After taking April off, I have returned with my first impressions and thoughts about this month’s box. The theme for May is Make Waves and I’m pretty baffled by this because none of this stuff, or anything in the variations seem to fit any sort of Make Waves theme I come up with.
When I think of Make Waves my mind immediately goes to the beach and I don’t see how high glitter liquid eye shadow is associated with the beach. I also considered the theme in the “it’s just a saying” sense which translates to making an impression or causing trouble. I didn’t really think the items offered this month fit those definitions either.
Overall, I’m pretty sideways thumb about this month’s box. Instead of just listing and commenting on each, I’ve decided to categorize them by my level of interest/excitement to use them. There are a few items I’m excited to try, a couple I’m willing to entertain, and one I flat out do not want. Okay…here we go!
Excited to Try
First, the GlamGlow GENTLEBUBBLE Daily Conditioning Cleanser…
I think first and foremost I MUST comment on this GORGEOUS packaging. I am living for the pink and purple oil slick look. It’s fun but still chic, which I feel pairs well with GlamGlow’s brand. Their site describes this cleanser as “the ultimate conditioning cleanser to gently but effectively cleanse skin and remove face makeup and daily impurities.” It’s made with tons of good stuff and none of the bad stuff (paraben, phthalate, etc.). Sephora.com advises that this cleanser is good for normal, dry, combination and oily skin types. Sephora’s site also states that the skincare concerns it addresses are: pores, dryness and dullness/uneven texture. DANG! 🛁
I’ve used GlamGlow masks in the past (their famous SuperMud and then one weird peel off one) and have had no complaints. I also tried their moisturizer and hate it because it smelled bad and left my skin feeling greasy.
After smelling this cleanser, I’m happy to report that it didn’t smell bad because it didn’t smell like anything! It has a gel-like consistency to it and maybe looks a little bit like glue. I’m VERY excited to see what this bad boy can do, but I HAVE to remain diligent. Your skincare is only as good as the effort you put into it! ✨
Second, the Bodyography eye pencil in the shade midnight blue…
Nothing wild to report about this one. It’s a very straight forward eye pencil and the color is very pretty. I swatched it on my hand (scroll down!) and was happy with how smoothly it went on.
After looking on Bodyography’s site, it says their eye pencils are infused with coconut oil and are good for a crisp line or easy to smudge for a smokey look. I’m looking to widen my horizons when it comes to eye liner and not just stick with black or brown. I look forward to using this for a touch of something different!
I don’t know much about this brand and for those in a similar boat, their site confirms that they are vegan, gluten free and cruelty free! 💕🌱🐰
Willing to Entertain
First, the Ciaté London Glitter creme-liquid eyeshadow…
This product surprised me a lot! Looking at it in the tube, I thought it was going to be a lavender, purpley glitter color but it’s actually quite rosegold-y and heavy on the gold! It was very soft and creamy when I swatched it on my hand and felt very lightweight! 🌟
Ciaté London’s website explains just how multi-functional this show can be stating, “the metallic, glittering liquid shadow can be swiped on for full coverage lustre, blended out for sheer sparkle or applied over any eyeshadow as a topper.”
My initial reaction to this was cautiously optimistic. I’m not one for bright, out there, glittery eyes but, I think it would really make a statement and provide a significant pop if I needed it to. Immediately I thought of my Tarte Cosmetics’ chrome paint shadow pot in the shade frosé (which is described as a metallic rose gold! Hmm! 🤔) . I use it sparingly but would be willing to do a comparison test!
Second, the Dose of Colors Liquid Matte Lipstick in the shade Bittersweet…
If you know me, you know I LOOOOOVE a red lip! 💄 I’d wear it every day if I could get away with it BUT, it has to be the right kind of red. I’m not sure if this shade is quite right (swatches below!). It does seem a bit on the orange side of things and swatched looking like a fire engine. I also wasn’t too wild about the formula because after an hour of it on my hand it was still VERY tacky.
As the category states, I’m willing to entertain this product and give it a fair shot on my actual lips, not my gross, probably sweaty, hand! 💋
Flat Out Do Not Want
The Alamar Cosmetics Colorete Blush Trio in the fair/light shades….
Nope. Nope. Nope.
First, I’m gonna drop a hot take…I think blush palettes are S T U P I D. I don’t need 65 different shades of blush to work with because I only have one skin tone (that maybe varies slightly given the time of year). Multiple blushes just don’t seem practical to me unless you’re regularly doing avant garde looks which is far from every day practicality.
This palette is no exception. Ten times over. I’ve got a blush from Tarte that I really love and a travel size Nars Orgasm that’s similar just more glittery. I don’t need or want any of these shades.
However, for anyone interested, Alamar Cosmetics touts these blushes as having a buttery smooth formula with microshimmers, completely vegan, cruelty free, talc free and fragrance free.
The shades included in the fair/light version (left to right) are:
Castaway: orange creamsicle
Paraiso: beige toned neutral pink
Scorcher: pink, peach and gold
I’d trade this on boxycharmswap but I don’t know what I’d want in return. Maybe a different shade of the lipstick??? Who knows.
SWATCHES!!
Here you can really see how the light has an effect on the Ciaté London creme eyeshadow. This stuff is METALLIC. (Also, sick watch tan, Alex 🙄) I think I’d be most comfortable wearing it as a subtle topper and I’m definitely going to compare it to the Tarte chrome pot.
Also, you can see the lovely shade of blue the Bodyology liner is as well as the fire engine red color from the Dose of Colors lippie.
These (janky lookin’) photos came about 15 minutes after I swatched. The eyeshadow got EVERYWHERE. Literally there was glitter up my entire arm. If this is supposed to be a used for full coverage lusture, I would guarantee by the end of the night my whole face would look like it’s covered in pixie dust. The transfer on my finger was also a bit alarming.
I’m willing to be forgiving about how the Bodyology liner smudged the way it did. As the description online said, it’s infused with coconut oil and intended to be able to be smoked out. I’m eager to see it’s versatility!
That Dose of Colors lippie though… yikes! This was actually the second swatch I did. The first one I did, I left it on for an hour and it was still tacky. This time was no different and the smudging. Ooh boy. It’s really peculiar how it smudged from a slightly aggressive rub but I had to SCRUB it with Dawn dishsoap to get it off. I’m really feelin’ skeptical about this one.
And that’s all folks! The Ciate vs. Tarte comparison will come (hopefully) and until then, we await next month’s box…which is a BOXYLUXE!