Savage Beauty

I recently received my March Birchbox and wanted to share my love for the goodies which I received. Birchbox is a monthly subscription box which sends out 5 beauty treats for £12.95 a month! Click here to know more!

The packaging this month did not excite me, but it was a throwback to Birchbox's original design, and they have stated that they will be returning to their drawer style boxes in April... which is great to hear!

The main selling point of this months Birchbox was the sample sized Benefit They're Real! Double the Lip product. I chose the colour Lusty Rose, which a gorgeous pink-nude shade, which is flattering on my pale skin. The full size version of this can be found HERE in a selection of shades, and RRPs at £16.50.

A downside of buying a Birchbox is that with the good, may come the bad, and I received a teeny version of the Batiste 2 in 1 Dry Shampoo. I'm not a fan of receiving dry shampoos as samples, as they're pretty predictable and you know what to expect. The sample size version I received, can be bought for 50p in Superdrug, so I was not too thrilled about receiving it. Check out the full size version HERE.

On the plus size, I received a sample of the Balance Me Primer. I am still yet to try this out, but I have tried several products from Balance Me, and none of them have disappointed me! What I love about the Balance Me range is that they claim to use 99% natural ingredients. The full size version of the product comes in at a whopping £22 and can be found HERE!

Also in my box, was the Marcelle cleanser, which is a Birchbox exclusive. When I first saw this was in there, I was pretty disappointed, as I thought it was a micellar water... which I do not like. I thought I would give the product a chance. It said to smooth on to skin and rinse with warm water, and I loved it! It melted my make up off so quickly, and when I rinsed it off, my skin felt so smooth. I am very tempted to buy the full sized version! Check it out HERE!

Lastly in my box, was the Rituals foaming shower gel. I would not have been thrilled over this, if it wasn't for the gorgeous smell of organic rice milk and cherry blossom. It smells so luxurious, that I could not fault this product. Just don't send me anymore shower gel, Birchbox! Check it out HERE.

Overall, this months Birchbox was okay, but definitely not as good as last months! The Benefit product definitely made it worth it!

It's been a short while since my last post, but today I will be reviewing the brand new *limited edition* Benefit Cheek Parade palette. This palette contains five FULL SIZE benefit bronzers and blushers, for the price of £49.50! The set contains a Hoola bronzer, a Hoola LITE bronzer, a Galifornia blusher, a Dandelion blusher and a Rockateur blusher.

Let's start with the packaging, which is phenomenal as always. Benefit are known for their funky packaging, and this definitely does not disapoint. The product is obviously designed with a summer-feel in mind, and it is bright and vibrant.

The only item I have previously tried out of the set is the Hoola bronzer, which is basically one of the best bronzers out there. It's perfectly for not only adding a sun kissed glow, but for contouring as well.

I was even more excited to try the Hoola Lite bronzer. This is not currently available in the UK, and will be arriving here in a few months, so it is great to try it before anyone else! The product is supposed to be more suitable for fairer skin tones, and proves to be far lighter than the original Hoola bronzer. I do find that the Hoola Lite has more of a warmer tone to it than the original, so it may not be suitable to use as a contour. I hate to say this, but the Hoola Lite is far less pigmented than the original, although it is build-able on your skin.

One of the main reasons why I bought this palette was due to the new Galifornia blush, which has created so much hype by itself. It is layered with a golden shimmer and definitely more a peach shade, making it suitable for summer. Galifornia reminds me of a shimmer-y vibrant version of Benefit's Coralista blusher, and I absolutely adore it!

Lastly, this palette contains two of Benefit's bestselling blushers; the Dandelion and the Rockateur blush. Dandelion is a baby pink blush, whilst the Rockateur has a rose gold shimmer to it. Both are flattering on many skin tones, and are highly pigmented!

I hope you enjoyed this review. Pick up your Benefit Cheek Parade palette at House of Fraser whilst stocks last!