Tag: Indie

Boxycharm January 2020 Subscription Box Review

nightmareb4

Boxycharm

Cost: $25

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 $25 which is usually less then the cost of one item in the box. Boxycharm also joined the customize train and you can choose between 2 items to have one in your box for the month. I really like that because Boxycharm was getting to the point where I was only liking one thing in my box and even though the value was there the fun wasn’t anymore.

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.

This was a sorta boring month at first glance like the packaging the actual products nothing has the super wow factor that is exciting to me but it is alot of really solid products that I will use and am happy with except for one item which we will get too.

Also side note they sent the wrong details card with the box. Mine listed the palette that you could have gotten instead of the eye cream that I had chosen. Just an odd little mistake. I don’t pay much mind to the spoiler cards from Boxy I never really read them I find them to be rather unhelpful and a bit full of themselves.

Skin & Co Truffle Therapy Polishing Micro-Exfoliating Truffle Face Gommage

Full Size: 150 ml

Full Size Cost: $26

So I know alot of people don’t like scrubs with apricot in them but I love them this has apricots, black truffle, squalene and this is totally up my alley. I recieved a face wash from this company awhile backed and have really liked it when I have used it I still have it this line feels luxe and nice on my skin. It is also sold online at Ulta and is cheaper there then on the brads website so that its also like very nice and convenient.

Petite ‘n’ Pretty Fully Feathered Volumizing Mascara

Full Size: 6.5 ml

Full Size Cost: $16

So I saw this was like ooh cute packaging big fluffy brush totally the type of mascara I can get into. Great cool. Then I went to look this up and this Petite ‘n’ Pretty brand is a brand of makeup designed for children like legit that is their mission goal. I find that so weird that Boxycharm would send us a kids brand of makeup. It just feels so weird to me. I will use it because it seems like a good mascara and there is no aging out of makeup realistically but it just I would rather an adult brand from Boxycharm I don’t know is that just me? Anyone else have feelings on that?

Pretty Vulgar Under Cover Concealer in 63 Middle Ground

Full Size: 4 ml

Full Size Cost: $25

This I have so many problems with the shades names are weird boarding on offensive and the shade range sucks. This is medium there is only one lighter shade which would have been way to light for me but this is just edging the line of too dark. I definitely couldn’t use this under my eyes. This is supposed to be a gel serum concealer and it is very light feeling very dewy looking I just don’t think this is for me and I don’t know how I am going to make this work.

Dr. Brandt 24/7 Retinol Eye Cream

Full Size: 15 ml

Full Size Cost: $

This was my choice for the month because I really wanted to try a retinol eye cream. I have no idea what rubies are supposed to do in skincare that seems like so bs we added this thing for marketing type of claim. Either way I like getting expensive eye creams for cheap. If you buy this it comes in a pump packaging rather then this squeezy tube but it is the same size. I can’t wait to start using this.

Avant 8 Hour Radiance Renewal Sleeping Mask

Full Size: 50 ml

Full Size Cost: $107

This is another thing that comes in different packaging if you buy it is comes in a jar. Iprefer this tube. I love a sleeping mask and a brightening anti-aging one sounds super perfect I am here for it. Go Boxycharm.

I am all about the fancy expensive skincare and so I am pretty much loving this box despite the weird mascara and the i will probably never use concealer. The value this month I think is the highest I have ever gotten in a Boxycharm which is actually amazing for a change I am pretty happy.

Total: $229

Total Value to Me: $204

<3 Nightmare Before Makeup

What’s in My Trash? 2019 Year End Wrap Up

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So mu 2019 goal was to use up 600 products for the whole year just over 1.5 products a day. I did not succeed on that goal I missed it by 32 items so disappointing. I had thought I was doing so well but I guess not.

Final Totals for 2019:

I learned this year that I actually spend less then I thought I did on my beauty products which is good. Just about 29% of the cost of a product is what I spend on average between sales/coupons/gifts/boxes. Which makes me feel pretty damn proud of my deal skills lol.

For the rest of the data I have I broke it down in to categories of products per month, but unfortunately the category data for April got corrupted and lost so all the data that is broken down by category is done out of 11 months excluding the April data I lost. But the Total Data above does include the totals from April that data I did not lose.

Final Totals By Category:

For the purpose of identinfying where I use the most and spend the most I excluded Decluttered items.

I know I use the most skincare up a full third of what I use during the year which I am not shocked by at all.

But I fully did not expect for all the random thing I use to my next biggest category at 12%. I was expecting it to be Home Scents or Perfume to be honest.

I also expected Makeup to be my least used up category certainly not Lip, I feel like I get through at least 12 or more lip products a year but I didn’t think I was using up that much make up I am pretty happy with myself that Makeup isn’t dead last. I also used up so much perfume this year I was surprised it was so low.

I spend the most on Skincare but skincare is expensive and it is worth the investment with how much I get through that seems appropriate just over $200 in a year is hardly excessive.

Uh I spend way to much on candles clearly I need to cool that down it. takes me a long time to get through a candle or a wax melt and I do not need the huge collection I have of them.

I knew I spent the least on Perfumes since I almost never buy perfume for myself they mostly come to me as presents or in boxes so I knew that it would be the thing I spend the least on and will probably always stay that way.

I don’t do that much with my hair so I am surprised I spent that much on hair stuff over the course of the year in products I used. I have been making sure to use treatments and masks more so maybe that made the difference but I don’t know.

This charts just for the funsies of seeing the retail value of what I use some things are so ridiculously over priced at full price its comical and it shows since i rarely spend full price on anything.

This is to help me be better about how much I should be allowing myself to spend each month in each category since that is all I can realistically use up. To be fair I know it won’t change my actual makeup budget but I am going to be better about sticking closer to these numbers for things like candles and lip balms that I don’t use up very fast.

I am not the most proud of how I did this year like i have been in years past. This coming year I want to focus on using alot of my more expensive products rather then saving them for some better rainy day in the future.

So I am making my 2020 goal to use up $3,500 in retail value (not what I spent dear god no) of products. I am not giving myself a month or yearly product totally goal so that maybe I use up some more full size items that will also help add to that value. I already used up an almost $100 eye cream so hey that is a great start to this goal this year. I also really want to pare down my older perfumes a bit so I will be working on some expensive perfumes as well that should help me on my way to $3,500.

Anyone else looking to keep track of their empties? Or anything you were really proud of using up? I was particularly proud of using up my oldest perfume right before it went bad. Comment down below! I love to chat.

<3 Nightmare Before Makeup

Boxycharm December 2019 Subscription Box Review

nightmareb4

Boxycharm

Cost: $25

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 $25 which is usually less then the cost of one item in the box. Boxycharm also joined the customize train and you can choose between 2 items to have one in your box for the month. I really like that because Boxycharm was getting to the point where I was only liking one thing in my box and even though the value was there the fun wasn’t anymore.

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 legit lost it when I saw the palette that was in my box this month. I am a huge book nerd I love to read and this palette just spoke to my soul in every way possible.

Seraphine Botanicals Daikon + Dreams Lip Exfoliator

Full Size: 20 ml

Full Size Cost: $24

This tastes really sweet and left my lips feeling soft and hydrating but there are hardly an srubbies in it so I don’t feel like it did a whole lot of exfoliating.

Ciate London Marbled Light Illuminating Blusher in Dusk

Full Size: 3.5 g

Full Size Cost: $22

I am giving this to a friend so I am not going to swatch it. This is a pink and white marbled blush that is supposed to be quite glowy.

Storybook Cosmetics Fairy Tales: Robin Hood Palette

Full Size: 6 Shades x 1.2 g

Full Size Cost: $35

This is on sale for $25 right now and I have a deep desire to collect all the other ones. This is obviously quite a chunky palette to store but it is so freaking cute that it looks like a book and opens up like a book and the colors are so appropriate for Robin Hood. Be Still My Heart! The two light browny tan transition colors really didn’t shop up well on me and all the mattes had to be built up but I find that to be the case with most greens they can be a bit patch and really need to be played with. The shimmers were just so creamy and gorgeous. The mattes are also really soft which I prefer. This is just probably my favorite thing Boxycharm has sent all year this is like a collectors item to me. So Gorgeous.

Saturday Skin Waterfall Glacier Water Cream

Full Size: 50 ml

Full Size Cost: $39.00

This was the item I picked this month. I have seen alot about this brand and had been curious. This is so heavy and moisturizing ad sticky that I can’t use it as a moisturizer. I did fin and have been using it kinda as a moisturizing brighten mask. So it feels really ice when you fist put it on and I will put it on a bit thick and let it sink in but it dries down pretty tacky and I’m not a huge fan of sticking to my pillow. Later on I will go in with my normal skincare and I feel like it leaves my skin brighter and fresher looking.

Brow Bar True Brow Makeover Kit in Dark

Full Size: 8.5 g

Full Size Cost: $30

This is a cool concept it is a whole little kit with 2 powders the brush a concealer and a brow gel. But these really aren’t the right colors for me and something I just really would never use it.

The palette made it for me I legit couldn’t care less about every thing else because I am just so enamored with it. Maybe that is silly but I have such a glut of products in my life that it is rare to find something that I am truly all heart eyes for. Merry Christmas to me thank you so much Boxycharm.

Total: $150

Total Value to Me: $98

<3 Nightmare Before Makeup