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Showing posts with label Blum Naturals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blum Naturals. Show all posts

Sunday, February 16, 2014

BEAUTY BOX 5: November 2013

happy valentine's day and happy family day weekend! 
i am so glad for long weekends. i am exhausted! think i need to book a massage appointment asap. 

i hope you guys are enjoying your long weekend!
i know some people think valentine's day is just plain silly (my boyfriend included) but i can't help but feel the love when he sent flowers to my work and when my creative little sister created this pretty paper rose in a mason jar! my desk never look so purdddyy!

so yes, it's February but i'm going to take this long weekend to get in a blog post or two... i'm wrapping up the November boxes so slowly, but surely... we can get through it!

November's "prep. primp. sparkle" box:

1) Aveeno Positively Nourishing Calming Body Wash
smells lovely but keeps leaking for some reason...
size: 59 mL
retail value: $6.99 (473 mL)

2) Montagne Jeunesse Glacial Clay Spa in "Crushed Arctic Cloudberries"
i've seen plenty of these at Wal-Mart but haven't actually tried one before.
size: 1 mask (full size!)
retail value: $2.49

3) Blum Naturals Oil Absorbing Facial Tissues
i received these before in my June 2012 box... i emailed BB5 about this but i never heard back. oh well, guess i'll let it slide this time since i get greasy foreheads everyday by like 2 pm!
size: 50 sheets (full size!)
retail value: $2.99

4) Be a Bombshell Cosmetics Eye Crayon in "Scandalous"
"Scandalous", 'a unique blend of metallic black and gold'. as the swatches show, it is a very soft black with some gold shimmer.
left swatch is in natural light; right is with flash.
promotion: 30% off purchase online before Nov 30, 2013 [expired]
size: 2.5 g (full size!)
retail value: $14

5) Bellapierre Cosmetics Shimmer Powder in "Penny"
i think i am getting too many of these Shimmer Powders in very similar colors... "Penny" is the color of penny (copper)  - which, in case you didn't know, are no longer produced in Canada. i obviously still have a ton - when do you think they will be worth something (more than a penny)?? haha
promotion: 50% off Get The Look Kits online before Nov 30, 2013 [expired]
size: 2.35 g (full size!)
retail value: $14.99

and here is the whole November box. body wash and one-use face masks? seems like we are returning to the old BB5 days... and i've received the exact same oil blotting sheets before and similar shimmer powders so all in all, it was a rather boring box.

Wednesday, September 05, 2012

BEAUTY BOX 5: August 2012

so last month's BB5 was sent via UPS rather than USPS (for July anyway) and i found that it was much faster. i could have sworn that they used UPS before but we got a special email saying that August's box was shipped using UPS so who knows..

the box says it was sent on August 17th and my dad picked up the mail on the 28th so it was the first time i've received it before the next month rolled along.

check out August's box (it seems that a few ladies and i received doubles of two of the following items; thanks for extras!):

1) Blum Naturals Pro Age Daily Cleansing Towelette - this is evidence that Beauty Box 5 is picking up their game! they have stepped away from sending out only 1 one-use sample and now there's 3! hooray! now we can actually test the product out.
size: 1 towelette x 3
retail value: $3.99 (10 towelettes)

2) H2O Plus Marine Calm Restorative Eye Cream - i have quite the stash of eye creams now and they're the kind of product where you have to use them over a long period in order to be able to reap the benefits. this one has an almost undetectable scent which is great for those that are sensitive. it's 3 key ingredients are: Japanese green tea, Paraguay tea and aloe vera.
size: 4 mL (accident: x 2)
retail value: $32 (15 mL)

3) Ferro Cosmetics Sheer Crystal Veil - this is a very small sample of the veil which makes it a bit difficult to apply with a brush since i can hardly grab any of the product. i wore it today and can't say there was anything noticeable about my skin (then again, it was cloudy and rainy today making it hard to see any illumination!). i like how the veil doesn't rely on shimmer or glitter.
see swatches below (the swatch of the veil is before blending it in).
size: ~ < 1 g
retail value: $19 (4 g)

4) Ellis Faas Creamy Lips in "L109 Pale Coffee" - it seems that many people are very excited about this product - personally, i have not heard of it before. on their main page, the company boasts the names of several celebrities that use their products (including Cate Blanchett).

there is no scent or taste to the product. the pen shape is very sleek and shiny - Ellis Faas actually sells their own special holders and clips. you turn the bottom of the pen to get more product but be warned that it takes more than 40 clicks to get it started. the applicator is a fuzzy sponge which i like the feeling of - it seems to help to smooth the color out on your lips.

the name of the actual shade can be found on the website. the site also explains how you can wear it two ways: full on or as a stain. you will see very soon why i much much prefer the stain version on myself. the color is described as "pale" but when placed on my pigmented lips, it takes on a rather dark tan brown. the color is very pigmented but i do not find it appealing on me at all - maybe it was a color of a bag or something but not on my lips. the closeup is not that horrible but if you saw my whole face with this lip color, you would know that when i say terrifying, i mean AGGGGHH!
(i'm sure it probably works better on skin tones that are not yellow-based).

before completely giving up on the color, i decided to try the stain technique - just putting on a little bit of the product and blending with your fingers (or blot for a matte stain).

still not a fan of the color but much better. the formula itself is in fact creamy and moisturizing but may be a bit too creamy. when you press your lips together, the product moves around so you end up having splotches on your lips. it's important that you do not do that to keep the application even but it's so hard to resist! it transfers easily when eating or drinking too so this expensive product turns out to be just meh for me.

a couple of arm swatches:

size: 2.8 mL (full size!; accident: x 2)
retail value: $35

5) Blinc Eyeliner in "Black" - honestly if this was not a makeup product, i'd probably be unhappy that i got another duplicate from the June 2012 box. BUT it is the blinc eyeliner so yay. click on the link for my previous review and detailed pictures.
size: 0.7 g
retail value: $26 (6 g)

BB5 is really picking it up these months and they're gaining more and more fans. i finally got an email back from them today in regards to my missing product in the July's box. if they could improve their customer response time, then i'm sure they will be here for the long haul.
oh and the box came with a discount code for Ellis Faas products and a gift certificate for Ferro Cosmetics :)

i am still two boxes behind!! think i can go for 7 consecutive days of blogging??

Friday, July 06, 2012

BEAUTY BOX 5: June 2012

got my June BB5 the same day i got my Glossybox (July 3). it's not as big as a deal since BB5 is shipping from the states so it's reasonable that it would take longer. on the box, it states that it was sent June 18th.
when you get these two boxes together, the Beauty Box 5 looks so much tinier in comparison. but i was still eager to open this since it was only my second one.
once you open it, you find all the samples in a little white transparent pouch. you'd think they would be all itty bitty one-use samples again but i was (for the most part) wrong! i am so amazed by this box! i guess i did not have the highest expectations but i was actually happier with this box than with my Glossybox.
AND extra points this month for introducing a card that lists the samples!! hooray! i really hope Glymm goes back to this because it is much more convenient and useful.

June's samples includes:

1) Blinc Eyeliner in "Black" - i already saw this sneak peek on their FB so i was excited about trying this out (i want to try Blinc mascara too). it's the first time i've had a sample sized eyeliner so i am not sure how long this will last me. it has a brush wand that i'd say is for more experienced users since it requires more precision. for liquid eyeliner, i usually prefer an eyeliner pen.

this particular eyeliner is different in that it it doesn't run, fade or smudge and it just slides off when you decide to remove it. i was curious how this "sliding" works. so i took a few photos...
swatches of the eyeliner and the other samples mentioned later on:
both pics were taken in natural light but the top one was indoors and the other one was outdoors.

even after the swatches of the eyeshadow and blush has rubbed off (since i pulled my sleeves down), the eyeliner remained as black as ever. and it is a really dark black. it also goes on thick (see how you'll need precision with this type of wand? that was my attempt at a straight line). i used the eyeliner to swatch once on my arm and then i applied it to my eyes and i did not have to grab any more product in between. it dries pretty quickly and at first, i can feel that there was something different on my eye. that feeling goes away though.

i tried rubbing my arm and it's true - the eyeliner does not budge. it looks like it is a permanent marker (Sharpies)! i ran it under the tap and it still remained that black - until you start to rub it. and tada! it comes off like a temporary tattoo.

i think it's quite neat. i really like how it is water- and fade-resistant. i think everyone needs an eyeliner that doesn't smudge.
size: 0.7 g
retail value: $26 (6 g)

2) The All Natural Face Vegan Mineral Eyeshadow in "Just Peachy" - i've taken an interest in loose eyeshadows lately so this one is definitely welcomed. it comes in a jar with a sifter seal. the color is also very pretty. you can definitely use it all over your lid or as a highlighting color. on my eyes, there is just a hint of color but the shimmer is more visible. the peach color is stronger when applied with a wet brush (see swatches above). i'm not sure if i was imagining it but i thought there was a fruity scent when i was putting it on but there's only 3 ingredients... maybe it was just me.
it came with a sponge tip applicator as well - and not one of those dinky ones. not sure how often i will use this though (i used it for the swatches though).
oooo and there's a 20% off your entire order with the code "BEAUTY" on their website valid until July 31/12. prices are very affordable! worth checking out!
size: ~ 2 g (just powder) ... ("full size!")
retail value: $3.50 ... or can purchase ~ 5 g of powder for $6.50

3) Blum Naturals Oil Absorbing Facial Tissues - so i've only used oil absorbing tissues a handful of times but it's always interesting (or gross) to see how much oil you have on your face. oddly enough, today was not an oily day! i tried it and barely saw anything. on the other hand, my boyfriend's tissue soaked up so much oil it ripped. he doesn't really have a beauty regimen - come to think of it, he hardly uses moisturizer. maybe i'll start keeping this in my bag since it will be handy to use throughout the day.
size: 50 sheets (full size!)
retail value: $2.99

4) Everyday Minerals Blush in "Girl Friday" - whaaaaaatt - you're kidding, this is the third makeup item in the box?? it's true! the blush is a soft berry pink color with no shimmer. love this! check out the swatch above (1).
size: 1.7 g ("full size!" of the mini version)
retail value: $6.99; also available: $10.99 (4.8 g)

5) Comodynes Easy Peeling Facial - okay, 1 one-use packet. i can handle that (especially since i got all those other goodies). will update this with my experience later.
size: 1 towelette
retail value: $12.99 (8 towelettes)

overall, very happy with this box. so many makeup items and the sizes weren't too bad either! the mineral eyeshadow and the blush may be mini sizes but it's perfect because these will still last a long time. hopefully BB5 continues to surprise me (in a good way!).

ps. thank you Candice for naming me her Fabulous Blogger of the Week at Mirror Image: A Beauty-Full Blog! i appreciate your comments :) thanks for reading!
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