Beauty Box 5
We're a beauty sampling subscription box that sends you 5 deluxe samples from our favorite brands every month for $12. We're constantly on a quest to find the perfect lipstick.
Bliss in blue and magenta.
I’m a minimalist. Or at least I try to tell myself I am.
Whether it’s cosmetics or fashion, I try find quality items and purge often (easier said than done), but I’m always thinking “what if?” What if I really need that short sequin dress? What if there is a day I DO want to wear that sample of lime eyeshadow?
What I love about BH Cosmetics is that I don’t have to agonize over the “what if?” Their palettes are full of playful brights, subtle colors, and every day neutrals– I can have everything I want, and use everything I need in just once place.
This April we featured the California Collection Palette, which showcases standout shades from other Cali-themed palettes, including a basic bronze, bright gold, and a rich purple. Perfect for beginners or eyeshadow addicts, these shadows are blendable and feminine.
I like all the colors in these adorable mini, but my favorite is the gold (I’m trying to achieve sun goddess status) and the purple, which I’ve used it at the corner of my lids to upgrade a basic eye and applied wet with an angled brush for a DIY liner!
Why shouldn’t your hair look good and SMELL good?
This month we featured Natural Curl Enhancing Mousse from Design Essentials and folks loved it! Infused with olive oil, this quick drying product is formulated to give your curls moisture, hold, definition, and sheen– without the crunch.
Need convincing? This is what Natalia, our curly-haired and super stylish Art Director, had to say:
“This is one my favorite products from March’s box! I have curly/frizzy hair and rarely ever find a mousse that leaves my curls light, defined and soft. This product works great for both natural curls and styling. After styling my hair, I put a dab on my hand and gently scrunched up the curls, working the product into my hair. It has the best scent out of any mousse I’ve used!”
Tree Hut rocks my world.
I had the pleasure of trying each body butter, hand cream, and foot scrub we featured this month and from the fabulous fruity scents, to the lusciously thick formulas, this brand can do no wrong!
At a certain point in your life, taking good care of your skin becomes really important.
For a long time I focused on lipstick and eyeliner, accepting that my skin was never going to glow or look like Naomi Campbell’s due to years of acne-filled struggles and my frustration with foundation. However, about a year or two ago I started using cleansers, exfoliators, and night creams and I was really impressed by how much nicer my skin felt– I was hooked.
When I first saw this product, I can admit I was a bit intimidated at first touch, even as an exfoliating enthusiast. The natural loofah feels a little hard in its natural state, but I decided to trust Swissco because I’ve loved their other exfoliating products (seriously, using the Bath and Shower Exfoliating Gloves is my favorite part of my shower routine), and this pad did not disappoint!
Now a permanent fixture in my exfoliating routine, I use this little guy twice a week with whatever cleanser I’m testing out. It stimulates the blood circulation in my face, gets of dead skin, and, most importantly, leaves my cheeks so smooth!
Luxurious Volume is a great line to stock up on, especially if you worship highlights, or frequently dye your locks. Designed primarily to help our ladies with color-treated hair, this shampoo and conditioner duo gives oomph, but not weight, to any hair type (colored or not) and delivers salon-style results for a fraction of the price!
Although I’m currently rocking my natural colors, I still really like the Luxurious Volume products because they give my woefully flat and fine hair a pretty sheen and the volume that I crave.
When I use Luxurious Volume I have a hard time NOT touching my hair, because it feel so soft and looks so nice!
As a short woman, I always get excited when I find petite products that deliver, which is why the Makeup Base from Bellapierre Cosmetics is one of my favorite samples from this month’s beauty box!
This creamy ivory base is not only waterproof, but it’s also multi-use, which is great for your purse. And your wallet. Not only can you use it as a base for your foundation, a primer for your eyeshadow, and a concealer (for the very light-skinned ladies), but it also makes for a fabulous matte under eye illuminator!
For days when I don’t get enough sleep, I gently use my finger to apply the base in a back and forth motion under my eyes and continue applying around the bone, extending to just under my brows, to subtly brighten my skin and make me look more awake.
World, meet Jane’s Pick!
An all-natural winner, these lovely handmade soaps are made from an earthy blend of essentials oils, herbs, and flowers. Personally, I love the smell and latherability (is that a word? It should be a word) of these soaps, but my favorite thing is actually just the way they look.
As a girl who cares quite a lot about appearances, Jane’s Pick All Natural Soaps pass my expectations with flying colors! Everything from the calming green package to the natural and gorgeous patterns in each bar make me a happy girl.
My take? Bar soap gets an unwarranted bad rep!
In the past I’ve tended to associated bar soap with an old-school crowd thanks to childhood experiences (hey, Grammy!) and I was wary to give my sample a go because my skin is on the dry side, but I’m pleased to report that the soap didn’t leave my shins and elbows at all flaky!
BB5 Tip: These bars are so gentle that you can even use them on your face if you’re in a pinch!
Although I prefer to use this soap as a body wash or shaving cream substitute, I seriously appreciate that using it as a face wash is a possibility. A little unconventional, I guess, but they are so pretty!
Loved your sample sliver of Jane’s Pick? We knew you could!
Whether you are looking to beautiful your bathroom, or give a thoughtful gift to a fellow bar soap enthusiast, you should check out all the different fragrances on our shop and pick up a generous full-size bar for $8 from our shop!
Smell ya later,
Alexa
Dude, it’s chilly out there.
And while I don’t necessarily dislike cold weather (okay, that’s not true, but I am originally from the north), I REALLY don’t like what the cold does to my skin. Dry fingers are not the most attractive, and if it gets really bad out, my skin can crack– gross AND painful.
Luckily, I have a collection of lotions that work really well, and I just added h2o to my list. The Spa Hand and Nail Cream we featured this month is lightweight but powerful, so it absorbs into my skin right away– my hands never feel greasy or have that weird sheen that some intense creams leave.
Although I’m still an oil girl at heart, this Detoxifying Body Butter from Amala is just the thing to pamper my skin during the dry and cold months.
Made with myrtle, fig, and olive oil, this body butter is seriously the best winter-time lotion I’ve ever used. The creamy, thick, non-greasy formula softened my rough patches, made my skin smell like myrtle (a criminally underrated scent), and was a delightful way to start my morning.
I was able to do my whole body with just one packet and I immediately started worrying about when I could fit a full-size of this into my budget.
Cursed with little baby lashes? Girl, I feel you.
Until last year I was strictly an eyeliner girl because my lashes are so tiny that I can hardly see them behind my glasses, even after curling and generously applying mascara. However, after discovering the joys of my local Sephora, I started experimenting with (quality) mascara and found a few that don’t leave me feeling lash-less.
I was excited for us to feature Elizabeth Mott’s It’s So Big in the February box because I LOVE when we share eye-centric cosmetics, and because I think it’s great mascara! In complete honesty, I found this mascara to be a little more lengthening than volumizing (it makes my itty bitty lashes look so much longer!), which is why I think it’s the perfect perfect daytime tool. It definitely offers a little drama, but is very natural and office-appropriate at the same time.
The best part? The wand makes it super easy to do my bottom lashes, which is usually a chore with most brushes.