It has been a while since I've done a Birchbox review. I've been trying to keep up with my monthly boxes and stay organized. Today's post is a review for my July and August Birchboxes!
If you are unfamiliar with Birchbox, it is a monthly subscription service. For $10 a month, you get a selection of five or so samples of various products that have been chosen to fit the monthly theme and your beauty profile. Birchbox tends to focus on higher-end brands, with more skin and haircare items. In comparison, Ipsy tends to carry more drugstore brands and makeup, with high-end brands mixed in here and there. Both of these boxes have a mix of skincare, haircare, makeup, fragrance, and nail polish. I also started getting the Sephora Play box, which also has a mix of products (mostly makeup) and focuses on the higher end brands that Sephora carries. I love them all and enjoy trying out the products that each supply to my junkie needs. If you want to subscribe to one and are unsure of which to choose, let me know what you want most and I can help you choose the best one for you.
- This is not a sponsored post. I pay for my own Ipsy/Birchbox/Sephora Play! subscriptions. All opinions are 100% my own.-
Birchbox - July 2016: My Morning Routine
CLEAN Air Eau de Parfum -
This perfume is described as "crisp with notes of mountain air, lush green accords, and freesia...". To me, it smells very clean and bright, like a nice soap. It is nice, but pretty strong at first. While not my ideal scent, it isn't bad either. But I'm also not super into various perfumes. I tend to stick with what I like and rarely change things up that way. I think I prefer the CLEAN Warm Cotton to this one, personally. A full-size is $40 to $72.
Clinique City Block Purifying Charcoal Cleansing Gel -
This is a detoxifying cleansing gel with charcoal to zap pores of dirt, oil, and makeup. It does a good job at leaving my skin nice and clean. Sometimes I will leave it on in the shower a bit to let it work my pores a little longer before I rinse it off. The cleanser has a very light, gel-like texture and light scent. I haven't had issues with it drying out my skin either. A full-size is $20.
Marcelle Xtension Plus Curl Mascara -
While hypoallergenic, this mascara doesn't seem to be budge-proof, so it automatically gets a thumbs down from me. It is just okay, but don't expect it to stay on your lashes if you have oily skin and mascara issues like I do. A full-size is $14.
MDSolarSciences Daily Anti-Aging Moisturizer SPF 30 -
I haven't used this very much yet, so I can't comment on all its qualities. It is a multi-tasking product that claims to minimize the look of wrinkles, hydrate, and protect the skin. I've been trying to make my way through SPF moisturizers lately, so I am sure I will use this more in the future. This is a quality sunscreen product made without all the nasty crap that is in your everyday drugstore-available sunscreens. It is paraben-free, sulfate-free, phthalates-free, cruelty-free, noncomedogenic, and conatins no harsh chemicals or artificial fragrances, mineral oils, or gluten. It is also Broad Spectrum. A full-size is $25.
PARLOR by Jeff Chastain Moisturizing & Repairing Shampoo -
I liked this shampoo okay. The scent was nice and not overpowering. I don't know that it was as moisturizing as I need in a shampoo. I feel I have better options that suit my particular hair type much better. A full-size is $22.
Birchbox - July 2016 Add-On: COOLA SPF Kit
Each month, Birchbox offers kits and products as add-ons to your box. They sometimes have special discount prices and will ship free with your box for that month. I decided to go ahead and purchase this SPF kit. I really wanted to test out different sunscreen brands to find what worked best for me. Most sunscreen you find at the store is made up of incredibly bad chemicals that can wreak havoc on your body. I wanted to steer clear of those and focus on finding natural sunscreen products with quality ingredients. COOLA uses organic ingredients with broad-spectrum protection (versus just UVA or UVB), is crulety-free, and made without parabens, sulfates, or phthalates. I've also been testing out some products by Supergoop, which is another quality ingredient sunscreen brand.COOLA SPF 30 Organic Makeup Setting Spray -
I don't hate this spray and use it on really hot, sunny days. I will be taking it on vacation with me. However, compared to the Supergoop! Defense Refresh Setting Mist SPF 50 (which I LOVE and it smells like rosemary!), I don't like it as much. While it smells light and fresh, it can sometimes sting when I spray it on. It also leaves a slightly filmy feeling on my face. I do not feel that it helps contribute to a matte finish, but I do have really oily skin to begin with. That being said, I prefer wearing this to getting skin cancer. A full-size is $36.
COOLA SPF 50 Sport Mango -
I like this one a lot. I love the light, fruity, mango scent. It doesn't feel greasy or oily. Both Sean and I have used it with no issues (no breaking out or irritation). I will be purchasing this for travel when I run out of my various SPFs for testing. I am also interested in trying the spray-on SPF version.
COOLA Environmental Repair Plus Radical Recovery After-Sun Lotion -
I don't go outside a lot and I do wear SPF every time I leave the house. I don't want skin damage, wrinkles, or skin cancer, y'all! I am a stickler about it. That being said, I haven't had a sunburn since I was a teenager, so I haven't had the need to use this after-sun lotion. I will be taking it on vacation with me just in case. Last time we were in Hawaii (for our honeymoon), Sean got a bright red burn all over his face and could have used this stuff. A full-size is $32.
COOLA Mineral SPF 30 Daydream Makeup Primer -
I hate to report that I have not had a chance to try this primer yet. I like to try things at home first to see how they act before I wear them out of the house. This primer has a nice texture and feel to it, I just haven't had a chance to wear it yet. It does have 4/5 star rating on Sephora, which is typically a good sign. A full-size is $42.
COOLA Classic Face Sport SPF 50 White Tea -
I've used this face SPF and another unscented one from COOLA. I love the light scent of this one. I haven't had any issues with breakouts or greasiness once applied, although it does tend to make my face oilier later in the day. Depending on the events for the day, when I use this I opt for my oil control primer spray and setting spray to help keep a more matte finish to my face. If this isn't quite what you are looking for, I would recommend the Mineral Face SPF 30 ($36), which is a tinted SPF formula in a light texture similar to Benefit's POREfessional. The color blends in well and it doesn't seem to make me more oily throughout the day. I have gone through 3 sample containers of the tinted stuff and really like it. I put it on on top of moisturizer and under makeup. When using the White Tea sunscreen, it goes on before moisturizers. A full-size of the Face Sport White Tea is $32.
Birchbox - August 2016: Can't Stop, Won't Stop
Beauty Protector Protect and Oil -
This product is a customer-favorite hair oil that defends against UV rays, heat, and breakage, while creating shine. This hair oil doesn't feel greasy or heavy. It left my hair feeling soft and hydrated, which is always a plus. A full-size is $28.
COOLA Mineral SPF 30 Daydream Makeup Primer -
I hate to report that I have not had a chance to try this primer yet. I like to try things at home first to see how they act before I wear them out of the house. This primer has a nice texture and feel to it, I just haven't had a chance to wear it yet. It does have 4/5 star rating on Sephora, which is typically a good sign. A full-size is $42.
Manna Kadar Cosmetics The Day Dream Palette -
I have a few Manna Kadar products and, so far, have liked them all. This eyeshadow is smooth and creamy-feeling, highly pigmented, and goes on evenly. I love the golden champagne color, which looks good on pretty much anyone. It can also be used as a highlighter. The palette that includes this shade is $25. (Swatch below)
Marcelle Hydra-C 24H Energizing Hydrating Gel -
This product is a lightweight gel moisturizer with green tea, cucumber extracts, and vitamins C and E to help nourish and protect the skin. It feels nice and light on and seemed to moisturize just fine. I feel like I use other products I like more for the same purposes, so it wasn't my favorite. But it wasn't bad either. A full-size is $25.
R+Co Oblivion Clarifying Shampoo -
I like this shampoo fine. It is a clarifying shampoo to clean your hair of product buildup. It contains rosemary leaf extract, coconut oil, and Japanese witch hazel. I love the herbal green tea-like scent. I just know that I need a more moisturizing shampoo on the regular to meet my needs. I did enjoy the conditioner sample they included, but it was only enough for one use. A full-size is $24.
And there you have it! What have you received in your Birchbox lately? Have you tried any of these products? I would love to hear your thoughts!
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