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Birchbox June 2020 Review- Born in the USA edit.
Another new box to the blog- although certainly not a new box to me, as I actually was subscribed to them back in 2017! It was actually the first box I ever subscribed to so I owe them a debt of gratitude for starting me off on this journey!
As mentioned, I was subscribed to them for a while but I cancelled as I didn't feel that the products really excited me at the time, but I have always followed them on social media and kept up to date with their edits. I saw a spoiler for June's box and thought it looked really good, so I placed an order! Birchbox will usually give you one item that you can customise or choose from- so sometimes it may be that they let you choose between 2 different products from the same brand, such as a mascara or an eyeliner, or sometimes it may be choosing the specific shade of a lipstick or a highlighter for example. This month, it was the choice between 2 different items from one brand- but I will get into that in a second!
You may already know that I have started a Youtube channel to go along with this blog, and I did a video unboxing of this, which you can watch here (I would also love it if you could like and subscribe too!):
So, onto the box itself- I saw 3 spoiler products for this month that everyone would receive- one of which was the item you could choose from. Usually with Birchbox, there are one or two items that are in every box and the rest is a surprise based on the beauty profile that you fill in when you sign up- this is supposed to allow them to personalise the other items in the box to you a little more! The spoilers I saw for this month excited me, so I decided to put my money where my mouth is and order a box.
The theme for June was Born in the USA (apologies if you are now singing that famous song by Bruce Springsteen- I know I am too!). One thing I do love about Birchbox is that the box designs themselves are always so pretty and cute- they are a drawer style and are great to use for storage after unboxing! This one depicts red, white and blue stars to fit in with the USA theme.
Upon opening the box, I was met with the theme and product description card, which gave me the details of the items I would find in my box this month. There was also another, smaller card, with a very important message that I am definitely going to take a minute to talk about. The card reads:
'For the month of June, we plan to acknowledge our American heritage. As we all know, a lot is happening right now in the US and in the UK.
We are without all of the right words. We are sad, angry and at a loss that is is a part of our reality. We stand with everyone who is hurting, we stand with the families who have lost loved ones, we stand for anti-racism and we stand for a wake up call.
We need to have this conversation everywhere until violence and loss of life are no longer needed to protect the basic rights of the Black Community. To start, we have made donations to Black Lives Matter, the George Floyd Memorial Fund, Brooklyn Bail Fund, Reclaim the Block and Black Visions Collective. But this is just the beginning.
We are committed to continuing and sharing our education in fighting justice. Additionally, we encourage you to support where you can. Even if it is just a small action, it counts.'
It then goes on to give details of some ways you can support the movement, including links to the go fund me for George Floyd (linked above, along with all the other organisations), the link to the Justice for George Floyd Petition- sign this here. There are some further reading and research ideas to help you educate yourself and encouraging you to have these conversations with those you love. I think it is amazing that they have spoken out in support of BLM and I want to take this opportunity to show my support- I stand with the BLM community and will do what I can to be an ally for the cause.
Now onto the products inside- the first one was the one where I got to choose which item I wanted, so you may have chosen differently. It was between 2 products by Real Chemistry- either a peel or a cleanser. I already have the peel from another box, so I opted for the cleanser. This is the Fresh Start Foaming Cleanser, with an RRP of £24! This gives a deep cleanse whilst also hydrating the skin- it contains zingy grapefruit to get the job done, but also help to perk you up too! It also has amino acids to gently remove makeup, oil, dirt and grime from the skin as well as a whole host of other conditioning ingredients to leave the skin soft and smooth. It is great for dry, sensitive, acne prone and even ageing complexions and is a refreshing first step in your skincare routine. I have tried a couple of products from this brand, including the aforementioned peel, and have been really impressed so I am hoping for more of the same from this. I like that it also hydrates the skin, as I hate those cleansers that leave your skin feeling tight after use!
The second item was another one of the spoilers I had seen that came in every box- Patchology Rejuvenating Eye Patches, with an RRP of £14! I have tried these before from another beauty box and absolutely loved them, so I am glad to have another set! We all know that when we are really tired, no amount of concealer can help to rejuvenate the eyes and make them look less tired- never mind disguise the dark circles! These are gel under eye patches and are the next best thing to an eye lift- and definitely much less drastic! You simply place these under your eyes for 5-10 minutes and the caffeine and hydrolysed collagen will boost circulation, improve hydration and reduce puffiness! Plus, they feel really pampering too!
The third item was the last spoiler I saw that came in every box- Magnitone Wipeout Eco Friendly Microfibre Cleansing Cloth with an RRP of £20! I have a couple of these cloths and I love them- they are so convenient and great for taking on holiday. If you aren't familiar with them- all you do is run them under warm water and the 100% bamboo microfibres swell up, enabling them to grab hold of makeup particles and trapping them in the cloth, so the makeup is removed without smearing! You can reuse this 1000's of times, so it is super good for the environment- preventing those disposable wipes from ending up on landfill! They are machine washable and dry really quickly, so will be ready for you to use again the next evening!
The fourth item was one of the surprise ones- so you may have received a different product based on your beauty profile. It was Number 4 Sugar Texturising Spray with an RRP of £18. It is formulated with sugar cane, anti static properties and flexible styling aids to give loose, shiny waves but also nourishing the strands. This helps you get perfectly undone, beach babe hair that feels soft and stays intact even in the face of heat and humidity. I have A LOT of hair, so I am interested to see how this works for me. It is a brand I have heard of but never tried before, so it will be good to discover a new brand!
The fifth and final item is another one I didn't know about, and another one that may be different for you- Winky Lux Peeper Perfect Concealer in the shade Light Beige, with an RRP of £14. This is a full coverage concealer that diffuses the look of uneven skin tone, blemishes and other imperfections. It's formula contains collagen, hyaluronic acid, grapeseed extract, olive oil and vitamin e to keep the under eye hydrated, awake and crease free. It is also highly pigmented, so a little will go a long way and it is free from nasties too!
All RRP prices are based on the full size items- Birchbox usually include sample or travel size items.
I was really happy with the items this month- it definitely seemed like everything was suited to me, and it is all cruelty free too, so I can use it all! I have unsubscribed for now, but I will definitely keep my eye on future boxes and make a purchase when the next one catches my eye!
