Dear Dumplin,
I have a confession to make. I let myself go when I got pregnant. You see how Tamera Mowry-Housley is keeping it all cute while she’s pregnant? Yeah. I did not do that. I let the sweatpants and flip-flops take over. My hair stayed in messy two-strand twists. I could not muster the energy to be bothered. I was humongous in the middle of a hot and sticky summer. By the time you were born, I could not even begin to give a damn about my appearance.
Do you think I snapped back into it after I gave birth? HA! Absolutely not. You were taken care of in every capacity. That was my only accomplishment. I’m sure when I went back to work people were giving me the side-eye. I looked CRAY. It is what it is.
Fast forward to today. You are two and I work from home full-time. Working at home gives me absolutely NO motivation to take care of my appearance. I throw clothes on, take you to school, come back home, and sit at my desk ALL DAY. No one sees me. This year I made a commitment to #TakeCareofMe and put myself first sometimes. There are days when I do something for everyone and everything but myself. Dumplin? Check. Work? Check? Home? Check. Cook? Check. Hubby? Check. Me? Uh……
And this is why I was so elated to be asked to review the March Onyx box from WeAreOnyx.com. We Are Onyx is a monthly subscription service catering to the woman of color. WeAreOnyx.com is the first ever online all-in-one beauty destination for the woman who looks like you and me. How beautiful! Every month subscribers receive 5 deluxe-size or full size hair, skin, makeup and lifestyle products from high-end brands around the world for $25. It is the perfect monthly pick me up for a woman to take care of herself.
When I went to the WeAreOnyx.com website, the thing I noticed were Felicia Leatherwood and Afrobella. These are two of my favorite natural hair and beauty gurus! When I received the actual box, it is beautiful and well packaged. I’m a stickler for the details and I love that it came well designed. Someone thought of the little things.
Next, the products. In the March box I received:
- Suntegrity 5-in-1 Tinted Moisturizing Face Sunscreen – I like this product. Using sunscreen helps people not only protect their skin from sun damage but look younger longer. I received the Deep Bronze color and it is a great match for my skin tone. It’s something that I could easily see myself wearing every day with or without makeup. I will most likely purchase this when my sample is gone.
- Acure Brightening Facial scrub – This is my favorite product in the box. It’s vegan, paraben free, sulfate free, and petroleum free. Since I like natural products that don’t poison my body in the name of beauty, it’s right up my alley. It has a nice clean smell and washes off easily. This scrub left my skin incredibly soft without making it feel raw. I’ve been rubbing my face since I used it! I will definitely buy this product once this bottle runs out.
- Pure Gold Collagen skin supplement – This is probably my least favorite product in the box. Although I like the idea of a liquid skin supplement that you drink, I’m not crazy about the ingredients. In addition to being a multi-vitamin and multi-mineral supplement, it has borage oil, collagen, and soy lecithin. It also has the artificial sweetener Sucralose. I’m very conscious of putting artificial anything in my body. That’s not to say that I eat clean all the time because I certainly do not. I like treats just like anyone else. Certain things just turn me off and artificial sweeteners are one of them.
- Sienna Naturals Baobab Oil Hair & Body Shampoo – This is my second favorite item in the box. I like that it’s gentle enough to be used on pregnant women because when I was pregnant with you, I went through all of my skin care and beauty products. I stopped using anything with questionable ingredients. The fact that this company has thought to put on its label that it’s safe for pregnant women deserves acknowledging. Next, the ingredients are really good. Baobab oil, Aloe Vera, Honey Suckle Flower extract, and glycerin are some of the ingredients. Lastly, I’m trying to end my product junkie days. (I’m embarrassed to admit how many subscription services I had at one point but that’s a whole other story.) Having a product that can double as a hair shampoo or body shampoo is fantastic. It also has a nice smell.
- Shea Essence shea butter cream – This product is another gem. Although the directions say to use on damp or dry hair, I used this on my body. The ingredients are aloe vera, shea butter, coconut oil, almond oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, and vitamin E. I rubbed this on my elbows, knees, and heals and my skin thanked me for it. It has a nice whipped texture and isn’t too greasy. I can see myself purchasing this in the future as well.
Subscription services make every day things easy. No need to hunt for a quality product, instead they come right to my door. Since I work from home and spend little time shopping and in stores, this box came right on time. Spring is coming and I’d like to freshen up my look a little. The March Onyx box is certainly helping me do it! And even better? You can shop for items featured in older Onyx boxes right on their website! No need to hunt around. WeAreOnyx.com has put everything in a central location, taking the work out of searching for the perfect beauty products.
Love,
Mama
PS – New subscribers will receive $5 off their first Onyx box by using discount code: “Momlove2”. Hurry before the code expires!
Disclaimer: I received the March WeAreOnyx.com box for review purposes. All opinions are mine alone. I was not paid for this blog post.