october birchbox: spotlight on liz earle

Hiiiii beauty lovers everywhere!  I’m trying out a new format for my monthly box reviews: instead of dedicating the same amount of space to all of the products I receive, I’m going to feature my favorite product and include a “how to use it” section!  I’ll still provide a one-line assessment of the other products, but I think this format will give me more opportunity to spend time talking about the exceptional products that come my way, without having to go into too much depth on the products that just aren’t for me.  Let me know what you think!

My spotlight product this month is kind of a cheat, because it’s actually two products – but because you can buy them in one amazing package, I decided it’s only a little cheat and I’m OK with it.

October Birchbox - Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser
October Birchbox – Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

The Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser Starter Kit, while a bit of a mouthful, is now one of the top 5 products I have ever received from Birchbox.  Liz Earle is a British brand that uses natural, botanical ingredients in their shockingly affordable and incredibly effective products.  My favorite Liz Earle factoid: they never made another cleanser because they deemed this one perfect.  Not only am I in agreement with the perfection of the cleanser, but I also admire the fact that the brand basically said, “Hey, we found the magic formula.  We don’t need to launch new versions of it to boost sales; the product will hold its own.”  Very cool.

How to Use It: Important- this cleanser should be applied on dry skin using dry fingertips! I was dubious too, but I promise you it works. Squeeze a dime-sized dollop of the cream cleanser into your your fingers.  I like to dollop it into my face the way I would apply foundation – I put a larger amount on each of my cheeks and forehead, and split the remaining product across my nose and chin.  I then use my (dry!) fingertips to buff the cleanser into my skin in small circles, using gentle pressure.  Once the creamy formula has been evenly distributed over my skin, I get the pure muslin cloth soaking wet in hot water, wring it out, and then use the same circular motion to buff the cleanser off my face.  I like to use a fresh piece of cloth for each section of my face, and if I’m wearing makeup, I’ll sometimes rinse the cloth between buffing sections to ensure that there’s no excess gunk getting in the way of perfecting my skin.  Splash your face with cold water once you’ve buffed off all of the cleanser, and pat dry with a clean towel.

I did also try using the cleanser with my Clarisonic.  I saw the same results, but my skin didn’t feel as soft as it did when I used the pure muslin cloth.  Be sure to give your muslin cloth a good rinse after each use, and wash it with your whites weekly (at least).

Results to Expect: I tweeted at Liz Earle that my skin looked like I’d spent significant time with a facemask on – I wasn’t lying!  My pores were invisible and my skin looked smooth and glowy after just one use.  I’ve been able to reduce the amount of CC cream I apply every morning as a result, and I’ve even been going to the office bare-skinned on occasion.  This product will absolutely be a staple in my medicine cabinet.

October 2013 Birchbox
October 2013 Birchbox (photo from Birchbox)

Also received:
Benefit FakeUp: Applied easily and blended well.  Needed to be set with powder to stay in place.
POP Beauty Aqua Lacquer: More sheer than the color in the tube suggests.  Made my lips look like a wet lollipop (in a good way!)
Chapstick Hydration Lock: I tucked this into my running shorts during my half marathon.  Hydrates, protects, and smells great.

Thanks, Birchbox, for yet another amazing month of products!

so, what did you think?


@anisamariek



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