Box Battle and Final Thoughts

 Crazy month of beauty boxes. I’m still trying out some of the products and there were some serious disappointments but we’re here and I’m looking forward to fall and the fall products I’m getting.

I’d like to make this brief since my posts were so much longer than normal this month and I have a ton of work to do to get ready for BoxyCharm’s mega drop shop.

I was not happy with my Kinder Beauty Box this month. I found it disingenuous that the star of the palette is a clearance item that has errors all over its packaging and that the box is themed around a sample size of a product you need to use consistently to see results. I broke out in almost every place I used the shave cream (which, by the way, still can’t smell any lime or coconut, just mint), and nail serum is useless to me.

The brush trio is a keeper but that just doesn’t make the box a good box. And my add-ons were very good, but I take credit for those, I selected them and decided they were good deals, even though I had to pay a little extra to get them.

I’d give this box a 4/10, because while the products didn’t work for me, there was thought put into the matching of the palette with the brushes, and the brushes were excellent. The overall theme of the box being galaxy and space themed also did match with the individual vibes of the different involved companies.

Just not a great box imo in terms of execution and transparency - like I mentioned in my actual breakdown, I know that the site does claim to have travel sizes available - which means samples - but it’s also etiquette to list it on the product sheet as a sample. Sometimes people don’t look at the actual volume of the product, it’s better to just say it like it is.

Boxycharm was a little bit better this month and felt slightly more cohesive, but it was another box with a shattered item in it and I felt very discouraged. Judging from the look of the palette that was broken I wouldn’t have liked it much either, but honestly, how hard is it to properly wrap makeup and skincare in a box? I work at UPS, and it’s not hard.

The items I most often use from this month’s box are the add-ons, to be honest. The Fat Water, the cream contour kit, and the lipsticks I bought were all hits, and I’m really glad I added them. But I do really like the Natasha Denona Palette and the coconut smoothie primer.

I’d give BoxyCharm for August a 5/10 - even though there was a broken item and a kind of weird tool I wouldn’t probably use, the other items were really nice and my add-ons, even though I take credit for picking them, were good quality products as well.

IPSY had none of the above issues. The items IPSY chose were good for my skin and my preferences, the items I picked for myself were high quality and well worth the cost of the subscription, and the add-ons were very good too. I use this bag every day, the new foundation and highlighter are so good together, the mud mask makes my skin feel so clean, and I’ve got the lip liner on right now.

IPSY gets a 9/10. Just because not every item was a smash hit. But honestly, IPSY doesn’t let me down. I’m still discovering some amazing things.

I’m so excited for September’s items! Over the next week I have plenty of time to prep and organize and place orders for the boxes I haven’t yet.

Thanks so much for reading through August and supporting my blog. This has been so much fun and I love getting to write about products I love and why.

I’m currently working on an Updates post that will be some additional thoughts about products I’ve been using over the last few months from all the boxes I’ve received, and I’m trying to get that posted by the end of the month as well.

See you guys soon :)