Hello! I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July (if you celebrate)! Last month, I received my second Beautycon Box, Summer Essentials 2016. For those who are not familiar with Beautycon Box, it is a quarterly beauty subscription box service that curates 12 beauty related products for the season. Seasonal boxes cost $29, and the annual plan is $99 (for 4 boxes). Recently, well-known YouTube Beauty Gurus have been curating the boxes with their must-have items.

I was really excited for this box because it was curated by YouTube Beauty Guru, Kandee Johnson. Kandee is a very talented makeup artist that I’ve been subscribed to for a long time. Therefore, I knew she would have some great picks for Summer Essentials 2016. This box has over $150 worth of products in it! I absolutely love the product card for this box! This beautiful portrait of Kandee (shown above) is by Swedish tattoo artist, Maria Björnbom Öberg. Follow her on Instagram!

So, without further ado, grab your tropical drink and beach chair, and enjoy Beautycon Box’s Summer Essentials 2016. It will be a splash! 😉

Benzac Acne Solutions – Blemish Clearing Hydrator

“Lightweight formula controls excess oil and hydrates the skin without overdrying.”

This is the first of many skin products included in Summer Essentials 2016. I am prone to acne and oily skin, so I’m hoping this hydrator will do the trick. I’m thrilled that it’s a full-size product. Retail value is $11.99 at Target.

Cover FX – Contour Brush

“This double sided Contouring brush is specifically designed to precisely place and seamlessly blend cream textures though the planes and contours of the face.”

Anytime I get a makeup brush in any beauty subscription box, I’m ecstatic. Good quality makeup brushes can be very expensive, so I rarely splurge on them. The Cover FX Contour Brush is doubled sided. The smaller brush is for placement and the bigger brush is for blending.

I love how convenient double sided brushes are because when traveling you can just bring one brush instead of two. I usually use a Beauty Blender and blush brush for contouring, so since I’ve acquired my first Cover FX brush, I’ll give contouring with a brush (actually made for contouring) a try. Retail value is $38.00 at Sephora.

Garnier SkinActive – Clearly Brighter Daily Moisturizer

“Visibly brighter, polished-looking skin in one week.”

Who doesn’t love brighter looking skin? I’m all for that look. Recently, I’ve been looking for a new moisturizer, so this Garnier SkinActive product came just at the right time. It’s also the second full-size skincare product I received in my Summer Essentials 2016 box. Retail value is $14.99 at Ulta.

La Fresh – Beauty & Personal Care Wipes

• Eco-Beauty® Facial Cleanser Wipes – “La Fresh® wipes refresh and purify all skin types with a luscious blend of Aloe, Cucumber, Papaya, Pineapple, Marshmallow, Jojoba, Vitamin C & Vitamin E.”

• Eco-Beauty® Instant Body Soother – “La Fresh® wipes instantly soothe, smooth & revitalize skin with a natural 6-oil blend of Olive, Jojoba, Sesame, Grapeseed, Vitamin E and Peppermint. Perfect after a workout, a workday, a daytrip, or a night in.”

I am a big fanatic for using wipes, whether it be to take off makeup or freshen up after a workout. It is a quick and easy process, but still very effective. I am looking forward to using these wipes since they use all-natural ingredients. What I love even more is that the wipes come individually wrapped, so I can put them in my makeup bag when I’m on-the-go!

On Amazon, retail value is $9.42 for Eco-Beauty® Facial Cleanser Wipes (20 Count). At La Fresh, retail value is $7.69 (currently on sale) for Eco-Beauty® Instant Body Soother (18 Count).

Neutrogena® – Ultra Light Cleansing Oil

“Removes 99% of dirt, oil, and makeup – even waterproof mascara.”

As I mentioned, I often use wipes to remove makeup. I’ve tried makeup remover before, but it burns when it gets too close to my eyes, which is hard to avoid when removing eyeliner. The Ultra Light Cleansing Oil by Neutrogena seems like a good alternative to makeup wipes and the common makeup remover. I’m eager to see how easily this cleanser removes makeup. It’s supposed to make my skin soft too, which would be a major plus in my book. Besides, this was another full-size product. Score! Retail value is $8.99 at Ulta.

NYX – Ombre Lip Duo (Peaches & Cream)

“Each lip duo features two coordinating shades of lip liner and satiny matte lipstick to create the perfect ombré pout.”

What’s summer without a bright lip? The second NYX product I received was the NYX Ombre Lip Duo, which is a two-in-one lip product – a lipstick with a coordinating lip liner shade. Although the shades are intentionally two-toned to create an ombre effect, I like having a lip liner and lipstick all-in-one. I like this concept because it can be a hassle to find a lip liner that goes with my lipstick. Not only that, but you have to buy them separately. Retail price is $11.99 at Ulta.

NYX – Jumbo Eye Pencil (Cashmere)

“Made with a blend of mineral oil and powder our creamy Jumbo Eye Pencils glide on effortlessly—no pulling tugging or fading.”

For the past few years, I’ve been a huge fan of NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils because you can wear them as an eyeliner or eyeshadow. I mostly use them as a eyeshadow base because eyeshadow adheres nicely to the creamy formula. As part of Summer Essentials 2016, I received a NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in the color, Cashmere. The color can be described as a shimmery champagne.

I don’t remember if I’m familiar which this shade, but I’m intrigued that it can double as a highlighter. I don’t typically wear a highlighter, but Cashmere might be a good shade to try to achieve that summer glow. Retail price is $4.49 at Ulta.

Redken – Fashion Waves Sea Salt Spray

“This sea salt hair spray adds instant texture, creating a tousled beachy look.”

In the past, I’ve been sent different beach sprays from various subscription services. Beach sprays have yet to make a difference to my hair. Beautycon Box included this full-size beach spray by Redken as part of the Summer Essentials. I feel like it’s worth trying out because I want to achieve beachy waves (#hairgoals). At least if the product makes no difference, my hair will smell good. Retail price is $19.50 at Ulta.

The Edit by Seventeen Promo Card

The Edit by Seventeen is an exclusive pop-up shop featuring this fall’s hottest trends hand-picked by Seventeen’s editors. It will be launching in July 2016. Seventeen and Kandee kindly included a 15% + Free Shipping promo card in Summer Essentials 2016. Can’t wait to check them out!

Smashbox – Brow Tech Shaping Powder (Taupe)

“Smashbox’s first-of-its-kind volumizing powder that lets you build your ultimate brow look and create the ultra-bold brows seen on runways and red carpets.”

Since I’ve started filling in my brows, I’ve preferred powder over gel or pencil. As a brunette, I already have very dark brows, so powder subtly fills them in, but doesn’t make them too dark. Included in Kandee’s Summer Essentials is Smashbox’s Brow Tech Shaping Powder. Kandee chose a very universal brow color – taupe. That color will perfectly suite my brows and make them look more natural.

I’ve never had a brow product from Smashbox, yet alone any makeup product from them. What I like most is the applicator has a finer tip than a standard brow brush, which will help me fill in my brows with precision. Retail price is $25.00 at Ulta.

Too Faced – Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara

“Our iconic hourglass-shaped brush unlocks the volumizing formula that thickens, lengthens and curls for the most extreme, mind-blowing lashes.”

If I had to choose a summer essential, it would be waterproof mascara. Who wants to worry about applying mascara when you’re out in the sun or swimming in the pool? Apparently, Kandee agrees with me because she included Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara in Summer Essentials 2016.

I already have the regular Better Than Sex Mascara and it makes my lashes black and voluminous. I’m glad Too Faced one upped themselves, and decided to go waterproof. As a graphic designer, I geeked out over the packaging. I love the water drop texture! For full-size, retail price is $23.00 at Sephora.

Click HERE to watch Too Faced’s short film starring Kandee Johnson!

VersaSpa – Face Moisturizing Gradual Tanner

“VersaSpa Gradual Tanning Face Moisturizer instantly hydrates skin, blurs fine lines and creates a beautiful tan.”

When I was in high school, I worked at a pool. I would be outside for about 6 hours a day and would develop a nice tan throughout the summer. Now that I don’t work there during the summer, I’m pale as a ghost. As a graphic designer and blogger, I work indoors a lot, so I don’t have much time to tan. I try to avoid tanning beds and spray tanning because it’s not my preferred tanning method (although I’ve tried them). Recently, I’ve noticed gradual tanners are a “thing.” I’ve become very intrigued. Lucky for me, Kandee included VersaSpa’s Face Moisturizing Gradual Tanner as part of Summer Essentials 2016.

When I’m out and about in the sun, the place I can’t tan is my face because I always wear full-coverage foundation. I think this tanner will help me get some color and keep my skin moisturized. I’m planning on using it at night. “Gradual” is a key word here. I don’t feel as cautious to tan my face with a gradual tanner than other methods and products because I know color will build over-time. For full-size, retail price is $26.99 on Amazon.

Summer Essentials 2016 Overview

Overall, I’m pleased with this box. I liked that it included both makeup and skincare products, as well as both full-size and travel-size. I really don’t have any complaints. I feel satisfied because well-known and high-end brands were featured. I always like to try new brands and products. Some of these products I probably wouldn’t have tried on my own. What I enjoy the most is that the boxes are curated by YouTubers I know and love. That makes receiving Beautycon Box a lot more special.

I hope you enjoyed looking at the beauty products from Summer Essentials 2016. Please share your thoughts with me on these summer must-haves in the comments below. Also, please feel free to recommend any of your summers essentials that are not featured in this post. I love discovering new products! Visit beautycon.com to learn more about Beautycon Box. Also, you can watch Kandee’s unboxing video HERE!

See ya in my next blog post!

♥ Candis