My June subscription box from Birchbox arrived while I was away so this review is a little later than usual. As my recent boxes have been a bit hit and miss, I was a little apprehensive about June’s selection, especially after reading some of the reviews from other subscribers.
Recap on May’s box
Overall May’s box was a good one: the Doucce mascara was great to take on holiday, as was the Kueshi hair mask for my sunfried hair. I liked the Whish body cream and I loved the Dr Brandt exfoliant. After I swapped the grey Marsk eyeshadow with a friend’s vanilla one, I was happy with that too. Here’s my May review in case you want to know more.
June’s bag
Instead of a box this month, Birchbox have delivered their samples in a very pretty and practical bag. I chose the Zesty Lemon shade over Fresh Mint back in May and I love the colour combination. June’s theme is Daytripping and the bag is ideal for travelling with a very handy rope loop for hanging up. Well done, Birchbox, a great start!
ORIGINS Original Skin™ Renewal Serum
I’ve been a fan of Origins products for far more years than I can remember so although I already use Original Skin, I was absolutely thrilled to get this sample. I think it’s a magical serum that seems to blur marks, disguise pores and generally brighten my skin. It leaves it feeling soft, smooth, and with a healthy glow. Plus it smells gorgeous and you only need to use a tiny amount. So, although the full price is £32.50, this is one product I will always buy again and again. My star item.
Cowshed Cow Pat Hand Cream
I love handcreams and, being a keen if clueless gardener, I tend to use a lot of them. This one smells quite spicy and herbal (although I suspect Cinnamon isn’t to everyone’s taste) and my hands feel soft and moisturised after using it. Crucially for me, it doesn’t leave them feeling greasy either, which is a pet hate of mine. My husband quite likes this cream as well, it’s not a “girly” scent so he’s happy to use it too. The only thing that slightly puts me off is the name. I get that Cowshed names are tongue in cheek but Cow Pat is a joke too far, I think! Anyway, as a little goes a long way I don’t think £18.00 is too much to pay for 300ml. A hit.
Scrub Love Original Lovin’ Scrub
I hadn’t heard of this brand before and I don’t tend to use body scrubs. I just use a shower lily with my trusty Nivea shower gel. However, other subscribers have posted glowing reviews about how soft this scrub leaves your skin so I’m happy to try it. I think the tropical fragrance of Mango and Coconut will be a winner. Having noted what other subscribers say about the mess, I’ll just make sure I use it before I’m due to clean the shower anyway! At £11.95 for 200g this doesn’t seem too expensive either.
Meech and Mia Browliner – shade #22
Another brand I hadn’t heard of before and I already use HD Brows powder for my eyebrows. That said, this pencil feels soft on my skin and it doesn’t drag. Shade #22 Medium Brown seems a good colour match now that my face is tanned and my hair has lightened a bit in the sun. I’ll probably go back to using my HD Brows powder later in the year but for now this makes a nice (and quick to apply) change. This was a full size product which normally retails at £12.99, so I’m very happy to get this.
ecoTOOLS Perfecting Blender Duo
Blending sponges seem to have been around forever and I see reviews about them all the time. But, shocker, I don’t own any because, another shocker, I don’t wear foundation. I only use a little bit of concealer and a tinted hydrating gel from Bare Minerals (read my review here). I know other beauty bloggers swear by blending sponges and, now that I’ve got this ecoTools duo, I’m tempted to try them out. Probably with a very light foundation later on in the year, once my tan has faded. As they normally retail at £9.99, then this second full size product inclusion is definitely a winner.
Did I like June’s box?
I’m so impressed that this month’s bag contained two full size products, which makes my subscription brilliant value for money. And I’m even more impressed that I love every single product in my bag, including the bag itself. So, thank you, Birchbox, you’ve really pulled out the stops this month, I’m a very happy customer, and I really can’t wait to see what July’s box brings.
Do you use Birchbox or any other beauty subscription service? What do you think of your monthly samples?
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