Boxycharm Beauty Subscription Review, September 2015

It had to happen.  A Kardashian labeled product appeared in a monthly beauty box. Considering all the boxes I've received, how have they ALL managed to be 100% Kardashian-free until now?  Oh well.  More on that in a minute. Boxycharm is still my favorite beauty box and the September box contained enough other nice items to make me overlook the Kardashian infraction.

Boxycharm is $21 per month or $19.25 per month if you sign up and pre-pay for a full year. (You basically get one month for free with an annual subscription.)  Boxes contain 4 or 5 full size beauty products with a retail value of at least $100. (That claim is questionable with regard to this month's box). Boxycharm uses an incentive system where "Charms" are awarded for reviews, referrals and for each month that you subscribe. 1,000 Charms are worth $10 towards any item in their store.

September's box includes six items representing a good mix of skin, hair and nail care items plus makeup and a cosmetic tool.  My photo of the information card is too blurry to show but it's so dark and difficult to read that I doubt it matters.

Ah, nail wraps.  Let's get those out of the way first.  I suspect they are cheap and easy to source which is why they appear in so many beauty boxes.  They aren't for me (or anybody I know, for that matter) so I'm always left scrambling to find a home for them.  These are by Scratch.  They are white with a very subtle pattern and contrasting gold accent nails.  

A much more interesting product is this 2 oz. tube of Hydromilk from Previse, a name completely unfamiliar to me.  This is a lotion replacement for natural face hydration. It's full of anti-oxidants, rich botanical extracts and hyaluronic acid. This is an expensive anti-aging product ($48 in the full size), so I'm glad to get a generously sized sample.

Next is an eyebrow defining gel from Chella. I've received this quite a few times before so it's not particularly exciting, especially in a sample size, which I think this is. It is an effective product but you have to have a lot of steps in your makeup routine to include an eyebrow gel. This might get used 3 or 4 times a year by me!

Now for a product that really intrigues me...a full size Tarte pencil eyeliner in the shade Emerald.  I've been experimenting with different color eyeliners lately and this is a gorgeous shade that I do not already own.  It's a deep emerald green and one end has a smudge applicator. Very pleased to get this!

Another very nice product is this Vasanti foundation brush.  With its soft bristles and slightly tapered tip, it's designed for flawless, natural and even application.

Now for the elephant in the box....which is a small sample of Black Seed Dry Oil from Kardashian Beauty.  This is a styling aid that rejuvenates and nourishes hair.  It is applied before blow drying and leaves hair frizz-free and shiny.  The only thing I have against this product is the brand!

This may be the first Boxycharm I've ever received that I would describe as "so so". Normally, they knock it out of the park but this collection was a bit lackluster. The eyeliner pencil and the foundation brush are clearly quality items and I'm interested to check out the Previse moisturizer. The nail wraps and brow gel are just fillers as far as I'm concerned.  I could have done without the Kardashian hair oil completely.

Despite this lukewarm review, I have confidence that Boxycharm will rebound with a better box in October.  I have been a paid subscriber for more than a year and a half and honestly, this is the first box that didn't just blow me away. I guess they are allowed ONE less than stellar box in 18+ months! If you'd like to give them a try, click here and get their "Faces of the Moon" themed October box.

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Cheryl

Disclosure:  Views and opinions expressed in this blog are strictly my own.  Product discussed in this post was purchased by Lone Star Shopper. Post may contain referral or affiliate links.