I was on the fence about writing a post about this box mostly because... well, does anyone read blog posts that much anymore? It seems like most people prefer video reviews which I'm not about ready to do anytime soon. Anyhow, I have a love/hate relationship with beauty boxes lately -- they are great for trying out new products, but makeup boxes are notoriously difficult for getting makeup that matches or works well with my skin tone. Last year I subbed to Ipsy and Birchbox to build out my bridesmaids bags and while that worked out wonderfully for them, I would think to myself, "This would suck if this were just a box for me or just one of the girls, but it's great to split up amongst four of them." So when Essence offered a first box for $1, I figured that's a deal.
I'm slowly working my way through each of the samples, but this is seriously the first box I've ever gotten whereby I actually might use everything in it. I want to take a moment to appreciate the awesomeness of this. Yes, there is no "true" makeup inside, but come on, this is amazing. In this month's box I received:
- Ciaté London Mini Paint Pot in Pillow Talk
- Completely Bare Shave Serum
- Dickinson's Witch Hazel Towelettes
- Ouidad Curl Immersion Triple Treat Conditioner
- Pop Beauty Kajal Pen in Inky Purple
- Pur~Lisse Blue Lotus Essential Daily Moisturizer
The Nail Polish: At first I was a little bit sad that the colour I got was more of a "pebble gray." I tried it on anyway and got really annoyed at how gummy it got as I was painting my nails. After it dried though, it was wonderfully smooth and held up without any chips for quite a few days. The colour itself grew on me so I'm actually quite happy to have gotten this.
The Shaving Serum: Admittedly, I didn't realize it was a serum till I started using it. I figured that it was similar to Whish Shaving Cream that I got a few months ago. Not quite. My skin felt so moisturized during the shave and afterwards which is a great feeling for dry skin. I love this serum and I'm thrilled to now know that there are awesome things out there for shaving.
The Hair Conditioner: I saw "kinky" curls on the label and was a little bit afraid. My hair is curly (or swurly) so I knew either my hair would freak out and get all dry like it does after I use coconut oil or it would be happy. It chose to be happy! My hair was much curlier and felt bouncier after using it. Once again, I'm thrilled to have this in a box because ordinarily, I would shy away from a product like this.
I have yet to try the other products however I will say that I've liked how well Dickinson's and Pur~Lisse has worked for me in the past. So I definitely am glad they were in the box and look forward to using them next. I have heard of Pop Beauty before but I never used their products, so once again, I'm glad to be exposed to a line that I haven't used before.
Overall, this was a fantastic start to the Essence Beauty Box and I'm excited to see what comes through in next month's box. Although I was able to snag the first box with a code for $1, subsequent boxes cost $15 a month.
The Shaving Serum: Admittedly, I didn't realize it was a serum till I started using it. I figured that it was similar to Whish Shaving Cream that I got a few months ago. Not quite. My skin felt so moisturized during the shave and afterwards which is a great feeling for dry skin. I love this serum and I'm thrilled to now know that there are awesome things out there for shaving.
The Hair Conditioner: I saw "kinky" curls on the label and was a little bit afraid. My hair is curly (or swurly) so I knew either my hair would freak out and get all dry like it does after I use coconut oil or it would be happy. It chose to be happy! My hair was much curlier and felt bouncier after using it. Once again, I'm thrilled to have this in a box because ordinarily, I would shy away from a product like this.
I have yet to try the other products however I will say that I've liked how well Dickinson's and Pur~Lisse has worked for me in the past. So I definitely am glad they were in the box and look forward to using them next. I have heard of Pop Beauty before but I never used their products, so once again, I'm glad to be exposed to a line that I haven't used before.
Overall, this was a fantastic start to the Essence Beauty Box and I'm excited to see what comes through in next month's box. Although I was able to snag the first box with a code for $1, subsequent boxes cost $15 a month.
