Is this the best Birchbox ever? July 2020

By Glow Up Beauty Blog - August 16, 2020

I have ordered Birchbox a few times in the last ten years and I have always ended up cancelling it after a few months as I wasn't excited or happy with the products. There were too many shower gels and makeup with weird colours.

Anyway, I decided to purchase Birchbox for my 29th Birthday as they were running a 50% off sale on their subscriptions and I was pretty excited. To my surprise, I was in love with the July box! I'm so happy with the box and can't wait to receive the next one. The theme of the box was Fruity and overall the box was very summer-inspired that I liked. Let's go over the products.

On July box I got these 5 products:

Polaar - Sun Lotion SPF50 +
Ciate London - Watermelon Burst Hydrating Primer
Dr Paw Paw - Balm in Hot Pink
Beautypro - Coconut Sheet Mask
Philip Kingsley - Flaky/Itchy Shampoo

Polaar - Sun Lotion SPF50 +

The sun lotion is packed in a cute and easy to use 20ml tube, it is also fragrance-free. I have to say from the start that I'm fairly picky with my SPF - I want it all high protection, lightweight formula, good absorption and it can't smell chemically and this product ticked all those boxes. The cream is lightweight and absorbs to the skin easily, makeup applies on top like a dream and the formula doesn't smell at all. I have been loving this and might even purchase the full-size product.

Score: Excellent 5/5

Ciate Watermelon Burst Hydrating Primer Mini Sample

Ciate London - Watermelon Burst Hydrating Primer

First of all, I don't own any primers as I don't use them at all. Previously when I have tried to incorporate a primer to my routine I have felt that the primers I have tried have all been too silicony, slippery or I haven't really seen any difference using them or not. This Ciate primer is different than anything I have tried before it is a water-based formula and contains no silicones. It might sound like it wouldn't do anything but this little miracle really changed my opinion about primers - it is silky and smooth and makes the skin a bit tacky so it grips the foundation and locks it in. I feel that my foundation look better when using this! Also, a little bit goes a long way. The scent is fairly overpowering watermelon that is a bit strong for me, but not a big issue. The formula also has little black spots inside that I assume are for the 'watermelon' look and make the product look more interesting. They dissolve eventually, but sometimes I need to brush away a few of the dots from my face. Would I purchase a full-size? Maybe, the price point seems to be quite high on my opinion for a primer.

Score: Excellent 4.5/5

Dr.PawPaw Multipurpose Balm Mini in Hot Pink

Dr Paw Paw - Balm in Hot Pink

This Dr Paw Paw's balm is coloured multiuse balm with hot pink colour. I chose the balm in hot pink colour instead of the rich mocha as I wanted to try this as a blush on my checks. The information says that you can use it really anywhere, but it is coloured so I guess the main usage would be lips. I was fairly surprised by this, as I feel that Dr Paw Paw's products are nice, but nothing too exciting. I have received a few years ago from other beauty boxes and I have never used them up, so I thought oh well one more lip balm. I was positively surprised when I tried the balm - the colour wasn't too bright when applied on lips and overall I really enjoyed using the product. Will I purchase it again, I doubt it, but as long as I have the balm I will use it regularly.

Score: Excellent 4/5

BeautyPro - Coconut Sheet Mask

I haven't tried this one yet! I love sheet masks and use them regularly during autumn and winter for my dehydrated skin. My wife also loves sheet masks, so I might give this one for her to try. Really happy that this was included in the box.

Score: N/A

Philip Kingsley - Flaky/Itchy Shampoo

I was actually excited to find this on the box. I have scalp eczema and I have tested out Philip Kingsley's products before, while they don't treat my condition they definitely help out. The shampoo has a lovely fruity scent and it lathers nicely. I just wish they would have made the sample size bigger as it is very difficult to decide if the shampoo is worth to invest just from a few hair washes. Overall I was very happy, but the size of the sample was a disappointment.

Score: Excellent 4/5