August Allure Beauty Thrills Box Fights the Frizz

Allure Beauty Thrills, $55 (including shipping), one-time box of toiletries and cosmetics, available 3-times a year
I paid $60, including tax.
Box retail value: ~$280, my value: ~$180

The Allure Beauty Thrills box comes out three times a year, in May, August and November.  You buy the boxes individually and they sell out quickly after they become available for purchase.  If you want the next one, start stalking the My Subscription Addiction website in mid-October, for info on when it’ll become available.   The boxes include a variety of full-size drug-store brand toiletries and beauty products.  Many are new products and it seems likely that the manufacturers are providing them for free to get a buzz going. This is not a surprise box and the items are listed before you purchase them. It’s a great value but only if you will use the products.

This particular box included 27 full size products.  Nine of these were hair care products, including a shampoo, 2 conditioners, a hair primer, a hair oil, a hair spray and three different anti-frizz products.  Beyond  that, there were 3 body washes/soaps, a deodorant,  2 travel packages of wipes, a moisturizer and a sample kit of Korean moisturizing products.  Finally, there were three nail polishes and 4 other makeup items.  The box had a total retail value of around $280, depending on the retailer.  The total value of the items I will use is actually over $180, which makes me very happy.  Even better, I would probably have spent about $60 to buy items like those included in the box, so basically everything else is a bonus.

Here is what I got:

Pureology Colour Fanatic Instant Deep Conditioning Mask, 5 oz, $44

I made the mistake of looking up the main ingredient in this conditioner – amodimethicone – only to find out that there is a huge controversy about the use of silicones on hair.  They work, but they can be hard to wash off – though amodimethicone seems to be preferred because it is able to specifically tackle the damaged areas of your hair.  Both of my daughters color their hair, and one of them is having a particularly bad time after a week of swimming in chlorinated pools, so I’m very happy this item was included. I’ll report once she tries it. It’s made in the USA.

Hask Monoi Coconut Oil Nourishing Shine Oil Vial, 18 ml, $3

Despite its name, the main ingredient in this shine “oil” is cyclopentasiloxane, a silicone.  That’s probably a good thing as this ingredient can provide shine to hair without weighing it down.  The “oil” has a very pleasant caramel smell. Made in the USA.


Redken Pillow Proof Blow Dry Express Primer, 5.7 oz, $17-22

This product is supposed to both reduce the time it takes to blow dry your hair and protect it from the heat of the blow drier.  It’s also supposed to help you keep your styling even after your sleep.  We don’t actually blow dry or style our hair, but this may be useful to have around for the few times when we do.  It gets mixed reviews, some people swear by it, others really hate the smell.  Made in Canada.

Aloxxi Texturizing Spray, hold factor 3, 6.5 oz, $13.5-20

This is a lightweight hair spray which supposedly gives you volumes but does not weight your hair down.  It gets mixed reviews on Amazon, with some complaining about the scent.  There aren’t too many reviews of this product out there, so I’m guessing its price point has kept women away from buying it.  We don’t really use hairsprays so we may swap it. Made in the USA.



John Frieda Frizz Ease Beyond Smooth Frizz-Immunity Primer, 3.1 oz, $8-10

None of us actually suffer from frizzy hair, so this is not a product I’m likely to use.  It gets mixed reviews, even from people who got it for free through a sampling program.  On the plus side, it’s made in the USA.

Suave Professionals Cream, Luxe Style Infusion Smooth Light Weight Weather Proof Cream, 5 oz, $5

This is a new product and most of the reviews I found for it are from people who got it free through a sampling program. They are quite positive. I smelled it and it’s OK, but I prefer that of the other hair creams I’ve gotten. I’m sure I’ll find someone to give it to, as it’s not worth swapping or I may see how well it does on frizzy doll hair.  Made in the USA.
Redken Frizz Dismiss FPF 10 Fly-away Fix Finishing Sheets, 50 count, $17-25

These sheets have been compared to drier sheets that you softly apply over your dry hair.  They are supposed to help fight frizz and static electricity. They don’t get good reviews. On the plus side, they aren’t too heavy to ship if I can find someone who wants them. Made in the USA.

Clear Intense Hydration Shampoo, 12.9 oz, $5

Clear Intense Hydration Conditioner, 12.7 oz, $5

I am not picky on what shampoo and conditioner I use. My fine, straight and now short hair is not very demanding.  These ones smell fairly nicely and they’ll get used.

Curel Itch Defense Body Wash, 10 oz, $8

This is a new product and more gimmicky than real.  It’s basically an unscented moisturizing body wash with somewhat gentle cleaners.  It doesn’t have any ingredients to treat itch – such as oatmeal – but if your skin is itchy because it’s dry, adding a moisturizing body wash may help.  In any case, we’ll definitely use it. Made in the USA.
Caress Body Wash, Love Forever, 13.5 oz, $3.5-5.5

I’ve always loved Caress soap and body wash. This one smells like a mixture of fruits and flowers and I’m sure we’ll all enjoy using it.  The fragrance is supposed to be long lasting, we’ll see. While the bottle didn’t say where it’s made, I called Unilevel and found out that unless it’s otherwise mentioned, all their products sold in the US are made in the USA.

Jergens BB Body Cream for lighter Skin Tones, 7.5 Ounce, $8.5-11.5

This is basically a lightly tinted and highly perfumed moisturizer.  It’s supposed to help diminish your body imperfections after a few days, which can be a plus but it’s not something I’m going to worry about.  I’m not fond of the super perfumed scent – it makes it seem less refreshing to me – but it may work well in winter.  It’s made in the USA.

Dove Purely Pampering Beauty Bar in Shea Butter with Warm Vanilla, 2 4-oz bars, $3.6

These are very strongly scented bars. The scent reminds me of a piña colada. It’s pretty strong.  I prefer to use Aleppo and Castile soap, but these will be used when I run out of that.  Meanwhile, I’ll keep them in a clothing drawer. Made in USA.
Dove Dry Spray Antiperspirant, Clear Tone Skin Renew, 3.8 oz, $4-7
I don’t think I’ve ever owned a beauty product before whose first ingredient was butane. But I’m all for products with multiple applications – a deodorant and camping stove fuel in one, who would have thought?  Joking aside, for some reason I’ve never used a spray antiperspirant and I’m eager to give it a try.  Made in Mexico.

Yes To Cucumbers Hypoallergenic Facial Wipes, in “soothing”, 10-count, $3

I got these in one of the Target boxes and they are nice enough, convenient for traveling. There is no information on the package as to where these are made. I called, and the customer service representative says she believes they’re made in the USA.

Ban Total Refresh Cooling Body Cloths, in “Enliven”, 10 Count, $4.

Moistened towelettes, one the province of babies and BBQ restaurants, have become all the rage lately.  You can get deodorant wipes, feminine wipes, makeup removal wipes and now, thanks to Ban, body wipes.  Personally, I like carrying wipes with me for emergencies.  I opened these ones just to smell them – at 40-cents a piece I don’t really want to waste them – and I wasn’t too happy with the strong chemical perfume scent.  Still, I’m just it won’t linger too long on my skin. Made in Japan.

Laneige Advanced Hydration Trial Kit, $10

This little trial kit includes a 1 oz multi cleanser, a 10 ml serum, a 10 ml moisturizer and a 20 ml overnight gel mask.  I’ve started to really like Korean products, as the ones I’ve tried are very light. I like light. That definitely describes the products in this little kit. Their scent is also light, somewhat suggestive of the sea.   The cleanser has papaya seeds in it to provide exfoliation.  Paula’s Choice, however, thinks the cleanser has too many irritants and it’s best to be avoided. It doesn’t give high marks to the serum or the moisturizer cream either, though mostly because they have fragrance which Paula’s Choice believes is likely to irritate facial skin.

Still, I’m willing to give them a try. They are made in Korea.

ARM & HAMMER Truly Radiant Whitening with a Refreshing Twist Toothpaste Fresh Mint Twist, 4.3 oz, $8

ARM & HAMMER has apparently introduced a new line of oral health products, and three of them were featured in this box. They have also been part of other “sample and review” giveaways.  This toothpaste got quite good reviews.  It has a pretty strong minty flavor but not an unpleasant one.  We’ll be using when we’re done with our current tube.
 ARM & HAMMER Spinbrush Truly Radiant Deep Clean Manual Toothbrush, in “soft”, $3.5

This toothbrush got some awful reviews on Amazon.com, one reviewer said it made her gums bleed while another complained it was so soft it was more like a sponge than a brush.  Still, we’ll keep it as an emergency toothbrush. Made in the US from domestic & foreign materials.

Arm & Hammer Truly Radiant Whitening & Strengthening Sparkling Mint Fluoride Rinse, 16 oz, $11

This is a fluoride and baking soda based mouth rinse. Haven’t tried it yet, but I’m sure it’ll be used. Made in Canada.

Revlon 2 Steps To Total Gel Envy Kit in Royal Flush, .4 oz x 2, $13

This kit includes a gel nail polish and a top coat.  I don’t have much experience with gels, but I did find this nail polish a little bit harder to apply neatly than others I have.  Once on, one layer was enough to give a glossy, polished look even without the top coat. The fuchsia color is too young for me, but should work for my younger daughter – and the top coat can be used with other nail polishes.  It gets fairly good reviews.  Made in the USA.

Sonia Kashuk Nail Colour, in jewel orchid, .4 oz, $4

This item seems to be sold exclusively at Target.  The purplish “jewel orchid” is not yet available, but I’m sure it’s no great loss.  The color is just horrid. I mean, really, really horrid. It’s probably not worth swapping, but I’m sure I’ll find someone to give it too. Someone with really bad taste, or, preferably, color blind.

allure & butter London armed candy nail lacquer, in violet’s revenge, .4 oz, $15

This nail polish color has not yet been released for sale by itself, so we’re getting an exclusive. Unfortunately, purple is just not my color.  I’ll be swapping this.

 it cosmetics Hello Lashes Clinically Proven 5-in-1 Mascara, .33 oz, $24

This mascara gets fairly good reviews. It’s cruelty free and paraben free and made in the USA. I’m not sure if I need more mascara, however, so I may still swap it – for that reason I’m not yet trying it.

Revlon ColorStay 16 Hour Eyeshadow in Romantic, 4.8 g, $8

My youngest daughter is still playing with makeup, so I always give her all the outrageous colors I get.  But she’s been asking for some regular colors lately, and this quad should work very well for her.  I appreciate that it comes with a drawing on where to apply the colors. They’re made in the US from foreign and domestic ingredients.

Milani Color Statement Moisture Matte Lipstick in Kiss (red), $6

This is not our color, but the lipstick is made in the USA.  Hopefully I’ll be able to swap it.

Revlon Colorstay Overtime Lipcolor in “For Keeps Pink,” 2 ml, $10

Thanks to subscription boxes, my 10-year old must have one of the most expensive collections of pink lip colors and I can only guess it’s likely to continue expanding.  She liked this color a lot and was happy with how it survived her brushing her teeth.  I think it looks very cute on her, but I did notice the color fading after a few hours, though I’m not sure if she wore the top coat.  It’s made in the USA of domestic and foreign ingredients.