TOPBOX: June 2013

i have decided to make a change: i am going to write TWO posts within a week.
say whaaaaaat?

yes yes - i have fallen well behind my usual snail pace and have now achieved banana slug status (wiki says they are the slowest mollusk in the world - averaging speeds of 0.000023 m/s). plus, it was my birthday two days ago and i want to make this change :)

let's quickly go through my June Topbox!

1) Belvada Cosmetics Mini Eyelash Curler
i am not sure how excited i am about this eyelash curler. yay for being the first eyelash curler i've gotten in a box but nay to the plastic and the compact design which makes it hard for me to grab hold of my tiny stubborn eyelashes. the small size makes it really easy to throw in a purse but it's nowhere near as effective as my Shiseido curler.

size: 1 mini eyelash curler (full size!)
retail value: $5.99

2) Benefit Cosmetics Ultra Plush Gloss in "Sugarbomb"
February's Topbox featured Benefit so i have tried my hand at another one of their glosses prior to this. "Sugarbomb" is described as a 'shimmering pinky nude' by Benefit. both "Dandelion" and "Sugarbomb" are very shimmery and apply clear on my lips. they are not sticky and smell yummy.

size: 6.5 mL
retail value: $19 (15 mL)

3) Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetics Fairy Lashes Mascara in "Flutter"
'Fairy Lashes'... sounds light and pretty! i'd love to put it to a test but i am still working through my Pandora's Eyes Mascara (which has a clear tube so i can see that i am nowhere near finishing it anytime soon).

size: 8 mL (full size!)
retail value: $24

4) Pari Beauty Colour Cubes in "# 04 & 19"
i find these loose powders to be a bit messy but these colors are ah-mazing. so gorgeous! i have absolutely nothing like the rosy pink color (which i will assume is #19 since there is no other indication). it makes you question how you can use it without looking like you have an infected eye but it definitely works! what i do is i use the soft yellow (#04) on the inner corner, a black or something dark in the crease area and lightly tap the rose pink on top of that. tada! a beautiful sunset on your eye!

haha but seriously, here are some swatches:

both are shimmery and are not super pigmented but it is buildable. #19 looks more like a peachy color when swatched. #04 is finer than #19 and applies very smoothly. the powders come in a plastic stackable container.

size: 2 stack
retail value: $30 (5 stack, 7 g); $35 (8 stack, 11 g)

so since my July Topbox arrived yesterday... this is all probably old news! all items were makeup-related so that's always a hit with me. my stubborn eyelashes renders this eyelash curler quite useless; lipglosses - have a ton but Benefit is a nice brand to try. all in all, quite content with the contents! onward to the next box/bag!

thanks for continuing to read my blog! <3 it has been super busy with the Calgary Stampede and the flooding and everything so i appreciate your continued support! i will be heading to Edmonton this weekend to see Bruno Mars but i will update again soon after!

TOPBOX: June 2012

how does Topbox continue to impress me with their shipping abilities? they have remained consistent and this time, even a little early! i live on the west side and i received my box on Monday (11th).
once i opened the box, i found the card that says Topbox has included bonus products that can be found at the drugstore - i think it was smart of Topbox to use precise wording here and mentioning that this was in addition to the usual deluxe items or else some consumers may get angry that drugstore products were included as part of their box.
without delay, here's June's Topbox items (sorry for the blue hue in the photos!):

1) Get Creamed Body Naked Decadence Premium Salon Hair Wash - this is a great size for a shampoo sample (instead of those flimsy one-use packets). this product is made in Canada and is free of parabens, phthalates, SLS, sulfates, dyes and perfumes. when i tried it yesterday, i found that i did not enjoy the smell very much. i read the back of the shampoo and it does smell like a mix of lavender and ginseng. i am not a fan of either so i guess that is why! it also didn't lather up a lot for me but i knew it was because it did not contain sulfates, thanks to Stephanie (Canadian Beauty Reviews) and her recent post on a company that sells only natural products. sulfates are used in many personal hygiene products to create a foamy sensation but are considered possible carcinogens. sounds scary hey? you should read about the rest of them!
so after trying this shampoo, i found my hair to feel super soft. but i can't say that it is due completely to this shampoo since i also tried the conditioner (i will mention in a bit) that was also in this box. my hair doesn't feel weighed down even though i have very thick hair - this one i will attribute it to this shampoo since it is free of so many chemicals.
size: 60 mL
retail value: $22 (240 mL)

2) Stila Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Beauty Balm - yay for a BB cream! i haven't been able to test its "All Day" claim yet. however, it did feel very silky and the color blended in very well - perhaps a little too well because i didn't notice any coverage. i really liked how it made my skin smooth and matte - it is definitely not oily. those with acne-prone skin may enjoy this feature but may feel that it doesn't do anything for reducing redness. by the way, this is paraben-free! and smells slightly of bananas.
size: 5 mL
retail value: $38 (45 mL)

3) Stila Forever Your Curl Mascara - i am currently testing the Revlon Grow Luscious mascara so i can't try this one yet! i am intrigued by any curling mascara though since my lashes prefer to lay completely straight and pointing downwards.
size: 3.5 mL
retail value: $29 (7 mL)

4) Pari Beauty Precious Glow Eyeshadow Primer & Intensifier - when i first pulled this out of the box, i thought it was another pearly lip color that was too frosty for my complexion. but then i began jumping for joy when i realized it was an eyeshadow primer! hooray hooray! it is a very pretty color (for the lids!) but i find that i lose much of the shimmer when i spread it on my eyelids. i didn't wear eye makeup long enough to see how well the primer side of this product works, but the intensifier side was evident. my eyeshadow seemed more pigmented, as if i had applied it with a wet brush. it made the eyeshadow colors more pronounced - love this! and it's affordable! it can also be used as a highlighter on the face or just a shimmering lotion for the body.
size: N/A but looks like the same size as the Stila mascara so perhaps ~ 3.5 mL?
retail value: $15 (10 mL)

the two bonus items:

5) Clear Total Care Daily Conditioner - useful since i can pair this with the shampoo i got earlier. again, a great size for a hair product. i haven't heard of the brand before... it smells like a normal shampoo/conditioner and made my hair feel soft. nothing super impressive though.
size: 50 mL
retail value: $7.49 (375 mL) ... according to well.ca

6) Simple Eye Make-Up Remover - i already got this last month from Glossybox and i haven't had a chance to use it yet. it doesn't matter though since i always use makeup remover, i am bound to get to it someday.
size: 56 mL
retail value: $9.99 (125 mL)

so did anyone else think that there was quite the variety this month amongst Topboxes? i guess it is because on the survey, i mentioned that i did not want to receive a product for men.
i am really happy about the Stila beauty balm and the Pari Beauty Precious Glow. i am becoming more and more interested in natural products, so i am excited about the Get Creamed Body shampoo too. it seems that this month had many different types of products in it too - more makeup than usual - which is great for my preferences! Topbox continues to have a waiting list of a few months long but don't miss out on their contests on Facebook: there is a Deborah Lippmann one until June 21, sign up here!
speaking of nail polishes, perhaps you'd like to own over 80 from Julep? click here then! only 2 days left!

LOVE: Pari Beauty Makeup Train Case

so here's something i received quite some time ago but haven't had a chance to post about: my wonderful pink makeup train case. i became obsessed with finding a makeup case sometime before Christmas last year - i watched a million videos of how some people store their makeup, searched a gazillion sites and visited a bazillion stores (slight exaggeration). there were a few websites out there that provided plenty of options such as Amazon but after calculating costs to ship to Canada, things became a little too pricey (since these tend to be super heavy).
i was also looking specifically for one that was pretty spacious since my collection is quite large. i wasn't interested in the rolling ones since i was not looking to carry it anywhere - i just needed a place to store (most of) my makeup.
one of my personal favorites in stores was the Aluminum Makeup Train Case found at the Pari Beauty makeup counter at selected Sears (specifically, the Marlborough Mall one in Calgary). if you recall this brand, Topbox subscribers received an eyeshadow from the same company back in February.
i probably visited it twice and then went back home to do some more research. i kept delaying since i wasn't sure if i wanted to risk buying on eBay where they were some really pretty looking ones or buying one that is slightly more expensive at Sears.
in the end, it was just simpler to buy it from Sears since i can observe it thoroughly myself. i didn't want to deal with the hassle of shipping anything back or regretting a decision. plus, my boyfriend decided to buy it for our anniversary which made the decision even easier :)! thanks boyfriend <3
so this is my lovely train case in pink:

it cost $75 before tax and has an aluminum finish. according to the Sears website, the dimensions are 14.4" l. x 9.25" w. x 11.22" h.

it comes with keys (if you decide to lock it up) and a shoulder strap - both of which i am not really going to use.

when you open it up, one side extends to two trays while the other side only has one tray but is deeper.

one of the features i was looking for was adjustable dividers so you can move them around depending on how big you want a compartment to be. another selling feature was the vinyl instead of velvet which would be much easier to clean.

one thing that sort of bugs me about this one though is that this lining is too long along the inside wall of the case and so it curves like this:

also there is an area where the lining doesn't seem to have been attached properly:

other than these slight imperfections, i am very happy with this!
before this baby came along, the makeup and brushes i used most often were scattered everywhere. currently, i am still playing around with ways to best organize my makeup. i will post a picture later when get it all figured out. there is no way i can fit any lip products in there since i have way too many lipglosses and lipsticks (these are in separate containers). i keep the train case open at all times so i am able to fit my brushes in one of the lower compartments. i think you can also close it with the brushes on the bottom if you had only a few and stored them at an angle. (speaking of angles... oops!)

you can check it out on the Sears website or the Pari Beauty website. it also comes in black or silver! Sears is currently having a Pari Beauty promotion right now: if you spend over $45 on any Pari Beauty products, you'd get a gift worth over $60 that includes an eyeshadow, 2 color cubes, a gloss and a moisturizer sample all in a little clutch (until May 18/12). guess i missed out a great gift! their eyeshadows are super pigmented so don't delay if you are thinking about it.
let me know how you store your makeup :)

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: