#PrettyVulgar – Forty, Flirty & Fabulous

Boxycharm Subscription Box Review — February 2020

Hey all! I have just received my February BoxyCharm! I love receiving this box each month.

I’ve been subscribed to BoxyCharm for two and a half years now and really enjoy it. BoxyCharm is now $25 a month plus tax for 5 full-sized beauty items. The value is at least $125 each month.

The only subscription boxes I’m currently getting is this box, BoxyLuxe four times a year and the new BoxyCharm Premium. I think Boxy has been doing an amazing job curating their boxes lately.

The theme this month is Adore. My version is 47. This month I received:

Alamar Cosmetics Complexion Brush Trio – $36
Kate Somerville Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum — $98.00
Ciaté London Everyday Vacay Coconut Scented Translucent Loose Powder — $22
Qveen Matte Liquid Lip Satin in Wifey — $17
Pretty Vulgar Faux Reals Extreme Volume Mascara — $23

These are gorgeous! They are very soft and seem to be of good quality. I really enjoy the Alamar eye brushes I have, so I’m excited to use these!

The serum was my choice this month. I love anything that smooths and firms my skin. I will be testing this out once I’m done with my current firming serum.

The powder is okay. I already have a Ciate powder in my stash that I got from a Boxycharm. It’s a different name then this one but it looks like almost the same thing. I’ll either save it for later or give it away.

These are my least favorite products this month. I don’t wear liquid lipstick and haven’t heard of the brand Qveen. I will pass it on to someone else.

I like Pretty Vulgar and have tried a few things in my Boxycharm, but I haven’t found anything I love yet. I have tons of mascara, so I’ll either throw this in my stash, or give it to one of my daughters.

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The box this month was okay for me. I am loving the Kate Somerville serum and the brushes and will use those. I might use the powder and mascara, or I might give them away. I will definitely give the liquid lipstick away.

Do you get Boxycharm? What did you get this month?

BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review — January 2020

Hey all! I have just received my first BoxyCharm of 2020! I love receiving this box each month.

I’ve been subscribed to BoxyCharm for over two years now and really enjoy it. BoxyCharm is now $25 a month plus tax for 5 full-sized beauty items. The value is at least $125 each month.

The only subscription boxes I’m currently getting is this box, BoxyLuxe four times a year and the new BoxyCharm Premium. I think Boxy has been doing an amazing job curating their boxes lately.

The theme this month is Breaking The Ice. My version is 6. This month I received:

Ace Beaute Eye Shadow Palette in Scarlet Dusk— $34.99
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask — $22
Pretty Vulgar Under Cover Concealer — $25
Petite ‘n Pretty Fully Feathered Volumizing Mascara — $16
Wander Beauty Trip for Two Blush and Bronzer Duo — $36

Total — $133.99. I think that’s good for a $25 box.

This was my choice item for this month. I could have chosen this, Ace Beaute Vintage Dawn OR Dr Brandt 24/7 Retinol Eye Cream

I have tested it out last night and I think the shadows are really pigmented and bright. Maybe a little bright for me! It might be a palette that I use with a more neutral palette. I’ll play with it a little more and see. I might do a review on it as well.

I am really happy I received this. When these cheek palettes were released last year, I really wanted to try them. I’m a fan of Wander Beauty. I haven’t tried this on my face yet (there is a swatch below). Bellini is a really pretty shade, but Costa Rei may be too light even for my fair skin.

Petite n’ Pretty is a brand sold at Ulta. It’s makeup for kids, tweens and teens so I’m not sure why it’s in a BoxyCharm. This is one I might pass on to one of my daughters.

I was sent a sample pack of the Pretty Vulgar concealers to match my shade a month or two ago. This is the lightest shade we were sent to test, and it might be a bit dark for me. I’m going to test it today. Here’s swatches of the Wander Beauty palette and the concealer:

The peach blush is gorgeous, but as you can see the bronzer is very light. The concealer is very creamy which is nice, but I usually like a little bit lighter shade for brightening. This may be good for me in the summer, though.

Las but certainly not least is the Glow Recipe mask. I have been wanting to try this! You can use this at night, or use it as a days mask. I might try it as a day mask and keep it on for 10 minutes first to see how my skin reacts to it. I do love the Glow Recipe watermelon moisturizer and pineapple serum. I’m very excited to try this product! It is in a smaller 1 oz size, but that’s fine!

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I’m pretty happy with my January BoxyCharm! I’m excited about the Glow Recipe mask and the Wander Beauty face palette. I will be testing out the eyeshadow palette and the concealer. And I’ll probably be passing on the mascara.

Did you get BoxyCharm this month? What did you get?

I just received my BoxyCharm Premium a few minutes ago, so I’ll be posting that review in a few days.

BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review — February 2019

Hi all! I received my February BoxyCharm today! I always watch for the spoilers so I basically knew what I am getting. But, I was surprised by a couple of these that I didn’t see spoilers for.

I’ve been subscribed to BoxyCharm for about a year and a half now and really enjoy it. Boxycharm is just $21 a month for 4-5 beauty items, most of them full-sized. It is a nice way to try new makeup and beauty tools.

This month I received:

The two products I didn’t see variation spoilers for are the GrandeLIPS lipstick and the TULA masks. Here are more info on the products I received:

I have been wanting to try this for a while. It is from a Korean beauty brand that I haven’t tried before (I have been loving Korean beauty lately). My pores need to be smoothed and covered, so I am all for this! And I love trying new primers!

I do not enjoy matte liquid lipsticks. They are so uncomfortable and settle in to my lines. But for some reason, I got this and put it right on my lips. It is a semi-matte and is a little drying. But then it starts to tingle, plumps up and my lips looks great! It does look better with a gloss over it. But I was pleasantly surprised!

This shade of highlighter is Glow Up a rose gold. It’s very pretty! This is a very glowy formula. I haven’t decided if the shade is too dark for me yet. I need to wear it out in the sun and see.

Here are swatches of the lippie and highlighter:

The lip color is almost a little light for me, but I wear gloss over it and can change the color a bit. The highlighter is a very pretty shade. I hope it works for me.

I have tried this mascara before. It’s pretty good (I don’t really remember if I liked it or not). I gave my last tube to my daughter. I think I’ll keep this one and try it out once I’m done with the mascaras I am using.

I received 2 packs of 2 masks, so 4 masks total! That’s not bad. These claim to hydrate and plump skin when it needs it most. The citrus extract in this mask will bring the look of luminosity and vibrance to dull, tired skin.

That sounds really nice, and I do want to try them. But I haven’t even used my Tatcha masks from last months box! (You can see my January box here).

So, I think this is my first BoxyCharm every that I am going to use all of the products! I will at least try them before passing them on. The product I’m most excited about is the primer. But I will at least try everything else. So this box is a win!

Do you get BoxyCharm? What did you get in your box this month?

Shop My Stash January 2019 Results and Monthly Empties

Hi All! Can you believe January is almost over? I’m ready for spring, so I’m okay with it!

I started a monthly Shop My Stash this year. Here is the link to the post from the beginning of the month. I go over each product with photos. I also link if I have reviewed them in the past.

I really enjoyed this and tried to use all of these products at least a few times to see how much I like them. It’s fun to focus on products since I have so many (especially Eye shadows).

The products this month were Urban Decay Born to Run Palette, Tartiest Pro Glow Palette. Colourpop You Had Me At Hello Palette, Pretty Vulgar Blush in Hush Blush and two BUXOM Cosmetics PillowPout Creamy Plumping Lip Powder in Cuddle Me (Rose) and Cozy Up (Mauve Nude).

I probably used the Born to Run palette the most, confirming why it was my favorite palette last year (see my 2018 faves here). My challenge was to use other shades than the bronzes. And I did! I tried the blues, gray and purple shades. I’m not a fan of bright pink eyeshadow, but I think I used almost all of the shades. The quality is gorgeous!

I also loved the You Had Me At Hello Palette. It’s a plummy, reddish brown sort of palette with a bunch of beautiful metallic shades. I did a few varied looks with this.

The tarte contour palette and the Pretty Vulgar blush weren’t my favorites. I decided to choose them because I got them both in subscription boxes this year and I never really used them. The contour palette is a bit dark for me, both the contour and the highlighters. My skin is so fair right now that they really don’t show up. The blush is very powdery and so pigmented. It’s too bright for me. I think I am going to hold on to them and try them again in the summer. Or I might just give them away to my daughter!

Th Buxom PillowPouts are really nice. They are creamy, but are matte when applied. I like to wear lip glosses over them. I’ll continue using them!

I also am going to include any empties in this post each month:

This month I only had three — The Robin McGraw Revelation Live Life Lifted Neck Cream, Briogeo Don’t Despair Repair Leave in Mask, and Philosophy Purity Made Simple Eye Gel. I’ve been using the skincare since early fall and I got the Briogeo in a subscription box a few months ago. I use neck cream morning and night (and eye cream, too). This neck cream really firmed up my neck area, and the eye cream was super hydrating. I definitely recommend them both. I like the hair mask, but I just got the Briogeo Rosarco one and I like that one a bit better. If you over use this one, hair gets greasy.

So I have chosen my Shop My Stash products for February and will be revealing those soon. I’m enjoying this series so far! Stay tuned!

Shop My Stash — January 2019

Hey all! I hope your 2019 has started off well!

This year I’m trying something new (again). Last year I did four quarterly Project Pans. This was the first time I’ve tried this and I learned a lot. Especially that skincare is easy to use up if you use it everyday and makeup is not! I have so much color cosmetics that i need to use.

So, this year, I am going to do a Shop My Stash each month. The products I’m going to choose will be color cosmetics that I have forgot about or just want to use more. I probably won’t use anything up, but I need to play with more products in my collection.

I’m not going to choose foundation, concealer or powders. This year I’m going to try to just purchase what I need in base products when I run out. It took me a long time to use them up in my pans last year.

Here are the products I will be focusing on in January:

I’ve chosen two eyeshadow palettes, a sculpting palette, a blush and two shades of the same lip product. Here’s a close up of each product. If I’ve reviewed them before, I’ll include the link.

Urban Decay Born to Run Eyeshadow Palette — This was in my favorites of the year. I think it’s the prettiest and most color diverse palette that I bought in 2018. I purchased this in the summer and used it a lot when I first got it, but I haven’t really used it much since.

I usually do a bronzey look with this palette and want to experiment with the blues, greens, purples and pinks!

ColourPop You Had Me At Hello — This is such a pretty plummy-neutral palette. I got it last year around this time and used it, and then put it away. It’s time to give it some love.

I want to experiment with some of the gorgeous metallics and shimmers. I think it will compliment the Born to Run palette, too, if I want to use shades out of both for one use.

tarte tarteist™ PRO glow highlight & contour palette — I received this in a FabFitFun box this summer. I used it a couple of times, but I haven’t really given it a fair chance.

I love the sculpt shade and some of the lighter highlighters. I think I will get good use out of this!

Pretty Vulgar Make Them Blush Powder Blush in Hush Blush — I received this in my March 2018 BoxyCharm. It’s such a pigmented blush that I never really used it. I like sheerer, glowy blushes in the spring and summer. I think it will give my some much needed color in the winter. If I really don’t like it, I’ll pass it on at the end of the month.

BUXOM Cosmetics PillowPout Creamy Plumping Lip Powder in Cuddle Me (Rose) and Cozy Up (Mauve Nude). I should have swatched these, but they are pretty similar in color. I reviewed the entire collection this summer and really liked them. I’ve been using up glosses in my last Project Pan, so I haven’t been using these. I will probably wear them alone and with a gloss over them.

So there’s the items I am going to try to use this month. I will be posting an update on how it went. I will probably included it when I post my February Shop My Stash so stay tuned!

Have you done a Shop My Stash before? How did it go?

BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review -September 2018

Hi all! I received my September BoxyCharm this week. I wasn’t as excited as I usually am. I don’t know if you’ve heard that they have released a larger box called BoxyLuxe. On the day it released, I got up early and tried for 5 hours to subscribe. I didn’t get it and am on the waiting list for December’s BoxyLuxe (it’s quarterly). So, I’m a bit salty towards BoxyCharm right now and am trying to decide if I want to keep the subscription.

Boxycharm is just $21 a month for 5-6 beauty items, most of them full-sized. It is a nice way to try new makeup and beauty tools.

This month I received:

I just want to say that I’m not going to swatch any of these because I will be giving most of it away to friends…

This Laura Geller baked blush is in the shade Tropic Hues. It’s a pretty shimmery coral/pink. I think this would be really pretty in the spring/summer seasons. I have tried Laura Geller blushes before and they are very nice — light and shimmery.

I love LORAC lip glosses. They are so comfortable and not sticky at all. I haven’t tried their liquid lips. I wear nudes and pinks, so this isn’t for me, but I have a friend who will love it!

The eyeliner has a tiny pizza cutter like roller on the applicator. This is to roll it on your eyelids. I am not an eyeliner expert, but I tried this and it’s really hard to use! I’ll see if my daughter can figure it out.

This is the Pretty Vulgar Nightingale palette. It’s a cool toned, smoky palette. I think this will be really nice for fall and winter! I have these types of shades, so I will be passing it on, but it’s pretty and the packaging is fun!

This is the one item I’m keeping out of the September box. I LOVE theses brushes! The green handles are fun and the brushes work really well. I have already used these. I really enjoy getting quality eye brushes!

So, I think this is a nice box. The items will make great gifts. I think I may be on product overload, though. I think I’m going to keep BoxyCharm until December to see if I get the next BoxyLuxe.

Do you get BoxyCharm or did you get BoxyLuxe this month (lucky)? What did you think of the September box?

BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review — May 2018

My May BoxyCharm arrived a few days ago. It came much earlier this month. I’m always excited to receive it!

Boxycharm is just $21 a month for 5-6 beauty items, most of them full-sized. It’s an amazing way to try new makeup and beauty tools!

Here is what I received:

Pur Cosmetics Sculptor Highlight & Contour Palette ($30 USD)

Aesthetica Cosmetics Pro Brush Series: 3-Piece Eyeliner, Brow & Spoolie Brush Set ($45 USD)

Aesthetica Cosmetics Brush P12 Brush ($27 USD)

CoverFX Blurring Primer ($38 USD)

Pretty Vulgar The Ink Gel Eyeliner ($24 USD)

Beauty Creations Matte Lip Gloss in Sweet Heart ($10 USD)

The value of this box is amazing — $170! It’s BoxyCharm’s 5th birthday and they really gave a high value box!

This Pur Cosmetics contour palette is so nice! It smells like chocolate, which is fun. I did swatch this (all swatches are below), but then gave it to my daughter. I didn’t keep it because the contour is way too dark for me, and I have plenty of highlighters. It did swatch nicely though.

I really like the brand Pur Cosmetics. And I have a review of some of their new products coming soon!

We get brushes in almost every BoxyCharm. I don’t use all of them, but I will use these. The P12 is so soft, and is nice for bronzing or blush. I’ve haven’t played with the eye trio yet, but I will. I am excited to try them with the new liner!

This Cover FX primer is my favorite item in the box, and is worth getting this box! It has a light tint and is dimethicone based. It claims to “blurs the appearance of pores, fine lines, and other imperfections for ultra-smooth airbrushed skin.”

A little of this goes a long way. It does blur my pores and makes them appear smaller. It’s really nice under my Flower Beauty Light Illusion foundation!

This little ink pot liner is so cute! And it holds a lot of product! I have swatched it and it glides on very easily. I am going to play with it soon on my eyes. I usually don’t wear black eyeliner, but it’s fun for going out. Plus, the pot is too cute not to keep out on display.

I have’t tried anything from Beauty Creations before. This is called a Matte Lip Gloss in the shade Sweet Heart. But, it’s basically a liquid lipstick. This color is too bright for me, so I gave it to my daughter.

Here are the swatches:

From left to right, the eyeliner, the matte lip gloss, and the Pur contour palette.

So this month was a win for me for the primer alone. I am really loving it. I will also use the brushes and I’ll try the eyeliner. I gave the lipstick and contour palette to my daughter who will love it. So it is a successful box for me!

There are already a couple of spoilers for the June box. We’ll get the colorful Alamar Cosmetics eye shadow palette and a Sol de Janiero product. I’m excited for both!

Do you get BoxyCharm? What was your favorite product this month?

BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review — March 2018

I have been anxiously awaiting my March 2018 BoxyCharm! I received it a few days ago and am excited to share it with you. I really like this subscription. You get a lot of makeup for a great price!

Boxycharm is just $21 a month for 5-6 beauty items, most of them full-sized.

Here’s what I got this month:

Pretty Vulgar “Make Them Blush” Powder Blush – ($26 USD)
Boxycharm X PUR Cosmetics Palette – ($36 USD)
The Vintage Company Smokey Eye Brush Set – ($23.27 USD)
Butter London Double Decker Mascara – ($20 USD)
South Mane 3 Eye Gel Packs – ($9 pack of 3)

This Pretty Vulgar blush is in the shade Hush Blush. The description is Rose, but it is looks like a neutral, peachy pink to me. Sorry about the photos! The top one looks darker, I think it was just the light in my office. Here’s a swatch:

This blush is really pigmented! Plus there is a lot in the pan, .2 oz/ 6 g. There was another variant shade, Prim Vixen, that is a bright pink. I was hoping to get that shade, but this is pretty. I might give it a try and if I don’t like it, I’ll pass it on! The packaging is beautiful, though!

Stunning! This was the item I was most excited to receive. I love eye shadows and I love PUR Cosmetics. So, win win! I will be doing a review with swatches in the near future (I still have the palette from my January Boxy to review, as well as a couple other palettes).

I have worn this a couple of time and am really loving the pigmentation and shades so far.

This is such a cute eye shadow brush set! The bristles are pretty soft and the handles are wood, which is a nice touch! I am going to hold on to these and use them when I need a change in my brushes. Or give them to someone who needs them.

I love trying new mascara! I was excited to try this one. I love the shape of the brush and butter LONDON’s products are usually good quality. I have tried this twice, and unfortunately, it flakes on me! The first day was taking my daughter to the anime festival last weekend. When I got home, my mascara was flaked under my eyes and on my cheeks pretty badly. I wasn’t sure if I had rubbed my eyes (because teenage girls and anime), so I wore it again today. I’ve only worn it a few hours and there are a few flakes under my eyes. I wonder if other people have had this problem?

These are an interesting item that was included! I’ve read the back of the box, and it looks like this is a treatment. You apply it under the eye and leave them on for 30 minutes. And for best results, use for three consecutive days. There are three in the box, so I wonder if after the three days, my under eyes will look 10 years younger??? I can dream, right!

I think I will start these on Thursday or Friday and see what happens!

So this month’s BoxyCharm is one of my favorite yet! The eye shadow palette is worth the price to me. The blush packaging is so gorgeous and it is highly pigmented. It might be a great summer blush for me once I get a bit of a (faux) tan. The brushes will be used or happily gifted. The mascara may be a no go, though. Which is too bad. And I’m going to give the eye gels a whirl.

Next month, the spoiler is that every box gets a ColourPop eye shadow palette! You all know how I love my ColourPop. I hope I get one I don’t have, but if I do, I’ll gift it to a good home!

What did you get in your BoxyCharm this month? You can subscribe here if you are interested in receiving an amazing box full of makeup!