Unboxing | Walmart Beauty Box Summer 2015

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For the second time in a row, the Walmart Beauty Box managed to show up on my doorstep without any warning. A quick search of my e-mail reveals that they did in fact send me tracking info, but it came from "auto-notify" with the subject line "Unregistered Demo". Who knows how I managed to overlook that. Anyway, it's here now—want to see what's in it?

Unfamiliar with the Walmart Beauty Box? It's a quarterly beauty subscription box created by a little retailer you might have heard of once or twice, Walmart. For just $5 per quarter you get a box filled with drugstore beauty and personal care samples (and occasional full-sized goodies too). You can check out my reviews of past boxes here.

Since its inception, Walmart Beauty Box has sent out at least two versions of the beauty box in any given quarter, each with slightly different products. I'm not sure how many variations there are this time around, but my shipping e-mail said I was getting "WMS T1". I still don't know if that reference number actually corresponds with the box though. Unregistered Demo. Walmart is mysterious.

You & I by One Direction: The New Fragrance EDP (1.5ml, approximate value $1.98):
Apparently "You & I" is also the name of a One Direction song, not just a fragrance. I just learned that on Google. (Excuse me while I old.) I'm not sure what the tone of the song is, but this fragrance is light and bright—a fairly nondescript fruity floral. My boyfriend thought it smelled like Ivory soap, but I think he needs to get his nosebuds tuned. By the way, I couldn't find this on the Walmart website—maybe it's only sold in stores? Shrug.

Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy Complete Care Shampoo (1.7fl oz, approximate value $0.66):
Sexy, sexy anti-dandruff shampoo. Show me your Pyrithione ZINC, baby. In all seriousness though, I like every CLEAR shampoo I've tried to date, and I do get dandruff (yay!), so this is right up my boring alley.

Dove Go Fresh Revitalize Body Wash (1.8fl oz/53ml, approximate value $0.45):
I got this exact same body wash sample in my last Walmart Beauty Box. It's a perfectly fine body wash—creamy and sort of fruity-smelling—but repeat samples make me sad.

Nivea Soft Moisturizing Creme (0.84oz, approximate value $0.87):
A multi-purpose moisturizing cream with a light, whipped texture. The formula of this cream is pretty basic (heavy on the glycerin and mineral oil), but I could see it coming in handy for rehydrating chapped extremities. The scent isn't my favorite—kind of like the juice that wet wipes come packed in? If I'm putting it on my feet I don't really care about the fragrance that much though.

NYC Liquid Lipshine in Fashion Ave Fuchsia/579 (Full size/7.2ml, value $1.87):
A high-shine lip gloss with a slim wand for precise application. The color looks pretty intense in the tube, but it looks much more natural on the lips:

Well, minus the sparkle anyway. I like this shade a lot—it's a lot pinker than my natural lip color, but still subtle enough that it doesn't make you look super done-up. My boyfriend actually asked if I was wearing lipstick after I put this on—I think he could tell that something was different about my look, but it was so slight that he had to ask (and then stare at the lower half of my face like a creep once I told him). The formula is a touch sticky, but with all things considered, it's not too bad.

St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub (1oz, approximate value $0.60):
Now here's a product that's been around for a while. St. Ives scrub is a polarizing force in the beauty world—some people swear that it keeps their acne at bay, while others insist that the walnut shell scrubby bits create problematic "micro tears" in the skin (and will threaten to CUT YOU if you say otherwise). I don't have any hard scientific evidence to support one theory or the other, nor do I usually use scrubby scrubs like this on my face anyway, but I will say this—it does feel pretty darn good as a foot scrub.

Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer - Medium to Tan (24ml, approximate value $0.81):
This moisturizer contains Dihydroxyacetone, which in my view puts it in the self-tanner category, not the moisturizer category. It is pretty low down in the ingredients list though, so I doubt regular usage of this product would result in more than gradual color. Self-tanner is definitely not my thing so I won't be trying this, but it does seem like an appropriate choice for a summer beauty box.

Neutrogena CoolDry Sport Lotion SPF 70 (0.5fl oz, approximate value $0.85):
A chemical sunscreen with mad high SPF. I won't be trying this one because it contains an ingredient I'm sensitive to, but I'm sure Mr. Bird will be thrilled when I give it to him. Will he actually remember to use it though? Stay tuned... but either way, high SPF sunscreen is certainly a good choice for the season.

In addition to the samples, there was also a little booklet with makeup brush tips and $2 off coupons for Real Techniques, EcoTools, and Essential Tools. This would actually be sort of useful if the coupons didn't expire on June 30th—not sure I'll have time to use them before then. Oh well. It's good to know that Walmart is selling Real Techniques though—they're great brushes for the price.


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Total box value: Approximately $8.09
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Overall impressions:
I liked this month's Walmart Beauty Box a bit better than the last one. Some of the product selections weren't exactly cutting-edge, but I got to try some stuff I hadn't before, and for the love of all things pretty there was only one packet sample. Yay! My favorite item from the box was definitely the NYC lip gloss—I like the color enough that I will actually wear it again instead of letting it rot in a drawer. And most of the rest of the stuff will get used by me or Stan, so... OK.

Bottom line: If you're looking for exotic, high-value products, the Walmart Beauty Box probably isn't for you. But if you like the idea of sampling a bunch of shit from the drugstore à la going on a random shopping spree in the travel-sized products section, it's certainly worth the $5.

Like what you see? You can subscribe here. Your first box will most likely be the fall one, FYI.


What do you think of the latest Walmart Beauty Box? Which one of these samples would you adore (or abhor) the most?


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