April 2013 Canada Glossybox

Hey everyone,

This is what I received in my April 2013 Glossybox! Enjoy!

Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetics Lip Blush -- "A moisturizing lip stain that tints your lips with just the right amount of juicy colour and hydration. Free of sulfates, pthalates, triclosan, ammonia, alcohol and any animal by-products"
Received FULL SIZED product
Full size 2.5g -- Retails for $18.70

Such a nice sheer wash of colour that is moisturizing. Stained my hand when I swatched it so I can only hope for the same for my lips.

Schick Hydro Silk Razor -- "The razor that gives back moisture and leaves your skin feeling silky smooth"
Received FULL SIZED product
Full size 1 razor -- Retails for $10.99

Yay! Razors are expensive but oh so necessary. Free ones are the greatest! And this is one of my personal favourites.

Boscia Recharging Night Moisture -- "A concentrated moisturizer that works overnight to repair, strengthen, and improve skin's elasticity and firmness"
Received 15mL sample
Full size 40mL -- Retails for $44

I've become obsessed with Clinique's Moisture Surge so I don't know if I can part with it. But this will be great for bringing on planes as I've been travelling so much lately -- don't need to look like an alligator after getting off a plane!

Pop Beauty Glitz Blitz Eyeliner in Olive Oomph -- "This smudge-free glitzy eyeliner has the intensity of a liquid liner but the easy application of a pencil. Waterproof"
Received FULL SIZED product
Full size 0.27g -- Retails for $15

 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE olive eyeliner and this one has a glam twist to it. Glides on easily. Will be great for nights out.

Heartland Fragrances Bath Salts in Soft Mint -- "Soaking with herb-infused Natural Epsom Bath Salt will soften skin and relieve tired, achy muscles"
Received 5.5oz sample
Full size 30oz -- Retails for $10.10

I prefer using bath salts in baths...I only have a shower. I've tried to use this like an exfoliator but it didn't work out too well. They smell fantastic though! May give these to my mom to enjoy.

Well I hope you enjoyed seeing what I received in this Glossybox.

til next time...

April and May 2013 Topboxes

Hey everyone,

Realized that I completely forgot to post about the April Topbox until I started taking pictures for the May box.

Here's what I received for both months with very quick reviews!

April Topbox -- Elizabeth Arden

Prevage Serum -- "Lines lost, firmness found, luminosity returned"
Received 0.17 fl oz (5mL) sample
Full size 30mL -- Retails for $275

Been trying to get through other serums so I haven't really tried this one yet. Really hope this one doesn't work because of the hefty price tag for the full size.

Flawless Finish Sponge-On Cream Makeup in Vanilla Shell -- "Imperfections vanish. Skin is illuminated. Glow is recaptured"
Received 1.9 g sample
Full size 19g -- Retails for $42

 

Ok, I usually HATE cream foundations. This one is an exception for sure! Such amazing coverage and doesn't dry out my skin. A little goes a long way so I'll have some time to save up to buy the full size.

Beautiful Colour Lash Enhancing Mascara in 01 Black -- "Coats and curls. Lifts and lengthens. Every last lash"
Received 0.1 oz (3g/3mL) sample
Full size 7mL -- Retails for $30

Like the serum dilemma, I have barely been able to try this out. I can definitely say that I love how black the formula is. Not usually a fan of mascara brushes like this one but will definitely use up this sample.

All Gone Eye and Lip Makeup Remover -- "This two phase formulation easily, gently removes even transfer resistant waterproof makeup"
Received 1.7 fl oz (50mL) sample
Full size 100mL -- Retails for $24

Wow I had no luck in receiving a lot of new types of products with this box....again I'm trying to go through my other makeup removers before using this one. I'm in love with the Clinique one so its going to be hard for this one to beat it.

May Topbox 

Cuccio Colour Nail Lacquer in Longing for London -- "Triple pigmented colour, DBP, toluene and formaldehyde free"

Received FULL SIZED product
Full size 14mL -- Retails for $10

Woo! More nail polish! This is a gorgeous greige-purple colour (a unique colour for my collection). The pigmentation is amazing! Definitely want to check out the other colours from this line.

Lise Watier Haute Couleur High Coverage Lip Lacquer in Stylista -- "Intense colour, extreme shine, long-lasting"
Received 1.5mL sample
Full size 6mL -- Retails for $23

A creamy lipstick with the shine of a gloss. Heaven! I really enjoy the colour I received as well, will be great for all seasons.

Yaby Eyeshadow Refill in The Hottest Pink -- "Highly pigmented eyeshadow with super smooth texture that blends effortlessly"
Received FULL SIZED product
Full size 3g -- Retails for $3.15

The texture of this eyeshadow is something to write home about...amazing! Not exactly a colour I would pick out myself but will do my best to use it! (really wish we received something to put both this product and the next in....)

Yaby Lip Colour Refill in Lustiful -- "Creamy pigmented lip colours that virtually eliminates the need for lip liners"
Received FULL SIZED product
Full size 3.5g -- Retails for $4.35

I was terrified when I saw this colour but when I swatched it I was pleasantly surprised -- a nice sheer berry colour that could definitely be built up. If only I had something to store this in.......

  
Well I hope you enjoyed seeing what I received in the last two Topboxes.

til next time...

Recent Empties

Hey everyone,

So school went from zero to 1000 for me and doesn't look like it will be stopping anytime soon. I have taken a bunch of pictures so posts should be coming soon.

Thought I'd write about some of the products I've used up in the past little while and if I would repurchase them or not. Here we go.

Bath and Body Works Shower Gel in Pink Chiffon -- I may have a slight obsession with BBW....like so much that I don't let myself go into the store most days. I love their shower gels, especially the mini size ones as I am travelling like crazy right now. This was my first time using this scent and I really enjoyed it. I find it a little bit similar to Carried Away (my favourite scent). It is a very girly, feminine scent that isn't too overpowering.
Verdict: REPURCHASE

John Frieda Liquid Shine Shampoo for Brunettes -- I used to be a very loyal and faithful fan to John Frieda several years ago but since then have become less picky about shampoos. I never really notice differences between shampoos, so as long as it smells good and actually cleans my hair I like it. I do have to say though that the scent of this brand is one of my favourites when it comes to shampoos.
Verdict: REPURCHASE (only if on sale)

John Frieda 10 min Hair Dye Conditioner -- In contrast to shampoo, I am VERY picky about conditioners. The conditioners that come with hair dye kits are some of my favourites because they are so moisturizing and really put life back into your hair. Really wish that John Frieda would bottle this up and sell it as a regular conditioner and not just keep it in hair dye kits. Made my hair super silky and it was such a good amount, compared to other hair dye kits. Oh! And the hair dye kit is also amazing!
Verdict: JOHN FRIEDA BOTTLE THIS STUFF!!! oh and REPURCHASE the hair dye kit

Evian Brumisateur Facial Water Spray -- One day I went to Sephora and they didn't have the small sized Urban Decay makeup setting spray so I settled with the 2 pack of the Evian water. I'm pretty happy I did. I had received a bottle of this in a beauty box before and still held the UB one up on a pedestal. But once I didn't have the UB one, I realized that the Evian works just as well and is super refreshing. Great for hot days or as a little pick me up during the day. Love this stuff so much that when I saw the HUGE bottle at Winners for $8.99 I got giddy and snatched it up right away.
Verdict: REPURCHASE (already did haha!)

Burt's Bee Milk and Honey Body Lotion -- I had a couple small samples of this from a beauty box and am trying to get through all the samples I have. I don't like the smell of this lotion at all. I would normally just use meh smelling lotions at night before bed but this one feels sticky on my skin. I have a couple more samples of this and will try my best to use them up....it will be struggle though.
Verdict: will NOT repurchase

Sula Lip Gloss -- I received this in a Glossybox and fell in love immediately. I don't think I have ever finished a lip gloss before....until NOW! This brand is all natural and you can find them online (www.sulabeauty.com). Not sticky (not that I mind a semi-sticky gloss) but relatively long lasting. A little bit of a weird smell but it's light and you get used to it.
Verdict: MAY repurchase...if I can go through more lipglosses in the next little while

Sephora Advanced Lash Booster Mascara -- Sigh. I really really really did not like this mascara. Did NOTHING for my lashes, even after I curled them. Found it would smudge on my bottom lash line and I don't even have oily lids.... STAY AWAY!
Verdict: will most definitely NOT repurchase

Cargo Lash Activator Mascara -- Sigh. Another one. Again, this mascara did not do anything for my lashes and I really didn't enjoy the rubber brush. No smudging on this one but didn't lengthen or volumize. Just made my lashes look like they had mascara on them.
Verdict: will NOT repurchase

 

Avon Super Drama Mascara -- I sell Avon and get suckered into every single new mascara they come out with. The brush for this mascara was very strange and didn't lengthen, volumize or help curl my lashes. Avon does have some amazing products but this is not one of them.
Verdict: will NOT repurchase

 

Avon Daring Curves Mascara -- So far no luck with mascaras in this post. This one was alright. It gave a very natural look to the lashes but I didn't see any extra curling action....Somewhat reminded me of Benefit's Bad Gal mascara with the drier formula. Pretty sure this isn't sold on Avon anymore.
Verdict: probably would NOT repurchase. on the fence

 

L'Oreal Voluminous Power Collagen Mascara -- OMG no luck with mascaras at all......This brush was MASSIVE and loaded with wet mascara. Because of all the product on the brush, my lashes would clump together and look wet themselves. If I scraped ALL the product off the brush, it would kind of work but really what is the point in that....This mascara reminded me of the Rimmel Scandaleyes mascara -- USELESS. Just stick with Voluminous Carbon Black because that stuff is a miracle worker.
Verdict: will definitely NOT repurchase

Well I hope you enjoyed all my ranting...
Have you tried any of these products and loved them? hated them too?

til next time...

March 2013 Canada Glossybox!

Hey everyone,

Yes, I know. It's been forever. School and life have definitely gotten in the way for the millionth time.
Going to try and post some more this week before I head off to Boston for another conference.

So awhile ago, Glossybox changed their pricing and I decided to unsubscribe from them (I just couldn't reason spending $21/month on a box that I found decent at best some months). Last month, I received an email from them giving me a discount on my first box if I signed up again. I figured, why not? Give them another shot, if I don't like it I'll just cancel again. So here is what I received in the March Glossybox!

1) ModelCo Cheeck and Lip Tint in Rosy Red -- "ModelCo Cheek and Lips delivers a perfect amount of sheer colour for naturally flushed 'just pinched' cheeks and a sexy pout"
Received FULL SIZED product!
Full size 10mL -- Retails for $24
I've never really tried any of the cult status stains out there but was very happy when I saw this in the box. What's different with this product is its gel formulation, instead of the common watery formulations. I have to say I really enjoy this product. It gives buildable colour that is super easy to work with. It has a very nice, fruity light scent. If you aren't a fan of those cult status stains, give this one a try!

2) Jergens Natural Glow 3 Days to Glow Moisturizer for Fair to Medium Skin Tones -- "While Natural Glow can help you achieve a skin tone that is one shade darker in just 3 days, it is also a rich, luxurious moisturizer that is suitable for all skin tones from fair to dark"
Received FULL SIZED product!
Full size 120mL -- Retails for $12.99
I am uber pale, like so pale that people comment on it and have called me things like Casper. I personally don't mind that I'm pale, but do mind the comments. I've tried self-tanning in the past but because I am so pale it is extremely easy for me to become a yellowy-orangey streaky mess. I haven't tried out this product yet but will in the nearish future. I can say that this product is ODOURLESS!!!!! Which is easily the biggest advancement in self-tanning, well, ever.

3) L'Oreal Paris Youth Code Serum Intense -- "The breakthrough GenActiv Technology in this potent serum boosts skin's natural powers of regeneration so it regains and retains its youthful appearance"
Received 4 7.5mL samples = FULL SIZE!
Full size 30mL -- Retails for $29.99
Woohoo! Little sized samples that equal up to the full sized product? Yes please! I've heard pretty good things about the Youth Code brand but have yet to try it. Been trying to go through some of my other serum products before starting this one. The serum is clear and typical consistency of a serum. I do have to say that it has a slightly off-smell, but I can get over that if the product works.

4) Tresemme Platinum Strength Deep Conditioning Treatment -- "TRESemme Platinum Strength reinforces hair's naturally-protective layer, restoring your hair's beauty and protecting against future damage"
Received FULL SIZED product!
Full size 177mL -- Retails for $5.99
Funny enough, I bought a new deep conditioning treatment 2 days before I received this box. So, I haven't tried this one yet but usually really enjoy TRESemme products. I enjoy the smell of this product, very salon-like. Now on the bottle it states that it repairs up to 2 years of damage....YEAH RIGHT! (especially if you don't have 2 years worth of hair on your head.....) Most likely I will be using this product like I do any deep treatment -- Use every other time I wash my hair, alternating with a regular conditioner. Another product that I am excited to try!

5) Beautiful Movements Beauty Platinum Tiara Eye Shadow -- "Beautifully rich colour, in a sparkly grey shade. 100% Natural mineral formula. Cruelty free and BUAV approved. Vegan."
Received 1g sample
Full size 2g -- Retails for $10.80
This is a loose eyeshadow in a silver-lilac colour with fine shimmer. Now I'm not a huge fan of loose powder products in general, mainly because of the mess. Not too sure how often I will use this product but would look very pretty when used in a purple smokey eye. I do like the fact that it is a natural product but that isn't a good enough selling point for me to go look at the rest of the collection. Curious to find out if they make regular eyeshadows or not.

 

Well I hope you liked seeing what was in my Glossybox this month!
Watch out for more posts in the near future (HOPEFULLY!)

til next time...

NOTD: Pink Glitter Gradient

Hey everyone!

Nice quick post on my nails of the day(s). Used one of my newest polishes that I received at the Revlon Nail Art Event.

It's just a simple glitter gradient, but is definitely one of my favourite nail designs to do.

I used Revlon's Ulterior Motif for this nail design -- if you haven't checked out Revlon's Nail Art Expressionist, do it!!

To create the gradient, do one coat of the glitter on half the nail. Allow this coat to dry, then do a second coat on the top 1/4 of the nail. If you are still wanting more glitter at the tip, do another coat of glitter there. To really add to the gradient effect, take whatever is left on your brush and lightly brush below the halfway mark of your nail -- this will only distribute the odd piece of glitter here and there.

Hope you liked this simple but pretty nail design!

til next time...

March 2013 Topbox!

Hey everyone,

Sorry for the delayed post on this month's Topbox, as soon as I know it April's will be here.

This month, Topbox offered a couple different Privé boxes but I wasn't very interested in them. Jackie from Jamegackie did a post on her Aveda box so go check it out here! So with my lack of interest in the special boxes, I took a gamble and picked the normal Topbox. Here's what I received!

1) Aveda Caribbean Therapy Body Cream -- "A rich body creme with Caribbean mango, cocoa butter and warm island aromas"

Received 25mL/0.85 fl oz sample

Full size 200mL -- Retails for $42

I don't think I can say this enough, but I love samples like this for travelling. Enough product to last for a short, few day trip. The cream is light and absorbs quickly into the skin but I do not like the scent at all. Definitely not smelling the mango or cocoa butter, which would have been sooo lovely. When I went to look at the product on the Aveda site, I learned what these Caribbean aromas are -- lime, amyris, bay leaf and vetiver. I would definitely not buy this product, mainly for the smell and price.

2) See by Chloé Eau de Parfum -- "See by Chloé is an addictive fruity floral fragrance that awakens the senses"

Received 4mL/0.13 fl oz sample

Full size 50mL or 75mL -- Retails for $85 or $105

I was a little hesitant when I saw this sample, because I am not a fan of the original Chloe perfume. I was pleasantly surprised by this perfume though. Its a very nice blend of fruity, floral and musky scents. The notes listed on Sephora are: jasmin, ylang, vanilla, musk, bergamot and apple. Easily worn during the day or night, not overpowering at all. As I am a hoarder of perfume samples, don't know if I will ever finish this sample, but if I do I would definitely consider purchasing it.

3) L'Oreal Professionel Mythic Oil -- "The beautifying nourishing oil for the Cleopatra in you!"

Received 2 3mL samples

Full size 125mL -- Retails for $26

Woooo! Hair oil!!! I don't think I've ever found one that I hate, so keep on sending these samples!! This oil is a combination of avocado and grapeseed oil that is lightly scented (I still prefer the smell of Moroccan oil) and does not weigh your hair down. Luckily enough, I entered a contest on Twitter to win a full sized Mythic Oil...and I won! Definitely not complaining about that at all! Just like perfume, I receive a lot of hair oil samples so I won't need to repurchase any for awhile but will consider this one when I am forced to buy.

4) Maskeraide Beauty Rest'ore Hydrating Facial Sheet Mask

Received 1 mask

Full sized 1 mask or 4 masks -- Retails for $4.99 or $19

I have received this in a previous box (pretty sure Topbox but not 100%) and LOVED the product. Can't wait to use this mask to make my skin glowing and hydrated. Have been very tempted to buy these masks on the Topbox website for awhile....one day I know that I will, it's only a matter of time.

Overall, I am very happy with this month's Topbox and will continue to subscribe to this beauty box. Next month, they are offering an Elizabeth Arden Privé box...so let's hope I receive that!

Look out for a post on the Spring Steven and Chris Luxe Box in the next few weeks (it is being shipped out in a matter of days).

Hope you enjoyed!

til next time...

Easter Nail Art Designs

Hey everyone!

Here are two Easter nail art designs I've come up with.

These are both pretty easy designs, all you need is a couple nail art brushes and a dotting tool. Just a side note but doing this nail design made me fall in love with the pastel blue colour (Chanel polish in Riva) that I had always been a little iffy on.

Hope you guys have some fun with your Easter nail designs, if you have posted one on your blog leave a link in the comments :)

til next time...