BEAUTY BOX 5: June 2013

i realized it has been exactly one whole MONTH since i last posted. that makes me a really horrible blogger. i am well behind on all my beauty boxes but i feel the need to still post this June box...

then i'll have some more goodies for you! i went on a 9-day road trip to Vancouver and Seattle so i picked up a few things. not that many since i still have like 5 (maybe more) beauty boxes sitting unopened in a corner of my room. i know, horrible blogger!!

the trip was the longest one i took this summer. i hadn't been to Vancouver for a few years now so it was fun to visit again. ate oysters at Rodney's, discovered awesome bubble tea at Bubble Queen, walked along English Bay, biked through Stanley Park, went to the Richmond Night Market, shopped at Daiso (first time! and ended up visiting like 3 Daiso locations including the ones in Seattle).
it was also my first time driving across the border to the states. we did some shopping at the outlet mall, visited Pike Place (fish market), checked out the gum wall (gross!), Space Needle, Chihuly Garden & Glass (so pretty!), ate at Crab Pot... plenty of eating actually.

before this road trip, me and the boyfriend also went out for a weekend get-together at his uncle's farm. we got to shoot some arrows which is tough but really fun!
also did a couple of runs this summer - the Zombie Survival Run as well as the Color Me Rad one.
plus a friend's wedding as well as the Bruno Mars concert in Edmonton.

all in all, it's been a great summer! we've had a few days this week with almost 30 degree weather so i hope it lasts a little while longer :)

- - - - - - -

okay let's do this! i *almost* have June out of the way!

1) Coolway Cool Cleanse Shampoo & Hydrate Conditioner - with this shampoo and conditioner set, i am now able to enjoy the whole Coolway system together!

size: 30 mL each x 2
retail value: $25 (254 mL)
promotion: 20% off sitewide before 7/15/2013 [expired]

2) Just Being Sexy Body Bronzer - i've never really used body bronzer before... especially a liquid one like this. i find that it is too much of a hassle, even with the gradual tan body lotions - the 5-10 minutes i'd have to wait for it to dry before putting on clothes seems like forever!

size: 8 mL x 2
retail value: $49 (180 mL)
promotion: 15% off sitewide before 7/15/2013 [expired]

3) Brazen Cosmetics Eyeshadow in "No Regrets" - more Brazen Cosmetics! i am still not a fan of the packaging for loose eyeshadows since they tend to get messy everytime i unscrew the lid, even if i do the tapping thing before i open it.

"No Regrets" is more a antique-y metallic-y gold like the bottom left swatch and less yellowy than shown in the bottom right picture.

size: N/A
retail value: $7.99 (5 g)

4) Aveeno Protect + Hydrate Lotion Sunscreen - mmm actually smells quite nice for a sunscreen. still has that sunscreen scent but slightly fruity at the same time. SPF 30!

size: 14 g
retail value: $9.99 (85 g)
promotion: $1.00 off any Aveeno sun care product - expires March 31, 2014 with coupon

this box was one of those meh boxes for sure. nothing i was super excited about. i hope the other boxes that are started to become a tower aren't as underwhelming!

i hope you all had a lovely summer! thanks for sticking with me :)

BEAUTY BOX 5: May 2013

oh maaaaaaaan. i am terrible! my attention span is really short these days - there's just so much to do! even though today was my first day at work since last week - which meant i had plenty of time to blog...

these days, much of Alberta is dealing with the aftermath of flooding. i never really thought that could happen here in Calgary. there was a flood in 2005 but i was completely unaware of it back then. Calgary goes through really random changes in weather (we get the occasional snow/hailstorm in May or June). and this June has brought in a lot of rain. and i mean, a LOT. of course, we had a leak in our roof (make that 2). 

last Thursday was very normal. i stood on the side of the street downtown where i work, waiting for my ride. but that changed within a few hours. i was not able to return to work until today - a week later - which i didn't really mind of course since i was able to work from home. but wow. so many pictures of disaster on Instagram and Facebook... stories of people forced to evacuate... people panicking and hoarding water and filling up their bathtubs... vendors jacking up the price of a bag of ice to $20...

really makes you feel rather small when Mother Nature can be so powerful. 

i hope those that have been affected by the floods are all healthy and safe. 

back to the err.. May BB5 (where did June go??):

1) Brazen Cosmetics Ultra Glaze Lip Gloss in "Centerfold"
This creamy formula will deliver a long lasting wear that will have you hooked! Apply alone for a slight hint of color or layer over lipstick for a bolder look.


- not Ferro Cosmetics as shown in the card above -

BB5 does not shy away from featuring the same companies again and again - which could be a good or bad thing.

Brazen has been on a 3-month streak with BB5 but this time around it is a lip gloss instead of a shadow.

i was a little turned off by the metallic-y copper color initially. it also slipped my mind that this was a gloss so i was thrown off by how gooey it is :)

still, the color isn't half bad. not a fan of applying lip products with my finger though - especially something that is sticky.

size: N/A
retail value: $8.99

2) Jean Pierre Self Tan Wipe - Jean Pierre is featured once again but i have not used self-tanning wipes before. i know there is two wipes but how much does one wipe cover? i don't want to be tanned only on one side of my body...

size: 1 wipe x 2
retail value: $8.99 (10 towelettes)

3) ModelCo Eyeliner in "01 Black" - again, a repeat brand. i thought i had an eyeliner from ModelCo already but i think i am just confusing myself with their lip pencils.

size: 1.2 g (full size!)
retail value: $18

4) Coolway Transform Styling Spray - Coolway has interesting hair products and are quite specific with their instructions on how to use the products. this one in particular lists the number of sprays you will need for your length of hair. my very long hair would require about 50 sprays. either this is quite ridiculous or i have been completely underestimating the amount of hair product to use in my hair...
this styling spray has the same sweet sugary scent as the other Coolway products but also smells like nail polish at the same time.

size: 100 mL
retail value: $24.95 (200 mL)

5) La Fresh Antiperspirant Wipes for Women - another 3-month streaker. La Fresh, how do you keep coming out with so many different types of wipes?! this is the first antiperspirant wipe i've seen (why only for women?). the weather is improving and getting crazy hot at times so i will likely carry these just in case.

size: 1 wipe x 2
retail value: $19.90 (48 packets)

summary? too much repetition. i am already getting a little bored with the whole beauty box subscription thing but now i seem to be getting the same brands again and again. and too many wipes! i thought everyone was impressed when BB5 took a step away from all the one-use sachets but it appears to be back again.

BEAUTY BOX 5: February 2013

what the what is going on with Google Reader? i missed the announcement apparently made all over Blogger yesterday but i guess it explains why i've had an exponential increase in Bloglovin' followers :) thank you for wanting to keep me around!!

anyways, i got my February box from BB5 the same day i got my Glymm (last Friday). Beauty Box 5 also celebrated their one year anniversary, just like Glossybox. i think both did rather well with their one year anniversary boxes!

i love the cute touches that BB5 includes on their card - they have a little poem and thank yous to customers for their support. i believe that BB5 is really sincere since i know other companies who only pretend to care about the customers...

let's check out what i got:

1) H2O Plus Bath Aquatics Shampoo - the shampoo features watercress, Iceland moss and seaweed. both watercress and Iceland moss are great for repairing damage and restoring moisture. seaweed is listed on the back of the shampoo but not explained on the site (Provitamin B is featured instead so i am not sure if H2O changed the formula). the shampoo has a fresh marine scent to it.

i haven't seen this brand sold in stores before but they do have a Canadian site  ($9.95 shipping if spend < $75). also i did a store locator search and it turns out there are a few Duty Free stores that carry it.

size: 37 mL
retail value: $14

2) Tree Hut Shea Sugar Body Scrub in "Coconut Lime" - this.is.amazing. i am absolutely in love with Tree Hut scents and products. i tried the Shea Body Butter thanks to BB5 last May and it was divine. this Shea Sugar Body Scrub also smells very yummy - like an island cocktail (coming from a non-drinker but hey, it smells like something that'd be delicious on a beach). the scrub itself is very fine and 'goopy' (as opposed to hard and chunky?).

size: 156 g ("full size!")
retail value: $7.49 (510 g)... or same price for 156 g according to drugstore.com

3) The Brush Guard Sample Pack - this sample pack contains an extra small, small and medium Brush Guard that you can slip over your makeup brushes. these Brush Guards can be used to shape them after they have been cleaned or to protect them while travelling or storing. i actually think that this makeup tool is quite genius (everyone remembers the other 'invention' that we cannot escape from right?).
it says that it is available at Walmart but i haven't seen them there yet.

size: 1 XS, 1 S, 1 M
retail value: $5.50 (Variety Pack - 1 XS, 2 SM, 2 M, 1 L)

4) Coolway Boost Repair Serum - i already have this from January's Glymm which i was just about to use up. as mentioned before, it is to be used instead of a conditioner and to leave 2 days between uses. the product is slightly gritty and smells sugary. i don't feel that this does much for my hair but then again, Aleksandra (Plumpish Beauty) told me that you can't really get the full benefits if you don't have the complete Coolway system.

size: 30 mL
retail value: $39.95 (236 mL)

5) **bonus** BB5 Foldable Brush Compact - oh BB5 how did you know i needed something like this!!! i was thinking that i needed a mirror as well as a brush at work since i'd like to check if i'm scaring anyone with food stuck in my teeth or a rat nest in my hair. so thanks to BB5 for coming up with a solution to both :)

congrats to BB5 for reaching their first year anniversary! i found everything in February's box to be quite handy/useful! i am especially loving the Tree Hut scrub and the Brush Guard is something i am excited to use. i will definitely consider sticking around for the second anniversary :)

cute - everything matches the Beauty Box 5 color :)

GLYMM BAG: January 2013

after doing my report card on the beauty box subscriptions available to Canadians, the January boxes that followed seemed to reaffirm my decision in regards to Glymm and Glossybox - wowwwwwwwwww i honestly cannot believe how bad both are this month.
thanks to both of them for making it easy for me. once i cash in all my points, i am outta here!!

Glymm's recent price increase was very sudden - we got the email late last month (Jan 21) and the price change was effective immediately. to me, the contents of January's bag do not reflect the increase in price... in fact, i don't think i would have actually been happy if it was at $12 or even $10 (which was what i was paying). holy cow!!!! i just realized that this means that this is a 50% increase for everyone that was grandfathered at $10 during the previous price increase!

wwwwwwwwwhaaaaaaaaat

okay, putting the massive price hike aside, let's take a look at the products:

1) LASHEM Double Trouble Mascara - this is the teeniest mascara sample i've ever seen! it's the exact same size as the LASHEM serum from last month. i will start testing this mascara this weekend... i am on the verge of tossing a few so it's time for something new. i am pretty sure i can use this one up much faster.

size: N/A
retail value: $20 (6 mL)

2) La Fresh Travel-Lite Facial Cleansing Wipes - i'm sure no one is seriously overjoyed when we receive a couple foil packets of facial cleansing wipes...

size: 1 wipe ("full size") x 2
retail value: $3 each

3) 360 Skin Care Lavender Mint Firming Serum - the serum smells like lavender which i am not a fan of but i can hardly tell when i apply it to my face. this is unlike any other serum i've ever tried... it's rather thick and difficult to absorb onto your face. you know how lotion dries up and leaves residue around the cap? the texture is sort of like that but not nearly as hard.
this firming serum is to be used around the eyes. just make you sure you really try to smooth it out on your skin or you will get odd yellow globs on your face. just a suggestion!

size: 6 mL
retail value: $34 (30 mL)

4) Coolway Boost Repair Serum - this patent pending serum is to be used as a replacement of your conditioner and has strict instructions that you should wait at least 2 days between use. i found this serum to have a unique scent for a hair product - very sweet and sugary. the product itself is white and has a very very slight gritty texture. so far i haven't seen any transformation in my hair but i will let you know down the road if my feelings change.

size: 30 mL
retail value: $40 (236 mL)

5) ** bonus ** Burt's Bees Naturally Nourishing Milk & Honey Body Lotion - ho hum. i am not a huge fan of Burt's Bees lotions - i don't find the scents appealing. oh shoot - as i stared at this sample while i type this, i realized i got a larger sample of this in my Glossybox that i have yet to post...

size: 7 mL
retail value: $12.99 (170 mL) ... according to my January Glossybox card

you can tell from the tone of this whole post that i am not exactly overjoyed with this bag. haha - it may be that i am harder to impress now that i've subbed to 6 beauty boxes but in all honesty, all of these samples are tiny and have very limited use.
does anyone have high hopes for February? also, who knows when Glymm's anniversary is?

by the way, i have a giveaway coming up!!!! please stay tuned!!! i am letting you know now so that you can make sure i do it this weekend. i am giving you permission to get on my case about it. 

i really hope that i can work on more posts for you this weekend! i miss this :(