Subscription: Essence BeautyBox
Cost: $15/month or $12.50 for 6 and 12 month plans
Referral Code: 3657-F658-7DCD
Coupon Code: FIRSTBOX to receive your first box for $1!!
What to Expect: “Each month, our team of beauty experts will carefully select the products to send, and you’ll receive your beautiful box with 5 products to discover and enjoy. We strive to feature a product from a Black-owned business in each box.”
I got this box at a discount, 6 months for $60, and I’m calling it my Blacklady Birchbox. Or Women of Color Birchbox… whichever makes you smile =) It looks like they changed up the referral program, so now instead of referring 10 people, you only have to refer 5 to get a free month, which is more reasonable!
I like this card with why items were chosen and by whom. When you sign up you take a little beauty quiz. It’s quite short [6 questions], and they just started using it this month to choose one item. Take a peep and see if you think this box contains the “latest and greatest products.”
Kleenex Facial Cleansing Wipes: $10 for 25 wipes
More wipes!
Maybelline New York Color Sensational Vivid Matte Liquid Lip Color in Vivid Violet: $6.50-8
Umm…
NYX Cosmetics Blush in Feel the Heat: $10
Wow.
Mailbox Junkie, they called this box “something to help you slay at Festival!” Would you agree? These colors just SCREAM, and I wonder if they’re something that look better on… but I just can’t even bring myself to do so…
Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant Deep Conditioning Cream: $7.70
I actually use the large pump version of Vaseline cocoa butter lotion, love it, and just ran out. But… this product has been discontinued from Walmart, Kmart, and Walgreens but Amazon and Target still sells it. I entered the mysterious code imprinted on the bottle into checkcosmetic.net and it was just manufactured last September. I don’t like seeing a product discontinued on so many sites, but perhaps the bottle changed?? Any ideas??
Jamberry Nail Wrap in Metallic Chrome Silver: $15
I have a friend who sells Jamberry hardcore, and I bought some from her four or five years ago… yeah they’re still unopened in my nail bag because I’m way too lazy to do my nails with a hair dryer! I’m also not digging this metallic chrome, and have already swapped it away for a LLB Turkish towel. Woot!
Apparently in the picture I wanted to show off how awesome I can make my nails all aloney on my owny.
Madam CJ Walker Hair Duos [Humidity Block Curl Gel and Defining Butter Creme]: $26 each
This is the black owned business of the month, and Madam CJ Walker was “America’s first female self-made millionaire.” Pretty flipping awesome, and I’ve never heard of her!
The product duo was also their first item chosen from our quiz, and subscribers either got this wavy/curly duo or the heat styled duo.
Bella is always very interested when I take pictures. She stands there and pretends not to be too interested, but I can tell she likes it when I waggle my fingers at her and yell “LOOK AT ME CAT!”
Coupon Code: Wooo! $1 for your first box using the coupon code FIRSTBOX.
Favorite May products: I liked last month just okay, but the two products I really liked were the Poo-Pourri and the Simple face wipes. I just don’t like the lingering patchouli scent in the Poo-Pourri. Btw, found it at Bed Bath and Beyond if you want to go sniff some of their scents!
Verdict: I love this subscription, but this was probably one of my least favorite boxes. It was very BLAH for a best of box!! I like the lotion and want to try the hair products, but the lip gloss, nail wraps, and blush were WAY out of my color/comfort zone, which stinks because the variations they sent of those three items I would’ve used.
Unfortunately like I’ve mentioned, I’ve had to downsize my budget and let any long term subs run out. I’m going from a paid weekly job to a paid monthly job, so no more frivolous spending till the end of July ='(
What do you think? Are any of these products on your “BEST OF” lists??
Click here to see other Essence Beauty Box reviews!
Disclosure: This box was purchased by me. There is a referral code so I can refer five people and receive a free box.
That peach blush looks like an edible gummy. Maybe its because I just read Subista’s MunchPak review.
Well, good thing I didn’t slip it into your box for you to eat ;D
Madam Walker! I thought her company closed in the 80s. So glad to see I’m wrong. Very cool. My students learn about her in our grammar class. She had a rough life (orphaned at a young age, worked as a cotton picker, married horribly young, widowed soon after), but was a great entrepreneur and philanthropist.
You seem to be correct, Ake! I just read her Wikipedia page, and totally want to do some more reading on her. She seems pretty intriguing! Thanks =D
“On March 4, 2016, skincare and haircare company Sundial Brands launched a collaboration with Sephora in honor of Walker’s legacy. The launch, titled “Madam C.J. Walker Beauty Culture”, comprised four collections and focused on the use of natural ingredients to care for different types of hair.”
I love watching those short makeup videos on Instagram and that purple lippie looks made for one of those videos 🙂 great to watch, but don’t know how practical it is. I’ve been thinking about adding this sub box, but will probably wait to see what they have in the next few boxes.
P.S. Your nails looks awesome!
Thanks, Eliza! I’ve watched a couple of those mini videos. I’m going to a drag show tomorrow, so perhaps I should find some funky makeup tips! I do like this box a lot and recommend it =D This month was really the first one I wasn’t wild about.