Author: nightmareb4

Sephora Play! August 2019 Subscription Box Review

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Sephora Play!

Cost: $10.00 monthly + tax

Cycle: Every Month

What is it: Every month our favorite money sucking store Sephora sends out a curated box of higher end samples to try out. Every month you receive 5 samples and a perfume sample. The boxes are customized with a few different variations being sent out each month.

There is a small survey that Sephora has you take that helps Sephora curate a box to your needs. There is also a card included in the box for a complimentary mini makeover and 50 extra points if you purchase something in store and now online too.

Wow this is a star studded box this month.

Laura Mercier Caviar Volume Panoramic Mascara

Full Size: 12 ml

Full Size Cost: $25

Sample Size: 3 ml

Value: $6.25

This glossy black packaging with almost steel looking silver designs is giving me feels I really like it. This is supposed make your lashes look bold but also like soft and touchable at the same time. I will never run out mascara as long as I live. The brush is the kind I like with natural bristles and a nice twist in it that I feel really lengthens and defines my lashes.

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dance Fever

Full Size: 2.4 g

Full Size Cost: $27

Sample Size: 1.8 g

Value: $20.25

This is a nice brown nude I think this is one of the new shades they just launched but I am not sure. I like The Nars Matte pencils they are super smooth and feel really comfortable on. Don’t confuse them with the Satin pencils though those slide all over your face.

Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid

Full Size: 30 ml

Full Size Cost: $85

Sample Size: 5 ml

Value: $14.17

I have another tube of this I can’t remember if it came in Sephora or Macy’s but I am waiting until fall when I am in the sun less to try retionol for the first time. But more of a super expensive retional is not going to upset me I now have a third of a full bottle.

Moroccanoil Moroccanoil Treatment

Full Size: 50 ml

Full Size Cost: $34

Sample Size: 10 ml

Value: $6.80

I love this hair oil it absorbs really well and makes my hair so soft and shiny.

Algenist Genius Sleeping Collagen

Full Size: 60 ml

Full Size Cost: $98

Sample Size: 8 ml

Value: $13.07

This feel really nice on but I don’t know about long term yet. It feels really moisturizing and just good and soft on my skin.

Biossance Squalane + Omega Repair Cream

Full Size: 50 ml

Full Size Cost: $58

Sample Size: 5 ml

Value: $5.80

This is a very thick heavy cream I don’t know how that will work for me I am not into super thick or heavy creams.

This was a really star studded box with really big name expensive brands I am super happy with this months box it was really great!

Quick Summary:

Total Value: $66.34

Skincare: 3

Makeup: 2

Tools: 0

Hair Care: 1

Perfume: 0

Other: 0

And as far as sizes:

Full Size: 0

Deluxe Sample: 1

Sample: 5

<3 Nightmare Before Makeup

Boxycharm August 2019 Subscription Box Review

nightmareb4

Boxycharm

Cost: $21

Cycle: Every Month

What is it:

Boxycharm sends out 4 to 5 full size items every month which makes it really unique among the  boxes I subscribe to.  It is a nice change to get all full size products especially for the reasonable price of $21 which is usually less then the cost of one item in the box.

If you would like to subscribe you can use my referral link HERE. I don’t get anything other then points but would really appreciate it but do as you feel comfortable you are also welcome to use the link in the header that leads to the regular homepage.

You can also review your products and get “charms” which are their versions of points that you can use as money off in their shop.

I am really not into this months box there is nothing in here I would have ever picked for myself and nothing in here that like I and most people don’t have a million of. There were some really cool options this month but I seem to always get the shitty options.

Tarte Big Ego Mascara

Full Size: 7 ml

Full Size Cost: $23

Another mascara like we all don’t have plenty but this is the thing in the box that I am most likely to use up and feel like I got value thankfully it is more then the cost of the box or I would be annoyed. I don’t usually like Tarte Mascaras alot of them make my eyes feel itchy or heavy but This one has had me curious just cuz the packaging is so bright and the before and after pictures look really amazing.

Lashaholic Luxury Lashes in Instaglam

Full Size: 1 pair

Full Size Cost: $14.99

I don’t wear lashes and just give them away so these are useless to me but they are soft and feel like then wouldn’t feel weird on but they don’t look real and if I was going to wear lashes I would want them to look and feel real.

Wander Beauty Glow Ahead Illuminating Face Oil

Full Size: 25 ml

Full Size Cost: $42

This is a similar type product to the water essence primer in a way. It is a think “primer” you put under makeup. This is a shimmer pink glitter sticky oil and left sticky glitter and made my skin slightly pink tone. This is gross.

Here you can see how pink and glittery it is like it looks like a liquid highlighter not like something you would put all over your face.

It is hard to tell how pink it is blended out on my hand but on my face you can. You can also really see the glimmer in it that I don’t like.

Pur x Barbie Glitterally Pink Brightening Peel-Off Mask

Full Size: 60 g

Full Size Cost: $20

I will preface this by saying it is cool that we got something that launched in August in the August box but masks like this make me mad. Glitter and dyes and over the top pink pigment for no reason do not belong in skincare this is a joke of skincare. I have tried the glitterally mask from Pur I tried the one from the Grinch collection and it was really drying it did nothing it was just shiny and pretty.

Becca Hydra-Mist Set & Refresh Powder in Original

Full Size: 10 g

Full Size Cost: $39

I love the packaging on this it is pretty and it doesn’t make a mess. This is so weird like it actually feels wet when you set your face with it but it is so light it makes me look like a fucking ghost. I will only be able to use this with foundation that is too dark for me and I tend not to do that so I don’t know what kind of use I will get out of this. Feels cool as heck though.

This month is just a totally fail for me in terms of things I would want or used or even excited about. I feel like I am having more and more fails from Boxycharm.

Total: $138.99

Total Value to Me: $23

<3 Nightmare Before Makeup

Ipsy August 2019 Subscription Box Review

nightmareb4
Ipsy Bag

Cost: $10 monthly, $110 annual

Cycle: Every Month

What is it: Every month Ipsy sends out a cute makeup bag of samples and full size items. You can review your bag for points that you can trade in for reward items. The rewards change often and the range between 300 points and 1000 points. You can get around 95 points every month.

If you want to subscribe you can subscribe HERE and skip the waitlist. That is my referral link so I do get points to spend but I’m not an affiliate I don’t make any money or anything it’s just one beauty junkie to another.

This is such an ugly cheap feeling bag this month. Sometimes the bags are cute but lately we’ve gotten so not good ones.

Sol de Janeiro Coco Cabana Cream

Full Size: 25 ml

Full Size Cost: $10

Sample Size: 25 ml

Value: $10

There’s alot to say about this one so I am breaking into three parts; product, price, and confusingness.

The scent of this lotion is amazing it is like a warm sweet tropical yummy vanilla coconut and I want to smell it all day for the rest of my life. I unfortunately hate the lotion so much it leaves me feeling really really sticky my gf loves it and doesn’t have that problem so she’ll use this and the 2 others I just gave her and I’ll get to smell it on her lol. I wanted to buy the perfume but more on that in the confusingness section.

This size can be purchased for $10 I know that’s bonkers but I will count it as a full size because it can be purchased.

So this was sold on Sephora and seems to have been pulled and when you go on the Sol de Janeiro website it is all sold out everything from this scent is listed but sold out. I don’t know what that means I don’t know if it is being discontinued or reformulated or what but it is a mystery and a sad one. It also means that excess stock was cheaply sold to Ipsy to give to us which I don’t like.

SL Miss Glam Angles Eye E61 Brush

Full Size: 6 brushes

Full Size Cost: $39

Sample Size: 1 brush

Value: $6.50

This is estimated off another glitter brush set that is super similar. but in silver. SL Miss Glam brushes are really cute and reallly soft and really OVERPRICED. Their website is also awful to use it is baby pink on white so terrible unreadable and the sorting is impossible to use. just ugh. This brush is super cute tho it is a translucent handle with realy pretty emerald green glitter and green gems and green dyed bristles super pretty super soft.

Inc.Redible Jelly Shot Lip Quencher in Ex Revenge

Full Size: 4.4 g

Full Size Cost: $10

Sample Size: 1.02 g

Value: $2.32

I have never had one of these and it is so cute and fun with the little flower in it. This is just a clear balm seems moisturizing and has not scent or taste.

Suva Beauty Eyeshadow in Turmeric

Full Size: 4 g

Full Size Cost: $11

Sample Size: 1.5 g

Value: $4.13

So this shade isn’t for sale on their website. But I have been wanting to try Suva Beauty specifically their eyeliners but this eyeshadow feels like such nice quality it is really smooth and pigmented there. It blends well it isn’t chunky I really like it even if the shade wouldn’t be my first choice. Swatched Below.

Adesse New York All Day Lip Creme in Beverly Blvd.

Full Size: 3.2 g

Full Size Cost: $24

Sample Size: 3.2 g

Value: $24

This is described as a pink with a cool plum undertone and sure That sounds good lol. This is more creamy, glossy and slippery then I tend to like my lipsticks but it is a pretty color despite how cheap and dollar store like the packaging feels. Swatched Below.

This was an ok bag for me I love getting brushes I will definitely use the lip balm and really happy to have something from Suva even if it isn’t my color preference.

Quick Summary:

Total Value: $46.95

Skincare: 0

Makeup: 2

Tools: 1

Hair Care: 0

Perfume: 0

Other: 1

And as far as sizes:

Full Size: 2

Deluxe Sample: 1

Sample: 2

<3 Nightmare Before Makeup