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I know I've said this before but I think April's BoxyCharm is the best one yet. Whoever curates the products each month deserves a raise. I am continually wowed month after month. Sometimes I see a sneak peak of the upcoming box's products and some products really excite me, while others I'm not so enthusiastic about. Then my box arrives in the mail and the not-so-enthusiastic products turn out to be impressive and the ones I was excited for blow me out of the water. April's Boho Glam box is a prime example of that.
When I saw the concealer palette by Measurable Difference on Instagram, I was kind of disappointed. I thought, I'm not a makeup artist so why in the world do I need so many concealer shades but then I got it, played around with it and now, I understand the need for 16 different shades. You can mix and match shades, contour, highlight and totally transform your face. At first I was skeptical about the texture of the product because it looked very waxy but it's actually quite creamy and blends without being patchy. This concealer palette retails for $19.99.
To blend out that concealer, this month's BoxyCharm included the Blend Squad: 3-piece Contour Blending Sponges by PUR, The Complexion Authority. The set retails for $36 and I can see exactly why. These sponges are amazing. I'm not a fan of using dry sponges, so I've been using them like any other beauty sponge by getting them soaking wet, until they double in size, then ringing out the water with a towel. I don't just use these sponges for contouring but for foundation, concealer and powder too. I feel like the size is comparable to a Beauty Blender but these sponges have a flat side for a precise application. I am a big fan of these sponges, they're currently replacing my well-loved Real Techniques sponges.
The next product is very timely, I just ran out of shampoo and luckily BoxyCharm came to the rescue with the Hairgurt Smoothing Yogurt Shampoo by Hairgurt by Project Beauty (no that isn't a typo, thats the name of the company). I happen to have their strawberry banana conditioning mask. Now, I'm excited about the shampoo too! This shampoo cleanses my hair without stripping it, so I think their "smoothing" claim holds true. The best thing about the strawberry banana line is how it smells. As you can imagine, it smells like strawberry and banana... it is easily the best smelling shampoo I've ever used. This shampoo retails for $10 and so far, I am loving it. Which is impressive because I'm very picky about my hair.
Matte has been one of the hottest trends for the past year or so but personally, I'm a gloss kind of gal. So, I was pleasantly surprised to find a $16.00 Cargo Cosmetics Lipgloss in my box. BoxyCharm claims that this gloss is never sticky and I would agree... which is good because I loathe sticky lip glosses. The formula is incredibly shiny and smooth. I got a very beige, nude color which on its own kind of steals the life from my face because the tone of the gloss is a touch too cool for me BUT when I put it over a warmer lipstick, it is gorgeous. My only negative about this entire box is the doe foot applicator of this gloss. It is so incredibly flimsy, I am almost convinced mine is messed up. Even still I love this product, this wand will just take some getting used to.
Of course, I saved the best for last. When they revealed that this month's box would include the Rodeo Drive Highlighter from Ofra Cosmetics, I had to pick my jaw up off the ground. First off, this product retails for $35, just like all the other Ofra Highlighters. Secondly, this product, specifically in this shade, has been ABSOLUTELY raved about on YouTube and Instagram. The only reason it wasn't in my collection already was because I didn't think I could pull off a gold tones highlighter since my skin is so fair. BOY was I wrong. I have used this highlighter literally every day since I got it - even when I didn't wear a stitch of other makeup. The texture almost feels like a cream because of how finely milled the powder is. I've also found that this product is crazy pigmented. You can do a soft, natural highlight if you use a less dense brush but you can also get a "blind everyone in the room" highlight with a dense brush application. I can't say enough good things about this product; I already know it is going to be my Summer staple.
The April - Boho Glow - BoxyCharm retail value totals $116.99. I think this box has the best products and best value in the world of makeup subscriptions. Month after month I continue to find new products and brands that I want to try, as well as products that I've wanted but for one reason or another I didn't purchase, but now that they're in my life, I can't put them down. It's probably needless to say but if you love makeup, this box is worth checking out!
by Kait, with love.