BOXYCHARM 🎉 MAY 2018 🎉

BOXYCHARM

MAY 2018

Happiest birthday to one of my favourite beauty subscription boxes; boxycharm, one of the few boxes that keeps surprising me with new and full size products. 

1.Aesthetica brushes 3 piece eye trio & P12 face brush.

This 3 piece eye trio is an essential especially when you buy palettes that don’t come with brushes or they come with the teeny tiny brush instead. The thin brush is good for drawing a precise line for that perfect cat eye(works awesome with the Pretty vulgar liner). The angled brush can be used as a liner brush or as a brow brush. The spoolie is well, a spoolie. The P12 face brush can be used for face powder or blush. The bristles are synthetic and very soft with little shed.

2.Han skin care lipgloss in Raspberry Chardonnay.

The other variant lip product was a matte lipgloss which i wish i got instead of this because I very rarely wear gloss out unless its in a nude shade. But alas i receive this gloss and in a berry pink shade (which i will never wear out). The gloss is sticky and moisturising but also has pigment, it’s not sheer.(see swatch)

3.Pretty Vulgar gel ink liner.

I saw this from the spoilers and am very excited to finally get to test this out. The glass packaging is heavy, at first look from the spoilers i thought they were plastic. The gel is very pigmented and buildable when lining the eye. Its also smooth and creamy, however the cover has to be kept tightly closed in order to prevent drying out. 

4.Cover Fx blurring primer.

I love anything from Cover Fx and thanks to Boxycharm which introduced the setting mist in one of their previous box, it has been my HG setting mist. This blurring primer is tinted light brown which blends anyways into a nice smooth base, it makes foundation application smooth and its silky to the touch. More cover fx please!

5.PÜR sculptor palette.

There are 2 highlights and 2 contour shades inside. I have a problem with this palette, Im in love with the highlighters but the contour powders are far too dark for me and makes my contouring look muddy. If you have the same issue with me then you can probably de-pot the shades and keep the highlighters. Or give away the palette to someone else of a deeper skin spectrum. I bet it’s a bomb sculpting palette on the right person. 

Woohoo for Boxycharm! If i had to quit all my other boxes for this, I definitely would. Lately I’ve been thinking of cutting one box out and its a struggle between sephora or allure. I like the brands in Sephora but you will never get a full size, Allure on the other hand has a chance of receiving at least one full size product however I don’t like the abundance of hair products that they always tend to give.(emailed them before regarding this but they were damn sure they don’t do customisation to exclude hair products.) Anyways i have seen some spoilers for June and it’s looking pretty good so far. 

IPSY 🌎 MAY 2018 ✈️

IPSY GLAM BAG

MAY 2018

May’s glam bag is inspiring us all to head out and reach out to our next vacation. And here are a few handy thingies they thought wise to bring along to your trip.

1.Elizabeth Mott Pop goes the shadow in Mermaid teal.

Oh yes! I was praying that i would get the fancy blue instead of yet another boring bronze shade which was in the variant. In a previous Ipsy bag I’ve received this eyeshadow before in the shade toast(toasted?) which was a toasty brown shade. The shadow formula is the same, they’re smooth however the Mermaid teal is not as pigmented on first swipe(see swatch), but it can be layered for a deeper hue.

2.Eyeko Eye do liquid eyeliner.

As i recall, I’ve received this recently from the Allure March beauty box. It’s a really good pigmented liquid pen liner which is my absolute favourite because i abhor pencil liners that smudge around. These are waterproof and long lasting.

3.Nyx soft matte lip cream in Cairo.

This is one of the lightest nude shade in the nude spectrum of the smlc and I can tell straight away that this is far too light for me and wouldn’t bode well with my light-medium skin tone. Surprisingly the other 4 variant shades were much more wearable like (london,abu dhabi,cannes). So im giving away this piece to someone paler.

4.Tarte Smooth operator Amazonian clay finishing powder.

Excited to receive this translucent powder as I’ve never tried from Tarte before. And its a decent sample size to trial. Im amazed at the smoothness of the powder, it feels like its infused with silicone too to give it a smooth texture. Once applied it blurs out the pores on my face especially the inner cheeks and nose area. I read that this causes flashback but I’ve not tested that claim yet.

5.Common labs Ggultamin C Real jel mask.

This mask has a weird name, not sure if its spelled wrongly or its a Korean slang for something. Anyways the mask has two portions, i have tried the first top part before in an Ipsy point redemption. The bottom part is the mask itself. The mask is drenched in gel essence full of good ol vitamin C and Propolis extract.

That summarises the May ipsy bag. I really wished i got the other colour instead for the nyx product, mainly because i know the formula of the lip cream and i love their application so getting a wearable shade is a bonus. Otherwise, the other products are great to try. 

FACETORY 🍀 MARCH 2018 🍀 FOUR EVER FRESH KIT

FACETORY MARCH 2018

FOUR EVER FRESH KIT 

March seems to be saint patty themed & if you’re starting to feel lucky, there’s also a lucky scratch card included with discounts for the future mask purchases. Wonder what you’ll get? Check out the masks first:

1. Chestnut cereal pore by Proud mary derma cosmetics.

This mask has a very soft and silky texture, fully drenched in serum and contains key ingredients to tighten your pores. With chestnut as the main ingredient, the mask aids in improving texture and firming skin. It also has a minty feel which gives a cooling effect on the face. Due to the cooling effect, it helps make it feel like the serum is well absorbed into the rest of the face.

2. Bamboo water daily fresh garden mask sheet by Skin planet.

This bamboo water sheet mask is extremely hydrating and leaves skin perfectly well moisturized. On applying, the mask is very soft with a thin sheet that is fully drenched in serum. Fits the facial contours very well too. The after effects of the mask can be seen and it makes my face much more cool and supple to the touch. 

3. Dual balancing lemon kiwi brightening mask.

4. Herb garden tea tree mask by Eco beyond.

I broke the sheet mask routine i had recently due to some breakouts occuring on my face and i was trying to get rid of them before applying multiple types of masks again but i think it might just be the imbalance of hormones occuring post child birth which sadly means there is nothing much i could do about it. But thankfully March came with some tea tree and pore control sheets that will hopefully calm my skin down. 

BOXYCHARM 🍭 APRIL 2018 🍭

BOXYCHARM 

APRIL 2018

April’s eye candy box is filled with goodies selected by the boxybabes and team. This month the info card came a little bit longer like a mini booklet with all the product infos and with the recommendations of the boxybabes.

1.Colourpop ‘Element of surprise’ palette.

Every subscriber will receive a variation of a colourpop palette (there are 5 ‘you had me at hello’, ‘semi precious’, ‘golden state of mind’, ‘my little pony’ and ‘element of surprise’!). 

I was hoping i would receive the first palette because the colours are more up my alley with the berries/plums/browns. But I received the element of surprise instead and I surprisingly quite like the colours inside.

Below are the 3 shades vertically from the first row down in each lane.

Feels: duochrome shade with shifting pink and purple shimmers.

Go with the flow: matte orange-peach shade, buildable pigmentation with each swipe.

Blank canvas: matte burgundy red shade, this shade is much chalkier than ‘go with the flow’ as seen from the swatch. But it is easily blendable.

Late night: a rose gold foiled metallic which would look awesome for a metallic eye look.

Subdue: a shimmery purple with hints of blue undertone. This is what a unicorn eyeshadow should look like. 

Sea stars: a matte mid tone brow with warm undertones, buildable coverage.

Silk street: a satin berry shade, smoother than the mattes and shade glides on much more buttery.

Opulent: a fluorescent neon hot pink with cool undertones.

Details: a matte brown with specks of pink glitter.

Rayon: a light copper gold metallic shade which can be used foiled too.

Labyrinth: a matte dusty rose pink shade, the smoothest matte in the palette and is not as chalky.

Peace of mind: cranberry red metallic shade.

As always, colourpop’s pressed shadows have good pigmentation and buildable coverage. The matte shadows are slightly chalky and most of the shades have kick back when brushed but they are all easily blendable. There are some shades that will leave a stain such as ‘blank canvas’ & ‘opulent’ due to the dye present in it. 

Kickback in pans:

2.The browgal The Instatint in shade Light hair 03.

This is a tinted brow gel with microfibers in the formula to help build up the brow thickness and fill in the sparse areas. I find that the shade here is far too light for dark hair, it is a light taupe brown that will suit blonde/platinum hair better. Does not transfer or smudge after applying, to darken my brows i draw as per usual with my colourpop twist up pencil before brushing the gel in. 

3.Tarteist pro glow liquid highlighter in Stunner.

Subscribers will receive either this product or a MAC lipstick, personally I would have preferred to get the lipstick rather than the highlighter because I’m a lipstick person and I won’t reach out for the highlighter often. 

That aside, this highlighter has a creamy jelly consistency that spreads to a thin layer. Can be blended with fingers too. This shade stunner matches the shade of the same name from the pro glow palette too. Its a light shimmering nude with hints of pink. 

4.Dr Brandt pores no more Vacuum cleaner pore purifying mask.

Another good full size tube of Dr brandt’s pores no more series, this time round its a purifying mask. It is a translucent gel with specks of blue and white particles inside, when rubbed on the face the particles disperse and gets mixed in with the translucent gel. It has a minty cooling effect and somewhat reminds me of colgate paste. 

5.Adesse NY&C hi definition liquid lipstick in Haute cocoa.

At first it sounded like a matte liquid lipstick, but then turns out this is like a lip lacquer, it is glossy like gel but very pigmented like a liquid lipstick. It reminds me of the cosmoholic gloss in shade mysterious mocha but only much more pigmented. The gel texture feels comfortable on the lips and is very moisturising too. The colour is also a great everyday my lips but better nude brown. Below is the lip swatch when worn. 

Overall April’s box is quite worthy of the total value of the 5 items. My favourite of course would still be the full colourpop palette and then the lipstick. I like this month’s box, now hopefully next month would be as good if not better. 

ALLURE BEAUTY BOX 🌸 APRIL 2018 🌸

ALLURE BEAUTY BOX

APRIL 2018

I was crossing my fingers to not get the Rahua hair samples and was hoping I’d get something else that was in the variation. Once again another hair product. Allure seems to be the only box that likes to include alot of hair products which is something i reallllllyyy don’t need. But the other samples received are great, so lets move on to them.

1.Rahua classic shampoo & conditioner.

This Rahua duo is said to be a popular classic shampoo & conditioner. Which i might never know as i wont be able to try it on. Will pass it along to someone else.

2.The original Makeup eraser sample.

This very well known fabric that is said to remove all sorts of makeup with just the power of water. Alot of people swear by this product at the ease of use and also how it cuts down the wastage of wet wipes and cotton pads. The fabric has two sides, one is short and the other side is slightly longer and furry. The longer side is used to further exfoliate the face after.

3.Stellar Brilliant Primer.

This primer is pink based with shimmers, when spread out it blends well and turns clear, leaving a shimmery after effect for a luminous glow. Its very soft and silky and does not feel greasy to the touch. 

4.Korres Pomegranate balancing cream-gel moisturizer.

I love the aesthetic appeal of Korres’ packaging. Most of them looks the same with just the colour and texts changing. Simple. This balancing cream changes from opaque white to a clear gel when rubbed in. And leaves skin moisturised after. 

5.Nudestix Gel colour lip + cheek balm in shade Jmama.

Jmama is a nude brown colour, the texture of the stick is like a gel cream consistency. Due to the softer texture, it allows easy blending on the cheeks too for a flush of natural colour. Then swipe it on the lips for a matching natural look. I like the shade, although the gel texture does make it feel a bit sticky so i guess layering translucent powder after applying on the cheeks would help it from smudging.

So overall that is the Allure box for April. My thoughts on April? Definitely love the makeup eraser! Its the main item i was most excited for tho the other items are as good.