It seems like a lifetime ago that the December Birchbox came and after my completely overwhelming Christmas period where I was spoilt rotten, I had nearly forgotten about beauty box time. In fact I was at Gem’s house when suddenly the strange delivery lady appeared with her box, so I instantly hurried the fifteen feet or so back to my own house in excitement!

A new look to the Birchbox was pretty surprising, but great. Gem and I are suckers for packaging and one of the things we like most about Glossybox is unwrapping the beautiful tissue paper and delicately placed ribbon. Although I admit that the mini Birchbox bags we used to get were convenient, I now have so many of them that I have no idea what to do with them, they aren’t as sturdy as the boxes themselves so they don’t stack, thus they take up muchos room!

The other exciting thing about this edition is that Birchbox announced we would get a Benefit product in them, which Gem and I absolutely -thrive- off.

So what’s in the box?

Tommyguns Fig, Plum & Marshmallow Conditioner – £5.50 for full size product

This promises to guarantee frizz-free hair – and it smells pretty lush too, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had a gigantic 250ml size bottle, as usually the smaller samples do me for half a wash, given the amount of hair I have!

Benefit – The POREfessional – usually £24.50 for full size product

This is one of the greatest primer’s on earth, I like to use mine on only problem areas and use another primer for the rest of my face, just to conserve what I have of this. But seriously – pores be gone!

Gem and I absolutely love this, and are always saying we need to double up on all our fav cosmetics – mostly so that on gig days we don’t have to go through the trauma of packing a make-up bag, but also after Gem had hundreds of pounds worth of make-up stolen a few years ago on our jaunt to Wacken, we like to cover all possibilities of our fav’s going walk abouts. A decent sized 7.5ml to add to my collection – thank-you very much Birchbox.

Noble Isle – Willow Song Bath & Shower Gel – £20 for full size product

Well I was a little disappointed with the addition of this product, it doesn’t really smell that great and I have so many toiletries to get through after the festive period that it will probably end up in my “mini’s collection” bag ready for some sort of overnight outing I may find myself going on. I may find myself surprised, but it also seems a little pricey for something that doesn’t seem to claim any great feat. A mini 30mls, good for travelling though!

Vasanti – Detox Nutrient-Rich Purifying Facial Cleanser – £18 for full size product

A generic cleanser, claiming to wash away toxins and all traces of foundation – I’ll remember this and will give this a go after a night on stage to see just how well it performs! Can’t go wrong with miniature sized cleansers though really can you? Another generous 20ml bottle.

Premae – Anatomy Nutrients Instant Renewal Body Oil – £9.50 for full size product

“Moisturise, tone and detoxify skin” – I have to admit, I’m becoming a bit of a fan of body oils. Not only are they great for massages (I mean the actual massages, after a stressful day, when your partner does something completely selfless and doesn’t even expect any late night sessions ;o)) but they are also good if you suffer with dry skin, especially during the winter months, where all that heating tends to dry your skin out. I’m definitely looking forward to trying this out. Another 20ml bottle.

Itsu – Miso Soup – £2.25 for three sachets

This was the lifestyle extra, a light and healthy soup paste, that you just add hot water to. I’m a fan of healthy soups like this, I previously used to buy “1cal soup” which was Vegetarian, but chicken flavoured. Really nice for a snack, without the guilt trip of scoffing unwanted calories. This too is also Veggie friendly so next time I’m feeling peckish, I’ll try this out and see what I think. I’ll then decide if £2.25 is reasonable for just three packets.

Overall I’m pretty pleased with the first Birchbox of the year, although that may have something to do with the addition of Benefit! If’ you’d like to try this box out, head on over to their website here. It’s £10 a month with £2.95 P&P. You also have the added bonus of collecting points when you complete surveys on your products, which you can spend in their shop on all the lovely products you get in your box each month!

Totally hellbent for the first box of the year

-Pants