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.
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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.
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