August Birchbox Review

This month's Birchbox theme was Finishing School, which I thought was interesting because last August's was Beauty School.  School is on everyone's mind come August, so I know it's a common theme, but I still found the similarities intriguing.

Overall I'd rate this box a 7 out of 10.  Most of the items were good, practical picks for me and will get used, but none of them were all that exciting.  I was excited when I found out I was getting one of the Stila lipsticks, but the color was just too red for me.  You still can't go wrong with Birchbox's $10 a month price, though, and I do think they've made quite an improvement in tailoring products based on my user profile since the last time I was subscribed.

My box contained four beauty samples and one "beauty extra."  Two of the products were foil samples, as you can see, but sometimes that's the best way to package skin care products, so I didn't really mind.

• Whish Exfoliating Body Wash - This guy is "coconut-rich" and slightly coconut scented and supposedly exfoliates with sugarcane and bamboo powder.  I used it with my bath pouf sponge thingy (so eloquent of me, I know) and I was disappointed to find that it didn't lather very well.  I suppose the whole idea of an exfoliating wash is to apply it with your hands so the scrub bits will be directly applied to the skin, but I feel like I waste too much product that way.  I wouldn't recommend this product.
• Whish Hair Inhibiting Deodorant Swipes - This was my beauty extra, and even though it was an extra product I would have liked to have received at least two packets.  One thing I loved about this wipe was that it smelled amazing!  I applied it in the morning and it did work well as a deodorant, but it's not an antiperspirant.  I also can't find a definitive answer on whether or not Whish is a cruelty-free brand, so I wouldn't purchase these in the future.
• Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick - I received the shade "Beso" and it is a highly pigmented red.  It's perfect for a dramatic red lip, a la Taylor Swift, but I never have an occasion to wear such a bold color.  I'll keep it around just in case, though.  Stila is definitely a cruelty-free company.
• OC8 Professional Mattifying Gel - This was the product that I was most interested in using because I hate my oily skin and I'm always looking for ways to balance out my sebum production.  I had high hopes for this since a full-sized bottle will cost you $41, but I'm disappointed to say that I didn't really notice much of a difference with it.  It promises to absorb shine for a full eight hours, so I applied it in the morning before work.  It did slightly reduce the amount of oil I felt on my face, but not enough to make me want to buy it.  I use Soap & Glory's Clear Here moisturizer and it provides about the same effects for half the price.  I'm assuming that OC8 is cruelty-free because it was reviewed at MyBeautyBunny.com.
• KMS California FREESHAPE Hot Flex Spray - I like this spray, but it's nothing special.  The dispenser sprays nice and evenly which is always a plus, and it smells pretty decent.  I heat style every day so I'm always interested in trying new heat protecting products, and thumbs up to KMS California for being cruelty-free.

Bottom Line: While I wasn't blown away by any of the products in my August Birchbox, I will use most of them and they're good picks for me.  I'm excited to see what's in store for September!

*Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.