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Birchbox Curated ‘Clean Beauty Box’ Review + Coupon – July 2020

Megan K.
ByMegan K.Jul 29, 2020 | 15 comments

Birchbox Clean Beauty July 2020 unboxing and review

Birchbox
3.7 overall rating
657 Ratings | 188 Reviews

Birchbox sends samples (and sometimes full-sizes) of new and exciting beauty products from top brands for $15/month. Birchbox is one of the original beauty subscription boxes and is a great way to discover new makeup, hair care, and skincare products without breaking the bank.

FYI: Starting in June 2020, in addition to the surprise sample box option, there will be two curated boxes offered in greater quantities than the previous curated options: The Clean Beauty Box and the Katia's Picks box. Get more deets here!

This is a review of the Clean Beauty 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).

About this 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: The US, France, Spain, and the UK

Birchbox Review 'The Clean Box' - July 2020

 

As always, this month's Birchbox came with an info card that lists the products on the front, with a Birchbox Tip listed on the back.

 

Biorace Pore-Purifying Spirulina and Tea Tree Clay Mask, 1 oz - Estimated Value $6.44 (Buy a full-size 3.88 oz for $25.00)

My first sample is a pale green clay mask with little brown flecks inside. It has pearl extract and it should help with pore size and drawing icky things out of my skin, too. Clay masks are a very recent thing for me as I have pretty dry skin, but 2020 has brought on a host of new zits and bumps from masks and stress. I try to do a clay mask about once a week.

 

Sand & Sky Australian Pink Clay Porefining Face Mask, 10 mL - Estimated Value $4.29 (Buy a full-size 100 g for $42.90)

The second item inside was also a clay mask, which seems like a missed opportunity for something else, but I am willing to give it a shot! This is more of an exfoliating flash sort of treatment since you only leave it on for 5 minutes and actively use it to exfoliate when you rinse it off.

I tried both masks at the same time to see the differences. The green one got a lot tighter—probably because it felt much more clay-heavy and had a longer wear time. The pink had these itty bitty granules that felt great and added an extra exfoliating element when massaged in on and washed off. The pink only had a 5-minute dry time so I did end up attempting to wash one side of my face at once, which I don't really recommend. Both left my face feeling a little tight but this was easily remedied by a nice dose of moisturizer.

 

COOLA® Full Spectrum 360° Refreshing Water Mist Organic Face Sunscreen SPF 18, 10 mL - Estimated Value $14.40 (Buy a full-size 25 mL for $36.00)

I always wear sunscreen, but even I admit the application can feel thick, icky, or even greasy depending on the brand. COOLA is one of my faves because it doesn't feel any of those things, and a spray would be even more effortless! This is only SPF 18, but it's still something. AND it is alcohol-free! It also smells great: kind of tropical, kind of floral, but soft. It also has coconut water and aloe to soothe skin that maybe has already seen a little too much sun. The nozzle creates a very fine mist that is refreshing and still provides a nice wide spray for full coverage of your face. I really liked this.

 

R+Co CROWN Scalp Scrub, 0.5 oz - Estimated Value $3.45 (Buy a full-size 5.5 oz for $38.00)

Scalp scrubs are something I rarely get excited about because the little beads always end up stuck in my thick hair. The exception so far has been Cristophe Robin's salt scalp scrub and this one from R+Co! Instead of granules that I have to wash out, these are made of sugar, so they slowly dissolve in my hair while I shower but still give me enough time to scrub, scrub, scrub my scalp! I loved this! It also smells heavenly, like green tea, amber, and citrus. YUM! I have a drier scalp with some dandruff, so I was also thrilled this has salicylic acid inside which helps dissolve build-up that I certainly suffer from.

 

TIRTIR Rosemary One Essence, 20 mL – Retail Value $4.40 (Buy a full-size 150 mL for $33.00)

This also just arrived in my non-curated July Birchbox! Here were my thoughts:

I am an essence lover and I don’t think I have ever had a rosemary formula to try before! This one feels very nature-centric as it is 100% Jeju rosemary extract. It only takes a few drops to gently pat into your skin. It does indeed smell just like fresh rosemary needles. Essences are a nice extra step between cleansing and serums that help your skin absorb extra products after you use it.

 

TIRTIR Bubble Toner Sample Pouches – Buy a full size of your choice for $26.00

This also just arrived in my non-curated July Birchbox! Here were my thoughts:

Our last little item is a 4 packet foil sample for different types of bubble toners! These are so cute. I first tried the cica, well, because, CICA! There is just enough inside for one application. It was a bit messy, but I poured the liquid into my palm and then carefully patted it onto my face. It does have a slight bubble sensation and made my pores feel extra oxygenated. The cica formula was calming so it would likely be my top choice as someone who suffers from redness. But honestly, all of these were pretty great!

Verdict: This Birchbox had some great stuff inside, but I can't say it was my favorite assortment. Mainly because two clay masks felt like one too many in a smaller box. The value wasn't outstanding either, landing somewhere around $33. I feel bad being too gloomy about it though, because I really loved the SPF spray, the toner, and the scalp scrub. It was also nice to get another batch of the little toner samples.

To Wrap Up: 

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, but hurry! August is close.

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

Value Breakdown: At $15.00 for this box, each of the 6 items has an average cost of $2.50

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 did you receive in your July 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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15 comments

Laura

I loved the toner and essence especially, they smelled really nice and left my skin plump. I usually have pretty red, dry skin and this called it down overnight

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Charlotte

I’m with you on the Great Skin Freakout of 2020. Hormonal acne along my jawline is nothing new, but I’ve been breaking out everywhere, with no obvious culprit in my skincare routine. I assume it’s stress? I don’t think I go out enough for masks to be the problem.

The Coola spray looks nice. SPF 18 is too low for my main sun care, but I bet it would work for touching up coverage throughout the day without disturbing my makeup.

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Kate

I think that birchbox prime days are simply over. No fomo for me

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Tiffany

The instructions in the 3rd photo for the Sand and Sky say to leave it on for 5 min instead of scrubbing it around if you have sensitive skin. I’d use it as a mask, too.

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Christina

They didn’t send “two clay masks” as you repeatedly state. The sand & sky is an exfoliant. According to the instructions, it’s ideally used in the shower. Massage for 30 seconds and leave for 5 minutes.
The product you link to is a mask, but it’s not the product received in the box (or the product you used for the review).
It’s weird that you kept being confused about why they sent two masks, and mention it multiple times, and critique birchbox for it… but didn’t look at the bottles… and realize that only one of them is a mask? You’re criticizing them for something they didn’t do. We have enough of that in the news, we don’t need it in subscription box reviews.

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Megan K.

Hey Christina! Thanks for the product catch. I will update the linking. In terms of my feelings on this product, they haven’t changed. It has clay in it and it stays on your face for a period of time. It’s still a mask. And it still felt repetitive to me.

Wrong product links sometimes happen. The product packaging is minimal and very similar, and, at the end of the day, humans make mistakes and I am human. Thanks for reading!

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Elizabeth

This feels a little aggressive, Christina.

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Susie

This feels a little critical, Elizabeth.

Christina

The sand& sky product received in the box is the flash exfoliant. That’s what you pictured and describe. But you referred and linked to the porefining mask by the same brand. The bottles look the same and birchbox has sampled both products but theyre entirely different.

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Boxy Fox

You look so adorable in that picture Megan!

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June

I am thrilled with this box! It felt to me like a summer spa box!! I love trying new skin care, and took the sunscreen spray with me on vacation. I’m still using the alterna exfoliating shampoo from a previous birchbox, then I’ll be trying the scalp scrub. Really enjoyed this one!

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Rebecca

This was actually my favorite box I’ve ever received from Birchbox! I love haircare and skincare more than makeup and I have been using everything. I use the pink clay mask in the shower while shaving so it doesn’t fully dry but it works really well as an exfoliator. I use the blue clay mask (mine looks bluer to me) as a regular clay mask so the 2 clay masks didn’t bother me and both work well for my oily skin. I thought this was a very appropriate summer box that satisfied my summer hair and skin needs.

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Tiffany

Anyone know if this box is clean and cruelty free?

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Megan K.

Hey Tiffany! Per Birchbox: “We will always have a Clean Beauty Box. All the samples in your box will be free of 13+ ingredients, so you can feel good about what you’re putting on your skin. It’s clear our subscribers want this and we’re making it possible to get a clean box every time if you choose this option.” I can’t find anything specific regarding all samples from Birchbox being cruelty-free so I would proceed with caution and check your samples.

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Tiffany

Thanks!