Birchbox June Review
Happy Monday, everybody!
Last week I was off the radar for a minute, so I have to apologize for that. Our California vacation turned out to be a little more hectic than I thought it would be, and I was just NOT prepared for work first thing when we got back. Due to some unforeseen issues, our return flight had us running through the airport like the fucking McAllisters, except instead of losing a kid, we lost a suitcase.
Thankfully, we made our flight on time (barely) and the San Diego International Airport was very helpful and expedient in finding and sending our stuff back to us. Zoe should have the rest of her wardrobe back by Thursday, which will be a relief after surviving on like 2 pairs of pants and 3 shirts for a week.
Anyway.
I was hoping to receive my June Birchbox before we left so I could test it while we were on vacay, since there are so many great summer items in it, but that didn’t happen, unfortunately. That’s another reason why I’m getting this post up so late.
FYI: When a retailer says they’re going to ship something by a certain date, what they actually mean is that they’re going to create the shipping label by said date. Birchbox said they would be sending my box by the 10th; they created the shipping information on the 7th, but my package didn’t actually get picked up by the carrier until the 12th 😉
Aside from the slightly delayed shipping, I really liked this box! I received a hair texturizing spray from Oribe, which was pretty exciting, as well as a glow serum, and a moisturizer from Philosophy. All products that I have been craving from other boxes, but haven’t received until now.
Alright. Let’s get started on the product reviews!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means, at no extra cost to you, I receive a small commission when you click on certain links below, or if you make purchases as a result of visiting the retailers directly from my website. Please note, I only recommend products that I truly love and think that my readers will also love.
Photo Courtesy of Birchbox
Oribe
Apres Beach Hair Spray - $42 for full-size (8.5 oz.)
I was really excited when I saw this in my box, because my go-to hairstyle is beachy waves (duh, California girl). I am low-maintenance AF, and don't like to spend much time on my hair, so I was eager to try this product.
I can't say that I love it, unfortunately. It did give me some good texture and shine, but when I applied it on dry hair, it felt like it left a residue, which wasn't pleasant at all. I haven't tried it on wet hair yet, so I will update you when I do.
It also had a very traditional hairspray-like scent, which I wasn't fond of. I'll be sticking with my John Frieda salt spray for now.
P.S.: Birchbox is actually sold out of this product at the moment, but you can find it on Amazon here.
Photo Courtesy of Birchbox
Beautaniq Beauty
Glow Serum - $22 for full-size (0.67 oz.)
Highlighter is obviously a great product to include for a summer box. Normally I am more of a powder girl when it comes to highlighter, but I actually really liked this product. It is definitely a serum, with its highly liquid consistency, so you do have to be a bit careful when applying. I think it might be helpful to have a pump applicator, rather than just squeezing it straight out of the tube (although that was just my sample, so I'm not sure about the full-size product).
That being said, a little goes a LONG way with this stuff, and I loved that it was easy to have a more precise application while still being very blendable. It has a lot of shimmer and sparkle, and a really nice color (although I might have liked it to be a little more golden for my skin). It's a little intense for everyday use, but would look spectacular for a night out.
The only thing I was disappointed with in this product was its staying power. It seemed to start wearing off after just a couple of hours. I'm curious to try it with maybe an eyeshadow primer underneath to see if that helps a bit. Overall though, I would definitely recommend!
Photo Courtesy of Birchbox
Philosophy
Purity Made Simple Moisturizer - $25 for full-size (4.7 oz.)
This was another product that I was super excited to try, due to Philosophy's cult status. I was not disappointed!
It has a wonderfully light, clean scent to it that didn't irritate my sensitive skin. It's also richly hydrating without being too heavy or greasy. I read several reviews recommending this product for oily skin, but I also think it would work well as a daytime moisturizer for dry skin.
Overall I really loved this moisturizer, but I would like to see it with some SPF for a bit more of a double-duty product. But that's not a total deal-breaker for me. I'd definitely recommend this stuff!
Photo Courtesy of Birchbox
Marcelle
Extension Plus Curl Mascara - $15 for full-size (0.28 oz.)
This was the sample that I was able to select for my box! Since I haven't received a mascara from any of my beauty boxes yet, I decided to pick this one.
My main issue with my eyelashes is volume and curl. They are really long, but stick-straight, so I usually look for a curling mascara. That being said, it is hard for me to find a curling mascara that actually holds a curl rather than weighing my lashes back down.
This mascara didn't disappoint too much. It did hold the curl that I set in with my eyelash curler, although not as well as my favorite Maybelline mascara. It did have really great lengthening properties, though, and the applications was really smooth and clump-free.
With that said, my left eye got horrendously irritated after wearing this product. The first time, I ended up with some flakes of mascara in my eye that I had to have my husband help me literally swab/flush out because they were stuck so far back on my eyeball.
I figured this might be a fluke since it was just my one eye, but I tried it again a few days later after my eye cleared up, and it did it again after a few hours of wear!
I'm not sure if it's just my sensitive skin, or if this mascara is really flaky, but I can't say that I'll be purchasing it, unfortunately. It might be good for those without sensitive skin, though? Whatever you do, don't try it for the first time when you have a big event!
Photo Courtesy of Birchbox
Lumaveil Beauty
On the Go Mattifying Primer - $20 for full-size (1 oz.)
I can't say I was really excited to get YET ANOTHER EFFING PRIMER in a beauty box. However, getting so many primers means that I have a few products to compare this one to.
This one had a good consistency and wasn't too heavy. However, it didn't have the best mattifying power of everything I've tried. Overall, it wasn't my favorite.
I think the Peter Thomas Roth primer that I reviewed in my April Play! by Sephora box is still my favorite.
That's it for my Birchbox review! What do you think of these products? And which beauty box would you like to see next? Let me know in the comments!
Much Love,
