Tag: Benevolent Beauty Box

Another Benevolent Beauty Box is here!   April’s edition featured four items this time, but the one is basically a four-in-one by itself and is a huge item, so I’m perfectly fine with this!   Let’s get into the contents.

• Bellapierre Colour Stay – .32 oz / $10 – (Full Size Product)   It’s essentially an eye-safe glitter glue or primer that helps cosmetic glitter or shimmer eye shadow stick in place.   I, um, I tend to use a good bit of cosmetic glitter, so this is great by itself, but it also goes well with the other products in the box.   I think this is a touch thinner and easier to apply than the Too Faced glitter glue I love, so I’ll have to see how it holds up against the classic.
• Star Looks Makeup Remover Pen – 2.5 g / $14 – (Full Size Product)   I guess I’m good enough fixing makeup oops with a q-tip that I just never bother getting special pens.   I mean, this is great, I’ll use it, but the fact that the ingredients on the box don’t match the ones on the website make me a little worried.   On the website, it says it contains paraffin and on the box, it doesn’t.   *shrugs*
• Manna Kadar Blossom Floral Compact – 3.2 g / $29 – (Full Size Product)   I don’t really use blush or highlighter, but it says this can be used as an eye shadow as well, so that’s probably where it’s going to go.   The colors are pretty neutral between the light, pink, and bronzeish color, so it’ll work blended together or separately, no problem.
• Bellapierre Eye Slay – 1 set / $45 – (Full Size Product)   I received the color, Mermaid Glam, which is going to be SO much fun to try out.   There are three pots each with 2 grams of mineral eye shadow plus a brush.   One of the pots in my set is a cosmetic glitter (the super bright blue one in the middle), so GLITTER!   I’m definitely going to give this a whirl sometime soon.

Overall the value of the box comes to $98 which is probably around the lower end of average for this box.   The big item is that eye color set, and I’m glad there’s the Colour Stay glitter glue to go along with it.   I’m kind of neutral on the Manna Kadar compact and the Makeup Remover pen, but they’re still items I’ll use for sure.   As always, looking forward to next month!

March’s Benevolent Beauty Box is here!   It’s another great box with a wide variety of products and I’m eager to try everything as usual.

• Terre Mere Charcoal Blenders – 1 set / $44 – (Product is full size)   Probably one of the most high value products I’ve seen in the box yet, the set of two charcoal blenders in different sizes is pretty neat.   I’ll admit that I don’t use foundation ever really, but it looks like these also work well for primer and powders, so I’ll have to give them a try.   That little one looks like it might work really well for concealing my perpetually-exhausted under-eye circles.
• Zuii Certified Organic Flora Lipstick – 4 g / $27.50 – (Product is full size)   I received the color “Charm” which is a really hard color to describe – almost a pinkish brick red?   The color is buildable, so it goes on sheer at first and works into a more opaque color with each extra coat.   The verdict is out on the color for me so far.. I think it might work better once my skin has had a little exposure to the spring and summer sun.   But, I do like the rich and moisturizing formula!
• Luminate Vitamin C Serum – 30 mL / $19 – (Product is full size)   This is a super thick serum with hyaluronic acid, vitamin c, and jojoba oil which my dry skin loves!   For being such a thick, gel-like consistency out of the bottle, it disappears into my skin nearly instantly, leaving behind no oily residue.
• LippyGirl Pipod Pressed Mineral Blush – 3 g / $25 – (Product is full size)   I received the color “Tangy” which is a really orange tone for a blush, so I doubt I’ll be able to use it as a blush.   But hey, any pressed powder also doubles as an eye shadow, and I really do like the color on my lids since the peachy tone brings up the greens in my hazel eyes.   It’s got a golden shimmer to it as well which will make it perfect for summer eye makeup.
• Body Stuff Face Mask – 12 g / $7 – (Product is test-tube size)   This mask is packaged in a neat little test tube and arrives dry so you can add your favorite liquid to it (honey or yogurt for a real treat, or plain old tap water works fine too).   I haven’t tried this yet, so I can’t report about how it works, but I love the unique packaging and of course, a mud mask is something I’m always happy to see in boxes!

The total value of the box comes to $122.50 which is a great value for the cost of $29.99 on a month-to-month basis.   Even if the blush color doesn’t really work as a blush for me, it makes for a really great eye shadow color, so there’s really nothing in this box that I won’t use (one way or another).   I think the big winner for me is the serum because my skin is just perpetually a desert, and I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly it sunk into my skin for being such a thick gel.   As always, looking forward to the next month!

February’s Benevolent Beauty Box did indeed arrive on time, but I got behind (again, I know, shocker).   I always love the variety in this subscription – that they cover a wide variety of products in each box, despite being makeup/skincare only, not to mention that every product in the box is cruelty free or even completely vegan.   Anyway, on to the contents of this box!

• Honey Belle Flora Rosewater Toner – 2 oz / $22 – (Product is full size)   Only 5 ingredients and no alcohol make this a toner I can actually use!   The scent is rosy but not overly floral since the rosewood tones it down and makes it a little musky.   It dries up nicely matte with no grease or oil and feels really pleasant on the skin.   I can’t wait to use this regularly!
• Jacq’s Nourishing Face Moisturizer – 2 oz / $28 – (Product is full size)   I’m going to have to give this a cautious try since the third ingredient is coconut oil, and coconut oil is known to clog pores and cause acne.   The scent is nice though – herbal and clean without being overpowering.
• Kismet Lovely Liquid Illuminator – .33 oz / $16 – (Product is full size)   The color is “Rosy” and it’s a very sheer, pearlescent pink.   It’s not one of those glitter bomb highlighters, it’s definitely a more subtle, pearly illuminator which I actually rather like.   I’ll probably end up using this one which is great since I usually pass on illuminators/highlighters – they’re just not my thing.
• Vapour Aura Multi Use Blush – .24 oz / $36 – (Product is full size)   The color is “Crush” which is described as a sheer, soft pink.   I’m not too big on blushes since I have pretty rosy cheeks naturally, but this stick can be used on the lips and lids as well, making it more than just a blush!   The sheer, cotton candy pink is a little too light/pale for my lips in particular, but I think this might work well as a eyeshadow base color or as a brow bone highlighter.
• Katherine Eyeliner Solution – .35 g / $26 – (Product is full size)   The color is “Cessna Brown” which is a dark brown.   The eyeliner goes on super smooth and easily with plenty of pigment, and there’s even a brush on the other end if you want to smudge out your eyeliner for a smoky eye look.

The total value of February’s box is $128 for five full size products!   I keep saying it every month, but getting full size products for $29.99 per month on a month-to-month basis makes this my absolute favorite subscription box.   The value is always out of the park, plus you get to try some neat products from smaller indie brands who are all dedicated to being completely cruelty free.   March’s box is already here, so that’s going up on the blog soon.

The first Benevolent Beauty Box of the new year!   Hey, I’m late on posting this, but I’m sure that’s no shocker at this point given how I haven’t had much time to post to the blog at all the last few months.   I keep saying I’m going to get better at it again since I had been really regular at posting things, but it just keeps falling off my radar.   Anyway!   In an effort to actually catch up, here goes.

• True Moringa Simplicity Facial Oil – 30 mL / $26 – (Sample size is 5 mL, value of $4.33 by volume – listed as $17 on product card)   The applicator inside is a roller ball and I have to admit that I’m not a huge fan of roller balls since they tend to clog or stick and never actually apply the product any better than you could with your fingertips.   However, the roller ball bit is easy to remove, leaving me with an awesome oil that has just one ingredient!   My face has been a dry wreck all winter, so this will be a huge help on the dry patches.
• Seraphine Fig Butter Lip & Cheek Stain – 4 g / $24 – (Product is full size)   There’s no scent or flavor to the product and while I only tried it out as a lip stain, it goes on much like a rich, creamy lipstick without being sticky.   It’s kind of the best of both lipstick and lip balm.   The color is mostly like a brick red and the color payoff is enough to see it there, but not quite as much as a fully opaque lipstick making it perfect for everyday use to moisturize lips and add a pop of color.   I didn’t feel like it really stained my lips, but it did look really nice on.   I really love this!
• Lippy Girl Vegotastic Vegan Lip Gloss – 2.5 mL / $22 – (Product is full size)   The color I received is “Plum Perfect” which is a dark burgundy/purple color.   The color payoff is surprisingly good for a gloss, and it doesn’t feel sticky.   Unfortunately, the color is just a little bit too dark for me, so I’ll try experimenting layering it over/under other colors, but this might be a miss for me.
• Lauren B Beauty Nail Polish – .5 oz / $18 – (Product is full size)   The color I received is “House of Blues” which is a super dark navy blue color with just the slightest shimmer.   This is a color that’s absolutely perfect for me since I LOVE blue nail polish!   This brand is also a proven favorite, so I’m happy to see their polish in this box.
• BioRepublic Pomegranate Crush Sheet Mask – 1 mask / $4.99 – (Product is full size)   I haven’t yet tried the mask, but anything pomegranate sounds good to me!   The mask claims to brighten skin tone, and even and smooth complexion, but any time I get to spend 15 minutes relaxing with a sheet mask is absolutely worth it, even if the mask doesn’t live up to its wild claims.   I’m always happy to see sheet masks!

Overall, the total value of the box came to either $73.32 or $85.99 depending on how you count the Moringa Oil.   Either way, for a box that costs $29.99 on a month-to-month basis, that’s still more than double the cost!   I’m always pretty pleased with these boxes, and in this one, my two favorites have to be the nail polish and lip stain.   Looking forward to see what February’s box has in store!

I’ve dropped a bunch of my subscription boxes, but this is one of the two I’m keeping for makeup since it tends to really knock it out of the park month after month.   Benevolent Beauty Box is 100% cruelty free and does contain a fair amount of vegan products as well.   December’s box arrived just this week, so I figured I’d get back on the bandwagon of posting this one too.

• Starlooks Perfecting Eye/Face Primer – .17 oz / $5.50 – (Trial size?   I couldn’t find the volume on the Starlooks website)   It’s a silicone based primer, so it goes on perfectly matte and velvety smooth.   It’s tinted every so slightly violet, so it probably helps to brighten your face/eyes underneath makeup which isn’t necessarily a bad thing!
• Volante Radiant Youth Essential Oil – 10 mL / $35 – (Standard size, actual value)   The base is primarily sesame seed oil followed by a “dry emollient” which makes it sink into your skin pretty quickly and not feel greasy.   It’s definitely a light sort of oil and doesn’t feel greasy or oily at all once it’s on my skin.   It claims to be a firming oil, but you know me and those crazy claims of skin magic – as long as it keeps my dry skin under control, I’m a happy camper.
• LARITZY Eye Pencil – .037 oz / $18 – (I couldn’t find this on their website, but the lip pencils cost the same)   The color I received is “Gold” which is a perfect, spot on gold.   It’s not a super heavily pigmented color, so it might work best over black to give your eyeliner a little oomph for the holidays.   It does apply nice and evenly and isn’t too hard or too soft.
• Ardency Inn Modster Long Play Supercharged Lip Color – 3.5 g / $25 – (Standard size, actual value)   The color is, “Black is Red” and when I first opened this I thought, eew, a brown lipstick?   Then I swatched it on the back of my hand and got this gorgeous mulberry color!   It’s absolutely perfect for this time of the year.   The color payoff is huge and the formula is very moisturizing too.
• LARITZY Nue Palette – 1 palette / $48 – (Standard size, actual value – marked down to $36 on the LARITZY website)   WOW.   Okay, so this is a really great palette with a bunch of pretty matte and metallic neutrals.   I haven’t had a chance to give this a try just yet, but the colors are so great and easy to use for everyday, I’m sure it won’t be long!

The total value this month comes to $131.50 which has to be one of the top few values for this box.   This month was really huge!   I will definitely be using everything and I LOVE that there was an eye palette included in this month’s box.   The lipstick was probably the biggest surprise though since it’s such a rich color and doesn’t look at all what it looks like in the tube.   The box costs $29.95 on a month-to-month basis, so the value here is well above the cost.   Looking forward to next month!

In my seemingly never-ending quest to catch up on the blog, here is the July edition of the Benevolent Beauty Box!  As usual, it’s pretty amazing, so let’s dig in to the contents.

• Jersey Shore Cosmetics Anti-Aging Mineral Sunscreen – .56 oz / $22 – (Full size product)  I LOVE having these sticks to toss in my everyday bag so that I never have an excuse to not wear sunscreen.  This product uses physical blockers (Zinc Oxide) in a base of natural oils.  It smells lightly nutty, and goes on smoothly and surprisingly sheer – sometimes sunscreens with zinc oxide can go on kind of opaquely white, but this one is really rather sheer.  It doesn’t feel greasy either!
• Moody Sisters Lightweight Moisturizer – 4 oz / $16 – (Full size product)  It’s a really different formulation than I’m used to!  The product is a little more watery than your average moisturizer, but I find that it helps the product distribute better and sink in faster.  The scent is mostly lemongrass with just a wee hint of peppermint and overall it smells lightly herbal and not strong at all.  I’m a little worried about the coconut oil since even fractionated coconut oil can clog pores, so I’ll have to do some testing to see how my skin fares.  It’s a HUGE bottle though and will last forever.
• Saint Cosmetics Eyeshadow – 3.5 g / $23 – (Full size product)  The color I received is, “All Hell Broke Loose,” described as a matte warm brown.  It’s a really lovely neutral shade that feels like velvet and goes on super smooth and blendable.  Plus, that little compact is incredibly well-made and even comes with a mirror!
• LARITZY Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick – .1 oz / $24 – (Full size product)  This limited edition color, “Nudes,” is a pinkish neutral, and is surprisingly a nice color as we’re headed towards Fall.  The formula goes on creamy and dries pretty quickly to a smooth matte that doesn’t feel too drying.  It’s ever so lightly vanilla scented too.
• Manna Kadar Glo Illuminator – 20 mL / $29 – (Full size product)  Here’s where I admit that I’m just not into most highlighters and illuminators because they tend to be too glittery for my liking.  I really don’t want to glitter and shimmer like a Twilight vampire, and I find that the glittery stuff settles into wrinkles and highlights them moreso than normal.  This one in particular is crazy glittery, and it’s just not for me.  The formula seems nice and all and dries perfectly matte, but, I’m just not feeling the all-over sparkle like this.  I’ll probably repurpose it to use as an eyeshadow primer base.

Overall, the value of this box is $114 which is definitely incredible for the cost of $29.95 on a month-to-month basis!   Everything but the illuminator are winners in my book, and I’ll definitely be using the eyeshadow, lip color, and sunscreen right away.  And of course, as usual, all the products are cruelty free which is the best part of this box!

This month’s Benevolent Beauty Box arrived over a week ago, but I’m still catching up!  I have to admit that the first thing I saw was that pink nail polish and I was a little disappointed since I haaaate pink, so that meant one item that I’d be trading or giving away right off the bat.  The rest of the box is pretty great though (as usual), I’m just bummed about the nail polish color.  My nails are barely ever naked, so nail polish is always welcome, but ..  pink?  No.  Any other color though!

• Law Beauty Essentials Nail Polish – .37 oz – $9 – (Product is full size)  The color is “A Lot of Spice” which is this coralish pink, and personally, I think it’s probably the worst nail polish color ever.  I can at least respect a bolder fuchsia pink for being wild (even if I’d still never wear it, because pink), but a weak, light coral pink like this?  Ugh.  I just don’t like pink, so this is going to go to someone who does, and I’m going to sit here wishing it was a bright red or ocean blue instead.
• Palmetto Derma Essential Moisturizing Cream – 2 oz / $48 – (Product is full size)  WHOA!  A super high value product, and one that I’m sure will last me a good long while!  The tiniest bit goes a long way, and the ingredient list is pretty amazing.  It dispenses out of the pump bottle as a thick cream and dries to a soft, matte finish.  I gave it a quick try, and I like how the formula works into my skin.  This is going to be great for both summer and winter since it feels so nice and light, but also feels like it’s crazy moisturizing too.
• Ardency Inn Modster Light-Catching Eye Powder – .052 oz / $32 – (Product is full size)  This is pretty spendy for a mineral eyeshadow, but the color, “Purple Hearts,” is so right up my alley.  It’s a dark, rich purple with a lovely shimmery glitter in it, and I can’t wait to use this on a night out!
• LARITZY Lip Pencil – 1 pencil / $18 – (Product is full size)  I don’t really use lip pencils much, but this is a solid, nice neutral color that would go well under a tinted gloss.  I just wish it was a softer lip crayon instead of a pencil since it is a little too hard of a formula to put all over your lips , but works out as a liner rather well.  The color just about perfectly matches my natural lip color too, so it would work well as an ‘invisible’ lip liner to keep feathery lipstick in place.
• IDUNN Minerals Lip Gloss – 6 mL / $15 – (Product is full size)  The color I received is “Astrid” which is a shimmery pinky color.  The color doesn’t show up as much as the shimmer does, but it looks great over the LARITZY lip pencil and isn’t too sticky of a gloss either.  It would probably go really well over some bolder lip colors to give them a bit of shimmer too.

Overall the box value comes to $122 which is incredible for a box that costs $29.95 on a month-to-month basis!  The only miss this month was the nail polish, but I’m definitely keeping and using the other four items, and I do love how well the lip pencil and gloss play together.  The value on this box is always amazing, and I feel like it’s probably the best fit out of all the boxes I get in terms of the products I want to see in boxes (mostly makeup, a little skincare, everything cruelty free).  Looking forward to the next one!

May’s Benevolent Beauty Box arrived on Monday (today is Thursday, lazy blogger is lazy this week).  Do you see how well-rounded that box is?  A lip gloss, eyeshadow, eyeliner, sheet mask, bath product, and an aromatherapy spray.  I swear they go out of their way to really make these boxes amazing every month and it absolutely shows.  And Hello Kitty eyeshadow?  I’m so here for this.

• Armour Beauty Lip Gloss – 6.5 mL / $24 – (Full size product)  I received the color, “Nina,” which is described as a bright opaque coral.  Corals don’t work with my skin tone at all, so the color is a big miss for me.  There were other color possibilities, and I think “Barracuda” would’ve been a better fit, but this was just luck of the draw (or not, as the case may be).  The formula is thick and sticky, but highly pigmented and smells like a cupcake.  Unfortunately, it looks like the company Armour has closed.  There’s still stock available from other retailers, but probably not for long.
• Franklin & Whitman Mineral Soak – 4 oz / $24.95 – (2 oz, I think, size isn’t marked, value of $12.48)  I already love this company thanks to this box, but I’m not too big on baths and we have this tiny, useless bathtub, so I’ll stack this away for a future vacation that comes with a fancy spa tub.  I know these soaks are good for sore muscles which is great after a day of snowshoeing or hiking.
• ColourPop Super Shock Shadow – 2.1 g / $6 – (Full size product)  The color I received is, “Small Gift,” a shimmery pink.  I grew up with Hello Kitty, so this was neat to see in the box!  Somehow I missed when this line launched from ColourPop in November of 2016, but I’m glad I got this in the box now since they’re no longer available through ColourPop.  The shadow is super velvety and highly pigmented and goes on so smoothly.
• Gypsy Soul Organics Aromatherapy Spray – 2 oz / $19.99 – (Full size product)  The scent is, “Son Rain,” and this is right up my alley.  It’s a musky and grassy spray that can be used on linens, pillows, as a room spray, or even as a body spray.  I absolutely LOVE this scent and will probably use it as a body spray.  Bonus that it has citronella as part of the scent, so it may help keep mosquitoes away too!
• Seoul Mamas Revitalizing Mask – 1 mask / $8 – (Full size product)  Sheet masks are a nice treat for a pamper-yourself day, so I’m always happy to see these show up in subscription boxes.  The fabric in this one is 100% bamboo, and the ingredient list has a bunch of wonderful extracts.  I haven’t tried it yet since I’m saving it for a day when I need a little time-out to relax, so I’ll have to update once I do!
• Ardency Inn Modster Easy Ride Supercharged Liquid Liner – 1.7 mL / $20 – (Full size product)  In the color, “Deep Black,” this liquid eyeliner has a really neat applicator tip that’s a lot like a flexible felt-tip pen.  The line comes out nice and even (even with my complete lack of finesse with drawing fine lines), but you can also add a little pressure to bend the tip down and draw nice, wide lines easily.  The color applies crazy dark black and dries pretty quickly.  I haven’t tried it out on my eyes yet, but the ingredients are all ones I’ve used before with no problem.

There was a bonus freebie included this time (not pictured), Viter Energy Mints.  I tried one, but unfortunately, they’re artificially sweetened with sucralose, so they’re a pass for me.  I find the flavor of artificial sweeteners really gross – I couldn’t even make it longer than 5 seconds with the mint in my mouth.  Fun to try, but please, just use regular sugar!  I’d gladly have  a few calories than that nasty chemical taste.

Overall, the total value this month is $90.47 which I think is on the lower end for the box, but it’s still three times the cost which is $29.95 on a month-to-month basis.  It’s hard to pick a favorite this month, but I’d say it’s probably a three-way tie between the eye shadow, liner, and aromatheraphy spray.  I do really love the scent of that spray – it’s just the right blend of scents.  As always, looking forward to next month’s box!