Limited Edition Christmas Birchbox

Recently, I was contacted by Birchbox to review their Limited Edition Christmas Birchbox which comes free with a 6 or 12 month gift subscription. As some may know, I have tried Birchbox on and off and had come to the conclusion that the subscription was not beneficial enough to myself to warrant a monthly subscription. However, upon receiving the Limited Edition box, I was pleasantly surprised. 

It came in the most luxurious sturdy gift box which had a mint green base and a metallic silver textured geometric print top which lifts open. Inside were six items and were predominantly full-sized.

Inside The Box 

Liz Earle Beauty Co.’s Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser (Full-size)

Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara (Deluxe Sample)

Molton Brown Pink Pepperpod Body Wash (Full-size)

Macadamia Deep Repair Mask (Full-size)

Twistband Hair Tie 

Teapigs Peppermint and Everyday Brew Teas

This box blew me away; everything I received I was overwhelmingly grateful for. The Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish is a cult product, one I'd been eyeing up for the longest time but had not yet made the splurge purchase. The Molton Brown body wash, I love. I received a small sample of a different scent in a previous Birchbox which I loved so I can see myself loving this body wash too. The Macademia Deep Repair Mask is also a product I had been pining for. I have ombré hair so my ends are extremely dry. I've been dying to try the Macademia range as I've heard nothing but rave reviews. The Twistband was the icing on the cake for me as it's something that had been on my wishlist for a while. I have thick hair and a lot of it, which means all bobbles and hair ties last an average of a couple weeks before snapping. I'm a big tea fan so the Teapigs teabags were ideal. I have a nice stash of sample teas in my work draw for pick-me-ups of all kinds and will be adding these to my growing collection. The Givenchy mascara was a lovely bonus, while sample-sized - it's still a deluxe sample and will probably be able to get a few applications from it and it is the perfect size for travelling.

While the monthly Birchboxes aren't something that I personally feel is worth the money, I think that the Limited Edition Christmas box is ideal for those who enjoy beauty and want to sample new products but feel a monthly subscription would benefit others more.

True Life Values

We forget the true value of life more often than we'd like. We are encapsulated in vanity, greed and competition. We measure success by wealth and assets not by happiness. Often we don't realise what we've got until it's gone. Some may know that I lost a friend a few weeks ago to cancer. I still wake up thinking he's here but he's gone. Not gone, comma or gone, dot-dot-dot, but gone full-stop. 

Gone. 

I have never lost anyone this close to me before and a part of me dies every time I relive a memory of him because I know no new memories will be made...but I am also unbelievably thankful for all the good memories he has left us and it makes me value life a lot more for what it is. It makes me realise that I am so incredibly lucky to have food on my plate, a roof over my head, family and friends who love me, a sense of security and good health. We as a whole, complain too much and appreciate too little. I never want to lose sight of who I am and what I have. I never want to feel unhappy with what I have, because I have a lot more than most. So many people are denied the chance to grow old, to love and to be loved. We prioritise things all wrong; we put our careers before our families and money before our health. We put our assets before love and in the end, we will see our deaths before our lives.

We are scared we'll lose our money if we follow our dreams. We are scared we will be hurt. We are scared we'll be worse off in the end. We. Are. Scared. But we can't live our lives terrified of making mistakes. We are so afraid of living, that all we do is fearing. We literally scare ourselves to death. 

James, my friend - he was a passive person. He did what he wanted, and while he didn't exactly bungee jump or skydive on a daily basis. He had no fear. He was witty, intelligent and he made us laugh. He made us happy....and we need to be happy, more.

If I have appeared MIA for a while, well now you know why. I am living and you should too. I am a little behind on my blogging but I'm hoping to resume pace soon. 

Remember...live now, cry later.