Walmart Beauty Box | Spring 2017

If a monthly beauty subscription box feels like too much of a commitment for you, or you'd prefer trying things you can pick up at other easily accessible, more affordable stores - the Walmart Beauty Box may be the thing for you. This "subscription" ships out just quarterly, and will put you out a minuscule $5 per box. Obviously, everything inside can be purchased at Walmart. 

Spring boxes are still available for purchase here (not an affiliate link). The boxes aren't curated to your tastes, they send mostly the same thing to everyone, sometimes it varies slightly. Here's what came in this season's box...

• Soo AE Purifying Black Charcoal Mask - This sheet mask is from Korean brand Soo AE, and retails for $2.50. It aims to reduce inflammation and purify the skin. You only need to leave it on for 15 minutes and wa-lah, you'll have radiant, moisturize and purified skin.

• Schwarzkopf Gliss Hair Repair Shampoo + Conditioner - This shampoo and conditioner cost $5.47 each, and is made for people with dry, stressed hair. It claims to reduce breakage, increase moisture and and add shine. 

• Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Lip Shine - This is a full size lip gloss that retails for $8.97. It conditions and soothes lips while adding some shine and color.

• Sinful Colors Sugar Crushin' nail polish - There's a variety of Sinful Colors polishes and I really adore them. They cost just $1.97 but they perform like higher end polishes.

• Jergens Natural Glow Wet Skin Moisturizer - There's a wet skin moisturizer in practically every brand now! This you put on when you're still wet in the shower, don't rinse off, and then wait for the color to slowly show. Basically, it's just like the regular gradual tanning lotion, but it responds well to water. A full size will set you back $8.97.

• John Frieda Frizz Ease Moisturizing Conditioner - This conditioner is for those of you with dry, unmanageable hair. It provides moisture while taming frizz and protecting your silky hair style. A full size retails for $5.47.

• Soapbox Body Wash with Shea Butter - Soapbox is a cool company because for every product you buy, they give a bar of soap to a person in need in the US or abroad. Their website outlines all the good work they do around the world, so you can feel good about your purchase. I've never tried anything from this brand, so excited to give this a shot. It smells nice and I'm sure it'll work decently. A full size costs just $4.54.

• Ban Powder Fresh Roll-On Deodorant - There's not much to say about this antiperspirant/deodorant combo. It fights odors, prevents sweating... and will cost you around $4... almost the entire price of the box... not bad!

• Colgate Optic White Radiant Toothpaste - I've used this in the past and it's nice. It's a decent toothpaste, nothing overly special. I couldn't tell if it really made my teeth whiter or not. A full size costs a whopping $6.96... which seems crazy to me for toothpaste, whitening properties or not. 

• Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation - I've done a full review on this here. It's just $4.97 at Walmart. Long story short, you get what you pay for. 

• Aveeno Postively Radiant Facials - I'm intrigued by both of these products, especially the in-shower facial. This cleanser helps exfoliate and cleanse the skin, working with the steam in the shower. It costs $6.97 for a full size. The overnight hydrating facial claims to provide 48 hours of hydration, and it'll cost you $16.97/jar which is kind of steep for a drugstore product. 

Will you be getting the Walmart Beauty Box? Let me know, or let me know how you liked any of these products!

Play! by Sephora | March 2017

If you remember, last month I wasn't crazy about my Play! by Sephora box. But they made up for it in March and I was all googly-eyed over what came in this month's box. This subscription is just $10/month and features deluxe-sized samples of brands you can find at Sephora. For more info, or to subscribe, click here. 

Let's take a closer look...

• Benefit Watts Up highlighter - This product is a favorite of mine. I've tried it before, and I adore it. It's a cream-to-powder formula that gives the most natural glow. I like it because it doesn't travel all over your face by the end of the day, making you look like some crazed disco ball, the same way some powder highlighters do. You can purchase it for $30 for 0.33 oz.

• Bobbi Brown Long-wear Cream Shadow Stick in Golden Pink - These shadow sticks are pricey, ringing in at $30 for 0.05 oz, so I'm excited to get to test one out. These can be used for an all-over color on your lids, or a highlight on your brown bones or inner corner of your eye. You decide. They come in a range of 13 different shades, most of which are neutral and universally flattering colors. 

• Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast - This spray is meant to texturize and volumize your hair. Personally, I haven't quite figured out how to make these kinds of products work for me, but if you're on the texturizer train - you're currently on-trend, or so it seems. This claims to give volume without weighing down your hair. You can pick it up for $29 for 7.5 oz.

• Fleur de Chloe perfume - I love the Chloe perfume range. It's certainly not for everyone, but I find it to be a very sexy, feminine scent. This version incorporates notes of rose and freesia for a more floral take on the well-loved original. If you like this fragrance, it'll cost you, totaling up at $75 for a 1 oz bottle. 

• Josie Maran Surreal Skin Argan Finishing Balm - I've been intrigued by this product, so I was excited to see it in this month's box. This product is essentially a makeup primer that adds glow to the skin. You can also use it as a highlight after makeup is applied. Personally, I think it seems to creamy for that. It's made with good ingredients that have anti-aging properties, so you're treating while looking amazing. I love a good 2-in-1 product. A full size costs $36 for 0.5 oz.

• Glamglow Glowstarter Mega Illuminating Moisturizer - Glamglow has finally expanded their skin care line beyond face washes and masks, and I'm sure the beauty world will go gaga. There are three different tones you can purchase this in, the one included is "Nude Glow". This moisturizer has a bunch of glow-inducing ingredients, as well as "pearl particles" (aka shimmer), which may not be everyone's cup of tea. A full size costs $49 for 1.7 oz.

What is your favorite product from this month's box? Let me know! 

Play! by Sephora | September 2016

If you saw last week's post, you know I canceled Ipsy. There's a number of reasons I made that choice, but one of them is Play! by Sephora. I've really been loving this subscription. It's the same exact price ($10/month) but the items are from higher end brands - a.k.a. the brands Sephora carries - and it's packed with things I actually want to use. 

There is a waitlist for this subscription, but from what I've seen and heard from people, it only takes about a month until you're in. If you're interested in putting your name on the list, you can sign up here. Not an affiliate link, just passing along the goods! 

Here's what fun stuff came in September's bag...

• Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel - This is good stuff. It's just a clear brow gel you can use to set your brows in place. I've used this before and really like it, but I don't often purchase it because it is rather pricey ($22 for a full size). This came just in time as I'm getting low on brow gel! 

• Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper - I know I ranted against this liner in the past, but I actually like the Trooper version. Unlike the one I talked about in that other blog post, this one has a brush tip. It does dry with a bit of a sheen, so if you prefer a very matte finish, you might not be a fan. 

• Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation - This is an oil-free moisturizer with AHA to even skin tone. I've used it in the past and didn't think it was anything special, but it's pretty expensive (in my book), so I don't mind giving it another go to see if I change my mind. 

• Atelier Cologne in Sud Magnolia - Atelier Colognes make fancy and high quality scents. This one is described as floral and fresh, with notes of magnolia, blackcurrant, bitter orange, musk and cedarwood. 

• Sephora Rouge Shine Lipstick in Love Spell - Simply put, this is described as a moisturizing lipstick with a rich, glossy shine. I've never put Sephora's house brand lipsticks to the test, so I'm looking forward to it! 

• Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Night Cap Overnight Perfector - This stuff aims to give you up to a week of shiny, manageable hair, with benefits that last through five shampoos! I like the Living Proof line so I'm excited to give this a try! 

Are you a Play! by Sephora subscriber? What sample are you most excited to try?

Walmart Beauty Box | Summer 2015

This Summer's Walmart Beauty Box is arriving in mailboxes, and if you haven't signed up for this seasonal subscription yet, what are you waiting for? It costs just $5 a box (4 boxes per year), and you can sign up here. The samples aren't as good as an Ipsy bag or Birchbox, but you do get samples of drugstore items that are nice to try out before spending the $$$ on a full size.

Included in the summer box is a decent sized sample of the Nivea Soft Moisturizing Creme, a basic all-over lotion that I've never tried before. Behind that are some lame foil packets of Jergens Natural Glow lotion, which I've used before and enjoyed. On bottom is a nice travel size of Aveeno Protect + Hydrate Lotion with SPF, which is something I'd only use as a sunscreen, not an every day lotion. And the one full-sized product in the box is the NYC Big Bold & Precise Liquid Eyeliner, which I'm excited to try because you know I love me some black eyeliner!

Also included is the John Frieda Sea Waves Sea Salt Spray, which I got a sample of in an Influenster previously. I'm not a huge sea salt spray kind of girl (I don't wash my hair enough for that!) so I can't say I'm too excited about this product. A rather large travel size of Clear Complete Care Nourishing Anti-Dandruff shampoo is in the box, and I happen to enjoy Clear shampoos so that's a plus. There's also a little sample of the One Direction You & I perfume, which is way too young of a scent for me, (I still love you, 1D! I'm lookin' at you, Harry Styles..... mmm...) so I will probably pass it on to my sister who is a 1D fan. It's super-duper fruity, if you like that kind of thing.

Lastly, we've got more annoying foil packets of Ken Paves Volumizing Shampoo + Conditioner, Neutrogena Healthy Volume mascara (never tried!), and Neutrogena Healthy Skin Boosters Facial Cleanser, which actually came in the Spring box, too -- lame.

Overall, this was an OK box. For $5 I can't really complain. I am looking forward to trying the NYC eyeliner, which I'd happily pay $5 to try, so the rest of the samples can just be considered a bonus. What do you think -- have you signed up to receive these beauty boxes yet? Will you? Let me know!