GLOSSYBOX: November 2012

my November Glossybox arrived yesterday!! even though it is already December... oh well, the packaging made up for it! and it was also a heavy box - almost 1 kg.

i predicted that we would start getting the Glossy Mag after GB introduced the "North America-wide" pricing (since American subscribers were already getting it). i flipped through it (the cover model's stare is slightly scary, no?) and there are some interesting products in there plus an interview with their "Blogger of the Month". i only skimmed through it rather quickly for like 3 minutes and i have already found two spelling mistakes ("keps" and "cheif")... i don't mean to be nit-picky but i always cringe when i see spelling errors from professional businesses.

ahh... the wrapping makes me so happy! the red ribbon and the tissue paper puts me in a festive mood!

there was the possibility of another Golden Ticket in this month's GB - i did not receive one but i also didn't know about it this time around so i wasn't as disheartened haha.

November's goodies (version 1):

1) Nicole by OPI Kardashian Kolor in "Here We Kome A-Karoling" - this is part of their Holiday Collection. i understand that the family has a thing for "K"s but the name of this polish looks so odd with the "C"s substituted.

anyway, i am glad that i didn't get "A Gold Winter's Night" since i already mentioned how it looks exactly like Nailtini's "Millionaire". i am a bit jealous of those who got "All is Glam, All is Bright"! looks like a lovely glitter and it matches the box's wrapping with the red and white... hehe.

"Here We Kome A-Karoling NI K32" looks nothing like it is shown on their website - which also says that "This deep, grape purple will make your heart sing.". it is a deep purple but they failed to mention that there are shimmers in it. it's a little hard to tell unless you look closely at it in a some light.

swatch coming later!

size: 15 mL (full size!)
retail value: $10.99

2) Kryolan for Glossybox Blusher in Glossy Pink "Glossy Rosewood" - not sure why they printed "Glossy Pink"... did anyone actually get that color? i like how this is another item created specifically for Glossybox. the color is also very pretty - looks like a dusty pink. i noticed that this blusher actually had a scent - like a perfume. i've never experienced that before...

the best i could do - stop going down so early, sun!

size: 2.5 g (full size!)
retail value: $16.73

3) Nexxus Salon Hair Care: Hydration Kit - i already received this set in my August Topbox as a bonus item; the only difference is that it didn't have the box which i am assuming is because it would not fit inside the Topbox. i am actually trying to finish this up since i am trying to use up my hair samples... guess this additional sample is going to deter me for a while!

both the shampoo and conditioner smell good but the shampoo is rather sweet. makes my hair feel nice and soft.

size: 89 mL each
retail value: shampoo $9.99 (400 mL); conditioner $14.99 (400 mL)

4) Vitabath Moisturizing Bath & Shower Gelee in "Fresh Citrus Twist" - this is made in Canada but the website is not Canadian-friendly... there's no information on how much it costs to ship in Canada (even though they say they do ship here) and using the store locator, you can only enter zip codes... hmm.
BUT if you are a fan of their products, i went shopping today and found them in two different locations. so strange how once you are introduced to a new item, your eyes seem to be on alert and they start popping up everywhere. i found Vitabath at Sears and at Shoppers (plenty of gift sets!).

"Fresh Citrus Twist" smells like oranges. i will get to it once i finish my current body wash (the Dove one that i got from GB). i don't normally use body washes or shower gels but feel the need to go through them since Glossybox keeps sending them to me.

size: 170 g
retail value: $15 - $18 (60 g - 170 g) i think this was for the lotions, but for the gelees it's $18 - $40 (300 g - 910 g)... they also sell it by the gallon... why it is in g instead of mL is beyond me.

5) Maybelline MNY My Gloss in "765" - i had no previous knowledge of MNY so i did a little research. it is a branch of Maybelline that is currently prevalent in only European countries. MNY seems to be targeting younger girls with their packaging that resembles the doodling you did in class and their collections like "Red Riding Hood".

"765" is part of the "Yellows & Greens" family which is why it is not surprising that i was a little afraid of the color. there is also a ton of glitter in it. MNY is all about being fun and colorful so i am really quite curious how pigmented this gloss is going to look. but then again, i don't want to open it and waste it... did anyone experiment with this color?

size: 9 mL (full size!)
retail value: $7.49

6) ** bonus ** Curel Hand & Cuticle Therapy Cream - i actually bought a hand and cuticle buffer recently since i noticed my cuticles could need a little pampering (review coming up!). this would be the perfect cream to use afterwards.

i also have a Curel cream specifically for feet from a previous Glossybox - looks like i am all set. this Hand & Cuticle Therapy Cream is very smooth and smells like flowers.

size: 100 mL (full size!)
retail value: $3.99

7) ** bonus ** Über Loyalty Card - so apparently i can get 50% of all online purchases with this code. sounds pretty amazing right? i checked the website out but i am not impressed. they have a women's line called "Über Sassy" and for men, "Über Slick". this along with their logo (a winky face) makes it seem a bit juvenile to me. again, i find that the professionalism of a page is hindered when the company is not consistent - sometimes they don't capitalize the beginning of their sentences; sometimes they use "Uber" and other times, "Über". maybe i had to write too many website critiques in university but i do not want to buy their products.

value: $20 (how was this calculated??)

- - - - -

sooo the box is indeed jam-packed but is it sad to say that i was most excited about the wrapping? most of the items were full-sized or generous samples but shampoos, creams and shower gels don't excite me... especially since most are drugstore brands. i rather like the the blusher though and it's nice that there are quite a variety of items. at $21 a month, i just don't feel like i am getting enough value from the box to continue paying at this higher price point (for long anyways! plus, i am not actually paying for it since i got the subscription as a gift)... i am going to start canceling some of these subscriptions after the new year. go me!

on a side note, did anyone go to Superstore lately? thanks to Kylie (in the Canada Beauty Box Trades or Selling group on Facebook), i found out that they now carried e.l.f.!
a lot of it was gift sets ranging from $3.99 to huge palettes for $19.99.

and THIS is just amazing:

all the nail polishes arranged by color.. oh my. the geek in me applauses.

GLOSSYBOX: August 2012

August's Glossybox arrived on September 4 (surprise, surprise).

seems like there are a few versions out there - i've seen people get nail polishes, satin powders or 2 lipsticks.  i myself got V6 (eyeliner!). this month, the version is noted on the bottom right hand corner of the card instead of on the shipping box label.

August's sample list:

1) Sebastian Potion 9 Lite Treatment Styler - so i usually do not invest a lot of my money in hair products - other than shampoo and conditioners, all i really buy are hairsprays or hair mousse. ever since i subscribed to the beauty boxes, i've had an exponential increase in other hair products such as dry shampoo, hair masks and this Sebastian product... wait, what does a treatment styler actually do??
according to the directions, it is to be used "anytime to boost your style". that doesn't really tell me much either.
i sprayed it on today and all i seem to get is some nice-smelling hair and some added texture. 

size: 50 mL

retail value: $20.95 (150 mL)

2) Bioré Make-up Removing Towelettes - speaking of types of products that have been growing exponentially, this is another good example. since i have so many different cleansing wipes/makeup removers now,  i don't think i will have to buy anymore for the next two years. 

size: 10 towelettes (full size!-ish)

retail value: $$14.99 (60 towelettes); $9.99 (30); $3.99 (10)

3) Kryolan for Glossybox Lipstick in "Glossy Pink" - i have no idea who Kryolan is but this is a cute lipstick! i think it's adorable how they named it "Glossy Pink" - it is not the same light pink as the signature Glossybox color but a more wearable version.
... until you put it on that is. it actually turns out to be a very pigmented pink with a slightly blue undertone. when i wore it today, it definitely was the focal point on my face. very eye-catching. it's not a pink i usually wear but i think i might start. it also lasts a decent amount of time - approximately 5 hours - and feels moisturizing.

see below for arm swatches!

size: 4 g (full size!)

retail value: N/A - special edition; available only for Glossybox members (a regular Kryolan lipstick retails for $16.99)

4) Layla Glitter in Eyeliner in "#8" - i am glad that there are two makeup products this month! this eyeliner is a soft black loaded with gold glitter. i have a few glitter eyeliners lying here and there but i hardly ever reach for them since i prefer an intense black. but perhaps i could wear it on top of a black eyeliner to make it darker. or just wear it on on days i need a little extra sparkle.
the liquid eyeliner is applied with a thin brush which requires a steadier hand. i find that glitter eyeliners have an odd smell to them and this one does too. don't sniff your eyeliner.

size: 6 mL (full size!)

retail value: $12.99

5) Befine Fine Food Skin Care - the box itself was already very appealing - there are pictures of coconuts and chocolate so i was already thinking that whatever skin care item it was, it was going to be delicious!
i was really excited to find that there were skin care items - 5 of them in fact. they are all natural and say "single serve" but the packets seem large enough for more than 1 use.

the 5 packets are:
* Exfoliating Cleanser (sweet almond)
* Gentle Cleanser (mint)
* Night Cream (yum cocoa!)
* Pore Refining Treatment Scrub (coconut!)
* Warming Clay Mask (mmm pomegranate!)

i really like how they sent like the whole skin care system. it's nice that i can test them all out at once and see how they work together.
the box also contained a 20% off promo code. shipping outside the U.S. is $20 (eep!). 

size: mask packet @ 14 g; all other packets @ 10 mL

retail value:
   US$24 for Exfoliating Cleanser (120 mL) / Gentle Cleanser (100 mL) / Pore Refining Scrub Treatment         (90 mL)
   US$30 for Night Cream (50 mL)
   US$25 for Warming Clay Mask (150 mL)
   or US$2 per individual packet!

6) *bonus* Trend Trunk Mystery Gift Card - interesting. the only way to find out how much you have on your card (ranging from $5 to $250, so probably $5) is to register. aaaaaaand i just did and yep, $5. so basically how it works is that you can sell your unwanted items online.  Trend Trunk has partnered with Canada Post so once you sell something, they will email you a pre-paid Expresspost shipping label that doesn't cost you (the seller) anything. the buyer has to pay $8 for shipping though. for their services, Trend Trunk takes 20% of your profit.
it might be a good idea for me since i own way way too many clothes. i often go through my closet and be like "when did i get this??". 

size: 1 gift card

retail value: $5-$250

7) *bonus* Elastoplast SOS Blister Bandage - this could have been SO useful on my L.A. trip. it's actually a pretty gross story. we were shopping at a mall in Koreatown and i ran my foot into one of those metal clothing racks. i winced from the pain but didn't think twice about it (i am a very focused shopper). when i gathered up a few items and walked into the change room though, i felt something sticky underneath my foot (i was wearing flip-flops). and to my astonishment, it was my blood pooling between my foot and my flip-flop. there was a cut on my baby toe and it just kept bleeding non-stop for over 10 minutes - i didn't think the cut was that deep! it was pretty scary though. we had to go down to the supermarket downstairs and buy some band-aids.
i know this Elastoplast is for blisters but it would've been the perfect size to cover my whole toe!
there's also a $2 off coupon inside the booklet.

size: 1 bandage

retail value: $5.99 (5 bandages)

i think it was a pretty good box overall - "most interesting product" goes to the Befine sample pack, "most likely to be used" goes to... hmm it's a toss-up between the lipstick and the eyeliner. both are products i use often - i hardly ever complain about makeup products in my beauty boxes.

what did you think of your Glossyboxes last month?
now onto my Luxe Box post!