Birchbox Limited Edition Christmas 2013

I asked for a gift subscription from Birchbox this Christmas from the in laws after seeing that anyone you bought a 6 month or year subscription would get the Limited Edition Christmas Box and it was the only way to get it.

I have to admit a little curiosity into the Hot Cloth Cleanser has led me onto buying 6 months as well as the fact that my in laws will fund a six month present that won't be a household object that we need rather than something that I want as a luxury, so this year they bought me six months and the free box.

It was a lovely looking box.

Inside the box there is the following:
Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser 100ml Starter Kit
Molton Brown Pink Pepperpod Body Wash 300ml
One Twistband Hair tie.
Two teapigs teabags
Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara 1.5g
Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque 100ml

Liz Earle Cleanser and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser has appeared on some of the blogs I've read and the youtube videos I've seen and I really wanted to try it as it looked good. It has a rrp of £14.75 for this set.

The Molton Brown Pink Pepperpod Body Wash smells really nice and musty. I can definitely smell the ginger and pepper and as I have a shower I will be using this in the bath as a bubble bath. This has a price of £18

I love my twistband as it doesn't yank on my hair or pull out half my hair when I remove it like my hair bobble does. I can't find them in stock on Birchbox's site but when they come back on there I will be buying more. Each twistband costs approx. £1.66.

Two tea bags have no real measurable costs and I seem to be getting them in everything and at the moment I am in a coffee not a tea mood so it is unlikely they will be used.

The Givency Noir Couture Mascara is incredibly small. it is really pretty and as you can see from my picture it fits easily into even my tiny hands.
It is 4 in 1 mascara that is supposed to give volume, length, curl and care.
It has a rather unusually applicator, well it is unusual for me, as it has three tiny balls of bristles on the stick. It made it a lot easier to apply even with my very limited vision and I hardly smudged it which is a big achievement for me. It looks really good on application and is fairly fast drying and gives the volume and length as well as the curl but I am not sure about the care. The full sized mascara has a rrp of about £22.50 so it would have to be a considered purchased for me, although it is very good. I am not sure how much this would cost in this size but I am guessing it is a sample pack as the bag says 'SAMPLE NOT FOR SALE'.

The last item in this box is the Macadamia Deep Repair Masque 100ml. It had the most ridiculous seal on it which I fought with to see what it smelled like.
It doesn't really smell like anything but I look forward to using it as my hair is very long and it might be good with the Argan oil and Macadamia oil. As normal, will repost either in my empties or as a separate review if really good.
It has a rrp of £9.95 for the 100ml size.

Tbh, I am not too sure how the box is worth over £60 from my calculations, but have not factored in the not for sale mascara, box or the teas, but this box is a freebie with a subscription and that makes it a very good freebie in my mind, especially as it was a Christmas present.

I love the hair tie and will be buying more when they are in stock and the mascara is great for my handbag. Great freebie Birchbox and I approve of this as a bonus for a gift card subscription, although to be fair it would have been nice if current subscribers could buy it without buying a subscription.