I know, I know, it’s almost September, and here I am still posting about boxes from mid July. Life is just getting the better of me at the moment and there’s too much real life stuff going on to be as involved with the blog as I have been in the past. It’s mostly good real life stuff, but it keeps me much busier these days! So, anyway, July’s box was kind of a make it or break it box for me with Sephora since there were a few in a row that were pretty much meh, didn’t fit my profile, and FFS if I get another highlighter or dry shampoo… ahem. Surprisingly though, this one was actually a nice box! The theme was, “Beauty Staycation,” so I expected more treatments and masks out of that theme, but got a lip product and mascara, so, that says more vacation than staycation to me, but the themes are seldom ever actually a theme when it comes to the products anyway.
- Boscia Charcoal Pore Pudding – 2.8 oz / $38 – (Product is .84 oz, value of $11.40 by volume) This makes sense for the theme, and hey, a mask? Yes please! It’s essentially a clay and charcoal based product which makes sense, and while I haven’t tried it yet, I am loving the ingredient list. Sadly, Boscia isn’t cruelty free, so this isn’t a product I’d consider repurchasing.
- Bare Minerals Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lip Color – 4 mL / $19 – (Product is 2 mL, value of $9.50 by volume) The color is, “Swag,” which is described as a blushing mauve. The formula goes on creamy and smells like chocolate. I’m not entirely sold on the color which looks a little like a dull chalky pink and is just a bit too pale for my already pale complexion. It is a nice formula though, just a miss on the color. Bare Minerals is cruelty free, but their parent company, Shiseido, is not.
- Briogeo Rosarco Milk – 5 oz / $20 – (Product is .75 oz, value of $3 by volume) This is already a tried and true favorite for my curly hair and I use it all the time to give a little life back to my 2nd or even 3rd day curls. My hair is crazy dry, so every little bit of moisture and every drop of oil in this product helps keep my hair from looking like straw. Bonus, Briogeo is completely cruelty free.
- Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine Cologne – 3.3 oz / $130 (Product is .05 oz, value of $1.97 by volume) This is surprisingly nice! Probably not $130 nice, but it’s a really bright, fruity orange scented cologne. Sadly, Atelier Cologne isn’t cruelty free, and at that price I wouldn’t be buying the full size anyway, but I’m definitely going to use up this sample.
- Milk Makeup Cooling Water – 1.2 oz / $24 – (Product is .1 oz, value of $2 by volume) I’m really not sure what to do with this. I get that it’s meant to de-puff under eyes and cool your skin, but it’s one of those superfluous beauty items that I’ve been living without and really have no need for anyway. I do love Milk Makeup already since they’re cruelty free and awesome, and the product is interesting and I’ll use it, but it’s not a new necessity.
- IT Cosmetics Superhero Mascara – .3 oz / $24 – (product is approx .1 oz, value of $8) I think what I like best about this is the wand! It’s the best of those plastic spiky wands and a regular brush type wand all in one so it keeps clumping down and separates lashes well at the same time. The product applies evenly and neatly, and I rather like this! The company is cruelty free, but they’re owned by L’Oreal who is not cruelty free.
Overall the value of the box comes to $35.87 which is about average for this box that costs me $10.60 including tax. I think the big winner was the Briogeo Rosarco Milk since I go through that stuff like water, so extra samples are always welcome. Everything else is fun to try, but there are no big, new, stand-out products that wowed me enough to say, yeah, I’d buy that again. I will definitely be trying the mask and will use up the cologne and mascara, but they’re not knocking out my favorites by any stretch. August’s box already arrived too, so that’ll be up soon (I hope)!