May BeautyBox5!!

Okay, so I know I sort of poo-pahed BeautyBox5 last month, but they really outdid themselves this month!!  Much more impressed this go round!  Read more to find out why!!

Okay, I admit it.  I was pretty quick to be judge of BB5 last month, and this month, they totally redeemed themselves!  They are on the lower end of the boxes, and as the 5 in "BeautyBox5" suggests, the box holds 5 items.  Here's the run down:

Ban Total Refresh Cooling Body Cloths ★★★★

When I first saw these, I have to say, my initial reaction was "Really??  What am I going to do with these??"  I literally live in the desert, and summer was making a late entrance.  Last year, we had hit 100 degrees by March, but this year, we didn't hit 100 degrees until June.  So when these came in, there wasn't much need for them.  But I have to tell you, when you have spent hours in a car in even 90 degree heat, on leather seats, you can start to feel a bit funky.  Then you have to run in somewhere or meet someone.  These babies help you freshen up on the go!!  Love them.  A definite purchase in the future for me!!

Harvy Prince Hello -★★★★★

I have never been much of one to experiment with scent before.  I usually find something I like, occasionally two, and I stick with them.  My husband got my a large bottle of Beauty by Calvin Klein for my birthday last year, and it's pretty much all I wear.  Don't get me wrong, I love CK Beauty, which is why I have stuck with it for so long, but...wearing the same scent everyday can get pretty monotonous.  BB5 sent this gem in May, and I have a new favorite!  Girly, yet woodsy and sexy!  My husband LOVES it, and I feel a little younger yet a little more sophisticated while wearing it, and would LOVE a full size bottle of it!

Cattiva Waterproof Eyeliner ★★★

Admittedly, I haven't tried this eyeliner yet.  Out of the 4 subscription boxes I receive, in the last 2 months, I have gotten 4 or 5 eyeliners, and with it being so hot, I haven't bothered with eyeliner the last few days.  (Eyeliner sweating into your eyeballs is not a pleasant experience.)  So, my review for this one will have to be updated later.

Mask-er Aid Pre Party Prep★★★

Another little item I haven't had a chance to try yet.  To be fair, it's been end of school activities heading straight into a weekend family reunion at the lake, and now we are packing up to take the kids to camp and then visit my in-laws for a day or two.  Another item I will have to update at another time.

Aqualibrium Marine Cleansing Gel ★★★★

This is one that I did try.  And I have to say, not bad  One the plus side, my face was left feeling refreshed and hydrated...not dry like some cleansers can leave your face feeling.  Got the job done without drying out my skin.

And that's it!  Like I said, I was quite pleasantly surprised with BB5 this month, and can't wait to see what comes in the next few days!

Until next time,
XOXO
Sam

April BeautyBox5

Finally back to subscription reviews!  I opened and photographed THREE subscription boxes a while ago!  And today's review is for the April edition of BeautyBox5.

(The others will come in the coming days.)

I wasn't exactly thrilled with the size of this box.  It seemed almost the size of the box that my business cards came in.  And it was light.  Perhaps this wasn't exactly fair to BB5, as I had gotten Birchbox and Boxycharm a couple of weeks ago, and their boxes a very generous in comparison.  Plus, it seemed on the light side as far as weight is concerned, and everything was rattling around on the inside.  Still I was willing to give it a chance.

Now the other two boxes I received before were packaged rather well, yet BB5 seemed to just throw things in there.  Still, perhaps this is just an off month.  I always try to keep these things in mind, and give the benefit of the doubt.

Blum Naturals All Purpose Cleansing Wipes ★★1/2 $6.99

Not exactly what I expected in a beauty box, but okay.  These are okay...and the travel sized container is nice for your purse.  I didn't see, feel or smell anything special about them.  Perhaps these are good in a pinch or on a plane?  The wipe sizes are quite small and dainty, and as a mother of 4, that does me no good.  Still, I suppose if you were childless and travelled a bit, these might be okay.  I have no use for them, nor would I, in a million years, spend $6.99 on something like this.

Jergens Natural Glow 3 pack, Medium to Tan ★★★★

I've used Jergens Natural Glow before.  Too much sun is a no-no for anyone, but as a redhead "too much sun" can be 15 minutes without any sunscreen on.  Plus, we redheads tend to come in either alabaster white or lobster red...nothing in between...which can be blindingly obvious when it comes to summer and shorts season.  So, I use Jergens Naturals to give me a little bit of color.  Like any other sunless tanner, you have to be sure that you put it on evenly, and exfoliate before your first application.  Unfortunately for me, this pack is for "medium to tan" which will turn me a burnt orange color.  This will end up going to my daughter or my sister.  "A" for effort, though.

bh Cosmetics California Collection  ★★★1/2 

This cutesy little compact eyeshadow has nice packaging, but the colors were a bit shocking when I first opened them.

These didn't photograph that well, but Hollywood is a deep yet bright shimmer purple...San Francisco is a shimmery nude and Malibu is...shimmery golden yellow?  Alrighty then.  These do not appear to be too highly pigmented, but the color is build able.  I can see myself using SF and maybe Hollywood but the Malibu is not for me.  Again, though, it might just be my skin coloring...and not everyone is paler than milk.  It might be nice on a darker skin tone.  I am not sure how much BB5 wants me to believe this is worth, but it has to be super cheap when a 26 color palette on Amazon is $16.99.

Bonne Belle Lip Definer in Ash Rose $1.99 ★★★★

Who doesn't have experience with Bonne Belle?  It's rather on the low end of the price line at any department or drug store, and most of us cut our cosmetic teeth on Bonne Bell lip glosses.  The pencil is nice enough, and the color almost exactly matches most of my more subdued lipsticks.  I usually prefer a creme pencil, but this one will do the trick just fine.

NickAK New York Lipstick in Concerto - $4.99 ★★★

I had never heard of NickAk New York before, so I wasn't sure what to expect.  At $4.99, this is...well...a cheap lipstick.  The color is great for me, and it pairs perfectly with the Bonne Belle Lip Definer listed above.  It's especially pretty with a rose or nude lip gloss over it. I don't know that I would go out of my way to get this lipstick again...but this will get plenty of use.  Who knows, though?  Maybe I will fall in love with it.  I don't discount anything.

And there you have it.  Yup, that's it.  I can't feel but a little gypped with this box.  At $10 a month, I don't think I got $10 worth out of it.  Personally, I feel like subscription boxes should make you feel like you are getting a great deal, if not your money's worth.  I am holding out that maybe this is just an off month for them? Surely not every box is this...cheap?  

Maybe BB5 will surprise me next month.  

My first look at Ipsy in a few days!  Stay tuned!

Xoxo,

Sam