Walmart Beauty Box (Trendsetter) Spring 2019.

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 latest Trendsetter box.

Skincare.

Soo Ae Unicorn Glow Hologram Mask.

This sheet mask is cutely packaged and contains Black Charcoal and Niacinamide to cleanse and brighten. It also says it is a 'Hologram Mask' - I'm not sure what that means but I'm guessing that the serum is iridescent? I'm not a huge fan of sheet masks but I have got into the habit of popping them into my travel bag to wear before or after flying so I will give this one a go, even if I wouldn't have picked a shimmering unicorn mask out for myself!

Olay Daily Facials.

This is a dry cloth that you wet and use to remove make up/clean your face with. It is a 5-in-1 makeup remover, cleanser, toner, scrub and mask.

I will give this sample (one dry cleansing cloth) a miss because I'm not keen on its ingredients and I don't believe that one cloth can do what this claims to - I actually like doing a long skincare routine!

Garnier SkinActive 3-in-1 Soothing Day/Night/ Mask.

Garnier has certainly been pushing this product! I have had samples of it from all over the place. It is basically a moisturiser, its ingredients aren't all bad and it has a pleasant rose fragrance but Shea Butter is quite high on the ingredients list and it is not an ingredient that my face can tolerate. I think I will repurpose my many samples of this product as an upper-body cream. It's quite nice but not nice enough for facial use as far as I'm concerned (#skincaresnob).

Cetaphil Hydrating Eye Gel Cream.

This is a generously filled sample sachet. I need to research the ingredients before I use it as I don't like the ingredient list of Cetaphil cleansers. If its good I will use it, if not I will let it go. 

Bodycare.

Curel HydraTherapy Wet Skin Moisturiser.

These wet skin moisturisers are a favourite thing for Walmart to put in these boxes it seems as I've had countless samples of either this one or the Nivea one. Honestly, I'm not a fan of them as I never feel properly moisturised afterwards and I hate all that 'patting yourself dry' nonsense.  I will probably use this at some point just so it doesn't go to waste and I do appreciate that it is a generously sized 2oz sample.

Haircare.

Pantene Intense Rescue Shots.

This full sized item is probably the standout item in the box. It is a treatment that you apply to the hair after washing to treat damaged ends and prevent split ends. I think it is probably intended for people with longer hair than mine but I will try this out after researching to see that it is compatible with colour treated hair (there's a lot of alcohol products in this and I don't want them to strip my colour). 

Miscellaneous.

This time the box also contained a makeup bag. It was a kind of cheap and plastic makeup bag, bronze in colour with a small tassel and a Walmart logo on one side. It went straight onto my donate/throw away pile. I really do hope that this was a one-off and that they aren't going to waste resources sending out a tacky bag each quarter.

Overall. 

If I'm honest, I'm not particularly thrilled with this season's box. I go back and forth about cancelling this box and I'm always saying 'well, if the next box is terrible too, I will' and guess what? That next box is usually pretty good.  

It's only $5.00 four times a year and I do enjoy receiving something in the mail and opening it to see what's inside - so for the moment, my subscription will ride for another quarter. 

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 Spring Beauty Edit 2019.

Space NK always has the most wonderful GWP events in the Spring and Autumn and I always plan my major beauty restocks around them. Not only do I replenish my favourite products I get a bunch of samples and mini sized luxury beauty products to try out!

This years event was open to NDulge* members on Tuesday 12th February and to all other customers on Wednesday 13th. It goes without saying that this would make a perfect late Valentine's/Galentine's Day gift to yourself - there are some gift bags still available but if you would like one do hurry as they go fast. 

To qualify for a gift bag you need to spend $285.00 (pre-tax) either in-store or online (us.spacenk.com and enter the code SPRING18 at checkout). I know that it is quite a lot of money to spend all at once but if you do need products now is a good time to shop for them as the gift bag has an amazing value of over $450.00. 

The samples and minis come packed in a blush cosmetics bag that is actually smart enough to be used as a clutch bag. All the samples are generously sized and all come from premium brands such as Omorovicza and Oribe.

Space NK GWP's tend to be quite heavy on skincare items as a rule which is something that pleases me immensely!
This year's bag contains sixteen skincare items.
There is a full-sized pack of face wipes from Patchology and two chemical exfoliants from 111 Skin and Malin+Goetz. I am very pleased that there were four serums (including my favourite Sunday Riley Good Genes) and a face oil by Emma Hardie as I have completely run out of serum samples. There are five face cream samples, two of which, Omorovicza Rejuvenating Night Cream and REN Glow Daily Vitamin C Gel Cream are generously sized 15ml ones. Finally skincare wise, for a deluxe pampering session, there are three masks, including one of my all-time favourites - Clark's Botanicals Deep Moisture Mask.

For makeup lovers there wae three lip products; a Kevyn Aucoin Lip Pencil, a tinted mini balm from Ilia and a clear sparkling Altered Universe Gloss by Lipstick Queen.
I was also happy to find minis of ByTerry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder and Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer which are both great to carry around and take on trips and I'm keen to try out Coola MakeUp Setting Mist containing SPF 30 as soon as the weather heats up.

Haircare items are all generously sized. 

To refresh and style my do there is a handbag size Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo and a Bumble+Bumble Thickening Spray. To ensure my hair is in tip-top condition there are masks from Briogeo, Christophe Robin, and Miriam Quevedo, along with a mini Rahua Classic Conditioner and Waterfall which is a leave-in moisture and shine enhancer by R+Co.

  

The final treat is a mini Diptyque candle.

It goes without saying that I'm thrilled with my gift and can't wait to get stuck into the gift bag and discover some new favourites!  

*NDulge is Space NK's customer rewards program and it is well worth joining if you are not a member. As well as early access to sales and promotions, there are invitations to special events and every time you shop you are rewarded with points that convert to cash rewards that you can redeem on future purchases.
us.spacenk.com

Empties: January 2019.

Oh hello! Well it feels like it was only just the end of the year to me but it's already February (aka 'First GWP month of 2019') and once again I've a bag of empties to share before I sort them out and recycle.

This month I managed to finish eleven full sized products and twenty-one samples.

Skincare.
I only finished two full-sized skincare items this month apart from sheet masks! I think that this is the least amount of full-size skincare products I have ever finished however, I did finish plenty of generously sized skincare minis and samples - ten in all.
One of the full sized items I finished was Algenist Genius Ultimate Melting Cleanser, a deliciously creamy gel-to-oil-to-cream cleanser. It was very very effective at removing makeup but worked equally well as a morning cleanser. It was also fantastic as a second cleanse as once melted it had a beautiful consistency that was perfect for facial massage and it was easy to rinse away. I have been very impressed by everything that I have tried from Algenist's Genius range.
I used a full-sized Caudalie VineActive Serum. I was a little disappointed in this as apart from being a lovely smelling wet serum that was nice to apply it really didn't do anything other than hydrate. Overall, I find that the more expensive products from Caudalie don't tend to do much for my skin, the cheaper hydrating ones are pretty good and in future, I will stick to these when buying from the brand.
I used Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water for eye makeup removal only. I found that it wasn't as effective as Simple Micellar Water at removing stubborn waterproof mascaras. It was okay but I don't see myself repurchasing in the future.
Rodial Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser was a non-foaming gel cleanser which smelled kind of soapy. It was good to use as a morning face wash although I didn't notice any brightening effect from it.
I favour facial sprays over ones that you need to apply with a cotton pad but I did enjoy Kiehl's Calendula Herbal Extract Toner, it felt very gentle and was refreshing.
A sample pack of ten First Aid Beauty (F.A.B.) Facial Radiance Pads was perfect for travelling with. I like these gentle exfoliating pads which contain Lactic and Glycolic acids and have purchased a full sized version of them in the past.
Cerave Moisturising Lotion was a very good basic moisturiser, it was thick in consistency, almost gel like, not at all oily yet very hydrating. It's an impressive moisturiser for the price and great if you are on a budget.
CO Bigelow Deluxe Facial Moisturiser is another good basic moisturiser. Lotion like inconsistency and slightly oily in feel it worked well for me as a night cream.
I used two small tubes of Zelens Hydro Shiso Balancing Moisturiser. I love anything by Zelens and this didn't disapoint. I enjoyed the feel of this light and easily absorbed gel/cream, it had a delicate fresh fragrance and it layered well with other products. I mainly used this one during the day with a serum under sunscreen and makeup.
I prefer La Mer The Moisturising Soft Cream to the classic La Mer The Moisturiser as it's lighter in feel and less oily but I still think it's only okay and definitely doesn't warrant the high price tag that it carries.
Algenist Firming and Lifting Cream is slightly waxy feeling but it absorbs and layers well, It's one of those products that I wouldn't pick out and purchase but I'm perfectly happy to use it as a nighttime moisturiser whenever I am given it in a GWP or gift bag.

I'm not a huge fan of sheetmasks.  I prefer a tradition mask that you apply and wipe off but I have a few that I have been gifted that I'm trying to use up. I tend to pop one in my bag when I go away for a work trip and wear them in the evening. I  finally used up a box of five VitaBird Dual Masks, which were okay, the fit was reasonable, and they contained a fair amount of serum but didn't do much apart from adding a little moisture to my face.
I wasn't so fond of a Lala Fox Honey Nourishing Sheet Mask, the fit was terrible and it contained a thick sticky gel that just appeared to sit on my skin without absorbing.

Bodycare and Perfume.

Love & Toast Honey Nectar Bodywash has a 'clean formula' produces a good amount of foam, and a pleasant soft honeysuckle and apricot perfume. This was okay, I would use it again but it wasn't outstanding in any way and there are other shower gels that I prefer.
I used another bottle of Nivea Express Hydration Sea Mineral Body Lotion. This is my favourite drugstore lotion, it is light, non-greasy, easily absorbed, fresh scented, very hydrating, and cheap. I always have backups of this one!
Malin+ Goetz Vitamin B5 Body Moisturiser is an oil-free formula that feels very fresh and hydrating. It has a light citrus scent (grapefruit?) that I liked. The only thing wrong with this sample was that the product was too thick to be packaged in a bottle and it was extremely difficult to get out.
Susanne Kaufmann Ringelblumenöl Body Oil is a truly lovely body oil. It has a fresh floral scent and feels like a dry oil when you apply it, absorbing instantly and leaving skin feeling very comfortable and soft. These aren't the cheapest body oils but you only need to use a little so these mini bottles do actually last for some time.
Rodial Stem Cell Hand Cream is a lightly textured non-greasy hand cream with a delicate rose fragrance, and sleek stylish packaging. I wouldn't pay full price as I think it costs around $30.00 but I always grab them if I see them in TJ Maxx where they cost $5.00.
I don't normally include supplements in my empties but I thought I would include the 30 pack of Goop 'Why Am I so Effing Tired?' here as they are mostly sold in beauty outlets. Firstly, I must say that I was given these by someone, there is absolutely no way that I would pay $90.00 for a month's worth of vitamins. I must also add that obviously the best way to get the nutrients that you need is by eating a healthy diet (which I do but I'm also not averse to topping things up with supplements as long as they are not harmful). Goop vitamins are packaged in individual daily portion packs, which aren't the most eco-friendly but are handy for travel. This formula is designed to increase energy levels as well as adding to general wellbeing. Each pack contained what I would call a multi-vitamin, along with an Omega 3 oil capsule, a blended capsule of herbal extracts, and a Liquorice Boost pill. They tasted pretty awful and I can't honestly say I noticed any change in my energy levels so I'm very glad that I didn't actually pay for them.
I finished five perfume vials, two of which were Byredo Eleventh Hour which I loved. This fragrance had notes of rum, plum and fig - it was basically Christmas in a bottle, very seasonally appropriate.
I'm a big fan of L'Etat Libre d'Orange perfumes and enjoyed the two that I finished. Putain des Palaces is a big dusty floral powder scent. It's not the type of thing that I usually like but I love this and would buy a full sized bottle - and I love the saucy name! Jasmin et Cigarettes is a straight-up blend of Jasmine and Tobacco. I like a dirtied up white floral and this one is very feminine and easy to wear.
Versace Bright Crystal feels bright and sparkling but it is a little too generic for my tastes

Haircare.

Philip B Peppermint Avocado Shampoo has just the right amount of peppermint fragrance. It claims to be scalp stimulating and give volume and it was a nice shampoo but I don't think that it warrants its luxury price tag.
L'Oreal Elvive Colour Vibrancy Conditioner is a berry scented drugstore conditioner. I rather like the Elvive range and there are several formulas within it that I rate. I often get these if I find them on special offer and it's a perfectly fine conditioner that I have no problem to use.
Ouai Treatment Mask smelled fantastic and left my hair feeling nice and soft. I used this more like a conditioner rather than a mask and it worked very well in this way. ( I've a lot of hair masks that I'm intending to use up in this way as I never get around to applying them and leaving them on for 20 minutes or whatever no matter how hard I try!)
Bumble & Bumble Don't Blow It (H)air Styler is a leave-in conditioning cream that also adds a little texture. It works well on my fine hair and I like that it adds a little body.  I have plenty of other serums/leave in conditioners at the moment but I will get this again at some point I am sure.
Ouai Hair Oil is a repeat empty for me and it's one of my favourite hair oils that smooths and hydrates my hair without weighing it down.
Living Proof Nourishing Oil didn't work great for my hair, it felt a little too greasy and left my hair looking lank. I was disappointed by this.

 I must admit I didn't finish up as much stuff as I was expecting to during January, but there are several things that I have made good headway into which I will hopefully finish very soon. I need a little room on my shelf for a few new products that I have incoming!