Birchbox Review: Suki Balancing Kit

This facial system was in my July Birchbox and I was really excited to try it. The packaging said it was formulated for acne prone skin, and I had just been in the middle of a breakout so I thought it was the perfect time to try it. The full size of the Suki Balancing Kit retails for $50.

Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser:
This cleanser uses a combination of lemongrass and sugar to cleanse and exfoliate your skin. I loved the way it smelled. Very sweet and refreshing at the same time. After using it my skin felt so smooth and refreshed. I also really liked that it only took a little of the cleanser because it meant that I could use the sample more than once. Always a plus!

Transformative Cleansing Clay:
This product can be used as a quick 5 minute deep cleanser in the shower or as a mask. I chose to try it as a mask because I like clay masks. It uses white willow and zinc to extract the dirt from your pores. The product was very thin and it wanted to go everywhere but where I wanted it to go. There was just enough of the product to use one. I really liked the way my face felt while it was drying. It gave me the good tingling feeling that lets you know that it is getting deep into your pores. When it came time to wash it off it had dried almost clear, which made it hard to know if I had gotten it all.

Concentrated Balancing Toner:
Uses white willow and Vitamin C to balance your skin. Felt like most toners. There was enough in the sample to use it multiple times.

Pure Facial Moisture-Balancing:
Uses blue chamomile and echinacea to moisturize your skin. It really surprised me when I opened the sample because it was an oil. A bunch of it ended up being wasted because it came pouring out. It felt really strange putting an oil on my face after I had done so much to get rid of the dirt and oil. It took forever to soak into my skin and after 30 minutes I had to wipe off what was left over. It didn't make my skin feel good. It made it feel greasy and clogged.

Balancing Day Lotion:
Uses white willow and natural retinol to moisturize your face. It smelled horrible! I can't even to begin to explain what it smelled like but it was bad. It soaked into my face really fast but it made it feel tight and dry. A major downside is that this daytime moisturizer has no SPF! Who doesn't put SPF in a day moisturizer now a days?

Overall:
This kit had it's stars (the cleanser and the mask) and some losers (the 2 moisturizers). I was glad to be able to the products but I will not be purchasing this kit. However, I may buy the cleanser and the clay mask.

Grade: B-