Wow, can I just say that I am absolutely thrilled with Beauty Box 5? Absolutely thrilled. The month of April is the beginning of my BB5 subscription, and if they continue to impress me like they did this month, Beauty Box 5 will undoubtedly be my favorite subscription service (thus far, I am becoming rather addicted to online shopping and subscription boxes). During my March Birchbox review, I mentioned that I was impressed with how Birchbox provided USPS tracking numbers, which BB5 also does, so a round of applause for both companies in that regard. I'm also impressed with how quickly BB5 arrived, literally the day after my notification email saying it was on its way. I didn't actually get that email until a few days after it had shipped I noticed, and I'm not sure if that was purposeful or not, but if so I think the people at Beauty Box 5 know me way too well and knew I would be checking the mailbox twice a day until it got here. They saved me the obsession induced headache by letting me remain blissfully ignorant to the fact that my new goodies were in transit.
Packaging- honestly, packaging can make or break a beauty product, I'll be the first to state this as a fact. Women are extremely visual creatures, and if a product doesn't stand out to us, why would we stop to investigate? Especially if there's a similar product on the shelf next- oh shiny! (You get my point). Beauty Box 5 has super cute graphics and I absolutely love their logo, however the packaging used for shipment could use some improvements. The thing I dislike is that the box used for shipping, and the box that my products were stored in, is in fact the same box. In comparison, I loved that Birchbox sends it's products in a cute little shoe box styled container, and then repackages for shipping. I feel as if my products are a lot less likely to get shaken around and possibly spill with Birchbox's shipping methods, however I will say that it is also extremely evident that Beauty Box 5 takes the time to artfully arrange their products within a tight packed cushion of confetti before shipping.
Upon opening my Beauty Box 5, I was beyond ecstatic to notice that I'd gotten a few samples as well as THREE full sized products. It might just be me, but I'm sure there are a lot of ladies reading this who will agree- size DOES matter. The quality of the samples I received has definitely been noted, and I'm impressed with BB5's efforts to provide their customers with things they'll get more than one use out of. Now, on the products!
Jergens: Natural Glow - 3 Days to Glow Moisturizer (Full Size $9.99)
I'm not unfamiliar with the Jergens brand, as I remember my sister using an earlier version of this product back when I was younger and she was in high school. However, I am the palest of all pale human beings. When I say ghost-like, I legitimately mean that in the dead of winter my skin is so pale you can sometimes see my veins through it. Absolutely translucent. Therefore, I've never really had much luck with self tanners. I have used a product from Urban Decay before that was called Santa Tanita, it's been discontinued, but even mixing the foam with my regular lotion, I still kept an orange tint.
Now with the three day sample I got from Jergens, I was determined to apply it as evenly as possible and get good results. After the first day however, I already had orange ankles and the tint was way too dark for my skin. I realized after the second day of applying that BB5 had sent me a sample for medium skin tones, and I made a comment on our Instagram about needing to update my BB5 profile, because obviously I mistakenly listed my skin tone as being darker than it actually is. I was super impressed with BB5 because they actually responded to my Instagram post, informing me that they had sent the same shade to ALL of their subscribers because it's a "gradual" tint. However, I'm not impressed with their reasoning or the fact that they didn't try to take differences in skin tone into account, but I feel like is something that may change over time. In my experience with BB5 thus far, they seem to be an awesome company that are making efforts to improve and expand the experiences that their customers have with them.
The Jergens moisturizer itself was a nice consistency, I managed to spread it fairly evenly over both of my legs even with the somewhat small size the sample was. The smell of the lotion was pleasant and not too over powering like some self tanners can be. It definitely had a hint of that "sunscreen" scent to it, but overall not bad. It washed right off my hands and I didn't have any issues with orange palms like I've experienced in the past, and none of my clothes seem to have any stains from wearing them after applying the self tanner.
After realizing the sample I'd been given was probably too dark for my skin tone, I mixed the Jergens with a normal, unscented, dye-free lotion that I had at home, and the color evened out a LOT in comparison to where it had been, my results after day three were definitely the most pleasing.
Before application, and after the third day.
Application of self tanners is always so tricky, because it's incredibly easy to apply too much to certain areas and end up with splotches, streaks, or super orange knees and elbows, and I for one would much rather have a nice even pale complexion, then have an uneven tan. This brand was no exception, but I think I applied it fairly well, however, no matter how evenly a color is applied, it will still be orange if it's the wrong color. Another thing I dislike about this particular self tanner is that after my three day trial was over and the color began coming off, it didn't fade away evenly by any means, I had patches of orange and white all over my legs, not attractive.
Honestly though, I don't feel like I can give a good enough review of this product since it truly isn't the right product for me. I'm of the opinion that self tanners are all about the way you apply it. I feel as if I would have been much happier with this product if it were the right shade for my skin, and if I used it sparingly. Either by skipping days, or by mixing it with a normal lotion, otherwise the effect is nowhere near natural, and more of a pain and an embarrassment than anything, especially since it's the type of product that takes a few days to scrub off if the results aren't desirable. Overall, I really wasn't happy with this product, but I truly do try to give the products a fair chance and a thorough try. I can't honestly say that I'm interested enough to go out with the intent to purchase this product in the correct shade, but if I happen to stumble across it at a drugstore, it's cheap enough that I may do a follow up review. Overall I give this product a 4/10 though that is subject to change. Even if I were to purchase this product in the correct shade, I still feel as if I would have to alter the application process in order to get good results, as well as commit to continuous use for the summer, or spend three days scrubbing it off when I no longer want that summer glow. As far as drugstore self tanners go, Jergens delivers a decent product, I don't feel it's over priced, but I also stress that this is the type of product where you get what you pay for. A $10 tan.
Nicka K New York: Hydro Lipstick (Retail $4.99)
This Nicka K lipstick was one of the two full sized products I received in April's Beauty Box, and I was super thrilled with that because if there is one thing my loved ones know about me, it's that I absolutely love lip products. BB5 automatically won my heart a little upon discovering this tube of Begonia colored goodness.
I love the color they sent me, not too red, not too blah, and it's got a good pigment to it, a little bit of sparkle. The lipstick itself is super hydrating and left my lips feeling soft and nourished at the end of the day. Nicka boasts that their Hydro line is paraben-free and long lasting, and I wasn't disappointed. It certainly did last me an entire day, and that was without the lip primer that I typically apply under my lipsticks. Of course much of my lipstick did rub off over the course of my day, but my lips held a nice stain, and reapplication wasn't overly necessary. I love that the lipstick itself has a nice creamy texture, but in a light enough layer that I don't feel as if I've got to cake it on in order to achieve full color. I love creme lipsticks, and this one definitely fits the bill. I used this lipstick in combination with the lip liner I received in this months Beauty Box and a few other tools to create the black-to-begonia ombre lip look featured in the photo below. The only issue I had using the Nicka K lipstick to create this look is that it doesn't want to play well with other textures. The lipstick got a little crumbly, and I probably won't use it much in combination with other products, but it's an awesome even lip color for solid shades and solitary use.
Black-to-Begonia ombre lips
I love the packaging of this lipstick, I'm a big fan of companies that colorize the end of a tube, because I like to store my lipsticks standing up, and having the color swatch there in my lipstick caddy staring at me saves me the trouble of digging through a pile of lipsticks in the morning when I'm late for work. The packaging actually seriously reminds me of the tube that Covergirl uses for their LipPerfection line. I'm actually a fan of the LipPerfection line, and Nicka delivers an extremely similar, maybe even better product, for $1.50 less. All in all I'm really pleased with this product, and I look forward to trying more of their lipstick shades, possibly even other products by this brand. I give the girls at Nicka K a 8/10 and blow them a begonia colored kiss.
Bonne Bell: Lip Definer (Retail $3.95)
The second of my two full sized products was this Bonne Bell lip pencil. The color is Rose Cendre and I can't find it anywhere on their website, which leads me to believe this is either a discontinued item or something you can only stumble upon in a drugstore. I can't even find it on Beauty Box 5's website. That doesn't exactly please me, as I'm of the opinion that BB5 should provide it's customers with products that they will definitely be able to find again, otherwise what's the point of sending me something I may fall in love with? The packaging of this lip liner is a little dated and tacky, though to be honest I think that may just be Bonne Bell's packaging in general. I definitely think their logo could use a face lift, and there's nothing about this product that would make me jump to grab it off a shelf upon first inspection.
Moving forward however, I definitely loved this lip liner. I'm a bit old school with my lip tools, and I can't stand the type of lip liners that you twist out of a plastic tube. I much prefer to sharpen my lip pencils, because what I've noticed is that the free standing liners that you twist crumble much easier due to the fact that there's nothing supporting the actual liner. I also loved the color of this liner as it is an awesome natural blush that I feel will blend well with almost any color of lipstick, as well as look good on anybody's lips.
The application of this lip liner is nice and even, and I used this to create my black-to-begonia ombre lips that are pictured earlier in this post. Here's an image of the lip liner alone.
A nice solid line that clearly defines the shape of my lips. I feel confident that this liner could be used to achieve a lot of different looks, and I personally love any product that proves itself to be versatile. At $3.95 a stick, I would happily purchase more shades of this product line, however I'm going to probably have to comb through different drugstores before I can find it. Something that seriously bothers me. All in all I was really happy with the product itself, and I give Bonne Bell a 7/10. This is a product that I believe deserves better marketing, and I won't hesitate to try another shade of their lip liner.
Blum Naturals: All Purpose Cleansing Wipes (Retail $2.49)
If you hadn't figured it out based on my Avocado Face Mask post, I love things that are natural and organic, and I really do believe that a lot of the chemicals found in cleansers and make up products can be detrimentally harmful to your skin. It's for that reason that I was really happy to see BB5 sent me a sample of these organic face wipes. Blum Naturals boasts that their wipes are hypoallergenic, paraben-free, and never tested on animals. Kudos to you Blum Naturals.
I loved the packaging for these wipes, the cute little keychain-like container is extremely convenient and snaps right onto the inside of a zipper in my purse so I know exactly where these babies are at any time. The wipes that I was sent are citrus scented, which was perfect because only my boyfriend realizes how much I prefer citrus to just about anything else. They did a really good job of removing my makeup, but the texture of the (what I'm assuming is) cotton based wipes isn't the best I've seen. They aren't very thick at all and even though it's only $2.49 for a container of 30 wipes, I'll go through them quickly because it took me four wipes to clean my entire face.
I do love having them in my purse though, especially with the three year old running around making messes all over herself. They're safe on babies and don't irritate the skin, so she's just as unbothered as I am. All in all I would love to try another product from Blum Naturals, and I will use these wipes until they're gone, but I can't see myself ordering more of them. There are similar makeup removing wipes that I can find at the drugstore, which come in a much higher count, are sturdier, and some of them are even cheaper than these. They're a great product, but not an amazing product, and there isn't anything super memorable about them. I give these wipes a 6/10.
BH Cosmetics: California Collection Eye Shadow Palette (Full Size $18.95)
I loved seeing this little sample of eye shadows, because I'm a big fan of color and any palette that impresses me almost always ends up on my bathroom counter. The California Collection as far as I can tell is actually three different palettes, all with 16 eye shadows and 4 face powders. The sample seems to be the namesake shadow for each of these three palettes: Hollywood, San Francisco, and Malibu. It was interesting to me that each of these three colors worked so well together in this three shadow mini palette that I was sent as a sample. I love the packaging, it's fun and beachy and perfect for coming into summer. Makes me excited for palm trees and the pineapple juice that will inevitably be mixed into my coconut flavored vodka every time I'm poolside this summer. I'm also really excited to see that if you buy these palettes from BH Cosmetic's website, they're on sale at the moment for $8.95. Not sure how long that will last for, but I will most likely be purchasing at least one of the three.
Love these colors together
The colors are awesome and vibrant, but the shadow itself is nowhere near as pigmented as I like my shadow to be. I'm a big fan of Urban Decay eye shadow palettes, and as such I'm used to touching an eye shadow and my entire fingertip being fully covered. These eye shadows from BH are definitely more subtle than I like, and it takes either lot of build up to get the colors to be as bold as they seem to be intended, or eyeshadow primer is an absolute must. A great product for those that like more subdued color, and definitely worth the low price, especially since you get so many different shades and the added bonus of face powders for the low price of $18.95. I will definitely be taking advantage of the current sale on BH's website, but I don't think I would be purchasing otherwise. I give this palette a 6/10 without eyeshadow primer.
All in all, I'm really happy with my Beauty Box 5 subscription thus far. In comparison to Birchbox, I love that I got so many full sized products, but I definitely appreciate that Birchbox sends higher end products. I feel as if Birchbox does more of what it intended, letting me sample great products without forking out a large amount of money for something I may not like. However, Beauty Box 5 sends lots of great things, that are worth the $12 I spend each month, and since the products are more affordable, I probably will end up purchasing more from the brands that I discover through BB5. It's really a toss up. I can't at this moment say which I prefer between the two, because they truly are two very different subscriptions for being so similar. Not to mention the fact that I firmly believe that if you can't pick between two items, it's always better to have both. What can I say? I'm addicted.
Xoxo Kayla
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