Tag: Boxycharm review

Beauty, Boxycharm, Makeup, Review, Skincare

January Boxycharm 2022

by LeaLeave a Comment on January Boxycharm 2022

Hey guys! It’s time for the first Boxycharm review of 2022. It’s crazy to me because I’ve been subscribed to Boxycharm since November 2016… that’s insane! I’ve received my fair share of boxes so you can expect me to always be honest and upfront about my thoughts about Boxycharm. So let’s get into this month’s box.

The first product in my box is the NARS Blush in Orgasm. I just want to mention how incredible it is to get this product in my box. NARS is a huge brand and Orgasm is one of their best-selling products so it’s cool to get it in the box. I have a mini of the shade Deep Throat, so I was already familiar with the formula. This powder is very light so it gives a more subtle look to the skin. I much rather have a subtle blush that I can build up than a super pigmented blush but it can be easy to overdo blush. The shade Orgasm is a peachy pink with a subtle shimmer running through. I almost don’t have to wear highlight with this blush. I like this blush and I’m excited to have it. Price: $30 US, $39 CAD

Now a product that I wasn’t excited to receive is the Chella Slanted Tip Tweezers. I have received these tweezers before, back in October 2019. It’s not very often but it sometimes does happen that I get a repeat product. As I mention in the intro, I have been subscribed for over seven years. I think I’ve only received a repeat product twice before, which is pretty good considering I know repeat items are an issue with other subscription brands. I will be giving those tweezers away since I still have my other pair. And I use these slanted tweezers to help me with my cross-stitching haha. The grip and the slant help me tie knots with tiny embroidery floss. Price: $20 US

Nars Blush in Orgasm
Realher Dreams So Big Eyeshadow Palette

The next product in my box is the Realher Dreams So Big Eyeshadow Palette. Now, something I’ve decided this year with my Boxycharm is I want to be more mindful with the products I’m testing. Often in the past, I would try a product even if I think I won’t like it for the sake of my video and these blog posts. I would use a product a few times and then never use it again. Going forward if I don’t think I’ll like a product I won’t test it so I can donate it. I was on the fence about whether or not I would like this palette but decided to test it out anyways. And I’m glad I did because I think this is a great everyday palette. The mattes and shimmers are soft, so there is quite a bit of kickback in the pan. But on the eyes, they are also soft, which is perfect for everyday wear. I’m not going into work with a super bold smokey eye, I want something soft and natural. This palette is perfect for achieving that look. This palette also leans a more rosy tone so it stands out in my collection. I don’t think you need to necessarily go out of your way to get this palette because the colour palette isn’t anything special. But I see myself reaching for this palette now that I have it in my collection.

I’ll be honest with you guys, I was scared to try the Dermelect Cosmeceuticals Outcrease Retinol Trifecta Serum. I follow a few skincare influencers online and they all say to proceed with caution when it comes to retinol since it can often cause purging, irritation and dryness. I have never used retinol because I’m still young and most professionals don’t recommend it until your mid-20s anyways. Well, I’m turning 25 this year and I have this retinol so I was like okay it’s time. Except my face wasn’t ready for it. I’ve been dealing with some gnarly breakouts and didn’t want to start a new product until it calmed down. So I’ve been trying it on my neck! Retinol is meant to help with lines and I’m starting to get some tech neck lines already so why not? I’ve used it twice so far. The first thing I noticed is that the dropper is very loose (not sure if that’s the right way to describe it) but a lot of serum comes out very easily. It goes on quite sticky and takes a while to turn down, but does eventually dry down. I’ve only used it twice so I can’t give much of a review. I would keep an eye out for my product empties because that’s when I give in-depth reviews. Price: $39 US

And the final product in my box is the PUR Fully Charged Mascara Powered By Magnetic Technology. I want to first state that mascara is all about personal preference. Everyone has different lashes and most people want their lashes to look different. So far for me, this is not my favourite. This mascara is described to thicken, volumize and separate lashes. I am much more of a length over volume type of girl. I give that it gives good volume at the root of my lash but barely any length or curl. I also find that it doesn’t do a very good job of separating my lashes, if anything it clumps pretty easily. Finally, the wand is pretty thick so I always get mascara on my lids. Now I won’t completely write this mascara off, because I often find I like mascara after it dries out a bit. So I’ll give it more time. But so far it’s not my favourite. Price: $22 US, $29 CAD

The overall total of the box is $129 US. While there were some great products in the box it was also disappointing to get a repeat item. I also wanted to mention that I didn’t receive any of the products that Boxycharm was promoting on their social media in my box, which is somewhat disappointing since some of those items looked nice! Let me know what you guys think of this month’s box and if you receive Boxycharm let me know what you go in your box!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Boxycharm, Makeup, Review, Skincare

October Boxycharm 2021

by Lea1 Comment on October Boxycharm 2021

Hey guys! We’re back with another Boxycharm post! Unrelated to Boxycharm but can you believe that October is already done?! We only have two more months in 2021. That’s crazy to me. Anyway, this month I got my box pretty early so I had time to test out the products. This month’s box was interesting since I got two primer-like products. Let’s get into it.

The first item was my pick for this month, the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops. I had my eyes on this serum for a while so it’s exciting to get an item in my box that I wanted for myself. This serum is a hybrid between skincare and makeup, meant to hydrate and give the skin a reflective, dewy glow. It also has niacinamide which is meant to reduce hyperpigmentation over time. I thought this was more like a makeup product but it’s much more of a skincare product. It helps improve the look of my skin but doesn’t do anything to increase the wear or longevity of my makeup. I like to put this on for no makeup days or use it in combination with another primer to add some dew to my skin. If you prefer more natural makeup you’ll love this because it makes your skin look amazing. Very excited to own this and continue to use it. Price: $34 US, $45 CAD

The next product is the Laura Geller Spackle Skin Perfecting Primer Hydrate. This primer is meant to be a moisturizer and primer in one. It’s meant to hydrate the skin and also create a smooth base for makeup. If you hate the feeling but want the look of silicone smoothing primers, this is the primer for you. The texture is like a moisturizer but it dries down to have the smoothing feeling. It makes my foundation look great. I see myself using this a lot, especially as we head into the drier winter months. Price: $32 US ($41 on website, unsure if that’s Canadian or just a different price).

The next product is the Hanalei Beauty Company Matte Bronzer. It’s an okay bronzer. I find the packaging to be a little cheap and hard to open. If the product itself was stellar I could get past that. But the powder is quite sheer so I find myself having to work hard to build up my bronzer. I like a strong bronzer so it can be a pain to use a sheer powder. I think you can find better bronzers at the drugstore. Price: $25 US

I’ll be honest with you guys, I haven’t tested out the Haus Laboratories Glam Attack Liquid Shimmer Powder much. This is a shimmer shadow with a bunch of glitters running through it. It’s absolutely gorgeous but I don’t wear glitter on the regular so it was hard for me to find the time to use it. I did play around with it one night before bed and I found it easy to blend out. I have the shade Angel Baby, which is a pale pink with pearl tones. This shade matches my skin tone so it blends in quite seamlessly. I didn’t wear it for a long time so I can’t confirm the longevity. While it’s not a product I’ll use often, I’m excited to try it for fun occasions. Price: $20 US, $26 CAD

The final product is the Julep Makeup Remover Towelettes. Makeup wipes are a product that is nice to have around but aren’t exactly the most exciting product to receive in a box. I often use makeup wipes to remove my makeup because it’s not the best for your skin. I’ll use them to remove swatches or I’ll bring them with me to the gym or yoga if I’m going after work. The wipes are a good level of saturation – not dripping wet but not too dry. They have a nice scent, a combination of witch hazel and olive oil. It did a good job of removing my face makeup but didn’t get all my mascara off. Honestly, I think drugstore makeup wipes are just as good if not better and are a fraction of the price. Price: $20 US

The overall total of my box is $131 US. But I have to say I think a couple of the products are overpriced, mainly the bronzer and the makeup wipes. On the other hand, I like the Glow Recipe serum and Laura Geller primer. So overall I would say this box is average. Some hits and some misses. What do you guys think? Did you receive this box or something different? Have you tried out these products? Let me know!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Boxycharm, Makeup, Review, Skincare

June Boxycharm 2021

by Lea1 Comment on June Boxycharm 2021

Hey guys! I survived my first week of work! One of the benefits of going into an office is that I now wear makeup every day during the week. So I’ve been able to really put this month’s Boxycharm products to the test. For those of you who don’t know, Boxycharm is a subscription beauty box that sends out 5 full-size products every month. The base box is $25 US and I pay whatever the exchange rate is at the time by card is charged. Let’s get into this month’s box!

Boxycharm's June box that includes Glamglow cleanser, Touch in Sol highlight palette, Jecca Blac primer, Nars lip pencil and Aceology lip maks.

The first product in this month’s box is the GlamGlow Supercleanse Clearing Cream-to-Foam Cleanser. This cleanser has a blend of three charcoals to detoxify the skin, clear pores and remove makeup. With most cleansers, I would wet my face and then apply the cleanser to my wet skin. With this cleanser, I squeeze some onto my hands, wet the cleanser and then apply it. I do find that sometimes I have to add water to my face after applying because it’s too dry. Overall the Glamglow cleanser isn’t bad but it stings my eyes so I don’t use it to remove makeup. This would be a good shower cleanser because it would be easier to get it wet and easier to remove. I think this might be breaking me out, or I could be breaking out from wearing a mask more (since I’m leaving the house more for work). I need to test it out a bit more so it doesn’t quite yet have my stamp of approval. Price: $32 US, $42 CAD

Up next is the product that I selected. Boxycharm now allows you to pick one product in your box. I often forget to pick (I didn’t pick in time for July oops) but I did remember for June and picked the Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil. I picked Dolce Vita, a dusty rose, which was one of the few natural options Boxycharm had. I really like this lip pencil. I’ve been wearing it every day to work this past week. The name matte can be deceiving because people would think this lip might be drying and uncomfortable. But I would just describe this as not-shiny. It’s still very creamy and applies easily to the lips. It’s not the most long-lasting, it will come off after I eat. But colour and formula make this a great everyday lip product. Highly recommend! Price: $27 US, $35 CAD

Touch in Sol Pretty Filter Glowdient Makeup Palette highlight palette.

The next product is the Touch in Sol Pretty Filter Glowdient Makeup Palette. I was excited to try out this product since I love the primers from Touch in Sol. I’m on the fence about this palette. I’ve said this before many times, but I’m not a huge fan of face palettes because I often don’t use all the shades. I would wear the three shades on the left, but the two shades on the right are just too dark for me. On the other hand, the formula is nice. These highlights are so soft and creamy that they blend seamlessly onto the skin. Such a great formula. While I love the formula it is annoying because I would prefer having one highlight instead of a full palette. Also, the packaging is plastic and very cheap feeling. As I said, I’m on the fence. Price: $34 US

Up next is the Aceology Overnight Lip Mask. This lip mask is pretty mediocre. First not a huge fan of the packaging. I wish the tube had an angled applicator because I find those easier to apply to the lips. Instead, I have to squeeze it onto my finger and then apply it to my lips. The mask itself is pretty average. It does hydrate but by morning my lips are dry again. For example, the Lanolips lip ointment is so good that the next morning I still have product on my lip. This lip mask isn’t bad it’s just not that impressive. It does have a coconut scent which is nice though! Price: $19 US

The final product is the Jecca Blac Hydrate Primer. This primer isn’t bad but it’s not my thing. This primer is meant to just hydrate the skin. To be honest the texture and finish on the skin just remind me of a moisturizer. Since I have oily skin I don’t need extra hydration because I use a moisturizer during my skincare routine. I want my primers to either smooth my skin, blur my pores or add some luminosity. This primer doesn’t do any of those things so it’s kinda pointless for me. I can understand if you have very dry skin this would be nice to add some extra hydration. I’ll keep this for the winter when my skin is on the drier side, but I don’t see myself reaching for this every day. Price: $20 US, $27.75 CAD

The overall total of my box is $132. Not the most impressive value and not the most impressive box. I really like the Nars Lip Pencil. The rest of the products are mediocre. I’ll continue to use them but they didn’t wow me and they weren’t products I would repurchase.

Let me know what you guys think. Do you think this is a good box? If you get Boxycharm let me know what products you got in your box!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Boxycharm, Makeup, Review, Skincare

May Boxycharm 2021

by Lea1 Comment on May Boxycharm 2021

Hey guys! I always love writing my Boxycharm reviews. I think because it’s always a surprise – I never know if the products are going to be good or bad. And because I take the time to test the products out I feel like I can give you guys really good reviews on the products. So let’s get into this month’s box.

A variation of Boxycharm's May box, a beauty subscription box.

The first product is the one I selected for this month. A while back Boxycharm introduced the ability to choose one product in your box. I don’t always remember to choose, but this month I picked the Murad City Skin Overnight Detox Moisturizer. It was between this moisturizer and a concealer, and I didn’t want to pick a concealer and get the wrong shade. With a combination of antioxidants and vitamin C, this moisturizer is meant to help reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. And it’s has a thicker consistency meant for drier skin types. So this isn’t exactly the moisturizer I would necessarily pick for myself but I still like it. It’s quite thick, which is fine since it’s meant for the nighttime anyway. It has a nice, lightly citrusy scent. I like the packaging because it has a special pump so I don’t have to dig my fingers into a tub. It’s a good product, but overall I prefer purchasing moisturizers I can use both day and night instead of just at night. So I will use this up but I don’t see myself repurchasing it. Price: $74 US, $95 CAD

The next product the KAB Cosmetics Day + Night Eyeshadow Palette. I was excited to test out this product because I got the KAB Lip Oil in my March Boxycharm and I love it. The colour story is nice, but also quite similar to the Huda Beauty Desert Dusk palette (on purpose or a coincidence? 👀). I think the mattes are quite nice in the palette. They’re pigmented and blend easily on the eyes. The shimmers are hit and miss for me. They swatched beautifully. But on the eyes, the eyeshadows don’t show up much. I was using the shade ‘Sunset’ and was struggling to get the beautiful duo-chrome effect in the pan on my eyes. I tried using my finger, a brush and wetting my brush and it was all same – mediocre. The shades ‘Golden’, ‘Stella’, and ‘Luna’ worked well but all looked similar on the eyes. I haven’t tried out the purples or darker metallics yet, but so far I’m a little underwhelmed, especially considering the higher price tag. Price: $52 US

The second skincare product in this box is the Skin Inc My Daily Dose of Uplift. I love getting skincare in my box because it can be expensive. The only thing is sometimes I get products like this that are good but I wouldn’t necessarily purchase myself. This serum is an anti-ageing cocktail with collagen, coenzyme Q10 and hyaluronic meant to help smooth and firm the skin. Now at the age of 24, I’m more concerned with fighting acne than anti-ageing to be completely honest. I’ve been using it for almost two weeks now and I don’t notice a difference. I think because my skin is already pretty smooth and firm. I was looking at reviews online and everyone who liked it was 30+, so I think in a couple of years I would like this more. Price: $65 US

The next product is the Trestique Refillable Brow Pencil + Gel. I love that this product is refillable because brows are the product I go through the quickest. That being said I wouldn’t say this is my favourite brow pencil I’ve tried. The pencil shape is quite large so I have to be quite careful and precise when filling in my brows. I’m surprised but I like the gel side. Because I have thicker brows naturally, it’s a slippery slope when using a brow gel. I can easily go from groomed to a mesh if the gel is too pigmented or wet or difficult to use. I think this gel just adds the perfect amount to my brows. I like the brush because one side is longer and the other side is shorter giving me more control. I can’t testify to the hold because I don’t brush my brow hair up to create a fluffy look. Overall I see myself reaching more for the brow gel than the pencil. Price: $26 US

The final product is the Sophia + Mabelle Hydrating Hybrid lipstick, in the shade Weekend Getaway. The website has no description of this shade, but I would say this is a berry shade. The formula is described as a hybrid between lipstick and lip balm and I would say that’s pretty accurate. It has the pigmentation of a lipstick but the look and feel of a lip balm. I like that I can apply a little and get a sheer wash or apply a full swipe and get a pigmented lip. Because of the consistency, it isn’t super long-lasting but it’s comfortable on the lips. And I like the packaging, it’s easy to see the colour and the pink-tinted plastic is cool and unique. Price: $18 US (the card that came in my box says $15 but the website says $18).

The total of the box is $235. That’s a high value and I do think it’s reflective in the products in the box. Overall I’m pretty impressed by this month’s box. While there were some minor issues with some of the products, overall I see myself continuing to use all the products. Let me know in the comments what you think about the box. And if you’re subscribed to Boxycharm, did we get the same box? Curious to see what the different variations are.

xoxo

Lea