How To Be A Redhead Subscription Box Review – June 2016

How To Be A Redhead is a monthly subscription box that sends sample and full-sized “Redhead friendly” products right to your door (meaning “free of heavy chemicals & complement red hair.” This is the first and only subscription box (so far!) designed for redheads! How To Be A Redhead and its co-founders, Adrienne and Stephanie Vendetti, are the curators of the box.

UPDATE:  Haley's June How to be a Redhead June box was lost in the mail, and they sent a replacement. However, it seems that in the replacement June box they added some extra samples and items to apologize for the lost box. We paid for this box as opposed to having it sent for free in exchange for a review, and we are committed to providing reviews that feature boxes that are exactly the same as every other subscriber.

Sorry for not realizing what happened before this review was published.

The original June box only included the items listed on the info card.

My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

The Subscription Box: How To Be A Redhead

The Cost: $18.98/monthly for US ($38.98 monthly for CAN), or $180/12 month pre-pay for US, ($420/12 month pre-pay for CAN)

The Products: sample and full-sized products that are “redhead friendly” and free of harsh chemicals. All featured products have been tested by the curators for 10 days before being considered for the box.

Ships to: US & CAN

Check out the Beauty Subscription Box Directory and make sure to add How To Be A Redhead to your subscription list or wishlist!

June’s box is all about beach season! An appropriate (and often difficult) summer activity for redheads. This box is curated to help you discover products that help beach-going and sun exposure more manageable.

Each box also has an info card detailing and describing all the items featured in the box.

Just for Redheads Mascara Naturelle – value: $10.99

This mascara is in the shade “ginger brown” and is perfect for pale redheads to darken their eyelashes but still have a natural look!

Chella Awesome Auburn Eyebrow Color Pencil – value: $18

This eyebrow pencil is in an auburn shade and is very creamy. It goes on a little heavy for my liking for an eyebrow color, but works pretty well overall.

Here’s a look at the mascara want and a swatch of the eyebrow pencil.

Egyptian Magic All Purpose Skin Cream – 2 foil packets

This cream is a balm made out of all-natural ingredients and has no added preservatives, fragrances, chemicals, or parabens. I actually love this stuff, though I haven’t used it in years. I discovered it through Birchbox when I first subscribed and even bought a big tub of it.

Goddess Garden Organics SPF 30 Everyday Sunscreen Lotion – 2 foil packets

This sunscreen is made with plant-based ingredients and natural minerals! It’s also certified organic, biodegradable, and reef-safe! Those last two things are something I never thought about being an important factor/affect regarding sunscreen before. I like the formula of this, too.

Tela Blow Out Serum Smooth Operator - 0.5 fl oz, value: $3.20

This product has some great reviews online. It’s a serum for blow drying that’s designed to hydrate, strengthen, and nourish your hair and protect against damage and color fade.

SW Basics Exfoliant – 2 foil packets

S.W. Basics is a great natural skincare brand I know about thanks to subscription boxes. This exfoliant is made with “kitchen-cabinet awesomeness,” with ingredients including oat and almond flour and mineral sea salt!

Agadir Argan Oil Hair Treatment - 0.25 fl oz, value: $2.78

I love oil treatments for my hair, and this one looks like a lot of people like it! Including me… a couple drops in my hair before blow drying did work well to soften and smooth it. One important thing to note, though: this isn’t 100% argan oil. It’s mostly a silicone based product, so that’s what’s likely softening my hair, more than actual instant hair repair.

7^th Heaven Creamy Coconut Mask - 0.5 fl oz, value: $1.99

I’m so excited to try this mask during my next “mom-time” bath! It’s key ingredients are cocoa, coconut, and shea butter – sounds like it should smell amazing. It’s good for hydration and dry skin, which is what I have.

TriDerma Facial Redness Repair - 0.5 oz, value: $3.50

This cream is designed to seriously help facial redness and eczema. It has anti-inflammatory ingredients, vitamins, and botanicals. I don’t have eczema but I’m hoping this will still be fantastic for my dry skin!

eSalon Perfect Ending Leave-In Conditioner – 5 fl oz, value: $15

I’ve tried this product before through eSalon’s own subscription service! I like the formula a lot, and I love the eSalon brand and still trust it for my hair color and to be safe for treated hair. I just wish they had a version with a pump spray… I prefer that over products I have to get all over my hands.

Sunburn Alert Color-Changing Wristbands – 6 pack, value: $6

These wrist bands are little disposable, 1-time-use bands that change color to let you know how much sun you’ve gotten! They start out tan and then turn blue when expose to the sun and “activated.” Then you apply sunscreen to your skin and the band. It’ll eventually change to a light lavender color, and that’s when you need to reapply sunscreen. It works with SPF 15 and up.

Here’s what the band looked like once activated.

Red Apple Lipstick in Petal Pusher - 0.16 oz, value: $23.50

I found out about this brand through Benevolent Beauty Box – it’s a mineral lipstick made with healthy ingredients and things you wouldn’t be worried about accidentally eating, as you inevitably do with lipstick. This shade is a light hot pink and is made to be buildable so you can control the intensity.

Here’s a swatch of the lipstick and what it looks like on. It’s very hydrating and has some subtle shimmer. I like it – it’s a great summer shade.

Verdict: I think How To Be A Redhead did a great job curating a box geared for summer and beach days for redheads. There were a few more samples and foil packets than I like, but I was still happy to see some good products and brands I like. I love the sun exposure bands and lipstick especially. As far as value goes, I estimate that this has a value of around $80 which is fantastic for an $18 box. I do think the upcharges for Canadian subscribers are really expensive, though. I understand extra for international shipping, but charging more than double the cost of the box? I don’t know – I’ve never seen that much of a difference for a sample box before and I feel like there must be a better way for them to ship?

What do you think about the How To Be A Redhead box?