Target Her Holiday Beauty Box Review, December 2015

Target seems to be getting the hang of the beauty sub market.  Their delivery schedule is a little sporadic and you have to purchase every box individually but there's no question they are soundly beating their only real competitor. (Three guesses who that might be and the first two don't count!)  A year ago, this box was all but unknown so it was easy to pick up for those who were paying attention. With the price ranging between $5 and $10, the word is out now and the race to snag one of these bargain basement boxes has heated up.

If you follow me on Facebook, you might have seen the notice about this box in late November.  The stampede was on once their promotional photo (above) was out and the $10 price was announced.  I don't have access to Target's metrics but it seemed to me that this box sold out faster than any previous box. There was also a "His Holiday Box" with half the retail value that sold for $5 and also sold out very quickly.

This box contains eight items plus a $3 coupon for any beauty purchase at Target. I believe five are full size and three are generous sample sizes.  (Some of these are sold in different sizes on Target's site so it's hard to tell.) You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see what an amazing deal this was!

For some reason, most of Target's boxes have contained a mascara.  New mascaras come out so frequently, I guess they are just a natural inclusion.  This one from Maybelline is called "The Falsies Push Up Drama" and it's packaged in a metallic red tube. The brush bristles have a unique cup shape that is supposed to scoop and lift lashes up. As usual, the color they sent is Blackest Black.  Retail is $7.49.

There is a 1.7 oz. can of Clairol's Hair Food Dry Shampoo.  This one is infused with kiwi fragrance and is sulfate, silicone, paraben and mineral oil free.  Retail price is $4.99.

The least interesting item (to me, anyway) is this three-pack of ouchless stretch elastics from Goody, mostly because the same thing was included in July's Back-to-School box from Target.  Getting repeats is probably a result of vendors supplying these boxes (unlike the way other beauty boxes are assembled).

The "star" of this box is probably the Star Wars lipstick from CoverGirl.  I could care less about movie tie-in merchandise but the association probably does add value in terms of collectability.  (In case you aren't aware, there are some VERY serious cosmetics collectors out there!)  Buyers received different shades.  I got #30 which is a deep red with a wine edge to it.  Unfortunately, the four available shades are all sold out on Target's site now. The retail price was $5.99 although it's now selling for 2, 3 and 4 times that amount on eBay and Amazon.

    
This eye repair cream from CeraVe is loaded with marine and botanical extracts plus hyaluronic acid to hydrate the delicate undereye area.  I can't get enough eye creams; they are usually expensive so are always welcome in my beauty boxes!  The full size of this one is $9.79 so this half size sample is worth about $4.90.

From Pacifica there is a really beautiful eye shadow trio called Love Natural Mineral Coconut.  These highly wearable shades in the pink color family are called Ethereal, Lovely and Dreamy.  This product retails for $9.49 so alone, it is worth the price of this box.

There is a luxury sample size Water Bank Moisture Cream from Laneige. This is a rich moisture cream for the face with all sorts of luxurious hydrating properties. I have really enjoyed using Laneige products from other sub boxes so am glad to get this. The full size retails for $30.40 and I estimate this sample is about one third of that amount, making it another $10 value.

The last product is another favorite of mine, Olay's Regenerist Microsculpting Cream. This is an anti-aging cream that penetrates deep into the skin to boost hydration and target wrinkles.  (In case you're wondering, the product is actually white, not red as it looks in the pot!)  This full size product retails for $9.99.

Target also included a $3.00 discount coupon for any purchase in their store or on line.

So the total retail value of the items in this box (including the coupon) is about $55.85.  I didn't include the hair elastics because they aren't sold in a three pack on Target's site.  But you can add another dollar or two for those.

It's pretty obvious why this box is SO popular!  As long as vendors continue to supply the products in Target's box (let's face it, the price just barely covers shipping and overhead much less the cost of the products), this just may be one of the best values out there. It certainly changes the game for the way a lot of drug store brands are marketed. You won't hear me complaining!

The only downside to Target's box is that you really can't sign up for it in advance so you're never assured of getting the current box. I'm hoping they will develop this concept during 2016 to the point where it can be offered as a subscription.  Until then, do your due diligence, stalk the blogs and Target's site and pounce when the next box becomes available.

Thanks for reading,

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.