First thoughts time! 

This August Beauty Box was probably the first time I was disappointed by a box. As some of you know, Kinder Beauty Box is now releasing two options for boxes that get sent out at random. (I did notice that it seemed like the first batch of receivers got one box, and the second batch got the other box, so it seemed a little less “random” in that regard. And I don’t know how it’s determined who gets one over the over/who is in the first batch and who is in the second.) When I bought my 6-month prepaid subscription, this wasn’t the case, and everyone was only getting one box. However, with more people subscribing, Kinder released a statement that essentially said they would be able to highlight more clean, vegan products and to more people by releasing two boxes every month, rather than just one. We all know that that means you have a 50/50 chance now of getting a box you may not love.  

I got lucky in July with the box I preferred, but in August, I got the preferential shorter end of the stick. Also, I want to clarify that I do try to be surprised by these boxes, and not too heavily invested in looking at the two options before they come lest I get my heart set on one, and inevitably disappointed when the other one comes instead! The aforementioned is based on research I’ve done after the fact. Without further ado: first thoughts on… 

The Tulip Collection. 

Eco Lips: Lip + Cheek Tint in Pink (Retail Value: $8.99)

I’m not going to lie, I haven’t even opened this product at time of writing. So maybe I’ll update after I feel the texture, but I don’t want jojoba oil on my face. Okay so, after trying it out on my hand, I do have to say it’s a little more practical than I imagined. I envisioned a chapstick-like consistency, but it’s definitely less thick than that. The pink shade is more peachy, and when you blend the product into your skin, it will either show up as a shimmery sheen, or sort of disappear altogether. I’ve had this issue with Kinder Beauty Brand but I can’t help but continue to think the products are geared towards people with lighter shades!

100% Pure: Creamy Long Last Liner in Dark Cacao (Retail Value: $26)

You know what’s strange? This is an eyeliner and I think I would have preferred it to be a lipliner. Brown eyeliner just doesn’t do a lot for me. Maybe if I wore eyeliner on the water line or knew anything about smudging it into a smokey eye, the brown would be a better option than your classic black. However, not for me. I sound like a hater — let me say something nice. After opening it and feeling its texture, it does seem  high quality! Very smooth and soft on my skin! I have it pretty dark on my hand here and you can make it look almost black. It also seemed easy to get off just by rubbing it away, which could be a good or bad thing depending on your  night.

Delia Organics: Dew Drops Serum (Retail Value: $41.99, originally advertised as $30)

Another serum. The way I would be furious if I paid $30 for this bottle with packaging LIKE THIS? Am I being too harsh? It just looks like it was photo-copied at home with a printer that was low on ink. You can see the faded logo in the picture above as  compared to the  doctor label below where it says “Dew  Drops Serum.” Oh no. And to not be fooled: this is also a plastic bottle, not glass as you may imagine. I can’t say anything about the product itself, and I’m not not excited about the serum itself, but I just can’t get over the packaging. I do need to incorporate serums into my skincare routine and I haven’t been good about researching where it fits. Please give me your skincare routines below!
I should say though that the ingredients are very clean, a beautiful combination of oils and essential oils, like  lavender, rosemary, sweet  orange, and bergamot. However, be aware: the combination of scents in this product will leave your hands smelling like Fruit Loops. That’s the God-honest truth.

Delizioso Skincare: Watermelon & CoQ10 Facial Polish (Retail Value: $39.95)

Okay, I feel like I need to research what exactly is a micro sphere polish? And also what’s COQ10? Am I late on everything? Should I know? I’m not a specialist in literally anything so, as representation for people like me, I don’t think this is common knowledge. I’ll try to figure it out for you so you don’t have to. (According to their website, “CoQ10 boosts skin repair and regeneration and reduces free radical damage. Furthermore, CoQ10 is a small molecule that can relatively easily penetrate into skin cells creating a firm even canvas.” The product is designed to aid most in anti-aging.
However, the only thing about this product that stood out is… unfortunately, that it leaked all over the rest of the box. Luckily there’s enough packaging that sort of soaked it up before it got on too much of the other products, but the item itself then was a little lacking. But, I emailed customer service because I saw on Kinder Beauty’s instagram that this happened to quite a few people, explained the situation, and they sent a new one expeditiously! Customer service? 10/10. I did receive a new one the following week! That alone makes me excited to try it! 

GLOV: Biobased Pocket Mirror (Retail Value: $10 – Not found on Glov’s website)

This item was so forgettable that I closed this window before realizing I still had to talk about it. But even with that being said, I actually think it’s going to come in handy. Out to lunch and want to check nothing’s in your teeth? Need to double check your SPF has melted into your skin flawlessly? Let me pull out my pocket mirror. I don’t know when people stopped carrying these around. Maybe with the advent of the selfie camera. But there’s something sort of glamorous about taking out a mirror and snapping it shut when you’re done. There’s a specific purpose, an intention, behind using one. I love that for us. A single update though: it’s weirdly difficult to open??? It took too much effort to open this first thing this morning just for me to see that my breakout from last night was still red and prospering.

Please let me know if you have tried any of these products, if you’re subscribed to any monthly beauty boxes, and what you think! I’d love to know. 

Love, 

Nazara