December Glossybox 2012 Canada

So happy to get my Glossybox before the end of 2012! :D I immediately picked it up from my mailbox, took pictures and uploaded them!~ Here's what I got in my box this month!

Tresemmé Fresh Start Volumizing Dry Shampoo (56 g)

Aveeno Ultra-calming daily moisturizer SPF30 (73ml) I was looking for a day time moisturizer with SPF, so this came just in time :)
Aveeno positively radiant tinted moisturizer SPF30 in Fair to light (75ml) I hope that this isn't too light for me, since I'm a light-medium :| We will find out!

Avon SuperShock Vivid liquid eye shadow in Chromed Cocoa (Full-size) MEH~ got ton of shadows to use~
Glossybox lashes (one pair) [in the background] this would look a little unnatural, too much glam... but I will try it out anyways... If only I had something to do tonight, this would have been perfect =)

Revlon Nail Enamel in Opulent Pink (7ml, full-size) merp merp, its an okay colour, but I think I have it already~ $2 at a warehouse sale a few years back
Tresemmé Split remedy sachet shampoo and conditioner (9ml x 2 packets) [in background]

and... I'm not sure if I was a lucky Glossy, but I got a lovely pair of blue earrings (instead of a necklace.) I checked out the Nobia jewellery website and I couldn't find the item :| In any case, there was also a 30% rebate voucher code: GLOSSYBOX30 and expiration is 02-02-13 :)

Some more photos of this month's box. (Can you tell I'm quite pleased with this box??)

So, what's in your box? What did you think about Glossybox's last box of the year?

Loose Button Luxe Box: December / Winter 2012

Here's my Winter luxebox~ I didn't really take a close up of each product, but I did list each product received and if available the amounts of products in the deluxe samples. Some yays, and some nays. Scroll down to find out :)

Eyeko - Mini Skinny Brush Mascara (4ml) Buhaha~~ so happy to receive this in my box this month. :)

China Glaze in Beauty Within (neon pink for the holidays, now that's a thought...) (14 ml, full size)

B. Kamins Laboratories Day Lotion SPF 15 (15ml) I'm excited to try out this oil-free lotion!! Perfect for my snowboarding trip~! (It's already packed away and ready for the trip!)

Schwarzkopf Professional Dust It (10g, full size) Um... I googled this product, and on one of the websites, this product retails for $20... REALLY? crazy price for oil-absorbing powder... Must do more research?

Calvin Klein Euphoria (15ml) I don't know why I reserved this product, I dislike the scent... and the bottle was meh~

Marc Anthony Strictly curls curl defining lotion (60ml) I don't really have curls... but I do have a frizz problem, so I will be looking forward to using this 'non-sticky' formula in the future :)

Kérastase Cristalliste Lumière Liquide (3ml) With the amount of hair I have... I think this is a one time use product~~ XD

Loose Button Kabuki Brush - Love the soft bristles on this brush. I am always happy to receive a nice kabuki brush~

I'm sad to say, that I've cancelled my subscription with Loose Button. This will be my last box for now. I don't think I'm overly fond of waiting months to receive my boxes. The thrill of receiving 'surprises' each month was part of the reason I started them in the first place. Bu-bye my first box, I'll have to live through the un-boxing of future Luxeboxes through other bloggers! 

Topbox December 2012

Chloé - Eau de Parfum (5ml) another mini bottle of Chloé... I guess I don't need to buy the big bottle~~ haha~
Ferro Cosmetics - Glow Baby Pure Mineral Bronzer (premium sample) I got a pretty decent sample size of their bronzer in Glow baby glow. On their website, this colour is said to add 'a healthy glow' to the skin instead of being a bronzing shade. I will test this out once I get the courage to deal with the messiness :)
Goldwell - Jelly Boost (30ml) this is a spray gel for short hair... Perhaps my hub can use it? Or if I ever chop off my hair~~ The hold on this is a medium :|
Kellett Skincare - Clarifying Acne Treatment (3ml x 2 samples) Kellett Skincare is a Canadian company that has a line of products created to treat adult acne. The gel that I got is for treating of existing blemishes in 'affected areas'. The active ingredient is Benzoyl Peroxide.

Overall, not a very exciting month :| I didn't find it too bad a box, if you didn't have any other subscriptions. I liked that it introduced me to some new brands and products, but there were nothing that had that umph~ I think I do prefer this over my Luxebox... (post is coming up soon~~) How do you feel about your December boxes so far? Nothing is really screaming holidays for me~~ :( booh, I was looking forward to something more festive~~

LUSH - Indulgence Haul

Guess who decided to indulge herself to some awesome smelling bath stuff? Yep, the hub-to-be wouldn't get it for me, so I got them myself :)

Ma Bar Bubble Bar, Bubblebeard Bath Bomb, Dreamtime Bath Melt, So White Bath Bomb and a lipstick in Believe

These are honestly such a lovely treat for someone who needs to feel pampered every once in a while.

My late movember - stache

I've been dying to try out the Lush liquid lipstick, and even though I thought I liked Perspective, I didn't end up getting it. Instead, I bought Believe home with me. :)

Quick picture of Believe on my lips :D

Details?

01/12/12 --> Used the Ma Bar, and I loved the chocolatey sweetness of this bubble bar! The scent had lingered even hours into the night without being overwhelming. I can see why this was a favourite that couldn't be retired!
11/12/12 --> Used the So White Bath Bomb and Dreamtime. It was just perfect to use for the day before my big day since it relaxed me and allowed me a few hours of sleep that night. My room was filled with the lovely scent afterwards, just what I needed!

November Glossybox 2012 Canada

Curel Hand and Cuticle Therapy Cream, full size 100ml @ $3.99

The Curel hand and cuticle therapy cream was the only product I've tested so far. I am surprised at how much I like it. It feels nice on the hand and the scent isn't too strong, which I was surprised since the foot cream I got had a strong sweet scent.

Vitabath Exfoliating Citrus Sugar Scrub, full size 70g @$15

Only comment I have about this so far is that I like the squeeze tube. I have another body scrub that is in a jar, and I hate the fact that water gets into it.

Maybelline MNY My Gloss in 485-beige sparkle?!, full size 9ml @ $7.49

Will have to look up the ingredients for this gloss before using it! Don't want my lips peeling before the wedding!

Kryolan Blusher *Glossybox exclusive* in Glossy Rosewood, full size 2.5g @ $16.73 

It's funny because I was expecting my blush to be Glossy Pink, but turns out I got Glossy Rosewood instead :) Swatches will be up later~

Nicole by OPI Kardashiani Kolor Holiday Shades in All is Glam, All is Bright, full size 15ml @ $10.99

I have a girlfriend that I know would LOVE this sparkly polish :) Saving this for her... (If you are reading this post, you are to ignore this part :P)

Nexxus Salon Hair Care: Hydration Kit, deluxe sample 89ml each , estimated value $5.56 (full size products are 400ml @ $9.99 and $14.99)

I thought this would be perfect for my travel later this month~ This shampoo has SLS in it though, so maybe Em will have to bring his own~

Let's just end this post on a sweet note, candy cane from Glossybox~~ Oh how I miss sweets in my boxes!

I like what I got in this box, but can't comment too much on it as I have not yet used the majority of the products. This holiday box is an A for me :) Setting me on the right track for the season~

If you got a Glossybox, please share what you got in your box! I'd love to know~ :)

Random samples: first impressions

Here's my 2 cents of product samples I've used in the past few months.

Caudalie eye and lip cream - This cream feels so nice and light weight, and does a great job at moisturizing. I've only used it for a week and noticed very slight difference in my dark eye circles. However, I'm not sure if I am willing to splurge $49 on it...

Nars Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Alaska - I wanted to love this because I've heard so much rave about it, however I can't. Within 3 hours of using this TM I start getting oily on my T-zone and cheeks. This has not happened with my theBalm TM... I like the higher SPF, but I find that it made my skin look more dull despite the oil pool later on.

Dior Hydra Life BB creme - This BB cream broke me out :( I really wanted to like this product, because I wanted to get it when I was in the US, but the results were disappointing. I'm just so glad I got to try a sample of it before purchasing the full size (a whooping $56USD!)

Phyto Phytopolleine Universal Elixir Scalp stimulant - I got this in one of my monthly subscriptions and I really love it. I have troubled skin and my scalp was not spared (please excuse me) but my scalp flakes like crazy! After my first use of this I was extremely happy that it worked so well. I will be purchasing purchased the full size of this product. It has a very strong but not unpleasant smell of eucalyptus and work quite well to maintain a healthy scalp.

Suisse Programme Gigawhite Fresh UV Shield Moisturizer SPF15 - I had a 2ml sample that lasted me 3 applications. This product smells awesome and has a little bit of SPF which I like, however I was surprised to find that it wasn't quite moisturizing enough for me... Certain areas on my face dried up throughout the day. At a whooping 83$ on Sasa, I will not be purchasing~

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion SPF55 - This is a nice sunscreen with high SPF and covers both UVA and UVB. It dries non-sticky and smells okay for a sunscreen. I would so purchase this product if I wasn't already overstocked with them :) This is something to keep in mind next summer as it is both waterproof and sweatproof (tested from all the swimming and tubing down while on vacation.)

Apologies for not having any pictures for this post as they are mostly samples, perhaps I should take a pictures of samples before I try them out next time :)

Shiseido Warehouse sale Haulage~

Just a quick haul post with what I picked up from the Shiseido warehouse sale this weekend. Enjoy!

the haul

Clé de Peau  eye colour quad in 1 and 3- $27 each

Clé de Peau cream eye colour in Shade 1 and 2 - $20 each

Nars concealer in Vanilla Honey - $10

Shiseido Hydro powder eyeshadow in H6 Violet Visions - $8 (I think...)

I am wearing the purple in this look. The colour is very vibrant. I applied it with my pinky and was surprised at  how easy it was to work with as well as the colour payoff with so little product. Will for sure pick up some more colour next time. It wore the entire day without budging :)

I also got a quite a few lippies, but haven't had the chance to take pictures, so I will post them up when I have them swatched as well :) Until then... thank you for reading this post!

Other items at the sale:

- Shiseido and Nars foundations for $10

- Joico shampoo (big bottle) $8

- Shiseido's Pureness, Whiteluscent, The Skincare and the Benefiance line as well as the sunscreen line

- various Orlane skincare products

Essentially, there were the same products from last time, pricing didn't increase for Nars or Shiseido makeup, however I'm not sure about the skincare products. The Shiseido face cotton were at $7... One thing that was different this time around, was the Clé de peau products :) I splurged~

Topbox November 2012

Hello lovelies!

I was excited to finally be able to subscribe to Topbox. For the month of November I got box 6 and these were the products I was greeted with.

Topbox November 2012

Contents emptied, what remains is very little packing material... which I liked :) It's a little more environmentally friendly.

The card, simple and sweet. They didn't try to pretend they were personalized~

benefit cosmetics mascara, they're real!

Full size China glaze nail polish in Exotic Encounter

Cuccio Naturale butter, in pomegranate & fig

roberto cavalli, eau de parfum

First impression: not a bad box. I was slightly disappointed to get a mascara... In fact I really didn't need another one... I have too many I can't use up, and I received the same deluxe sample from Sephora that I haven't used yet. Aside from this one thing, I like the rest of the box. I got a very pretty teal colour nail polish that goes perfectly with my wedding theme (as tempting as it is, I doubt I'd wear it for the reception.) I also got a very sweet scented body/hand cream that is just the right size to fit in my mu bag, only complaint about that is the cap, I'm scared that it'd come off too easily and the products gets everywhere in the bag. Lastly, I got a mini parfume bottle, which is a lovely addition to my growing minis. :) For $12(plus tax), this month's box is definitely getting an A from me :) Looking forward to seeing December's.

I heard that there were variance with the boxes, but so far the only difference I've seen around is the MUFE eyeliner as well as a different colour of nail polish... but that's it. What did you get in your box? :)

Swatched: OCC lip tars and YSL Sheer Candy gloss

I picked up these lovely lippies during the VIB sale, just thought I should swatch them and show you the colours. For the OCC lip tars I wanted to show you how little products is needed to get the opaque colour as shown on the swatch. They were not joking when they say the tiniest drop... There was still quite a bit of products left on my fingers after. I'm pretty sure these lip tars really will last me forever...

no flash, from left: OCC Memento, OCC Grandma, YSL Sweet Fig

with flash

no flash: OCC Memento, OCC Grandma, YSL Sweet Fig

with flash

On the Sephora website, Memento is described as midtone pink plum, Grandma is a classic coral and Sweet Fig is a sheer brick red.

Have you tried these products before? Are there any colours you'd recommend I check out or avoid? Share!

Sephora V.I.B. Haul 2012

If there's a sale... I'm there :)

During the Sephora VIB sale I picked up a few things I wanted to try and only 1 necessity can you guess which?

Haul with samples~

What I bought...

Yeps, it was the Claisonic head, 2 pack for $45, at 20% off they cost me 36$ plus tax , not that much of a steal, but it beats paying full price!

I've been dying to try OCC lip tars, and I'm really enjoying them! Kind of surprise at how pigmented they are, since a little dot goes a LONG way and they are extremely opaque and bright. Will swatch when I get a chance. I got them in Memento and Grandma ( the BRIGHT orangey coral on the right)

I don't remember when I first wanted to try out this brand, but I know that after hoping to receive them in my Luxebox and not getting them I decided I must try. So I got this travel size set for $19 plus 20% off. Happy I didn't get them in full size because the eyeliner smudged on me and there was transfer (aka raccoon eyes) within 3 hours... I enjoy the application of the mascara but I'm iffy about the eyeliner. Unlike the eyeliner, the mascara didn't smudge... Should I return the set and just get the mascara? I also find that the eyeliner dries out quickly...

I saw this on Sandra's video and knew I had to try it out. I got the Volupté Sheer Candy glossy balm in 7 Sweet Fig. It's such a lovely red tint! Feels, smell and looks awesome on the lips :) wait for swatches!

 The last item I picked up in the sale was the YSL Anti-Cernes Multi-action concealer in 2 Nude Beige... I purchased only one, but decided I liked both angles so I posted them both up ^_^ I'm on day 2 of this concealer. I enjoy the creamy texture of this concealer, as it does not emphasize fine lines. This product still needs some through testing!

Anyhow that's my Sephora haul~~ What did you get? :)