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Sweet Sparkle Makeup Box Review + Coupon – November 2018

Abby Holsinger
ByAbby HolsingerDec 7, 2018 | 5 comments

Sweet Sparkle Makeup November 2018 - Box Front

Sweet Sparkle
4.3 overall rating
3 Ratings | 1 Reviews

Sweet Sparkle is a monthly beauty subscription box. Each box includes five full-sized, curated products to create an entire makeup look.

Sweet Sparkle Makeup November 2018 - Open Box Front

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

This month’s box is being reviewed thanks to an MSA reader request!

About Sweet Sparkle

The Subscription Box: Sweet Sparkle

The Cost: $24.50 monthly + free shipping worldwide. Discounts are available for longer commitments.

ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off any subscription!
CODE: MSA17

The Products: Five full-size, curated products to help you achieve a full look for the month’s theme.

Ships to: Worldwide with free shipping. You can check out the list of countries they ship to here.

Sweet Sparkle November 2018 Review

Sweet Sparkle Makeup November 2018 - Info Card FrontSweet Sparkle Makeup November 2018 - Info Card Back

Each month Sweet Sparkle includes an info card with an intro to the theme, products sampled and their retail values. This month’s theme is “After Midnight” featuring 5 makeup products.

Sweet Sparkle Makeup November 2018 - Eddie Funkhouser Hyperreal Eye Color in All Nighter FrontSweet Sparkle Makeup November 2018 - Eddie Funkhouser Hyperreal Eye Color in All Nighter Open

Eddie Funkhouser Hyperreal Eye Color in All Nighter - Retail Value $8.49 (found here for $6.75)

All Nighter is a satin finish with blue shimmer and a very dark navy/charcoal base. I do not like shadows that have such a dark base because in formulas like this the shimmer wears away in an instant, and you’re just left with the muddy base color. This could be okay to use for a smokey eye look, but I’d rather just go for a matte shade I love instead of trying to work with a difficult (kind of shimmery) shadow.

Sweet Sparkle Makeup November 2018 - Hikari Cosmetics Lipstick in Dune Front

Hikari Cosmetics Lipstick in Dune - Retail Value $13 (found here for $5)

Warm brown lipsticks are usually pretty intimidating for my very pale, very cool coloring, but I actually like this formula and color. It feels soft and moisturizing on my lips, and the orangey brown hue is giving me major fall fomo (come back fall, we love you!). This lipstick takes several layers to build up the pigment, and once applied liberally, it seemed to have some staying power when I wasn’t eating or drinking anything.

Sweet Sparkle Makeup November 2018 - Kokie Cosmetics Lash FL641 Front

Kokie Cosmetics Lash FL641 - Retail Value $7

Unfortunately, my skin is far too sensitive on my eyelids to apply any type of adhesive to them (traumatized from one very bad reaction to lash glue!). These lashes seem very dramatic and voluminous, though!

Sweet Sparkle Makeup November 2018 - Glam21 One Shot!!! Skinny Eye Brow Pencil in Lingering Mocha BoxedSweet Sparkle Makeup November 2018 - Glam21 One Shot!!! Skinny Eye Brow Pencil in Lingering Mocha Unboxed

Glam21 One Shot!!! Skinny Eye Brow Pencil in Lingering Mocha- Retail Value $12.80,  Listed Value $13.80

Since I had my eyebrows microbladed I use brow pencils sparingly, but I still like a lighter pencil to create dimension. This has a great thin tip to it, making the perfect hair-like strokes every time. I also like the color, which is a flattering medium brown.

Sweet Sparkle Makeup November 2018 - Jonteblu Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Black Front

Jonteblu Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Black - Retail Value $6, Listed Value $19

Pigmented is an understatement for this black pencil; this eyeliner is black as night! When I swatched this pencil, it seemed to glide on like a dream, but when I applied directly to my eyelid, it skipped a lot making the application process a little challenging. I can vouch for the waterproof aspect of this eyeliner, but it isn’t the easiest the work with.

Sweet Sparkle Makeup November 2018 - Swatches Front

Swatches of the makeup (left to right):

Glam21 Brow Pencil, Jonteblu Eyeliner, Eddie Funkhouser eyeshadow finger swatch, Eddie Funkhouser eyeshadow brush swatch, Hikari lipstick in Dune.

Did you ever just wake up and look in the mirror and think “whew, this is going to be a rough makeup day.” Well, that’s exactly what I did yesterday! I had tested all of these products out and thought “whoa, nobody is taking a picture of me today!” My eyeliner was a mess, and the blue shadow was not doing me any favors. Sometimes I rush getting ready or a product has a bit of a learning curve to it -- it happens! Then today I thought I’d give these products another go, and lo and behold, another lackluster (albeit more photo-friendly, haha) look. I tend to rely on some great, easy-to-use products every day, and unfortunately, these products just weren’t carrying that weight gracefully.

Now that I got that out of the way, I will tell you the different ways I used these products and how I got them to perform for me the way I wanted them to.

Day One: This eyeshadow in the pan is deceiving; it poses as a shimmery blue, but underneath it all, she is a charcoal/navy with very little shimmer translating to the lid. I applied all over in a subtle wing shape. It applied in patchy strokes and never quite blended out the way I wanted it to. I then moved on to the eyeliner, going straight across my top lid - the eyeliner skipping all the way. This made my liner much thicker than I intended because I had to go back over the naked, eyeliner-free spots; I tried to go over the first uneven line, but this liner was definitely not meant to layer. The waxy formula just accumulated and actually appeared a bit textured after my second layer. After giving up on the eye look, I applied the lipstick which performed quite well but needed quite a few layers to build up to the desired color.

Sweet Sparkle Makeup November 2018 - Closer Pic Front

Day Two (see pic above): Once again I started out with the eyeshadow, this time packing the color on a short fluffy brush, really digging in to pick up as much product as possible (still disappointed in the color payoff, though!). I patted the shadow on the outer V of my eye and patted a lavender shadow on top of it starting in the middle of my eye. I then wet a liner brush and loaded the brush full of product for an easy, precise application, and it stayed put all day long with no skipping! The only thing I changed about the lipstick application was I wiped off any chapstick that was left on my lips from this morning. I still had to swipe numerous times, but I feel it generally looked a little more even this way.

Verdict:  This is my third month receiving  Sweet Sparkle, and I never know what is coming my way, but I enjoy trying to come up with a cohesive look including all (at least most!) of the products. I like that they included a brow pencil and lashes (even though I can’t use them) since I feel subscription boxes often leave these two products out a lot. As far as the products go, I just can’t see working this hard to make any products work. To quote the internet, “Ain’t nobody got time for that.” Even though this month wasn’t a perfect match for me, I did find a great brow pencil, and the lipstick will get some use as the only workable brown lippie in my stash.

This month’s box has a total listed value of $61.29; the retail prices I found differed on two items listed, and that retail total comes to $47.29. The eyeliner price alone was a $13 discrepancy! Even though $47.29 is still a decent value for a $24.50 box, I find the price difference in the eyeliner a bit troubling.

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No. Your first box will be the current month’s box. So if you sign up in the month of November, you will get the November box.

ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off any subscription!
CODE: MSA17

Value Breakdown: At $24.50 for this box (with free shipping), here’s what you are paying approximately per item (I am using my retail value finds for a more accurate portrait of value):

  • Eddie Funkhouser Eyeshadow - $4.40
  • Hikari Lipstick  - $6.74
  • Kokie Lashes - $3.63
  • Glam21 Brow Pencil - $6.63
  • Jonteblu Eyeliner - $3.11

Check out all of our Sweet Sparkle reviews and the Beauty Subscription Box Directory for more makeup boxes!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

What do you think of the this month’s Sweet Sparkle box?

Starting at $24.50
Active Deal
Save 10% off any subscription!
Use Coupon Code MSA17
Subscribe Now
Full-size products. Thoughtfully curated. Each month, Sweet Sparkle subscribers score a box filled with our latest beauty picks so they can create the looks they crave.
Abby Holsinger
Abby Holsinger
I’m a self-proclaimed “cool mom” who loves a little, who am I kidding, a lot of razzle-dazzle. I have been box-obsessed for over 10 years, and I am always on the hunt for new beauty, fun flair and trendy clothing boxes. A fun night for me includes an exfoliating foot mask and a bag of Dot's Pretzels while binging Rupaul’s Drag Race.

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5 comments

Carrie

Abby, I really enjoy your make-up reviews. You always address everything I want to know about a product and your application tips are highly useful, too. Thank you for all the detail you put into reviews such as this one; super helpful and much appreciated.

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Vanessa

Thank you for the honest review, Abby. I think the lipstick is extremely flattering on you, so hooray for that at least!

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JustJese

Yea….Jontblu is an inferior quality product overpriced at $5 and appears in boxes as an “extra item” all the time.
I really liked your honest review! It was refreshing and I think it’s telling when despite giving it an extra shot products just don’t work the first time around with “normal” application. That being said, this box has gone downhill and is getting worse and worse.
But I do like reading your reviews on it, they reaffirm that I’m not the only one having trouble.

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SquirrelyGirl

I disagree about Jontbleu being inferior. I love their lip liners- creamy, blendable, and stay put. However, I do find the inflated retail value disingenuous

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Abby

Thank you! Did you end up liking any of the products? I’ve been using the Glam21 brow pencil, and I actually really like it. Other than that, not so much luck!

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