#subbox – Page 5 – Forty, Flirty & Fabulous

BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review — October 2018

Hi all! I received my October BoxyCharm this week. I always watch for spoilers so I have an idea what I’ll be getting. And I was pretty excited for it. I am still waiting to be taken off of the waiting list for their larger box called BoxyLuxe. Hopefully I’ll be off for the December BoxyLuxe (it’s every three months).

Regular 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:

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick ($20 USD)
IT Cosmetics Superhero Elastic Stretch Volumizing Mascara ($24 USD)
Briogeo Don’t Despair Repair! Leave-In Mask ($16 for 2 oz)
Dermovia Lace A Peel Bamboo Charcoal Sheet Mask ($30 USD)
PUR Midnight Masquerade Palette ($38 USD)

I’m really happy with this box! I got items I wanted to try.

I love the Superhero mascara! I have used it many times before and love how long and full my lashes are when I use it.

I don’t think I’ve tried anything by Kat Von D before. It’s not really a brand that appeals to me. But I was looking forward to trying this. Here’s a swatch:

The shade I received is Bow N Arrow. On the Sephora website it’s described as a fawn nude. That’s accurate I think. The color is a bit dark on me, but I kind of like it for fall. I’m trying to decide if I will keep it or give it to my daughter. I don’t wear matte liquid lipsticks often, but I do like them under lip glosses. So i will keep trying it and see.

I was so excited about this Brigeo leave-in mask! I just used up my leave in conditioner, and now I don’t have to run out and grab something! I’ve used it and it makes my hair so soft!

I have not tried the mask yet. There is a tube of the peel of gel and two lace masks in it. My skin has been really sensitive lately, so I’m going to wait to try this. It looks really cool, though!

Look how pretty this palette is! I think this is really fun for October and Halloween. The face shades are so pretty and the shades are very dramatic! I’m trying to decide if I want to keep this or give it to a friend for the holidays…hmm. I just have so many palettes right now!

So the verdict on this box is it’s very good! Much better than the last few. I will keep the mascara, briogeo spray, lace mask and maybe the liquid lipstick and palette. Pretty good!

I’ll be reviewing my Ipsy Glam Bag Plus soon — and it’s pretty great, too! October is a great month for my beauty boxes!

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

Ipsy Glam Bag Subsription Box Review – September 2018

Hi All! I’m back with another subscription box review — Ipsy Glam Bag. I subscribed to Ipsy years ago, but stopped. I decided I wanted to try it again to try new products. They also have a larger box available starting next month, the Ipsy Glam Bag Plus. I just got on the waiting list for that, so I’m not sure when I will receive it.

Ipsy Glam Bag is $10 a month for 5 deluxe and sometimes full-sized items. It used to be only makeup, but it seems to now be skincare and makeup. You can sign up for it here.

If you do sign up with my link, I’ll get pushed higher up on the waiting list for the Ipsy Glam Bag Plus and that would be amazing! And then you would be eligible for the Glam Bag Plus waitlist! The Glam Bag Plus is $25 a month and looks to be 5 full-sized items.

Here are the products I received in my first bag:

The bag is super cute! It’s nice quality, too. I was pleasantly surprised!

These are the products with the descriptions from the Ipsy website:

Elizabeth Mott Face Primer — The silky, lightweight formula also shuts down shine and helps minimize the appearance of fine lines and pores (it’s like a real-life Insta-filter!).It’s waterproof, so there’s no chance of your makeup sliding off if you get caught in the rain.

APTO Healing Turmeric Mask — This lightweight mask is packed with natural, skin-healing ingredients. Turmeric and neem travel deep into your skin’s pores to draw out impurities. They also have strong antibacterial properties and help reduce redness and inflammation, making them great acne-fighters. Azelaic acid gently sloughs away dead skin cells (no scrubbing needed) to reveal the fresh skin beneath and help restore your glow. Colloidal sulfur helps removes blackheads, deeply cleanses pores, and absorbs excess oil.

The Creme Shop 2-in-1 Facial Foam Cleanser — Packed with ingredients your skin loves—like green tea, rice water and white lily—this gentle, foamy formula is actually fun to use. Green tea is super rich in antioxidants and vitamins that help firm up and rejuvenate skin. Rice water and white lily help calm redness and treat acne scars.

MPrincess Loose Eyeshadow in Pretty Petal — This loose pigment shadow builds and blends really easily, so you can go for a lowkey or amped up eye look depending on your mood. It’s *so* fun to experiment with and plays well with your other shadows. (You can create endless looks by mixing and matching.) We love the dusty rose shade, which makes all eye colors really pop.

Luxie Beauty Wonder Woman Detail Tapered Blender 140 — LUXIE BEAUTY teamed up with Warner Brothers to bring us this limited-edition, Wonder Woman-inspired makeup brush. The synthetic bristles are soft and light yet pick up just the right amount of product with ease. The pointed brush head is great for targeting small areas (like applying concealer to your undereyes and inner corners of your nose).

When I first saw what I was getting, I wasn’t very excited. From what I remember, Ipsy was a makeup subscription. But it seems like now they include skincare. Which I really don’t need as I have tons of skincare (and tons of makeup to be honest). But I am excited to try the mask, it sound sounds like it will work well with my skin. I don’t need a cleanser, but I like K-Beauty and I will keep it for travel. I have already tried the primer and it is pore filling. And that brush! I love Luxie and it’s really soft. The shadow is a shimmery pink. I don’t know if I will keep it or give it away, but it looks pretty!

I am happy with this bag! Do you get Ipsy Glam Bag? What did you get this month?

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 –August 2018

I received my August BoxyCharm so early this month. I’m very excited about that!

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!

This month I received:

I was so happy to get these eye masks! I have seen them reviewed and thought they looked fun! They are gold foil on the outside and a cellulose fiber that delivers hyaluronic acid and more! They look so cute on and when I removed them, my eyes looked amazing! Very smooth, bright, and my dark circles were reduced! Love!

The style of these lashes are Siren. I don’t wear lashes, but they are pretty. The band is really thin and I think these would actually fit my eyes. These might come in handy later, so I’ll hang on to them.

This Adesse New York oil includes Vitamin E, shea oil, sweet almond, and jojoba oils. This has a light scent. I haven’t used it yet because I have a cuticle oil I forget to use. I think I might give this away.

After I received this palette, I told my daughter who is leaving for college that I had a nice, neutral palette for her. Then I showed her this. She laughed so hard!

This palette is very good quality. It has sturdy packaging and a really nice mirror. The colors are obviously very bright. I am going to try them out soon and may do a review of the palette alone.

I will have swatches of this, the brow cream and the lipstick below.

Bang Beauty Chocolate Eyeliner — I don’t usually use eyeliner. I use shadow to line my eyes. But I do like gel eyeliner. I don’t wear black often, so this might be nice for every day. I will try this out. (But I don’t think it will work with the bright Laura Lee palette)!

Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in Action, vivid orchid cream. This is such a creamy lipstick that feels so good on! And the color is so pretty. But it’s not really for me. I like nudes or pinks. I have tried it out, so I will keep it. Who knows, I might use it (and this will go with the Laura Lee palette!)

Here are my swatches:

On the left is the eyeliner. I should have applied it with a brush because it was hard to do with my finger. You can see the color and it was really difficult to remove so it would probably last a long time on the eyes.

The lipstick is next. It’s really pretty. The next 6 shades are Laura Lee’s palette. From left to right is Issa Party, Damage Control, Karaoke, Dranks, Bottoms Up and Hungover. I have tried one shade, Hungover in my crease, outer corner and under my eyes. And it was gorgeous! So I’m kind of excited about the crazy colors.

I think this month was okay. I will use all of the eye masks and I’ll try out the palette and eyeliner. I’ll keep the lipstick or give it to my daughter. I’ll hold on to the lashes just in case I need them. I will probably give the nail oil away. I usually don’t keep as many products out of my BoxyCharm. So while I’m not blown away by anything, I will use some of it.

What do you think of these products? Do you get BoxyCharm? What did you receive?

BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review — July 2018

I received my July BoxyCharm later than usual this month. I receive this box each month and really like 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!

This month I received:

I didn’t take individual photos of the products this month. This is was so late that I thought I would just get it posted!

I think this is an okay box. I will use the Tarte mist. I love setting sprays and skincare mists and this is a combo of both. It has a really nice mister and and herbal scent.

I am also testing out the dr. brandt eye gel. I do see that it instantly helps the dark circles under my eyes. You use it after eye cream and before makeup.

I will also use the Wander Beauty mascara. I am waiting to open it because I already have enough mascara open. And as we all know, mascara’s only good for about 3 months. But I will be trying it in a month or so. I like the claims that it curls and gives volume.

I will be giving away the Note blush and the Chella eyebrow product to a friend or family member. The blush is too orange for me and the eyebrow product is too light.

Although there was nothing too exciting this month, it was well worth the $21!

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

Julep Maven July (& June) 2018 Subscription Box Review

I am excited to share what I received from one of my favorite (and my oldest) subscription box, Julep Maven.

This is the JuIy box, but I realized that I never photographed and reviewed the June box! So I found the products and I will include the photo at the end of this review.

I have been a Julep Maven subscriber for 5 years now. And I love it! You don’t have to take a box each month, you can skip if you want to. Which is so nice if I’m short a month or if I’m not feeling any of the items. The cost is $24.99 a month ($19.99 a month with a 3-month subscription).

I also love that you can customize your box. When I first started subscribing, I could choose from curated boxes, but now, I get to curate my own! Here are the products I chose:

Saundra Polish ($14) — Color description: Azure Seas Holographic Shimmer. There were a bunch of fun shimmers this month, but I have a TON of nail polish, so I just chose one this month. Their formula is 5-free and vegan-friendly.

Rethink Your Shower Hydrating Body Cleansing Oil ($38) — An ultra-hydrating, lightweight body cleansing oil that reaches deep to dissolve impurities and prep skin for exfoliation, then rinses away to reveal silky, nourished skin. This smells amazing! Kind of citrusy. But, I haven’t tried it yet. It’s in my beauty room/office and I keep forgetting to take it into my bathroom. I am excited to try it, though.

Don’t Leave Your Brows At Home – Cool Brown — Two-in-one tool with brow powder and an angled brush to fill in and define your brows. I can’t find this on the website right now. It wasn’t a new product this month, but one I wanted to try. I have been playing with it and am liking it okay. I’m more used to an eyebrow pencil.

And this is what I chose last month:

Roberta polish ($14 USD) — Color description: Breezy Turquoise Shimmer

Two It’s Whipped Matte Lip Mousse ($20 each) in ULTAmate Nude and Blush. Blush is shimmery, which I didn’t know until I purchased it.

Here are swatches:

I really like ULTAmate Nude. It’s so pretty on! These are so nice, they don’t dry down all of the way and aren’t transfer proof. But I don’t like drying lippies, so these are right up my alley!

I love this box and will continue subscribing! I love that I can choose from new or older products depending on what I want and need.

What did you choose for your June and July boxes if you are a maven?

BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review — June 2018

My June BoxyCharm finally arrived! I have been waiting for it because this month’s box is so amazing!

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:

I was excited to try these Luxie Brushes. I have some travel Luxie eye shadow brushes I’ve received in another BoxyCharm. I haven’t use them yet, but they are pretty. I think I’m going to try these tomorrow.

I don’t wear false lashes. I’ve tried them years ago, but I didn’t really know how to apply them. I like how wispy these are. I’m going to hold on to them and maybe play around with them.

This smells amazing! It’s such a cute little container. It is a very hydrating, but not greasy cream. Very nice for the summer.

This eye pencil is okay. I’m not the biggest fan of pencils you have to sharpen, plus when I swatched it, it wasn’t very pigmented. I put this in my giveaway pile.

I also put the Ofra lipstick in my giveaway pile. It’s too brown for me. But I really do love their lip formula.

This is the item I was most looking forward to this month! These colors are so pretty. The top 4 are shimmers that can be used wet or dry and the bottom 4 are mattes.

Here are swatches:

The shimmery shades swatch the best, they are so gorgeous! The mattes (of course) don’t swatch as well on my arm, but they blended on my eye really nicely. I think this is gorgeous for some amazing eye-catching looks this summer. I also think it will got into fall nicely, too.

So this month was a win because of the Alamar eye shadow palette. I will also keep the lashes to try out, the brushes and the bum bum cream! The eyeliner and lipstick will be given to a friend. I think this is the most I’ve kept from a BoxyCharm!

Did you receive June’s BoxyCharm? What did you think?

Father’s Day Gift Guide

Father’s Day is next Sunday. Time to get shopping!

I have some great picks for Dad. Below is a fun fishing subscription box, fragrance, skincare and a book:

Lucky Tackle Box is the #1 fishing subscription box in America, where you can sign up and receive a monthly package full of the hottest lures, tackle and products in the sport fishing industry. I received a sample of the Father’s Day Bass XL.

Lucky Tackle Box ships once a month, with each box packed full of some of the top fishing lures, tackle and accessories in the industry. LTB has 10 different boxes for species ranging from Bass to Walleye, Trout to Fly Fishing.

Subscription plans are set up for 1-month, 3-month, 6-month or 12-month durations. The Regular box is from $15.99 per month and is approximately a $25 value. The XL box is from 25.99 a month and is approximately a $40 value.

Absinthe Shave Cream

Marigold & Ginseng Aftershave Balm

The KORRES assortment of Greek grooming essentials are formulated with clinically-proven ingredients that reflect the brand’s deep knowledge of authentic herbal remedies. KORRES identifies powerful natural ingredients and maximizes the effectiveness to address the skincare needs of men, from dads to grads. The ABSINTHE Men’s Shave Cream and MARIGOLD & GINSENG Aftershave Balm are must-have grooming items that are perfect for Father’s Day (and even the soon-to-be graduate).

ABSINTHE Men’s Shave Cream ($32.50 USD) : This richly textured shave cream helps your razor glide smoothly over skin to ensure a deep and comfortable shave. Absinthe Shave Cream is a brushless, non-foaming preparation and, as it is formulated at a milder pH than lathering creams—preventing skin roughness.
MARIGOLD & GINSENG Aftershave Balm: The light textured and nutrient-rich balm is made for after-shave care. Enriched with energizing ginseng and anti-inflammatory marigold, it reduces irritation commonly caused by shaving. Ginseng extract enables the delivery of nutrients—ensuring the healthy appearance of skin.

Annick Goutal Eau de Monsieur Eau de Toilette Spray ($162 3.4 oz) — An ode to masculine elegance. A perfume that combines the freshness of bergamot and Italian citrus with the warm and enveloping notes of sandalwood.

Blvgari Man Black Orient Cologne — Bvlgari Man Black Orient Cologne

Bvlgari Man Black Orient Cologne (3.4oz – $89, 2oz – $68, 1oz – $50) — Combines the strength of leather and oud with the sophistication of Tair rose, expressing a scent that is suave, heady and wild. Also combines the collection’s signature rum and tuberose with added thread of woods in each base with a new smokiness that evokes the scent’s Oriental muse.

Available at Bulgari stores nationwide; for additional information and retail visit Bulgari.com

Three Gorges Dam by Thomas V. Harris — New Yorker Michael Brannigan and the People’s Republic of China are concluding a triumphant week. The PRC’s top energy consultant has fallen in love with Australian geophysicist Kylie Ryan while traveling in Xinjiang Province. President Lao Ming is in Beijing hosting a game-changing summit with the United States. CNN is broadcasting the new reality: the Communist juggernaut has surpassed the United States as the world’s top superpower.

Brannigan’s train is retracing Marco Polo’s historic journey—when the Silk Road Express reaches the Far East’s Far West, his team of engineers will assist the Chinese in developing the world’s richest oil fields. As Brannigan heads deeper into the Taklamakan Desert, President Lao’s motorcade is approaching the end of its parade route. In a few hours, the president will arrive at the Hall of Purple Light to celebrate his victory.

All that changes in two blinks of an eye. Television cameras capture the crumbling of the Communist regime while China’s Young Turks and Fighting Monks rock the country. Caught up in the violence, Brannigan’s love affair meets a tragic end. Hostiles are raging and the Chinese miracle is self-destructing. In the midst of the turmoil, Brannigan returns to China for a hush-hush assignment at Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric facility. There, he overcomes his demons and finds lasting happiness. Everything is coming up aces.

Ricky’s Cult Crushes May 2018

This is my first Ricky’s Cult Crushes subscription box. I was on the waiting list for a couple of months, so I was excited to receive the May box! It is currently $11 a month and will increase to $14 in June. You can sign up for the waiting list for the June box at Ricky’s NYC Cult Crushes.

I keep getting updates about shipping from them and saying that they don’t have the Bioderma micellar water to ship out, but I got mine last week.

Here’s what was it the May box:

This is my favortie Micellar water. It cleans really well and leaves skin hydrated, but not greasy (Garnier, I’m looking at you!). This size will be nice to take on vacation.

I haven’t tried this before, but I will use it. It smells like soap, a very clean sent of course. I have some clothes that I need to get stains out of, so I will be trying it soon.

Next up is a liquid highlighter by JCat. The shades vary in the box, and I got Crystal Sand. Here’s a swatch of it first applied, then blended:

It’s pretty, but I probably won’t wear it. It has an oily feel to it and it doesn’t teally dry down. I think the best use would be on the body. I’ll probably give it to my daughter. I think she will enjoy it.

Now I have been using this since I got the box! It’s a balm with papaya and other ingredients. It smells like strawberries and feels so hydrating on the lips. I go through balms quickly all through the year, but even more so in the summer. And this has a lot in it. Plus the tube is really cute. It’s a win win for me!

This little brush set is really cute. It’s perfect for traveling. The brush heads are big enough to be used for contour and highlight if needed. They are soft and densely packed. I don’t know if I will keep them or pass them on in a gift. We’ll see.

So this was a decent first box for me from Ricky’s Cult Crushes. There’s no real wow product, but I do like the pure paw paw and the micellar water. I think I will try one more month to see if I keep the subscription.

Are you subscribed to Ricky’s Cult Crushes? What do you think of the subscription? Have you got yours yet this month?

Target Sonia Kashuk Beauty Box Review

Target always has amazing beauty boxes each month! They had a really nice Mother’s Day one that had a mix of skincare, hair care and body care products. But I was so interested in trying this Sonia Kashuk beauty tool box.

Here’s what was in it:

Sorry that my photos are so dark! I’m going to work on a new photo taking set up this weekend, so stay tuned!

This box was $10 and is no longer available.

The Products:

Blender Sponge
Professional Angled Eye Shadow Brush
Essential Blush Brush
Slanted Tweezer
Quick Dry Brush Cleaning Wipes 3 ct
$3 off Sonia Kashuk purchase of $15 or more

These brushes are gorgeous and so soft! They are the Sonia Kashuk Blush Makeup Brush ($9 USD) and the Sonia Kashuk Angled Eyeshadow Makeup Brush ($13 USD). Both are high quality at an affordable price. I love the gold accents and the very soft and densly packed bristles.

The blush brush works well for blush, contour or highlighter. The angled brush is pretty large for using in the crease. I tried it and I think it’s best for applying a base colored shadow all over the lid and maybe a shade on the lid. Or, for blending shadows together. I did put my crease color on the edge of the brush and applied it that way. So it’s pretty versatile.

I love the marble pattern on this sponges. It’s the Sonia Kashuk Makeup Blender Sponge – Marble ($7 USD). I haven’t used it yet, but it is a pretty solid sponge. I’m sure it will soften once wet. I’ve been loving an IT Cosmetics brush (watch for my May faves) for applying foundation, but I do like using sponges.

Sonia Kashuk Slant Tip Tweezers ($10 USD) — Tweezers are so useful, and these are the price of the whole box! I think I’m going to save these for my daughter. She’s going away to college in a few months and I’m putting together a personal care box for her. I think the gold is really pretty, too.

Sonia Kashuk Quick Dry Makeup Brush Wipes ($9 USD) — I’ve tried one of these in a past Target beauty box and it was nice. It’s good for giving brushes a quick cleanse or switching colors while doing my makeup.

All in all, I really liked this box and think it was well worth the $10 price. I will use almost everything.

Did you pick up a Target Sonia Kashuk box? Or, have you tried any Target Beauty Boxes?