Target Beauty Box September 2017

Every month Target releases a non-subscription beauty box that ranges from anywhere between $5-10. Items included in the box are typically things one would find in the store and samples are sometimes foil packets but more often than not deluxe sized samples with the occasional full sized item thrown in. This month two boxes were released but since I'm a lazy blogger I only purchased the Your New Basics box for $7 (the other box contained mostly foil packets of brands and items that were not new to me). Both the Your New Basics and Total Hydration boxes are still available for purchase at $7 if you're interested.

This month's box included:
Covergirl Total Tease Mascara - $7.99, Full Sized
Sensodyne Pro-Namel Strong and Bright Toothpaste - $1.60
Up & Up Premium Cotton Rounds 2 pack - $0.06
Garnier Skin Active Moisture Bomb - $1.87
Simple Kind to Skin Micellar Cleansing Water - $1.99, Travel Size
Acure Organics Repairing Shampoo - $1.25, Cruelty Free
Acure Organics Repairing Conditioner - $1.25, Cruelty Free
Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion - $1.98

I've seen ads for Covergirl Total Tease Mascara everywhere lately. Ads feature a terrifying looking wand that is supposed to increase lash definition. I um, I may have stabbed myself in the eye with the morning star at the end of the wand. I love the main part of the wand itself but I did not notice much difference in definition using the bristles at the tip of the wand. This mascara may have been more effective at volumizing my lashes, actually. Towards the end of the day I noticed a lot of flaking and some smudging. The mascara is serviceable in a pinch though. I really wish I would have just shelved it still in package so I could give it to somebody. I have disposable mascara wands but that would not have been acceptable in this case as most of the advertised promise of this mascara was in its wand. I guess what I'm saying is it will get used but I won't exactly be happy about  it.

Naked eye (top), Covergirl Total Tease (bottom)

 

I'm torn on this next one. Yay a toothpaste! Gross, It's Sensodyne. Nothing wrong with this brand but there is nothing special about it. It has no baking soda flavor, it doesn't have the threatening mouth warming sensation of Colgate Optic White, it is not ingredient conscious. If anything it leaves me feeling less like a hobo shit in my mouth in when I was asleep after brushing, but not by much. Good news, the tube is almost gone. This is not something I would save for travel because I highly doubt it will be able to conquer the beast that is road food.

I've been wanting to buy into the fad of micellar water for a while now so thank you Target for providing Simple Kind to Skin Micellar Cleansing Water. I tried this product two ways, as a post-wash second cleanse and as a makeup remover. As a makeup remover it pretty much fell down on the job but then I never fully believed claims that micellar water is magical at removing makeup. I've always considered micellar water to be almost a toner of sorts, but with fewer nutritive properties. This product did however perform well when used as a double cleanse chaser of sorts to the traditional foaming cleanse. The cotton round I used had quite a bit of leftover makeup residue on it even after washing. I basically used to use the blue Clean & Clear astringent toner for this same purpose (following it up with a second rinse or wash to reduce any toner residue) but this just stripped my skin and caused me to be even more oily over the course of several months. I can definitely see myself converting over to micellar water and non-astringent toners moving forward.

I was almost excited to receive the Up & Up Premium Cotton Rounds. No I wasn't. But I do appreciate that Target Beauty Box curators do occasionally try to coordinate items selected for a month's box and these guys were a good fit for the Simple Micellar water. I did go through the effort of inspecting them a bit. They are 100% cotton and I did appreciate the detail manufacturers put into the quilting of each cotton round. There are two sides, one has a slightly softer texture while the other is more quilted and yet not abrasive in the slightest. The outer edge of the cotton round is also nicely sewn together to reduce the amount of fuzzers that end up on your face. Confession time: I got really cheap at Bed, Bath & Beyond and bought 300 cotton rounds for about $4.00 and instantly regretted it. I looked like a poorly sheared sheep wandering through an ovine bukkake shoot whenever I used those damn things to remove cream cleansers. I'm going to be cheap in the future and just buy Up & Up brand cotton rounds.

 

 
The Garnier Skin Active Moisture Bomb was an added treat this month. It has a similar color, texture and scent as the Belif Aqua Bomb (reviewed here) and the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Moisturizer (reviewed here). I've come to like gel moisturizers. They do a great job of moisturizing but I don't get the feeling of clogged pores that I typically get with heavier lotions. Just an overall even coverage and light moisture for my combination-leaning-oily skin.

 

Target is hell bent on sending me shampoos and conditioners and the brand Acure, three things that I'm just pretty much over at this point. In all my years I've learned there's no way to be a shit shampoo/conditioner unless you're Suave (sorry, guys but you really really do suck like a vacuum attachment stuck to a freshman). Yay, Accure? The only item I've genuinely enjoyed by this brand so far was their day cream (reviewed here). I like that they're an ingredient conscious brand but that's where my love affair with them ends. Neither the shampoo nor the conditioner had much of a smell. The shampoo did what it was supposed to do: it washed hair. The conditioner was a bit lacking for my hair type but meh, what do I expect? I just felt like it didn't penetrate my locs or add any actual moisture to my hair. For all the bitching that I'm doing though I do have to give Target credit for almost always including both shampoo and conditioner together so that one may get the full experience of the product and brand.

The biggest flop of the box was the Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion. The last time I got a wet skin lotion it was pretty amazing. That one was supposed to be applied directly to wet skin after a shower and then it would absorb into the skin while gently patting dry with a towel. On the other hand the Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion is supposed to be applied with the water still running and rinsed off before exiting the shower. I've tried a tiny foil packet of this in the past and was unimpressed by it but I assumed that was because I did not have enough product to get a good idea of how it works. This 2.3oz sample was large enough to make me realize it's not me, it's the product. It washes off immediately under a direct stream of water, even for just the shortest amount of time. My skin still felt dry and flaky and like I was a freshly plucked chicken. I don't hate it, I just feel like it was an utter waste of my time and I honestly just didn't want to review it because I cared that little one way or another about it. Man, I'd be pissed if I spent money on a full sized bottle of this to realize how full of empty promises and failure it actually is.

The value of this month's box is $17.99, not bad for a $7 non-subscription beauty box. I love seeing a full sized product in a Target Beauty Box and I always have room for mascara. Unfortunately I am overrun with samples right now but this guy will definitely get shelved for later use. I've been sold on buying Up & Up brand cotton rounds in the future and I thoroughly enjoyed my first experience using micellar water.