September 2019 Macy's Beauty Box

Macy's Beauty Box is a new (to me) beauty box. It's actually more in line with what I thought Sephora's Beauty Box was going to be. A lot of the stuff included are samples for new products or even samples you can get at the beauty counter but I don't have a functioning Macy's in my town (which is another gripe I have). 

That's not totally fair, the Macy's near me doesn't carry the brands I like in store. If I drive for a longer distance, that Macy's carries what I want. I apparently don't live in the right demographic for the shopper near me. It's fine. 

Also included in the monthly boxes was a bag that I thought was the perfect size to put extra samples of basics for safe haven shelters near me. Alas...Macy's has decided to not always include the bag. So, there's that. 

To give ideas of sizes, the perfume samples below are true to size. The spine size of the pamphlets are about 12.5 cm (almost 5 inches). 

The box comes easily disassembled. Which is probably an odd thing to note but it's the easiest box to break down for recycle so I actually really appreciate that. The info page is here for the box and the cost is $15 with free shipping. Also included is a $5 or sometimes $10 coupon, which is useful if you find a Holy Grail item and you want to purchase it.  

September's box did not include a bag, but did include a brush. The pamphlet included shows the details of the items included with "pro-tips". The prices listed are the full-size (no discount) prices. Which is probably an obvious note but just in case. 

Included: 
​

• Strivectin's Anti-Wrinkle Wrinkle Recode: This is the second Strivectin item I've received recently. I'm overloaded on skin-care but I'm about to purge and this is actually something I'm going to keep. I don't have wrinkles at the moment--which has probably less to do with my skin care regime and more to do than me staying out of the sun. I'm all for trying new items though. 
• Perricone MD's High Potency Face Finishing & Firming Moisturizer: Since starting the CGRP medication, my skin has been desert dry. I think it's a side effect to be honest but I've been using heavier moisturizer than before. I haven't found the holy grail moisturizer for this skin as of yet (I still cling to my my old HG formulas) so this is a much needed addition for my trials list. Also, I don't have a Perricone MD item yet...but I'm obsessed with looking at the blue plasma things they have. It's blue!
• ​Clinque​'s Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm: I have used them item before and I do really like it! I prefer cleansing oils (Boscia for my money's worth) for my first step cleanser but balms are my second favorite and of the 'American' branded balms, Clinique is pretty darn good. While I'm sure many people use this as just a cleanser, I've only used it as a first step in order to take my make-up off. This is a pretty good sample and the real size is pretty large as well. 
• This month's gift card was $10, double the normal. So while there was not a bag, there was a brush and $10 gift card. The gift cards do expire after about a month. 

Is Clinique American? Is it the "American with a French name because it's fancy" or just "moved over and isn't leaving"? Maybe I should just say that the balm is the easiest to get in most American areas...

• Tarte's Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed: I actually have this product in a different color as I tend to go for light pinks for blushes. This is a much darker shade and at first I was going to put it in my give-away pile but I plucked it out after thinking about how I need to try new colors after trying a darker shade of blush (an orange-pink) and liking it. I do like the formula so this is a great item. It's also a fairly large sample!
• Nudestix's Intense Matte Pencil: I actually need another lip product like a hole in the head but I don't have a nudestix item at all in my collection, thus I kept it. It's a darker blush color on me (pinker than the blush) and while opaque can be lightly used to create a stain type look or used as a solid color. I've only used it on my lips, even though the 'pro-tip' suggests using it between lips or cheeks. I'm apparently rigid when it comes to purposes of items. Eyes are just eyes, lips are just lips. I don't know why. This is also a pretty big sample for a lip product. 
• Azzaro's Wanted Girl: I'm a bit put off by the name. Why is this one 'girl' while the other is 'man'? I need them to match, "woman/man" or "girl/boy" because it comes through my brain as infantile. Do. Not. Like. As for the scent, I can't say my nose is attuned to all the notes in any scent but my go-to scent for a long time now has been Chloé Roses de Chloé which is a lighter scent. The notes mentioned here are ginger flower, dulche de leche, and vetiver. I ended up keeping this one to try as scents do not bother me like they did since starting the CGRP injector drugs. I do love the design on the bottle. Although I suppose you could argue violence, etc. I like that they match the 'theme' so to speak. 
• Azzaro's Wanted Man: I don't wear male scents--except once, when I accidentally sprayed myself with a cologne sample and ran out the door. I was in LOVE with myself all day--so I can't talk about them other than I tend to love the smell of most male cologne in general. To the expensive to the non. The notes mentioned here are lemon, cardamom and tonka. The first two are delicious ingredients for a recipe. That's all I've got. I have this in a 'male box' for general grab by family and friends. If no one takes it (although it might be gone) it'll go to a charity that helps men get back on their feet with jobs, interviews, houses, etc. 
• Created For Macy's 2-1 Blender & Blush: I was unsure on this item at first because I've received many crappy items from boxes. I'd prefer better (and less) items than filler junk. This was a shock though. The brush is soft (very soft) and would make a great powder/blush brush. The other end is a sponge which is soft but sturdy. This is a great brush for travel to be honest. Macy's suggested a purse, touch-up item and that would work as well.