BoxyCharm is a makeup and beauty subscription box for all those makeup gurus out there.
Website’s description: “In each box you will receive 4 to 5 full-size beauty items (instead of the smaller samples) ranging from makeup to skincare, beauty tools to color cosmetics and each box has a value of $100 and up. Brands range from emerging to established, and you’re guaranteed to find a few new favorites in each box.”
Cost: $21.00 month (+ additional $28.99 every 3 months if BoxyLuxe subscriber)
Shipping: Free
Ships to: US and Canada
The Review Girls paid for this box. This post may contain referral/affiliate links. If you buy something, TRG may earn a commission.
This is the very first month of BoxyCharm’s upgraded subscription – BoxyLuxe! As many as you are probably aware there was a bit of – erm….drama…with this box. At least, I’m calling it that for a better lack of words. I’ll briefly explain my side of the story on why I’m calling it that.
As subscribers know, BoxyCharm has been promoting it’s upgraded version of this box (BoxyLuxe) for quite some time. Every 3 months, those who upgrade their accounts for an additional $28.99 per that month, now receive full-size items valuing up to $250+. That right there makes me so happy! To sign up for this, BoxyCharm sent emails and released additional statements that told subscribers that they would receive an email at 9 am Eastern Time on September 1st to upgrade if they wanted to. Well, as you probably are aware (or maybe not), I am on the West Coast so that means I had to wake up at 6 am…on a Saturday. Okay, fine. I guess I’ll do some ridiculous things for makeup, whatever! 😉 (Truth is, I have a kid – and she would have been up soon anyway!) On the morning of September 1st, I set an alarm and furiously refreshed my e-mails waiting for it to come through. Mine did not come to my inbox until 6:10 am. This may not seem like a huge deal to many but, it was disappointing because a ton of people were attempting to get logged in and trying to sign up. The website also kept crashing, and I tried for over an hour to get this to go through. Finally, I get an email! Oh, wait…it says I’m on the December 2018 WAIT LIST. What?!
A few hours later, I received another email charging me. I still wasn’t convinced I was “in” though because I had seen from fellow Boxycharmers that they were already charging those who would receive the December box. (I am not confirming this – just what I heard.) I honestly had no idea if I would receive the box or not. Much to my surprise, when I saw this bad boy come in the mail, I was ecstatic. I also want to give props to the CEO of BoxyCharm. He made a video apologizing and expressing his disappointment. He didn’t try to sugarcoat this and I personally am always about transparency so I’m glad they posted that and I respect them for admitting their mistakes.
Anyway, let’s get on to the good stuff…shall we?
This month’s theme was Wild Flower. As you can see, you got a lot of really amazing products in this box. While I was not a fan of everything, the items I did love made this box well worth the money, and I’m quite pleased with it. I think for their first month of having this upgraded option, they did a really nice job of having a lot of variety of products and also some high-end brands. 
Park Ave Princess Chisel Palette – Tarte Cosmetics
Retail Value: $45.00
I was so thrilled to see this in the box as I’ve been really wanting to try this palette out for a long time. I love Tarte, no shocker there, but, because I’m not great at contouring and highlighting, I’ve always been hesitant to buy this product. I know Tarte has really great quality products so I understand the price tag but, I also couldn’t see myself spending the money and not using it. Now that I am the proud owner of this beautiful palette, I really like it. The colors are the perfect amount of pigment and last a long time. I’ve been practicing as best I can, and trying to get my look down. I’ll definitely continue to use this as much as I can. 
Skin Glow Duo – Girlactik
Retail Price: $26.00
I was really excited to try this product since I had (unfortunately) never heard of Girlactik prior to seeing this in the box. I always try to venture out and try new brands as much as I can. I loved the way this product gave me a nice and noticeable glow but, it wasn’t too exaggerated and it didn’t come off as overly cakey or too strong. I could have added more product though and gotten the highlighter to stand out more – if that was the look I was going for, so I appreciated how versatile this product is. I found this tip on their website I plan to try soon too – “Apply the velvety Skin Glow, by first blending the cream highlight and then dabbing the glow with your middle finger lightly on top for a beautiful glowing complexion. Create an ombre effect with both duo colors or wear them singly.” 
Nightingale Smokey Eyeshadow Palette – Pretty Vulgar
Retail Value: $35.00
If nothing else, this palette is adorable. I love the shape of the birdhouse and think that it’s original which is fun. I own a lot of palettes that look alike, so I always am on the lookout for ones that have neat designs and I know can create an awesome look. Personally, I really do love a smokey eye look so this palette is pretty perfect for me in that sense. I used some of my new brushes (keep reading to see my thoughts on those) and thought that the pigment and colors were perfect. I was able to blend everything out nicely and there was not a ton of fallout either. There are also some shades that are light enough to create an every day look if you want. I tend to be more dramatic with my eyeshadow, so I have used a lot of the darker colors but, there lighter colors make for some really nice transition shades.
Death Valley Dry Shampoo – R + Co
Retail Value: $17.00
I’ve tried a lot of different dry shampoos for my very needy and high maintenance hair, so I was really excited to have another one to test out. One thing I really liked about this particular one was it did not leave behind any of the white/colored residues, and the smell was very natural and not overwhelming. Some brands can give me an instant headache with the fake smells they pack into hair products so luckily this shampoo is not one of those. The product also says it helps build some volume into hair but, I couldn’t really tell if it did or not. To be fair though, my hair doesn’t really need volume to it so I wasn’t complaining either way. It’s somewhat of a small bottle for $17.00 so I don’t think I’ll be purchasing again since I still prefer my normal product to this one.
Limited Edition Photo Finisher Primer Water – Smashbox
Retail Value: $32.00
I love, love, love this product! When I first heard about Nicol Concilio teaming up with Smashbox, I was so excited to go out and buy this. She is for sure one of my favorite beauty gurus to follow, and her makeup is always on point. You should follow her Youtube/Instagram/etc. if you’re not already! I purchased the coconut water variety when I first heard about this so I was happy I receive citrus version. I definitely prefer the coconut scent better than this one, but the product itself is still the same and works really well. I tend not to be a huge fan of anything citrus flavor. I prefer to use this as a setting spray, or when I’m not at home and I’m getting ready at my cycle studio, I use this to dampen my beauty blender. A lot of people also prefer to use this as a way to freshen their makeup midday but, unfortunately, I always forget to pack it in my bag so I never do that. Overall a great product, even if it is a bit expensive.
Ipanema Sunset Glow Oil – Sol De Janeiro
Retail Value: $35.00
I have somewhat mixed feelings about this product. I liked it enough but, I wasn’t completely sold on it. I’ve recently been using a lot of gradual tanning lotions, just to keep up on my summer glow that unfortunately will soon disappear as Fall approaches. I liked the smell and it really did give my skin a nice glow. It wasn’t overly fake shimmery and lasted pretty well. One of the suggestions is to add the product to your foundation but, personally I don’t want to put this on my face due to having sensitive skin. One thing I don’t like is there’s no pump or a real way to control how much comes out without being pretty careful. So the first time I used this, I feel like I overdid it since more product came out than I needed. I also think for the size of the bottle, it’s a little overpriced but, that’s just my own opinion in comparison to similar products on the market.
Grandelips – Hydraplump Liquid Lipstick – Grande Cosmetics
Retail Value: $25.00
Unfortunately, this product was a total miss for me. I have mentioned this in previous reviews that I’m not a lipstick person at all but, I always give them a fair chance. Between the color and the plumping agent in this lipstick, it just was not a product I liked or would wear again. I don’t know if it’s because I have sensitive lips or this is normal but, I didn’t like the tingling sensation from the plumping agent. I’m okay with this though because, between everything else that I received in the box, I still think the price is well worth it.
732 Airbrush Foundation Brush – Luxie
Retail Value: $38.00
I don’t often use brushes to apply foundation but, I am glad I used this brush! I’m not kidding when I say that my foundation looked SO good when I used this brush. My go-to foundation lately as been Tarte Cosmetic’s Amazonian Clay Foundation. I followed what the instructions on the card said and used circles as I applied this. The only bad part is I feel I used more foundation than I normally do with a beauty blender. I think because the brush soaks up more of the product. If my makeup can look this good all the time though, I will say it’s a fair trade-off! I plan to test the brush out with another foundation though, in the name of science.
Ojitos Brush Set – Alamar Cosmetics
Retail Value: $18.00
One thing I don’t splurge enough on is good makeup brush. I tend to buy cheaper eyeshadow brushes, only because I’d rather spend money on the products that will actually be going on my face. When I saw these in the box, I was pretty excited because I was just thinking about how I needed to buy a few more brushes. Talk about perfect timing! I used the flat pointer and blending brushes with my new palette and I was really happy with the outcome. The liner brush wasn’t used that much, only because I don’t really need it to create my “go to” looks but, I plan to use it in the future when I have more time to be creative with my looks. Overall, I’m really liking them this set.
Dolly Make-up Headband – The Vintage Cosmetic Company
Retail Value: $4.99
I thought this was a really cute headband and something different than I was expecting to receive. I don’t really use headbands to put on makeup but, maybe I should. Typically I just wear my hair back but, this would be nice to use so I don’t have to put my hair up and get a kink in the back of it from a ponytail holder. I could also see myself using this when I take a bubble bath to keep my hair out of my face. Overall very cute, and something different than the normal products in a BoxyCharm box.
Stem Cellular Anti-wrinkle Booster Serum – Juice Beauty
Retail Value: $80.00
The price tag was a little intimidating on this product. I think for $80.00 I should expect miracles right? Kidding of course (or am I?) . All jokes aside, I am digging this product so far. I think my skin does look a lot brighter, and I kind of think the wrinkles by my mouth do look much smaller and less noticeable. After applying to my skin, it didn’t feel sticky or tacky afterward like some serums do. I know as I’m getting older I need to invest better into my skincare routine, so I shouldn’t be so shocked by the price on this product but, it still is harder for me to justify with the other costs I have. I definitely plan to keep using this though and look into possibly adding it into my skin care routine.
I also received this tote bag in this month’s box. I always love having random bags around because having a kid and being on the go, sometimes you need to pack a lot more than you think. I can also store random beauty products in this bag as well, and if something spills, I can easily throw it in the washer with no stress about it, since it’s a makeup bag anyway, right?
Overall
The total value of this box was $355.99! That’s incredible, considering I only paid $49.99. The exciting part about all of this is that I know BoxyCharm will only continue to make each box, better and better. Or at least I hope so – I tend to stay optimistic in these cases and I know they want to keep growing their brand as well. I know there’s been quite a few complaints about BoxyCharm from others about too many palettes, too many of certain brands, etc. but, for someone like myself who loves makeup and getting new and full-size products, this box certainly delivers all of that for me. I hope you’ve enjoyed this review, just as much as I’ve loved being able to share with you the scoop on all the products I received.
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The Review Girls paid for this box. View our Disclosure to learn more about our process. This post may contain referral/affiliate links. If you buy something, The Review Girls may earn a commission.