Makeup Bust but Skincare Score: Fall BoxyLuxe Review

I know what you're thinking: Alyssa, it's the end of October and BoxyLuxe boxes shipped out at the beginning of September. Trust me, I hear you! I have just been SO BUSY with last minute wedding planning, appointments, check-ins, people-wrangling, actually getting married ( more on that soon! ), and post-wedding errands and decompressing that I have not had time to sit down and write this until now. But Hallelujah Jesus, we made it here. And yes, an October Boxy review will be coming as soon as I get my shit together. Insert slightly panicked emoji here. It's fine. We're fine.

If you've been following me for a little while, you'll know that I'm a huge advocate of BoxyCharm. The amount of quality product you receive in each box compared to the subscription price you pay is astonishing in the best way possible. It's an amazing deal—a steal, really. That being said, when BoxyCharm came out with BoxyLuxe ( their seasonal beauty and lifestyle box ) I was very quick to sign up for it. This is my second or third BoxyLuxe box, and I'm still a huge believer. Let's dive into a full breakdown of the products I received this fall.

M A K E U P

Tarte Clay Play Face Shaping Palette | $45

This palette was a big womp womp for me. It' pretty, even though it's super basic, but the powders and shadows just aren't my favorite ( or anywhere near that tbh ). The face powders in particular are very dusty, have a lot of kick-back, and apply incredibly patchy. I find this to be the case with most Tarte face powders, so I wasn't really surprised that this palette was more of the same. I also find Tarte bronzers and contour powders to be way too pigmented. Even if I use a light hand when dipping in and tap off the excess, the powders are far too pigmented to be blended out correctly. I'm super curious if any of you have had the same experience—let me know in the comments if you agree or disagree!

The eyeshadows are a little better, but I still found that these went on patchy/grabbed to certain areas and not others, which ultimately made them hard to blend. I know that I will be passing this on to someone else because I have many other palettes with similar shades that I prefer over this one, like the original Too Faced Natural Eyes palette and the Milani Soft & Sultry palette.

Hank & Henry Blickity Black Liquid Liner | $20

I'm very picky about liquid eyeliners, and this one didn't meet the mark for me. The brush tip wasn't saturated with enough product initially, so I had to go over ( and over, and over, and over... ) the shape of the wing I was trying to make. After doing that so many times, the liner that had already dried began to kind of clump up and peel off as I was trying to fill in the gaps in the wing. The application was super messy, the liner isn't pigmented enough ( it's more of a charcoal gray than black ), and it has more of a satin finish than a matte finish, which I don't prefer. My favorite liquid liner is NYX's Matte Liquid Liner, and it has been for years.

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick—Patina | $22

For a liquid lipstick, this product isn't bad. The formula is similar to Colourpop's Ultra Satin formula—it's kinda sorta matte but also transfers a bit onto whatever your lips touch. In other words, it's longer-lasting than a traditional lipstick but is way more hydrating than your standard matte liquid lip.

The shade is also not bad, but it's not something I would necessarily gravitate toward on my own. It's a slightly metallic Barbie pink kind of color. I don't know how much I'll actually end up using this lip product, but I want to keep trying it to see if it will grow on me.

Update: I don't like it. Lol. Metallic lips are just not my vibe. The color and the formula I could do, I just don't like the metallic finish on my lips. It emphasizes all of my fine lines and texture really badly, and I think that makes me look older than I am.

Moda Pro 8 Piece Brush Set | $69.99

I always love getting new makeup brushes, and Moda has yet to disappoint me. This brand of brushes is semi-frequently featured in my BoxyCharm boxes, as I can recall receiving sets like this at least twice before. They always have a cute handle design and really soft bristles, and they perform really well. Plus, the value of this brush set alone is more than what I paid for the entire box. So awesome.

S K I N C A R E

Dr. Brandt Hydro Biotic Recovery Sleeping Mask | $52

I am obsessed with this sleeping mask! I love using a really nice hydrating mask as my daily nighttime moisturizer. I was using Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask religiously until I ran out, but this Dr. Brandt mask is a great stand-in. The texture is very light and gel-like, similar to the Aqua Bomb moisturizer by Belif. It sinks into the skin very quickly, and it seems to have a slightly cooling, calming effect on my acne-prone skin. The tube is pretty small for the price, but it works really well, so I can't complain too much.

Glow Recipe Pineapple-C Bright Serum | $49

I LOVE THIS SERUM AND WILL BE REPURCHASING IT UNTIL I DIE, THANK YOU SO MUCH. But really, this serum is amazing. I have to be really cautious about the products I use on my skin since my face is so sensitive, and I was a little nervous about trying this out since AHAs and pineapple enzymes are two key ingredients in this product. However, I've found that it's given my skin a smoother overall appearance, it's helped to reduce dark spots and redness from acne, and it's made my skin more naturally glowy. I've even been able to use it morning and night with no problems. Love, love, love.

L I F E S T Y L E

IGK Mistress Hydrating Balm | $29

I love the smell of this stuff sooooo freaking much, but it made my hair so greasy so fast when I first started using it. Most thick, creamy leave-in conditioners just don't work with my hair or scalp. Sure, I'm moisturized, but to the point that my day one hair looks like day three hair by 2:00 pm on day one. And before you ask, yes, I was only putting it on the mid-lengths to ends of my hair.

That being said, I did figure out how to make it work for me: I just apply a nickel-sized amount of the balm to the bottom three to four inches of my hair to keep the ends tamed and moisturized. When used sparingly and strategically, I really, really like this product.

Spongelle Mani Pedi Treatment Set | $18

I can tell I'm getting older because my feet are nearly always wrecked now. I used to have the most baby soft feet all through high school. Didn't have to moisturize them, didn't have to exfoliate them, nothing. They just were angel soft on their own, and I regret that I didn't appreciate that more. Ever since I started college, I've developed callous-y skin around my heels, the balls of my feet, and the pads of my big toes. It makes me sadder than it probably should. But that's where these awesome Spongellé exfoliating buffers come in! I've said goodbye to my dried out feet thanks to these guys and an awesome product that I received in my fall FabFitFun box, which I'll be reviewing soon. All in all, this product is a skin-saver, and the scent is really yummy.

Clean Skin Club Water Bottle Infuser | $17.95

I really enjoy drinking water with lemon, so I was super excited when I saw this infuser bottle in my box. I used to be a Starbucks barista, so I have a ton of the venti-sized "cold cups," and they're what I prefer to carry with me every day to ensure I'm drinking enough water. I usually just throw a slice of lemon into the cup, and it works for what it is, but with this Clean Skin Club bottle, I can more conveniently infuse my water with other fruits. I particularly like strawberry and lemon or raspberry and lemon infused water, and the infuser section in this bottle will ensure the fruit stays separated from the water. We love choking prevention, yes henny! I really, sincerely hope you read that in Jonathan Van Ness' voice.

Overall, the makeup was a pretty big bust for me, but I LOVE both the skincare products, I love the water bottle, I love the Moda makeup brushes, I figured out how to love the hair balm, and I will get a ton of use out of the mani-pedi set because I'm old now and my feet are no longer super soft without any effort on my part. Even though I wasn't a fan of the makeup in this box, the value of the products I did like ( $235.94 ) still far exceeds the price I paid for this box ( $59 ), and that's a win from me!

Are you a BoxyLuxe subscriber? If yes, what did you get in your fall box and what did you think? If no, do you want to become one? Let's chat in the comments!