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We Are Onyx Beauty Box Subscription Box Review – September 2015

Celicia Gantz
ByCelicia GantzFeb 4, 2016 | 12 comments

We Are Onyx Beauty Box Subscription Box Review September 2015 - 4

We Are Onyx ONYXBOX
4.7 overall rating
12 Ratings | 5 Reviews

We Are Onyx Beauty Box is a women’s beauty subscription box.  Products included will vary from hair, beauty, skin, and nail care suited for the needs of Women of Color (WOC).  The company’s founders desire to educate WOC by expanding their beauty knowledge and encouraging them to try new products.

We Are Onyx Beauty Box Subscription Box Review September 2015 SCREENSHOT1

We Are Onyx Beauty Box Subscription Box Review September 2015 - 1

My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

We Are Onyx Beauty Box Subscription Box Review September 2015 SCREENSHOT2

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THE BOX: We Are Onyx Beauty Box

THE COST: $25 a month +free shipping

THE PRODUCTS:  5-7 beauty products geared toward Women of Color

SHIPS TO: US Only

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Each box comes with an insert card listing the enclosed products. This month’s theme is “Fresh for Fall.” The cover girl is French beauty blogger/Instagrammer Fatou N’Diaye.

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Creme of Nature - Style & Shine Foaming Mousse - Value: $5.19

Wrapped up outside of the We Are Onyx box was this foaming mousse. I’m still working on another mousse so this will go into my stash for another time. I appreciate the effort that’s taken to ensure products aren’t damaged or leak during shipping.

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Creme of Nature 100% Pure Argan Oil Sample - Value: $1.00

Placed just above our products are some brand booklets and a freebie sample from Creme of Nature.

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Curl Keeper - Leave In Conditioner 1oz - Value: $7.50

Curl Keeper isn’t one of my favorite hair care brands. I’ve never tried their conditioner before, but this one is full of parabens.  It’s sealed which will make this a great addition to my swap pile. This conditioner claims to tame frizzy hair and to leave hair soft and shiny without feeling greasy.

Inahsi Naturals - Aloe Hibiscus Leave In Conditioner 2oz - Value: $3.75

This conditioner can be used as a heat protectant and detangler. I’ve been using it as a conditioner after co-washing and I love it. The scent is very subtle and the ingredients listed are no cause for alarm. I’ve also never seen or heard of this brand before, so this is a real treat for me!  I’m looking forward to seeing more from this company.

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Creme of Nature Anti-Humidity Gloss & Shine Mist 4oz- Value: $7.45

Interesting!  I didn’t have anything like this in my hair routine, so I tried it right away. I really like it. It works well in my thick hair during braiding and gave a nice shine without feeling heavy or slippery. This may sound weird, but I sorta want to keep this at my desk.  Sometimes when it’s humid outside, our office gets muggy and my hair starts looking crazy if it's not braided down. I wonder if this will help in those situations. Let me know if you’ve tried this product before.

Creme of Nature Heat Defense Smooth and Shine Polisher 4oz- Value: $7.69

I don’t use heat in my hair - personal preference. (And I’ve used a blow dryer on my kids once every blue moon). It may not be a bad idea to start since “somebody” likes to keep the AC on at night. LOL. Anyway, this protectant claims to protect hair wet or dry during any type of heat styling.

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Earth’s Nectar - Mint Leaves Scalp Oil 1oz?- Value: $4.60

I can’t tell how much product is in this glass bottle, but I know it’s not enough! I can never have enough oils. LOL. I thought I wasn’t going to like this since I’m not a fan of peppermint in hair products, but luckily for me, it’s listed first to last in ingredients and it wasn’t overpowering at all.  I have to say I enjoyed this product because it is new to me and I can pronounce all five ingredients.  I was surprised to learn that this brand is available on Sephora too, along with other scalp oils from this brand!

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Verdict: September We Are Onyx Beauty Box had an estimated value of $32.00, coming in just $7.00 over the asking price.  This is my first box, so I don’t know if my estimate is low for a typical month. I can’t help but notice that most of the items this month were all from one brand, which is fine if it’s a takeover. I was disappointed to see that the argan oil freebie was indeed the sample meant for this box. I would have thought I was missing an item had it not been for social media.

I would also hope that in the future there is more diversity within the brands and would love to see a mix of hair, beauty and nails all in the same month. On a positive note, all the products have never been in my stash before, and 3 of the 7 products are sure to be used in this home and will probably be purchased again.

What did you think of the We Are Onyx Beauty Box?  If you use heat in your hair, do you always use a protector?

Starting at $25.00
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We Are Onyx is a monthly chic, urban subscription service dedicated to women of color. In each ONYXBOX, you receive 5 deluxe-size or full size hair, skin, makeup and lifestyle products from around the world. Every month they curate 4 products and you get to select your 5th from a hand-picked selecti... read more.
Celicia Gantz
Celicia Gantz
Celicia was introduced to both The Honest Company and CurlKit in March 2013 and has been addicted to subscription boxes ever since. Always on the hunt for the undiscovered family staple, she loves trying new skincare, natural hair care, makeup, and finding delicious snacks with hidden veggies for her kids (and Hubby too). Favorite finds: Body Oil, Stuffed Animals, Books, non-GMO Tortilla Chips and Perfume Samples.

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12 comments

Aisha

Curious who ships these? Is it UPS, FedEx? USPS? O is it those dreadful USPS handoffs through UPS and FedEx?

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trace

Have not received my box yet. Thanks for the review.

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Mssita

I just subscribed today and canceled two other boxes because they were horrible. I hope I dont have to cancel again….?

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Flubs

I find it so interesting how just one simple thing can make a day. And by that I mean when you said “…since ‘somebody’…” because I literally read it in the voices of various people in my mom’s family. Thanks for my first audible LOL of the day!

Also, the answer to your value/estimate price question is “yes and no.”
In my experience, the value gap varies each month. The same thing can be said for their “indie” options (but at least majority of their “indie” options are from B.O.B.s) and beauty/skincare options.
I used to sub to Onyx but cancelled this year. It wasn’t their fault; I cut my hair super short in December and I plan on keeping it short until 2017 so I don’t sub to anymore hair-heavy boxes. Their customer service is pretty good too. One time I got a bottle without a safety seal in my box. I contacted them about it and they sent me a new bottle free of charge two days later. The only problem I had with them is that if you don’t remember to select your “free sample of the month” before the cutoff, you won’t get a sample at all.

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Tamara

I’m happy to see more boxes coming out for WOC. I’m not thrilled about it being so heavily oriented toward one brand, though. And the value seems less than awesome.
The box itself is gorgeous, though.

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Hadiyah

Thank you so much for reviewing this. I’m always on the look out for subscriptions with items I know will have a high chance of working for me.

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Kristie

I just subbed to Cocotique but now very interested in Onyx!!

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Kristie

Great review! ! And most of the products look like deluxe or full size products ~I also like that most of the products were the same brand so you can get the full effect of the product brand in formation! !

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Britt T?

Great review Celicia! I may buy this for my daughter, who’s venturing off to college next year. Right now, I’m trying to get her ready. Not only with laundry, cleaning, budgeting money, etc. but, with hair products & makeup. I’m looking for things that can be her, go-to products. There’s so many choices & these look like they could be “college budget friendly” & things that may work for her, when mama & her weekly hair stylist, aren’t there with her. Out of all the things she’s worried about most, HER HAIR & makeup!! ??Lol! I’m going to watch this subscription & see if the value is there. Hopefully, you’ll continue to review this subscription! Thank you SO much!!?

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Emily

The box itself is so pretty!

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chris

I agree. That box looks cool and it is pretty. 🙂

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Lauren

I’m sort of in love! Three of my nieces are mixed and one uses heat religiously so all of this would work for them. Even though I’m not a woman of color, some products work wonders for the ball of frizz on the top of my head.

I’m especially enamored by the oil. I’ll have to find a sample for me!

Thanks!

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