FANCY BOX: August 2014 [Kelly Rowland]

i made the switch from Coco Rocha to Kelly Rowland's Fancy box for the month of August. i was experiencing more misses than hits with Coco's boxes and just wanted to try Kelly's before i completely unsubscribed from Fancy.

check out my first Kelly Rowland Fancy box (which came in a yellow box as opposed to a white one with a round pink circle):

1) Living Royal : Ice Cream Cone Ankle Socks

retail value: $8.00

the first item is a pair of socks... i don't think socks are particularly fancy even when the brand has the word "Royal" in it. these 100% polyester ankle socks only come in one size  the ice cream cones are quite adorable though. 

2) Luxe Cartel : Diamond Cutout Necklace

retail value: $24.50 

the card says it's a Dainty Gold Circle Necklace but it is definitely not a circle. i looked up this diamond cutout one but it is not sold on Fancy's site. on Luxe Cartel's website, it is currently on sale and is described as a gold plated over brass necklace on a 16" chain. i love diamond cutouts so this is my favorite item in the box - in fact, i just bought a H&M blouse with diamond shapes all over it just three days ago. would it be overkill if i wore them together? :) 

3) Banksy : Temporary Tattoos

retail value: $10.00 for 2

right after my favorite item in the box, comes the least favorite. yes they are 'artsy' but they are still temporary tattoos... i can't imagine them selling for $10... but maybe that's me being old and boring?

4) Hello Parry : Luna Holographic Checkered Clutch
retail value: $45.00

i appreciate that a handbag was included in the box but sadly i do not love love this one. it's cute and a great size for a clutch (or a mini iPad case). the holographic checkers are neat and i'm surprised that this bag is handmade. it is made of 100% polyurethane and is roughly the same size as the pink padded envelope ipsy ships their bags in.
i am putting this on the Blog Sale page if you are interested!

overall, the value was $87.50 USD and i paid $63.05 CAD for it... very steep price i know. although the bag and the necklace were a nice touch, i was quite disappointed by the temporary tattoos and their retail value. each box is supposed to contain over $80 worth of items so this one barely makes it. what do you think of Kelly Rowland's Fancy box?

BEAUTY BOX 5: August 2014

goooooooood morning!

BB5's August box, Radiant and Remarkable, contains 5 items - some more remarkable than others... and when i say 'some', i mean one.

read on to find out which one!

1) Pur~Lisse : Pur~Protect Essential Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 Sunscreen
size: 15 mL
retail value: $55 (50 mL)

seconds, only seconds, after i click 'Publish' on my latest Topbox box, i turn towards my next beauty box, open it and find my third Pur-Lisse Pur-Protect moisturizer in two months.
i think i am set for sunscreen... the 3 samples combined mean that i have 45 mL! which means i pretty much saved $55. hallelujah!

2) La Fresh : Travel Lite Oil-Free Makeup Remover Wipes
size: 8 wipes
retail value: $19.99 (48 wipes)

this must be BB5's favorite item ever. i'm pretty sure i've received about a gazillion of these - give or take a few.

3) Nanacoco : Lip Gloss in "#22114 Lovely"
size: 6.5 mL
retail value: $3.99 (full size!)

i've heard some people raving about this but the color was a bit bright for my taste so i wasn't exactly sure how i would feel about it. "Lovely" is a bright magenta with no shimmer.

i took the plunge and i agree with others who say that it is very smooth, shiny and pigmented. smells like a mixture of cotton candy and baby powder. it is very comfortable to wear and is just slightly sticky. i have never heard of this brand before but at $3.99, i would definitely consider buying more. their website provides a phone number for orders... and that is all i can really find.

4) Novex : Brazilian Keratin Extra Deep Hair Care Cream
size: 30 g
retail value: $19.50 (1 kg)

i... don't know about this. the packaging would not be appealing to the average beauty consumer since it looks more like something that would be found in a pharmacy or perhaps a hardware store. the term 'Hair Food' also sounds odd to me.
then again, this could be a gem and we just have to overlook the outside...?

5) Style Essentials : Nail Polish
size: 7 mL
retail value: $7.00 (28 mL)

there's no particular shade identifier on this nail polish but it is a part of the "Touch of Teal" 4 nail polish collection. there are large white hexagons, small teal hexagons, small white dots and white bars in this polish. it is pretty cute but an expert level of fishing is required to get those glitters out.

so i now have 3 Pur-Lisse sunscreen moisturizers and who knows how many of the makeup remover wipes. i am quite impressed with the Nanacoco lip gloss but not so much with their website since i can't really figure out how i can get more.
what was your favorite item?

TOPBOX: August 2014

i miss the wishlist for Topbox every month. seriously, every month. i don't know why i can't just check in a few days before the end of the month. i just never remember. ever.
and so, it happened again near the end of July while i was away for my boyfriend's sister's wedding. right after the wishlist closed, i emailed Topbox and asked if they could put me down for the Benefit box.
a rep emailed me back, saying that she would put my request in!

unfortunately, the request fell through and another regular, boring Topbox arrived in my mailbox August 19th.

1) Barefoot Venus : Macadamia Oil Hand Cream in "Wild Flower"

size: 60 mL

retail value: $5.99 [full size!]

i love the pretty details on the packaging of the hand cream. the cream itself is also quite lovely. smells great and is not overpowering. my skin feels lovely and soft afterwards. it's made in Kelowna - i was just there in July!

2) Pur~Lisse : Pur-Protect Essential Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 Sunscreen

size: 15 mL

retail value: $55 (50 mL)

i just received this in the ipsy July bag - and i am still working through that one. i like how it is non-greasy and actually feels light on the skin. great size to throw in your bag and reapply throughout the day. today, Calgarians experienced our first snow after the summer season. up to 10 cm one day after we floated down the Bow River, enjoying 26 degree weather. so we will probably not see much sun for quite some time...aghhhhhhh! no fair! we can't just skip over autumn entirely! :(

3) Lise Watier : Prebiotic Micellar Water

size: 12 mL

retail value: $25 (200 mL)

prebiotic micellar water... such a fancy-sounding name. this the very FIRST prebiotic micellar water -simply because everyone else calls it 'toner'. prebiotic refers to sugar molecules that "stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria" - sounds like yogurt to me.
just like you would with a toner, you use this product with a cotton ball and dab it on your face. it doesn't sting a whole lot like some toners so that's why this is ideal for sensitive skin. 

4) Matrix : Oil Wonders in "Egyptian Hibiscus Color Caring Oil"

size: 5 mL x 3 = 15 mL

retail value: $22.99

seriously... i thought we were past the whole one-use satchet thing.
other than that, i've discovered i enjoy the scent of hibiscuses. you only need a tiny dab of this product or else it sort of weighs your hair down.
i've been using hair oils for a while now... after coming back from the hot and humid Florida weather, i noticed that when i curled the ends of my hair into a ball, it goes crunch.

crunch is not a nice sound for hair to make.

i have to admit that although this was an uninteresting box, i will be eventually using all of these items. still wish i had the Benefit box though!