Beauty Box 5 - May 2014

Last month I decided to try out Beauty Box 5 because they were running a promo where you get a free box when you sign up. For a monthly subscription, the cost is $12 (you can get discounts when you purchase 3, 6, or 12 month subscriptions). This box was also recommended to me by a friend, so I figured that for basically $6/box, it was worth giving it a try.

I was not actively blogging when I received April's box, but if I am being completely honest, I was very underwhelmed with it. It was a mixture of products I already owned or did not use, and I ended up swapping/gifting all but one item.

May's box is a bit better for me.


The only spoiler I saw previous to receiving the box was the Cattiva Precisione Eyeliner, which has a retail value of $20. Waterproof and retractable, it claims to deliver smooth, smudge-resistant lines. It's also paraben-free. I've swatched it on my hand, and it does glide smoothly, and provides a rich color. I'm looking forward to trying this in my makeup routine.

The other items included in this box were:

MaskerAide Hydrating Facial Sheet Mask in Beauty Rest'ore, value of $5.99. Highlights for this product is that they are paraben-free, vegan friendly, and 100% biodegradable. Alot of good points there, but I'm just not much of a mask person.

H2O Plus Aqualibrium Marine Cleansing Gel value of $18 for full size (120mL). Made with sea salt and energizing marine botanicals, this oil free cleanser is said to gently exfoliate while protecting your skin from free radicals and environmental damage. I'm currently on the hunt for my "go-to" skincare products, so I'm looking forward to trying this out. The scent is nice, and the sample tube (8mL) should allow for a few washes to see if it's the right product for me.

Ban Total Refresh Cooling Body Cloths in Restore, value of $2.97 for full size (10 cloths). These are kind of a "blah" item for me... honestly, I'm just not interested. Doesn't mean it's a bad product, of course. I received 3 individually wrapped cloths, so I could see that they would be nice to throw in your purse, diaper bag, gym bag, or even your glove box.

Harvey Prince perfume in Hello, value of $55 for full size (5.7oz). This is a fragrance I had high expectations for, as I had heard from quite a few members of a makeup group I'm in on Facebook rave about how wonderful it smells. It's a blend of mandarin, grapefruit, forsythia and plumeria. I first spritzed into the air, and I actually really liked the scent. It's fresh and smells like springtime. I spritzed it on my arm, and that's when it went bad for me... My body chemistry is fickle. Scents that are popular usually end up smelling awful on me. Unfortunately, that's what happened with "Hello". After 5 minutes, it just smelled awful on me. As much as I really wanted to love this scent, it just doesn't work for me.

All in all, I would definitely say that May was a step up from April for sure as far as my tastes go. But it just wasn't enough for me to continue with the subscription.

Stay tuned for my next entry, when I review my first box from Love With Food.

Truly,
Mindy