The August Birchbox

I’m going to open this blog post by saying I’m disappointed. Normally there are a fair few products within the box that I can get very excited over and love to see more of. This one I believe, personally, is a mixture of disappointments. Which is such a shame as I really enjoyed the last two boxes.

Firstly, this month we received a bag instead of the normal box. Now, I have complained a few times over the boxes as they just stack up and I rarely use them. However, I have taken to use them in my wardrobe as dividers so am finally making them useful. The problem I have with this bag is that it is in no ways ‘cute’. Then the leaflet telling you all about the products were roughly folded in half and pushed inside the bag as well. The only part of the exterior that tells you it is from Birchbox is the logo on the zip. Otherwise it’s very plain.

Enough rambling onto the products…

#1 Marcelle Eyeliner in Mulberry

I have yet to try this product, so cannot comment on its staying power or pigmentation. It’s the only make up item in the box which leaves me feeling a little sad. It’s a beautiful deep purple colour, but not one that I would generally lean towards.

#2 Balance Me Radiance Face Mask

There are two products within the ‘box’ this month that are extremely tiny and this is the first, I’m sure I’ve received this before in a much larger travel size. I do actually like this face mask however, and for a night away it would be the perfect size to take with me.

#3 Yesto Coconut Cleansing Wipes

This is the other product which is super tiny. It has literally only one wipe inside of it and personally I don’t feel this is enough to test a product and see if I’d be willingly to buy a larger scale. I have received the yesto Cucumber wipes in a box before and really loved them. Even though it was a travel sized edition I still received a good amount of wipes to try.

#4 Anatomicals Body Scrub

I have never heard of this brand so I cannot comment on their products, it’s a very decent travel size and I believe it would be perfect for holidays or little weekends away.

##5 Merci Handy Antibacterial Hand Gel

A mini antibacterial hand gel, which I have to admit is super cute (although it is actually full size). It also has a very nice scent and doesn’t leave my hands feeling too wet or sticky after applying it. It has become a regular in my handbag due to it’s size and it’s a very easy on-the-go product to use.

#6 One More Day Dry Shampoo

My most excited product would have to be this one from Philip Kingsley. I love their products and I have just run out of my Percy & Reed dry shampoo so I am excited to test this one out and see what it’s like.

So there you have it. With my opinion of each months Birchbox changing so rapidly it’s hard for me to see if it continues to be worth it. Time will tell if they can make it any better!

What did you think of this month’s Birchbox?

The Cambridge Satchel

A few weeks ago I took advantage of The Cambridge Satchel Company’s sale to buy myself my very own little satchel. I would love to own one of the big, classic satchels one day but for now I just got a little one to use on a daily basis.

The one I purchased is The Medium Patent Push Lock in the colour Patent Walnut. I love bags with a structured design which is exactly what this is. Even though it is small it’s surprisingly versatile, as I can fit everything I need inside. Including my purse, phone, sunglasses and also my keys. The strap has many different holes so you can change the length of it, meaning it can be held over your shoulder or as a cross body bag.

I like to have it over my shoulder as it allows me to be hands free and I also feel like all of my belongings are safe and close to me. The colour is very neutral and matches with any outfit that I wear. The back has the Cambridge Satchel logo with a small cutout to put a bit of paper with, perhaps, your details on it.

Inside is very typical for these bags, they are not ‘finished’ on the inside but I really like this design. Again as I said I can fit everything I need to, I would have liked there to be a separate pocket on the inside but I really love the bag as it is.

What’s your go to accessory?

My Make Up Storage

For a while now I have been at an odd with my make-up collection. I have gotten to the point where I now realise I need no more! (Not sure that will stop me though, ha!) I have cleared out a lot of products I no longer use and have hated. Sold a few and given away a lot to friends and family. I have wanted to be able to have a place that was decluttered and not overloaded with products, and instead to just have my daily make-up on display.  

I don’t like to have all of my make up in one place because I think it makes it very cluttered. I like to keep the majority of it in my desk drawers and also in the drawers of my vanity. This way they are close to me if I need to quickly get anything. However, the main element of my make-up storage I wanted to talk about is my two drawer Muji system.

I purchased these drawers recently in the Muji store in Carnaby Street. I absolutely love them as they are a lot deeper than any other acrylic drawers that I have had before. Previously I purchased drawers from ebay and whilst they were good they were nothing like these ones. I like the simplicity of them, of course the transparency makes it very easy to see where everything is. In the top drawer I keep my foundation, concealer, primers, liner, eyebrow pencil and mascaras. And then in the bottom drawer is where I keep my palettes and powders and a few lip products.

On top of my make-up storage I have a little lip display that I keep all of my favourite lipsticks in. Then to the right I have an old candle that I have de-potted, that is now the home to my brushes that I use on a day-to-day basis. I also like to keep my favourite perfume, Miss Dior, in the middle as it’s in such a beautiful looking bottle and is easy to grab on my way out.

Where do you store all your make up?