Friday, January 27, 2012

Unboxing: January's Luxe Box by Loose Button

Finally!! The long anticipated January Luxe Box has arrived. There was some delay, so Loose Button was not able to ship until January 25-27, but to make up for the late shipping times, they sent the boxes via Xpresspost. They shipped my box yesterday and I received it today...pretty good considering it arrived to me in Vancouver from Toronto.

Anyway, here's the package. It came with 2 boxes! (by the way, I am a major box hoard and I can't bear to throw these into the recycling bin. I'll have to come up with some uses for them). The white box is considered a complimentary Bath & Body box.







Contents

1. Pur minerals 4-in-1 pressed mineral makeup in blush medium + spf15 - full size! Retail value: $31

2. Olay regenerist wrinkle revolution complex - 7ml (full size 15ml - $60?). This is confusing to me because it's a tiny sample, and if full size is only double the sample, how is that costing $60? I did some research and multiple places list the full size as 50 ml for $29.99, so I'll base the value as that. = $4.20

3. NYX Mega shine lipgloss - full size! Retail value $8

4. Loose button's Myscent - 6 perfume samples
- Prada Candy - 1.5 ml (full size 50 ml $96) = $2.88
- Prada Infusion - 1.5 ml(full size 50 ml $72)= $2.16
- Nina Ricci L'air du Temps -1.2 ml (full size 50ml $72) = $1.73
- Nina Ricci's Nina - 1.2 ml (full size 50 ml $65) = $1.56
- Paco Rabanne Black XS for Her - 1.2ml (full size 50 ml $65) = $1.56
- Paco Rabanne Lady Million - 1.2ml (full size 50 ml $80) = $1.92

5. Bonus: Schick Hydro Silk Razor - 1 razor. Retail value $13.99

6. Bonus: Fekkai Advanced Brilliant Glossing Shampoo and Conditoner - 9mlx2 (doesn't list its retail value, but estimating it as 236 ml for $25 based on Ulta's site) =  $1.91

7. Bonus: Seattle's Best Coffee, Level 3 - 56g (full size3 340g - $9.99) = $1.65


Total estimated value
$72.56.

Impression
Overall, I'm content with the items this month. There was an e-mail sent out earlier in the month to reserve one item for the box; two of the four options were Benefit makeup items. But when I went to reserve them (about 2-3 hours after getting the e-mail), they were all out! Just for kicks I tried reserve the other items, but those were all out as well. I was disappointed, but I can settle with having the Pur Minerals powder...especially with it being full-sized and worth more than the subscription price alone!

I know some people are griping about getting NYX products since the brand can be bought at the grocery store and I agree I wouldn't consider it a "luxury" brand...however, I really like the gloss I got! It's in "Cosmo", a very glittery nude-bronze color and has a fruit punch scent. I actually had been meaning to buy this gloss line because of it's great reviews on makeupalley.com.

The razor, while again is random and not a luxury item, it's considered a bonus item.  Plus, it is a practical item and it's from Schick's new line (which they were actually giving away for free based on their facebook page). I can always use a razor though, and razors are pricey, so I'm not complaining.

The only items I could care less for, is the wrinkle cream and perfume samples. I wish there was an option to stop receiving them. Some of the perfume samples I've already received in previous Luxe Boxes and I didn't like them then so probably won't like them now. Other ones I didn't bother smelling since they were described as powdery/floral, which I quite dislike and would make my current headache even worse. 


Will I continue my subscription?
Yes! Despite the lack of 'luxury' items, its worth more than the subscription price of $13.44 for the month and I want to see what next month will be like.

Stay tuned! Waiting for my glossybox to arrive. Will post another unboxing once it arrives!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Unboxing: January's Glymm Box

It's here!! 
I admit, I'm not a very patient girl, so I've been reading a lot of other peoples' blogs/Youtube videos to get an idea of what my month's box would contain. 
I got exactly what I hoped I'd get...I think I'll end up using/trying each item from this month this time (compared to December's box).

 For those that don't know, Glymm is a monthly beauty box subscription service, where each month, they send 4-5 deluxe-sized beauty samples from luxury brands, all in a pretty little box. It's one of the four beauty box subscriptions in Canada; there is also Loose Button, Top Box, and (just recently) Glossybox.





Contents

Juicy Bamboo Facial Cleansing cloths - 1 cloth  (full size : 30cloths/$17.99)  = $0.60
Vasanti Cosmetics/Brighten up Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator - 12g (full size:120ml or 4.23 fl oz or 90.7g according to Amazon/$34.00) = $4.50
Anastasia Brow Gel - 2.5 ml (full size:0.28oz/$21.00) = $6.34
Burts Bees Nourishing Milk & Honey Body lotion - 2 samples, total 14ml (full size170g or 175 ml?/@12.99) = $1.04
Cargo Cosmetic black eye pencil - full size! Retails for $16.00
Free lip shine upon purchase at glymm.com before Jan 31/12 ($25)


Total estimated value of the box
$53.48, or $28.48 if I don't get the lip shine (I feel that it's less of a deal if I have to buy something online that I don't really want to get in the first place, to get something in return).


Impressions

I will end up trying every single item here. Plus a full sized black eye pencil that in itself exceeds the price of the subscription? Can't really go wrong. Who can't use a black pencil? (Don't answer that). 
Can't wait to try the facial cleanser tonight; I have been looking for new cleansers to use.

I tried the cream earlier; and I like it. It's not greasy feeling and it does feel hydrating. I didn't get to wear it for very long (too much hand cleaning) so not sure on it's 24 hr moisturizing guarantee. Didn't care much for the scent...was a mix of honey and milk. Luckily, I find it subtle enough that I didn't feel like wanting to wash it off immediately after applying.


Will I continue my subscription?
Definitely, yes!