Kinder Beauty Box for August - A Rant

 Hi again! It’s time to go over my Kinder Beauty Box and add-ons for August. There were some misses and a couple of hits, but overall I honestly wasn’t wowed by anything. Just some nice stuff and a couple things I wasn’t interested in so we’ll talk about it.

This is the second box I’ve received from this brand, and I’d been looking forward to it; I’m pretty used to the interface online so I saw the preview of the two boxes - which is another thing I have thoughts on.

I understand that it might seem interesting to have different boxes with different setups, but the variation is so small with this subscription that it’s almost silly. Both boxes have The same palette, the same brush set, the same nail serum, and the same brand of shaving cream (but a different scent). The only item that is actually different is the eight dollar soap or the ten dollar moisturizer.

Like, if there’s going to be a one product difference between two boxes, the item that’s different should be the main item. Right? Like, this Aethr brand has three eyeshadow palettes at this price point, and this one is the ugliest (IMO, allegedly, for legal reasons, this is not makeup advice). Or this Alamar brand has several other brush collections. They could have done like, a variation with the main items.

I would have loved to see either the same shadow palette but different brushes, to highlight how different tools are for different looks, or the same brushes with two separate palettes. 

But one product difference and one ingredients difference isn’t really enough for me to see them as actually separate boxes. What’s more, they’re named after their variations - Cosmic Cleanse’s description makes it sound like it’s a box centered around cleansing, and Galaxy Glow makes it sound like it’s about glowing. But at the end of the day they’re almost identical boxes. There’s no point in putting so much effort into distinguishing something that isn’t distinguished. You know?

Anyway, that’s not to say I don’t like the items. I just don’t think it’s necessary to play it off like there’s so much creativity going into the two different boxes that honestly, aren’t that different at all.

We’ll start with the star of the box, the Aethr Beauty Moonlight Crystal Palette. I’m spelling it like that because it’s actually Āthr and I don’t have time to worry about that right now. This palette has been extremely interesting to test out and I’m so conflicted about it.

Aethr Beauty is a new brand to me. Their website gives off this interesting spiritual desert kind of vibe, like from their aesthetic and their word choice and item names I’m picturing a dew drop on a lil flowering cactus in a desert between two plateaus under the stars.

Or something.

The packaging for this palette is otherworldly and you can tell they put a lot of effort into it. It’s a purpley blue unit carton that contains a purpley blue box with lifted constellations on it to give the box the sense of texture. It definitely made more of an impression than a flat surface.

The box opens, but on a hinge, which was a little tricky until I got used to it. So since it’s a box with a lid, the angle of opening it is not perfect. But it does open and close. So this makes it awkward, but it’s still what I consider a cute, unique design.

The interior of the palette is also very beautiful, and the shades are organized in a very pleasing way that catches the eye, so I like the setup. The pans are pretty small though, and a little awkward for me to get into with my larger brushes. Fortunately, this box came with a cute brush set to try the palette out with, so my review is mainly for the times I used those brushes.

The color story is nice and matches the theme of the palette, very starlight, galaxy, milky way, and very rich. The issues are two; there are far more shimmers than mattes, and of those mattes, there isn’t even one that could be considered a gentle midtone for blending. And there’s an additional, small problem on top of those; I think, of the mattes, one or two of them has a subtle shimmer.

On the back of the palette there’s a blurb that says this palette contains four types of shadows: “Ultra-matte, shimmer, metallic + duo-chrome.” At least, that’s how I interpret it, since the last two are unclear. It could be trying to say that there is a formula called “metallic + duo-chrome” but I don’t think so.

The only thing is, in the ingredient lists, there are only two categories. Moon Child and Psyche, which are the only ones that appear to me to be matte, are listed together, and the rest are in another category. I can personally detect only three formulas in this palette, an obvious matte, an obvious matte/shimmer, and an obvious shimmer. I’m very confused.

What I’m thinking is that they have three palettes of this type, and may have simply recycled the descriptions for all four type because there are in total four formulas used between the palettes - but I don’t know.

Anyway, we’re still left with the issue of only two mattes in a twelve pan palette, neither of which are easily used as a crease color. How??? What am I supposed to do with this ? I don’t have room on my vanity to get out eight palettes for a single look. Could I not have had just one single neutral, usable transition shade?

But I’ll go through them anyway. Moon Child is a warm-ish lavender matte. It’s a nice formula that doesn’t have much fallout and I did use it in my crease a few times very lightly. Psyche is pictured on the back of the palette as a deep purple, but it’s a matte cobalt blue 👀Extremely deep and rich color. Neither of these is really what I’m looking for in a crease color.

Intention and Ritual look like they’re trying very hard and failing to be matte; the former is depicted as a pinky nude on the box, but is actually a dark gray in the palette. They appear to be intended as mattes with a slight, almost imperceivable glimmer to them. Which isn’t a matte.

Manifest, Eclipse, Insight, and Full Moon are shimmery shades and also do not appear in the palette the same way they appear on the box. Manifest is depicted as a warm reddish purple, but is actually a royal purple in the box. Eclipse, which is depicted as a deep brown, is actually a dark black shimmer. Insight is shown on the box as a nude pink but is actually more of a champagne color, and Full Moon, which appears in the palette as a bright shimmery silver, is shown on the packaging as a light khaki color.

I don’t feel like going through the rest of the colors, I’m frustrated now😤

This is confusing. I much prefer the palette shown on the packaging to the one that’s actually inside it; it has more neutral and wearable tones. Honestly, I don’t see myself using the right half of the palette. These are all deep shimmers, which I rarely use.

Another thing I’m irritated by is the fact that on their website, this palette is on clearance for $15. So listing it as a $48 value in my Kinder box isn’t really my favorite thing. I know that beauty box companies get these products at high discounts, but the idea is that those are discounts I could not have personally gotten.

So what I’m thinking now, after some research, is that these errors with this palette caused it to be sold at a discount, and now it’s been given to me in a beauty palette, errors and all.

You can see where I’m very unhappy. And I don’t want to talk about it anymore.

The next item in the box was the Alamar Cosmetics Spanglish Brush Trio. This is a three-piece brush set that comes with one little blender, one more dense fanned deep crease, and one smudge/ “pigment packer.” 

They’re cute little brushes with gold handles, but they’re super lightweight, which isn’t necessarily good or bad. It’s definitely different to me, as my other brushes tend to be weighted and more cumbersome. I have actually liked using a very lightweight brush in my crease specifically - the blending motion can get tedious and my hands and arms can get a little tired, but this little blender brush is refreshing.

It’s also, please note, a very small blender brush. Like, maybe a third of the size of my other blenders in circumference, and not dense at all. But it has actually been amazing for my hooded eyes! I can just put my transition shade (not that the palette in this box gave me a transition shade 🙄) right on the hood and it doesn’t need to be lifted at all.

The crease brush that’s all fanned out was so exciting to unwrap, I think I squeaked. I’ve never seen a fanned out eye brush before and it looked perfect for my crease. It performs well too, it’s not too dense but enough to add plenty of product, and it also works on the undereye wonderfully too because it’s so precise. 

The “pigment packer” which I keep repeating in my head cause that’s a cute name for a brush, is okay. I don’t typically apply shadows with dense brushes, I’d rather just use my finger, especially for shimmers. But I did use it, on the light lavender shimmer, and it did a good job. I could use it for cut creases if I ever needed a brush for that.

So I’m super happy with the brushes, they’re cute and easy to use and they’re great for my eye shape.

They retail for $18, which is actually accurate on the website, so that’s nice. I’d pay that amount for brushes this good and I might purchase more.

Next is the Laguna Herbals Restore Vegan Nail & Cuticle Serum. I was lazy with this one - I didn’t try it, I just listed it on Poshmark. I’m not very interested in hand care, so I can’t say anything about the actual product, but I’m sure someone will like it. It’s a small dropper bottle and the oil looks thick and I bet it’s a useful product I just know even though I might like it, I won’t use it and it’ll go to waste.

So that’s a skip. Sorry.

The next item is the Andalou Naturals Single Shave Cream in Coconut Lime. This is a pretty big squeeze tube of product, and the packaging is pretty plain, nothing crazy.

The product comes out like a more traditional shave cream, not the kind that you get out of the compressed cans that foam up like a hair mousse. This cream is a lot like one I used to buy at The Body Shop. 

The first thing I noticed is that I need a lot of it. There are similar shave creams that lather up really well, but this one falls a little flat and is easily watered down in the shower. It doesn’t feel that smooth or silky on my skin, and my razor didn't go over it really well. I was using a good dollop.

When I used it on my face, I broke out pretty badly. I was also using a new razor head, but I’ve never broken out like that on my face. I think it’s because I didn’t use enough product, but honestly, if I use anymore, I’ll get like three shaves out of the whole bottle.

When I used it in more delicate areas, I also got pretty bad razor burn and irritation. I also used quite a bit of product there as well.

On my legs, I haven’t noticed much irritation since the skin is stronger, but I did get several more cuts than I usually do. I may just use it for that in the future, but I’m really not loving the product.

On top of that, it’s more minty than it is coconutty or limey. That was I guess refreshing, but I was excited for coconut. So far this box isn’t thrilling me. This shaving cream retails for $11, which isn’t a bad price, but I wouldn’t purchase it again. I use Athena Club’s razors and shaving cream, and they’re cheaper and much better performing for me.

The last item in the main box, and the item that the box is named after, is the Acure Resurfacing Overnight Glycolic Treatment. This brand has some very affordable skincare on its site, and has a super monochromatic vibe. I scrolled a little while and wasn’t like wowed by the site but I can see some products that look alright.

The packaging for this treatment is a little pouch looking thing like a lil CapriSun. The opening for the product to come out is on the top corner. It’s really weird. It’s silver and I think they packaged it this way because there’s barely any product in it maybe? Cause when I’m actually squeezing it out, it feels like there’s nothing there. I didn’t want to even use a lot for a photo because I feel like there’s no way this is a complete product?

Oh, I just went and looked at the website - it looks like this is the sample size, but that’s not listed on Kinder Beauty’s website. In my opinion, it’s best to list if an item in the box is going to be a sample size. Although Kinder Beauty does state on their website that it’s a mix of full and sample sizes, it’s etiquette to distinguish this on the card inside the box.

The product is a thick, white cream and very heavy to apply, and definitely feels like an overnight treatment. The packaging instructs that when you’re starting off, you should use it every few days to get your skin used to it. I don’t see how that’s supposed to happen with a deluxe sample size. The shave cream, which is an immediate effect, should have been the item given in a sample, not an item that they claim takes a while to get your skin used to.

Okay - that’s it for the actual base box.

I’m super unhappy with it. The only item I actually find that I reach for is the Spanglish Brush Trio, which I’ve enjoyed immensely. I found this box to be completely disappointing.

Now I’d like to talk about the three items I chose and added-on to this month, because I found a lot more success with those:

Since I’ve been using and happy with the Earth Harbor items I received in my last box, I added several more from the same brand: the Glow Juice Enzyme Mask and the Cloudburst Gel Hydrator. 

The mask comes in the same kind of packaging as the moisturizer, just a little jar, which isn’t my favorite for a couple of reasons; if I hadn’t liked this mask, I wouldn’t have felt comfortable reselling it since instead of pumping it out onto my hands, I actually dipped my fingers in it. And also, because this mask is incredibly watery and hard to get out of the jar. I wish it was packaged in something I could tip over.

The actual product is very watery and has a fragrance like red fruits, like berries and cherries and pomegranate? Or maybe grapes? It smells like the color dark purple. Super interesting.

Anyway this item allegedly helps with a bunch of things and contains a bunch of things; it’s supposed to help with dullness, redness and acne (the aloe is definitely good for that), and excess oil. It also says you can use it as a quick fix spot treatment, but I haven’t done that yet. I typically have makeup on at all times, so I wouldn’t need it for that purpose.

So it goes on basically like water, and it’s so sheer it’s hard to see if you actually have any on your skin, but it feels very refreshing. It dries down over a few minutes and then it’s very easy to forget it’s there.

I’ve mostly left it on for a few hours at a time, and it feels very nourishing on the skin. Washing it off, my skin does feel moisturized and happy. Since my area is going through a heat wave, I’ve put it in the fridge to see what it’s like when it’s cooler (and possibly a thicker texture which is easier to scoop).

This mask retails for $40 and I added it to this month’s box for $22, so a pretty good deal. I probably wouldn’t purchase it again, but if it’s available for more add-ons or I found it on Poshmark, then maybe.

The Cloudburst Gel Hydrator has been a very refreshing product to have on my desk while the weather’s been so hot. It’s in a really cute clear bottle and it’s a light blue color like the sky and it just makes me happy to look at. This is a different style of packaging than their other moisturizers, and I like it a lot. It’s more sanitary.

I have two complaints regarding the packaging; the pump is very hard to press, and it also gives very little product. With a lightweight moisturizer you want to be able to get a decent amount out. With this thing I have to work hard pumping it, and I have to work hard pumping it forever before I get what I’m looking for.

The actual product is really nice. It’s like a lightweight serum in texture, feels like it must have aloe or something else soothing, and it feels nice and cooling to apply. It absorbed quickly and allowed me to get on with my routine, and I plan to definitely use up as much as I can before the weather turns cold and I need my heavier products.

The last item I ordered is the Sahara Rose Divine Beauty Serum. I’m wary of this serum and might try to get some money back for it, because it’s an oily serum and I can feel that just swatching it on my hand. Typically I wouldn’t classify this type of facial oil as a “serum” - I’d expect it to be called an oil, because serums are typically water based treatments. From the title, I expected it to work for my skin, but I definitely should have looked more into it.

The packaging for this item is a dark brown bottle that comes in a pretty nude pink unit carton. It’s a dropper bottle, but one of those high quality ones where you can get a lot of product out.

The website claims that this serum is full of seed oils and plant extracts and all sorts of good things - for dry, patchy skin. Which I certainly don’t have. I may have made a foolish impulse buy here, but I did try it out.

It’s a rich yellow brown color and has a fragrance like taiga balm, like very soothing and sleepy. It’s something I bet I’d love to use as a night treatment, I just know it would break me out.

Unfortunately I don’t have much else to say about it - maybe this winter I’ll pull it out and give it a real try. 

This item retails for $48 and I added it on to my box for $12 - it should be noted that on Kinder’s Website, the original price is listed as $38. Not sure if this is a typo, or how much they were originally selling the serum for, but probably a typo.

And that wraps up my Kinder Beauty Box for August! I’m so unhappy with so much of this box. I’ll go into more detail about what’s going through my head in my Box Battle for August, but I’m just not impressed at the attention to detail and trying to make us think we got a $50 palette in this box that we could have gotten for $15.

Make sure to check back in at the end of the month for a recap on all my boxes. See you guys soon!

Dani