Birchbox Review: July 2015

Hi again! Welcome back to my tiny little corner of the internet! This week, I have another beauty box review. Today I will be reviewing my very first Birchbox. So, I’m going to go ahead and jump into

First of all, how super cute is this box that the products came in? I didn’t think I would care for the boxes that Birchbox sends their products in. Ipsy sends a reusable makeup bag. But I think I am going to re-use and re-purpose these birchboxes. I think they would look super cute stacked up in my glass front cabinet/side table in my living room. I love the bright and graphic design.

First product up for review is the clariSEA Rapid Detox Charcoal Exfoliant. The directions say to mix some of what I assume is a sea salt/ charcoal mixture in the palm of your hand with some water and wash your face. 

Whoa.

It…definitely felt like I washed my face with salt! I was surprised by how super exfoliating this product is! Although I don’t know why I was surprised—-it’s salt! I typically love exfoliating products, and I’m a little heavy handed as most products are not exfoliating enough. Not this one though. My skin felt a little raw with my first use. I have since learned to apply more gently. I have also tried mixing it with my favorite daily cleanser, Cetaphil and I loved the way my skin felt after using the combo! I definitely loved this product.

Next up is Supergoop’s Daily Correct CC Cream with SPF 35 in Light/Medium. It was pretty dark for Light/Medium when I rubbed it on my hand, but it seemed to blend pretty well on my face. I really like this product. I hate putting on a full face of makeup on the weekends, but I also don’t like hearing “Gosh, you look so tired!” when I wear no makeup at all. So this product is pretty awesome if you like minimal makeup. It was pretty light coverage. The formula is a little thick when applying, but I liked that about it. I usually stay away from products with SPF because they clog my pores and make me break out; however, this product has been very kind to my skin. I dabbed on some Sun Beam by Benefit (not included in Birchbox) on my face while applying this CC cream and it gave me a sheer, sun kissed, minimal makeup look and I love it! Birchbox nailed this pick for me!

Birchbox and Ipsy both sent me dry shampoos this month. Birchbox’s pick was Klorane Dry Shampoo With Oat Milk – Natural Tint. I liked this product but didn’t love it. The smell wasn’t offensive. The product helped eliminate some oiliness. I didn’t see much of a difference in the fact that it was tinted versus Ipsy’s non tinted pick. I did like the dry shampoo in my Ipsy bag more than this one simply because Ipsy’s pick smelled so good! This is a nice product, but I didn’t absolutely love it. Just feeling pretty neutral about this one.

Oh Birchbox. You almost hit it out of the park on this one. You could have. You were SO close. I like Stila products. I’ve been trying to experiment with new lip colors. I would have loved this product if they wouldn’t have given me the perfect shade of ABSOLUTELY FREAKING NOT. I don’t like to say that I hate something, but I really, really, REALLY don’t like this lip color. It’s called Venizia (14) which must be Italian for “Really frickin’ bright.” I can’t decide if it’s orange, red, or orangey-red. I was a good sport and still gave it a test drive. The formula is nice. A little bit went a very long way. The finish seems matte without being too drying, which I like. But that shade…ugh. It ain’t my cup of tea. Better luck next time, Birchbox. 

And last, but not least, is Rusk’s Heatshift Re-Styling Cream. Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to try this out yet. It’s been a busy week yet again, and very HOT, so my hairstyles have been either a bun or ponytail or some variation of that all week. I am very intrigued and excited to try this product, so I will post an update on this one when I do.

This was my very first Birchbox, and in general, I’m pretty impressed. Basically, I received two skincare/face products, two hair products, and one (albeit kinda ugly) lip/makeup product. I have high hopes for next month’s box. Both Ipsy and Birchbox had a very summery theme for their July subscriptions, and I dig the themes. But this girl loves Fall. So I’m excited to see what the changing seasons will mean for products and themes for both of these subscriptions.

Did you get Birchbox this month? What products did you like or dislike? How did YOU feel about that Stila Liquid Lipstick? Leave me some love in the comments!

NOTE: This post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own.