Beauty Fix - April 2015

BeautyFIX is a subscription box from DermStore.com that features skin care, hair care and beauty products.  Each box includes a mix of full size, deluxe, and trial-sized samples worth over $100.  You can purchase the box as a one-time purchase ($34.95) or sign up for a renewing monthly subscription ($24.95 each month).  I signed up for the monthly subscription.  I like that Dermstore was founded by a dermatologist and that the online store offers an extensive selection of natural and organic skincare products.  Skin care items seems to be the primary focus of the subscription box and the online store.   

Here's what was featured in the April box:

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil  ($28, 6.7 oz, Full Size)

Juice Beauty Green Apple Age Defy Moisturizer  ($45, 2 oz, Full Size)

One Love Organics Healthy Locks Dry Shampoo Powder  ($12, 0.6 oz)

Sunday Riley Good Genes Serum and Treatment  ($7 value, 2 ml sample)

Ren Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask  ($16.17 value, 0.5 oz sample)

Dermstore Lip Quench Sheer Tints in Coral  ($12, 0.28 oz, Full Size)

Laura Geller Baked Liquid Radiance Foundation  ($6.08 value, 0.16 oz sample)

Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels  ($3.75 value, 1 pair sample)

Random Single Use Samples (Free Extras)

Cost of Box:  $24.95 (Includes free shipping)
Total Box Value:  $130
Impressions:  I tried a mystery grab bag from DermStore a couple of weeks ago and was pleased with the items I received so I was open to trying their BeautyFix box.  Once I saw spoilers that the DHC cleansing oil and Juice Beauty moisturizer were going to be featured this month, I immediately went and signed up!  I've been really curious about how well oil cleansers work.  I use sweet almond and jojoba oils as my skin moisturizer but it seemed an odd concept using oil to cleanse.  A lot of reviews state that this cleanser is great for removing makeup and for general cleansing, without being harsh and drying your skin.  You massage the oil onto your dry face then rinse off.  It turns a creamier white consistency once it's mixed with the water.  It rinsed off cleaner than I expected given that it's an oil but I still followed it with a quick once over with my facial brush and African black soap (I have dry skin and need to exfoliate regularly).  Even with the second cleansing, the olive oil from the DHC cleanser still left my skin feeling moisturized and supple.  The Juice Beauty moisturizer is certified organic, 100% natural, vegan, paraben free, and cruelty free!  I like it but I'm not sure yet if I like it more than my plain old sweet almond oil.  I'm African American with natural hair and maintaining the natural oils at my roots is important to the health of my hair.   Dry shampoos are not good for my hair type and hair regimen, plus it's a light colored powder which I imagine would be difficult to apply to dark hair like mine and have it not be noticeable to others.  I love serums but I'm a little conflicted about using the Sunday Riley because it does include a couple of paraben ingredients.  I may use this sample occasionally but I doubt I'll ever buy it because of the parabens.  I also want to point out that the moisturizer, serum, and renewal mask contain some fruit acids (such as lactic, glycolic, tartaric, citric, and hyaluronic) which could be irritating if you have very sensitive skin.  These types of acids help with skin cell turnover/regeneration which give you that glowing skin look.  My skin is somewhat sensitive so I definitely do not plan to use all these products simultaneously or on a daily basis.  And I'll be especially sure to use something with good SPF sun protection to help protect the new skin cells after using the Ren Glycol Lactic renewal mask which is essentially a facial peel.  I'll save the eye gels for the next time I have to pull an all-nighter and need to de-puff my eyes!  I don't currently wear makeup so the lip tint and foundation will be traded or given away.  I will never ever understand why beauty box services send out something as specific as foundation if they don't allow subscribers the option to select the right shade for them.  Why on earth they would think every woman that subscribes would be able wear the one random shade they decide to send out is beyond me.  That's about as crazy as a clothing/styling service never asking what size you wear because they just send everyone the one size they happened to get a bulk supply of that month!  At least the foundation is only a small portion of the box value.

Overall, I got a great deal with this month's box!  The retail value of this box is over 5 times what I paid and I plan to use everything except the two makeup items and dry-shampoo.  I am really happy that the DHC cleansing oil and Juice Beauty moisturizers were full size.  It's not too often that I get a full size item in a beauty box, very rare to get more than one.  The full size cleansing oil alone is valued at more than the subscription cost of this box!  This box has a high "use" value for me because I plan to use most of the items, and the full size cleansing oil and moisturizer will probably last for months for me personally.  I like to point this out because just because a box has a high retail value does not mean each subscriber will get a lot or the same amount of use out of it as others.  I liked that this box consisted primarily of skincare items but if you prefer sampling mostly makeup items in your beauty boxes, the BeautyFix box will probably be disappointing to you and not worth the cost.  I'm looking forward to future boxes because skincare is my primary focus right now.

I would also like to mention that this box, and orders from DermStore in general, are processed and shipped quickly.  They ship via USPS and I received this box within 4 days of ordering; it would have been quicker than that if not for the weekend.  Most subscription box services typically take several days to over a week to reach me, even those that use FedEx or UPS for delivery, so I'm impressed with the relatively quick delivery of BeautyFix.