Target Beauty Box : July 2016

If you’re a subscription-box-aholic like me, then you’ve seen the elusive Target beauty boxes. I’ve been trying to get my hands on one for months but by the time I remember to find them, they’ve been sold out! So I told myself, not this month. This month I will get one! And I did. Yay!

This month there were two boxes, Fresh and Fabulous and Simply Radiant. Both were $7 with no shipping fees so I got two great boxes for $14. Who could pass up a deal like that? Both boxes arrived at my house on the same day and sneak peak, I’m in love.

Fresh and Fabulous

I started with the lighter of the two boxes, eager to see what Target has in store for me…

First was the Dove Advanced Hair Series regenerative nourishment shampoo and conditioner samples. Reasons I’m now in love with these beauty boxes, they have both shampoo and conditioner! I absolutely cannot stand when a company sends me only a shampoo or only a conditioner, I don’t understand how I can truly appreciate one half of a product. The samples are a good size, I’ll be able to get a few washes out of them, enough that I’ll be able to tell what they do to my hair and scalp. It smells good, very feminine and floral.

 

Next up, Umberto Beverly Hills lifting powder. I’ve actually never tried a lifting powder before because most products dry out my scalp and cause horrible dandruff. It’s cool that I got this, I’ll be able to try it without feeling guilty about dropping $11.99 on it.

 

Garnier Clearly Brighter moisturizer. It has an SPF of 15 which is nice, not the best I’ve seen. It is extremely hydrating with no overwhelming scent… The directions on the back are for sunscreen application so I’m not sure if you’re supposed to use this like a sunscreen or a daily moisturizer… I’ll probably throw it in my purse and we’ll see if it ever gets put to use.

Another product that’s new to me is Tom’s of Maine anti plaque and whitening toothpaste. My best friend uses Tom’s deodorant and she swears by it. I used this toothpaste the day I got my beauty boxes… Unfortunately, it didn’t leave my mouth with the minty clean feeling I’m used to. The sample is a good size for travel so I’ll stick in my emergency bag in my car just in case I ever need toothpaste on the go.

And a product that I already have in another shade, NYX Butter Lipstick in Moonlit Night. It is a very soft lipstick and is extremely pigmented… However it feels more like a gloss than a lipstick. Even after an hour, it does not pass the kiss test and it does leave a noticeable stain on my lips for a few hours after removing it. I like it for a look, but it’s not my every day product.

The last item in this box is the Sweet Spot LABS on the go wipette. There are three scents in this box: grapefruit, vanilla, and orange. I’m not super excited about this product and I probably won’t ever be purchasing it, the wipes are super scented and wet and I usually find these kind of products strange. If you need them and buy them and use them, cool for you. I won’t try to fix what isn’t broken. I do like to have these in my purse and I use them to clean anything sticky wherever I am. I’ll end up using these like wet wipes. *shrug*

Six products for seven dollars is a deal I love. These products are all deluxe in size and affordable in store.

Simply Radiant

If you’re torn between the two boxes and don’t want to splurge on both, I recommend the Simply Radiant option. It was definitely my choice.

The first thing to catch my eye in this box was the full sized (what!?) Dessange Paris balancing shampoo. I’m absolutely okay with this not coming with the conditioner because I will not be the one using it, Eduardo will! We’ve tried at least six different shampoo/conditioner combos and nothing, I mean nothing, helps the fact that his hair is an oily mess. This shampoo is green clay based, something we haven’t tried before. It smells like dirt and salt, not at all girly or feminine, but not manly either. It is the stickiest shampoo I think I’ve ever seen but it claims to work wonders on oily roots and dry ends… Fingers crossed it works out!

With this box already considered a win the next item was Wet & Wild’s cat eye fanatic mascara. It’s a full sized product, score, that I wouldn’t have picked up for myself. It has a strangely shaped brush that’s supposed to create the perfect cat eyes on your lashes… (I thought that the cat eye thing was for eyeliner but okay.) It’s nice, soft, pigmented, everything I expect from Wet & Wild. I also don’t expect Wet & Wild to stay in place or provide any resistance when it comes to water. I was proven right about two hours later when my eyes started to water and the mascara flooded my face. If you’re not crying at least once every hour, this would work just fine for you. I’m sure my sister will appreciate another mascara in her collection.

I think that this next product discovered where the ‘grandma’ smell comes from, superfruit (grapefruit)! Acure facial cleansing gel with a superfruit scent. Eduardo will use this, he’s obsessed with face wash and will try anything. It does smell like old ladies, warning if you think this will smell like fruit or flowers or something girly, it is not a youthful smell. It’s not overpowering enough that I won’t let him use it before bed so don’t take it as this thing smells horrible, it really doesn’t, but if old people scare you or something, this probably isn’t for you.

A nice product to always have on hand in the bathroom or kitchen or first aid kid or purse or anywhere really is Aquaphor healing ointment. It doesn’t smell like anything or leave crazy, sticky residue. It says it can be used for *loud inhale*: irritated skin, dry hand, dry cuticles, cracked heels or feet, chapped lips, minor cuts and scrapes, friction and minor burns, drool rash, and diaper rash. We used this at the daycare I worked in all the time, for all of these problems. It has magical healing properties that make all boo-boos better when kisses aren’t an option. It is super hydrating and wonderful, and I honestly think this product has no faults. Woo!

L’Oreal Paris color vibrancy shampoo and conditioner, again I love it when we get the combo, but I don’t color my hair anymore and my sister thinks these color vibrant products are drying, this will be the only product I put in the donation pile. It does smell good, I think it smells like Fun-Dip but Eduardo didn’t agree with me (whatever).

And the last product in this box is the Derma e firming dmae eye lift serum. We have a lot of trouble sleeping so I’ll do almost anything to get the skin under my eyes tight instantly, this product is not really the answer to those instant issues. Maybe I’ll see a difference after using it for a few weeks or months or something but this was actually the only non-substantially sized sample so meh. *throws bottle over shoulder*

Again, six fabulous ‘samples’ for seven dollars, not at all a bad deal. These Target beauty boxes are absolutely my newest obsession and I will be anxiously awaiting the next one!