Target Refresh Beauty Box Review

Target releases seasonal beauty boxes. They range in price from $5 to $10. Shipping is free. Unlike some beauty boxes, this is not a subscription. Box contents appear online once they become available, which decreases the likelihood of buyer’s remorse. Items inside a box only tend to vary in color meaning your only surprise will be in the color you get. Some items inside the box are full-sized, and it is not unusual that one item exceeds the cost of the entire box if you were to buy it separately. I like that they usually release more than one box at a time giving you a choice or the possibility to get multiples. Men are not left out either, because they sometimes get a box of their own.

The Refresh Beauty Box includes includes 9 items for $7. Target advertises it with a $30 value. When I saw the Simples wipes, the Clear Shampoo, the Nip Fab, and the Nivea In Shower Body Lotion, I knew I wanted this box. Other items were all bonuses. The limited edition boxes are first come, first served, which is the only drawback on the lack of subscription. You have to act quickly when the boxes come out, because it is not uncommon for them to sell out quickly. I ordered it right away, because it was only $7. It is hard not to find $7 in value. This box sold out before I even got my shipping notification. That means waiting to see what comes in everyone’s box is not an effective strategy on obtaining one. If you want to make sure you get a fall box, subscribe to Target emails and look at them when they hit your inbox. Of course, I will always alert you on the front page when they come back in stock as well. I ordered the Renewal Beauty Box with this.

The first thing you will always notice when you open a Target Beauty Box is a product card. It goes over all the items in the box and gives a brief description.

There is a $3 off a $15 beauty purchase coupon attached to the product card. These are unique coupons that work once online AND once in store, because the online promo code is different from the bar code. They usually expire within a month of receiving the box. This one expires 02/14/16. It works on all beauty purchases, even body lotions and hand creams. I do not factor coupons into box values, because they’re only valuable when you redeem them.

The back of the card goes over the general theme for the box. This one discusses 2016 beauty resolutions and Beauty Obsessions.

With 9 items in this $7 box, each item cost $0.78. I prefer to see everything live up to that value on its own, but there are always a few that exceed it to make up for the rare item that does not cover its weight.

The 1oz ACURE Day Cream is worth $9.71. It is 57% of the full-size, so it is a very generous sample. This day cream has gotu kola stem cells and chlorella growth factor to help skin retain hyaluronic acid and fight free radicals. I love everything that is in it and everything that is not. My boys can even try this.

The 2oz John Frieda Keraflex Hair Spray is full-size. It retails for $8.99. I triple checked that, because $9 for 2oz of drugstore hairspray seems ways too much. Hopefully, it lives up to that price tag. This micro-fine mist delivers a soft, brushable hold. That is actually what I look for in hairspray.

The 2.7oz NIVEA In-Shower Body Lotion is worth $1.20. I actually ordered a free foil of this direct from Nivea. It definitely moisturizes better than nothing, but I think it is better to use a moisturizer after getting out. This seems like the perfect thing to use before applying tanning creams where you cannot moisturize afterward. Once spring or summer hits, I will be testing it that way and see if this solves my dry patchy tan fail thanks to dry skin.

There are 5 Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Pads in the sample. They are worth $1.08. These pads are soaked in exfoliating glycolic acid to help retexture and resurface skin. I’ve gotten into chemical exfoliators in the past year or two, so I look forward to seeing how this one stacks up.

There are two Scunci Braided Elastic Bands in the box, a pink one and a black one. They are worth $0.48. These are snag-free, because they’re made without metal. I can always use more hair ties, so I am happy to receive them.

The Simple Micellar Wipes are full-size, 25 sheets. It retails for $6.99. They remove makeup gently with no artificial perfumes, dyes, or harsh chemicals. I’ve wanted to try these for a while, but my huge stash stopped me from buying them. Now, my stash is larger, but I will get to these when I can.

The 1oz Marlowe Extra Moisturizing Body Lotion No. 002 is worth $0.67. It has directions to massage into hands and body. I love trying small lotions on my hands, because I can easily throw them into my purse. This has revitalizing antioxidants and extracts to help soften and smooth dry skin. Hopefully, it gives enough moisture for my hands or I will use it as intended on my body.

The 1.7oz Clear Total Care Shampoo is worth $0.66. The 1.7oz Clear Total Care Conditioner is worth $0.67. Clear’s Active Damage Resist system makes hair more resilient to breakage. It hydrates the scalp and hair, and helps restore shine, smoothness and strength from root to tip. I’ve tried Clear in the past thanks to a Wal-Mart Beauty Box, but expired before I received it. That made it hard to get a real feel for what I thought of the product. That was a dandruff shampoo, which has active medication. Regular shampoo does not, so I will take these numbers on the bottom as something that is not a date. If they are dates, one expires in January 2018. The other expired in January 2007.

As with all drugstore products, price variation is huge depending on where you shop. For this box, I used Target prices on all items. This box has a $30.45 value, which right on with the $30 Target estimate. My value is also $30.45, because I will try everything in this. Another box will release sometime in the spring. Remember to check all offers before placing an online order. See all Target articles. View my main page for the guide map to the site and deeper deal exploration.

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