Ipsy July 2014: Sensationally Sunkissed review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Ick, what a strange-looking Ipsy bag this month. I will try to give it to someone or use it to package off some items next time I do a trade. Product-wise it was also very meh for me this time. I’m debating whether I should just unsubscribe and redeem a free product that I don’t really want with the points I’ve earned or try to wait around for one I do like.

Ipsy is $10 per glam bag and comes with 5 or so beauty/skincare products. Bags are sent monthly with no option to skip. There’s usually a waitlist to get the subscription. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free products.

ipsy july 2014 bag items with card including hang ten tanning oil, lavilin jojoba skin soother gel cream, benefit they're real mascara, elizabeth mott tints & sass lip & cheek stain in cherry, and bareminerals 5 in 1 cream eyeshadow in divine wine

Hang Ten Dark Tanning Oil – I have no idea how to use tanning oil, nor do I feel any need to try. If I want to tan, I just go outside for a bit. Otherwise, I’m perfectly happy with my skin tone, whatever shade it might be! This is definitely an item I’m not opening and putting up for trade.

Lavilin Jojoba Skin Soother Gel Cream – For something with gel in the name, I did not expect the consistency that was more like sunscreen. Looked like sunscreen, felt like sunscreen a bit, and is it just my imagination? Smelled like sunscreen too? It didn’t mention any SPF properties so I have no idea, but I guess I’ll use this up sort of as a normal lotion.

Benefit they’re Real! beyond mascara – Mascaras must be super popular since we keep getting them. I better start applying daily if I want to ever get close to using up my supply. These bristles looked scary because they are so pokey, but application was just fine and they help my lashes pop well, without giving my raccoon eyes. I’ll keep using this for sure!

Elizabeth Mott Tints & Sass fabulous lip & cheek stain in cherry – I don’t plan on staining my cheeks anytime soon, but the lip staining aspect of this intrigued me. I’ve been getting bolder with my choice of lip color, so I’ll play around with this one too. The application was less staining that I thought, thankfully – I was afraid it’d super stain my lips the instant anything touched them! But it took a little rubbing to get a nice shade on and I like the look and feel of it.

bareMinerals 5 in 1 BB advanced performance cream eyeshadow in Divine Wine – This is pretty boring to me. I don’t like to use eye products, so what’s the point of putting something on that is basically nude? If I’m going to that trouble, might as well be something fun and interesting. I guess it’s supposed to be like sunscreen for the eyes? I don’t know, I’m not really into it. I’ll try trading but if it doesn’t go I might consider trying it.

Not impressed at all this month and if it weren’t for the points I accumulated, I’d be unsubscribing right now (see how rewards programs lock people in?). I’ll get these up in my eDivv shop eventually so I can trade for stuff I’d actually appreciate.

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this bag and wanted to share what I got!]

Beauty Box 5 July 2014 review

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I’ve been testing out this box for a few months and overall I’ve liked it enough to keep it, so I’m thinking of using it to replace my Ipsy subscription. Lately it’s been up and down with Ipsy, so I want to use up my bonus points to redeem a free item and then cancel it.

Beauty Box 5 is $12 per box (or as discounted as $99 for an entire year, with an option in between) and comes with 5 cosmetic products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. You also have the option of buying it as a gift your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards products or boxes.

july 2014 beauty box 5 contents beauty box 5 july 2014 information card beauty box 5 july product cards

Revlon Bold Lacquer mascara: We just got a mascara in last month’s box so I’ve got plenty of this product and will probably save this for use a little later. Perhaps I should apply mascara daily, since my stash is growing far faster than I can keep up with using. I pretty much use mascara a few times a year and that’s it. Part of the problem is that some of them wear down and give me raccoon eyes. We’ll see how this one does.

HASK Argan Oil hair treatment: I’m going to treat myself to this along with a bath sometime in the near future. I don’t have many hair masks, so this is a great product to try, especially since my hair dries out pretty easily. I don’t have the silkiest hair, but it does a decent job of staying conditioned. Am I supposed to use a hair mask frequently to maintain that sort of shine? Will this really last for two weeks of shine? We shall see…

Body Drench Candy Licious lip balm in Red Licorice: I love these smaller tubes of lip balm – they’re adorable! The flavor is spot on and tastes very much like licorice. I’m not a huge fan of that flavor, but I’m fine with a little bit of it on my lips so I’ll definitely be using this up. The bright red tint is a fun color that adds a pop without being in your face.

Anna Naturals Glowing Mama scrub: First of all, this smells luscious. Kind of reminds me of my favorite facial exfoliating product, derma e’s microdermabrasion. It also feels so wonderful as I’m scrubbing it – my fingers glide around and the granules are rough enough to feel satisfying but not too large. I love it. I’m glad it wasn’t the sort of oatmeal-y or almond-y scent I thought it would have; it’s more refreshing than that!

Starlooks lip liner in Tipsy: I don’t use lip liner, so this is going in my trade pile. I have some other Starlooks items, which I like, particularly a glitter eyeliner that I use sort of like a light eyeshadow. I put a little on the corners of my eyes and smudge it in to brighten them and give a fun glittery effect.

The variety of items made for a very useful set of complementing items. I’ve got my eyes, lips, hair, and skin covered here! I won’t use all the items, but nearly all of them will get opened eventually. The “defining moments” theme was pretty vague so just about any products would have worked for it. What’s your favorite item in this box?

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Homegrown Collective June 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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I am constantly amazed at how the folks over at the Homegrown Collective come up with these awesome projects month after month. This box comes perfectly timed for the summer months and I was so eager I started one of them even as we left for Pittsburgh Thursday night.

The Homegrown Collective GREENBOX is $39 per box + $9 shipping (or as discounted as $429 for an entire year, with options in between) and comes with fun and easy projects to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program you can apply to join.

inside of summertime & the livin's easy homegrown collective box with the info sheets on the inner lid contents of the homegrown collective june 2014 box with summertime & the livin's easy theme

cat sniffing aloe included in homegrown collective june 2014 box with summertime & the livin's easy theme

Smokey was a big fan of this box too.

Project #1, after-sun aloe lotion bars: Ducky molds?!! I LOVE IT. How playful and fun are these? I really look forward to making them and playing around with my little ducky lotions. So adorable! And of course these will be super useful in the summertime to help soothe the bites and scratches that seem inevitable.

the homegrown collective june 2014 project after-sun aloe lotion bars info card the homegrown collective june 2014 products for after-sun aloe lotion barsProject #2, all natural insect repellant: This is the project that I already have underway and just need to finish up today. What perfect timing – Panda and I went out catching fireflies last week and got bites all over, so next time we go out we’ll have protection against those bugs. I sure hope this is super effective at repelling mosquitoes since we both seem to taste extra good to them.

the homegrown collective june 2014 project all natural insect repellant info card the homegrown collective june 2014 products for all natural insect repellant

Project #3, all natural organic sunscreen: Woo hoo, a third project again! I hope they keep this up so I can play around with even more projects. Making my very own sunscreen is fantastic. I wonder if it will have that “sunscreen smell” that we’re all too used to? I doubt it, and that is a very good thing indeed. I had no idea soybean oil could be so useful for bug spray and sunscreen! Fascinating.

the homegrown collective june 2014 project all natural organic sunscreen info card the homegrown collective june 2014 products for all natural organic sunscreen

Can you say summer soothing in a box? This is amazing. I can’t wait to see how effective everything is! And those ducky molds are precious. I feel like making jello with them… 😛

the homegrown collective june 2014 aloe vera info card

You know you want to get in on this action! Just subscribe to the Homegrown Collective and you can enjoy these fantastic projects too. 😀

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Escape Monthly June: Las Vegas Box Review

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Alright! I’ve been sitting on this box for two weeks (oops) but here’s my review. Panda and I are both teetotalers who aren’t into the party scene, so when we go to Vegas it’s about the sights, shows, and food. I think this box offered a nice balance between the party side of things and the getaway side of things. I’m glad to see they didn’t just focus on one aspect of Vegas.

Escape Monthly is just under $40 per box (with code for 20% off your subscription – see end of post) and comes with a variety of food, home, skincare items themed around a city. Each box comes with a Moon Handbooks guide for that region. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a lovely recurring referral commission program.

escape monthly june las vegas box products showing escape monthly june las vegas box info card against blue and white chevron background escape monthly june las vegas box info card opened with details of products included escape monthly june las vegas box products extra details(click to enlarge and read full messaging)

At first I thought I didn’t get the bonus item and I was super bummed, but then I found it hiding against the side of the box! Is it strange that a little thing like that made my day brighter?

Here’s what came in the box:

Moon Handbooks guide to Nevada – I’m keeping this one handy since Panda and I will be going to Las Vegas next month. I’m definitely planning on doing a helicopter ride over to the Grand Canyon this time around, since that’s the one thing I haven’t gotten a chance to do that’s been on my list for ages. Other than that, we’ll see what this guidebook has to offer.

Tahoe Toffee – Anyone who went to college in California or Nevada probably went to Lake Tahoe for some skiing/snowboarding at some point! I know I certainly did (my only time on the slopes so far, actually). It’s lovely to see a brand from that area and it’s a mighty fine toffee they make. When I first saw it, I thought there was a corner missing since from the back, it looked like it was supposed to be a big triangle. When I turned it around, I found out it’s the shape of Nevada, haha!

New York New York clipped casino playing cards – What a simple and unique gift item. I happened to get ones used at the New York New York casino, which I’ve been to many a time (though not to gamble). I’ve been thinking about reviving a game of Snerds with Panda – it was a card game we played all summer as Orientation Counselors at UCLA. Looks like I have my chance now!

Las Vegas shot glass – Even though I don’t drink, I have this thing with shot glasses and mini alcohol bottles. When I was traveling Europe, there were just so many cute ones to get that I have a small collection, so this is a perfect addition! I recently read someone mentioning it’s the perfect portion for drinking water with your daily pills… so if I ever need to take pills, I will certainly keep that in mind. 😉 Note that this is NOT dishwasher safe, so be careful with it and hand wash!

glass die wine stopper – Is it just me or does this remind you of a wedding gift? It might be the white and silver coloring of the packaging. Or it might be the hearts. I don’t have wine to stop, but I really like the look of this glass die so I’ll see if I can find a use for it. If not, my dad or Panda’s brother might have a use for these!

3Girls Holistic Calming Mist spray – This is a nice large bottle of calming mist that sprays perfectly finely, for a nice thin layer of mist. I love that it’s organic and vegan, with very simple ingredients like lavender, chamomile, ylang ylang, and vanilla essential oils. It smells sweet and tart, like a summer garden brimming with flowers.

Iadora Charcoal Body Scrub – Ooo, I can’t wait to use this when my body scrub supply goes down a bit. I’ve had charcoal soap, but never a scrub, so this is fantastic! They’ve got some large salt granules that will provide a super exfoliating scrubbing experience. The oils like to sit at the bottom of the tub, so I flipped it over to allow the drier bits on top to get soaked again.

Vegas nail file – This was the bonus item I thought I didn’t get. Yay for finding it somewhat hidden. 🙂 I don’t really file my nails, so I will keep this as a nice Vegas item until I decide to put it to use. Now that I say that, I kind of want to use it right away!

I’m a big fan of the items for relaxation and enjoyment in this box and whatever I won’t use will make a wonderful gift. What do you like best in this Las Vegas Escape Monthly box? If you want to sign up, try one of these codes (not sure which ones are still active): INDIAESCAPE or VEGASESCAPE for 20% off the lifetime of your subscription or GIFTESCAPE for 25% off.

July’s destination is India!! I’ve never been there, but I have some good friends who have been or are from there so I can’t wait to see what I’ll get and whether they approve. This time around they offered a deluxe box as well ($150 for $69.95), since there are so many items they wanted to share. I’m very tempted but I need to cut back on my spending so I hope I don’t regret not springing for it (or maybe they’ll have extras once I see what it comes with).

escape monthly june las vegas box info card back with preview of next month's box theme of india

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Fabletics Norwalk Tank + Kingston Sweatshirt review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , ,
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While browsing the Fabletics site looking for free outfits to claim with the credit I earned, I also happened upon some tops I really liked. Ultimately, I decided to spring for them. I certainly didn’t want to regret missing out on items I’d be pining for months down the line. 😛

Fabletics is just under $50 per outfit credit and comes with a 2- or 3-piece set of athletic wear. Each month, three outfits are selected for you to choose from at the 1 outfit credit price point. You can always get other outfits at their VIP pricing of $50-80 (2- and 3- pieces available) or buy any individual item separately. Outfits are sent monthly unless you choose to skip (which is very easy to do). They offer a referral program that earns you money towards free outfits.

Get your first outfit for half off with my referral link! All fitted Fabletics items are chafe-resistant and feature four-way stretch for comfort and movement.

collage of front, back, tie, and inside of fabletics norwalk tank in white and blazing yellow

Norwalk Tank in White & Blazing Yellow

This is such a comfy top!! I feel so secure in it because of the built-in sports bra part with pads, yet I have so much freedom to move around because of the loose fit of the rest of it. I’m really enjoying this design that is different from your typical top. It’s so flowy and liberating without compromising on coverage, so I feel good about moving around in it. I love lounging around in this and I’m seriously considering getting the new one they just introduced in purple and gray as well. The retail value for this is listed as $34.95.

collage of front, back, collar, zipper, and close-up of fabletics kingston sweatshirt in white

Kingston Sweatshirt in White

I love anything that offers nice coverage of my neck, since I feel so much warmer if my neck is warm. This is a nice soft sweatshirt that offers that sort of heat retension where I like it and I like how high the collar comes. With no hoodie to weigh it down, it’s a nice change from sweatshirts I’m used to. You’re protected from zipping your own neck by the nice piece of fabric that also makes folding down the collar a good look. I had to get a size larger since my size was sold out, so it might look a little baggier than you might prefer, but that’s because I was looking for a looser fit. The listed retail value for this is $39.95.

I’m very happy with both these tops and glad I opted for them instead of more outfits. I generally like to change my tops more than my bottoms, so it’s useful to have more of them. I hope there’s an option to swap for two tops in future outfits. Want to get your own? Sign up for Fabletics to get your first outfit for just $25!

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this outfit and wanted to share what I got!]

Petit Vour June 2014 review

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This month’s theme is “bon voyage” to get you travel ready. It features a bunch of items you can bring along to take care of yourself while on the go.

Petit Vour is $15 per box (or as much as $30 for international subscribers) and comes with vegan beauty, skincare, and other personal care products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free boxes (email contact@petitvour.com to say I referred you if you sign up!).

contents of petit vour june 2014 box with evolvh shampoo and conditioner, tay balancing cleanser, mun brightening serum, ncla luxury nail lacquer, and info card with bon voyage theme

contents of petit vour june 2014 box removed from packaging

A closer look at some of the items.

petit vour june 2014 box info card with item details

EVOLVh UltraShine Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner – If you want to feel like you just came out of a salon, you need to try this shampoo. It lathers fantastically well and smells so luxurious! All day long I kept getting a whiff of it (a sweet sort of scent) and thinking I just stepped out of a professional haircut. Definitely one of the nicest shampoos I’ve tried. The conditioner has a more refreshing scent and it didn’t make my hair super slippery like I’m used to. Maybe it was getting absorbed into my hair? It worked pretty well, though I had a little chunk of hair that didn’t smooth out on its own without a hairbrush.

MUN No. 1 Aknari Brightening Youth Serum – I’m not sure if this sample is enough to really get a sense for how this serum performs… at first use it feels nice and smells herbal, so it’s promising. I did have trouble getting enough out of the tiny tube and it took awhile to apply the amount I wanted. We’ll see if I notice anything by the time I finish it up.

ncLA 5-free Luxury Nail Lacquer in Santa Monica Shore Thing – I’ve heard of this brand and got their nail wraps in a previous Petit Vour box, but this is my first time trying their nail polish. I got the shade Santa Monica Shore Thing, which is a creamy minty green. On the nails, it’s a slightly darker shade than what you see in the bottle and two coats provides a nice even color. It’s a more liquidy formula that applies well and smells rather like Julep’s polishes… somewhat apple-scented, I’d say.

TAY Rosehip Balancing Cleanser with Seabuckthorn – Immediately fell in love with this – not only is the packaging fantastic, it smells lovely and feels great. I’m a fan of this brand based on that.

Once again, Petit Vour delivered with nice products that I will use all of and would be the sort of thing to bring on my summer vaca. I really enjoy their curation of beautiful, luxurious, vegan products. What do you like best from this month’s items?

[This post mentions a referral program. Signing up and emailing contact@petitvour.com to say I referred you helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Homegrown Collective beeswax wood butter project

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , ,
2

About two months ago, I got around to trying the beeswax wood butter project that came as part of the February Homegrown Collective box. I now have some fun wood coasters that we’ve been using. Recently, I found that the sides I chose not to polish up were getting grease marks so I decided to rub in the wood butter to all of them. It’s a full set of wonder wood coasters now. 🙂

ingredients to make wood butter including beeswax and grape seed oil

Making the wood butter required beeswax and grape seed oil.

collage of melting beeswax and adding grape seed oil to make wood butter

Once the beeswax melted, I added the grape seed oil and it coagulated before melting together.

collage of bowl of melted wood butter poured in container

With a nice smooth mixture, I was able to pour it into an empty jar I had. It fit perfectly! The remainder on the glass bowl was used to start the polishing.

collage of wood coasters being polished

And then started the polishing process of rubbing in the wood butter. Check out the difference!

Treatsie June 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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I had just mentioned how Treatsie seemed to not be using ice packs anymore, so of course I had to be proven wrong. 😛  This time, it was hot enough outside that it warranted some cooling packs again. The box came in an insulated bag with two ice packs that weren’t solid anymore, but did their job along the way.

Treatsie is $15 per box + $4.95 shipping and comes with artisan candy from 3-4 brands (I am grandfathered in for $15 for 2-3 brands and fewer items). That means about 6 or 7 different flavors of treats (or 4 or 5 for me). Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral link program to earn store credit. Use my referral link to get your first box FREE!

treatsie june 2014 box contents with salty road salt water taffy, olive & sinclair chocolate bar, and brittle brothers cashew brittletreatsie june 2014 outer packaging with insulation

Salty Road Salt Water Taffy in Peppermint: I would have preferred most of the other flavors that could have come in this box. Peppermint as a breath mint works for me, but for most other things it’s just not a flavor I’d choose. These taffies are interesting, with their salt bits that is completely unique to a taffy. I love that idea and would especially like a caramel-flavored taffy.

Olive & Sinclair Buttermilk White Chocolate: The chocolate was not melted at all, which was wonderful. I wasn’t really into the tangy sort of taste that the buttermilk apparently creates. Pretty sure I would have liked the sea salt dark chocolate flavor better. I like the firmness and smoothness of the chocolate though.

Brittle Brothers Gourmet Cashew Brittle: At first glance, I thought this product was a repeat. Turns out this is their cashew brittle whereas previously I had received their peanut brittle. The difference in nuts does matter! I can’t compare how this one tastes next to the peanut exactly, but I think I prefer the peanut one slightly. Perhaps I’m just not use to cashews in a brittle. It’s super nutty and I really like the sugary bits.

treatsie june 2014 info card

Flavor-wise, this was probably my least favorite box so far. Brand-wise I think it would have been more exciting for me if the flavors matched up to my taste better. I’ll be sharing these with my co-workers or whoever wants them. Which of these treats is your fav? Sign up for Treatsie and get your first box free.

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Ipsy June 2014: Pretty In Paradise review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Here comes the second artist-partnered design for an Ipsy bag. I like the tropical look and the colors, though I don’t know if they make sense together. Still, I’m a fan! The products they matched me with were hit and miss. I’ll surely be trying to trade some.

Ipsy is $10 per glam bag and comes with 5 or so beauty/skincare products. Bags are sent monthly with no option to skip. There’s usually a waitlist to get the subscription. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free products.

ipsy june 2014 bag items with card including marc anthony dream waves beach spray, nyx butter gloss in eclair, be a bombshell lash out mascara, dermadoctor dd cream, and nicka k shimmer eyeliner in green

Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray – This smells like summer with some sort of coconut-y influence. I’m still working on how to get a good beach wave look that works for my hair. It seemed quite effective at helping me get more volume and that tousled effect, but then I have a tendency to run my hands through my hair and it kind of defeats the purpose. Still, I shall use this and spruce up my hair a little this summer!

NYX butter gloss in Éclair – I’m definitely into lip glosses, so I’m glad to have this one. It’s a nice smooth consistency that applies a nice thin layer. Not too shiny, a little bit sticky, and quite moisturizing. Good lip product to keep around, but I don’t know if I’d buy it myself. There are just so many choices out there.

be a… bombshell lash out mascara – I have so many tubes of mascara now I practically need to apply it all day every day to make a dent in using them. It’s a pretty standard-looking type in terms of the brush and thickness/goopiness of the mascara. When I took a look, I also happened to sniff it and I didn’t like that smell, so I’m going to trade this. Other than that I wouldn’t mind keeping it around for my own use.

DERMAdoctor DD cream – Much as I’ve hoped these creams would be sufficient on their own, I find that I still need to help it along with some powder. They just don’t provide enough coverage for my breakouts and also leave my skin rather shiny. I’m a sucker for these items even though they don’t exactly work for me. Still, they provide a nice base upon which I can apply my powder, so I’m definitely testing this over time to see how it holds up against the other half dozen or so BB/CC/DD creams I’ve tried.

Nicka K New York Shimmer Eyeliner in Green – Wow, green eyeliner?! Intense. Not something I’d go for and certainly something I’ll be trading. What a very bold selection to go with. This is the first non-nail polish I’ve received from this brand and I won’t be using it.

This month the items were an ok fit for me overall. I liked about half the items, but there always seem to be other products they offered that would have made much more sense for me. Does IpsyMatch ever consistently work?? If you want to trade for any of my items, check out my eDivv shop don’t be discouraged if I don’t reply to divvys at first. Sometimes I need a hiatus and until they offer a “vacation mode” I don’t have a way to let other traders know when I’m taking a break.

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this bag and wanted to share what I got!]

Beauty Box 5 June 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
1

Holy cow, it’s June box time already?! With summer in full swing, we got a summer chic theme. These products add up to a nice, simple beauty routine. Just wash, cleanse, rinse, and then apply a touch of mascara and nice nail polish! Not much more you need, other than a lip balm, I’d say.

Beauty Box 5 is $12 per box (or as discounted as $99 for an entire year, with an option in between) and comes with 5 cosmetic products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. You also have the option of buying it as a gift your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards products or boxes.

june 2014 beauty box 5 contents beauty box 5 june 2014 information card

beauty box 5 offer cards

Get a free box to try or $12 off a subscription!

Nicka K New York Nail Color in Ripe Apple: I first came across this brand in an Ipsy bag. I love the look of their bottles and the polish is a good consistency. Applying it was pretty straightforward and two applications offered the perfect kind of coverage. This color is bold but not too bright. A great darker look to fire engine red nails. I’m getting into nail art and this will be not only a nice canvas for designs, but great for little flourishes.

Organix Coconut Water shampoo & conditioner: These smelled really nice! I’m not even into coconut scents generally, but it was light enough to be pleasant and not suffocating. My hair felt pretty good after the shower, but once it dried it felt pretty normal again. I wouldn’t say this brand offered more or less shampooing and conditioning for my hair. I do like their argan oil conditioner though.

Glam Naturals mascara: There certainly will be no clumping with this mascara! It’s a much more liquid consistency than most mascaras I’ve tried. It’s perfect for when I want a little boost to my lashes, but still want that natural look. What a refreshing change from mascaras I’m used to. So far no smearing either; it seems to have good staying power.

Eslor Introductory Collection samples: I’m enjoying this set of products. They smell nice and are gentle. The scrub was a dry sort of formula, which is nice so a little mixed with water can cover a lot of area. It did tend to stick to the sides so I felt like I was losing out on product though. The mask is a green one that tingles a bit upon application. Everything felt good on my skin.

Vita Bath body wash in Dreamy Pink Frosting : I don’t usually use body wash, but I did give this a try and I like how it foams. It smells of sweet candy, so probably not something you’ll convince a guy to use. I didn’t notice if I smelled like that after I dried off though, so it can be a fun scent in the shower that doesn’t linger around too much.

I think the box as a whole was a nice package. I could use each item without feeling like I was covering the same part of a routine twice. They all build on each other to help you prepare for a day! What do you think of the box this month?

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

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