The October 2014 Birch Box

This month the Birch Box theme is 'Work it' so the items selected are those to help you through your daily work routine. October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month so Birch Box have partnered with CoppaFeel to provide you with a checklist to help you identify the early signs and symptoms of breast cancer. This can be found in the enclosed booklet along with information on the products provided and a few tips and tricks on how to use them. The items that I received in this months Birch Box are as follows:

•  KMS California Dry Wax - This is a hair wax in a spray format which I thought was quite interesting as I hate hair products on my hands. It is suggested to either spray this on towel dried hair then blow dry to use on dry hair to create a textured finish. I attempted to use this dry on my boyfriends hair but it didn't seem to have much hold and didn't really work for styling either. I may try the other method of adding to towel dried hair to see what I can achieve. 
•  Shaveworks The Cool Fix - This is a gel formula which can be used on ingrown hairs, razor bumps, razor burn and redness. This is to relieve any discomfort from shaving and have a cooling effect. I have not yet used this but once again my boyfriends freshly shaved face became the guinea pig. He said that it definitely soothed the skin and later asked for more so this must be good! I'll definitely be keeping this one handy just in case! 
• Balance Me Cleanse & Smooth Face Balm - This product is made in the UK and claims to be 100% natural, paraben and sulphate free, amongst others. It contains no artificial colours or fragrances and is for normal to dry/sensitive skin. I have not used this as I currently have a full skincare routine but I will probably take this with me if I am travelling as I don't like to carry full size products with me. 
• Meaningful Beauty Cindy Crawford Glowing Serum - This is an anti-ageing cream. It is a peachy colour and more of a gel formula than a cream. It goes on the skin very smoothly and doesn't feel sticky however it does have a strong floral fragrance which I can't stand. I don't really believe in anti ageing products and so I wouldn't use this product. Also I find it quite disconcerting that on the packaging it says "If swallowed, get medical help or contact a poison control Center right away". What on earth is in this stuff?! I couldn't tell you because the ingredients are not listed on the packaging. 
• Pixi by Petra Shea Butter Lip Balm - This was by far my favourite product from this months box and one I think I would definitely repurchase. I'm a Chapstick girl and I just love how smooth and soft Chapstick applies to the lips unlike some other balms which are quite hard and you really have to press on your lips to get some product. The Pixi Lip Balm is soft enough that you can just run it smoothly along the lips to achieve some moisture. The balms are also tinted and just give a light "my lips but better" colour pay off. I received the Raspberry Balm which just makes your lips a little bit pinker and I love it. 
• Birch Box Lipstick shaped Pen - I suppose this is more of a novelty item which some people might like but I wasn't really too fussed about this. I have plenty of pens lying around the house and this product just seemed a bit cheap & tacky to me. Also the pen itself is quite wide and I personally find it a lot more difficult to write with than a standard pencil thin pen.