GLYMM BOX: February 2012

hi again!
i'm actually surprised at my own willpower - i received all my boxes at once but i told myself to hold off and open each one after i have blogged about it. that way, i can enjoy the element of surprise longer.

however, that excited feeling quickly diminished as i went through the February Glymm box.
the box was delivered on the 21st which is pretty fast considering it was shipped out on the 17th and i live on the west side of Canada. anyway, as you can see, the "Fragile" label appeared to not have been applicable during this shipment. there were two holes in my cardboard box and this was the first time i had seen any sign of damage on my Glymm boxes.

untying the bow, you will find this lady:

and this month's samples:

1) Sula Natural Shadow in "I'm in Heaven" - i must have jinxed myself or something when i said in my last post about Topbox that blue eyeshadow wasn't really my color, because here's another one! this one is even lighter in color so i'm fairly certain that it will not show up on my skin or if it does, it will be appear white. i actually received another Sula product from Glymm previously, back in December (it was a lip gloss). again, the packaging is very pretty and girly. i didn't do a swatch here since i wasn't sure if i will be using it. i know some people actually received a cream eyeshadow, which i would not have preferred anyway since i have oily eyelids and that would have caused major creasing problems.
size: 4.5 g (full size!)
retail value: $8

2) Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in "Rose" - this is yet another brand that that i have previously encountered with Glymm (January). i know Burt's Bees products are 100% natural but this also means they don't smell the greatest. as for the product itself, i'm liking tinted lip balms. in December, i got a Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter and i absolutely love it. it is my go-to lip product because it is so easy to apply, it's moisturizing AND it instantly gives you some color. for some odd reason, my camera makes the tube look more orange than it is - it's actually like a petal pink color. the color of the lip balm itself is actually a deep red color and once applied it's more red-orange. i wore it all day today and it is quite moisturizing.
size: 4.25 g (full size!)
retail value: $7.99

but look at this silliness! it is a bit ridiculous the amount of packaging for this lip balm. guess they needed the space to convince you how good this product is for you.

3) GlamGlow Tingling and Exfoliating Mud Mask - this one came with a promo code for a full size version. $50 is still pretty expensive - i currently do not have the funds to spend this much on mud masks. the advertising for this product is very flashy, which goes along with its name.

the sample itself is not very big. i applied a pretty thin layer when testing this out and i think i might have enough for one more very thin-layer use. the product is dark green and smells just like what you think volcanic rock must smell like. and a bit of the green tea that is also in there. let's just say that instead of the word "tingling", i would have used "stinging" because that's what it felt like for the first minute. after it dried, it became difficult to move my face (as it does with other mud masks). you can see bits volcanic rock and whatnot on my skin. after i washed it off, my skin definitely felt softer and smoother. as for the lightening of the skin, i probably do not have enough use left to test that one out.
size: 7 mL
retail value: $78 (50 mL)

4) Mai Couture Blush Papier in "Prettyful" - i must admit the concept is interesting. and it is paraben and talc free. but only getting 2 sheets to test this test this trend out? eh. "Prettyful" is a shimmery light pink. didn't get a chance to test this one out yet - think i should save it for times like it was intended for - when i'm in a rush? also notice how the little plastic bag was slapped on awkwardly (as if THEY were in a rush? funny, no?).
size: 2 sheets
retail value: $17.50 (50 sheets)

so final verdict: a tad disappointing this month. maybe it's that i feel that during months with holidays, it will be exciting to receive something themed. too high of an expectation? this was also the first time i got 4 products instead of 5 from Glymm and to add to that, the blush 'papier' sample should definitely not be considered 'deluxe-sized'. plus, there has been no replacement for those jellybeans yet! sad sad sad. it seems that Glymm is getting a little repetitive with its retailers these couple of months. i am hoping we get to try out some new brands in the future. on a lighter note, i am enjoying the lip balm and my currently soft skin from the mud mask.

one more month? what do you think?