**REVIEW** Walmart Spring Beauty Box 2020

I got a replacement for my busted laptop yesterday and then this morning my Walmart Beauty Box (WBB) arrived. It's a good week. I will review the laptop later but, first, the loveliness that is this year's Spring box:

This is one of the better boxes I've seen in a minute. Keep in mind that this box comes for a total of 5 bucks to cover shipping and handling. This particular box also includes a coupon for $2.50 off what happens to be my favorite box item...

Came with a $2.50 coupon

I haven't tried it all over yet but I did a strand test and, yes, I think I am gonna like it. Like I said, the curl cream is my favorite, but I also appreciate that there are a couple of things I am excited to try out.

Since I don't have an oily skin problem, the charcoal cleanser from Biore is something I will most likely use sporadically around my nose and chin - if I use it at all.

The nails are something that I think one of my nieces might love. She can pull off that look like a supermodel. I would probably puncture my eye or damage the keyboard on my laptop.

So, yeah, all in all, this was a really good box. The thing with these WBBs is that they come 4 times a year so I forget about them until one shows up in the mail. The 5 dollar cost makes this the one and only box I currently get. If you look back over my reviews of past boxes, you will notice that I have found some keeper items. I still use Blistex Lip Serum since I discovered it via a WBB. I think I might even have discovered the Lumify eye whitening drops via one of the WBBs.

Anyway, that's it for this box. I didn't get more photos to post because I am still catching up on everything after being laptop-less for the past few weeks. Hope y'all missed me!

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Walmart Autumn Classic Beauty Box

I was not super-impressed with this box because, while I appreciate the things I received, there was nothing that wowed me. In the past, I've gotten at least one or two things in a box that really made my day - or something that grew on me after a while.

I've gotten good stuff like the Aquafor spray-on lotion and Pantene foam hair conditioner (Spring 2018). The Winter 2019 box had a cute little cosmetics zip-up bag, Curel Hydratherapy  Lotion that I came to love, and some Garnier face and hair masks that I actually went on to purchase in full-sizes. The Summer 2019 box - probably my least fave before this one - at least had the Blistex Lip Serum that I still use to this day because it turned out to be better than I expected. And this box? Well...

I don't see myself looking back on this and being really thrilled about having any of this stuff.

Here is the breakdown from my favorite to worst...

I might try the Rose Petals scent

I like this for the nice, light feel going on and that there is no strong scent. Out of everything in the last couple of boxes of any kind I've gotten, this is the one product I have put on my shopping list. I like it a lot. Keep in mind that this from the box is an antiperspirant only. I did see on the website that this can be found with deodorant properties added. (UPDATE: I have not been able to find the antiperspirant-only formula on the Walmart site as of 1/12/20)

This Jergens body butter has a really nice rich and creamy texture. I'm not mad about wearing lavender scents during the day, but I do like using this before bed. It would be my Number 1 fave on this list if I had gotten the Sweet Citrus scent... As it is, it's still almost a tie for fave this time.

This Bic razor is nice but it's a repeat. I got one in the Classic Summer 2019 box. I like it because it's affordable luxe and so much better than the cheap razors I tend to use. I'm not hairy so this will last me a while.

So those are my faves. I hate to say it, but nothing else was anything I will even use.


Now, I generally like NYC makeup items. They are cheap and usually cute. Maybe this shade of "Silk Indulgent" would work on someone about 8 shades lighter than I, but...

Maybe it will be a good eyeshadow???

...I can't even show you what this looked like on my mouth because I erased that photo with a quickness! Just picture someone looking "extremely hungry" or "dry as the desert" or portraying a "crack addict". The most horrifying thing is that this stuff has staying power like nothing I have ever seen! Just wiping it off doesn't get rid of the shadow. I had to scrub my lips with coconut oil to get rid of the ghost of Silk Indulgent. Walmart has my profile so I should have at least gotten what the model is wearing (and even that would be too light for me...)

Just look at the extreme chalky-ness that is Silk Indulgent. It reminds me of Kabuki makeup.

<<<<<Goes on Kabuki








           Fades on Kabiki>>>>>>>>>








So, yeah. If only I could find a shade I liked that stayed on so well.

And then there's the last item. I can't say that this is awful because I didn't even bother to try it. It's some of that Collagen Peptide supplement. It's full of amino acids and blah, blah, blah, but I'm not trying to waste70 calories of anything that doesn't have chocolate in it.

yeah, nah

It seems petty of me to complain since these boxes are only $5.00. I was disappointed that this box was so boring after getting such great sets in the past. You can take a look back with me at some of the pretty decent things I got in the other boxes. I guess I have gotten spoiled! I mean, check out what some of the other boxes had in them.

Anyway. I'm going to give away the lip color and peptides. Right now, I am over here waiting for my first Spark Review product - which is a pack of water filters. That's going to be handy if they are any good.

Peace
--Free


Note: I am having to write posts when I can and just pre-schedule most of them down the calendar. If some of the info looks out of sync, you know why!

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I really like this artist. This song hits me in places.

UPDATE **REVIEW** Walmart Beauty Box Classic Summer 2019

UPDATE - The one product I wanted to come back and do an update on is the Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Strip. I will write the update in red down below by the product photos.

It sure seems like it's been a while since I posted a review about a Walmart box. I think this was the last one way back in January. The best thing about the Walmart box is the five dollar price. I've gotten quite a few of these quarterly beauty boxes - 5 now that I go back and count. I've been getting them since June of last year. I will have to scrounge up some of the past reviews and link back to them at some point. Anyway... This is the Classic Summer box I received the other day:

While the samples were as good as usual, I was a little disappointed that there was no theme for this box. With the Ipsy boxes (which I no longer subscribe to) there was always a theme and always a bag to carry the items. Walmart did send a bag once and other than the big old ugly Walmart sunburst logo, it was kinda cute. Oh well. Let's talk about what was in this box. I will go in order of fave to least fave:

Blistex Lip Conditioning Serum - This was pretty awesome. I do think that you're supposed to be able to use it alone and go, but I apply my regular lip balm on top of it. The serum is very creamy and has the consistency of a rich water-based lotion. It softens and smooths and I feel that it's helping my lips but the balm effects don't last long enough for me. I've been using it after doing my morning lip scrub (wiping all that dryness away with a baby wipe!). I like the tapered dispensing tip. Best thing about this is that Walmart actually included the 0.30-oz size in this box. You can get a chance to really test it out. Nice. ($2.96 online)

Let me just say right here that I really didn't want to have to admit that I could use an eye cream like this. But.

I don't know yet how well this works (it's only been a few days), but kudos to Walmart for including this full-sized $18 0.5 fluid ounce tube of RoC Retinol Correxion Anti-Aging Eye Cream Treatment. I've heard good things about RoC and I do like the way this hydrates the area right around my eyes. I've been using it at night only because I'm nervous about how the sun might affect my skin with a  Retinol-based product on it. Because of the slightly thin texture of the cream and the instructions to apply it in dots, this tube should last a good long while. ($17.95)

This is way too much
for one application

Since I am one of those women who has never had to shave a lot, razors last me forever. I do tend though to buy cheap ones. It's nice to have this BIC Soleil Sensitive 3 Blade Women's Disposable Razor. I've used one before and then I go back to my cheap ones for budget reasons but, every time I try one of these, I love how nice they feel. By the way, the moisture strip on these razors are the best part but they do tend to get gunky after a while. I tossed one out a few weeks ago after it had been sitting in the shower for a while and it was icky. These come at a good price for a pack of 3 at $5.97. This single one will last me for at least a couple of months. Thank goodness for naturally hairless legs!

Now, for my 2 least favorite samples...

UPDATE: I rarely have to do this with a product that I rate so low. HOWever... I was going through my bathroom cabinets the other day and ran across this again. For some reason (maybe that reason was those black-heady bumps on my nose!) I decided to give this a try because, why not?

I have to apologize for not giving this product a chance. Unlike the old strips that I used to pull out the blackheads and little hairs from my nose, these are so much better. For one thing, these don't stay in the plasticized form in which they are applied. Instead, once dampened, they melt into a kind of paste. When I was ready to wash these off, I could feel a slight exfoliating action. The product had melted into a literal gentle scrubbing paste. I am so impressed. There was none of the painful snatching away of the strip. My skin didn't feel violated and stripped raw. When I finished rinsing away the product (using a kind of exfoliating, rubbing motion), the skin on my nose felt clean and smooth without being completely dried out. I applied a bit  of moisturizer and was good to go.

Bottom line: this should be up in my top faves and I will definitely look into picking some up the next time I am in the store.

There's nothing wrong with the Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Pore Strip to Facial Scrub I'm sure. Except for that long name that nearly winded me. I personally just don't like any kind of pore-stripping product. I used to. I used to use this type of thing all the time until I realized a couple of things. One: not all of those little dark hair-spot things on the nose are actually blackheads. Two: these strips work at pulling those things out but they leave my face incredibly dry. Probably because they ripped out those skin-nourishing black things... At any rate, for someone with actual blackheads, this might work really well. Walmart only included one strip in the box and I'm okay with that. ($12.89 for 14 strips)


















I get really excited whenever I see a perfume sample. I L.O.V.E. fragrances. The last one I sampled was You by Glossier and I can't wait for someone in my family to gift me a bottle. ~hint hint~ Well, I was really excited when is saw that Walmart included a sample of a Silhouette in Bloom by Christian Siriano and that it was a nice amount (2ml). I remember way back when he was competing on Project Runway. Now that his talent is being celebrated by the celebrated, I'm thrilled for him. And I just about hurt myself opening this perfume sample. Sadly, heartbreakingly, this did not live up to even my lowest expectations.  This is not a horrible fragrance but it does smell really cheap. And don't get me wrong - I shall always love me some Charlie and Emeraude. What I mean about this one is that it has a chemical-plastic under-scent. It's just like no thought at all was put into the fragrance. It reminds me of one of those dollar-store "perfumes" that the girls used to get us for Mother's Day when they were young. I remember having to sit at work all day smelling like I'd tried to mask pissy pants with room spray.  To top it off, this scent doesn't do anything nice with my body chemistry. I don't even like the look of the bottle that's pictured on the sample. Also, now that I look at the price, I realize it's way too high for the "Barbie Doll" smell. Ick and Yikes ($38.89) I would rather spend forty bucks on a 1 ounce split of something nice than for a whole bottle of this. Sorry, Christian. (He don't care while he's over there, rolling in his money!)

Maybe the black & purple
ones smell better???

So there you have it. Once again, Walmart has put out a better box than those that cost twice or three times as much. Basically, for five dollars, all you're paying is the shipping and handling. The RoC sample more than paid for this one. If I had liked the Silhouette fragrance, I'd have really hit the jackpot. By the way, I think I will try mixing that scent with some other fragrance to see if I can make it work. ~shrug~

If you are interested in subscribing to the Walmart Beauty box, it has its own page where you can do so.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Walmart Winter Beauty Box 2019 (Hydration Heroes)

My best friend and I decided a long time ago that the best pick-me-up for a crappy day is to get an unexpected goodie in the mail. For her, it's pricey clothing and cookware. For me, it's one of my 5-or 10-dollar subscription boxes. I am down to only 3: the formerly $7 but now $5 Target box that I get every now and then; the $5 Walmart beauty box that comes on a quarterly schedule; and the $10 Ipsy bag that I just started back up with for next month. My favorite is the Walmart beauty box.** There's always at least one really useful goodie to discover.

These are the ghosts of boxes past:

This was a Walmart Summer Box

Walmart Spring 2018

A Target Summer 2018 box

A 2018 Ipsy bag

This is the current Walmart Winter Beauty Box for 2019.

I sharpened the photo
so you could see more details

The theme - Hydration Heroes - is perfect for this particular winter weather. It has been warm (and dry), cool (and dry), and below zero (and dry). Ugh. So out of all the items in this box, I will start with my favorite of the bunch:


Curel HydraTherapy Wet Skin Moisturizer

12 oz is $10.94
and also comes in an "itch defense" formula
for the same price

The first thing I tried was this moisturizer and I wasn't expecting to love it. I've tried other out-of-the-shower lotions before (Jergens brand, I think it was) and wasn't too wowed with the lasting effects. This one lasts. Also, I have been using it in between without water and I think I like it more that way, tell the truth. This is something that I would buy.

SooAE Black Charcoal Bubble Sheet Mask

$2.50 per mask as shown in the pic.

I am not a huge fan of facial masks because I don't really have "problem" skin and masks are kind of bothersome. For one thing, they can be messy. Also, not reusable.

When I tested this mask, I was only able to leave it on for about 2 minutes (of the 10 suggested) because it made my face itch in a couple of spots. I have a common sense approach to facial care: if something irritates my skin in the least, it comes off. Immediately. 

Looking like someone's nightmare. For real.

It didn't help that I could scare small children and pets with that thing. Not a good look...

While this was on my face, I could def tell it was doing something. First of all, there was an effervescent bubbling going on and, second, that itching started. I have a feeling that this might be best for people with oily skin but even then I would do a spot test before going full face with it.

PRO: The bubbles work and you can feel them working. For oily skin, that might have been wonderful. After being on for a very short time, once I rinsed, I could tell that my skin had been cleansed.

CONS: Too too messy for me.

That's the mask folded in there.
Had to unstick it to apply to face.

The mask was difficult to unfold because it was all glopped together in one big soapy/sudsy mess. Once on my face, the mask kept sliding around - even when I lay back and tried to stay still  - and I was worried about getting the solution in my eyes. My skin was cleaner feeling even after the very short time I had the mask on, but it was too drying and that leaving it on any longer was only going to damage my mostly normal skin.

NOTE: After the test, I read more on the mask's product page and realized I should not be using it ever. This one that I tested is for "acne and blemishes". This one is for solving dryness and is the one I should have used...


Neutrogena Collagen Kiss Collagen Infused Lip Mask

$2.47 (single); $4.95 (2-pk); $7.41 (3-pk)

If I don't rave over facial masks, you can guess how I feel about lip masks. It just seems a little silly to me. I actually have another one of these lying around in a makeup drawer from another subscription box. However, just for this blog post, I went ahead and gave the Neutrogena one a try.

You can see the list of ingredients

(That plastic outer seal is what's helping me save this for another use. Going to seal in vac bag and give it another go tomorrow.)

When you remove it from the plastic, there is a bit of oily residue visible.

I felt like an absolute idiot even in the privacy of my apartment. The dang mask kept sliding off my mouth and I looked like the Joker's girlfriend. (I might dry one out and use it for Halloween makeup this year.)

I don't know why they make these masks so large. Even someone with the fullest lips would leave a lot of this going to waste.

I mean, really, kiss me, baby, kiss me real good.

Enough for 5 sets of lips...

~sigh~

However... I have to say that, once I got the thing to stay put, the cooling sensation was extremely soothing and felt very hydrating. I would have gladly gone for another 5 minutes or so but I made it almost exactly10 minutes before my phone rang.

PRO: Felt amazing while on my mouth. Has an oddly relaxing sensation. The after effects were also good. It was as if my lips had been massaged with a high-quality moisturizer and a sheen of the ingredients remained for quite a while.

CON: A bit messy and the mask is way too large.

Like I said, I've vac-sealed the used mask and might try using it again while relaxing tonight. I enjoyed this and will now be using the other mask that I got in a box some time back. I won't buy any for now because I'm sure to get more in future boxes.

This is the KNC lip mask from, I think, an Ipsy or Birchbox:

(By the way, I tried the face and lip masks separately but I kept giggling when I thought of them together:)

my attempt at humor

Olay Daily Facial Hydrating Cleansing Cloths

$7.46/30 cloths

I used to love the Olay Regenerist serum but never use any of the other products. This wash cloth is pretty much the same as others. I was not disappointed, but I wasn't wowed. I don't generally use soaps on my face and I don't enjoy the feeling. I prefer cleansing with oils. This cloth is a nice idea for when traveling and wanting to freshen up the face. I'll pass this and stick with my oils.

Garnier SkinActive 3-in-1 Face Moisturizer with Rose Water ($9.96/ 6.75-oz jar)

Garnier Fructis Damage Repairing Treat Papaya 1 Minute Hair Mask ($2.97/ 3.4-oz jar)

I've tried both of these before and liked them enough to purchase each. I still have some because a little goes a long way with such dense creams. Here are my thoughts on the face cream. The hair mask is something I only use about once every 6 to 8 weeks. It lives up to the "repairing" hype and I probably should be using it more often during these colder, drier days.

This was a decent box. When you consider that you're only paying $5 for the postage, it's a cheap way to try new products. The one gripe I have with the Walmart boxes is that there are often repeat products. I've gotten the exact same Garnier products before and this time I didn't get any coupons. However, I did get notice of some other Neutrogena products I'd like to try (and I've never been  Neutrogena fan because they don't pay much attention to brown skin):

(I do want to try the Smooch Lip Oil!)

And... I got this nifty little bag.

Okay, the bag was ruined by the Walmart logo, but at least there was a bag. That's a little Ipsy-ish of Walmart, ain't it?

I am happy with the haul. Next one is not until the Spring 2019 box and I can't wait to see what's in store.

Peace
--Free



 ** There is also a Walmart (grooming) box for men.

**REVIEW** Walmart's Classic Summer Beauty Box

Last week was a rollercoaster. I was a little bit sick but cheered up a bit when my Target beauty box arrived on Monday. Then, just as I needed another little pick-me-up, the Classic Summer Beauty Box arrived from Walmart on Thursday. The boxes are a nice little treat when you're often laid up in bed.

The Walmart boxes come out 4 times a year - one for each calendar season - and cost $5. The Target beauty boxes are $7 but you can't sign up for them in advance; you have to go to the site and order them (and they go fast).

 You might remember how much I enjoyed Walmart's Classic Spring box. Not a bad five dollars. Here is the Classic Summer box:


As before, the box is very pretty

And the inside was very pretty. I love that they use the tissue as if this really is a gift to yourself.

I have to admit that I liked the Classic Spring box better, but this one did not disappoint.

I really like the fact that Walmart and Target add in a lot of items that afro-natural folks can use. Comparing to the last box, the samples in this Walmart box really seemed smaller.

But there were some good one, starting with what I think is going to be my favorite.

1.Palmer's Natural Fusions set of   Micellar Rose Water Cleanser (it's a clarifying shampoo, folks) and Lavender Rosewater Conditioner ( a hydrating repair formula).

Full sizes (12oz)  are $6.77 each

2. Garnier is another favorite brand of mine and although I don't care much for facial masks, I kinda can't wait to try the SkinActive Soothing Mask.

Full size 6.75oz jar = $9.96

3. I'm not much for hair masks either, but this one will get a test. It's Garnier's Damage Repairing 1-Minute Hair Mask.

Full size 13.5oz $7.49

4. This is not something that I will use, but I sure will be telling a lot of my friends about the Nair Was Ready Strips. In my opinion, this would beat heating up all those wax beads in a special pot, but... I dunno. Oh, and there is a $1 coupon for the strips.

40-count box = $5.98

5. This is the second time I've gotten a Rembrandt Whitening Kit (and coupon) in a Walmart box. I'm kind of over it. I have a crown in the front and whitening treatments make the crown stand out. I will be giving the coupon away. This is a generous sample though. You get 3 treatments (6 strips) and in the full-size box, you get 14 treatments. For anyone wanting to try this out, this is a nice sample. Way to go, Walmart.

1-week kit = $22.27

6. I saved this last item because they will be the one thing I want to run out and get right now. These Kleenex Wet Wipes are going to be a huge fave of mine. The samples are just folded into the pouch, but I see that one of the full-size bags contains individually wrapped cloths. I LOVE that. I use wet wipes for everything from cleaning my face (especially for removing makeup) to refreshing my neck and shoulders on a hot day and cleaning my psoriasis plagued feet. I only like using the tissue style cloths - which are the gentlest on my skin and are flushable. For the last few years I have been using the Equate or Huggies brands but I find these Kleenex wipes to be thicker, stronger, and just as gentle. The individually wrapped ones are going to be perfect for on the go, but I will definitely be getting one of the doubles of the pop-up packs. They are just a smidge more expensive than my usual brands but I think I am in love.

25 wipes = $2.76

I started out comparing this less favorably to the last Walmart box, but I have to admit that there were some real gems in this one. The coupons are always a nice little Plus to any box.

If I remember to, I will do reviews on the Garnier masks and the Palmer's.

Peace
--Free