Macy's Beauty Box Review - April 2018

Do you know about Macy's Beauty Box subscription? I actually didn't know about it until recently, and decided to try it out starting with the April box, which focused on natural/earthy products, which was a perfect fit for Earth Month.

Macy's Beauty Box launched last fall for $15 per month, and comes with five deluxe beauty samples, one bonus item, $5 off your next beauty purchase and a collectible cosmetic bag designed exclusively for Macy's Beauty Box subscribers. Each month's Beauty Box is a surprise, with each deluxe sample specially chosen by Macy's beauty experts.

The April 2018 Natural Wonders box included the following samples:

- Korres Wild Rose Sleeping Facial
- Origins GinZing™ Refreshing eye cream to brighten and depuff
- Coola Mineral Face SPF 30 Unscented Matte Tint (5 mL)
- Schmidt’s Rose + Vanilla deodorant, travel size
- Tony Moly I'm Real Green Tea Sheet Mask, full size
- bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Sample Pods

I've actually used the Origins GinZing™ Refreshing eye cream before, so this sample size version is perfect to travel with. My face gets more oily in the summer, so I'm happy that the Coola Mineral SPF 30 has a matte finish. I have a sensitivity to deodorants so I'm glad Schmidt's has plant & mineral-derived ingredients instead of aluminum. I like the deodorant itself, I'm just not crazy about the Rose +Vanilla scent since I'm really not into floral scents. I would love to try the Bergamot + Lime and Lavender + Sage scents. That being said, I'm not a fan of the Korres Wild Rose scent but I do like the sleeping facial itself - it makes my skin feel smooth and soft. 

The Tony Moly green tea mask is for brightening skin tone, and works great. I am always up for trying out new sheet masks, since I like to use them 2-3 times per week at night before I go to bed. The bareMinerals Complexion Rescue sample pods included four shades. The natural shade works for my skin tone yet the tan shade will match as I get more sun throughout the summer. I think my perfect shade would be in between both the natural and tan shades, which they do make, but isn't included with the sample pods. I do like that it has SPF 30 built in and has a lightweight, sheer-to-medium coverage. 

Overall I was happy with the items in my April box. I'm glad there were different types of skincare items, and I love the brands that were featured. The pouch or cosmetic bag in each monthly box is definitely a plus. With subscription boxes, I feel like you aren't going to like everything you get but it's worth it to find those products that you really do love. Plus I love sharing any products that won't work for me with friends and family. Thank you Macy's for giving me the chance to try this out! 

To sign up for Macy's Beauty Box, go to https://www.macys.com/subscription/beauty-box. You can also see what was included in some of the previous boxes. 

Here's a look at the May 2018 The Bronzed Look box, from highlighters to bronzers for a sun-kissed glow. Can't wait to see what is in the June box!

Review: April 2014 Women's PijonBox: Kick Up Your Spring Fashion

Attention college students! There's now a subscription box available just for you! PijonBox is a curated monthly box starting at $23 per month (pricing varies based on how many boxes you subscribe to). All you do is pick a female, male or gender-neutral box and you'll start receiving your monthly care packages filled with delicious and healthy snacks, health and beauty supplies, household essentials and fun gifts to get you through each semester.

I was excited to experience PijonBox for myself, with the arrival of my April box. My curated box included 3 pairs of Bombas Socks, Nectar Sunglasses, Nature's Bakery Fig Bars in Raspberry and Blueberry and La Fresh Travel-Lite Antibacterial Wipes.

The box included one pair of Bombas Calf Socks ($9) and two pairs of Ankle Socks ($9). These socks are soft and comfortable! The calf socks are perfect for just lounging around but also would be great boot socks. I'll definitely be using the ankle socks for jogging, especially since these socks in grey/black/blue match a lot of my activewear!

You can never have too many pairs of sunglasses, and I gladly welcome another pair! Since I'm always busy blogging late-night, wearing sunnies helps hide my lack of sleep. Any college student will appreciate the dark, mirrored lenses on these Nectar Sunglasses ($20) to alleviate those morning hangovers! 

The Nature's Bakery Fig Bars ($3, two bars per pack) in Raspberry and Blueberry are great on-the-go energy-boosting snacks I'll be throwing in my purse for days when I don't have time to eat in between meetings. These snacks are also perfect for keeping you awake on road trips or supplying you with extra energy on the plane or train. These remind me of Fig Newtons, so if you like those, then you'll love these! 

La Fresh Travel-Lite Antibacterial Wipes ($2.49) is another essential item for my purse! The pack comes with 8 wipes and keeps hands clean and healthy, killing 99.9% of germs with aloe and vitamin e. I feel like I always need one of these wipes the most after I hold onto a subway pole. Holding onto the pole always makes me feel icky, especially when people next to me start coughing or sneezing. I immediately think of the movie 'Contagion'! 

Overall, I was really pleased with the contents of my PijonBox. It came with useful items I've never tried before, plus a product card of this month's themed box: Kick Up Your Spring Fashion! The best part of the six items I received is that they are all full-size products! Total retail of all the products in the April box is $55.49, so the value versus the subscription price is definitely there. 

Pijon has partnered with Project Night Night, dedicating time and money to fund and create very special care packages for homeless and undeserved kids who need them to feel secure, cozy, ready to learn, and significant. Learn more at pijonbox.com/social-mission. 

I really wish a subscription box like PijonBox was around when I was in college! Lucky for me, my mom used to send me care packages from oranges to clothes and accessories. This also makes a great gift for all those upcoming high school graduates! You can give a PijonBox or sign up yourself at PijonBox.com. 

- Kim Weling