Beauty Box 5 January 2015: Hello!

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New Year brings new challenges, new resolutions, and new beauty products to try. I know some of you probably think resolutions are silly, but I still make them every year [and also totally fail to follow through most of the time]. Beauty Box 5 invites us to give well-manicured thumbs up to fresh possibilities with “Hello!”-themed January box.

Beauty Box 5 January 2015 Unboxing & Review >> On the blog today: @BEautyBox5 January unboxing 7 Review >> http://bit.ly/1540fRP | via @glamorable

HOW IT WORKS
For $12/month subscribers will receive a box filled with a carefully selected mixture of five travel-sized, deluxe-sized and full-sized cosmetic products from luxury, commonly known brands, niche brands, eco-conscious and even vegan brands. Aimed at introducing women to new cosmetic products and educating them on best practices, Beauty Box 5 scours the market to find the best products for your lifestyle.
Click here to subscribe.

Coastal Scents Eye Shadow Sampler Palette – Upon opening the box my eyes were immediately glued to this mini-palette, of course. I sampled Coastal Scents before in other subscription boxes, but this is my first time trying these colors: Nude, Amber Bronze, Platinum Blue, and Opal Black. I have neutral undertones, so in theory I can pull off any color, but right now my skin tone and hair call for warmer shades in makeup. This palette is more cool-toned, but I can definitely work with Nude and Amber Bronze. The color payoff is pretty decent, although the formula is powdery and prone to fallout, which is why I can’t use any of these pans as an eyeliner. They do, however, work well over primer, but that’s the whole point of a primer. Overall, I feel like the quality of CS eye shadows has always been medium to good with a few rare outstanding gems, and it’s hard to find better formula in this price range.

Beauty Box 5 January 2015 Unboxing & Review >> On the blog today: @BEautyBox5 January unboxing 7 Review >> http://bit.ly/1540fRP | via @glamorable

Sally Hansen Salon Effects – It’s been a while since I last used nail strips, I almost forgot how much I loved these things. I think it’s time to revisit my old favorites and rock something crazy on my nails for a week or two. While I am not a fan of the design I got in my box, because it reminds me too much of Freddy’s sweater in A Nightmare on Elm Street, I have another box of Salon Effects strips in giraffe pattern that I can wear instead. Animal prints are still in, right?

Beauty Box 5 January 2015 Unboxing & Review >> On the blog today: @BEautyBox5 January unboxing 7 Review >> http://bit.ly/1540fRP | via @glamorable

Softsoap Nutri Serums Vitamin E Body Wash – Does anybody else think this bottle looks like a fish, when it’s sideways? I will have to introduce it to my lonely rubber ducky that just sits on the top shelf of my shower caddy and never gets used 🙂 Jokes aside, I change body wash quite often depending on my mood, and this is the perfect size to keep me entertained for a week or so. Softsoap does not have the most nourishing formula, but I always slather on lotion when I get out of the shower, so my skin doesn’t get a chance to feel dry. The scent reminds me of sweet apples, and I think I would prefer it more for my hand soaps than body wash, so just because of that, I probably wouldn’t purchase the full size.

Beauty Box 5 January 2015 Unboxing & Review >> On the blog today: @BEautyBox5 January unboxing 7 Review >> http://bit.ly/1540fRP | via @glamorable

Ultraflesh The Gold Standard Mascara in Blackout – Fierce, like the feline on the cap of the full size product, this mascara is formulated to make my lashes thicker, longer, and more defined for a dramatic false lash effect. The sample tube looks high quality, and the wand itself reminds me of Diorshow Iconic. I really like it! I wish the formula was a bit runnier, but unlike many other mascaras, this one seems to hold curl pretty well, so that’s a pretty minor complaint considering the big picture. It also has kind of an earthy smell to it, that I wasn’t too crazy about, but it doesn’t linger.

Beauty Box 5 January 2015 Unboxing & Review >> On the blog today: @BEautyBox5 January unboxing 7 Review >> http://bit.ly/1540fRP | via @glamorable

Garnier Fructis Daily Care Fortifying Shampoo – Getting a shampoo sample sans conditioner always leaves a bad taste in my mouth, am I weird for feeling that way? Anyhow, I am pretty familiar with Fructis line, and used these products almost exclusively during my teenage years, because I absolutely adore that signature fruity fragrance. I’ll keep it around for traveling, since it gets the job done and the bottle is big enough to use for about a week, even if hubs and I both wash our hair it every day.

Beauty Box 5 January 2015 Unboxing & Review >> On the blog today: @BEautyBox5 January unboxing 7 Review >> http://bit.ly/1540fRP | via @glamorable

THE VERDICT
I’m a bit conflicted about this box. I feel like it was pretty well-rounded overall, but I wish it had one more product from a higher end brand instead of 4 drugstore-quality items. I don’t mind trying cheaper products at all, but I feel like Beauty Box 5 could have done better than that. My favorite sample this month is the mascara, because I really liked the way it made my lashes look.

How do you feel about this month’s box?

Product Retail value
Coastal Scents Eye Shadow Sampler Palette $3.06
Sally Hansen Salon Effects $9.99
Softsoap Nutri Serums Vitamin E Body Wash $1.00
Ultraflesh The Gold Standard Mascara $6.22
Garnier Fructis Daily Care Fortifying Shampoo $1.00
Box Retail Value $21.27


Disclosure: This post features products received for editorial consideration and may contain affiliate or referral links. For more details about my product review policy, copyright, and information about affiliate links, please refer to Disclosures & Content Use page. To find out how I rate products check out Product Rating page. 

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