Birchbox October 2013 #BBXBUZZ

Birchbox really got it right with their Beauty Buzz box this month and this has now become my favourite box to date.

Beauty Buzz, or #BBXBUZZ, is the theme and is all about celebrating award-winning and celeb-favourite beauty samples. Everything in the box is new to me, which is exactly what I want but they are also products that I have heard raved about, as you would expect from a buzz box.

So what’s inside the box this month…

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer Radiance (full size £28) 

I’ve never tried any Laura Mercier products and along with her tinted moisturiser, the primer is a highly rated product. This is the radiance primer, which has a skin coloured tint and is meant to create a soft focused and radiant finish on the skin. 

I had a quick swatch on my hand and the texture is similar to a moisturiser, no silicone from what I can tell, which is a huge plus. The sample is a generous 15ml so there should be enough for me to decide if I would like a full size. 

Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant (full size £67) 

At £67 for a full size I highly doubt I will be purchasing this but I am a big fan of exfoliation and microdermabrasion is a word that will always get me interested in a product. I have moved away from physical exfoliants but once in a while I like to use a scrub, which I know is a psychological thing. 

Dr Brandt Microdermabrasion contains pharmaceutical grade crystals that are are diamond shaped and therefore are meant to exfoliate evenly without scratching or irritating the skin. 

KMS California Curl Up Wave Foam Mousse (full size £15) 

This was the first product that caught my eye in the box and the one that had me believing Birchbox do take your profile response into account. I have never had a product specifically for curly hair in a beauty box and this being a styling product rather is great since my current curling cream is running low and the options for curly hair aren’t many.

theBalm cosmetics Stainaic (full size £10) 

Of all the products the lip and cheek stain from theBalm is the one I am least excited about. I own Cha Cha tint by Benefit but have never been able to apply it well enough to my cheeks, which I know will be the same with this product. I received the red colour, beauty queen, and I am not convinced it will suit me but I will try it out as a lip stain. 

Dr Lipp Nipple Balm for Lips (full size £11.50) 

A tiny, tiny sample but hopefully enough to know if this balm is worth the hype. I’ve moved away from petroleum based lip balms since my lips are always dry and all those balms do is act as a barrier rather than help with the lip condition. I have a few that I am trying at the moment so this can be added to the pile. 

Lifestyle extra 

Birchbox Eyelash curler (full size £10)

I have an eyelash curler from The Cosmetics Company that I love so I will pass this onto my mum to have. A very nice addition to the box though and one I am sure everyone can get use out of. 

Beauty Extra

Egyptian Magic (full size £29)

I have wanted to try this since the early days of starting my blog but the price held me back. Being a balm I expect that it will be good value for money but if you happen to hate it, it’s a lot of product to waste or force yourself to use.
The story behind Egyptian Magic is that it is an ancient formula of six ingredients, including beewax and honey, that can be used on the face and body for moisturising dry skin, reducing stretch marks, wrinkles and scarring and as cleanser, eye makeup remover, hair mask and make up primer. The healing properties are what appeals most to me so I will be testing this out on my acne scars.

Hopefully you can tell why I think this box was such a hit. I’m also glad that Birchbox have got rid of the magazine and just included a few information cards since I never read the magazines and felt guilty whenever I chucked them away. 

So let me know, what's your #BBXBUZZ product?