June’s BoxyLuxe

Hello, again! Per my last update and the fact it’s 11:20 pm here, I’m just going to do a quick post to show what was in my BoxyLuxe. This marks one year of BoxyCharm and my second BoxyLuxe box.

I am hoping to do a year review, bit I will say I think I enjoy the BoxyLuxe way better than BoxyCharm. I wish they would have it so you could opt out of BoxyCharm and just get the luxe box every 3 months.

The theme is Getaway! Spoiler alert: it’s skincare heavy, which I was happy about. I’m trying to get into skincare more, and I have soooo much makeup I need to use for the first time right now lol.

The Living Proof sprays seems to actually add volume! I need to use it more to get my final thoughts but I like it so far. I love that they are going outside makeup and skincare and adding things like the straightener (I think in December?) And now this hair dryer. It’s little and I love the color! Great for traveling or if you go to the gym.

I have dry skin ever since my pregnancy…like, went from very, very oily skin up until age 29, then with my pregnancy that went full term, my skin completely cleared up and turned very dry. Curious haha. I was excited for these. I can’t tell if the Skin&Co spray does much yet. The serum is out for me. It says slight tingling may occur…my face full on BURNED for 10 minutes until I finally put water on it. My face was hydrated…but it wasn’t worth it.

I like the cleanser ok so far! I have not tried the Touch in Sol product properly. I didn’t quite realize what if was when I initially tried it lol.

The lipgloss is great! No complaints. I have not tried the mascara. It’s so big because it has a built in curler! Such a neat concept.

I also got the Tarte Glow face palette. I wished it had been the all blush palette instead, but I’m excited to try it. I haven’t really used Tarte stuff yet!

I also got these with my BoxyCharm points in case I decided to cancel. The eyeliner is Ofra and while pretty, I just like felt tips over actual pencils. The mascara is ok so far. It gives a natural look… definitely nothing stand-out-ish.

What did you get in your box?? I promise I will slowly but surely check out everyone’s posts, BoxyCharm or not! 😁💖

-AV

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May’s BoxyCharm

I finally got this month’s BoxyCharm! They were pretty late getting mine out 😒 But without further ado….

This month’s theme is Make Waves. If you don’t know, this is a monthly makeup and skin care subscription box. For me it’s approximately $22. If you buy a few months or a year at a time, I think it’s less but you can’t cancel in the middle and get a refund.

I heard mixed feelings on this box. Here’s what I got in mine.

Item #1: Glamglow Gentle bubble cleanser. This retails for $28. I have never heard of this brand and I haven’t had a chance to try it yet. I have mixed feelings because I heard the brand is not cruelty free and I was trying to stick to only cruelty free. So I’m not sure…since I already have it, I might try it once I run out of something I’m using. At any rate, the packaging is gorgeous.

Item #2: Alamar Cosmetics Colorete Blush trio in fair-light. Retails for $22. It has three shades. I was happy I got the right one for my skin tone. I was a little nervous when I saw it. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this yet. The shades have a little shimmer to them. They were pretty pigmented. I will have to play around with it a little more.

Item #3: Bodyography eyeliner in shade emerald. Retails for $14. I was happy to get a green shade, but I have another liner from them from a prior box and my feelings are the same. It’s ok…it’s a little scratchy. It’s not the worst because it does work, but it’s not the smoothest.

Item #4: Ciate London eye lustre creme eyeshadow in shade Cupid. Retails $22. This is actually very pretty I think. I don’t use cream eyeshadows too much just because they tend to crease on me. I only tried this for a single look so I’m not sure on a wear time yet. It went on easily for me. It is almost duo-chrome…it’s pink in some light and gold in others.

Item #5: Dose of Colors matte liquid lipstick in shade Truffle. This retails for $18. This is my favorite item in the box so far. It went on easily…easy to apply…I applied all over with one dip and didn’t need to go back over…it smells pleasant…and the shade is a perfect nude for me. Going on, I actually did wear this all day. I reapplied for the pic below, but it was almost comply transfer proof, comfortable to wear, and it wore down evenly. I saw there was a red color also and at first I really wanted it, but then I saw it was almost a neon color. So I’m happy to have this much more wearable color.

What variations did you get in your box?

Next month will be one year of BoxyCharm! I plan on doing the month box as normal and then doing a year review. I want to reflect on whether it’s something worth keeping it around.

-AV

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April’s BoxyCharm

Hello and salutations 🙂 I know I’ve been slacking on my blog. I’m finding life a little stressful lately. However, I have gotten a few new things which have perked me up– one being April’s BoxyCharm!!

Theme: Peace, Love, and Boxy. I think it was centered around the upcoming Coachella (is that even how you spell it? I’m too old for such things 😂). Every time I feel it’s time to cancel, I end up getting a box I mostly love and I figure I will hold out a little while longer! Over all, I am happy with my box this month.

BoxyCharm is a $22 a month makeup subscription box. It used to be $21 but last few months, it was $22 and some change. Not sure why, but for right now I don’t care.

Item #1: Luxie brushes. For being an expensive brand of brushes, I seem to get them off and on in subscriptions. They are decent brushes. The card states they retail $28 but I would never pay that. I like the color and they work well.

Item #2: Luscious brand Angel Eyes eye primer. I have never heard of this brand but I have to wear eyeshadow primer so I’m happy to get stuff like this. It is not clear however. Mine is in shade nude which is fine; however, I had no idea how little I needed to use. I put what I thought was a tiny dab on, but it literally covered my eyes up to my eyebrows and then down and around like concealer 😂 I haven’t done a wear test yet. Retail: $14

Item #3: Artist Couture loose highlight in shade Purple Dream. I was kind of dubious because I’ve never used a loose highlight before and the packaging made it look orange. And then I had the *worst* time opening it lol. But omg…it is GORGEOUS 😍 I’m in love. I have never heard of this brand before but I’m sold. Retail: $27

Item #4: Appeal Cosmetics Holographic Lip Gloss. This is the only thing I wasn’t thrilled about. It’s supposed to be retail $21. I don’t know about that. If you love glosses, I’m sure you will like it. I’m not huge into glosses, and it’s clear so not too exciting to me 🤷

Item #5: Pur Festival pressed pigments palette. I heard this was made for Boxy but I’m not 100% sure on that. I didn’t think I would love this but I do 😁 The colors all work well, and the glitters are very pretty.

There are no overall unique colors, but I’m liking it. I will definitely get some use from it. It’s supposedly retail $36.

Here are swatches, followed by a look 😁

See what I mean about the highlighter?! I have the gloss on with a pink lipliner underneath.

What did you guys get in your boxes?? Anything different? Do you still love BoxyCharm?

-AV (Instagram Avlovesmakeup) ❤️

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My First BoxyLuxe!

Well, I decided to try out BoxyLuxe finally! I wasn’t super drawn to the last one (which I think was the first one they released), but I accidentally saw a sneak peak that led me to take the plunge.

If you don’t know, BoxyLuxe is an extension of BoxyCharm. BoxyCharm is a makeup subscription box that is monthly. If you buy it monthly (rather than by bundle), it’s $21 plus tax. BoxyLuxe is every three months, and it comes in lieu of the regular BoxyCharm. It is an additional $38 (approximately) for a total of $50 that month. It’s supposed to be at least $300 in value.

It Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream. This is what I signed up for. I am currently using this and was going to repurchase it. It is retail $48 so I thought…may as well try the whole box! 🤷😂

Let’s next do the products that were just okay:

I literally just bought a whole collection of nail polishes, so I was kind of meh on that. I wouldn’t turn down a brush lol but I just don’t really need a powder brush right now. The bag was really nice…it’s huge. I just have a million bags right now! The eyebrow product I haven’t tried, so I guess I shouldn’t judge lol. But I am not good with my brows so I don’t have high hopes lol.

The product I loved but can’t use lol:

I was sooooooo sad to get an email from BoxyCharm telling me they knew they sent me the wrong Cover FX face palette. I got the one for medium to deep skin tones and if you didn’t know, I’m so pale im basically see through in the winter 🤦 It’s gorgeous though. I found a friend who wanted it, so I was happy to pass it along so it will be appreciated.

Products I was most excited for:

I’m getting into fake eyelashes so I’m excited to try a new brand!

I got the Morphe 15H Happy Hour palette. There was four variations, and I was happy to get this one. I love, love, love oranges. I like the palette so far. The packaging is very sturdy and it has a mirror!

I have had some Wander beauty products so far and liked all of them. I also like face peels, so I was excited to try this. I used it once and I definitely used too little. I had some trouble getting it off and panicked a little 😂 But my skin felt nice afterward!

Finally, I haven’t tried a Becca lipstick before! It’s in the shade Poppy. I definitely wouldn’t have picked this color if I had seen it at the store, but I think it’s actually very beautiful.

Here’s my card!

What do you guys think? My original plan was to have BoxyCharm for a year and evaluate if I thought it was worth it. The would be June I believe, which would be the next BoxyLuxe. So I think I’m going to stick with that plan for now and see how I feel about the next few boxes!

-AV

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February’s BoxyCharm

Well, BoxyCharm keeps sucking me back in! I saw we were getting the Too Faced Better Than Sex in this month’s box, so I kept the subscription literally for that. I was planning on buying it in a few months anyway, and that makes the cost of the box. 🤷

The theme this month was After Glow. This is a $21 plus tax subscription box for makeup and beauty products. If you choose to bundle several months, it’s cheaper. I do monthly because I keep thinking I’m going to cancel lol! I’m so glad there wasn’t a palette this month because I haven’t liked the last few months’ palettes.

First we have the Trestique lipstick in shade English Rose. It’s actually more of an opaque gloss. I don’t mind it at all and it’s a very pretty color. It’s comfortable on the lips but definitely transfers. It seems to wear very evenly though which I love 👌 The bottom pops out and is a little primer, and the cap is actually magnetic which I thought was pretty cool!

Then there’s the Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara. Either you love it or it’s over hyped lol. I honestly can’t justify spending that much on a mascara but I’ve been buying the little travel sizes off and on because I really do love this mascara! I’m so glad to get a full sized one.

Then there’s the Touch in Sol No Pore-blem face primer. I was excited to try this but it didn’t do much for me ☹️ My pores are just very deep and I need something with a whipped consistency like the Urban Decay Optical Illusion to literally fill them in. I think I will pass it along to a family member. It’s not necessarily bad but I just need something to really fill in!

The fourth item is the Farmacy face cleanser. I have heard good things about this brand but I honestly don’t think I’m really going to test this out. We will see. I have a few products I absolutely love for face cleansers so I might just pass this onto my sister…who desperately needs a good cleanser 😏 I’m having a bad time with very dry skin and I’m not sure I want to switch products right now

Finally, we got the Pretty Vulgar highlighter in Shimmering Swan. This gets a 3/5 stars. It’s just okay. I think I would have liked it more if I had gotten it last year before I started using really flashy, blindingly bright highlighters lol. It’s a very pretty champagne-y color but there’s not a ton of pay off. It’s more for a glow than a beacon which I know some people prefer 😁

What do you guys think? I would put up my usual spiel about not sure if I want to continue, but…. I kind of signed up to try Boxy Luxe next month 😶 Umm…. No buy is not going well, guys 😂 I think I need to officially change it to low buy because I’m not going crazy but I’m not sticking to my original plan either since January 28th haha. But I saw they were including the It Cosmetics eye cream that I was going to repurchase as soon as mine ran out sooo… 🤷 We will see if I keep either after next month!

-AV

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January’s BoxyCharm

First BoxyCharm of 2019 has started off kind of luke warm for me lol. I was thinking about cancelling in November, then I really liked what I got in December, and now I’m back to thinking I will cancel. We will see how February’s box goes! It’s just such a good deal even if I didn’t like everything…

I never understand their themes, lol, but this one is Boxy and Chill. I did get some skincare, some I’m not sure if that’s the chill part? 🤔

So enter a giant blank for the palette! I received Rainforest of the Sea Vol III from Tarte, and I literally opened it and then regifted it to my sister in law. Why? It’s a neutral palette with one matte shade in it. If you follow my Instagram, I gravitate towards colors lol. While I wanted to try a Tarte palette, this one retails $36 and I knew I would swatch and do one look with it. So I wanted someone to enjoy it.

Tatcha face masks, $24. I was excited to finally try something from this brand. I used one and while I didn’t notice any huge difference, it felt nice 🙂

Briogeo leave in hair mask, $16. I was also excited to try this. My hair has been blah lately. I started taking iron vitamins hoping that would help, but they upset my stomach. I used this twice so far and I swear it’s made my hair feel silkier and softer! I will definitely keep using it.

Ofra liquid lipstick, shade Havanna Nights $20. I got another liquid lipstick from them in a past box and loved it, so I knew I liked the formula at least. However, it’s pretty dark for my taste. I’m not sure how much I will use it.

Starlooks black liner, $19. How is this $19? I pulled off the cap and it basically broke. I could still use it but the middle part came off and I have to keep jamming it back in place. On top of that, it was very stiff. I used to use a pencil like this from CoverGirl for $7 and absolutely loved it. As you may tell from the picture, it was not great.

I couldn’t get a precise line, and it literally was so stiff. Not impressed.

What did you guys get? Or are you over BoxyCharm? They better step it up next month! 🙂 The price is still there for me. The mask and the hairspray together are more than what I paid, and I wouldn’t have tried them on my own.

-AV

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December BoxyCharm

It’s the last BoxyCharm of 2018! I actually got this on Wednesday but I am starting to get overwhelmed with the amount of stuff I need to do this month, so it’s been a little struggle to keep up on my blog and Instagram posts 😦

But I was actually planning on cancelling my BoxyCharm after this month and this box drew me back in! I had seen the palette they put out and was underwhelmed with it. However… I didn’t get the palette! I was so confused when I opened my box lol but then excited 🙂

They always have a “theme” but I usually don’t get how all of the products tie into it lol. That doesn’t matter to me though.

Favorite product–Pretty Vulgar matte setting powder. How beautiful is this packaging?? If I had a vanity, this would be sitting out on display. It’s a huge container with a little powder puff inside. I put it on one time over my BB cream and it did not make me look cakey, which is a feat this time of year! And it retails for like $32!

Surprise item– PYT mini hair straightener! This is what I got instead of the palette I believe. And I literally just said to my husband I need a hair straightener for my layers. I have pretty short hair that is basically straight, but sometimes my layers flip out funny. This worked perfectly for that…and it retailed $75?!?

Last three products I have not tried but I’m excited for them as well. I got a Tartist lip gloss, a Bodyography lip liner, and a Cosmedix face mask.

Here is the card with the description.

What did you guys get in your BoxyCharm? If you got the palette, did you like it?

-AV

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