TOPBOX: September 2012

so i got this yesterday, which is a little late for Topbox.
upon first inspection, it seems that is also lighter than usual. the card is in a different format this month - the products are all listed on one side with an orange tab at the top (instead of the usual purple) and on the other side is an offer to get a Balenciaga Paris Cosmetic Pouch. now i've seen what the pouch looks like (thanks CityGirl) and it is absolutely adorable. trouble is, i am a bit of a... collector? hoarder? pretty much, i like to store all the product cards i get each month, arranged by beauty box and then sorted by month in a little expandable file folder. is that too weird to tell you guys??

so the problem is, once i redeem this pouch, i'd have to forfeit the card and then what? accept that there is now a gap in my system?... have i crossed the line of extreme weirdo yet? hahaha so yes that is an issue i'd have to figure out.

let's check out what's in the box, shall we?

September's samples:

1) Benefit They're Real! Beyond Mascara - ooooh exciting!! i am always eager to try mascaras that claim to give you the false eyelashes effect. i have a lot of mascaras to go through but i am putting this next on my list!
size: 3.0 g
retail value: $29 (8.5 g)

2) Balenciaga Paris L'Essence Eau De Parfum - so for starters, not a good sign when it says on the box "Free Sample". this sample comes in a long tube with a ball top. sadly, it has that particular scent (perhaps that is what they call "leathery" on the card?) that just induces a headache for me and reminds me of fancy old ladies. not a fan.
size: 4 mL
retail value: $110 (50 mL); $150 (75 mL)

3) philosophy purity made simple 3-in-1 cleanser for face and eyes - now called the one-step facial cleanser. this is a cleanser that feels really gentle on the skin. the scent is light and clean. it is said to remove eye makeup and it does work but i always find it weird using a cleanser like this near my eyes. it doesn't sting but i feel like it gets guck (guck = makeup residue) in my eyes.
size: 30 mL
retail value: $13 (90 mL); $26 (240 mL)

4) M. Asam Perfect Teint - i received a similarly packaged M. Asam Magic Fini in a previous Glymm box. i really liked how smooth it was and this one is also very fluffy. and they smell the same too. i tried to look this product up and only found Perfect Teint II to be available. perhaps they are phasing out the version we just got?
it is to be used to fill in wrinkles and pores, leaving behind a matte finish. on the card it says that this product is described as a primer, but a pdf from asambeauty.com says you can use it after you have applied your makeup. a little goes a very long way - even the amount i have on my finger was a little too much.
i have seem M. Asam products at much lower prices at Winners if you are interested.
size: 5 mL
retail value: $42 (50 mL)

so everything seems to be a bit on the smaller side this month, and plus there are no bonuses so in comparison with previous boxes, it may seem disappointing. but there are a couple of great products in here - most noteworthy, a Benefit mascara. Topbox doesn't usually include fragrances (aside from last month), but when they do, they avoid the super tiny vials. still, not impressed by the "Free Sample" noted on the side.

did anyone get anything different in this month's Topbox?

-- update September 22, 2012 -- i went to Holt Renfrew yesterday, after listening to the many ladies that commented and just photocopied the card. it is definitely worth picking up the pouch. i have seen two different versions of this - like i mentioned earlier in my post,  CityGirl's version (drawstring pouch) and the one i got. it came in a fancy box that was wrapped in plastic. the pouch itself was also wrapped in tissue.

mine has two zippers - you can probably use it for storing cards and maybe a lipstick or two. the little zippered pocket can be used for change. it looks smaller than CityGirl's. for all you Calgarians, this is the version i got from The Core downtown. --

GLYMM BOX: March 2012

honestly, i have not been wowed by Glymm as of late, nevertheless i was antsy waiting for the box to arrive. partly because it arrived in Calgary early Friday but Canada Post chose not to deliver it and i had to wait all weekend! the weekend can feel super long in these instances, haha. it arrived today (well yesterday now that i posted it) - this time i had to go to my community mailbox to get it rather than find it on my doorstep. guess they have had enough issues with missing boxes? anyway, it is the smart thing to do.

removing the lid, i find the Glymm ribbon around the March 2012 edition card "Spring Fling". the lower pic is what it looks like when i remove the front card. the second card is an offer for a free Hydrafull lip gloss from Anastasia Beverly Hills with the purchase of any other 2 products. Anastasia products range between $16 and $85 on the Glymm website.

this month's samples include:

1) Anastasia Beverly Hills Hydrafull Gloss in "Sorbet" - well since we got a promo card, it is definitely nice to try the product out first. this is the tiniest sample of lip gloss i've ever received. at least i know i will be able to use this one completely since i have been getting a ton of lip products in my boxes. 

the applicator is different than usual - it is a paddle applicator. the only other time i've encountered this is when i bought my sister the tokidoki Prisma Lip Gloss. i took two pictures, hopefully you can see the paddle more when i applied the product. "Sorbet" is a nice coral pink but once i apply it, it just gives me a hint of color and some shine. it does not feel really sticky except when i tried to wash it off my hand after swatching it.

this product has apparently been clinically tested and is cruelty free! i never trust these test results unless i know specifics such as how many participants there were - "87% reported the lip gloss provides long lasting moisture" but 87% of say, 10 people, would not be very significant (okay i know you can't have 8.7 people but i am just giving an example!).

size: 1.0 mL

retail value: $27 (2.2 mL)

2) M. Asam Magic Fini - looking at the bottle, i had no idea what it was. according to other bloggers, this is a BB cream. there has been a huge BB cream craze, and this is the first time i've received one in a box. i already have one that my friend ordered from overseas which i really like already and i am glad that i can branch out and try this one too. as you can see in the picture, the color seems a little dark. it would've been nice if this had a safety seal on it or something. 

i don't know how to describe the smell, but the texture is similar to mousse. after putting it on my face, there was a noticeable reduction in redness and my skin felt very smooth. i've only used it once but so far, i'm a fan!

size: 5 mL

retail value: $38 (30 mL)

3) NuMe Feather Hair Extensions - i don't know what the name of this color is but to me it is an unattractive yellow-green. i already knew these were going to be in the box but i was hoping for at least a color i can MAYBE pull off like blue or purple (i have brown-black hair). but what to do with this one? i read someone suggested wearing them for St. Patrick's Day but that's a little too late now. a plus is that these are cruelty free and are made from real human hair. it also came with 5 micro rings. this sample was definitely a fun idea but risky for Glymm too since it would not be appealing to all age groups. but then again, you can't please everybody!

size: 3 feathers (full size!)

retail value: $25

4) Ocean Nail Polish in "80 White Opal" - so Glymm has also decided to answer my call for nail polish and kudos for that, but i probably got the most boring color out there! "White Opal" is not "vibrant, pastel and intense" like it says on the card. it dried pretty quickly but is it just me or does the nail polish smell seem to be stronger with this brand?

i decided to swatch this on my sister's hand since i already had nail polish on (she also has nicer nails than me). she has 2 coats of "White Opal" on her thumb, pointer and middle finger. i didn't do her last two fingers so i can show you how there is no color except for a bluish sheen. i have no idea if i will be using this color; possibly over another nail polish?

size: 15 mL (full size!)

retail value: $12

5) *bonus* Lise Watier Flash Lift Radiance Vial - oddly, this was not even listed on the card. guess they threw this in last minute. it is recommended that we use it in the morning to erase signs of fatigue so i have not used it just yet. the vial is a teeny tiny sample too. guess it is only for one use?

size: 1 vial (1 mL)

retail value: $27 (7 vials)     - according to the Lise Watier website 

so i am happy with my Glymm box this month. not a fan of the color i got for the feather extensions or the nail polish but i like everything else. i especially enjoyed the Magic Fini. if you are interested in finding out more about Glymm, click here.

as of today, i have not received any shipping notification from Loose Button or Glossybox. not sure what is going on there. Glossybox was sent out so early last month but they changed their policy recently so perhaps that was only a one-time thing?

i also wanted to note that i finally finished a book i started months ago - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. it was a hard book for me to get through since it was written in the 1800s - the language and style of writing were really different. there was also a lot of French - i had to type in paragraphs of French into Google Translate! i picked this edition up at a thrift store because i loved how it looked, well old, and i loved the gold lining on the side of the pages.

i can now finally watch the movie, HOORAY! (yes, i wanted to read the book first - i figured it must be good since there have been like 6 film adaptations). i think i will be starting on the Hunger Games trilogy (pressure from my sister) since the movie is coming out soon anyway!