GLOSSYBOX: November 2012

my November Glossybox arrived yesterday!! even though it is already December... oh well, the packaging made up for it! and it was also a heavy box - almost 1 kg.

i predicted that we would start getting the Glossy Mag after GB introduced the "North America-wide" pricing (since American subscribers were already getting it). i flipped through it (the cover model's stare is slightly scary, no?) and there are some interesting products in there plus an interview with their "Blogger of the Month". i only skimmed through it rather quickly for like 3 minutes and i have already found two spelling mistakes ("keps" and "cheif")... i don't mean to be nit-picky but i always cringe when i see spelling errors from professional businesses.

ahh... the wrapping makes me so happy! the red ribbon and the tissue paper puts me in a festive mood!

there was the possibility of another Golden Ticket in this month's GB - i did not receive one but i also didn't know about it this time around so i wasn't as disheartened haha.

November's goodies (version 1):

1) Nicole by OPI Kardashian Kolor in "Here We Kome A-Karoling" - this is part of their Holiday Collection. i understand that the family has a thing for "K"s but the name of this polish looks so odd with the "C"s substituted.

anyway, i am glad that i didn't get "A Gold Winter's Night" since i already mentioned how it looks exactly like Nailtini's "Millionaire". i am a bit jealous of those who got "All is Glam, All is Bright"! looks like a lovely glitter and it matches the box's wrapping with the red and white... hehe.

"Here We Kome A-Karoling NI K32" looks nothing like it is shown on their website - which also says that "This deep, grape purple will make your heart sing.". it is a deep purple but they failed to mention that there are shimmers in it. it's a little hard to tell unless you look closely at it in a some light.

swatch coming later!

size: 15 mL (full size!)
retail value: $10.99

2) Kryolan for Glossybox Blusher in Glossy Pink "Glossy Rosewood" - not sure why they printed "Glossy Pink"... did anyone actually get that color? i like how this is another item created specifically for Glossybox. the color is also very pretty - looks like a dusty pink. i noticed that this blusher actually had a scent - like a perfume. i've never experienced that before...

the best i could do - stop going down so early, sun!

size: 2.5 g (full size!)
retail value: $16.73

3) Nexxus Salon Hair Care: Hydration Kit - i already received this set in my August Topbox as a bonus item; the only difference is that it didn't have the box which i am assuming is because it would not fit inside the Topbox. i am actually trying to finish this up since i am trying to use up my hair samples... guess this additional sample is going to deter me for a while!

both the shampoo and conditioner smell good but the shampoo is rather sweet. makes my hair feel nice and soft.

size: 89 mL each
retail value: shampoo $9.99 (400 mL); conditioner $14.99 (400 mL)

4) Vitabath Moisturizing Bath & Shower Gelee in "Fresh Citrus Twist" - this is made in Canada but the website is not Canadian-friendly... there's no information on how much it costs to ship in Canada (even though they say they do ship here) and using the store locator, you can only enter zip codes... hmm.
BUT if you are a fan of their products, i went shopping today and found them in two different locations. so strange how once you are introduced to a new item, your eyes seem to be on alert and they start popping up everywhere. i found Vitabath at Sears and at Shoppers (plenty of gift sets!).

"Fresh Citrus Twist" smells like oranges. i will get to it once i finish my current body wash (the Dove one that i got from GB). i don't normally use body washes or shower gels but feel the need to go through them since Glossybox keeps sending them to me.

size: 170 g
retail value: $15 - $18 (60 g - 170 g) i think this was for the lotions, but for the gelees it's $18 - $40 (300 g - 910 g)... they also sell it by the gallon... why it is in g instead of mL is beyond me.

5) Maybelline MNY My Gloss in "765" - i had no previous knowledge of MNY so i did a little research. it is a branch of Maybelline that is currently prevalent in only European countries. MNY seems to be targeting younger girls with their packaging that resembles the doodling you did in class and their collections like "Red Riding Hood".

"765" is part of the "Yellows & Greens" family which is why it is not surprising that i was a little afraid of the color. there is also a ton of glitter in it. MNY is all about being fun and colorful so i am really quite curious how pigmented this gloss is going to look. but then again, i don't want to open it and waste it... did anyone experiment with this color?

size: 9 mL (full size!)
retail value: $7.49

6) ** bonus ** Curel Hand & Cuticle Therapy Cream - i actually bought a hand and cuticle buffer recently since i noticed my cuticles could need a little pampering (review coming up!). this would be the perfect cream to use afterwards.

i also have a Curel cream specifically for feet from a previous Glossybox - looks like i am all set. this Hand & Cuticle Therapy Cream is very smooth and smells like flowers.

size: 100 mL (full size!)
retail value: $3.99

7) ** bonus ** Über Loyalty Card - so apparently i can get 50% of all online purchases with this code. sounds pretty amazing right? i checked the website out but i am not impressed. they have a women's line called "Über Sassy" and for men, "Über Slick". this along with their logo (a winky face) makes it seem a bit juvenile to me. again, i find that the professionalism of a page is hindered when the company is not consistent - sometimes they don't capitalize the beginning of their sentences; sometimes they use "Uber" and other times, "Über". maybe i had to write too many website critiques in university but i do not want to buy their products.

value: $20 (how was this calculated??)

- - - - -

sooo the box is indeed jam-packed but is it sad to say that i was most excited about the wrapping? most of the items were full-sized or generous samples but shampoos, creams and shower gels don't excite me... especially since most are drugstore brands. i rather like the the blusher though and it's nice that there are quite a variety of items. at $21 a month, i just don't feel like i am getting enough value from the box to continue paying at this higher price point (for long anyways! plus, i am not actually paying for it since i got the subscription as a gift)... i am going to start canceling some of these subscriptions after the new year. go me!

on a side note, did anyone go to Superstore lately? thanks to Kylie (in the Canada Beauty Box Trades or Selling group on Facebook), i found out that they now carried e.l.f.!
a lot of it was gift sets ranging from $3.99 to huge palettes for $19.99.

and THIS is just amazing:

all the nail polishes arranged by color.. oh my. the geek in me applauses.