Unboxing the BoxyCharm Premium for November 2022

My Boxycharm Premium for November 2022 just arrived and I have to say this was a bit of a strange one. The day before I received my tracking e-mail I received another e-mail stating that the Kate Somerville Moisturizer i chose would be sent separately and that an additional product would be in my box to make up for it. My guess is that either there were supply chain issues or the wrong box was packed and sent. However when it arrived there were the usual six items and I received a tracking e-mail that the moisturizer was on it’s way separately.

For those that are unfamiliar with the Boxycharm Premium Category, this is a subscription that includes six full sized items each month, two of which you get to choose during choice and while I believe it is advertised as $39.99 once all of the taxes and fees are paid I am charged $46.07 each month for this subscription.

Shall we see what was in this month’s box?

The first item I received it, I believe the makeup item for the missing moisturizer. It too is a Kate Somerville product and it is the EradiKate Daily Foaming Cleanser. (retail $44). Oddly enough I do have a sample of this cleanser in my foil packet collection at the moment. I think it came from a Sephora purchase. Some acne cleansers I can use and some I can’t. I will be trying out the sample and if it works well with my skin then i will keep this for times when i break out (and as we are heading into the season of richer foods, that won’t be long) If the sample dries out my skin too much i will send it along to someone who might make better use for it. It is a good sized tube though.

The second item which I did choose was the Iconic London Precision Duo Contour pot (retail $29). I chose this mostly because I didn’t want the other option. I can’t remember why. I just remember choice wasn’t that exciting. I am actually interested in this though. One of the contour pans is a powder and the other is a cream. The powder looks to be the right color for me. I’m not s sure about the cream but i am more than willing to give it a try. And I do like the little round pot. I think it looks kind of cute.

Next up we have a set of two lip liners from Saint Luxe (retail $30). I like lipliners and i am glad they came in a set of two. When i swatched them though one was a bit on the pink side and the other was really brown. They feel pretty smooth and creamy though. I might be able to use them to help alter lip products whose color needs a little help, but honestly neither color is that appealing to me. I also suspect that once i put them away I will end up looking at the brown lip liner and think it is an eyeliner. It is just a brown eyeliner sort of shade. I just find the shades to be an odd choice for a duo and while I am interested in testing out the formula I am not certain how much use i will actually get out of them.

Next up we have an item I am actually really excited by It is the Wander Beauty Wanderess Escape palette. (retail $42). The last Wander Beauty palette I had I used a lot and then a shadow broke (because I dropped the palette and it landed badly). I continued to use it until it was just unusable. I love that it has the bronzes and browns and golds. I also love that pink shimmer and that pop of blue. I am looking forward to giving this palette a go.

I am not exactly that excited by the Complex Culture Executive Level mascara (retail $28). Complex Culture is a sister brand to IPSY. And I have received many items from the brand. The packaging is always beautiful but the products tend to be so so. They are never bad. But they are also never good either. They are mostly forgettable. They tend to be the kind of product you use while it is there and then let it go without another thought. I’m sure this mascara will be fine as well. All their products are. Who knows, maybe this one will surprise me and it will be really great. We shall see.

The last item in my box this month is the Skin Inc Sculpt Lift Bar. (retail $125). It is one of those battery operated face sculpting tools. I think this makes the fifth one I’ve had in a subscription box this year. the shape of the end is a little different in each one and I have to say this curved end does look like it will be more comfortable than the bar ended one I have and might even be as comfortable as the rounded quartz ended one I have. Will it work? Yes. Will it be a good tool to sculpt the face like a battery operated gua sha? Yes. Am I somewhat annoyed that its $125 value makes up the bulk of the perceived value of this box especially when Boxy Charm sent me two nearly identical tools already this year? You betcha.

I know these tools are nice and I have one that I do like and use. I have also passed on four others. The people I passed them to like and use them. I just don’t need another one. I also think it is over priced and, while in general it does annoy me when things are over priced, it bothers me more knowing that this is the item they are going to use to inflate the value of the box when they say that for your subscription price you receive this mush worth of product.

And so i am not adding up the monetary value of the items in the box. I have listed the prices above for each item so if you want to add them up feel free. I will not do so in protest for this tool.

Having said that, I really like the eyeshadow palette. The palette is very much a daily wear set of colors for me. I am looking forward to trying out the bronzer/contour as well. I may be able to use the cleanser, or I may pass it on. I may love the mascara but I suspect I won’t. I know the lip liner colors aren’t for me but at least I get to try out a new formula. There is a little bit of excitement over the two items I like but i have to be honest for me, this month Boxycharm fell a little flat.

Unboxing the Boxycharm Premium Box for October 2022: The Tarte Takeover box

I have to say it has been a while since I thought of Tarte Cosmetics. For a while they were everywhere with the Shape Tape and then they seemed to fall off the radar. As there are several products that I do enjoy from the brand it is nice to see them get some notice again.

For those that don’t know Boxycharm is a beauty subscription. They have a regular base box and a premium box with a Luxe box coming out quarterly. I tried all of the levels and the one that consistently had the products I was most pleased to receive more often was the premium box and so that is the one i chose to keep while letting the other tiers go. With all of the taxes handling fees etcetera I pay $46.07 per month for this box. The box is listed as being $39.99 per month. I always find it nice to see actual costs when all the fees are added as well as the listed price. The listed price for the base box is $27.99. I don’t currently receive it but I imagine the fees are about the same as they are with the premium box.

So what was in my Boxy Premium X Tarte box?

First off there was only one skincare item. It is the Drink of H2O Hydrating Boost Moisturizer. (retail $39). I have tried one skincare item from Tarte’s Awake line. It was a serum and I remember it leaving my skin feeling nice but i don’t remember seeing any results. It was a while ago though so I don’t remember a lot about it. A moisturizer is always useful, especially as we go into the dry season for my skin. And I think it will be interesting to try something out from their skincare line. I just won’t open it until I am ready to use it.

The second item in the box I was very excited to see. It is the Tarte Lights Camera Lashes mascara. (retail $24). I love this mascara. It is actually my favorite Tarte product. It performs really well and makes my lashes look fabulous. While i don’t usually get that excited about mascaras in general, I am pretty pleased with this one.

The third Item I am not that excited to see but i think I will get some use out of. It is the Double Take Awake micro liquid liner and brightener. (retail $25). I don’t wear a lot of eyeliner these days, but i am looking forward to using the brightener. I had a white eyeliner I used for brightening my water line but it has gone MIA.I suspect I will get more use out of that end of the double sided product than I will the liner. I also think that if i take the pencil out to use the brightener i might actually be tempted to use the eyeliner more simply because it is out. We shall see. perhaps my makeup will change. only time will tell.

Next there is a Maracuja juicy lip balm (retail $21). You know i love lip products. This balm is a gloss. I suppose that is where the juicy bit comes in. I swatched it and while there is a little color, it is sheer. And very much like a lip gloss. I have heard very good things about this so I am looking forward to trying it on the lips.

I am also looking forward to trying out the breezy cream blush. (retail $24). I am really starting to enjoy crema blushes a lot and this looks like a really nice shade. If I recall this is one of the items i chose and this is the shade I will wear. Which sounds obvious but sometimes the swatches on the computer don’t look the same in real life.

And yes the pan looks swatched. I opened it and couldn’t resist seeing how the color swatched. Then I remembered i hadn’t taken the photo. It arrived new and pristine, I just couldn’t resist. It feels nice and creamy and it blended well on the hand there is also something about the oval shaped package that I like. I’m not entirely certain what, but I do like the look of it.

And this brings us to the final item in the box. It is the Sunrise Amazonian Clay Eyeshadow Palette (retail $30). This palette was designed for Boxycharm, although to be honest I think designed might be a bit strong a term. It is a pretty standard looking basic palette of neutrals.

a swatch from the bronze shade Icon (middle row, far right)

That is not actually a complaint as I do love a good neutrals palette and will probably give into the temptation to try it out today. I couldn’t resist swatching one of the bronze shimmers and it swatched beautifully actually.

Tarte palettes tend to be a bit hit or miss in formula. I have a couple of Tarte palettes that are just beautiful and fantastic to use. I have had others where the shadows weren’t so fabulous. I don’t know if they play around with their formulas a lot or what but i end up either loving or struggling with their formulas where eyeshadows are concerned. there doesn’t seem to be much in between. If this is one of their good formulas I will be excited for the neutral palette, especially with that bronze shade. We’ll have to see how that performs in use.

but that my darlings is the October Boxycharm Premium X Tarte box. Monetarily the value of the box is $163. This is more than the $46.07 I paid for it and in that respect I am happy. More than the cash value though are the products. While knowing the value is nice, a subscription is only with the cost if you are going to use the items inside. For me, this was a pretty good box. I received a favorite mascara and get to try out a new cream blush. I am curious about the moisturizer and interested in the lippie. I have my fingers crossed with the palette and while i know I will use the brightener I might be tempted into the eyeliner. For me, I will get use out of every item in this box. that makes it a very worthwhile box indeed.

Unboxing the August 2022 Boxycharm Premium

The Boxycharm Premium is a $39.99 per month subscription box. Each month you receive six full sized beauty items, two of which you pick from a limited selection of items. There are several different categories of Boxy Charm. I have at one time or another tried all of them and I ended up finding out that for me, the premium category consistently sent me items that I actually wanted to use. And for me that is the point and the value. It really doesn’t matter how pricy the items are if you aren’t going to use them. While some months are clearly better than others, over all the Boxy Charm Premium has been consistently well worth the value to me.

This month’s theme is From Dusk ’til Dawn. Some months the theme actually fits the products, some months it doesn’t. This month i can sort of see where they are going with the theme, but it is a little bit of a stretch, and for me, not all that important. So Shall we start with the two items that I chose for the box?

The first of these items is the Alpha H Balancing Cleanser with Aloe Vera (retail $36). I know, I am well stocked with cleansers at the moment but truthfully nothing else in that choice category appealed to me and I have to admit that I was curious. I have the Alpha H Liquid Gold which is just as fab as everyone raves about, but I have heard of nothing about any other product they have. I don’t know if the Liquid Gold is so fabulous everyone forgets about anything else or if that happens to be their one really good product where everything else is just okay. I thought this was a good way to decide. I also like that it is a really good sized cleanser. it is 165 mL which is a nice amount of product and more than enough to let me form my own opinion about the cleanser.

The second item I chose was the Lawless Beauty Forget the Filler Lip Plumping Line Smoothing Gloss (retail $25). You know I can’t resist a good lip plumper. Its shameful I know but I do love the tingling and the scent of peppermint most of them have. I also really like to see if they actually work. Some feel like they are going to work by stinging the lips but doing little while others work beautifully. Plus I have been really good about not buying lip products lately. After my last lip declutter I realized how often I just add a lippie to the cart either in the grocery or on line and I am trying to curb this, But I figured subscription box choices didn’t count. In addition I have never tried anything from Lawless Beauty even though I have seen them around. I think there might be something in my IPSY bag this month as well so at least I’ll go into the fall knowing a little bit about the brand. That way I can say I at least learned something over the summer.

The first item that Boxy chose for me I was actually very happy to see. It is a pack of the Popmask Sleepover Self warming steam masks (retail $20). These are pink and rose scented but otherwise they seem to be like the other self warming masks from Popmask. I have used them before (the Starry Eyed Surprise ones – the link will take you to my fill review actually). Everytime I use them I tend to lay down thinking, this will be a nice restful moment, and then i fall asleep. So at least this one claims to help with sleep problems. The ones I have used were all unscented so it will be interesting to see how the rose scent works with the warming mask. It might be too much or it might be nice. I look forward to finding out.

The next item accounts for most of the listed retail value. It is the Kat Burki Nutrient C Eye Cream.(Retail $90). It is the most expensive item in the box. I can always use a good eye cream (especially now that I have cleared out a lot of the eye cream samples) I know Kat Burki is a well respected Skin care brand and I did try a foil packet moisturizer from the brand a while back and really enjoyed it. The eye cream is in a nice glass bottle with a pump. i tend to like eye creams with a pump mostly because it keeps the cream away from the air. You don’t use a lot of eye cream each time you use it so they tend to last a while and keeping air away from it while using it helps it stay fresh longer. So I am pretty pleased with this eye cream in my box.

There is one hair care items in the box and it is the Playa Monoi Milk Leave In conditioner (retail $24). I tried something from Playa a while back. The product worked really well but I absolutely could no stand the scent. I remember being really upset because it was such a good product that I tried repeatedly to get past the scent and just couldn’t do it. I did spray this into the air and it seems to have a much lighter scent so I am hoping the scent remains light and pleasant and that it works as well as the other product I tried. (I think it was a dry shampoo or something of that nature).

Plus I do like leave in conditioners. At the moment i am trying to work my way through all of my sample sized hair masks and leave in conditioners so that I can not only clear out some space but be ready for the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. (Now is the time where I go through samples like crazy so I can make the naughty and nice list and know which products I want to try out in the full size or make sure to all ways have on hand.) So for now this full size will have to wait just a little but, but I am encouraged by the scent and the fact that the last product I tried from them worked so well.

And finally we end with the OFRA Cosmetics Signature Palette – Symphony (retail $34). I think this was created for a holiday special a year or so back. I remember thinking that it looked like a fantastic little every day palette and wanting to add it to my collection but then not being able to find it when I went to shop. I am rather pleased it is now here. The silver shimmer shade in the center is both a shimmer and a highlighter so that is a bonus, plus I like the brown and cranberry shades. Going into fall i reach for both of those colors a lot. And I enjoy OFRA’s formula, so for me this five pan palette is a nice win. I am sure I will get a lot of use out of it if it performs as I expect.

Over all this was a really good box for me. It wasn’t flashy but every single item in this box is one that I am looking forward to using. The retail value of the box in purely monetary terms is $229. The bulk of that really is the eye cream. However like i said above regardless of the retail value the box is only worth purchasing if you are planning to use the items. As every single item in this box will get used by me, this August Boxy Charm Premium box was definitely worth the value.

Unboxing the July 2022 BoxyCharm Premium

Once again my Boxy Charm Premium snuck in without a whisper of a tracking code. I don’t know why by Boxy Charm seems to have stopped sending me tracking codes. This is the fourth month in a row this has happened. However as my box usually arrives around the time that Choice opens up, it is pretty easy to expect it. Anyway, I have the Boxycharm Premium subscription. I worked my way through all of the subscription levels trying to find the one that most often brought me more items I wanted and I ended up with premium. The official price is $39.99 and with taxes it comes to about $43 each month.

I feel that I do get my money’s worth with this box, although some months are better than others. With the Boxy/IPSY buy out, there are more overlap with products which is why I am making changes to my subscription. For now I am going to be keeping this box but only getting the IPSY quarterly X box (skipping the month’s between) and see if that works out for me. That is the plan for now. Everything might change in December when I do my subscription line up for the year, but for now that is where i landed.

So shall we see what is in this month’s Boxy?

Let’s start with the two items I chose. My choice for this month’s box was interesting. The first item I chose was the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue (retail $37). It is a tinted moisturizer. I love bareMinerals. Their bounce and blur blush is one of my favorites and I adore their Mineralist lipsticks. With face products (blush aside) I have only tried powdered product from them before. So I am looking forward to trying out a cream product. I have to admit that once I saw the bareMinerals on the choice list I didn’t really look at anything else so I don’t really know what it was up against.

Interestingly enough I had the opposite reaction to the second choice. Nothing on that tier really inspired me. I ended up choosing the Stone Street Soaphouse Geranimo Body Cream (retail $32) because I had never tried anything from the brand and it seemed like the best of the lot.

Nothing against it, but I am awash in body creams right now. I opened it to see and t was really floral. It is geranium-tastic in scent. I think my use of it is going to depend on how floral that ascent stays when applied to the skin. If the scent dies back and the cream performs well I’ll be happy to use it, but it was far more strongly scented than I thought it would be. That will be an interesting trial.

I have to admit, the third item I took out of the box didn’t thrill me, although it did start to interest me the more I looked at it . It is the Luxie makeup Sponge set (retail $40). I’m not a big fan of getting makeup sponges in subscriptions. I use them, but they aren’t a tool I use a lot. There are some products I need them for, but most of my products I don’t need them, so the ones I have last a long time.

Plus I tend to be specific in the ones I like. I like the ones with at least one flat edge as I find them to be the most useful with the way I apply my makeup. I do love Luxie Brushes though and I have never tried the sponges so I’ll try them. One feels like a regular makeup sponge. The one I find interesting it the other one that appears to have some sort of textured almost rubberized surface to it. That is the one I find interesting and the one I will look into.

The next item was a Lunar Beauty Eyeshadow Palette called Nude Prism ($48). I can’t remember if I have ever tried Lunar Beauty before. I think I might have but I’ll have to double check to be certain. I am really hoping it performs well because these shades are right up my alley.

It is something that if I like I can see myself getting a lot of use from. I knw it isn’t that exciting, but while I love the look of a lot of the brighter colors in the pans, I don’t tend to wear a lot of the brighter shades. I tend to dress more for meetings then dinner out with friends. I have a weakness for bronze shades though and there are three in this palette calling to me. It will be fun to play around with

There is one hair care Item this month; a shampoo and conditioner set. It is from Outre ($66 for the set). It is a repair and hydrate set incused with CBD. I remember trying an Outre hair mask a while back and liking it but I have not tried their shampoo and conditioner. I am always up for trying a new shampoo and conditioner.

And I do love when they are paired. In the summertime i tend to go with Argan oil and other repair type blends while in the winter I go for more volume and thickness inducing products (Like the Grow Gorgeous Intense set– The link will take you to the full collection if you are interested.) In the summer there is so much humidity in the air that thickening shampoos would just turn my hair into some sort of armor plated bouffant. As these are repairing I should be able to use them during the warmer months.

And finally we come to the last item in the box. I left it because I know I am just going to laugh at the retail value. It is an Avant product and their prices are always listed as so high it makes me giggle. The products are always good. For example their lip balm is one of the best that I have tried. it is also a $78 lip balm which is beyond the realm of laughable. I like getting Avant in subscription boxes and on sale in places like the Boxy Charm Pop up, but the retail prices are just so crazy.

With that intro, this month I received the Avant Skincare Blue Volcanic Stone Purifying and Antioxidant Cleansing Gel. (retail $110). It is a 100 ml sized tube. I am sure it will be a good cleanser, Avant’s products usually are good. I am also sure i would never pay more than a hundred dollars for a cleanser. I am looking forward to trying it out though.

All in all I have to say I am pleased with this month’s box. I love that there was a bareMinerals product and I am looking forward to trying out the Lunar Beauty Palette and the shampoo. I am interested by the textured makeup sponge and if the geranium can be tamed then the body cream will be good as well. I also know that once I open the Avant Cleanser the blue color and the reference to volcanos is going to have me thinking Blue Hawaii and humming various Elvis tunes as I wash my face. But there are certainly worse things. Over all Boxy Charm Premium was a pretty good box for me this month.

Unboxing the June 2022 BoxyCharm Premium Box

This month is going to be an interesting unboxing for both Boxycharm and IPSY for me. A while back, IPSY bought Boxy Charm. Since then there have been more products appearing in both boxes. Up until now, it hasn’t really affected me that much but this month’s IPSY had a lot of overlap. while I will deal with that discussion when IPSY arrives and I unbox it, I am really having to take a look at both subscriptions and see if I need to keep both. So while I am unboxing the products and will think a certain way about them, I am also thinking about the subscription more.

While IPSY has many tiers, after trial and error I found that the one that suits me the best is the Premium Category. The official cost is $39.99. With all of the applicable taxes the box comes to $43.89 per month when it all shakes down. One of my favorite aspects of the subscription is the Drop shop where I can pick up items that I may be interested in but not one hundred percent sure about at a discount. It is a pretty step discount and there have been many times I have purchased something in the drop shop to try out simply because it was reduced and there was less risk with the lower price, then fallen in love with it and purchased it for full price when I ran out. I have also found somethings I really didn’t want to repurchase, but the discount makes me more open to taking risks and I have surprised myself on occasion.

Prior Drop Shop (was called Add ons) had no shipping. when they started Mega Drop Shop it had no shipping if you ordered more than $25 worth of items. Typically I only add one item and it is usually around $9. Sometimes I will find more than one item that I want to try but usually it ends up being one, and often it will be the one item I saw a spoiler for but didn’t make it into my box. with tax and no shipping it still isn’t much. Shipping added, I’ll probably put the item back and think, well if it is there next month then maybe I’ll find something else to go with it and I’ll reach the $25.

It seems like now all of the Drop Shops have that $25 before you get no shipping and for me that actually lowers the value of the membership. I know that is a lot before we even get to the box, but it is something that weighs into my will I be keeping both IPSY and Boxy Charm or will one be let go and if so which one, decision. If you too are weighing this, I hope it helps (and I’d love to hear your thoughts if you feel like commenting)

But now on with the box.

We’ll start with the two items I got to choose. The first was the Korres Santorini Grape Poreless Skin Cream (retail $36). I have to admit I chose this as soon as I saw it and can’t remember even looking to see what it was paired with for choice. For years the Pomegranate moisturizer was my hands down favorite. I have been wanting to try this moisturizer for a long time. And I am just now finishing a moisturizer trial so this will be rolled into my line up as soon as possible. I am very excited to try it and I just love the pale green glass of the jar.

The second item I chose was the Dominique Cosmetics Silk Tone Cream Blush (retail $22). I have really been getting into cream and gel blushers lately. I have tried some eyeshadows from Dominique Cosmetics and I liked them but I don’t think the palettes stayed because the mix of shadows weren’t ones I would use. I was able to choose my shade and I think this one is going to work really well for me. And it doesn’t hurt that the packaging is lovely. Packaging may not be everything and I won’t keep a pretty product that doesn’t work, but I do like good products in pretty packages and look forward to trying this out.

I think there were three separate eyeshadow palettes that were possibilities this month for the premium so I was pretty sure I would be getting one of them. The one I received was the Natasha Deonna Cupid Eyeshadow Palette( retail $48). I have the cranberry palette and it is one of those palettes that I want to find a more prominent place for as I want to use it more often. it is small so it slides down out of sight. It is a great formula for shadow. Pigmented but very blendable. So I hope that this palette has the same formula. I do like the shades. I am a fan of the rosy but more neutral kind of palettes. And with this palette arriving (and the Urban Decay Palette I couldn’t resist purchasing this weekend) I will definitely have to do an eyeshadow declutter and reorganize. But I am looking forward to trying this out and am happy with it in my box.

Going along with the shadow is the Sandbar Beauty Shadow Light Eyeshadow Primer (retail $28). I tried a Sandbar palette (it came in an IPSY BAG) and I liked the formula and since that is the only thing I’ve tried from them I don’t mind trying something else. But here’s the thing. I’m not a fan of eyeshadow primers. I prefer to use a concealer if I am going to prime my lids.

The concealer is already shade matched to my skin and if you get a creaseless concealer it really helps prevent creasing on the lids under the shadow. (my current fave is the Dior Backstage Concealer, perfect match to my skin, creaseless and it has a brush applicator for easier control if you are using it on your lids, just remember a little goes a long way, I’m not a Dior Affiliate, although I wouldn’t mind being, it is just my current preferred.)

But as the lid primer is here I will try it out. Who knows, it may end up working better than my concealer.

To go along with my primed and shadowed eyes is the Patrick TA Beauty Major Volume Mascara.(retail $29). To be honest I thought I had tried it but then I realized that the outer packaging just reminds me of the Kevin Aucoin mascara. That has the Same sleek metal look but I think is in silver while this is clearly rose gold. I have a Patrick Ta Blush that I really like and I remember trying out and liking his cream contour. So I am very happy to have a mascara to try. Plus I have about three mascaras that need to be removed from rotation so having one to roll in is a good thing.

And finally we come to the last item in the box. It is the Shadow Moon Reusable shadow Shield (retail $15). It is basically a shield to stop excess powder flying over your face. As I tend to do my face makeup first, then end with the eyes, I like the thought of this. Looking at it i am pretty sure it will either end up loving this and considering it essential or try it out once and forget about it. It is one of those tools that has that sort of feel to it. I am not sure which it will end up being (and honestly isn’t that half the fun?) But I am game to give it a go.

All in all I have to say I really liked this box. The Sandbar Lid Primer isn’t a big hit for me, but that is just a category thing for me. I am really excited about the products I received and I honestly can’t wait to try them out. As far as cross overs go, IPSY had a Patrick Ta Glam Bag X, but I didn’t get the mascara and it was long enough ago that even if I had the mascara would have been used and gone by now so that doesn’t bother me for over lap. I also know that I am getting a Natasha Denona Palette in my PISY bag this month. It is however a completely different palette, so that over lap doesn’t bother me. As long as the products are good, and different enough not to be the same product, I am fine with a little bit of repetition.

The problem is keeping the products different enough. This month, Boxycharm did a good job of that. I am very happy with my box. For me, this was a very good month for Boxy Charm Premium.

Unboxing the BoxyCharm Premium for May 2022

That’s right, all of the subscription boxes seem to be coming in. The Boxy Charm Premium is now $39.99 per month and includes six items. Two of the items you get to choose from a limited number of select items. The rest end up being surprises. I tend not to look at the spoilers for Boxycharm as I kind of like the surprise. But is it worth it?

Let’s start with the two items I chose.

The first is the Tresluce Beauty La Flor De Mexico Eyeshadow Palette (retail $30). I have never tried any Tresluce shadows before so I am eager to dip a brush into them. I chose this because it looks like a beautiful selection of colors. There aren’t a lot of bright shades (at least not that I can see prior to testing, some may apply brighter) but it is an interesting mix of mattes, shimmers and metallics. So that will be fun to play with.

I absolutely adore that the mirror is just held into the palette by a magnet. I love that it can be taken out. And of course the palette packaging is beautiful. And I have to say this is a $30 eighteen pan palette that looks like it should cost more as opposed to a couple of other palettes I’ve had recently in subscription boxes that have higher prices and look like they should be much less expensive.

And yes the thought that it is a good deal does excite me. It is just a legacy of my upbringing.

The second item I chose this month is the Aavrani balance restoring Serum. (Retail $60). It is a toning serum and I am hoping it can be used as a toner. (I will doubly check before using) It contains cucumber, chamomile and witch hazel so I have pretty high hopes. I have an old fondness for witch hazel as it was such a staple in my house growing up. And for some reason toner is the category of skincare that I tend to get less in subscription boxes. I tend to purchase it separately since it is a rare item and I almost never have extra lined up in the drawer. In addition I have never heard of Aavrani before so it is always nice to discover a new brand.

The first surprise item is from Elemis. You know that I am neve mad at seeing an Elemis product in my subscription boxes. This is the Elemis Superfood Midnight facial (retail $50). I’ve never tried it but my skin has really enjoyed other elements of the Superfood line so I am looking forward to it. Plus we are getting into the time of year where I tend to go lighter on moisturizer during the day lest it sweat off and heavier with the night cream. So I am rather happy to have this cream around to try out. And for me, Elemis is always a nice surprise in a subscription box.

And you know what I also like? Lipstick. I know sometimes it doesn’t seem like I am happy when it arrives in the box, but lately there have been a lot of lip balms and clear glosses. Which they are nice, but not very exciting. This is the KVD Epic Kiss Vegan Butter Lipstick (retail $22). To be honest, while I love the KVD eyeshadow and cream contours I have only tried liquid lipsticks from the brand. I may be forgetting something along the way but I can not recall trying an actual KVD lipstick. So I am thrilled to give this one a go. I like the swatch so hopefully it will wear well too.

While not makeup, the next item in my box is makeup adjacent. It is a trio of Laruce brushes in a reusable zippered pouch from @servicedbye. (retail $50). I like Laruce brushes. I generally think that they are a bit over priced, but they are good quality. Admittedly as two of these are face brushes, this trio with the pouch isn’t as pricy as many of their other sets. It is almost $16.70 per brush which isn’t bad actually considering their quality. I am a big fan of their textured handles as they are very easy to grip even when you have slick hands. And the little bag is really nice for travel. I suspect the zipper slide won’t last very long, but it will be nice while it lasts and I like that it is reusable and not an immediate throw away.

Finally we come to the last item in the box. It is the Baseblue Cosmetics Dry and Wet dual action cleansing wipes. (retail $21). They are essentially individually packaged travel wipes. The dry ones are activated by water and they can be used to wash your face and take your makeup off. While I don’t mind keeping one of these in my purse or adding them to my travel bag, I am not a huge fan of the waste that such individually wrapped products create. while I will try them and test them, I think this is a product that I will use sparingly instead of letting it become an everyday thing. It is useful, but to be honest, I would much prefer a cleansing balm or a liquid/oil based makeup remover. But perhaps I will get into the details and there will be a recycling/biodegradable aspect I missed. For now I will go with interesting to try out and leave it at that.

So that was my May 2022 Boxycharm Premium. The retail value of my $39.99 box came to $233. As a return that is a pretty goo value for me. The fact that I will use all of the items is even better. Even though I dislike the waste of the individual towelettes they are useful. I have been needing to replace several brushes so the Laruce is welcome. Elemis always makes me happy and I am looking forward to trying out the KVD lip, Tresluce shadow and Aavrani toner, so for me, this box was a big win.

Unboxing the April 2022 Boxycharm Premium

this month the box looks like a box of boxes. For those that don’t know Boxy Charm Premium is a $39.99 per month box. Inside there are six items. I believe the six description says six to seven full sized items but I can’t remember the last time there were more than six. That being said, this was a good month for me. To be honest, given my two choice items i knew it was going to be a good month. But let’s look into the box.

The first item I chose was the Murad Clarifying Oil Free Water Gel.(retail $46) It is a moisturizer. I received this in an IPSY and while I am a little concerned about seeing repeat items (and think it might ultimately lead to a choice to end one or the other subscription)when I saw this i snapped it up. I used this moisturizer last summer and it was fantastic. Last summer was hot humid and not fantastic for skin. this moisturizer gave me the moisture my skin needed and didn’t break me out. I am a big fan and I am thrilled to have this around for the summer.

The second item I chose was the Herbivore Bakuchiol Serum (retail $54). I am on the fence with Herbivore. The products I have tried have been pretty good, but not good enough to warrant all the hype I’ve seen about them. However I am a fan of Bakuchiol. in the summertime I spend more time in the sun and retinol can make me a little sun sensitive. Bakuchiol is like retinol without the sun sensitivity. So this is the perfect time for it to make its appearance. admittedly given the scandal over this serum I am curious as to how it performs. Apparently there isn’t as much Bakuchiol as they claim and the product has been discontinued. Which I am not so fond of either. So I’ll use it, but I know that it can’t be reordered.

The first item I didn’t choose was the Mitchell and Peach English Leaf Body Oil (retail $68). I will be honest, I have never heard of the brand, but i do like a good body oil. Again for me it is a great summer time product. I use it right out of the shower and it tends to absorb better than a lot of body creams. This has Almond oil and Vitamin E both of which my skin love. The bottle is a nice glass one and the oil itself has a nice light herbal-ly scent to it. when I opened it I noticed there wasn’t a regulator on the bottle it is just an open top so I’ll have to be careful with it, but I think, given the ingredients and the scent i will enjoy trying this out.

The next item I’m not so keen on. It is the My Beauty Brand X By Me black Liquid Eyeliner (retail $20). I’m not opening it, partially because it will dry out and I have several open eyeliners I need to work through and partially because one of the liquid eyeliners I am working through is this one. Or it’s twin i should say. I received it in a different beauty box a while back and used it then. It’s okay. It isn’t a super fab eyeliner but it isn’t horrible. I’m okay with getting another one and I will use it at some point, but it isn’t all that exciting.

I am much more excited by the Natasha Denona Cupid Cheek Duo (retail $42). and in case you ae wondering the swatch is from me, I wanted to see what color the blush was, it didn’t come pre switched. I have one Natasha Denona cream blush that I absolutely love so I look forward to giving this a go.

And finally we have the Endota Organics Hydrating Lip Balm. (retail $25). Again lip balm isn’t something I get excited about, but I will always use it, especially in the summer. I have never heard of endota organics and I am a little surprised that a lip balm is valued at $25. And yes, I know i will pay lots more for a lip stick, but somehow when you put the word balm on there I am always surprised if it is over $15. I don’t know why, but somewhere in my brain that is the max I consider okay for a lip balm. And I think it really is just the word balm. I’m sure there is a reason, but that is for some poor psychiatrist to figure out at some later date. I will use it and I always enjoy finding new brands. and who knows, perhaps after use I too will think the price justified.

So that was my April Boxy Charm Premium. I have to say, scandal aside, I really like the mix of products this month. Some makeup, some skincare, and some body care. Its a nice mix and most of these products arrive at the perfect time to be placed in the soon to be much warmer weather line up. Over all this was a very good month.

Unboxing the March 2022 Boxycharm Premium

My Boxycharm premium has arrived. For those that don’t know this is a $39.99 subscription box that comes monthly and includes six full sized items. I’ve tried pretty much all of the Boxy Charm tiers and this is the one that more often had the products I wanted. Each month you get to choose two products of your six. For a while they started making one choice makeup items and then the other skin care, which I really liked. This month however they didn’t. Two of the products I really liked were in the same category and I could only choose one. which was kind of a bummer as not a whole lot in the second choice category really excited me. However choice aside, I am actually pretty happy with this month’s box.

I should also point out that choice for the April box has begun. It opened up at 1 pm EST on March 14th. They have started migrating several IPSY products and one of my choice items was a <a href=”http://<a href=”https://www.dpbolvw.net/click-9275903-10407838″ target=”_top”>Murad US – Homepage Link</a>Murad oil free moisturizer. I received it from IPSY a while back. While I am still trying to decide how I feel about IPSY items in Boxy, I did select this moisturizer because I used it last summer and for me it was the perfect summer weight moisturizer so I am absolutely thrilled to have another bottle coming my way (especially since I was planning to purchase it anyway). My other choice was an Herbivore Bakuchiol serum and then I went on add ons and picked up a Lorac Primer. I know, I’ve been trying to clear out some primers, but I have been eyeing this one for a while and kept putting off picking it up, so I decided now was the time. But those are future Items to discuss. Shall we dive in to the March box?

Okay the first item I chose (and was super thrilled by) was the Airbrush Flawless Foundation from Charlotte Tillbury. I have never actually tried anything from the brand. I have seen the Pillow Talk adverts a lot. And I know people who swear by the makeup formulas. And I will admit, the products look beautiful. I have just never gotten around to trying them out. I love when brands I just haven’t gotten around to trying but have heard of appear in my choice. And as I have cleared out several foundations, I don’t mind trying out a new one. who knows if i like it, I just might end up trying out some of the other items that interest me from the brand.

The second choice item that I chose was from the Somme Institute. They are exfoliating Glycolic Acid pads. I don’t have anything against the brand, in fact I had not even heard of it until this item appeared in my choice. There are several individual exfoliating pads that I do like. The issue is that once you open it, you have to use them or they dry out and how much I use them depends on the level of exfoliation the provide. So I tend to not gravitate towards them. Since they are here, I will give them a go. It will be nice to try out a new brand. My only issue is that choice was a little thin for the second category while the first category had several exciting items. It is more of a choice irritation than a product one. Unless these pads are overly exfoliating and then it might be a different type of irritation, but I wont know that until I try.

I have to confess to a bit of amusement with the next item. It is the Big Bang Mascara from Athr Beauty. I just recently cleared out several mascaras and realized I was actually running low on back ups so I went out and bought a mascara. Which I can’t regret I love the Big Poppa Mascara from Wet ‘n wild. But I was also thinking, ‘wow it has been a while since we’ve seen mascaras in subscription boxes.’ Because for a while I was nearly buried in mascaras. So right on cue a mascara arrives. I remember trying the Athr Beauty eyeshadows. I wasn’t terribly impressed because they tended to get muddy, but I will keep my fingers crossed that I like the mascara better.

Moving right along we have the Ciate London Dewy Skin Vitamin C infused Primer. You know my love of primers by now. I never mind trying out a new one. I like the brand Ciate too and have many products I absolutely love from the brand. Including their foundation, which is matte and could use a dewy primer underneath. So that might be a fun pairing. And to top it off, I love vitamin C in my skincare so this has the potential to be a real winner.

The Grace and Stella eye masks made me cheer. The gold eye masks are a staple in my skincare drawer. They depuff the eyes during allergy season like no ones business and there were a few weeks in the spring last year where I used a set pretty much every afternoon. Recently I have been trying out different eye masks from my collection to see if any of them perform like the Grace and Stella ones and need to be added to the collection. Thus far Klorane and Grace and Stella are the top two, and the ones I will be reordering before Spring allergy season starts. This however is not the gold eye masks, but a pink version. I’ll have to check to see if they perform as well as the gold ones but I am thrilled to have them here and waiting to be used.

And then there is the final item in this month’s Boxy Charm Premium. And I can smell it through the sealed cap. It is the Aromatherapy De Stress Muscle Gel. The scent is very Aromatherapy-esque. It smells of a combination of lavender and rosemary. I am working on upping my exercise game and hopefully getting myself out of this weight loss plateau so perhaps the muscle gel is a good thing to have around. I suspect i will have ample chances to test it out in the near future. It is one of those things that I will either love or hate. And I can tell you that is mostly to do with the scent. It is pretty strong in the sealed container. So part of my opinion will be based on how long the scent lingers. The other part will depend on how well it works. If I end up sore and this gel works well, then i will forgive the scent. The Muscle gel does seem like it belongs more with the Boxy Luxe items than here, but like I said my exercise is increasing, so if it works well, I will be very happy to have it.

I know that many of you want to know if this box was worth the cost. It has been more of a question since the recent price increase. For me it is worth it if I like the items and will use them. I am looking forward to using the items in the box and honestly every item is something that I can use. So for me, I would say this box is worth the value. If you won’t use the items, clearly that is a different story. If you ae looking for monetary return. For my $40 box I received the Charlotte Tillbury Foundation ($44), Athr Beauty Mascara ($28), Somme Institute exfoliating pads ($65), Ciate London Dewy Skin Primer ($32), Aromatherapy Muscle Gel ($40) and the Grace and Stella Eye masks ($24). The total value of the products ends up being $233. (feel free to check my math. The eye masks I was going to order anyway so that saves me the $24 and I am thrilled that I get to try the Charlotte Tilbury Foundation, which is $44 and covers the cost of the box. So monetarily, I did get my money’s worth from the March Boxycharm Premium.

Unboxing the February 2022 Boxycharm Premium

I don’t know what is going on with the e-mail notifications for Boxycharm shipping but this month I received my tracking information in the morning and while it gave me the number it also had the message to check back again later once it was entered into the system. Then that afternoon the box arrived on the doorstep. which is fine, but not exactly how tracking numbers are supposed to work.

However my Boxy Charm Premium box arrived unscathed and so I was happy. This is the premium box. It was $35 per month and recently went up to $39.99 ($43.89 with all applicable taxes). For this price you receive six full sixed items. For the premium box you are allowed to choose two items.

The first Item I chose for my box was the Huda Beauty Mercury Retrograde Eyeshadow Palette (retail $67). Personally I think that $67 is too much to pay for this palette, but I really do like the Huda Beauty Formula in the other palettes I have from the brand. (actually I feel this is a $35 palette and currently it is on sale for $33.50 if you are interested. The link will take you to the brand site it isn’t an affiliate link) Hopefully this will be a similar formula. This is one of those brands I love receiving in subscription boxes, because I always feel their products tend to be slightly over priced. even though I o like them. So for me the subscription box is kind of a good solution. The colors in this palette are really nice as well. It looks like it should be a good mix of neutral shades for everyday wear plus some pops of color and shimmer to brighten it up. I actually can’t wait to play around with it.

Top: Dime Eyelash Boost Serum, Middle, Moonlit Eye lid primer, bottom Uoma Lip liner

The second item I chose was the Dime Beauty Co Eyelash Boost Serum (retail $44). Now I have used the Grande cosmetics Lash enhancer and really liked it. It has been a while though so it will be fun to give this one a try. I am not a false lash kind of person even though I love the look. I should just not be trusted with glue around my eyes. I end up pulling out all of my natural lashes. So I would rather try out serums and other enhancements for my natural lashes. I’ve never heard of Dime Beauty and I will do a test patch before I start trying out the serum, but if there is no irritation then I look forward to giving it a go. I do like that the package is nice and heavy and feels kind of luxe in the hand.

From here we go to the four products that Boxy Charm decided to pick for me and my box. I’m not entirely sure they even look at the beauty profile any more to be honest. I really think they just alter the variations based on the items you chose. I could be wrong but that is sort of how it feels to me at the moment. If you ae wondering my box variation was C2202201-PM. I’m guessing the 2022 is just the year and the PM stands for premium. (I know, I’m swift with the logic). Which just leaves the C2 and the 01 unaccounted for. Not that it means much but if you are keeping track of numbers, there you go. And if you happen to figure out what the C2 means, let me know. I’m fairly certain the 01 is just the variation.

But on to the items.

First up we have the Christophe Robin Instant Volume Mist with Rose Water. (retail $$38). In general I like Christophe Robin. They are a great brand. Their sea salt scalp cleaner is on my repeat purchase list and I am currently testing out their leave in daily conditioner. I’m not so sure about the volumizing spray though. It isn’t a hair product I tend to reach for often. Mostly because they either tend to make my hair a bit sticky (I like in a humid place) or they make me look like i am going up for a CMA award circa 1983. While I love a volumizing shampoo, sprays for volume aren’t my favorite. I will give it a try, however the Rosy scent is a little off putting as well. It is a strong rose scent. But who knows, maybe I will try it and fall in love. We’ll have to see, after all stranger things have happened. And it is good to see the brand in the box as I really do like the brand as a whole.

Next up we have the Moonlit Makeup Primed for the Night (retail $18). It is an eyelid primer for shadows. I generally only use eye lid primer when glitter is involved. Otherwise it is a category of products I just don’t reach for often. I do like that it is in a wand form and I have several shadows with which to try it out. It just isn’t something I will reach for often and not something I’m that excited about. It feels like a filler item. Maybe it is meant to pair with the eyeshadow palette. I’ll try it out and perhaps it will be fabulous, it just isn’t something I am going to get all that excited about.

I am weirdly excited about the Vike Beauty Makeup Melt (retail $24). It is a makeup removing spray. I’ve used a lot of makeup removers and while some have been pumps, none of them were actual sprays. Maybe it is a common thing i just don’t know about, but I am looking forward to giving it a go. while I love makeup removing balms, it would be nice to have a product that doesn’t need to be scooped out. So this I actually find really exciting.

And finally we come to the UOMA Beauty Badass MF Lip Liner (retail $16). I am on the fence with this. On the positive side I have heard really good things about the brand but never actually tried them so I am glad to see them here and hope there are more products from them in the future. On the other hand this is the third month in a row that I have received a lip liner in my box. It is also a stiff pencil lip liner that isn’t all that creamy. It is strange with lip liners (and eyeliners for that matter). The singe ones always feel like filler items. ‘What do we have that isn’t that expensive that we can chuck into a box so there are six items?’ If it is paired with a lipstick or came in a set of two like the EVIO Beauty pencils then it feels like an item. On it’s own it is less impressive. But I hope it is an indicator that there will be more from the brand at a later date.

This was sort of a mixed box for me this month. I think that because the last two boxes were so good and I wanted to try pretty much everything in them, this one just feels like it fell a little flat for me. Two of the items (volumizing spray and eyelid primer) are simply categories that I don’t use often and the lip pencil just feels like a filler. I’ll still use them, but there isn’t a lot of excitement. I certainly feel like OI got my money’s worth with the two items I chose though so over all I am happy. This was just not a month where I was super thrilled by every item. And subscription boxes are like that. The past two months have been really great, this one not so much. After a few months with the price increase, I find I am okay with the price increase and still feel that the Boxy Charm Premium subscription is worth it. I just wish they’d take a break with the lip liners.

Unboxing the January 2022 BoxyCharm Premium

Once again it is time to look at the monthly BoxyCharm Subscription. They have several tiers. I am subscribed to the premium tier which is now $39.99 per month (it comes to a little over $43 with tax and everything). I have had at least one version of Boxycharm for quite sometime at this point. At one point I had the base box ($25) the premium and the Luxe Box (quarterly). I had them all at the same time to see which one I preferred and as I found I was getting more products that i would use or wanted to try most consistently in the premium category, that is the one I stuck with.

For me this tier just worked. And I couldn’t keep all of the tiers indefinitely. Not only was it costly, but it was far too much product coming into the house at the same time. For the $40 cost, of the premium Box you receive six full sized items. During choice day (which happens to actually be today, January 10th at noon) you get to choose two of the items in the box. We’ll look at the first two items I chose for this box first.

The first item I chose was the bareMinerals Original Mineral Veil. I used to use this all of the time. I love bare minerals, but I did get away from using a lot of their face products. They are a great brand though and I am thrilled we are seeing more of them these days. Their lip products have been popping up more and more often and I absolutely adore their bounce and blur blush. I may have to use that today actually. Seeing the Mineral Veil (finishing powder) on the selection list was like having an old friend pop up unexpectedly. It was nice to see.

The second item I chose is one I have never used before it is the Wishful Clean Genie Cleansing Butter. I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about the Wishful skin care line in general. I’ve received a couple of products in subscription boxes and want to start rolling them in to try out. I’m sure they will be fine it just takes me a minute to think about skincare from a makeup company. Sometimes it is fabulous, sometimes not. (wishful is part of Huda Beauty). But I am always willing to try out a new cleansing balm. I have just opened one though so it will be a little while before I get to this one. But I am happy to have it waiting in the wings.

And now we get into the surprises. And for me they are surprises as I didn’t really pay attention to any spoilers for January. I meant to, I just never got around to it. And honestly, I kind of like the surprise.

The first surprise is a mask from Juice Beauty. It is the Bamboo Pore Refining Mask. I tried a small sample of this before and it made my skin feel amazing. The sample I tried was only enough for one use though so I am interested to see how it performs over time. I find this mask really interesting though. It is designed to be used twice a week but you only keep it on your face for about two minutes. That’s right, a two minute mask. I’ve actually been looking for a mask to use during the week so I may actually choose this one for the week days, using it Monday and Wednesday while still keeping my Friday Face Mask. December was the month of Sheet Masks and I did a pretty good job clearing a lot of them out, but I think I want to focus on one product for a while. But again that is something to think about later. For now, I am just happy to see the mask in my January Boxycharm.

The next item sort of sounds like it is trying to bridge the distance between Makeup and Skincare. It is the LYS Beauty Secure Skin Gripping Serum Primer. It is a primer, and you know, I love a good primer. But this is a serum packed with skincare ingredients ( the little blurb wasn’t specific on what those ingredients were, but I will have to take a look to see what they are before I use it.) The thing is that to see results I would have to commit to using this primer daily for at least a month. And if I’m doing that, it has to be a good primer. I don’t mind the skin care benefits because at the very least it will help my skin out on the days I use it. And the benefits might make me want to use it more. But it will have to also be a good primer. So that will be an interesting test to see how it performs both as a primer and a serum. For now I have to say I do love the packaging. While it is a tube, the top is shaped like a triangle so it stands up on it’s own. I always find the primers that stand upright easier to stash in the drawer and they tend to be the ones I reach for more often. Plus they don’t leak that way. So all in all an interesting product. I’ve also only tried the Bronzer from LYS so I don’t mind trying more from the brand. Especially as it was a pretty good bronzer.

The last two items are both makeup items. The first is a lip pencil from Persona Cosmetics. It is a lovely color and it felt creamy when I swatched it. I’m sure I’ll get a lot of use out of it, but for me lip liners and eyeliners aren’t things I get terribly excited about seeing in boxes. It is a nice lip liner though and I am sure I will use it.

I am more excited about the Ather Beauty Desert Sunset Eyeshadow Palette. I know it is much easier to get excited about an eyeshadow palette than it is a lip pencil. And the sahadows do look nice. I just feel like I have been flirting with Ather beauty for a while. I’ve seen it in other people’s boxes and I know it was a possibility as a brand in mine, but it never actually appeared in any of my subscription boxes. No matter what the Ather Beauty product was, it was never in my subscription box. So it is nice to finally try something from the brand. It is also nice that this was a very makeup heavy box this month. Skincare will always be my first love, but the skin care supplies were piling up. They are now getting back under control.

And of course just to be peevish I’m sure that in a few months (If they stick with makeup heavy boxes) I’ll start to miss the skincare. Everything has it’s rotation. This past skincare heavy turn simply lasted a bit longer than anyone was expecting. I think that is why people have been rather critical. Over all I am very happy with this month’s selection of products. I was happy with the choices I made and I am pleased to try some new things. Over all, January is a pretty good month for Boxy Charm premium and yes, I felt that my selection of products was well worth the $40 subscription fee. I thought about shifting to the base box instead of keeping the premium, but for now, I think I am going to stay with the premium as it still has the type of selectin I want to see.