Birch Box Opening - February

February has come and gone and yet again, I am slightly late with the birch box review! wait no longer... here it is!

If you are unfamiliar with the concept, Birch box is a subscription beauty box which you pay for monthly and allows you to sample a selection of luxury products each month by mail. Simple as that. I'm not going to harp on
anymore as I'm sure you are all familiar by now and I give a little recap every month and your probably sick of me teaching my grandma how to suck eggs. weird but apt expression...

This months birch box packaging was understated and ill be honest a little uninspiring to me as I prefer lavish bright boxes that I can keep on my dresser or around the house. It does of course all come down to what is inside so I was more than happy to overlook the lacklustre brown box...

At a glance, I could see a caudalie product which I can tell you, I was pretty darn excited about! Everyone has been raving about this brand, in particular the beauty elixir, so I was very excited. I also saw the little 'friends with benefit' teaser card. Basically this card heavily hinted at the next box having a little something from benefit which in my opinion means only one thing... the new roller lash mascara! This tempted me to renew my subscription which as you may or may not be aware was until now a Christmas gift from my sister. Here's what else was in February's box..

Caudalie Paris vinoperfect radiance serum was as mentioned above the one item in this box that made me giddy and it didn't disappoint! Its a lovely lightweight serum which made my skin feel rejuvenated and bouncy. I used this just before applying my moisturiser and found it could be used day or night. I'm not a huge fan of the scent of this as the smell to me was a little neutral and I was expecting it to be a bit more fresh or fruity smelling. It has definitely enticed me to try more from this brand though, they are one to watch! This was obviously just a sample and the full size costs £45 so I would rather try other items of theirs than purchase this and to be honest I still have a lot in this tube to use up anyway.

I've got to say, I am a little bit alien to the whole mania surrounding coconut oil and still feel hesitant to use vita coco coconut oil as the multi-tasker it claims to be. So many people sweat by coconut oil and obviously I love the smell of it but I feel overwhelmed by its many uses. So far I have only used vita coco coconut oil as a cuticle oil and I have to say it does a really wonderful job of softening up my cuticles but I am yet to use it in cooking or as a hair treatment. I'm not sure if this is a full size or not but a full size vita coco coconut oil retails at £10.99. I would say that's pretty reasonable as if I were to use this primarily as cuticle oil it would last me forever and a day. I do however think you could find more affordable substitutes if you didn't want to spend that much.

The Balm is another brand I've been itching to try so I was thrilled to receive the balm staniac in beauty queen. I did kick myself somewhat when I realised that some people have received a 'sandy louminizer' highlighter in their birch box as the Mary louminizer highlighter has been on my wish list for a  while now. This is a lovely stain which doesn't feel drying on the lips which is a huge pet peeve of mine. I am yet to try it out on my cheeks as I'm more of a powder blush kind of girl but I like the natural flush it gives when worn on the lips. This was just a sample size and the full size is £10.

My hair has been suffering of late as I abuse it with bleach/lightener to get it as blond as I have it, so the Agave healing oil treatment couldn't come soon enough! That said, I keep forgetting about it until I'm in the bath and its too late so I am yet to try this! I'm sure it will soak my hair in moisture so I'm setting a date in my diary for a pamper night. It is on. Prices for this range vary and there's no end to the reconstructive lotions and potions they have on offer. This wont suit all hair types but if you have colour, heat or chemically damaged hair then it is worth spending that bit more in my opinion so if this works, it is going to be a regular purchase.

This has been the product from this months box that I have gotten the most use out of. Cynthia Rowley eyeliner (usually £11) was available in black or silver and I got the black which is great as I wear black eyeliner everyday in my waterline. Its a great eyeliner and doesn't smudge or collect unattractively in your tear duct (another pet peeve) Its not a waterproof eyeliner so doesn't have the staying power that my usual eyeliners do but overall I was pretty impressed with this and I will use it up.

Finally, is the London Butterflies whipped body cream. This is a sample size and the full size is £37. I have really enjoyed using this and the smell is fresh and pretty including winter jasmine, starflower and sweet almond oil. It leaves the skin soft and feels like a real treat when applied. I think £37 is quite steep for the full size and when theres so many great lotions and body butters available at the drugstore I don't really see the need for spending that amount but it is pretty heavenly so its not been a chore to use.

What was your favourite item in February's birch box? What do you think the surprise from benefit will be?