LUXE BOX: December 2012 [Winter Edition]

ahh.. Luxe Box... it arrived before Christmas but i haven't had a chance to blog about it until now.
it really is Luxe Box's fault since it was expected in November! however, since they were so very delayed this winter, Loose Button has revised their entire quarterly shipping schedule - they are now sending out seasonal boxes in March, June, September and December. note that you are billed on the 15th of these months for the next box. for instance, in June, you will get your Summer box; on June 15th, you will be billed for the Fall (September) box. so that is well ahead of time - be aware of this if you were planning to cancel!

the package was actually delivered to my door on the 23rd and my dad even had to sign for it. i was eager to find out what the other 5-6 products i was getting. i already knew what 2 of them were going to be since LB had two First in Line opportunities (which is where you are given 3 options and you can choose to reserve 1 of the 3).

instead of a 'silk scarf'', all the products were inside a silky drawstring bag with the LB logo in the corner. the card was again found in an envelope with a gold monogrammed sticker. i noticed that the letter "H" was not cursive like the one last time.

the long-awaited Winter Edition contains:

1) Loose Button Faux Eye Lashes - i had my doubts when i first saw that these were "Loose Button" eyelashes but i am very impressed! i really like the design of these lashes and they don't have the shine that makes them look fake either! i think there were a couple different styles sent out but there are no labels to indicate this.

i wore them on New Year's Eve and i loved the way they look. my eyes looked huge! haha normally i have a monolid and a very slight double eyelid on the other but these lashes really widened up my eyes (when i finally got them on).

excuse the red eyes - it was at night and i'd been wearing contacts all day!

size: 1 pair of false eyelashes (full size!)
retail value: N/A

2) Cake Beauty It's a Slice Supreme Body Mousse - i think i just found my favorite Cake scent! it smells really yummy like oranges but sweet instead of sour. it feels velvety soft too. major like!

size: 66 mL
retail value: $22 (250 mL) ... according to cakebeauty.com

3) Dermalogica Precleanse - sadly the cap on this was loose which made the other products oily. i can't exactly see how much is left in it but i am guessing maybe a quarter. i emailed Loose Button on December 29th using their contact form on their website. i also included a picture of the damage:

:(

i didn't get an immediate reply saying that they received the email but i did get a reply today (the 4th). i've heard that many people are having trouble getting them a hold of them so i guess i am lucky!
LB said they will be sending me a replacement product (at the beginning of January - so now?) but it might not be the the Precleanse:
"We'll be sending you a replacement product. It may not be Dermalogica PreCleanse but we'll do our best to match if we can. If we can't replace your original, we'll make sure it's something you didn't already receive in your Winter Luxe Box."

oh well! i'm crossing my fingers the replacement is not a fragrance! this Precleanse was the item i reserved in the first First in Line LB offered this season. the choices at the time were Dermalogica Precleanse, Kerastase Cristalliste Serum and Calvin Klein Euphoria.

the idea of cleaning before cleaning your face sounds like more work to me! but i guess it's good to use once in a while to ensure all the yuckiness is removed from the skin. to use, this oil should be applied to a dry face. then, wetting your hands, you continue to massage it and it becomes sort of milky. it smells lemon-y and does in fact, leave your skin feeling cleaner and softer.

size: 15 mL
retail value: $50.50 (150 mL) ... according to buy.dermalogica.ca

4) Schwarzkopf Professional OSiS+ Dust It Mattifying Powder - i already have this product but i reserved it anyway in the second First in Line (choices were: Schwarzkopf Dust It Mattifying Product, Blue Lagoon Skin Care Algae Mask and Prada Infusion d'Iris).

i wasn't too intrigued by the other options and i knew i already liked the Dust It. i was first introduced to it a few years ago when i got my hair cut. the stylist used it in my hair and it gave my hair volume which i was totally lacking. if you didn't know how to mattified hair feels like - this is the ultimate definition (if you use enough of it). you can either sprinkle it into your hair or put it into your hands first and then rub it in. make sure to rub it in good though since it is a white powder. the white powder is very, very fine so it shouldn't be too hard. the powder gives your hair texture/grit - be careful not to overdo it since it will be extremely difficult to comb out!

size: 10 g (full size!)
retail value: $23 ... according to the LB email

5) Donna Karan Woman Eau de Parfum - cool bottle! i've never seen anything like it. i'd love to add this to my collection but unfortunately, i am not a fan of the scent. i showed my sister and asked her what she thought of the bottle - and she said: "manly". then i dabbed it on my arm and asked her about the scent - and we both found that it was indeed rather manly... how ironic that this perfume is called "Woman". is it just me? maybe i am just not a fan of sandalwood?
also remember to hold the base tight and the perfume upright when you proceed to yank off the top!

size: 7 mL
retail value: $107 (50 mL); $144 (100 mL) ... according to sephora.com

6) B. Kamins Laboratories Mini Lip Balm - i've been trying to go through the one i received from Glossybox in September... and now i have another. i find that i need to reapply often with this lip balm - not as moisturizing as i hoped it'd be. it's thick and looks really glossy (click link for pictures). good to know that it has SPF 20 (this is not indicated on the balm itself).

size: 4 mL
retail value: $21 (15 g)

7) B. Kamins Laboratories Day Lotion SPF 15 - this lotion smells strongly of sunscreen. it has the same texture too - somewhat thick and runny at the same time...it absorbs better into the skin than sunscreen though. according to the website, this Day Lotion is recommended for oily and combination skin and can also be used as a primer... huh. interesting. i have to say that i doubt its abilities as a primer.

size: 15 mL
retail value: $80 (50 mL)

8) Loose Button Kabuki Brush - this is a cute little kabuki brush with the LB logo stamped on the bottom. i find the bristles to be soft and dense. not too shabby!

size: 1 brush
retail value: N/A

- - - - -

after opening this box, i thought it was a mediocre box with things i will use but they were not overly exciting. but after trying the eyelashes and the Cake Beauty lotion, i am slightly more content with the box. i wish that they included a bit more info on their card though (i.e. prices for full size items). if not on the card, maybe more info on the LB Personal Product Dashboard?? my Dashboard listed all 8 products, 6 of which lead to a dead link. the only ones that worked was for the B. Kamis products, which are sold on the LB website.

what are your thoughts on the Winter Luxe Box? are you remaining a subscriber through to Spring?