July birchbox uk 2017 review

Onto the 7th month of my birchbox subscription, though I feel like I've been getting them for years!. This months box was all about summer. Long sunny days, late sunsets, rain, as per usual.
The box design, as voted for by subscribers a few months back (I voted for a different design but hey ho!) is very pretty, resembling a summer sunset, though not a British one guessing from the palm tree. None the less I do think it fits well with this months theme and it's a pleasant addition to my collection.

This month, I received 6 treats instead of the usual 5 which was lovely!! And I was super excited because there were a few well known brands in this box and what I thought was a nice selection of different things.

—————————————————————–

The first item I tried (as you can tell by the fact I had already used it when taking the photos) was the origins ritualitea feeling rosy face mask (£32). This mask is supposed to help hydrate dry skin which I'm suffering with a bit at the moment.

This mask comes as a powder that you mix with water which I thought was a neat idea. I've heard of powder masks that you mix up at home but had never tried them so was super excited for this.

Upon mixing the mask with water, I noticed that it smelled disgusting. I've never worn a mask that has smelled so bad that I almost had to take it off. I push past that smell, and let the mask sit for the 10 minutes it needed (or near enough) then speedily washed it off. I did notice my skin felt more plump and not as tight after washing, and my drier areas were definitely more hydrated, but I honestly don't think it was noticeable to warrant having to smell it ever again. Plus the price is crazy expensive when I could get a mask that works just as well (and is less smelly) for much cheaper.

Overall I enjoyed trying it (if you ignore the smell) but I will not be buying this mask. Sorry origins.

—————————————————————–

The next thing I tried was the benefit cosmetics cha cha tint lip and cheek stain (£25.50). I was excited to try this as I got to choose the colour I wanted, and I really liked the idea of a peachy orange blush. This product is supposed to provide a long-lasting pigment to cheeks and lips – without the need for touch ups.

I tried it and to say I was disappointed is an understatement. I found that the little brush and bottle were super cute, and the smell was lovely, but the product itself wasn't what it was advertised as. It stained my cheek just in the areas I applied it first, but it blended out to nothing. I had to reapply, and then still I was left with a few orange dots on my cheek and nothing else. It also didn't show up on my lips really, as I have quite dark lips and the pigment just wasn't strong enough. I didn't mind this as much as I chose it more to be a blush, but I probably won't be using this again, sadly.

—————————————————————–

Following the disastrous first two products, I tried the balance me flash cleanse micelles water (£16) and was surprised by how much I like it. I will admit to not really knowing what micellar water was or why it was important, but after trying this I'm convinced it's a must have. It's description is 'sweep away makeup and grime without irritation thanks to this 99% natural cleansing water. Smoothing chamomile and regenerating neroli and mandarin oils also help to leave the skin glowing'.

It removes my makeup so easily jut like it says and doesn't leave my skin feeling dry or damaged. It manages to be tough on makeup and dirt, whilst gentle on the skin at the same time and I'm just really impressed by it. I honestly think I will be purchasing this once I run out of the sample bottle, it just makes my life a little easier.

—————————————————————–

—————————————————————–

The third thing in the box was the anatomicals softening eucalyptus foot cream (£5.99). I don't have much experience with foot creams, but due to working in sweaty shoes all day at work, and favouring flip flops at home I very much need a good one. This cream soothes and cools the skin, and boasts a deodorising scent.

I really enjoy using this cream. My feet have become a lot softer and are soothed after using this. The price is an added bonus. It's not often I find something from the birchbox shop that I like that costs less than £10. I will be buying this after using my sample, I really love it.

—————————————————————–

The fifth thing from the box was the Percy and reed perfectly perfecting wonder overnight recovery (£20). This is an over night conditioner that you massage into your scalp and through to the ends of your hair then wash out in the morning. It claims to hydrate, boost shine, and fight frizz. Sounds like a dream really, but I was hesitant. I used to skip conditioner and it really damaged my hair, so shampooing this out and not following with another conditioner worried me, I wasn't convinced this would give my hair enough moisture.

I have tried it a few times and although after washing my hair, it feels very dry and straw like, once dried it feels so nourished and smooth. I was completely wrong about how this would work, it works just as well, if not better than other conditioners, and it saves time in the shower too!. I'm still on the fence about whether I would buy this, I do really like it, but I don't know if it's worth the price. I am leaning towards buying it just because I love how it saves shower time, and it smells amazing.

—————————————————————–

The final product, the bonus gift, was a sample of English laundrys Oxford bleu ferment eau de parfum (£55). I really loved having this little perfume in the box, I don't have many perfumes so I like trying new ones and seeing what kind of scents I like. This perfume leads with zesty lemon and mint, then dries down to sandalwood and vanilla for a hint of sweetness.

I don't usually like sandalwood or vanilla in a scent but his is just beautiful. I really enjoy the scent of this perfume and use the sample quite a lot, but I think it's just a bit too expensive for me. I'm not a huge perfume person and I just think it'll be a waste of money for me to buy it.

—————————————————————–

—————————————————————–

Overall this month so very highs, but also some quite tragic lows, but I think the highs make up for that.

I look forward to seeing what august brings, I already know there is going to be a spectrum angled brush which is great! Can never have too many brushes!.

Thank you for reading this review, please let me know what you think.
Em 😄