December Boxycharm Unboxing
It’s amazing that this post is even happening right now. Y’all, I seriously did not think I was going to get my Boxycharm at all. After waiting for what felt like forever, it finally showed up -- exactly one week later than expected. Reaching out to mail carriers and Boxycharm support didn’t get me anywhere, so I didn’t know what to do. But now that it’s finally here, let’s quickly review last month’s products before getting into this month’s box.
~Kypris Antioxidant Dew Quench & Glow Serum~ The ingredients, claims, price, and packaging make this serum seem real fancy, but honestly I didn’t think it was anything special. It was nice on the skin and while it did what it claimed, I don’t think it was any different from most other serums I’ve tried.
~Boxycharm brushes~ The quality of these brushes were amazing! I like that the brush handles had so much weight to them. I think that made them feel more luxurious and definitely helped during application as well. The smaller of the two is my favorite, it’s perfect for concealer!
~Dominique Cosmetics Celestial Thunder Eyeshadow Palette~ The colors in this palette were a little intimidating at first, but they’re actually pretty wearable. The quality is amazing in most shades. As you might have read in my full review of this palette posted earlier this week, the one shadow I was most excited about, Eternal Light, was a complete dud.
~Lilly Lashes (CEO)~ These. Lashes. Oh my! They are so intense! I was surprised to see that they applied pretty easily, but I couldn’t wait to take them off. They looked so obviously fake (as shown in my recent tutorial) that it’s not even worth it. They’re so dramatic and heavy, I felt like I could barely keep my eyelids open!
~Dose of Colors Matte Liquid Lipstick (Flirty)~ As much as I dislike matte liquid lipsticks, I was pleasantly surprised with how comfortable this formula was. I did apply a lip balm underneath and it did leave behind somewhat of a tacky feel after it dried, but it’s not the worst I’ve ever tried and the color is absolutely beautiful.
~Pretty Vulgar Under Cover Concealer~ I only tried this concealer once because none of the four shades provided were anywhere near a close match for me. But it was very easy to blend, it didn’t feel heavy on the skin, and I do see the high-coverage potential it could have if used in the correct shade.
Overall, I was pretty happy with last month’s products. Even though the lashes were a complete waste, I loved getting to try a new eyeshadow palette and I’m still so excited about those brushes! The theme for this month’s box is Whimsy, which seems to be based around one particular product.
~Kypris Antioxidant Dew Quench & Glow Serum~ The ingredients, claims, price, and packaging make this serum seem real fancy, but honestly I didn’t think it was anything special. It was nice on the skin and while it did what it claimed, I don’t think it was any different from most other serums I’ve tried.
~Boxycharm brushes~ The quality of these brushes were amazing! I like that the brush handles had so much weight to them. I think that made them feel more luxurious and definitely helped during application as well. The smaller of the two is my favorite, it’s perfect for concealer!
~Dominique Cosmetics Celestial Thunder Eyeshadow Palette~ The colors in this palette were a little intimidating at first, but they’re actually pretty wearable. The quality is amazing in most shades. As you might have read in my full review of this palette posted earlier this week, the one shadow I was most excited about, Eternal Light, was a complete dud.
~Lilly Lashes (CEO)~ These. Lashes. Oh my! They are so intense! I was surprised to see that they applied pretty easily, but I couldn’t wait to take them off. They looked so obviously fake (as shown in my recent tutorial) that it’s not even worth it. They’re so dramatic and heavy, I felt like I could barely keep my eyelids open!
~Dose of Colors Matte Liquid Lipstick (Flirty)~ As much as I dislike matte liquid lipsticks, I was pleasantly surprised with how comfortable this formula was. I did apply a lip balm underneath and it did leave behind somewhat of a tacky feel after it dried, but it’s not the worst I’ve ever tried and the color is absolutely beautiful.
~Pretty Vulgar Under Cover Concealer~ I only tried this concealer once because none of the four shades provided were anywhere near a close match for me. But it was very easy to blend, it didn’t feel heavy on the skin, and I do see the high-coverage potential it could have if used in the correct shade.
Overall, I was pretty happy with last month’s products. Even though the lashes were a complete waste, I loved getting to try a new eyeshadow palette and I’m still so excited about those brushes! The theme for this month’s box is Whimsy, which seems to be based around one particular product.
The first product in this month’s box is the Aesthetica Pro-Series Brush Cleanser and Conditioner. This is the smaller of the two size options that they offer, which includes 2.5 fl oz for $12. Keeping makeup brushes and sponges clean is very important for so many reasons. I have an easy method for cleaning brushes and I do it about once a month. I don’t think I’ve ever used an actual brush cleanser before, so I’m excited to see the difference it makes.
The next product is the Waterfall Glacier Water Cream ($39) from a brand called Saturday Skin. This claims to deliver mineral-rich moisture with its Alaskan Glacier Water while protecting the skin from free radicals. It’s made with a fusion of ferments, amino acids, and plant extracts that work to calm the skin while boosting vitality and suppleness.
It doesn’t have any scent that I can detect, but the packaging is super cute. I’ve never heard of this brand before, and I’m really intrigued by the name of this product. I’m hoping it will be lightweight and comfortable on the skin.
Next is the Marbled Light Illuminating Blush from Ciaté ($26). The shade I have is called Dusk, which is a medium pink color. What makes this product unique is that they’ve mixed matte blush with super-fine highlight for a pop of color with a subtle glow. Their website and the notecard both claim that this is formulated without talc. However, it is the second ingredient listed on the back of the box packaging. A talc-free formula would’ve been much more appreciated.
The packaging is adorable and super glamorous, but it’s difficult to open and feels like cheap plastic that could fall apart at any moment. Even though it looks really pretty in the pan, it’s almost undetectable when swatched on my hand. Hopefully it’ll show up better on my cheeks.
Brow bars are just the thing these days and that’s exactly what this next product is named after. This is the Brow Makeover Kit from a brand called Brow Bar by Reema. It retails for $30 and includes a dual-sided brush, a tinted brow gel, two brow powders, and what seems to be a concealer of some sort.
One side of the brush is an angled brow brush and the other side is a slightly fluffier flat shading brush. The gel seems to have a very wet consistency with a very large wand. The shade of my kit is Medium and the two powders seem like they will match pretty well. The concealer is a little strange, but that might be what makes all the difference!
Powders aren’t always the best option for me since I have more thinly shaped brows and there’s not much for the powder to hold onto, so I’m interested to see how well these apply and last throughout the day.
The last product in the box is the Fairy Tales: Robin Hood eyeshadow palette from Storybook Cosmetics. This comes with six shades and retails for $35, which I think is pretty excessive -- just like this packaging. It is super cute that it looks like a story book, but the mirror is small and the inside has so much wasted space.
If the palette had to be this big and bulky, I would’ve preferred more shadows that either folded over each other or a drawer that pulls out underneath the top layer. Unless you’re getting this for collector’s purposes, it just seems like a bit much.
Out of the six shades, two are shimmers and four have a matte finish. The inside packaging is just as precious as the outside and while I am a little concerned about working with such bright yellows and greens, it is visually appealing to see it all match together. They all seem to swatch nicely, and I’m excited to test a new eyeshadow formula since this is another brand I’ve never heard of before.
The total value for all five products included in this month’s box is $142. I am happy with all the products I received this month, but I don’t know that I’d say it was worth the stress of waiting. My box literally sat at the same FedEx location for seven days after the initial expected delivery date. I still have no idea how or when it got to me, I’m just glad everything’s here and in one piece. I know many people had the same problem with this month’s box. Let’s hope that never happens again!
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XO ♥ Christina ♥
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