BIRCHBOX June & July 2018—summertime!

So, with the craziness of summer I’ve been saving up my Birchbox reviews. Today I am going to show you all the warm weather beauty samples I received for June and July! And, of course, by now I’ve received the August box too, so watch for that review coming soon.

The June and July boxes have some great products!

JUNE 2018 BIRCHBOX, warm weather pleasures:

June samples:

BALANCE ME—Congested Skin Serum

Congested Skin Serum is a lightweight daily serum/blemish spot treatment for refining pores and balancing skin. It comes out of the tube white with a slight herb-y scent but absorbs quickly. It has no parabens or sulfates, and is non-drying. And, I love that it calms the ruddiness of my skin tone. Love it.

DAVINES—SU hair & body wash

Made with Italian citrus extracts this multi-tacker conditions and repairs hair, calms any skin inflammation and prolongs tans. It’s a clear, thick gel that is gentle and moisturizing. This is one I would consider buying in the full size because of its many benefits and for its light citrus scent.

btw—I got my dad Birchbox Man for Father’s Day, and he also got this product and told me that he loves it. 😉 I don’t usually think a product can work well as both a body wash and a shampoo (especially with my long hair that requires extra care)—so, we’ll see on that front.

MARCELLE—Xtension Plus Curl Mascara

The trend in mascara wands towards having smaller bristles is fabulous! The curved wand tip of Xtension Plus has very fine tines that allow you to coat every lash. This black mascara does a great job of coating every lash to provide length and curl. Marcelle is a brand that always brings it.

PHILOSOPHY—PURITY Made Simple moisturizer

This is an everyday moisturizer that moisturizes and nourishes skin with no heavy residue. Power ingredients include: vitamins C & E, greentea antioxidant complex and chia seed oil. Its meant to be gentle, yet effective. It has a very mild scent and absorbs almost instantly.

PEEK BEAUTY—metalimatte Naturally Quick Drying Blush in A-BOO

This lovely cream blush comes in three colors: A-boo (which is the color I received, a pink-hued peach; Hours—a rosy bronze; and Sneak—a delicate cool pink. And, frankly, all the shades sound pretty.

I like that this non-sticky cream glides on easily with your finger tips and dries set as a powder to create a ‘watercolor’ wash of natural looking color. The metalimatte designation means that it has a bit of a metallic tinge. And, after using up the product, the tiny tin will be perfect to hold any intsy treasures. 🙂

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JULY 2018 BIRCHBOX, how to hack your summer:

July samples:

KIEHL’S—Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser

This Kiehl’s face wash becomes a foamy white when water is added. It contains an Amazonian white clay which works to detox and exfoliate skin, going to work by clinging to impurities to better help wash them away. It provides a gentle but very effective clean, with a very mild clay scent.

ARROW REVIVE Cooling Cheek Tint in berry flush

This little gel sheer color tint can be applied directly to cheeks with your fingertips for a natural berry flush. The gel is breathable, oil-free and won’t clog pores. The Arrow brand from New Zealand is vegan, paragon-free, cruelty-free and gluten-free.

I love that the color never looks heavy, and goes on as a sheer wash of lasting color. btw—the full size has a ‘pen-tip’ type of dispenser. And this cheek tint comes in two color choices: berry flush (that I received), juicy raspberry & pink punch, bright true pink.

ORIBE—Matte Waves Texture Lotion

This is a lightweight lotion for hair that transforms its texture for a chic ‘undone’ or beach-y texture. The matte finish keeps tresses low-key. Matte Waves is a milky white lotion that smells fantastic (which is reason enough to use it): fresh and clean. When I used it, it added a tousled texture to my straight hair, while still allowing it to touchable and not at all crunchy.

Schmidt’s Natural Deodorant in lavender + sage

This deodorant is 100% natural! It contains essential oils for its scent (no artificial fragrance) and plant-based powders to absorb wetness plus neutralize odor. Its vegan, paragon-free, phthalate-free, gluten-free and cruelty-free. It contains NO aluminum or propylene glycol either.

I don’t necessarily love the lavender scent, but do want to order this in one of its other choices: Ylang-Ylang + Calendula, Bergamont + Lime, Rose + Vanilla, or Cedarwood + Juniper.

LISE WATIER—HydraForce BB Cream in neutral light/medium

HydraForce BB comes in three colors: Porcelaine (fair), Fair (light), and Neutral (light/medium). And, although I probably would have selected the shade Fair if I was choosing this for myself, the Neutral that I received seems to work just fine especially at the end of summer.

Lise Watier utilizes the ingredient gaspe algae for its moisturizing abilities. This algae is a key factor in all their HydraForce products. The BB Cream gives a light color coverage, while it actually helps strengthen skin. It moisturizes and reinforces skin’s barrier against environmental barriers, while keeping my complexion calm and dewy.

To use, apply this cream as the first step in your morning routine, under sunscreen.

This is the one product of these two months worth of samples that I will order first. I love that it has so many benefits for skin.