Alright kids, this is going to be a doozy, you uh, you might want to grab your coffee for this one. I'm sure I've stated on more than one occasion how much I hate stepping into Walmart. I just don't have the patience anymore for the lines, the crowds, the people asking me how pregnant I am and me being forced to explain I'm not pregnant, it's just baby weight. They don't need to know the baby is 9 months old. And then after such exchanges I just end up wasting a shit load more on apple cider and chocolate or frozen pizza bites as comfort food. Not worth it.
Last weekend though, the planets aligned and suddenly it was worth it. I was skulking through My Subscription Addiction one day and I stumbled across a post announcing Walmart would have beauty boxes. "Oh ha ha, that's great, are these the usually $5 boxes that are mostly foil packets and forgettable?" "No bitch, but that was cute. Remember that money you were promising yourself you wouldn't spend? Mine now. Let's roll." ...And so it goes. There were numerous other kits, these just happen to be the two that caught my attention.
The Everything Skin Kit
- Physicians Formula Mini Rosé All Day Oil-Free Serum
- Clean & Clear LEMON Scrub
- Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer
- Olay Regenerist Whips
- Sky Organics Rose Water Toner
- ELF Bubble Mask
- Garnier Micellar for Waterproof Makeup
- Garnier Micellar Original
- Neutrogena Make-up Remover Wipes
- Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion
- CeraVé Moisturizing Cream
- Found Fruit AHA Peel Pads (no longer available)
This is the wildest serum I've ever used. It has this beautiful, pearlescent rose shade that gives the skin a healthy glow, especially under foundation. It looks quite thick but it's so smooth and absorbs so well. I love the sheen it leaves behind but I've been too timid to try to wear it out to work. That will be a chore for this weekend when I'm not obligated to roam the streets if I don't feel comfortable. Who am I kidding, I will probably hit up the grocery store or something. You can see the rosy, pearlescent shift in the images below.
Clean & Clear LEMON Scrub
It's a face scrub that smells a Lemonhead if a Lemonhead took a shit in a Tootsie Roll scented bucket of paint. I got a moderate scrub and a great lather out of it. The smell isn't worth me purchasing it again.
Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer
I've tried this moisturizer before (reviewed here). Quick and to the pointless: it's serviceable. Not great but better than other products of its type that I've tried but still not great. It requires a body scrub beforehand to fully benefit from it.
Olay Regenerist Whips
I've expressed my love for Olay Regenerist Whips many times in the past now and I'm pleased to have another jar. In better weather I could use this as a moisturizer and primer in one. There are three main moisturizer types for Olay: Regenerist (red packaging) which is said to help minimize wrinkles, Total Effects (gold packaging) which is supposed to even reduce pores and increase firmness, and Luminous (white packaging) which is supposed to minimize the appearance of pores. All three formulae are supposed to mattify. I have not quite reached the point of having wrinkles but I try to see skincare as preventative, not corrective. I can say I do love the matte finish Regenerist provides.
Sky Organics Rose Water Toner
This is one of those products that I'm just going to have to power through. This product is exactly what it is called, Rose Water. Good on you, you are made of distilled rose water, but holy hell, man. If you don't like strong rose scents then this product isn't for you. I don't mind the scent and even I find it a bit daunting when I spray it. It's supposed to be good for inflammation and redness so that's something to keep in mind. Otherwise, I do not believe it has any effect on the skin's pH or anything else people typically use toners for. (I had a hard time writing this and not thinking God Bless You Mr. Rosewater. Time for me to go loiter around the local library, methinks!)
ELF Bubble Mask
I've never quite been able to bite the bullet and buy the ELF Bubble Mask so I'm glad this box included a foil packet of it. The mask applied as a very thick gel that began to bubble over time. Oh my god, this mask tickled so badly. I didn't notice any smell as the foam began to overtake my nostrils. I suppose tickle is the wrong word but the sensation of the mask bubbling on my face was maddening. It left my face, especially around my nose and mouth area feeling extremely dry and tight afterward.
Garnier Micellar for Waterproof Makeup
You can see the stratified aromatic ring layer in this (it's been years since o-chem so I hope I'm doing this right), giving it the hydrophobic qualities that allow this product to remove waterproof makeup. Unfortunately I do not have any waterproof makeup on hand to try this out with. I did use it to try to remove base makeup and mascara and I was only slightly more successful using this than I was using Garnier Micellar Original.
Garnier Micellar Original
I have a hard time with micellar water. I try to love the idea of not having to rinse my face afterward but I always just end up blasting through 3 to 4 cotton rounds and still end up needing to wash my face afterward with a water based cleanser. Like other micellar cleansers, I found this product to work well to remove the first layer of makeup. It works about as well as my Simple micellar water I've been using for a few months now. However, I firmly believe that whoever says you can remove makeup with just this type of product is a damned liar. I probably just don't have the patience, to be honest.
Neutrogena Make-up Remover Wipes
Huzzah, swatch removal wipes! I love make-up remover wipes but I always feel bad about the amount of garbage I feel like I'm producing. These did a pretty good job of removing base makeup but it left much to be desired in removing eye makeup. They're a bit too rough to use on my eyes and they're on the drier side. The scent is mild as well, which is better than other wipes I've tried in the past, so that was a bit of a comfort.
Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion
I ended up giving this to my husband. I gave him the last one I received, quite possibly in an un-reviewed Target Beauty Box from October (ooops!). It's a pretty think formula but it moisturizes well enough for the first 30 minutes or so before I feel like I need to apply more. It's unscented and it's formulated for face and body but I would hesitate to use something on my face that is formulated for my body as well.
CeraVé Moisturizing Cream
This has been my go-to night cream. It's pretty thick but does not leave me looking overly greasy. It provides wonderful night coverage. I had to use this moisturizer to counter the effects of the ELF bubble mask. It has the consistency of a thick custard. It feels a little tacky after it dries so that's my primary reason for not wanting to wear this moisturizer under makeup. The tube is also pretty small but if it's just for my face I can see it lasting me quite a while. (I just this moment realized this product is for face and body as well. Oops.)
Found Fruit AHA Peel Pads (no longer available)
Oh my god, once these are back in stock I want to buy them and try to see if I can use them as a cheap placeholder for Dr. Dennis Gross pads that I refuse to spend $88 on. I want to love these because I'm a sucker for Wayne Goss skincare advise. he claims he doesn't get botox anymore and he swears by Dr. Dennis Gross pads as well as numerous other home treatments. It would be naive to think a YouTuber isn't using filters but let's be honest, even without makeup that man is gorgeous.
The Eyes Have It
- Rimmel Lash Serum
- Maybelene Lash Sensational Mini
- Covergirl Lidlock Primer
- Masqueology Gold Under Eye Gel Mask
- L'Oreal Mini Volumnious Primer
- ELF Instant Lift Brow Pencil
- Covergirl Flourish Mascara
Maybelene Lash Sensational Mini
This mascara is sexy on the order of the mid-range and high-end mascaras I've come to love. There is a little clumpiness but the length, volume and drama are definitely there. I can get the same drama of Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir or Benefit Roller Lash without breaking the bank to do it. I'm by no means saying they are comparable. I really can't since I have not done an in depth side by side analysis of the three mascaras. I'm just saying Lash Sensational remind me of Velvet Noir and Roller Lash by way of dramatic lashes. My complaint is the wand. Ah, that's always the complaint. The wand is comparable to Roller Lash but it's large enough that I keep slapping my upper lid whenever I try to apply. Probably more user error than anything else though. My almost complaint is this is a very wet formula. There is a sweet spot where the mascara dries out just enough that application is flawless. We can do it! We will get there.
Covergirl Lidlock Primer
Is this what a good drugstore primer is supposed to feel like? Why have I waited so long? The only drugstore primer I've ever used is the ELF $1 primer but I was never really able to notice much of a difference between that and no primer at all. It remains a bit sticky once it finally sets so a neutral eyeshadow shade or a transition shade is requisite when using this (completely antithetical to how I typically apply eyeshadow). I've seen eyelid primers in action but I never really bothered to use them for myself other than occasionally. Good lord, have I been wrong. I tried this primer with my most problematic, muddy looking shadows and colors are more saturated now. It means I have to relearn how to apply eyeshadow and perfect that technique. I also love that this primer is full sized. I'm going to plow through this so quickly.
Masqueology Gold Under Eye Gel Mask
Three cheers for self care! I love that these eye masks came in a resealable pack of four so I can get 2 full uses to be able to form my opinion. It turns out I already have similar gold masks by Elizavecca. These are more convenient though because they are drier. They aren't soaked in serum but instead sandwiched between two plastic sheets so it's easier to slap these under my eyes and move around without worrying about them drooping down to my nipples after about 3 minutes. I found the gels to be cooling and relaxing. I can't say if they helped with puffiness since I only use products like this at night but the sensation of pretending I'm rich for a night is absolutely worth it.
L'Oreal Mini Voluminous Primer
I always wanted an eye primer but for whatever reason I've just never gone in for the purchase. I'm not sure how much this primes versus how much of it is just a white mascara. The brush is your standard bristled mascara brush but the white hue of the primer makes it easy to get in there and coat the smaller lashes without worrying about making a mess of my lids and lashes. I saw an increase of length when I wore this under the Covergirl Flourish mascara. The white color of the primer is also very convenient in helping ensure that I cover every lash with mascara. It helps me see any lashes that I may have missed in application. Is it worth buying again? Most likely not, but it's useful if it's around.
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| Taken in artificial light, no flash: No primer (top), Rimmel primer (bottom) |
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| Same shot with flash |
ELF Instant Lift Brow Pencil
I haven't had too much of a chance to play with this yet since my brows have grown in. Alright, I guess that settles it, I'm leaving this weekend if only to get my brows threaded. As a public service, of course, lest I get harpooned on my way home from work one day. The spoolie one the end is quite convenient. The pencil itself is a soft waxy texture that is really easy to work with. I didn't find my eyebrows sliding off my face and the brown is a perfect deep brown color that is still soft enough that it doesn't look garish. Another thing I love about this product: the wax is retractable.
Covergirl Flourish Mascara
Not my favorite. Like the Peacock Flare, the wand is just a bit too stiff and spiky for my tastes. I find the wand easy to work with though. The wand is great at not picking up too much product and it disperses it evenly amongst my lashes. Aside from the spikiness (pain?) of the wand, the mascara is pretty good depending on what you're looking for. I almost feel like the wand has to be horrible just to give this "no lash left behind" effect. It gives a very natural look which is nice but I don't really think "natural" fits my mood after some of the mascaras I've encountered recently. I will try to commit to a no-makeup-makeup look maybe once a week just to mix things up.
To summarize: tons of stuff. Absolutely worth $10 each. Completely happy with my purchase. And like so many college assignments, I just barely missed the deadline.
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