TOPBOX: February 2012

hello everyone!
so i have been waiting eagerly for my first subscription box of the month to arrive - my Topbox was sent on the 13th but there were no updates whatsoever until it arrived on the 20th. i left for Fernie on February17th and at that time, i had not heard anything about my boxes, but lo and behold, all three of them were waiting for me the moment i came home today.

BUT even stranger is that i had TWO Topboxes. whaaaaaaaaat?
i was very confused - i remember entering the contest to win the Valentine's Mystery Box on Facebook but i did not win that... i checked my credit card and it does not seem i was charged twice. i was only sent one tracking information email but received two from Canada Post when it was delivered.
so strange indeed! has this happened to anyone else before? i feel bad that i somehow got two while other people are still waiting to sign up for Topbox!

anyway, i opened one and let my sister open the other to see if she would share my enthusiasm (she did not).
it's the same cylinder box as previously used by Topbox except i think the package got wet sometime during the delivery because the purple design was smudged (on one of the boxes).

this month's product card had a slight change to the cover:

February's samples:

1) Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils in "1 High Intensity Black" - i've already heard fantastic things about how this mascara gives you a false-lashes effect. however, i am reluctant to open it just yet because i don't want to dry it out. (sorry my camera is terrible at focusing!)
size: 3 mL
retail value: $36 (7.5 mL)

2) Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat in "No 2" - another YSL product? no complaints there! i've seen ads for this in magazines and read how it is widely used by professional makeup artists. this is expensive stuff! there is definitely NOT enough sample to really try this product out though. it is similar to those tiny samples you would find it your mailbox or magazine.
size: super tiny
retail value: $50 (2.5 mL)

3) Pari Beauty in "ES 72" - this is a very pigmented blue eye shadow that looks slightly green in different lighting. the card says it was personalized for me and i do not mind the color. it is definitely a bright one so i will have to find ways to mute it out just a bit since blue doesn't really complement my skin tone. i've encountered this brand only recently when i was looking for a makeup case. i found them at a makeup counter at Sears. i didn't really browse their products but did see that they had one of those 88 eye shadow palettes that are quite common now. it seems that companies are just slapping their names on the same palettes and claiming them as their own.
size: 2 g (full size!)
retail value: $11

4) C. Booth Derma Skincare Collagen Elastin Restorative Hand & Nail Treatment - my cuticles are not in the best shape and i was looking to fixing that. along came this cream! and in full size too!! hooray. i'm getting just a little tired of all the lotions - maybe Topbox knew that and so they decided to throw in a "treatment". haha anyway, it is white in color and the smell is decent. not great but not bad either. it does have a greasy feeling right after you apply it but that disappears. as for all the other benefits it claims to provide, i will have to update you in the long run.
size: 120 mL (full size!)
retail value: $16

5) LillyPilly Kakadu Plum Hand & Body Creme - hmm. i received another LillyPilly lotion last month from Topbox. was not a huge fan of the rosewood smell so i am a little hesitant to try this one out. but plum does sound more delicious. there are two of these little packets and they come from Australia.
size: 3 mL each x 2 = 6 mL
retail value: $22 (150 mL)

SO you are wondering about the second box right? everything was the same except for the eye shadow. funny isn't it? since it was apparently personalized and somehow i end up with two different shades. lucky for me, it was in a more wearable shade: ES 35. it's a sparkly peach color that comes off quite pigmented when i swipe it directly on my finger, but once i swatch it on my wrist, i can hardly see it. hopefully it shows up more when i use a brush.

another slight difference was that one box has a large amount of the purple crinkly paper, and the other had less but also came with some scrunched up purple tissue.

so all in all, i am glad to be able to try all these samples twice! especially for the YSL products (or i guess i can share the love and give them to someone?). i am very happy with the eye shadow as well. quite lucky that it didn't break since i saw that happen to many people on Facebook. honestly, i am getting a little tired of the lotion samples. i have not received any nail polish to date so here's to the next two boxes i open today *crosses fingers*! it would really help my nail polish obsession phase (i bought like 10 in the last month!)

----- update 02/24/12: Topbox has a new contest where you can win a 3-month subscription! check it out here. contest ends 03/05/12. good luck! ----- 

oh and i thought i would just end this post with a photo i took while in Fernie, BC:

TOPBOX: January 2012

hello hello hello!
im excited to have finally caught up to this month's boxes! whoohoo! also if you scroll down, you will notice - dun dun dun - i've switched to black frames! maybe next time it will be even crazier and i will do patterns or something :D i wouldn't mind some feedback!
so i'm always excited when i see Topbox in my mailbox. it means that there are more boxes soon to come. i got this box on January 17. the second i picked it up, i was very surprised by how heavy it was.
the exterior of the box was exactly the same as last month's, with the pretty purple design. i didn't even have to open the lid because it pretty much popped right off. guess it's because of the heavy products inside and the fact that it was stuffed to the top! also, all the liquid products were frozen solid. who knows, the box may have been there for only 2 minutes since we were having -30 degree weather in Calgary (without wind chill!)

it came with the usual Topbox card and 4 samples. i must say the size of these samples are impressive! i know Topbox says they are deluxe-sized and i completely agree.

January's samples include:
1) Principessa Beauty dry shampoo - first of all, YAY! i've always wanted another dry shampoo. i only have one by TRESemmé but everytime i walk into Sephora, I want to buy Oscar Blandi's dry shampoo. i don't wash my hair every single day since the natural oils in your hair are actually good for you so dry shampoo can help your hair look more voluminous and less greasy. i'm excited that this was customized according to my hair color (which is black but in the sun, it looks brown). i found it a tad difficult to open especially since i didn't want to spill it everywhere. i had to twist the cap and then just wiggle it back and forth until it came off. the product itself smells pretty nice.
size: 30 g
retail value: $24 (125 g)

2) Shu Uemura shampoo - the title of this shampoo is "full shimmer illuminating shampoo for color-treated hair". this confuses me since with the previous product, it was customized for me, but this one is not. i have not colored my hair... ever. i grew up with strict parents who would not allow me to color my hair back in junior high and high school. and now that i'm 24, i haven't had a strong desire to do so. but if i were to dye it... hmm.. maybe a really dark purple or blue? the kind of blue you'd only see in certain lighting? anyways, i tried the shampoo and it smells good. when you rub it in your scalp, it doesn't get soapy (you know, when you lather?) - i find i had to use more product because it felt like it wasn't enough. if only i had analyzed my hair beforehand i could tell you if it actually made my hair any shinier. oops.
size: 75 mL
retail value: $45 (300 mL)

3) Cake Beauty foot creme - after receiving a few hand creams (as well as the following sample), i was delighted that i received a foot creme - and from none other than Cake Beauty, which i've heard great things about. it is a white, non-greasy formula and smells just like spearmint gum.
size: 100 mL (full size!)
retail value: $16

4) LillyPilly hand and body creme - this one came with a seal. the second i opened the seal, the creme wouldn't stop coming out! i had to run to my sister so she can help me use it up. anyways, we both have to say that the smell is not the best - it reminds of me of old ladies (i apologize!). i'm thinking this is what rosewood smells like? however, it is moisturizing and doesn't feel too greasy.
size: 50 mL
retail value: $22 (150 mL)

even though there was no makeup in this box, i enjoyed the samples - especially the dry shampoo. i like how i can get plenty of uses out of these samples as well. definitely looking forward to my next Topbox! unfortunately for those who are currently unsubscribed, i heard on the grapevine that Topbox is sold out til June :(