Beauteco Box | August

Beauteco Box | Monthly Beauty Box | £10 +p&p* | Link 

Last month, I wrote a little introductory post about the new beauty subscription box in town - 'Beauteco Box'.  I'm sure you've all heard of it by now but just in case you haven't and fancy a read up on the whole concept and why I think it's the bee's knees then you can have a nosey at my last post here. I've been pretty chuffed to say the least, and last month's box actually introduced me to a couple of new favourites of mine - I'm now addicted to Neal & Wolf's conditioning treatment (definitely repurchasing it once I've ran out!) and I've been converted back to a kohl pencil (after using liquid liner for donkey's years) in the form of Art Deco's Soft Kajal Liner. Both products are FULL size which really pleased me - you really do get your money's worth with this box!  I'm sure you'll be seeing those products in my monthly favourites at the beginning of next month...

Anyway, onto this month's Beauteco Box offerings!  Once again, I was really excited about this box. Lord & Berry are one of my favourite brands and I was so excited to see them on the Beauteco Box menus - I definitely think they deserve a more widely known status amongst the blogging world (I've previously reviewed their highlighting 'Luminizer Stick' if you're interested!). Once again, the box contained 3 full size products and 2 generously sized samples for me to get my mitts on - for the price you really cannot grumble and if beauty boxes are your thing then Beauteco will be right up your street.  I'll give you the low-down on what I chose this month...

Lord & Berry Intensity Lipstick in 'Peach Gleam'

This product is the one I was the most excited about.  I've had Lord & Berry Lip Crayons in the past and LOVED them - so was really looking forward to giving one of their lipsticks a whirl.  The shade is just my cup of tea - you know me, anything with a hint of peach or coral and I'm there! I've been using this a lot the past couple of weeks - it's such a lovely muted peach shade - not too bright or too dark - just the perfect colour for an everyday lip.  It seems to perk up my complexion no end and applies really nicely.  The formula isn't so creamy that it applies fully opaque, but the pigmentation is really impressive and on first 'swipe' your lips are coated in peachy-gleamy-goodness.  If you like Mac's 'Shy Girl' or 'Ravishing' - then it's worth looking into this little gem.

Lord & Berry Kissproof Lip Colour Liner in 'Blossom'

I am a big fan of Estee Lauder's Double Wear Lip Liner in 'Spice' - and at £17 a pop (oof...that will send your purse strings running for the hills...) they aren't cheap.  Sadly, I'm almost ran out of my holy-grail favourite so this little addition came just at the right time. It's a little more pink than my usual lip liner but it's without a doubt very similar and it's a colour that I would pair with a load of lipsticks as it's not far off from a natural lip shade.  I can't wait to try this.

Arran Aromatics Lavender & Tea Tree Facial Wash

Again, another full size product!  I always use tea tree products on my skin throughout the month - I find it helps calm any redness and helps prevent blemishes.  This facial wash deep cleanses the skin and gently exfoliates, whilst the lavender in it revitalises and calms.  I haven't used this yet as I'm still getting through a sample size of a Balance Me one, but I will giving this a whirl in the next couple of weeks or so. 

S5 Purity Serum

Of all the products this month, this is the one that really intrigued me.  I don't use serums and oils on my skin that much but am always open to trying them.  I'd love to find one that really suits me.  This one seems really promising - it helps blemish prone skin by controlling breakouts, reducing appearance of pores and generally helping to keep the skin clear.  What I like about this one is that it doesn't feel greasy like other serums I've tried - just smooth, gel-like and almost cooling. 

Melvita Body Milk in 'Rose'

I'm not usually into floral fragranced things but I will certainly be giving this a try in the next week or so.  I really like the fact it's meant to soothe and moisturise the skin whilst providing a calming effect.  

This month's box has been another exciting one for me and I reckon there's at least a couple of gems in there for me.  I love the fact that Beauteco box have introduced me to both new brands and helped me rediscover some favourites too.  I will be sure to report on some of these products in the near future - keep your eyes peeled - some of them may make it into my monthly favourites...

Have you tried Beauteco box? Which product tickles your fancy this month?

The New Beauty Box Concept | Beauteco Box

Beauteco Box | Monthly Beauty Box | £10 +p&p* | Link

Before I started blogging, beauty boxes were quite the in thing and they flooded my reading list quicker than you could say the word 'hype'.  I must admit, I never quite caught on to the new trend and even though many times I'd been tempted, I put myself off when I heard of people getting sent the same things each month along with countless bottles of posh body wash they could never quite get through.  This was until recently, I was made aware of the new beauty box in town - Beauteco Box. 

What intrigued me was their completely fresh, unique twist on the monthly subscription box - the option of choosing what you want to receive from 3 carefully selected 'menus'.  This clever little concept means that every month, there is something there to suit your needs and preferences when it comes to beauty - adding a little personal touch and taking the whole gamble factor out of ordering a beauty box.  It's such a good way or trialling products that you would genuinely use or look into again in future and it means you can select a box full of products that you will be sure you will enjoy - inevitably saving yourself from a heap of wasted product samples and stacks of unused bottles on your bathroom shelf.  The Beauteco box is also put together using 100% recyclable material - a little eco-friendly boost goes a long way when it comes to packaging in my opinion! (you can have a read about the eco side of it here)

I opted for 'Menu 2' in July - containing products from brands 'Neal & Wolf', Pukka and Art Deco. I was particularly excited about the Art Deco eye products and the volumising offering from Neal & Wolf but there isn't a single product in there that I wouldn't want to use. Massive high-five coming your way, Beauteco! I'm sure you'll see a few of these products popping up in a favourites post or review sooner or later, but until then, I thought I'd give you the lowdown on each product and my thoughts on each one so far...

Neal & Wolf | Elevate - Volumising Lotion | £11.95

My hair needs volumising one heck of a lot just recently... so I was really excited to receive this little bottle of voluptuous goodness. Applied to wet hair, this lotion acts similarly to a mousse, adding body and volume to the hair but also adding shine and extra gloss.  I've only used this once so far, so I'm yet to see if I'm prepared to swap my trusty mousse for a lotion, but first impressions were really good. I found it volumised my hair yet helped it to remain smooth a sleek - no danger of 'straw hair' anywhere here!

Neal & Wolf | Harmony | Intensive Care Treatment | RRP £12.95

Another product my hair could do with at the moment after being slightly frazzled on a recent trip to Greece! This intensive treatment is designed to repair damaged hair using a combination of different conditioning ingredients. I'm planning on slathering this on my locks tonight...

Pukka | Radiance Serum (sample size) | Full size RRP £24.00 

Suitable for sensitive skin, this serum soothes and refreshes the skin and is completely free from parabens, synthetic fragrances and colours. It brightens, tones and adds radiance to the complexion and supports the skin naturally.  Again, as with any skincare, I can't really provide you on the whole she-bang with this product yet, but I really like how it's naturally fragranced and is paraben free - I'm a big fan of natural skincare.

Art Deco | Soft Kajal Liner | RRP £6.95 |

So far, I reckon this has to be my favourite of the July box.  It's soft and gel-like texture makes lining your eyes a breeze and is perfect for the waterline - I have sensitive eyes but I've had no trouble whatsoever with this *happy dance* I've used it over my Mac and Urban Decay liners recently and really, really love it.  It's the softest eyeliner I've used and doesn't drag my peepers.   The performance is also really good - long lasting and really well pigmented.  I love this one.  Definitely a winner for me. I'm glad I've been introduced to the brand and will definitely be checking it out soon.

Art Deco | Eyeshadow Base | RRP £8.00 

Again, another good product I've discovered this month and one I've been reaching for whenever I've been using powder eyeshadow.  The base is formulated with Vitamin E, meaning it feels soft and smooth on the delicate eyelid area. It also claims to reduce eye redness due to the ingredient 'Bisabolol', neutralising the skin before eyeshadow application. I've tried this and have to say, i like it.  It makes applying powder shadow a lot easier and lot more 'swift', with a lot less fall-out, whilst prolonging the life of your eye makeup. I love the consistency of it and find it a really nice base to apply.

Overall,  I personally find the 'menu' concept really refreshing and it's solved the whole problem of wasted samples.  Of course, with all beauty boxes there's a chance you might not like something occasionally, but if you liked everything, where would be the fun in ordering a monthly beauty box?! The fact I've found a new brand I will definitely be checking out soon only goes to show how you can benefit from a beauty box like this - you're introduced to brands you might have skimmed over before and the simple fact you're able to choose a selection means that any disappointment is taken out of the equation. The box costs £10 plus delivery - which is a really good price considering how much everything in the box costs when added up, and the majority of them are full sized.  This is my first ever subscription box, and it has somewhat changed the way I see beauty boxes.  Dare I say it, I'm converted (but only if I have a choice in what I receive, that is...) BIG thumbs up Beauteco Box.

You can have a nosey at the Beauteco Box website here.

What do you think about the Beauteco Box concept? Is this something you would consider trying?

Bird's Words has been shortlisted in the 2013 #CosmoBlogAwards in the 'Best Established Beauty Blog' category. If you enjoy reading my blog, it would mean the world to me if you voted for Bird's Words - You can cast your votes here.