BoxyCharm “Secret Garden” May 2024 Review

Spring is in full bloom, and this box is a testament to that! 💐 With the theme of “The Secret Garden,” the box included spring beauty staples inspired by florals, botanicals, and aromatics. It was all about plant-powered beauty picks, spring color palettes, and floral scents to transport you to a blooming spring garden. LOVE!

BoxyCharm by Ipsy is a $30 monthly beauty and makeup subscription box. It always provides great value compared to the cost of the box and includes 5 beauty items, including nail care, skincare, makeup, haircare, fragrance, and more. (At least 4 of those items will be full-sized.) If you are a makeup or skincare addict, we recommend this box!

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

First Impressions

I’m officially pretty excited to see my pink BoxyCharm box arrive in the mail.

This time around, I want to give them props for the innovative padding inside. It’s perfect for ensuring that everything arrives in perfect state. Big win here for Ipsy! 

What’s Inside

Ciaté London I Am Woman 24 Shade Eyeshadow Palette V2 –  $45

My Rating: 3/5

Where do I even start? First of all, the theme of this eyeshadow palette is perfection. Each eye shadow has a super cute name/power word to inspire you that day. I laughed when I realized my favorite shade was “Future Is Female.” How perfect is that? 

I’m well aware that most shades here aren’t for everyone. Personally, I rarely wear purple eyeshadows, but I’m excited about the neutrals and the plums. 

Surprisingly, I feel the shimmer shadows in this palette are superior to the matte, mainly because the matte comes on a bit patchy. The shimmer ones glide better, so you don’t have to use as much product.

Overall, the eyeshadows aren’t as pigmented as I’d like. But then again, this color palette best suits fair skin tones. 

Grande Cosmetics Grandebrow 2-In-1 Tinted Brow Gel + Brow Enhancing Serum In Light– $38

My Rating: 4/5 (would like to try the medium shade)

I’ve been looking for a brow serum for quite some time. Would I have spent $38 on one? Probably not. However, this one might change my mind! It’s super easy to apply and gives me the most natural look ever.

In full transparency, this is my first time using a brow gel with this type of brush. I’m more of a traditional eyebrow pencil kind of girl, so I wasn’t sure it would look natural or nice at first. I got the Light shade, but it still works wonders to fill in the gaps of my not-so-full eyebrows. The brush size is perfect, and it is very easy to use.

I’m hoping this will give me fuller-looking brows with continued use. 🤞 If it does, I’ll say the price is worth it. If not, I’d prefer a regular (cheaper) brow gel.

AHAVA Hydration Cream Mask – $37

My Rating: 2/5

I’m probably one of the very few Ipsy members who gets excited about skincare since I’m such a skincare lover. However, this mask was not it. At first glance, I swear I thought this was a hair mask. Everything from the package, the ingredients, and even the texture screams hair mask to me.

It has a slight fragrance—you’re either pro-fragrance or not. I usually don’t mind products with fragrances, but this one smelled like a conditioner. The texture is very cream-like, again, conditioner-like. Overall, it didn’t feel nice on my face.

My skin is rarely sensitive, but it stung a bit the moment I applied this—not what you’d expect from a hydrating face mask. I still left it for about three minutes (as suggested). Afterward, my skin was surely hydrated but still sensitive and a bit red. I'm not sure what ingredient here is causing a reaction.

Nonetheless, this cream mask is worth it only when you have severely dehydrated skin. It might be better for winter instead of spring.

Tys Beauty Lip Butter in Honey – $21

My Rating: 5/5 

I’m a lip gloss lover, so I was very excited to see this pick in the box. I got the shade Honey, which is more of a sheer pink shade. Honestly, I was surprised that this lip butter doesn’t feel sticky or greasy. Maybe it is the shea butter? Who knows, but overall, it leaves your lips feeling super soft and hydrated. I also love that the sheer pink shade is soft enough for the perfect daily lip gloss. It's definitely a product I’ll always carry around in my purse.

Love+Craft+Beauty Liquid Cosmic Blush in Mercury Moves – $20

My Rating: 3/5

I’m going to start this review by saying this isn’t your highly pigmented liquid blush. Having said that, I feel this product comes with a learning curve on best practices. Here’s my recommendation: Apply it first on the back of your hand and use your fingers to gently tap it on your face as you build up to the color/intensity you want.

For me, this shade is perfect for a no-makeup-makeup look where you want a soft blush. Maybe those with fair skin tone might get more out of this shade. But if you’re more medium-dark, like I am, then this shade will virtually disappear.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a beautiful blush and shade; it’s just not the most user-friendly product.

Value – Was This Box Worth It?

The Cost: $30  

Value Breakdown: 

• Eyeshadow Palette: $45
• Brow Gel & Serum: $38
• Hydration Mask: $37
• Lip Butter: $21
• Liquid Blush: $20

The total retail value of this box is $161! This box is worth the price. Just the brow gel and eyeshadow palette make it worth it.   

Was I uber-excited about everything in the box? Honestly, no. I think the hydration mask could have been traded for a highlighter or maybe a rich rose lipstick to go with the garden theme better. But overall, I was happy with the selection. 

Other Things You Should Know

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, your first box will be from the June curation.

What do you think of the May 2024 BoxyCharm by Ipsy Box? Which variants are you getting?