GLOSSYBOX: December 2012

i bet you have heard plenty in regards to the drama with the December Glossybox. you might be sick of it already, but let's recap just in case you haven't heard it.

- 2 items in the box - the Avon and the Revlon product - may have been discontinued/expired products
- some people have said that the Revlon nail polish had dust or Rite Aid clearance stickers on them
- some have also contacted Revlon Canada who said that they were not in partnership with Glossybox
- others said Avon confirmed their product was discontinued (there were a variety of Avon products sent out so i am not sure which one they were talking about)
- Glossybox's first response didn't help the matter either - they were very careful choosing their words. the first sentence angered many people, including myself: "GLOSSIES, we are sorry that some of you were disappointed with your full-size Revlon nail polish."
pretty much, they are emphasizing that the Revlon was full sized (lucky you!) and that they are not apologizing for the product itself but sorry that you are disappointed with it.
- Glossybox said they needed to speak to their European supplier about the Avon products. they later updated us with "We’ve communicated with our supplier in Europe, who has been a reliable GLOSSYBOX provider in the past, and they have reassured us that the product is in date, new and unopened, but we are devastated if our GLOSSIES are upset."
see that last part of the sentence? again, they are not taking responsibility.
- Glossybox said they will keep investigating the matter and will reevaluate their quality control processes for the future.
- this box was partnered with LOULOU Magazine. all they have said about the issue is that they are looking into it.
- some say that Glossybox has been deleting negative comments on their Facebook (i do not have evidence of this myself since i haven't been following that closely)

so personally, i do not have any issues with my Revlon nail polish. i can't find any information on the Avon lip gloss i got on the Canadian website nor the European website. i've seen a few eBay listings but none of them say discontinued...
what bugs me most is how Glossybox is handling the matter. they are not being honest upfront. plus, they claim to offer the "latest in high-end...beauty" and "only sources from the best cosmetics companies". both claims are directly challenged with this box.

everything was silver/gray this month - the box, the ribbon and the tissue since it was specially curated by LOULOU Magazine this month. there was also another Golden Ticket item - 50 people got a Nobia necklace. (by the way, i got the box on December 31).

even the GlossyMag is gray-ish

onto the products itself - this month's box is called the "Bejeweled Box" (i got V2):

1) TRESemme Fresh Start Volumizing Dry Shampoo - i actually have a full size version of this which i bought when i was trying dry shampoos for the first time. it didn't do much in terms of removing oil - i thought my hair still looked and felt greasy. near the end of the day, it even made my scalp itchy. the only plus side i could see is that it smells good.

size: 56 g
retail value: $5.99 (161 g)

2) Aveeno Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 - i have been using my Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer (also from Glossybox) since April last year! it was a huge bottle and now i have two more Aveeno moisturizers to go through. i think i am set, Glossybox - in terms of moisturizers and in terms of Aveeno.
i do like that it has SPF 30, but i don't have dry skin nor the redness that comes from dry skin.

size: 73 mL (full size!)
retail value: $22.99

3) Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer (Fair to Light) SPF 30 - like what i said in 2)... so many full sized moisturizers from Aveeno... when will i ever try something different?
this one is tinted though and it is in my skin tone so that's neat. SPF 30 is a plus so i will definitely use this... after i finish the Aveeno i am currently using. i will do a swatch then!

size: 75 mL (full size!)
retail value: $22.99

4) Avon Glazewear Extreme Lip Gloss in "Pale Pink Shine" - ahh.. here we are. we've reached one of the products that have caused a flare up in the discussion on the Facebook page. there are plenty of variations of "Glazewear" lip glosses on the Canadian and European Avon website but no "Glazewear Extreme".
either way, i am unsure exactly what to do with this. i have way too many lip glosses opened as it is so i would prefer to give it away or something but i don't think anyone would want it now. i read that someone else used this and it was fine and surprisingly pigmented.

size: 6 mL (full size!)
retail value: N/A

5) Revlon Nail Enamel in "168 Temptress" - i was initially turned off by the color and the packaging since the Revlon label does make it look like a really old polish... but i changed my mind!

the color "Temptress" is actually from the 2010 Limited Edition Fire and Ice Collection. the collection was inspired by Revlon's first lipstick EVER - "Fire and Ice" from 1952. back then, they released a collection featuring matching lips and nail polish. in 2010, they relaunched it with new shades (but kept the Fire and Ice lipstick, of course). my info sources came from Nouveau Cheap and IAMBRIGITTE.

so now i understand why the Revlon label looks so vintage. i also appreciate the color since i've seen some swatches where the pink is actually brighter than it appears in the bottle (shimmery peachy pink). plus, nail polish doesn't go bad so this product is fine with me. i did some research about nail polish and expiry dates when i wrote my Forever 21 Hello Kitty nail polish set (scroll to the bottom).

it's not quite as pink in real life...

size: 14.7 mL (full size!)
retail value: $5.99

6) Glossybox Lashes with Adhesive - i see how holidays = false eyelashes for everyone in the beauty subscription world. 3 of my December boxes contained lashes... and these Glossybox lashes are the er.. worst looking ones. the lashes are so long and dramatic and too shiny! the whole thing, including the box and adhesive, looks cheap.

size: 1 pair (full size!)
retail value: $12.50 (are you kidding??)

7) *bonus* TRESemme Split Remedy Shampoo and Conditioner - my hair reaches the middle of my back so i can tell you that aside from lack of volume, i suffer from split ends. when i am bored, i even like to pick at them. i won't be able to see the "80%" reduction in split ends since i don't see how i will get 3 uses out of this sachet.

size: 9 mL each x 2
retail value: $5.99 (700 mL) each

8) *bonus* Nobia X-Cessories Tiny Mint Earrings - at first, i thought this was the Golden Ticket item since these earrings were not listed on the card. i did not think that these were all that special but it turns out that everyone got it as a bonus item anyway. check out Petite Pear Style's blog to see what her Golden Ticket item was!
according to the Nobia website, these are $14.99! honestly, i would not pay that much for these "aquamarine" earrings. i don't mind the blue jewel but i don't like the rim (correct term here please?) around it.

size: 1 pair (full size!)
retail value: $14.99 ... according to nobia.ca

- - - - -

so drama aside, the box is decent but you gotta admit, it's pretty boring - just like every past Glossybox. they contain products i'll (most likely) use but they are pretty much all drugstore. it's hard to pick a favorite since i am not really excited about any of them but i'll have to say the Aveeno tinted moisturizer, though i haven't tried it yet...
i really hope Glossybox addresses the problems soon because people want some answers!

what are your feelings about Glossybox at the moment? did you have a discontinued or expired product in your box?