Birchbox August 2015 Review & Unboxing


Hi there!   This is my second time doing a Birchbox unboxing post, and this month I'll be discussing the August box! It came pretty early in the month too, but I've been sitting on doing this review because I've just been so busy reviewing K-beauty products, that my Birchbox just kind of fell by the wayside. I generally enjoy Birchbox though, because full-sized products take me a while to get through, and the little sample sizes they send are just the right size for me to be able to get a feel for the product. Not to mention, you can't beat that $10 a month price tag. 

What is Birchbox?
Birchbox is a monthly subscription box service that sends you around 5 or so beauty/makeup samples for $10. When you sign up, you fill out a short survey of your preferences and they send you samples of products that they think you might enjoy. This is a great way to try new products before you buy them, and is also a fun little beauty surprise to receive on yoour doorstep every month!

Every box usually comes with around 5 or so samples. Birchbox offers a points system, and to earn points, you have to go on the Birchbox website and submit a short review of the items you received. For each review you submit, you are rewarded 10 Birchbox points, which is equal to $1 to spend in their shop. So really, you're spending $10 per box, but getting $5 back in store credit to spend on awesome goodies! This comes in handy when you find a product you really love in a monthly box, because then you can use the store credit you've accumulated to essentially get it for free if you earn enough points!  You also get 1 point for every dollar you spend in their shop, and sometimes Birchbox offers extra points for coupons that you can combine to save even more $$$!

The theme for this month's Birchbox is Soak It Up! 
"As summer peaks (temp-wise and watermelon-consumption-wise), we're taking advantage of every last minute. That means embracing air-dried hair, ensuring our skincare is SPF-heavy and keeping our makeup minimal. We hope you love this month's samples, and can't wait to see how you use them! Here's to making the most of summer's last gasp."

image Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk 
 Natural Tint (Full Size: $20) image

I'm just going to start with the item that I was least excited about, to get it out of the way. This is a dry shampoo for brown to dark brown hair, and it contains oat milk. Dry shampoos usually do nothing for my hair, or leave it coated in weird sticky crap that weighs it down, so I'm weary about trying this one. Not to mention "second day hair" doesn't exist for me, because I wash my hair every day (I can audibly hear people cringing, but my hair is oily as hell. My second day hair looks like your week-long hair, trust me). One thing that I hate about summer boxes, one of them will almost always contain a dry shampoo. Maybe this would work well for someone with thicker or less oily hair, so into the giveaway pile it goes. 

What Birchbox says:
"Klorane's original dry shampoo is a favorite with beauty editors, celebs, and Birchbox staffers and customers alike, absorbing oil and adding body and bounce to second day hair. And just when we thought we couldn't love it more, Klorane has made a version just for brunnettes: mineral pigments tint the botanical formula a subtle beige hue, so it blends easily into darker hair (no white residue here!). 

image Air Repair Complexion Boosting Moisturizer (Full Size: $20) & 
LAQA & Co. Lip and Cheek Crayon in "Humble Brag" (Set of 3: $20) image

Crap, I just went from my least favorite item in the box, to my two favorites, whoops. デコメ image of Pic The LAQA & Co. Lip and Cheek Crayon was the first item that caught my eye when opening this box, and I love it! It's a creamy, baby pink that goes so well with my skin tone, and it's supah moisturizing! I threw this into my bag right away to take with me. I usually don't like dual products like lip and cheek crayons, but will I use this for my lips? Definitely. 

What Birchbox says:
"With their substantial charms (read: easy application and gorgeous color), these mulitasking crayons from LAQA & Co. have certainly won us over. Each creamy formula works as both cheek and lip color, and the sleek gold crayon makes it ultra easy to dab on. The set includes crayons in three flattering hues: Cray-Cray (coral peach), Mixtape (ruby rouge), and Humble Brag (blush pink). Added bonus? It comes with a beautifully designed clutch painted by Australian New York-based artist Kate Shaw."

The next item in my August box was the Air Repair Complexion Boosting Moisturizer. Birchbox sometimes allows its subbies to choose a featured product that they wanted in their box; there were a few items to choose from this time, and I chose Air Repair cream since I've been wanting to try out different moisturizers. デコメ image of Pic This one is nice and light, and works well for daytime. While I would definitely use something heavier at night, this one works well under my makeup and has the added bonus of hyaluronic acid and antioxidant awesomeness. 

What Birchbox says:
"We'll admit it: Our case of wanderlust shows no signs of abating. We could, however, do without the dulling effects travel (and stress and dry weather and...) has on our complexions. That's why we never go anywhere without this intensely rejuvenating face cream. It's packed with antioxidants and humectants to hydrate and revitalize skin, so that even at our most jet-lagged we're still rocking a radiant complexion."

image Balance Me Congested Skin Serum (Full Size: $30) &
COOLA Face SPF30 Unscented Matte Tint (Full Size: $36) image

The Balance Me Congested Skin Serum is an acne spot treatment that I'm super happy about receiving! I've been suffering from bouts of acne recently (probably due to stress) and I've been applying my Acence Mark-X Blemish Cream like a madwoman, so I'm happy to have another spot treatment to try. This one is light and leaves my skin feeling smooth, and it has a pretty strong herbal scent that reminds me of lemongrass. If you don't like your skincare products to be heavily scented, you will not like this spot treatment. The scent is pretty overpowering.

What Birchbox says:
"Even the most diligent daily skin routine can't thwart all blemishes. Fortunately, this lightweight, "on the spot" treatment has us covered in a skirmish with a wayward pimple - or a prolonged battle against stubborn trouble areas. With a divine scent and smooth application, this calming serum refines pores and balances skin without drying, and is free of parabens or sulfates. Blemishes, we'll beat you yet."

The last item in my box was this COOLA Face SPF30 Unscented Matte Tint. It's pretty much just a tinted moisturizer with SPF. Eh. I wasn't too excited about this, since I prefer my skin to stay pale and therefore don't tan. I also use SPF already, however this does have physical sun blockers (zinc and titanium dioxide) which are gentle and effective for even sensitive skin, so that's a plus! However, I won't be using this. I banished it to the giveaway pile. image

What Birchbox says:
"Slathering on sunscreen can seem more like a chore than a proper primping ritual, but COOLA's standout facial tint has us (gasp) actually looking forward to applying SPF. Made with 70% organic ingredients, including plenty of free-radical fighting antioxidants, the silky, non-greasy formula dries down to a matte finish (and does so without an overpowering scent!). Two skin-safe mineral sunblocks - titanium and zinc dioxide - are suspended in a moisturizing base to ensure a smooth, even application, and the subtle beige tint evens out skin tone and masks flaws. Works best for light to medium complexions."

image Final Verdict image

I was pretty satisfied with Birchbox this month; there was only one item that I didn't like (the dry shampoo *eternal screaming*). The other products were right up my alley, and that isn't bad for $10! One of the best ways to look at Birchbox is to see it as a "discovery subscription" of sorts; you may not like every single item in every box, but when you do find something that you fall in love with, it kind of pays for itself! That, along with that points system. デコメ image of Pic It just keeps me comin' back. Although truth be told, I might just explode if I get another dry shampoo. 

If you want to become a Birchbox subscriber, you can do so OVER HERE. If you subscribe soon, you'll receive 20% off your first full size purchase of $25 or more in their shop!


Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions on this blog are strictly my own. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this review, although this blog does accept goods and/or services for the purposes of an honest review. Posts may contain affiliate or referral links.

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