boiling in the shop. It's safe to say the shine stayed away and I didn't have to retouch the application up once. It depends how much shine control you need but I very lightly dabbed the balm across my cheeks and this provided enough control for my skin. I love the Pore Professional License to Blot and honestly I will buy it again regardless of the price. The 4oz tube is the perfect size to fit into my handbag and the 10g size (which is probably just a smidge larger than the sample size) would be a handy handbag essential.

I was really pleased with September's Birchbox beauty box. I only wish this had been the first box I'd purchased as it would have encouraged me to continue my subscription. As my first box was particularly unsatisfactory I won't repurchase from Birchbox again and I only did so this time because the box was half price. September's beauty box was a definite 5 stars from me!

What did you think of September's box? Leave me comments on the link below, ciao xx