It’s the 20th already, so we’re almost at the end of July, can you believe that? It also means that all of my subscription boxes are going to start arriving around the same time, and the first one I want to talk about today is my July Beauty Box 5. When I picked it up, I noted that it felt unusually lightweight, so I was really curious to find out what’s inside. In fact, this might be the lighest BB5 I’ve ever received to date!
HOW IT WORKS: For $12/month subscribers will receive a box filled with a carefully selected mixture of five travel-sized, deluxe-sized and full-sized cosmetic products from luxury, commonly known brands, niche brands, eco-conscious and even vegan brands. Aimed at introducing women to new cosmetic products and educating them on best practices, Beauty Box 5 scours the market to find the best products for your lifestyle. Click here to subscribe.
First of all, the two highlights of the box – OFRA Lip Gloss and Lip Liner. There were assorted colors sent out, but mine happened to match. The lip pencil was very soft, which helped it glide easily over my lips without tugging. The lip gloss was a tad runny, but I liked that it wasn’t sticky at all.
Swatch reference: My skin tone is between MAC NC15 and NW15 with yellowish hue and neutral undertones. Sometimes I can wear NW20 in the Summer. I thought this would be useful to know, since all screens show colors differently, and I also don’t have a studio setup with consistent lighting. Hope that helps!
I think OFRA brand is mostly known among MUAs and bloggers, because many of my friends have never heard of this company. They focus on delivering high performance formulas within affordable price range, so the packaging is often quite simplistic. It is however not another cheap overpriced generic stuff, like Be a Bombshell. In fact, OFRA manufactured eye shadows for Urban Decay before, which is not a very well-known fact. I’m not sure what the status is on that right now, but word on the street is the Electric palette and the 15th Anniversary palette were actually made by OFRA.
Beauty Box 5 really loves featuring this brand in our boxes! I received a bright neon pink nail polish from Nanacoco, which is just a tad too bold for my taste, but I will definitely incorporate it in some kind of a nail art design where a pop of color would be perfectly appropriate. In the past I received their lip gloss, and glitter topper nail polish, both of which I used quite often.
Now here’s a brand I’ve never heard of before – Love Life Skin. I received two foil samples of their Intensive Recovery Serum, and two samples of Restorative Night Cream. These products were created for chemo patients, and tested for most sensitivity triggers, so they meet some of the highest industry standards. The serum was very thick and felt more like a moisturizer, and the night cream was about the same consistency. They layered well over one another, and my skin did in fact feel instantly calm and soothed. I think this would be a good line to check out if you have sensitive skin, and the prices don’t bite.
Last but not least, I received a sheet with shimmery tattoos from Pur~lisse. I only know this company because of their skin care and had no idea they made anything else, so this was probably the biggest surprise this month. To be honest, these tattoos are not really my style, but they look great for boho outfits. Well, the Summer isn’t over yet, so maybe I’ll give them a try later 🙂
THE VERDICT: I couldn’t be happier with full-sized OFRA lip gloss and liner! The colors are great, and are actually something I’d pick up if I was shopping on their website. I especially liked the lip liner, because this one is so soft and creamy. It glides over my lips without any tugging, and offers great pigmentation, so I don’t ever have to go twice over the same spot. I’ll be honest though, the rest of the box wasn’t nearly as exciting, but these two products made up for the potential disappointment.
Have you tried OFRA Cosmetics products before? Do you ever line your lips with a lip liner? Let me know in the comments below!
| Product | Retail value |
|---|---|
| OFRA Lip Gloss | $12.95 |
| OFRA Lip Liner | $13.00 |
| Nanacoco Nail Polish | $3.00 |
| Love Life Skin Intensive Recovery Serum | $1.80 |
| Love Life Skin Restorative Night Cream | $0.88 |
| Pur~lisse Temporary Tattoos | $3.00 |
| Box Retail Value | $34.63 |
Disclosure: This post features products received for editorial consideration and may contain affiliate or referral links. For more details about my product review policy, copyright, and information about affiliate links, please refer to Disclosures & Content Use page.
