BEAUTY BOX 5: July 2014

oopsie daisies - looks like i somehow skipped a box from July!! i apologizeeeeee!

today, a Christmas tree popped up at our building so i am taking it as a sign that i need to start shopping. for the past few years, i have been that person running through the mall on Christmas Eve and begging them not to close yet. i hope i learn this year... where are you planning to get your shopping done? online or at a mall?

let's do a topic switcheroo here from Christmas to July - here's a quick recap on July 2014's "Defining Moments" box.

1) Revlon : Bold Lacquer Mascara in "001 Blackest Black"
size: 7 mL (full size!)
retail value: $7.99
promotion: $1.00 off any Revlon mascara with coupon

drug store brand but i'm not disappointed. my main mascara is starting to dry out so i am reaching for other tubes - i've forgotten how nice it is to use a fresh and new mascara! i've tried a Revlon Grow Luscious mascara before and i was not overly impressed but the idea is always appealing.

2) Hask : Argan Oil Intense Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment
size: 50 g (full size!)
retail value: $2.49

i need to get a plastic bottle to pour this sample in since now that my hair is much shorter, there is noooooo way i can use this all at once.

3) Body Drench : Candy Licious Moisturizing Lip Balm in "Lime Gumdrop"
size: 2.55 g (full size!)
retail value: $3.99

hmmm lime gumdrops sound like they could smell quite tasty... although i am not a huge fan of limes. up for sale on the blog sale page!

4) Anna Naturals : Glowing Mama Walnut Face & Body Scrub
size: NA (1 small tub)
retail value: $10.99 (118.3 mL)

reminds me of the St. Ives Apricot Scrub.

5) Starlooks : Lip Pencil in "K308 Bare"
size: 2.4 g (full size!)
retail value: $12.00

"Bare" is a matte shade that i thought would look like a nude color. looking at the pencil, the lip liner looks sort of like a dusty brown-grey. when applied, it is much darker than 'bare' should be. i look sort of zombie-ish with just the pencil but on a positive note, it is very pigmented. the color is not an issue once i apply a lipstick over it - or just anything to warm it up a notch.

tada! it is an alright box - nothing really notable. it was my first time trying a Starlooks lip liner and i am happy about how pigmented it is.

AT THIS MOMENT ...
currently listening: "The Heart Wants What It Wants" by Selena Gomez
just watched: Saving General Yang
still watching: Doctor Who Season 4 // Walking Dead Season 5 // Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 1
now reading: "When God Was a Rabbit" by Sarah Winman

TOPBOX: April 2013 [regular]

EEP!!!
it's been a week since my last post. i am sorry that i've been so busy! this weekend alone was filled with 2 birthdays and a funeral.
it may not have been as crazy as 4 weddings and a funeral but... i haven't seen the movie so who knows. (i hope this slightly comedic remark does not come off as insensitive!)

anyway,
quick post about the Topbox. yes i know, it came weeks ago. but i feel obligated (to myself?) to post this anyway! so here goes --

- - - - -

i interrupt this Topbox unboxing post to bring you an important message about Glymm:
what. the. eff.

i haven't been checking blogs and emails as often as i'd like last week but was able to find the news about Glymm shutting down operations from a Facebook group. sifting through my emails, i finally found the message from Glymm in my junk folder. Glymm's emails have always gone to my inbox before but this particular message of course, goes into junk.

i knew they were struggling the last few weeks since we did not receive our March bags. i believe that Glymm was saying that they were restructuring or something along those lines when they were bombarded with questions on their Facebook page.
well great. thanks for the heads up. all those Glymm points saved up for nothing. i could've, should've used them ages ago!! what was i thinking!!

the Glymm website, Facebook account, Twitter accounts, etc etc have all vanished. i'm hoping i can dispute some charges on my credit card bill... oh, the hassle. i am glad to finally wash my hands on this thing though. one less beauty box to be disappointed by.

- - - - -

back to Topbox!
like last year, they shipped all April boxes in the eco-friendly packaging in support of Earth Day (today!).

1) boxx cosmeticss Travel Foundation Brush - suh-weet! i was thinking of buying another foundation brush and this one is very neat! i like that the handle is travel-sized for convenience while the brush head is standard-sized so that it does not infringe on the brush's usability. 

the hairs are unlike any other brush i own - there is a mixture of goat and 3 toned synthetic fibers. it is very soft and thin as well. 

size: 1 brush - 25 g (full size!)

retail value: $28

2) Elizabeth Arden All Gone Eye and Lip Makeup Remover - i've always wondered if you could use regular makeup remover on your lips but since this one specifically says so, i do not have to question it anymore! remember to shake well before use and rinse afterwards. i am not a fan of oily makeup removers but they are better at removing resistant makeup.

*shake shake shake*

size: 50 mL

retail value: $24 (100 mL)

3) KMS California FREESHAPE Quick Blow Dry - i've received this previously from LB and i'm still working on it. i think it does a decent job but nothing so convincing that i need to use it every time i blow dry.

 *also shake shake shake*

size: 30 mL

retail value: $18.75 (200 mL)

4) Michael Todd Jojoba Charcoal Facial Scrub - i had a d'oh moment with this. for some reason, i thought this was a mask. so i applied it on my face like you would a mask - thickly, while i was thinking to myself: "why is this mask so runny? now i have to apply even more!" and then my sister asks me how long we are supposed to leave it on for.

oops!

the scrub doesn't feel super gritty so i felt that it would be fine for sensitive skin. my sister said it stung a bit on her more acne-prone skin. i could barely smell the scrub which is a great thing since charcoal products usually have an unpleasant smell to them. 

left my skin feeling nice and soft. felt the need to moisturize after.

size: 30 mL

retail value: $18 (100 mL)

this Topbox was a decent one... the product that won be over is the boxx cosmetics brush for sure. the rest is just okay since i've received the KMS hair product before and i am constantly overwhelmed with makeup removers. what type of brush did you get?

there isalso a limited edition Mother's Day Topbox available where you can get vial samples of 6 fragrances and redeem the gift card for a full size. the cost of the box is $80. nice idea but not something i need. i've seen something similar at Sephora and Shoppers before.

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!