August Target Beauty Box Review

I haven't purchased a Target Beauty Box in a while, but all of the products in the August box were ones I knew I'd use, and luckily they were still in stock when I went to purchase!

*Disclaimer: This box was purchased by See, Shop, Love!

The Target Beauty Box is exactly what it sounds like: a box of beauty samples put together and sold by Target. The box isn't a subscription and you have to purchase one each month online (only) if you want to receive one. They cost $7 with free shipping, and I had a few cents tacked on for New York state sales tax.

The boxes sell out pretty quickly, and honestly when I went to the Target site at 9 AM the day they were released I was surprised to see them still available. If you want a heads up for when they go on sale, sign up for the newsletter at My Subscription Addiction (if you're at my blog, you definitely know about MSA!).

I usually pass on the Target Beauty Boxes because they're fun, but for a while I had so many samples already that there was never anything in them that I felt I really needed. But the August box was a definite yes for me because it had a bunch of things I needed for my upcoming trip to the UK in October, all conveniently travel-sized. Well, except for the full-sized razor, but you know what I mean.

• Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Soft Waves Tropical Banana Sea Salt Spray - I've used this before, not in the tropical banana scent, and it's a pretty good texture spray. My hair is too thick for it to create any waves on its own, but I like to spray this at my roots when my hair is damp and then blow dry for extra lift.
• Schick Intuition F.A.B. - My best friend has been recommending this razor to me for a while so I was glad to see it in the box, especially since I'm sure they retail for more than $7 on their own. The F.A.B. stands for forwards and backwards, making shaving easier with a smooth glide.
• Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes - I've been trying to use less one-use cleansing wipes lately to be more environmentally friendly, but this small pack will be great for refreshing on-the-go for my trip. I'm not against using them once in a while, and the seven count will be good for travel.

•  Acure Brilliantly Brightening Day Cream - This moisturizer has a blend of CoQ10, gotu kola, and argan oil to fight dullness and even out skin tone. CoQ10 is an enzyme and antioxidant that can help protect cells from damage, and gotu kola is a plant native to Asian wetlands that can help with many things, including working as a skin-healing agent that's great for sensitive skin.
• bliss Fab Foaming Face Wash - This is a two-in-one cleanser and exfoliator infused with flower botanicals and natural ingredients to relieve dryness and soothe skin.
• Eden BodyWorks Coconut Shea Body Lotion - This is enriched with Vitamin E and shea butter to soften skin and replenish its natural moisture balance.

Each box also includes a $3 off coupon for a beauty purchase of $15 or more at Target.

Bottom Line: This was a great Target Beauty Box for me and I've already packed away the little samples for my trip! I'm also curious to start using the F.A.B. razor now and see how well it works.

April Target Beauty Box Review

I've only gotten one other Target Beauty Box before (read that review here) because they usually sell out lightning fast, and by the time I would get around to checking they were long gone. I snagged this month's, though, and I'm glad I did!

*Disclaimer: This box was purchased by See, Shop, Love!

Target Beauty Boxes come out once a month and must be purchased on a monthly basis--this is not a renewing subscription. Boxes usually cost $5 or $7, and this one cost $7 (shipping is free). It's currently sold out, but you can purchase the individual products featured here.

As you could probably guess since it is from Target, the boxes contain lower-end brands that you can find at stores like Target and other drug stores. That being said, Target has some really great brands for sale so I still think this box is a great deal! Each box also comes with a $3 off coupon on a beauty purchase of $15 or more.

• Laneige Water Bank Soothing Mask - I love that Target carries Laneige now! I want to work more Korean skincare products into my routine and having such a great brand easily accessible at Target is a huge plus. This mask has a "gel-whipped formula," according to the info card, and offers extra hydration and a smooth finish.
• Maybelline Dream Velvet Foundation - I'm assuming that the same shade was sent with every box, which was "Classic Ivory." This definitely is not going to match my skin color. It's just a tiny sample anyway, though, so I'm not too upset about not being able to use it.
• Marlowe No. 022 Body Butter - I lost my L'Occitane hand cream somewhere in NYC last weekend so I needed a replacement, and this one is perfect! Even though it's a body butter I'm going to use it as a hand cream only because I love thick creams for the scaly skin I get on my hands (I know, so cute, right?). This is also specially formulated for sensitive skin.
• Pantene AIRspray Hair Spray - This is a new hairspray that's made without alcohol or ethanol.
• COVERGIRL Colorlicious Lipstick - I got the shade 375 - Coquette Orchid, which is a subtle mauve shade. It's infused with shea butter and provides lasting color. I haven't swatched it yet, but the shade is really pretty.
• CeraVe Healing Ointment - This is also perfect for my dry hands. The skin around my knuckles gets so cracked and dry, and this soothes chafed and cracked skin without feeling greasy. It absorbed pretty quickly into my skin and left it feeling so soothed.
• Hawaiian Tropic Island Sport SPF 30 Lotion - A travel-sized sunscreen is always good to have. This one is oil-free and sweat- and water-resistant for up to 80 minutes.
• Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes - I've used these before and I like them a lot. I'll throw this sample pack into my gym bag,

CeraVe Healing Ointment

COVERGIRL Colorlicious Lipstick

COVERGIRL Colorlicious Lipstick

Bottom Line: I think this box was excellent for only $7! I think the Laneige mask, Marlowe body butter, and the CeraVe are my favorite products. I wish that it was easier to get one of these boxes, but hopefully I can snag one for May, too!

Target Beauty Box - Naturals Review

Every once in a while Target releases beauty boxes, and this time around they had a few different types: for her, for him, and naturals.  There may have been another, but I don't remember.  If I remember correctly, they were released on or around Black Friday.  The Naturals box only cost $5, and I'm very happy with it!

The box is about the size of a Birchbox and clearly has the Target logo all over it.  You could see what items would be in each box when you purchased them, and I picked the Naturals box because it was cheaper than the "For Her" version ($10 for that one) and I prefer beauty and skincare with natural and organic ingredients.

I was impressed by the packaging, especially since the box was so cheap.  I had purchased a Target Beauty Box the last time they had them, but I don't really remember it making much of an impression (hence why I never wrote a review for it).  They definitely stepped up their game with this round.

According to Target, this box has a total value of $25.  I'm not really concerned with calculating the retail values of these, so I'll take them at their word.  The box had six deluxe-sized samples, all from some pretty good brands.  There was also a coupon inside for $3 off a naturals beauty purchase of $15 or more, which I will most likely end up using.

• Burt's Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes - Burt's Bees is a brand I've talked about before, and I'm on the fence about them because while I appreciate that they are cruelty-free, they're owned by Clorox, which is not cruelty-free.  I do prefer to support brands that are 100% cruelty-free, but as far as drugstore brands go, this is better than most of them.  Anyway, the package has 10 towelettes inside that I will put to good use.  I like to take these to remove my makeup when I go straight to the gym from work.
• Skinfix Hand Repair Cream - I don't know anything about this brand, but I needed a good, thick handcream that was unscented.  I have a lot of perfumed ones, and they're nice, but during the winter my hands get so dry and I prefer something more heavy-duty.  The ingredients list has a few synthetic ingredients, but I still like it.
• Borghese Age-Defying Facial Scrub - This is a Target exclusive, and it's "a clarifying scrub that refines uneven texture and tone while gently removing dirt and debris."  I've used some Borghese products before and they work really well.  Again, more synthetics in the ingredients.
• Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Smoothie - This is a really big sample (3.2 oz), unfortunately I have no use for it since it's for thick, curly hair.  My hair is thick, but it is by no means curly.  I posted this for swap.  I've used other Shea Moisture products before though and they work really well.  They're also PETA-certified as cruelty-free.
• Acure Organics Facial Cleanser - I've gotten this sample from a few other boxes, including Birchbox, and I had no idea they were available at Target!  I'm glad to have gotten it, since they're a really good organic brand that's Leaping Bunny-certified as cruelty-free.
• SoapBox Argan Shampoo - I love products with argan oil in them because I heat style my hair daily and it gets pretty dry.  The brand is new to me, but the bottle says "Every SoapBox purchase is a donation to a child in need."  That certainly makes me want to look into buying more products from them in the future.

Bottom Line: The Target Beauty Box - Naturals was an excellent value at only $5!  I'm really glad I bought one, even though most of the products are not exactly "natural."  I'm not upset by that though, since most brands that advertise as "natural" at stores like Target are sometimes greenwashed.  Either way, these are still products I'll use and enjoy!

*Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.