If you recall, I published a brief Boscia haul towards the end of May quickly recapping what was included in the 500-point Sephora redemption. After using the products for a month and a half, I’ve finally emptied each bottle, so I want to share my thoughts on the brand.

Just to quickly address the structure of the post since it’s slightly different from my standard reviews, it houses a mini review of each product within the post. If you’re more interested in the kit as a whole, the cumulative thoughts are detailed towards the end of the post. Since I received this as a 500-point reward, the product is no longer available; however, Sephora offers a very similar limited edition kit for sale called the Little Black Book. The only difference between my kit and the little black book is that mine came with a pore strip, whereas the book comes with a t-zone treatment instead.

The Product: Boscia Skincare Trial Kit

To refresh your memory, the kit I have came with:

• Detoxifying Black Cleanser (1 fl oz)
• Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel (0.5 oz)
• Luminizing Black Mask (0.7 oz)
• Pore Purifying Black Strips (1 strip)

Detoxifying Black Cleanser Review

General Information

• Available in a full-size pump version containing 5 fl oz for $28
• Primary claim is to warm upon contact and de-clog pores
• Formulated without parabens, sulfates, or phthalates

Pros

• Doesn’t leave your face feeling dry
• Warm sensation is very mild and not irritating to the skin
• Has a subtle, pleasant scent
• Lightweight, good for a daily cleanser

Cons

• Doesn’t provide noticeable results

My Experience

I actually enjoyed this cleanser. I want to purchase the full size, but I kind of want to try out other cleansers before committing. What I like about this cleanser oddly coincides with what I dislike about the cleanser. I love that it isn’t an OTC medicated type of cleanser that targets a specific skin concern because it makes for a gentle daily cleanser. My thing with that is because it isn’t a targeted cleanser, it didn’t significantly change my skin so I’m left wondering if there is something better out there.

All in all, I would use this for my morning cleanser because it’s lightweight and doesn’t dry out my skin, but I would also need a separate night cleanser to target my skin concerns. As far as the quantity, the trial size lasted pretty well. I used 1 fl oz twice a day for a month and a half before running out, so I assume the full size would last me between 6 and 8 months.

Overall Rating

A-

Best For

• Oily, dry, or normal skin types
• Anyone looking for a gentle daily cleanser

Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel Review

General Information

• Available in a full size jar version that comes with 1 oz for $38
• Formulated without parabens, sulfates, phthalates, synthetic dyes/fragrances, GMOs, triclosan, or petrochemicals
• Primary claim is to refine skin texture, brighten complexion, and minimize the look of pres

Pros

• Lightweight
• Easy, clean packaging in the trial size
• Cooling sensation*
• Leaves skin moisturized without feeling greasy
• Doesn’t require a lot of product per use

Cons

• Full size option is very small for the price

My Experience

This product is my favorite of the bunch. This was my first time trying a gel moisturizer, and I love the concept. This is another product that doesn’t appear to target a particular skin concern. The claims are geared towards all around complexion improvement, but I didn’t have any huge changes. Because of that, I would use this in the morning as my lightweight moisturizer, but I would use a different moisturizer at night that targets my skin concerns or follow this moisturizer with an eye cream.

I really wish the full size came in a larger version considering the high price point. While the .5 oz trial lasted the entire month and a half while using it twice a day, I’m used to moisturizers coming in the 7 oz Ponds sizes. Based off the trial size, the full size would only last me 2 – 3 months.

*The cooling sensation of this moisturizer isn’t something I noticed on the average day, but it was definitely noticeable when I applied the moisturizer after using the brand’s face mask. In those instances, it didn’t feel as intense as Carmex on the lips, but it was noticeable and also lingered for quite some time.

Overall Rating

A

Best For

• Combination/Oily skin
• Anyone looking for a moisturizer light enough for daytime application

Luminizing Black Mask Review

General Information

• Available in a full size version that comes with 2.8 oz for $34
• Formulated without parabens, sulfates, or phthalates
• Primary claim is to shrink pores, firm skin, and reduce inflammation

Pros

• Noticeably smoother skin immediately after use
• The look of pores is minimized immediately after use

Cons

• Appeared to make skin oilier the next day
• Requires a lot of product per use
• Sticky product, which results in a messy application
• Takes longer than suggested to dry when the correct amount of product is applied
• Makes eyes water / strong vapor
• Time consuming and uncomfortable to peel off
• Can be painful to remove when applied too close to the hairline or eyebrows

My Experience

I was most excited to try this because of the pore minimizing advertising. As far as use is concerned, I was able to use this mask twice before running out of product because I attempted to extend its use the first time. The thing with this mask is that you need a lot of product to have that easy peel off result that’s advertised on Sephora’s site, which makes this trial size truly a one-time use.

My first application was just enough to cover my face, but it dried to a very thin see-through layer. The thinness of the dried product made it quite challenging and time-consuming to peel off. The second time around, I personally felt like I applied too much, yet it still dried to a thin (not see-through this time) layer. The peel off process is long, tedious, and borderline painful depending on your pain tolerance. To provide some context, it essentially feels like taking a bandaid off of your face. My biggest tip with this is to definitely avoid your hairline and eyebrow areas at all costs.

Additionally, it dries the skin out once the mask is off, so I was left feeling the need to apply moisturizer afterwards. That extra step is how I discovered the cooling effect of the hydration gel wasn’t false advertising. I wouldn’t repurchase this mask, but it was a good learning experience. I want to instead venture into the world of wash-off face masks that are geared towards minimizing pores. I liked the feeling of renewed skin, but the initial dryness seemed to cause an excess oil production the next day.

Overall Rating

D

Best For

• Normal skin types (with a high pain tolerance)

Pore Purifying Black Strips

My Experience

This one is a little different because I actually don’t have a review. In fact, I didn’t use this one at all. I personally didn’t like that it only came with one strip. I don’t know that someone could get a true grasp of the product with just the one strip. For me, I didn’t use the product because I’ve never been the pore strip kind of girl. They simply don’t target any of my skin needs, and I don’t have any problematic blackheads or pore issues around my nose area.

Based on what I’ve read from other reviewers, this product provides a similar result to the black mask, just less messy and less painful. Also, since it’s a small strip, it targets the nose area rather than the full face.

Boscia Skincare Kit’s Overall Rating

B+

Overall Thoughts on Boscia’s Skincare Kit

Although one product wasn’t relevant to my needs and one product received a low rating from me, I rate the kit as a whole with a solid B+ because of the variety. There is something for everyone, and this is a great way to narrow down what you do or don’t like. Personally, I wish I could have received the T-Zone treatment in my box because that’s one of my trouble areas. The good news is that if you would prefer that option to the pore strip, it’s included in their Little Black Book. If pore strips are a staple for you, I believe the black mask will provide similar results so you truly don’t need both in the sample kit.

Have you tried any Boscia products before? What are some of your favorite face products?