I always look forward to seeing subscription boxes hit my doorstep.  One of my favorites arrived recently.  Beauty Box 5 April 2014 was really exciting for me!  As soon as I opened it up I saw 4 things straight away that really caught my eye!  The theme of this box is “Shades of Beauty” and they say they know that we are busy but our beauty routines don’t have to move at breakneck speed.  They focused on looks that call for a little leisurely layering so we can enjoy mornings and take more time for ourselves.  “Rome wasn’t built in a day and a breezy spring look is totally worth an extra minute or two.”

If you aren’t familiar with Beauty Box 5 they are a subscription box that delivers 5 products every month.   You can get the membership and pay for it in a few different ways: monthly for $12, quarterly for $30, and yearly for $99.  Anyway, this The only box is special because it is their anniversary/birthday box.  Let’s see what is in it!

The sample product in the Beauty Box 5 April 2014 was the Jergens Natural Glow 3 Days To Glow moisturizer.  I have used Jergens Natural Glow for years now and I think that it is fabulous.  Back when I used to lay in the tanning bed I would use this additionally because it always left me looking super brown.  I never got those ugly orange tones.  Also, since I quit laying in the tanning bed this product becomes even more important for me.  My legs have trouble tanning so this is a staple product for me!  Full size is $9.99.

Something I was surprised and happy to see were the Blum Naturals All Purpose Cleansing Wipes ($2.49). They are infused with aloe vera and perfect for removing eye makeup or fixing minor mistakes.  They are also hypo-allergenic, paraben-free, and not tested on animals.  I know that the majority of my readers are (a) moms and/or (b) students of either college or high school.  Those that fit into that category will ABSOLUTELY understand how nice it is to get wipes in a travel friendly container.  We are always on the go and travel-friendly ANYTHING is welcomed.  I love having wipes in my handbag, in my glove compartment, in my kitchen drawer, everywhere really!

Bonne Bell is a brand that I fell in love with in middle school and never quit using.  Their lip glosses are particularly my favorite.  In the Beauty Box 5 April 2014 there was a Lip Definer ($3.95) included in the shade Boysenberry.  It is a beautiful berry shade and I think it will pair perfectly with many different shades of lipstick!  It does a great job of preventing feathering and makes for a beautifully bold lip if you fill in your entire lip and top it off with a clear gloss.

This lipstick from Nicka K is really nice.  It is the Hydra Lipstick ($4.99) formula and the shade is Concerto.  It is a paraben-free, lightweight, super-pigmented lipstick that provides super hydration and full-bodied color!  I wore this today to a cookout with friends.  We were at their house for 4 hours and when I got in my husband’s truck to go home I looked in the mirror and my lipstick was still there.  I ate, drank, chit-chatted and it lasted through it.  Granted, I did use it with the lip liner from this box, but wow!

The thing I was most excited about seeing included in the box was probably the biggest let down.  It is technically a sample but I would consider it a small eyeshadow palette.  BH Cosmetics released 3 palettes recently: Hollywood, San Francisco, and Malibu.  There is one shade from each of the palettes in this mini palette: a purple, copper, and gold.  The only one that wasn’t a disappointment was the gold from the Malibu palette.

The purple looks super bold/dark in the pan but lacks pigmentation completely.  The Copper is just okay.  The Gold is BEAUTIFUL!  It is a yellow toned gold and its the only one that has good texture.  I dipped my fingertips into each of the shades and the first two felt hard and plasticy and the Malibu shade was similar to a Wet N Wild or Urban Decay shade.

Here are the swatches of all of the items from the box.  The first 3 are the eyeshadow palette, then the lipstick and then the lipliner.

I put together a look using the shades from this palette.  I like the entire look turned out.  All the shades worked with each other REALLY well.  The eye look was stressful to put together.  I had to apply layer after layer of the copper and purple shade.  The gold was amazing though.  My skin tone wouldn’t allow for just a wash of gold though, so grrr…  As you can see the Bonne Bell Boysenberry lip liner and the Nicka K Concerto lipstick really paired well together even though they weren’t similar in color.

A closer look at the eye shadows and you can see that the gold is really vibrant and the other two are not.  The color of the purple is just really different in real life than it is in the pan.  The copper shade had to be built up a LOT to resemble itself at all.  I guess it would make a good crease blend color.  Overall I am happy with the look I got from the three eyeshadows.

Beauty Box 5 April 2014 was a hit for me.  I love getting actual makeup in my boxes and this one was packed full!  I am also really happy that I got wipes to throw in my diaper bag or hand bag (I switch them out depending on what I am set out to do for the day).  You should definitely check out the box for yourself.  I look forward to it month after month!

*This box was provided for editorial consideration/an honest review.  All opinions are my own.  Affiliate links in use.

I love a little bling.  New jewelry always makes me giddy.  Cate and Chloe has a new VIP Membership that is really fun!  It is basically a subscription box but with a twist.  It runs $39.99 a month and what that gets you is a new piece of jewelry sent to your door every 15 days.  You heard it right, not once a month!  Twice a month!  Within those two shipments a month you are guaranteed to get at least $2oo worth of designer pieces!

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There is a new exciting Ciate London product on the market!  Cuticle Tattoos.  I have been posting about these on my social media accounts in the last couple days and I have gotten some mixed reactions.  Some people think they are silly, some people thing they are fun.  That will vary person to person.  I am a person that believes in the “do what you like” state of mind and I personally love these.  With all the nail art out there (that I am terrible at creating) I was waiting for something easy and fun and DIFFERENT!  Plus you can experience the look of a tattoo without the lifetime of commitment.

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