LUXE BOX: August 2012 [Fall Edition]

in case you didn't know about the changes at Loose Button, here's a quick recap:

- now $26/season (one box per season) that contains 7-8 "trial-sized" items; you can also choose semi-annual or annual plans

- recently they sent out the Fall Edition box in August (received in September though); the Winter one will be sent in November (in reality, probably December!); Spring Edition in February and Summer Edition in May

there seems to be plenty of variations of this box - i thought my box was decent upon opening it but as soon as i saw other people's boxes, it went downhill for me. it makes me feel like a little kid - you know how you're happily enjoying your lollipop until someone with an ice cream cone walks by? yep, that feeling.

it's sad missing out on the Eyeko eyeliner, the Benefit Stay Don't Stray, the China Glaze nail polish, the Marcelle BB Cream or the Blinc mascara! oh well, what can you do! 

let's start off with the packaging:

Loose Button was definitely going for the appeal of exclusivity by having "Members Only" written on the outside of the box. all new members have to be invited - did you know that people can "speed up the approval process" by sharing with their friends on Twitter and Facebook? that turns me off because it is really unfair. it's like lineups outside of nightclubs - the majority of the time, it is not packed inside, but the bouncers are only letting in a few people at a time so there's a huge lineup to create the illusion that it is absolutely mind-blowing inside and worth standing in line for. 

the new box is rectangular - sort of like a thin shoebox - in an off-white color. the gold touches make it very fancy. and that monogrammed sticker with my initial! the products are wrapped in white silk-like fabric. all of these details scream "luxe". i am pretty sure a large portion of my $26 went into the packaging.

the card has a new format too (it opens downwards rather than sideways) and you can look up more information on how to use it online on your "Personal Product Dashboard". unfortunately, both do not offer information on pricing.

the Fall Edition contained:

1) Vichy ProEVEN Daily Dark Spot Corrector - this was actually hidden in one of the cute brown boxes. i was expecting something special since it needed to be stored separately but i was wrong. it's the one-use packets again! you'd think the transition to seasonal boxes would've eliminated these... i did hear good things about this so i guess i am glad to have 5 packets to try it. i actually have some spots that look like freckles on my cheek area - i don't really recognize them as freckles though cause Asians hardly ever have freckles (or the Asians i know).

if you go on the website, you can actually see a demonstration of how it may work for you - you get to choose the ethnicity, the skin tone and then you can choose all different kinds of spots to place on her face.
i've opened the first packet and i think i can get four uses out of it. it sort of smells like berries too.
see 5) for a picture of the sample.

size: 1.5 mL x 5 

retail value: $44.00 (at Shopper's Drug Mart; 30 mL)

2) Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips in in "350 Misbehaved" - i've always been tempted to pick these up (and i think i may have... stashed somewhere) but i have so many nail polish swatches to do, i just never got around to it. i like the design i got though - it's like gold glitter polish with a fishnet design over it. 

size: 1 box containing 16 nail polish strips, cuticle stick, mini file & buffer (full size!) 

retail value: $9.29 (according to well.ca)

3) Marcelle Eyeshadow Quad in "Jungle Fever" - undoubtedly, my favorite product in the box. at first, i thought something was loose since i can hear something was shaking around inside it, but it turns out there is another layer underneath with 2 eyeshadow sponge applicators.

the colors of the quad is right up my alley - i almost always wear either greens, purples or golds/browns. "Jungle Fever" has a champagne color, a green, brown and a black - all very shimmery. the colors are similar to some of the ones found in my Wet n Wild Comfort Zone palette. in comparison, the Marcelle quad actually seems to be lacking in pigmentation, as you can see in the arm swatches:

i wore it on my eyes today and all the colors except the champagne one lasted the day without requiring a primer. all that was left of the champagne shade was the shimmer though. i really like how the eyeshadows are shaped like little studs but for the price, i would've expected better color payoff.  

size: 4.6 g (full size!)

retail value: $15.95 (according to marcelle.com)

4) Calvin Klein Beauty Eau de Parfum Spray & Luminous Skin Lotion - a light scent of fresh flowers. it's not a scent that stands out to me so i won't be purchasing a bottle of this. i am glad that they included the lotion with the small perfume sample. the lotion is not moisturizing since it is only meant to accentuate the scent. the smell of the lotion is extremely light.

size: 1.2 mL (spray); 30 mL (lotion)

retail value: (according to nordstrom.com)
   spray: $51 (30 mL); $66 (50 mL); $87 (100 mL)
   lotion: $43 (200 mL)

5) Loose Button Exfoliating Pad - so this was the other item in the little box. uhm, this thing feels really rough, no? i haven't even used it in the shower yet - but i'm a little scared to. from what i've read, it unravels rather quickly.

size: 1 pad (full size!)

retail value: N/A

6) Madonna Truth or Dare Eau de Parfum - another perfume sample - this one is a long tube that can only be applied by dabbing it on. it's musky but very flowery at the same time. it's a strong scent and i think i rather like it. i prefer it over the Calvin Klein one.

size: 3 mL

retail value: $65 (50 mL); $75 (75 mL) (according to thebay.com)

7) KMS Free Shape Quick Blow Dry Spray - mine separated into two layers so i'd suggest shaking it before use! or so i figured, but the picture on LB's site and KMS' site shows it half pink and half white.

i have thick hair that almost reaches my lower back so blow drying usually takes forever. these days i usually just air dry. .. but then it looks flat. so i will try using this to hopefully speed the process up a bit. 

size: 30 mL

retail value: $17.96 (US according to drugstore.com; 200 mL)

so like i said earlier, i am not enjoying my "lollipop" as much as before! i am not sure if i see the value of $26 in the box... 2 of the 7 items were full size, 2/7 were fragrances and 1/7 were in one-use packets.
and doesn't the 3-month wait seem terribly long? since it seems that there are better boxes out there, maybe i will have better luck next time :)

GLYMM BAG: May 2012

hello Glymm box that decided to show up finally (still earlier than Luxe Box and Glossybox - i was just anxious because i received the notification on the 11th)!
i already heard of the new packaging from other Facebookers and was aware of the price increase from $10 to $12 for new subscribers. you know how i was thinking of possibly dropping Glymm from my list? well i believe they have redeemed themselves! but i have to keep reminding myself that paying $10 instead of $12 per box is NOT equal to saving $2. i have a weird way of thinking when it comes to sales or discounts.

so even the outer cardboard box was slightly different (orange font and a Glymm sticker).
upon opening it i find the "Glymm Goes Green" note about how the company is taking a more eco-friendly stance. good for them :)
underneath that was the Glymm product card which also got a makeover. it opens up and is pretty big. i like the new format. i find that it gives you more information about the product and they've even included sample usage.
and underneath that was ... something wrapped in tissue. it was the new Glymm bag. it's very cute. i'm not sure if i will continue to like this when i've received more than 3 or something but i think i'll find some ways to reuse it.

the bag was super stuffed as you can see the zipper wasn't done up completely and there's a huge bulge in the middle.

this month's samples (it's a pretty long list!)

1) CK One Shock for Her and CK One Shock for Him - i haven't received this pair before and i heard that this smells lovely so i was happy. the CK Shock for Her does smell good - it's a non-overwhelming floral and i feel there's a touch of citrus-ness which are the two types of scents i prefer. since the card says i can have 35 uses from this sample, i think that's an adequate amount for me to determine whether i want to invest in a full sized bottle. i'll pass the CK Shock for Him sample to my boyfriend but he doesn't really wear cologne so we'll see. i just sprayed it on a blanket though and i find it a little too powerful. one spray is too much! i am not a fan of it. it sort of smells musky to me - i can't pinpoint any of the scents but it's on the card if you wanted to know.
size: 1.2 mL each x 2 = 2.4 mL
retail value: $45 (50 mL)

watermelon colors!

2) Coola Mineral Matte Cucumber Face Sunscreen - yay for sunscreen! i'm becoming more concerned about sun exposure so i welcome anything with spf. this one in particular has spf 30 and oddly enough, it says "chemical free sunblock" on the front. both ingredients on the back would be considered chemicals.  and on the back it also says "solar powered suncare" - so the sunscreen works when it is in the sun? ... how amazing...
also i don't think i'll get 4 uses out of this since in order to get the same amount of spf as listed, you're supposed to apply a pretty thick layer on your skin (like you were frosting a cake!) - i am guessing i can get maybe 2 uses?
size: 5 mL
retail value: $36 (50 ml)

the blanket is making me dizzy.

3) NuMe HydroPunch Hydrating Conditioner - i haven't tried any hair products with Argan oil so i'm excited to try this.
-- update July 18/12 -- tried this with the shampoo. it smells nice but my hair doesn't feel any different than from using other shampoos and conditioners. strange that my shampoo (from July's Topbox) was sealed but this conditioner wasn't. --
size: 20 mL
retail value: $24.99 (250 mL)

4) Mèreadesso Tinted Lip Treat in "Sheer Pink" - first time i've tried this brand even though i've heard other bloggers receive it in their previous boxes. i took off the lid and whoops! the whole lip product fell out. i took a picture so you can see how much product there is. oh well, i just shoved it back in. notice there wasn't a "Fragile" sticker on this month's Glymm.

swatches on my lips:

i'm happy with the color choice - for a "sheer" color, it actually builds up pretty well. it looks a bit frosty on my lips. also, even though it's moisturizing like a lip balm, this particular color brings out the imperfections of my lips (i.e. dry cracks). the scent reminds me of Dermologica Microfoliant (rice-based). 

i wanted to show you how you could build the color up. swatching it once gives the tiniest hint of color but 6 swipes gives a nice pink tint. 

size: 1.2 g

retail value: $28 (package of 2; 2.4 g)

5) Caudalie Crushed Cabernet Scrub - when i first saw this in the bag, i was like "what! they went back to jelly beans?" but nope. 

the jar is pretty large - the packaging is quite fancy for a sample. this is a best seller for the company but i don't think i'd be buying it even though i haven't tested it out yet. the scrub smells too strongly of ginger which i really dislike eating. i will still update you on my review though.

size: 60 g

retail value: $29 (150 g)

6) Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S Thirst-Quenching Serum and Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet - after finding out that the other Caudalie product was not jellybeans, i was like "oh WAIT, there are candies!" but again, no.  these are really cute looking but odd at the same time. i don't know how i could reuse this because i'd have to lay it upright somehow and its current shape already makes it difficult. a card was included in the bag promoting these two products (promo: free lip balm with the purchase of 2 Vinosource products until June 4th). 

and since when did "sorbet" refer to a type of skin product? i want some actual sorbet!

size: 1 mL each x 2 = 2 mL

retail value: serum - $48 (30 mL); sorbet - $38 (40 mL)

there was no particular sample that was absolutely amazing to me but none of them disappointed me either. so i'd have to say that Glymm has definitely improved this month. i feel that i'm gonna stick around for a bit and see if this $2 increase in price will help them improve their sample selection and customer service. if you are interested in joining, please sign up via my link. i appreciate it!

IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE: did you hear that Julep is giving away an iPad as well as 80+ nail polishes!? that is an *astounding* amount of nail polish!!! so go enter the contest before June 15th!!