January Boxycharm Unboxing

January 18, 2016

January Boxycharm Unboxing

It’s that time again! My Boxycharm is here!! If you follow me on Instagram, you’d already know how excited I am that this showed up three days early. At least “early” according to my tracking email and “early” compared to last month’s arrival. So I think we know the drill by now: Boxycharm is a $20 monthly beauty subscription service that delivers (usually around five) full-size products to your door. If you’d like to sign up or find out more, you can visit their website. I’ll start by reviewing last month’s products first, as usual, and then move on to what’s in this month’s box. Let’s go!

~Argan Oil 7 Moisture Healing Mask from Nelson J~ I am still so completely obsessed with the smell of this product! I only used it a couple of times and am still trying to figure out my favorite way of applying it. I’ll keep you posted as I continue to go through it, but the times I did use it I was happy with the results.

~ncLA So Rich Cuticle Oil~ I love this stuff!! I’ve tried various other cuticle oils before and none of them have ever really impressed me very much, so I’ve just been sticking to olive oil or coconut oil that I already have at home. But this stuff! It is so moisturizing and absorbs quickly into the cuticles while still making them look healthy and shiny. It doesn’t leave a greasy, oily feeling as long as you don’t apply too much. The only thing I don’t like about it is the smell. It smells like a vitamin bottle. But for the results, I can look past that and there’s something so pleasurable from using the little dropper!..It’s the little things ;)

~bellápierre Cosmetics Gel Lip Liner (Cinnamon)~ I actually really enjoyed using this lip liner, specifically the shade they chose to include. The texture is nice and smooth, but the brown color gives the most subtle definition that can still look really natural.

~Ofra Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick (Americano)~ Honestly, I only wore this once and even removed it before leaving the house. But let me explain! It’s only the color, I have my comfort shades (red and berry) and this is definitely different. I just need to figure out what look I like it with most and get more comfortable with such a dark and intense shade. The formula, though, is amazing. It’s very lightweight on the lips , dries quickly, and isn’t sticky at all.

~Jolly Pong Pong Cosmetics All Over Glow Luminizer Gel~ This product seriously has my whole top drawer of my makeup desk smelling like coconut. The scent is so strong! I love coconut, so it’s not that bad but in a makeup product I would’ve preferred it to be a little less intense. When applying it to the cheeks, it’s not nearly as bright as it was in the swatch picture but still gives a beautiful glow. As far as my interest in putting it as a shimmery base on the lids, that didn’t really work out. It’s not a very tacky product, so it didn’t hold onto eyeshadow all that well. And since it’s not as bold in smaller amounts as I was expecting, it didn’t intensify those bright shimmery champagne shades that I love.

~Tatcha Petal Fresh Original Aburatorigami (blotting papers)~ I know it sounds crazy when I say that I didn’t get a chance to use these, especially when I’m always talking about how oily my skin is. But since I received them in the mail the weather’s been getting colder and my face is always less oily in the cold air. When I do get an opportunity to try them, I’ll keep you updated on my thoughts.

Overall, last month’s products were pretty enjoyable. This month, the theme of the box is all about the eyes which makes me so excited because that’s probably my favorite part of makeup! We did only get four products which is a little disappointing, but I guess last month’s six products are supposed to balance it out?!

The first product laying right on top was the Royal & Langnickel Brush Set [R]evolution. It says Boxycharm on the packaging, so I’m assuming this specific set is exclusive to only this box. The information card says that the set is $24 and each brush is available individually for $8 each which I think is pretty reasonable. The handles feel very well made and it says the bristles are 100% vegan/synthetic. The brushes from left to right are BX-95 Smudger, BX-80 Detail, and BX-90 Crease. I’m not really sure about the size and shape of the crease brush, but the fluffy detail brush definitely has my attention.

The next thing is the blinc Amplified Mascara, which retails for $26. I’ve heard of this brand and their mascaras before, so I’m excited to finally have one and test it out for myself. The packaging was so different and definitely grabbed my interest. I was hesitant to open it since I seriously have seven other mascaras open right now that I’m trying to work through, but I really wanted to see what it looked like. It has traditional bristles, which I’m not the biggest fan of but they felt sturdy so maybe it won’t be as difficult to work with. It claims to build volume and length by forming small water-resistant “tubes” around the lashes that won’t budge. Whatt??

The third item in the box was the Starlooks Luxe Longwear Eye Liner Pen which retails for $19. It didn’t have a name on it, so I’m assuming it’s just black. In general, I think felt tip eyeliner pens are easier to work with. I did notice the slightest amount of movement from it on the tip, so it’ll probably have to be used at an angle. It seemed pretty dark when I swatched it and dried without a super glossy finish.

The fourth, and last, item in the box was the Coastal Scents Smoky Revealed Palette. This is the latest Revealed palette Coastal Scents has released and Boxycharm has now included all four of them in different boxes. I’m happy to get such a large item in the box, but if you read my review of the Revealed 3 Palette then you’d know I haven’t been super impressed with the overall quality of these. After I’m able to test this palette thoroughly, I plan to do a separate review so for now I only swatched a few random shades. The information card says this palette retails for $40, but I’ve never seen a Revealed palette for more than $20 on the Coastal Scents website.

This would usually be the part where I go on and on about how great of a deal the box is, but this month it’s not worth nearly as much as normal. All of the other boxes have been worth well over $100, this month if you add up the prices according to the card it totals $110. However, if you calculate it with the actual price of the Coastal Scents palette it only totals $90. It’s still a good deal since you only pay $20 for the box, but it is disappointing when you look at it compared to all the other months. I still love this subscription service and definitely recommend it, but am hoping for more impressive numbers and products for next month.

~Mani Monday~

This week I decided to go for a more softer color that wasn’t very bold and chose Ulta’s Life’s a Peach that I featured in my birthday haul last week. Ulta’s nail polishes are pretty affordable ($6 for .33 oz), especially if you catch them on sale and use your coupons. I’ve raved over them before that they’re good quality and last for about six days. Since this polish is so light, I’d definitely say it needs two coats. With my skin tone (especially with how pale I am right now) it can be hard to find lighter colors like this that compliment my undertones, and I’m really liking how this one looks.