LUXE BOX: May 2012

luckily, i received my Luxe Box yesterday, just in time for me to put this up on the last day of May! strangely, i did not receive a tracking number for this either so i had no idea it was coming. what is up with that this month?

AND my dad found it on the front porch. it never arrives that way... like i said, strange!

hooray for the little bonuses from Loose Button! this month was "Thank You, Mom" Month so they included a complimentary Bath and Body Box like they did in January.

onto May's sample list:

1) Essie Nail Polish in "785 Navigate Her" - this is a very interesting green - i would describe it as a mossy green. it's not like anything i already own so i am happy to add this to my collection. this color is also part of Essie's Spring 2012 collection. i like how Loose Button includes colors that are in new collections like last month's "793 Pink-a-Boo".
note: mine has little cracks the inside of the polish. does that happen to anyone else?

oh oh oh i figured out why i like this color so much!!! i was applying it wen i noticed one of the snacks my sister brought back from her trip to Vancouver... this color reminds me of my favorite tea --> Matcha Green Tea!!! my fingernails look delicious! haha

sadly, i seem to have a bit of trouble with the formula. it won't apply evenly so i tried shaking it up a bit. now i have some little bubbles on my nails. i am wearing 2 coats (some fingers needed 3 since i could still see parts of my nail bed). 

left to right: natural light; artificial light

-- update June 7/12 -- as much as i love the color, it does not hold up very well - it honestly began chipping the day after i applied it (chipped on June 1). by June 2, my nails were quite gross. i did not use a top coat in this case since my previous Essie nail polish did not require it at all. Pink-a-Boo lasted a good week before i experienced the same kind of chipping i had with Navigate Her the day after. -- 
size: 13.5 mL (full size!)

retail value: $8

2) Orlane Active Active Hydration Body Care - another Orlane product?? they must have started hitting the Canadian markets recently because this is my third sample from them. the other two were a foundation from Loose Button and an eye cream from Topbox (both from April). again, similar packaging as the rest - it comes in a box but the sample is very tiny and there is a rather large pamphlet inside. since this particular sample is intended for the body, i would think a larger sized sample is needed. the other two were intended for the face and already the sample did not contain enough product in order to fully test it out. i didn't feel like this cream was anything special either. my hands did not feel very moisturized 5 minutes after i applied it. also, it felt like i used up like 75% of the sample when i was trying to get this picture!

size: 7 mL

retail value: $105 (250 mL) ... jeeeeeeebus. that is out of my price range! 

3) Paco Rabanne Black XS L'Exces for Her & Black XS for Him - i have received the Black XS for Him before in December's Luxe Box. i haven't tried to L'Exces for Her version but thank goodness it wasn't another normal Black XS for Her because i've received that twice from Loose Button. 

size: 1.2 mL each x 2 = 2.4 mL

retail value: for Her $74 (50 mL); for Him $56 (50 mL)

4) Goldwell Dual Senses Color Shampoo and Conditioner -  another shampoo/conditioner combo directed at colored hair and in this terrible packaging... why why why! i do not have colored hair!! i saw some people receive the Moroccan Oil and i am quite jealous :X i've wanted to try that for a while now. on the plus side, i like pomegranate (it has pomegranate extract).

-- update June 7/12 -- i loveeeee the scent. the shampoo lathers up quite well and i could get almost 3 uses out of it. however, the conditioner is a different story. i hardly feel like i have any product at all in my hair which makes me use more of it, so in the end, the conditioner portion did not last me 2 uses --

size: 10 mL each x 4 = 40 mL

retail value: shampoo $28 (750 mL); conditioner $32 (750 mL)

the complimentary Bath and Body Box contained: 

5) Gillette Venus & Olay Razor - i actually like receiving razors. especially now that it's summer time, i will be using them more often! 

size: 1 razor & 1 cartridge

retail value: $14.99 (according to Well.ca but that one includes a shower hook)

6) Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Revolution Complex - received before in the January's Luxe Box. i haven't used that one yet so this one will go in the stash as well. 

size: 7 mL

retail value: $37.99 (50 mL) ... according to Well.ca

the box also came with a post card you can send from P&G and a Goldwell advertisement card. there's also a $20 off a subscription promo code from Panty by Post (which was part of last month's First in Line program). i didn't choose it but the panties are pretty. still it is quite costly - with the code, it will still be $40 for 3 panties. one of the brands they carry is Blush which i've seen at The Bay and Winners. i'm pretty sure the panties were like $6.99 or something around that range at Winners. 

this box is just alright to me. i like the complimentary box and the Essie nail polish but it seems that all of these samples were just variations of some sample i have received before. as you can see from all my links above, i reference to another box quite frequently (usually from Loose Button again).

what did you receive this month? (if you are not subscribed and interested in doing so, click here!)

LUXE BOX: January 2012

hello!
so i received my Luxe Box from Loose Button on January 30, which is a bit later than usual BUT i was definitely more than pleased when i found such a big box waiting for me when i got home. i was getting a bit impatient this month so i did start peeking at other people's blogs so i already knew there were two boxes this month but i was still squealing when i opened it. the extra box this month was labelled "Bath and Body" and was slightly smaller than the normal black box.

so the first normal black box - again, i love the sticker on the tissue paper. other than the sample list, there were a number of advertisements and coupons.

Box 1 (January's Luxe Box):

1) Pür Minerals foundation in "Blush Medium" - i think Loose Button knew exactly what i needed this month - i was running out of powder foundation and tada! i was sent a full-sized one! i am also impressed that this has SPF 15. it is important to use sun protection even when it is not sunny. i have combination skin and there is often a slight redness on the skin between my cheekbones and nose. if i apply just this foundation, my skin looks better but it doesn't cover all the redness. i think it will be better if i used a liquid foundation first and then touch up with some powder foundation.
size: 4.3 g (full size!)   note: this is the net weight; on the card it says 8 g
retail value: $31

2) Olay Regenerist wrinkle complex - i am throwing this in with all the other wrinkle products i have now... i know it is beneficial to start using anti-aging products early, but i do not currently have wrinkles. cross your fingers! but wait a sec... this sample costs almost $30? is that right? i'll definitely pass it on to someone else who can make use of it.
size: 7 mL
retail value: $60 (15 mL)

3) Loose Button's MyScent - there's a cute little drawstring pouch with a note saying that i was selected to participate in this program called MyScent (selected? it seems like everyone else was selected as well).

there were 6 perfume samples, 1 of which i have also received in December's box. all of them except for Prada's Infusion d'Iris had a cap on the sample where you can spray on the perfume (as opposed to just dabbing it on). i haven't been able to try all of them yet but here are some quick notes.

i: Prada's Candy
size: 1.5 mL
retail value: $96 (50 mL)
ii: Prada's Infusion d'Iris - smells fresh and flowery
size: 1.5 mL
retail value: $95 (50 mL)
iii: Nina Ricci's L'Air du Temps - very sweet smelling and floral - similar to potpourri
size: 1.2 mL
retail value: $72 (50 mL)
iv: Nina Ricci's Nina  - mm smells sweet and fruity like the apple on the cover
size: 1.2 mL
retail value: $65 (50 mL)
v: Paco Rabanne's Black XS for Her - floral but not too sweet smelling - it's a deeper smell (?? that doesn't make much sense...)
size: 1.2 mL
retail value: $65 (50 mL)
vi: Paco Rabanne's Lady Million
size: 1.2 mL
retail value: $80 (50 mL)

4) NYX lip gloss in "110 Cosmo" - last year i was obsessed with getting NYX lipstick and ended up getting 9 of their round lipsticks on eBay. i've been meaning to try other products by NYX so i was happy i was sent a lip gloss but was initially turned off by how much sparkle there is. seriously, they were not kidding when they called it "Mega Shine Lip Gloss". i also did not think this copper color would work on me. once i tried it though, it wasn't as bad as i thought. it has a sponge applicator and smells yummy, like cherries.
size: 11 mL (full size!)   note: huh? on the gloss itself, net weight = 15 mL... doesn't make sense
retail value: $8

5) Seattle's Best Coffee in "Level 3" - this was a bonus item which is nice, but i do not drink coffee. i prefer my green tea lattes, ice cappuccinos and french vanillas. but i do know plenty of people who would enjoy this!
size: 56 g
retail value: $9.99 (340 g)

Box 2 (Complimentary Bath and Body Box):
this white box contained 2 products, an info card on the razor and a coupon for bonus points at Shoppers if you buy a Fekkai hair product.
6) Schick razor - so this is the second product that Loose Button knew i needed. my other razor was getting dull and so this was perfect timing. apparently i will be one of the first ones in North America to try this razor. it has 5 blades and looks like it does not require shaving gel since there is a serum on the razor that works in the shower.
size: 1 razor & 1 cartridge
retail value: $13.99

7) Fekkai shampoo and conditioner - Fekkai has some pretty expensive hair products so it is nice that we get a sample. my hair is pretty long, probably reaching midway down my back, so i don't think i can get 2 uses out of this.
size: 9 mL each
retail value: ~$25 US for 237 mL (according to the Fekkai website that does not ship to Canada)

phew!! that was a lot of products! even though there was no Loose Button chocolate coin to be found, i am very pleased with my Luxe Box this month! a great variety of products and ones that will be quite useful for me. just look at all this stuff!

one thing i was a little sad about is that Loose Button has a feature where you can reserve a product in your box. however, they always reach the reservation limit so quickly!! this month they offered Donna Karan cleansing lotion, Benefit cream eyeshadow & liner, Benefit blush (POWda WOWza) and Curly Hair Solution control for frizzy hair. i would have most definitely loved either of the two products from Benefit!! but sadly, i checked my email 2 hours after they sent out a notice and i was already too late. i guess i should hook it up to my iPhone so i don't miss my chance next month!
ps. yay - as of now, i am all caught up on posting about my subscription boxes! whee!! i recently heard about this great promo from Julep and i am so very tempted. it won't hurt to try it for a month right? :)

LUXE BOX: December 2011

hi hi hi again! i am slowly catching up in posting about the sample boxes i received last month. today's post will be on Loose Button's Luxe Box, which i received back on December 20, 2011.

it arrived in a square-shaped cardboard box with the logo on the side. the products box itself was a sleek black color and opens by sliding off the cover (sort of like a drawer). i could definitely find another use for this box since i'm sure these will soon be piling up in a corner of my room.

i also love the fact that the products were all wrapped up in tissue with a sticker that said "Made for Helen". it made me feel special! even though none of the items were customized for me, i just liked how Loose Button went a little further in personalizing their box for their customers.

within the box was a card about December's products, a card about one of the products in particular, a card about the company, tissue paper and a bunch of the blue crinkled tissue paper.

products received:

1) DDF firming cream - definitely have not began to use this yet. at this stage in my life, i am not really interested in any anti-aging products. i hope that by completing some surveys on not only Loose Button's website, but also with Glymm and Topbox, i will begin to receive products i may be able to use. i'd hate to waste all these products. on the plus side - this is a good sized sample, especially since for a little over 3x the sample amount, the retail value is a whopping $140! ... so my sample is worth ~$41?!
size: 14 g
retail value: $140 (48 g)

2) Yves Rocher shower gel -hmmm shower gels... i do not really know what to say about them. i keep receiving them as gifts or part of some spa set but i never use them. i find that i just like to use soap or at most, body wash. i don't really understand the benefits of a shower gel; besides the fact that this one smells pretty yummy, like something you would like to eat.
size: 50 mL
retail value: $12 (400 mL)

3) Paco Rabanne Black XS for her & Black XS perfume sample - i haven't had a chance to crack these open yet but taking a look on the back of each, the one for males says "a fruity woody oriental" and for females "a fruity floral woody". i'm not experienced with the fragrance language - i don't really understand "woody" and "oriental". guess i will see for myself! however, i do not think my boyfriend would wear it - we have been together 6 years and i have yet to see him wearing cologne. he prefers to just wear deodorant and use some manly-smelling body wash.
size: 1.2 mL each
retail value: $56 (50 mL); $68 (80 mL) each

4) Lise Watier gloss in "Nude" - i haven't tried Lise Watier before but i have been tempted to so i was glad that i got this gloss. i must say i was sent a ton of glosses in December! anyways, the gloss is not sticky and like it's name, it does go on nude but it also is a tad sparkly. i like certain kind of nude lip colors, however this one makes me look ghostly sick. sadly, i do not think i will be picking up this lip gloss anytime soon. (bare lips on the top right, lips with the gloss on the bottom right).
size: 1.5 mL
retail value: $20 (6.2 mL)

one really great thing about the luxe box is - dun dun dun - the candy!! this one is a Belgian chocolate coin!! i loooooove chocolate. the logo on it is so cute too. maybe i'll actually eat one when i get my next box (so that i can keep one - is that weird?).

and so, my overall impression of Loose Button is: meh. i'm not very impressed by any of these products. they were not really geared towards me. it has been said that Loose Button sends anti-aging products often so perhaps they are focused on an older audience. for now, i have decided i will keep my subscription until i receive my march box and decide from there.

and now... BIG NEWS! i have discovered that another company has ventured into Canada and have started the monthly beauty samples subscription business - GlossyBox is now here!!! i believe they started in the UK first? anyway super exciting - but also sad to find out that they've already sold out for February! i signed up yesterday but i will have to wait for March - if only I had found out two days ago! anyway, still stoked since i've heard good things about GlossyBox. want to know more? click here. :) these boxes are really starting to add up - guess i will soon be forced to make some serious decisions. if you have any input, please let me know! stay tuned!!
for more information on Loose Button & the Luxe Box, please click here. thank you kindly!