LUXE BOX: May 2012

luckily, i received my Luxe Box yesterday, just in time for me to put this up on the last day of May! strangely, i did not receive a tracking number for this either so i had no idea it was coming. what is up with that this month?

AND my dad found it on the front porch. it never arrives that way... like i said, strange!

hooray for the little bonuses from Loose Button! this month was "Thank You, Mom" Month so they included a complimentary Bath and Body Box like they did in January.

onto May's sample list:

1) Essie Nail Polish in "785 Navigate Her" - this is a very interesting green - i would describe it as a mossy green. it's not like anything i already own so i am happy to add this to my collection. this color is also part of Essie's Spring 2012 collection. i like how Loose Button includes colors that are in new collections like last month's "793 Pink-a-Boo".
note: mine has little cracks the inside of the polish. does that happen to anyone else?

oh oh oh i figured out why i like this color so much!!! i was applying it wen i noticed one of the snacks my sister brought back from her trip to Vancouver... this color reminds me of my favorite tea --> Matcha Green Tea!!! my fingernails look delicious! haha

sadly, i seem to have a bit of trouble with the formula. it won't apply evenly so i tried shaking it up a bit. now i have some little bubbles on my nails. i am wearing 2 coats (some fingers needed 3 since i could still see parts of my nail bed). 

left to right: natural light; artificial light

-- update June 7/12 -- as much as i love the color, it does not hold up very well - it honestly began chipping the day after i applied it (chipped on June 1). by June 2, my nails were quite gross. i did not use a top coat in this case since my previous Essie nail polish did not require it at all. Pink-a-Boo lasted a good week before i experienced the same kind of chipping i had with Navigate Her the day after. -- 
size: 13.5 mL (full size!)

retail value: $8

2) Orlane Active Active Hydration Body Care - another Orlane product?? they must have started hitting the Canadian markets recently because this is my third sample from them. the other two were a foundation from Loose Button and an eye cream from Topbox (both from April). again, similar packaging as the rest - it comes in a box but the sample is very tiny and there is a rather large pamphlet inside. since this particular sample is intended for the body, i would think a larger sized sample is needed. the other two were intended for the face and already the sample did not contain enough product in order to fully test it out. i didn't feel like this cream was anything special either. my hands did not feel very moisturized 5 minutes after i applied it. also, it felt like i used up like 75% of the sample when i was trying to get this picture!

size: 7 mL

retail value: $105 (250 mL) ... jeeeeeeebus. that is out of my price range! 

3) Paco Rabanne Black XS L'Exces for Her & Black XS for Him - i have received the Black XS for Him before in December's Luxe Box. i haven't tried to L'Exces for Her version but thank goodness it wasn't another normal Black XS for Her because i've received that twice from Loose Button. 

size: 1.2 mL each x 2 = 2.4 mL

retail value: for Her $74 (50 mL); for Him $56 (50 mL)

4) Goldwell Dual Senses Color Shampoo and Conditioner -  another shampoo/conditioner combo directed at colored hair and in this terrible packaging... why why why! i do not have colored hair!! i saw some people receive the Moroccan Oil and i am quite jealous :X i've wanted to try that for a while now. on the plus side, i like pomegranate (it has pomegranate extract).

-- update June 7/12 -- i loveeeee the scent. the shampoo lathers up quite well and i could get almost 3 uses out of it. however, the conditioner is a different story. i hardly feel like i have any product at all in my hair which makes me use more of it, so in the end, the conditioner portion did not last me 2 uses --

size: 10 mL each x 4 = 40 mL

retail value: shampoo $28 (750 mL); conditioner $32 (750 mL)

the complimentary Bath and Body Box contained: 

5) Gillette Venus & Olay Razor - i actually like receiving razors. especially now that it's summer time, i will be using them more often! 

size: 1 razor & 1 cartridge

retail value: $14.99 (according to Well.ca but that one includes a shower hook)

6) Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Revolution Complex - received before in the January's Luxe Box. i haven't used that one yet so this one will go in the stash as well. 

size: 7 mL

retail value: $37.99 (50 mL) ... according to Well.ca

the box also came with a post card you can send from P&G and a Goldwell advertisement card. there's also a $20 off a subscription promo code from Panty by Post (which was part of last month's First in Line program). i didn't choose it but the panties are pretty. still it is quite costly - with the code, it will still be $40 for 3 panties. one of the brands they carry is Blush which i've seen at The Bay and Winners. i'm pretty sure the panties were like $6.99 or something around that range at Winners. 

this box is just alright to me. i like the complimentary box and the Essie nail polish but it seems that all of these samples were just variations of some sample i have received before. as you can see from all my links above, i reference to another box quite frequently (usually from Loose Button again).

what did you receive this month? (if you are not subscribed and interested in doing so, click here!)

TOPBOX: May 2012

what can i say ... Topbox is always on top of things, wouldn't you agree? it's funny because this month was the first month that i've ever gotten a shipping notification from Glymm BEFORE Topbox, but it turns out Canada Post only received shipping info from Glymm but didn't actually get the item until 3 days later.
and so that is how Topbox landed in my lap yesterday and Glymm is still stuck in Montreal.
Topbox is one of my favorite ones to open - i'm sure the long waiting list speaks for itself.
this month was no different as you can see from these samples found inside:

1) Deborah Lippmann in "Whatever Lola Wants" - i saw a sneak peek on Topbox's Facebook page and this was the first item i pulled out of the box. it was wrapped in purple tissue because, well, it's Deborah Lippmann nail polish!! i can never afford these! i was totally bummed when i signed up too late to get the November box last year since people received "An Enchanted Evening" - it's soooo pretty.
the sheer pink and the glitter in "Whatever Lola Wants"sorta reminds me of last month's Essie nail polish from Loose Button (Pink-a-Boo) but this one is less of a baby pink and has a pearly sheen to it.

once applied though, the pinkness hardly shows at all:

as you can see, the more coats you do, the more sparkly it gets; it also seems to look "frostier". but you aren't really building on the pink color at all. the polish itself dries super quickly.

-- update May 20/12 -- still wearing it and it looks exactly the same! no chips at all and i didn't even use a top coat! --

personally, i would have preferred another color but i haven't found anyone else who has received a different shade. i checked the Deborah Lippmann website since the card said that she collaborated with many celebrities to create nail polishes. "Whatever Lola Wants" was created with Kelly Ripa (she came by Banff recently!). it actually says her name on the bottom of the polish too.
size: 15 mL (full-size!)
retail value: $20

2) Cover FX ClearPrep FX Matte Foundation Primer & Anti-Acne Treatment Gel - anti-acne? i'm down! this is perfect timing as i have had 2 zits pop up on my face two days ago. one of them is sitting right on top of the apple of my cheeks, just wanting to get noticed. no amount of green concealer could hide it. :(
i am also very happy that this is an "anti-acne" product rather than an "anti-aging" one or something that wasn't customized for my skin. hooray for Topbox and their ability to read customer responses (many companies lack in this area). i used it today and the clear gel is unscented. i will continue to use this to test its anti-acne properties.
size: 7 mL
retail value: $39 (30 mL)

3) Orlane Anagenèse 25+ First Time-Fighting Care Eye Contour - the name sounds fancy. and i am a few months short of being 25... the info on the back appears to suggest the following equation: reaching 25 = fine lines. i knew turning 25 meant becoming a quarter of a century, but i am not ready for no fine lines!
anyhow, as you may recall, we received an Orlane product last month from Loose Button, and similarly, the box may look like a decent size, but the sample is actually much smaller due to a larger pamphlet with instructions and etc etc in 56 languages (do not quote me on this). this product is unscented and has a milky formula.
size: 2 mL
retail value: $75 (15 mL) ... ouch!

4) Expression Bronzing Powder Brush - i remember being asked a question regarding makeup brushes in Topbox's last survey... something like which brushes i used the most often? i think i selected all of the above. did anyone else get a different brush?
this is actually pretty cool - first time i received a makeup brush in one of these beauty subscription boxes. it's a pretty big one too! i've never payed more than $20 for a brush before and i can feel the difference! it is the softest brush that has ever touched my face.
size: full size!
retail value: $25

there are a couple of promotions that came along with this Topbox:
from May 10 - 24, you can get an 8-peice brush set for $49 ($130 value) on the Topbox site
from May 15 - June 15, bring in the invitation to receive a free Deborah Lippmann nail file at Holt Renfrew

-- update May 20/12 -- i dropped by Holt Renfrew today after grabbing breakfast with my dad downtown. it was nearby and i was going to do some shopping anyway so i went to the Core shopping center. it is a very normal nail file - it's just made from recycled paper, but i couldn't tell the difference. it's not an item i would go out of my way to get. the lady opened up a new package of nail files for me so they are not running out anytime soon. --

and if you haven't done so already, win a Pari Beauty gift set from Topbox on Facebook here (open until the 20th).

so Topbox has not disappointed me yet! they have been the most professional beauty subscription company - responds to emails quickly, delivers on time, least amount of problems with samples/customer service and the list goes on! i am very impressed with them and will be sticking around for a long time :)

-- update May 22/12 -- new Cover FX Giveaway from Topbox! enter here until May 31. --

LUXE BOX: April 2012

the Luxe Box arrived on the first of may - which i was actually surprised about since Loose Button sent it out so late in the month. apparently they upgraded shipping for the west and east coasts to make up for it but i don't see anything different on the box and the Canada Post tracking info still says the same "Expedited Parcels".
anyway, i am glad i actually got the item i reserved for the First in Line program fiasco. as mentioned at the end of my Topbox post, i wasted a lot of time on it. so a quick summary of the process in April:
Thursday, April 19
- program was supposed to start at 12 pm EST but was not active
- Loose Button began addressing the issue maybe an hour later
- some people finally able to log in and reserve a product, but not all
- Loose Button suspended program temporarily and decided to send emails out instead for people to reserve time slots; once you pick a time slot, you will receive an email with a password to log in during that time
Friday, April 20
- was sent the time slot email at around 2 am EST; quickly reserved a time slot for next day between 3-6 pm EST
- did not receive email with password so sent Loose Button an email inquiring about this
- received an automatic reply that the company will be responding to emails over the weekend
- received my password at around 7:30 pm EST; First in Line program was no longer active
Saturday, April 21
- around 11 pm EST, received an email saying that they noticed i haven't reserved a product
- surprisingly, i was still able to reserve an Essie nail polish

the choices for April's First in Line program included: an Essie nail polish, Seche Porcelain, Bobos Remi leave-in conditioner and Panty by Post. i found the last option interesting but i did not feel i had enough time to do a little research so i went with what i knew.

after all the kerfuffle (first time ever typing that word and finding that is how it is spelled - nice!), April's samples are:

1) Essie Nail Polish in "793 Pink-a-Boo" - yay actually got what i reserved. i heard plenty of issues of people not getting what they reserved on Facebook so i was a little scared. i believe this color may be too sheer for me though since it is a very light pink color. it is super sparkly though - with purple and green glitter from what i can see; i got a little dizzy when i stare at it too long trying to pick out the colors of the sparkles. i will have to do a swatch for you later since i just put on the Misa nail polish from Topbox yesterday.
i Googled the color and found out that this polish is part of the Essie Resort 2012 collection. it's pretty exciting that it is brand new.
size: 13.5 mL (full size!)... card says 15 mL
retail value: $8

-- update 05/07/12 -- so i got around to using this polish and here are the results:
with 1 coat; natural light - super sheer. you can only see the glitter.

with 2 coats; natural light - you can see a hint of pink.

with 3 coats; natural light - i can still see my nail ridges but i think this is a nice soft pink. i think 4 coats would also be great.

i tried to do a close up here; first in natural light and then in artificial light.

my nails feel smooth (you can't feel the tiny glitter particles) and dried really quickly between coats! i didn't smudge them at all this time! hooray!

2) Orlane Perfect Complexion Treatment Foundation in "Beige 23" - the sample itself was quite small - the box was much larger because it also held a pamphlet in many languages. i had to take the picture at an angle because the box was super reflective.
the daffodil pin was attached to the top of the box.

i used to think that since i am Asian, that anything "Beige"-y would be similar to my skin tone. thank goodness i figured that one out (don't think Loose Button did though). as you can see, i tried it first on my hand and it already appears really dark. since some of the products in the past have also appeared dark but blended really well, i tried to do the same thing with this one. it definitely didn't blend into my skin - i put some on my face and found that this is to be used as a liquid bronzer instead.
size: 3.5 mL
retail value: $60 (50 mL)

3) Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light Shampoo + Conditioner - these came in the same cute black pouch that held the perfume sampler pack thing a few months ago. i like how they are in bottles rather than the style of the samples to be mentioned in like two seconds. i can't give you a review on these just yet since i alternate days where i wash my hair and i am just in between.
also i can already smell the product without even having to open it and it smells quite nice.
size: 50 mL each x 2 = 100 mL
retail value: $6 (375 mL) each

4) Fekkai Advanced Salon Technician Colour Care Shampoo & Conditioner - another shampoo and conditioner sample in the same box? i would have preferred a little more variety... and yet again with the hair products for coloured hair. what is going on with that?? as already mentioned several times, this sample packaging is terrible. you should open these before jumping in the shower because hands with any type of moisture will leave you extremely frustrated. at least we got 2 samples? :/
size: 9 mL each x 4 = 36 mL
retail value: $28 (236 mL) each
see #5) for pic

5) Fekkai Advanced Salon Technician Colour Care Rapid Results Moisture Mask - i have never used a hair mask before so i am interested as to how this will work. will update you soon on this.
size: 8.6 g each x 2 = 17.2 g
retail value: $45 (198 g)

since April is Daffodil month, we received a daffodil pin to show support for those affected by cancer. it is too bad we received this in May! i am glad that Loose Button is involved with the Canadian Cancer Society though. overall, i am mehh about the box. my favorite is of course, the Essie nail polish even though it may not show very well on my nails. nothing else is super exciting but i will probably use every single item in this box.

check out my link to Loose Button on the right if you are interested :)