Walmart Beauty Box (Trendsetter): Fall 2018.

Walmart Beauty Box is a subscription box which ships automatically four times a year once you have signed up for it. Containing a selection of full-sized products, samples, minis and money off coupons, the box itself is free but you must pay $5.00 for shipping and processing. There are two versions of the box intended to appeal to different age groups. I receive the 'Trendsetter' box aimed at younger customers, there is also a 'Classic' box for older customers. Let's take a look inside the Fall Trendsetter box.

Full size and Mini Items.

Freeman Beauty Hydrating Water Gel Mask.

Even though they are single use items I am counting this mask and the lip patch as full sized as they retail individually. Freeman Masks are a drugstore staple. I already have a big stash of masks but I like that this is packaged as a one time use and I do enjoy hydrating masks, I'm thinking this could be a good one to pop into my bag to use after a flight. If I don't use it Mr C&C will so it won't go to waste.

Verdict: Thumbs up. 

Sooae My Collagen Hydrogel Lip Patch.

This is something that I wouldn't think to purchase for myself but I have seen these KBeauty patches on several people's Instagrams and as I suffer from dry lips I'm intrigued to give this a try. Who knows I may have found a new product to love?
Verdict: Thumbs up. 

PanteneFoam Conditioner 'Sheer Volume'.

I had this exact same conditioner in last months box, and while I don't enjoy getting repeat products this is something that I will use (and I would rather get a repeat of something that I will use than a new item that I won't). I can't help but feel that these conditioners are a little gimmicky but I do like Pantene products and I'm always happy to have extra conditioners to hand as I always use way more conditioner than shampoo. I've already tried this out and while it's not the greatest conditioner I have ever used, it is okay. I've not noticed it adding much in the way of volume but equally, it doesn't weigh my hair down.

Verdict: Thumbs up.

Maybelline MasterPrecise Allday Liquid Liner.

I don't use Liquid Eye Liners but this is a decent sized product that draws a fine line and the liquid flows easily. I'm sure someone who uses a liquid liner would be happy to find this in a beauty box so while it's not my personal preference I can't fault its inclusion.

Verdict: Thumbs Up.

Biore Charcoal Micellar Water.

I like using micellar water for daily eye makeup removal and minis are great for travel. Biore is a pretty good brand and while I'm not sure what advantages the addition of charcoal makes I'm looking forward to trying this out. I think this is the best product in this box!

Verdict: Two thumbs up. 

Hello Activated Charcoal Toothpaste.

I've had this in a previous box but like the conditioner, it is something that I will use. I do really like the Hello toothpastes which have a fairly natural formulation and are SLS free. This one is mildly minty but is a little messy as it is a black toothpaste.

Verdict: Thumbs up.

Samples.

Kleenex Wet Wipe.

I had one of these in the last box as well. As I said then I will try and pop it in my bag next time I fly or go on the train but in reality, it will probably end up forgotten in a drawer. I know this is 'free'so I shouldn't complain but I do think the inclusion of one wipe is a bit rubbish!

Verdict: Meh.   

La Bella Avocado Oil Shampoo and Styling Gel.

I don't know anything about this brand at all. I will use the shampoo sachet but I won't use the gel.

Verdict: Okay.

Nivea Aloe Vera Body Lotion.

I love Nivea body products but I know from experience that these sachets are tiny. There is literally enough product for one arm and a bit! I will use (and enjoy) this but I can't help but feel that sachets of body lotion are a bit wasteful unless they contain a decent amount.

Verdict: Okay.

Overall.

Walmart's Summer Beauty Box was such a bust for me that I vowed to cancel my subscription if this one was as bad, luckily however, I'm actually rather pleased with the fall box. There's a good selection of products including some minis that will be great for travel and I'm looking forward to trying out the lip mask. There's definitely more than $5.00 worth of product here so I'm happy! Walmart has redeemed itself in my eyes and for the meantime I will continue with my subscription, in fact, after this box I'm eagerly anticipating the Winter edition!

If you would like to subscribe to Walmart Beauty Boxes you can do so by going to walmart.com Details and sign up can be found under 'special offers' in the online beauty section and you can sign up for both versions of the box 'Trendsetter' and 'Classic' if you wish.

Space NK Autumn Beauty Edit GWP: September 2018.

Here's another extremely overdue look at a GWP goody bag. This time it is the Space NK Autumn Beauty Edit GWP (or perhaps I say 'Fall' as it is the giftbag from their American stores?) 

Out of all the beauty retailers, Space NK has THE best GWP's as far as I am concerned. Their Beauty Edit bags are available in the Spring and Autumn and while there is a rather large spend required to nab one I assure you that you won't be at all disappointed - not only are the bags that the products are gifted in always superb, there is always a skincare heavy selection of products from truly top of the range brands. 

These gifts are always available while stocks last but it's worth getting one early on as they do sometimes run out quite quickly. They are available for both in-store and online purchases and while the minimum spend has varied with recent promotions this one required a purchase of $285.00 (pre-tax). It is a hefty sum of money but I always plan my yearly beauty shops around these events and the bag itself always has a value far superior to the amount spent - this years bag had contents worth $560.00!!

Skincare.

I've already got stuck into the travel sized tube of Odacite Black Mint Cleanser and it is fantastic! A very lightly foaming cleanser with just enough mint to feel refreshing and invigorating, I have been eagerly reaching for this as a morning cleanser and I can certainly see myself purchasing this in the future.

I'm not a big fan of physical exfoliators and only use them perhaps once a week so while the inclusion of three of them doesn't thrill me it does mean that I have about a years supply so won't have to buy any. 

I have previously used African Botanics Buchu Enzyme Polish and found it to be quite gentle. Chantecaille Bamboo & Hibiscus Exfoliating Cream is another one that I have used before but as it contains both grains and fruit acids it is quite strong and so I will mix a teeny amount of this into a creamy cleanser to make it less harsh. I haven't tried VenEffect Micro Exfoliant before. 

Malin+Goetz Brightening Enzyme Mask is another exfoliator but it is purely a chemical one using naturally derived AHAs to cleanse and brighten. I've used this previously and found it to be a fantastic mask that leaves my skin evenly toned and fresh looking. The other mask in the bag is Goldfaden MD Facial Detox Clarify+Clear Mask. I've also used this before, it deep cleans and zaps pimples away while feeling very calming and I like it a lot. 

There is also a sheet mask for the eye area, 111 Skin Celestial Black Diamond Eye Mask. I'm not big on sheet masks but I've made a habit of popping them into my bag whenever I'm going to be away from home so I have something to revive my skin after travel.

I've been absolutely loving everything I have been using by REN recently, so although I've not particularly liked their Keep Young and Beautiful Instant Firming Beauty Shot in the past I'm interested to give it another go.

I'm also looking forward to trying Sunday Riley C.E.O. Serum as not only is Sunday Riley one of my favourite brands I've been seeing a real difference in the clarity of my skin lately when I use Vitamin C products. Eve Lom Radiance Face Oil also contains Vitamin C for overnight brightening and hydration and for either day or nighttime use there's a jar of Dr Dennis Gross C+Collagen Deep Cream which I have used before and been impressed by (which is no surprise as I love almost anything by DDG!) 

On the days I'm not exfoliating or using an overnight Vitamin C cream I will be using either Clark's Botanicals Retinol Rescue Overnight Cream which I can't wait to try out (Clark's Botanicals are another brand whose products I absolutely love) or Verso Night Cream, another Retinol product that is one of my tried and tested favourites.

There's only one sample of eye cream in this year's bag but it's a good one, Derm Institute Youth Alchemy Eye Cream. I'm thrilled to get a chance to try this out as this cream is seriously expensive - I'm talking way beyond my budget - and I have been extremely impressed by everything that I have tried from this brand. 

There is also a sample of Natura Bisse Tensolift Neck Cream that I always enjoy using but would never purchase as I honestly don't see the need for a separate neck cream. 

I'm not delighted with the inclusion of Rodial Bee Venom Moisturizer, merely because of the ethics of sourcing and collecting bee venom, but as I have it I will use it so as not to waste it. However, the inclusion of a 1oz bottle of Omorovicza Balancing Moisturizer makes my heart sing as it's such a generous sample from a truly luxe brand!

Makeup.

I was a little disappointed to receive yet another mini Lipstick Queen Frog Prince Lipstick but a full-sized ByTerry Stylo Blackstar blendable Eye Liner made up for it. 

I'm looking forward to trying Hourglass Caution Mascara* as I have heard such good things about it, I always use mini mascaras from gift bags and rarely have to buy a full sized one. 

Minis of Ilia Soft Focus Finishing Powder and Kevyn Aucoin The Sculpting Powder have made their way into my stash for me to try out.

Bodycare.

Susanne Kaufmann Ringelblumenol Body Oil was the only body care item. I've used Susanne Kaufmann oils before and they are very high quality and a little goes a long way so this 1oz bottle will last me for some time. 

Perfume.

There was just one perfume sample but it was a good one - a 10ml spray of Diptyque Fleur de Peau which is one of their Limited Edition scents that I have had my eye on!

Haircare.

This year there were five haircare items in the bag. Bumble+Bumble Hairdressers Oil Heat and UV Primer is a little too heavy for my locks so I will pass this along to someone else. 

I'm happy to try the generous sized Miriam Quevedo Sublime Gold Shampoo though as I do like this range of haircare. I will pair it with the sample of Philip B Lightweight Deep Conditioning Creme Rinse which is an effective lightweight conditioner that I have used before.

Styling products included are Oribe Mystify Restyling Spray which instantly conditions and refreshes hair and Ouai Wave Spray which adds choppy piece-iness to hair without drying it or leaving a lot of residue.  

If you like the look of this bag do keep your eyes peeled around the beginning of February for the Spring Beauty Edit GWP!

spacenk.com/us

  *I did receive this mascara in the Barneys gift bag, some years there are a lot of crossover products with these two bags, this year it was just this mascara and a face mask by Malin+Goetz.

Empties: September 2018.

Because I concentrated on using up foil sachet samples in September my empties pile of full-sized and mini products was somewhat smaller than normal. Nevertheless, I did use up six full sized products and thirteen minis/ non-sachet samples. 

Skincare.

I only finished three full-sized skincare items but they were all great. 

I love Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser. It is great at balancing my combination skin without leaving it feeling stripped or tight and I love how easy to use it is and how cooling it feels on my skin. It's not cheap but a bottle lasts a long time as you don't need to use much of it. I've gone through quite a few bottles of it over the years and already have a new one in stock. 

Caudalie Grape Water is one of my favourite 'waters in a tin'. It is refreshing as a spritz and I also use it to spray between layers of product and as a rinse after cleansing. The nozzle delivers a fine mist and the can is huge. I'm currently working my way through the face sprays that I already have but when the time comes I will repurchase this. 

Kane Serum Savant was an item I found on sale (normally this all-around serum is eye-wateringly expensive). I loved the futuristic packaging of this and while I didn't dislike the serum I can't say that I noticed it doing much to my skin. I'm glad I got the opportunity to try this but I don't think I would repurchase it even if I saw it on sale.

I used six samples of skincare, three of which were cleansers. Cerave Foaming Facial Cleanser was too foamy and stripping for me so I ended up using it as a handwash. Tarte Deep Dive Cleansing Gel did a good job of removing makeup and felt gentle. It foamed ever so lightly without any drying effects but I wasn't too keen on the scent as it smelled a little washing up liquid like. I expected to like Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Cleansing Gel more than I did. I used it as a morning face wash and while there wasn't anything wrong with it, it was just a little underwhelming and boring to use.

Eve Lom Rescue Mask is a classic clay mask with a Eucalyptus like fragrance. It deep cleans without drying out skin and flannels off easily, it also does a great job of drawing out and drying up spots and blemishes. 

I used Rodial Dragon's Blood Sculpting Gel as a serum. It is one of those products that seem to sit on the top of your skin and offer a temporary tightening lift but that's all it does. Unfortunately another underwhelming product for me that's not worth me buying. Natura Bisse Tensolift Neck Cream is lightly textured yet rich in feel. I don't dislike this but I don't feel the need for a targeted neck treatment so while I was happy to use this I would never buy it.

Haircare, Bodycare, Makeup and Perfume.

I used one haircare sample, Karite Hydrating Shine Day Cream. I liked this unscented leave in conditioner, it didn't weigh down my hair and left it detangles and nicely softened.

I used four bodycare samples, three of which were body lotions. Both of the Aveeno lotions (Daily Moisturising Lotion and Skin Relief Gentle Scent Lotion) were hydrating and soothing but a little boring. Free & Lovely Coconut & Rose Body Butter from Bodycology was a nicely textured cream that melted into my skin but I found the scent a little sickly. Molton Brown Shower Gel has a great formula and the 'Rose Absolue' fragrance of this one was lovely, a grown-up deep velvety rose and I liked it a lot.

I used up four makeup items. I'm gutted to have finished Kevyn Aucoin Single Eye Shadow in 'Soft Clay' #104 as these single powder shadows have seemingly been discontinued. This pale grey-pink shade has been my daily go-to colour for the past couple of years, not only was the colour easy to wear, the formula was great, very easy to blend with a strong long lasting pigment and very little fallout. ByTerry Terrrybly Growth Booster Mascara lasts all day and darkens, thickens and lengthens without getting clumpy. I've not noticed any extra growth in my lashes but it's a great formula that makes lashes look enhanced but subtly so.

Chantecaille Le Camouflage Stylo has a built-in click brush-type applicator that makes it easy to apply. It's easy to blend and doesn't settle into creases. I like to use this under my eyes, it minimizes the appearance of dark circles making my eye area and whole face look brighter. 

I'm not much of a face powder user but it was so hot and humid this year I found I needed one whenever I was wearing makeup. ByTerry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder is totally transparent and doesn't settle into fine lines. It is slightly mattifying which isn't my favourite thing but it did make my makeup last in the heat and it is so fine I couldn't feel it on my skin at all.

Finally, I used three vials of perfume. Hermes Twilly is a powdery white floral which I found a little heavy and old-fashioned. Victor & Rolf Flowerbomb is a strong yet sweet fizzy floral. It is much sweeter than my usual scent choices but there is something very joyful and fun about it that I like. Loewe Woman 001 is a warm sexy amber scent that I like a lot, there's something leathery about this one that I find quite seductive.

Added to the sample sachets I actually managed to work my way through quite a good amount of products in September so although it's a smaller empties pile than usual I am still quite pleased with it.

   

Empties: Month of Foil 2018/Sample September.

What's a 'Month of Foil? 

It's nothing complicated I simply concentrate on using up all the sample sachets of product I have accumulated in an effort to use up old product and declutter, I try to do it once a year.  

If I had multiple samples of the same product I used them up one after the other. Obviously, with only one or two applications of product it's difficult to form a proper opinion of results (although I could pretty much tell with a couple of uses if I didn't like something) but if I had multiple sachets the cumulative use of them allowed me to be a better judge of them.

How did it go?

Well, if I say so myself, I had a rather successful month and I managed to use up a total of 110 foil sample sachets.

I was out the gate running with this project as I had plenty of samples to choose from and on the first day I opened a lot of sachets! I started ripping sachets open but soon found that some sachets are better made than others and after a few messy openings I learned to keep a pair of scissors to hand to avoid spills and waste. I did find that even with neatly clipped corners it was easy to squeeze out too much product and I certainly used more product than needed on quite a few occasions to use up what had oozed out or to finish a sachet if there wasn't enough product left for a second application.

On day one I was full of enthusiasm but a few days in I wasn't as enthusiastic or particularly thrilled by the prospect of only using samples. After a week I was a little fed up of samples and took a night off and made a routine that incorporated all of my favourite skincare items. The next day I felt a bit guilty and was enthusiastically back on the sachets!

Two weeks into the project I was accustomed to using sachets. I had got into the routine of selecting different products each day and choosing what to use up next, although I'm not sure if that was because it was easier as I had less choice of products perhaps? I had by this time used up lots of odds and ends and had used up certain categories of product such as body lotions and cleansers so I was back to using full sized products for at least some of my routine.     
At the end of the month, I was pleased to have put all those samples to good use. I had discovered a couple of new products to put on my shopping list and tried out a few things that I didn't like at no expense. A couple of times during the month I dipped into my usual products if I felt my skin needed special treatment/attention but overall my skin looked pretty good considering how many different products and combinations I had used on it - I did have a lot of samples though so I could still tailor my skincare needs.

The Products.

Skincare.

Altogether I used up fifty-four sachets of skincare. Nine sachets of cleanser, five of toner, eight eye cream sachets (I'll admit to being a little heavy handed with the eye cream on a few occasions), nine serums/oils, a whopping twenty-one sachets of moisturiser (again I tended to slap this on at night), one single-use mask sachet and one sachet of lip balm.

There wasn't anything skincare wise that I truly disliked although I wasn't too fond of Olay Deep Hydrating Eye Gel as I didn't find it to be particularly hydrating.
I enjoyed all the cleansers that I used. I was impressed by Omorovicza Omoroessence, it isn't something that I would ever purchase (purely because I already spend enough on skincare and don't need to add another step to my routine), but I liked the extra hydration boost that it gave me.

I liked Royal Fern Phyto Active Anti Age Serum a lot, but it is a product that is way out of my pocket price wise. A more affordable product that impressed me was Korres Wild Rose Oil, this was a lovely textured oil with a gorgeous rose fragrance. When I used this overnight I could see a distinct improvement in my skin the following day - my skin was plumped and juicy looking and I would seriously consider buying this face oil when I next need one.

I'd never heard of Dr Roebucks but their basic Face Moisturizer was another impressive product, no bells or whistles on this one, merely a great no-frills moisturiser!
I tried a selection of products from Derm Institute and I loved everything. While they aren't the cheapest range around they are comparable price wise to some brands that I currently use and I definitely think that I will be getting a product or two of theirs in the future. 
I'm always on the lookout for a good Lip Balm and Patchology Lip Service was a very good one indeed, this is another thing going on my shopping list.

Makeup.

I rarely hang onto any blister packs of makeup but I did have a few sachets of Smashbox Photo Finish Primer which I took away, on a trip. I used it once before recalling that I really, really don't like it. I hate the way this primer feels on my face and I have problems with it causing other products to pill. I abandoned the sachet that I was using and put the others in my giveaway bag.

Bodycare.

I used fourteen sachets of bodycare up. Mostly shower gels and body lotions but also a few sachets of hand creams. I loved Oribe Cote d'Azur Restorative Body Cream, it smells divine and melted into my skin, leaving it soft and scented (oddly I didn't like its matching Body Wash). The body cream is more expensive than I normally spend on body products so it was nice to have a couple of generous sachets to use. I'm hoping I find this on sale one day!

Haircare. 

I used up forty-one sachets of hair products. There were a couple of masks and one of Bumble+Bumble Don't Blow It Leave In Conditioner which is great and something that I regularly use, otherwise, the rest were shampoo and conditioner duos. Of course, I loved Oribe Gold Lust and was also taken by R+Co Atlantis but I also was impressed by two more budget-friendly options, Apothecare Rosehip, Geranium and Aloe and Verb Sea.

I made a good dent in my samples during September and I will certainly do this again but now I'm enjoying using my full sized products and trying out my new purchases which I will tell you about another time.