February 2014 Beauty Box 5 review
Last updated on March 30th, 2016
Not going to lie, I was super excited when I saw the sneak peek for this month’s Beauty Box 5. Full sized nail polish + nail sprinkles? That alone makes the $12 dollar/month subscription service a sweet deal, not to mention the other goodies I could be getting! Let’s take a look! 
My first impression when I saw the John Frieda Shampoo/Conditioner samples was WTH. These are the type of samples you’d find inside magazines, or as gifts with purchase, not as part of a paid subscription service. Seriously disappointed already.
- Rockstar Nails Nail Polish – $14.99
Adorable packaging, but not a fan of the color – not work safe and makes my skin look extra yellow. Yuck. It has a really strong, synthetic scent that lingers on hours after application, and I’m usually pretty tolerant when it comes to the smell of nail polishes. The application was streaky, and overall this was just a huge disappointment. - Rockstar Nails Nail Sprinkles – $14.99
For a while caviar nails were really popular so naturally I’m interested to see what the hype is all about. But as soon as I opened this the little beads just flew everywhere like they had a mind of their own, making a huge mess. I tried looking up more information online but couldn’t find anything about the brand or the product. Hmmm, I wonder why -_- - John Frieda Luxurious Volume shampoo & conditioner – $6.99
I’m sorry but I still can’t get over the fact that they gave us these flimsy samples as part of a paid subscription box. Am I overreacting here? As for the product itself, it’s not bad. I didn’t notice any increase volume after using it, and as usual I found the conditioner lacking, but that’s probably because my hair is too damaged for its own good. Either way, pass! - Every Beauty Makeup Remover Pads – $6.99
As always, the least impressive looking product turns out to be the best in the box. Unlike traditional wipes, you have to wet these with water to activate them, which is great because you never have to worry about them drying out. It did a good job of removing my everyday makeup, and it left my skin feeling clean and refreshed, while my usual wipes would leave this weird residue that made my face kinda sticky. I do wish the pads themselves were bigger – I had to use 2 pads to fully remove my makeup. - Elizabeth Mott It’s So Big Volumizing Mascara – $19.99
For someone with short straight lashes, a drier formula works much better, and this mascara had just that. While it didn’t volumize much, it did lengthen my lashes quite a bit. I was able to apply a 2nd coat without much clumping, which was nice, but still no volume at that point. It’s a nice mascara, but not for $19.99.
This month was their birthday month, so there was a “bonus” item in there – a $10 coupon for MyNameNecklace. Not a bad bonus I guess, but still not enough to make up for what a disappointment the box was overall. *sigh*
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I’ve heard make up remover pads / tissues being useful but if i buy it, i’m always afraid of wasting them out :( i’m that stingy especially when the product has only like a few pads… i’d rely on that all the time instead of a liquid make up remover.
Hm.. why is your hair really damaged though? is it because of the styling tools? I heard many people tend to like John Frieda so I’m curious about the product (the brand’s not available here though)..but is it true that JF’s products are drug-store leveled?
speaking of, i have really short eyelashes too (ugh which is why i tend to rely on false lashes! >A<) and i've been trying to find good mascara that does what it say without clumping.. i heard my friends saying max factor and/or bobbi brown's being good but idk.. i go for drugstore because ahem *poor college student* OTL so imma currently using maybelline and sometimes dollywink (sobs le price ;__;) but yea i'd like to hear your recommendations :)
My hair is damaged due to coloring and heat styling. And yes, I would consider JF a drugstore level brand since that’s where they’re usually found and the prices are comparable to other brands.
For drugstore mascara I think Maybelline has some of the best ones. I think I have the Colossal Volumes and I really like it :)
Dang, $12/month? That’s an amazing price! But I guess you get what you’re paying for – I’d be very disappointed if I paid for a subscription and received the hair care samples like that. At least throw in a hotel sized sample! But hey, at least the remover pads were worth almost something.
It’s definitely more affordable than most other boxes, but I think the best value is still Ipsy for $10/month. So far I’ve been very pleased with everything I’ve gotten :)
Based on the values of the items vs. the subscription price, it looks like this is worth it… buuut I can kind of see why it’s not at the same time. The nail polish colors are definitely not flattering at all! & I’m surprised at the hair product sample packets as well. I’d at least expect the small travel-sized bottles.
It’s a shame this box was such a disappointment :( but I’m glad not all the items were a waste! I think I’d def avoid this box for now when I’m heading to sign up for subscription boxes, heh.
While the full size nail polishes do make up for the cost of the box, I personally don’t think I got a great deal for this month. If you’re interested in subscription boxes, I’d recommend taking a look at Ipsy :)
From the photo alone, I already thought “wow, this looks like a complementary gift set.” The nail polishes looked like a cop-out addition to the whole package, so I wasn’t surprised by your disappointment of their inferior quality. :/ It’s good that not all item was bad though. Guess the saying “you can’t judge a book by its cover” really holds true.
Haha, yeah, I tried to capture the products in their best light, but looks can be deceiving. I’ll take your comment as a compliment of my photography skills though :P
Thanks for the review. To be honest I can understand your dissapointment in some of the products, it’s sad that the examples from John Frieda were just simple samples, the package means a lot if you ask me
That’s too bad that this month’s box was such a disappointment! The shampoo and conditioner packaging definitely reminds me of samples you can get in a magazine. I feel like they should have sent travel sized bottles instead. I like how the makeup remover pads activate with water though. I do have issues where pads or wipes eventually dry out. I hope next month’s will be better!