Sephora Play- Monthly Box- February

I am pretty excited about trying out the Wander baggage claim eye masks but most excited about the Clinque eye pencil. It feels so creamy.

Everything else was kind of … blah. I've already had samples of this perfume and it is ok.  I had already tried the Bite brand lipstick and find it to be drying, and every color they send me is a very dark one. This one looks the same. I've also tried the Clinque lotion before, I think I am going to get my husband to use this sample.

I'm seriously considering cancelling the beauty box subscriptions again. Taking  a little break. See how I feel in six months or so...

September Sephora Monthly subscription box

Sephora monthly subscription box, like every other box, is kind of hit and miss. This month is a hit. I was excited to see everything in the box. 

What am I most excited about? Every time I go to Sephora, I look at the Hangover Rx face primer  and want to give it a try, but don't want to pay the price to try it. Finally, I get a sample.

Walmart Beauty Box

The Walmart box was completely underwhelming this month. Nothing exciting. Nothing I have been hoping to try.  The box is on probation. Its days at my house are numbered. Its on the to be cancelled list.

Walmart subscription box $5

Lets be honest. The Walmart box is not the most exciting box out there. But it is products you actually use and it is only  $5. I was most excited about using the Jergens Wet Skin moisturizer and I have used it all and really liked it. I will probably buy another tube. Most of the other things went to the side for use when traveling.

walmart box

 

 

Walmart  Beauty Box.

First, its $5. So its pretty darn good for that reason alone.

Second, there are always 7 products in it, so that's also a big plus.

Third, there are always useful things .... like a miniature deodorant. I put that in my desk at work.

Some of these things went straight into my suitcase- perfect little  travel size (makeup removers and dry shampoo).

This might be my favorite subscription beauty box.

Ipsy and Sephora monthly box for June

Am I excited about anything? No. In fact, Ipsy just got itself cancelled....  how many black eyeliners and blue nail polish and very small samples of benefit blush or bronzer can one girl handle?   Me and Ipsy are on a break.

As far as Sephora, although I was not initially excited, I have since used the Tarte tinted moisturizer and LOVED it.  Nothing else was very exciting and I actually gave a few things away already.

February Ipsy

This thing gets better and better.

 

I really like the bag this month- denim with orange trim... and my favorite item is the full size  NYX Butter lipstick (and it is like butter and wears well) and the IBY illuminator (because really, have I ever met an illuminator I didn't like? apparently no.)

I'm happy to have a brush (since I lost all mine in the flood and these things are not cheap) but it came all bent out of shape and with a bad attitude. I'm hopeful it will get itself right.

I realize I have bigger fish to fry  from the rebuilding other than replacing brushes....

(that is the current state of my livingroom..... progress is messy)

 

 

but I have to find a little joy somewhere, and today it came in the Ipsy bag.

 

 

 

I'm linked here

Ipsy January

Unlike some of the subscription boxes I see, Ipsy keeps getting better. 

My two favorites this month:

Bye Bye Undereye concealer from It, Probably my favorite. I had lost mine in the flood and hadn't replaced it yet. I was very happy to see it.

Ciate Gel Top Coat polish. A full size.

walmart beauty box winter 2016

 

 

 

I am no longer loving the Walmart box and it is on the canceling list.

 

Its been a long while since I felt like I had a good box. None of the boxes have been as exciting as the first one was. 

 

This one was kind of pitiful.... Dove bodywash (that feels like it is in every box), a small ponds, Avena lotion and Curel lotion.

 

yawn.

sephora monthly box

Two more months of Sephora Monthly boxes and I am still in love.  This is, hands down, the best subscription box I get.

My favorite things from the January and February boxes:

Lancolm eye pencil in black. Its so creamy, and dark and long wearing. Its my now favorite black eyeliner. I will go buy this when this one has lived its full life.

Clinque Chubby Highligher Stick  I was just really excited to try this and I like the chubby stick form of the highlighter.  Its not the best highlighter I have (we all know I love the highlighters...) but I think its a good one. I probably wont buy this one.

Bare Mineral Pop of Passion lip balm I like that this is just like chap stick but with real color. Its easy to put on, it has a great pop of natural color, and it is moisturizing. I use it throughout the day. But it does not have much staying power. I probably wont buy one.

Sephora eye mask I've used Sephora paper masks before and I love them. I was excited to try the eye mask. It was a little clumsy to make it fit in the eye area and not get in my eye, but I will definitely buy more of them. I love them.

 

 

sephora monthly subscription

When I got the email from Sephora one morning that they now had a monthly subscription box for $10 a month. I dropped everything and went to the site to sign up. Apparently, they went fast.  A co-worker tried to get one a few hours later and they were already sold out. 

 

 

I can honestly say this is the best monthly box I get. Two months in, and I LOVE it.

November box:

• Josie Maran Argon Oil, which I already know and love and use all the time, including most recently, on a steam burn on my thumb (from making asparagus soup) after the skin began to peel.
• Stella McCarthy's perfume I loved it. Very strong rose scent. its one of my favorites. I would buy a full size but my complaint is it does not stay on long.
• Bite Beauty Lip Pencil in Rhubarb. A red that I've been wearing almost every day in December.
• Makeup Forever primer
• Buxon plumping lip gloss in Dolly. A sheer pink that smells like peppermints that immediately went into my purse and I use it every single day over the red lip pencil.
• Electric Blue eye liner pencil from Sephora.

December box:

• Viktor & Rolf's perfume: Flower bomb. I loved it. (I know I keep saying I love it, but I do! I loved everything in the boxes)
• Fresh Seaberry Moisturizing face oil. I love all oils and glad I got to try this one, but Josie Maran is still my favorite.
• Smashbox full expose eye shadow duo. Probably my favorite thing in this box. I had never used their shadow before and after trying it, I'll be looking for a palette.
• Dr Brandt pore exfoliator. I have used this before and I really like it so glad to have another little one.
• Nude Skin Care serum. What I love about this is it came in seven different sample packets, enough to use twice a day for a week. I love being able to try it out for a whole week.

Ipsy and Walmart boxes

Walmart beauty box:

Its $5 and has 10 to 12 samples in it, so for those two reasons alone, I like this box a lot, and I like that its a lot of drug store type things that, if I like them, I can find them pretty easy (and cheap).

This month box included: Act mouthwash, Dove bodywash, Neutrogena mascara, and some are smaller one-time-only samples like Jennifer Aniston perfume and Loreal facial oil. It also has 3 or 4 coupons in the box. 

This box, although a good value, was kind of lackluster. I was not over the moon to see any of it. Nothing jumped out at me. But it was good. Not great, but good.


IPSY:


I had cancelled this one about 10 months ago, but thought I missed it, so just re-ordered. This was my first box and I was happy to see it return in my mailbox....  I like the nail polish, a deep navy. Its currently on my toes. and I like Dr. Brandt's  exfoliation A LOT . It was my favorite thing out of both boxes. In fact, it might make it into my monthly favorite things.  I was happy to see the balm's matte lipgloss, but once I used it, I did not like it (so dry). The other two samples, the bb cream and the body lotion were not exciting.

Walmart Beauty Box Summer 2015 edition

 

 

 

My second beauty box from Walmart arrived (my first one here), and my feelings are mixed. I'm not as impressive as I was with the first box.

 

On one hand, I love love love that Palmer's Cocoa Butter was included. I had never used it before and now it is one of my favorites and I am going to buy a full one. I also like the Jerkins BB cream, and already had it in a full size. 

 

 

The rest of the samples, perfume, two different kinds of sample, a face lotion, were just small and not much variety and I wasn't interested in them.

 

There was several coupons included, one for Palmers,  and a full size free deodorant that I was excited about..... but.... the coupon was expired.

 

So.... mixed feelings about the box.

 

It was still only $5, that's a big plus. It looks like others had a full size mascara in their box. I would have enjoyed that. 

 

Try it out here. 

 



Ipsy vs. Birchbox

 

 

I've been thinking about it for some time, mulling it over, and tossing it back and forth and finally decided that it was time to cancel both Birchbox and Ipsy subscriptions. 

 

January was my last one of each and I find it more of the same.

 

 

Its been lackluster (to say the least) for many months, and I wasn't excited about any of it, and I find both Walmart subscription boxes and Target boxes are much more exciting to me right now.



Target Beauty Box: my first one

 

 

 

 

This is whats new with me....

 

Target has a beauty box (order here), and its $7.

 

This was my first one, and I LOVE it.

 

I can not believe there is SO much in this box!

 

A full size Loreal  mascara!  A full size Revlon Lipstick! A full size Covergirl eyeshadow quad! A full size chap stick!

 

Impress,

 



All about the October Walmart Beauty Box (my first one!)

 

Walmart has a beauty box.

 

and its $5.

 

and I signed up.

 

because I really like surprises in the mail.

 

and apparently the three other subscriptions just are not enough.

 

and I got a full size deodorant, the kind I already use and like.

 

and the deodorant is more than $5 just by itself.

 

and I got a full size covergirl lipstick.

 

and I got a large sample of Oil of Olay Regenerate night cream

 

and a large sample of Loreal Revitalift night cream

 

and sample of perfume and shampoo and conditioner

 

its very exciting

 

This box will be continued