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Birchbox Curated Box #3 Review + Coupon – August 2019

Megan K.
ByMegan K.Aug 5, 2019 | 12 comments

Birchbox Curated 3 August 2019 beauty box subscription review

Birchbox
3.7 overall rating
657 Ratings | 188 Reviews

Every month, Birchbox lets subscribers pick between a curated box (all samples revealed) or a single sample choice with the rest of the items arriving as a surprise. This review is of the "Summer Hits" curated box.

open box

FYI - sign up to get email alerts for our Birchbox Spoilers to learn about Birchbox Sample Choice and Curated box options each month!

My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

all box contents

About this Curated Beauty Box

The Subscription Box: Birchbox

The Cost: $15.00 a month + free shipping. Save with longer subscriptions.

Check our Birchbox Coupon List to get the most up-to-date coupon!

The Products: Beauty and lifestyle samples selected by the Birchbox team.

Ships to: US, France, Spain, and the UK

Birchbox August 2019 "Summer Hits" Curated Box #3 Review

 

There are two accompanying sheets in this month's Birchbox. One has a throwback "cootie-catcher" on the front as a fun summertime game, while the back lists out the five items included. The second sheet is a coupon code to get 100 extra points ($10) when you spend $50+ in the shop. The flipside of the coupon explains their 10% back rewards for in-shop purchases.

 

Living proof. Perfect hair Day 5-in-1 Styling Treatment, 1 fl oz - Estimated Retail Value $7.00 (Buy a full-size 4 oz for $28.00)

I love a styling cream. They are basically the only hair-related product I use other than your normal shampoo + conditioner routine and the occasional hair oil. This one is meant to be used on damp hair but I prefer to use them on dry strands, brushing it through my ends with my fingertips. This automatically gives me a polished look and smooths out most frizz. I also noticed a little added texture, which I always appreciate! This formula also protects against UV rays and smells really great.

 

Lipstick Queen 'Bad Boy' Lipstick, 3.5 g - FULL SIZE! Retail Value $24.00

I was just lamenting to Marne last week about the lack of obnoxious pink lipsticks I have gotten this year. Reds, nudes, glosses? Have tons of them. But nothing screams summer to me like HOT. PINK. I absolutely adore this formula. It has a nice sheen and the amount of coverage is stellar, especially for such a light finish. It is a true Barbie pink on my lips. Absolutely thrilled that this was a full-size item!

Here is a photo of it on my lips. I LOVE how bright it is. Summer is for pink!

YES.

 

Illamasqua Gel Sculpt in 'Silhouette', 0.14 oz - Estimated Value $6.40 (Buy a full-size 0.28 oz for $12.80)

Though I might actually be able to use this sheer shade as a contour, this light gel formula did not do my pores any favors. It seemed to just fall right into them, making me look dirty at best, covered in blackheads at worst. I do have really large pores, so if you don't, you will likely have a more pleasant outcome. It seems a bit of a shame, because the gliding stick itself feels great and the scent of this product is also very pretty.

You can see how this gel sinks into the natural texture of my skin. I will leave my pores to your imagination.

 

COOLA Dawn Patrol Classic Primer SPF 30, 0.17 fl oz - Estimated Value $7.14 (Buy a full-size 1 oz for $42.00)

COOLA is one of those brands that can really do no wrong in my book. I simply love everything I try from them. This primer is no exception! It feels similar to that Smashbox primer with the powdery silicone-like finish. My makeup sits on top beautifully and I noticed my pores seemed minimized. COOLA also creates really nice scents (something I am sure you have gauged is a BFD to me) and this one is a soft blend of flowers. I only wish this sample was larger!

 

Lise Watier Intense Waterproof Eyeliner, 0.03 oz. - Estimated Retail Value $4.50 (Buy a full-size 0.16 oz. for $24.00)

I don't use eyeliner often, but when I do I opt for a navy or dark plum, much like this one. I was skeptical about the waterproof claim, as metallic pencil liners usually fail me in that department. This one really does have staying power! It lasted on my (oily) lids for around 7 hours before I noticed any real movement, which is a long time for me. The pencil has a very smooth texture and the shimmering particles inside give it a dimension that enhanced my light brown eyes in a very pretty way.

The perfect plum!

 

Juliette Has a Gun Vanilla Vibes Perfume, 1.7 ml - Estimated Value $3.00 (buy a full-size 50 ml for $100.00)

I sampled this perfume in stores as soon as it launched and didn't love it. I am REALLY picky about vanilla scents because I think they can read as inexpensive or juvenile if not done correctly. This doesn't smell like either of those things, I just prefer a more complex scent. This is pure salt + vanilla to me, and without any of the other notes coming through, it just smells like some sort of beachy lotion. With the right floral notes, this could have been really interesting. Ah well, maybe I will try layering it with some other perfumes I own...

Verdict: This was my first pick of the August Birchbox curated boxes and it did not disappoint. The combination of that delightfully loud full-size lipstick along with the Living proof. hair cream, COOLA primer, and the eyeliner was all win for me. I couldn't say the same about the gel contour product, but that is ok. I also wasn't impressed with the perfume, but sometimes they grow on me or I find a perfect layering cocktail when I experiment with scent mixing. The overall value in this box was good too, around $52.04.

To Wrap Up: 

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? If you subscribe to Birchbox now, check the image on the sign-up page. The box design pictured is the first month you'll receive. You can't pick the curated box as your first box, but you'll be able to pick it every month moving forward.

Check our Birchbox Coupon List to get the most up-to-date coupon!

Value Breakdown: At $15.00 for this box each you are paying approximately the following per item:

  • Living proof. Hair Treatment $2.02
  • Lipstick Queen Lipstick $6.92
  • Illamasqua Gel Contour $1.84
  • COOLA Primer $2.06
  • Lise Watier Eyeliner $1.30
  • Juliette Has a Gun Perfume $0.86

Alternatively, you are approximately paying $2.50 for each product. 

Check out all of our Birchbox reviews and our favorite beauty boxes!

Keep track of your subscriptions by adding this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

What do you think of this curated Birchbox

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Birchbox ($15 per month) was one of the very first beauty subscription boxes—we’ve been reviewing it since 2012! Each month, subscribers get a new mix of 5 beauty samples, such as makeup, skincare, haircare, and fragrance items. Birchbox lets you choose whether you’d like a box of items picked ju... read more.

Megan K.
Megan K.
I love natural/vegan beauty products, Korean skincare, unique jewelry, and weird candies from far away places. When I am not waiting for my next exciting box you can find me painting or taking photographs of interesting people. I never leave home without pug hair somewhere on my shirt and a bold lipstick on my smile.

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12 comments

Marion

Some of the Lipstick Queen Dating Game lipsticks are on sale for $10 on Zulily today.

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Dawn

Megan,
I would have loved to see you model that hot pink lippie. The eyeliner is just perfect…. love that color. Sometimes I regret dropping Birchbox.

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Megan K.

Added a photo! Loving it!

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Dawn

Beautiful! What a happy color!

Marion

I chose this box, even though I just got the 2 shades of LQ Dating Game lipsticks that I wanted (including Bad Boy) at a deep discount at TJ Maxx. I believe the line has been discontinued, so that’s probably why Birchbox is able to include a full size in their boxes.

I haven’t tried a product like the Illamasqua stick yet, so I’m kind of excited for that, even though it’s likely the shade will be too warm for me.

I don’t like vanilla scents, but I think it’s cool that they’re sending a brand new product in the Juliette Has a Gun perfume. I do an advent-calendar style small gift for my mom every day leading up to her birthday (later this month!) & this will be a great addition.

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Megan K.

I actually pick up this brand at T J Maxx/Marshalls often too Marion! I love it. I have another from this collection called Mr. Right (I think?) and my mom borrowed it and never gave it back. She also loves a bold lippy!

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Kelly

This is the box I selected and I’m very excited to receive it! The lip color looks quite bright though, I’m not sure I can pull that off! Would love to see a picture of you wearing it, as well!

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Marion

The formula of this LQ line is very opaque. May not be what some people are expecting based on the sheer color-changing lipsticks from this brand that have made the rounds in sub boxes.

I recommend trying on bright colors at home, & just wearing them around house to get used to them! If you’re still uncomfortable wearing it out, you can sheer it out with some lip balm or lip gloss.

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Emily

I’m with Dani! Let’s see that lipstick on you, girl!

I selected this box and I’m super excited for everything (except the contour stick, cause i’m way too pale for contour to look good). I thought the eye liner would be brown, so it is an extra treat that it is plum! Can’t wait to receive my box.

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Megan K.

Done and done! Sorry I didn’t add it sooner. We picked up a new dog this weekend and my hands have been full! Literally!

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Dani G.

Now Megan, how could you deny us a pic with you wearing that fabulous lipstick??? I’m sure we’d all love to see you rocking it!

I totally agree about that perfume. I couldn’t wait to try it. Given the brand, I was expecting to be wowed. I definitely wasn’t. Both it and the vanilla scent by Huda just smell like plain old vanilla to me. Like from a bottle of vanilla extract. Neither have any staying power either. Well at least not for me, but then again my weird body chemistry absorbs or somehow loses most scents rather quickly.

I LOVE that eyeliner! I wish it wasn’t $24. I just won’t spend that much when I get so many great products in my many beauty boxes. It’s too bad because that color will often brighten my blue eyes. Oh well, maybe it will show up in one of my future boxes. I’ve never even heard of that brand.

Thanks for the great review! Now hurry up and post your Barbie pout!

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Megan K.

Added! Sorry it wasn’t faster! New pup in the house took up all my weekend.

I weirdly really liked the Huda perfume. But this was just one note to me and nothing amazing. I am extra hard-pressed to truly LOVE a vanilla focused scent though.

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