March Glossybox - Spring Fling

Another month, another Glossybox. I have to admit, these beauty boxes have been kind of underwhelming for me recently. Maybe it's time I took a break or quit completely? I mean, I spend about $30/month on my two boxes (Glossybox and Ipsy) which is money that could be well used for something else. Well we'll see. This month I received the following:

Elite Models Liner in Matt Brown (full size $15) - I'm kind of glad to have a matte brown liner. When I swatched this on my hand I was impressed with the staying power, but it's not faring as well on my oilier eyelids. Also the nib is kind of weird, not really a brush, not really a felt tip, it's more like a stick!

Koh Gen Do Cosmetics Oriental Plants Emollient Cream (full size $123) - I love expensive face creams, who doesn't?? I haven't tried this yet, but it's a decent sized sample at nearly 1/4 of the full size!

ModelCo Cheek + Lip Tint in Rosy Red(full size $24) - I was hoping this would be the hot pink color of the tube, but it is cherry red just like Benetint or theBalm one or the Body Shop one. It kind of grosses me out when I first squeeze it out of the tube because it looks like blood. I generally like these, but how do you apply them without getting your fingers all red?? Also this one smells like candy!

Prestiche Essential Oil Bar Soap in Lemongrass (full size $16.99) - I like the way this smells and I'm sure I'll use it. The company also included a $40 gift voucher, which I thought was generous until I checked out their website and realized most of their products cost more than that! That's a little pricey for body products.

Sebastian Professional Shaper Fierce (full size $17) - I'm trying to use more hairspray, but I just don't! I have literally 20 million bottles of mini hairsprays now. Thanks beauty boxes.

That's it for March. Yeah, I'm trying to figure out what to do about this whole beauty box thing. What do you guys think? Which boxes do you subscribe to?

February Glossybox - International Style

This month's Glossybox has a theme of International Style. I remember seeing this theme for a past UK Glossybox and reading mostly lukewarm reviews on the box. Will the US version fare better?

Bvlgari Eau Parfumee Au The Blanc soap (full size $30) - This little soap made me think of the ones you get at hotels - all wrapped up in paper. I've never used perfumed soap before, but this smells quite nice. I guess the fragrance is a bit much to use as hand soap, but I'll be happy to take this into the shower with me.

Da Vinci Cosmetics Shimmer Powder (full size $15) - I'm not really a loose pigment user because I find they are messy and difficult to use. The card says it can be used for a subtle glow under eyebrows or on cheeks, but I'm guessing people got different colors because mine is a brownish, purplish, bluish duochrome. Yeah, not so appropriate under eyebrows or on cheeks!

Evologie eSystem Duo Pack Intensive Blemish Serum and Stay Clear Cream (full size $15) - This product confuses me because it looks like 5ml is the full size, except that it is so small! The blemish serum is supposed to be a spot treatment while the cream is more like a moisturizer.

Lisi Color Glaze Lip Gloss in 4 Square (full size $7) - Just a regular old lipgloss. The color I received is a burgundy wine which looks ok, but isn't really my type of color. The weird thing is that the wand picks up very little product so you have to keep re-dipping.

Nail Rock Nail Wraps (full size $8) - I actually like my design which is a metallic gold and black Union Jack. I think it would be cute to use one as an accent and paint the rest of your nails black. I've only done nail wraps once and it was pretty easy to use.

Okay, I'm just going to stay it - overall, this box kind of sucks. I probably won't use the lip gloss or the shimmer powder and the other items were just sort of meh. I also don't feel like a lot of the brands in this months box were "high end." OH and the other really annoying thing - the card doesn't say which country the products are from! I mean, Bvlgari is obviously Italy and the shimmer powder says it is "one of America's best kept beauty secrets" (really?? America is not "International"), but the other three don't say anything. Disappointing, maybe Glossybox should stay away from this theme!

January Glossybox - Man Repeller Edition

At last it has finally arrived! Glossybox - you really need to get your act together. It is February 5th and my January box just arrived. With this box we also have our first special edition Glossybox - a collaboration with Leandra Medine aka the Man Repeller. If you haven't seen her blog, I highly recommend checking it out!

The box this month is silver with a Man Repeller sticker overlay. As you can see, it was a bit messily packed compared to previous boxes, but I'm not complaining. Now on to the good stuff...

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara (full size $25) - I'm not a huge mascara wearer - my eyelashes are so puny that I've just given up and am beyond help. But I do like mini mascaras because I can never use a full size and they're handy for keeping in your purse. I'll see how I get on with this one.

Fresh Umbrian Clay Mattifying Serum (full size $35) - I love fresh, so I'm always happy to get anything from this brand. I've also been feeling a bit oily in the t-zone recently so this is perfect. I think I'm pretty set on my mattifying products since I just received another full size mattifier in my last box!

Le Metier de Beaute Replenishing Daily Solution (full size $225) - Yes you read that correctly, I did not accidently hit the "2" key twice. It is two hundred twenty five freakin dollars! This had better turn me into Gisele at that price.

Narciso Rodriguez Eau de Toilette Spray (full size $77) - Musky and quite sexy. Not really what I would call my go to fragrance, but it's nice.

OPI Liquid Sand Nail Lacquer in "Cant Let Go" (full size $9) - I really wanted pretty much any other color because I don't like purple! But I just did my nails and it looks pretty cool. You get a matte glittery, sandy, textured nail. It reminds me of these J Crew glitter loafers that I own. In my past experience with the OPI matte line, they seem to chip pretty quickly.

Sebastian Professional Potion 9 (full size $19) - This is a styling cream that is supposed to restore moisture, rejuvenate and add flexible hold to both wet or dry hair. I'm pretty sure I bought this in the past but the packaging was different. The smell and color look really familiar!

tarte glamazon pur performance 12-hour lipstick in fierce (full size $26) - I'm so glad I received this because I love tarte! Fierce is a well, very fierce true red. I don't think I will get a ton of use out of this because, well, it is just so RED! I love the way it looks, but I just feel like LIPS!!! I also really like the wood packaging although it is a bit bulky.

That's it! Wow that was a lot of stuff. This was an awesome box and I can't wait to test things out further!

December Glossybox Part Deux??

Okay, so this is really weird. I opened my front door and there was ANOTHER Glossybox on my doorstep! What?? It's waaay too early for the January box, considering I just got my December box about a week ago. I opened it up and it was another December box. I checked my credit card and I was only charged once, so I guess I should just say thank you? Some of the items were different and here they are.

OC 8 Professional Mattifying Gel (full size $30) - At first I thought this had a really weird smell, like incense, but now that I smell it more, it seems more like a faint Bengay scent that disappears pretty quickly. This is supposed to be used after moisturizer, but before makeup. I quite like these for days when you don't want to powder.

Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Heat Protect Spray (full size $23) - I was a little disappointed by this because I thought this was a dry shampoo. It's basically a heat protectant hair spray and I rarely use heat or hairspray!

ModelCo. Lip Duo (full size $39) - Now I'm pretty sure I was sent this box by mistake because I actually received this product in the past. I like it, but I will probably just give this one to someone else.

JewelMint ($29.99) - And finally, another JewelMint piece. This time it's like a little jar on a chain. It's cute, but again, I feel like I could get something similar for $5 at Forever 21.

Thanks for the bonus box Glossybox!

December Glossybox

This is a bit overdue, but hey, better late than never, right? I was a bit disappointed with the packaging of December's Glossybox because I was hoping it would be red or something rather than just holiday tissue and a red ribbon. Apparently January is a special silver Man Repeller edition, which I am totally looking forward to. Let's take a looksie at what was in my box.

Denise Richards Volume Extend by Christophe Finishing Spray (full size $20) - Okay, Denise Richards?? Barf. Why would anyone want to collaborate with her? I'm not sure how much use I will get out of this since I rarely use hair spray. Maybe I should start?

Heartland Fragrance Co Bath Salts (full size $10) - I also don't really take baths that often because I hate just sitting there getting hot. I meant to take this to Vegas to use in the ginormous Wynn tubs, but I forgot. I received the white tea scent which smells really nice.

mark. Lipclick Luxe Lipstick in m.powerment petal (full size $12) - I really like the pink packaging the magnetic closure which closes with a satisfying click. The color is also a nice berry pink, but I found the formula quite drying.

Please Please by Issey Miyake (full size $92) - I'm not sure what the notes are in this, but it smells very floral. I haven't heard much about Pleats Please recently, so I'm glad they're still around.

Wella Velvet Amplifier (full size $16) - This tiny packet is a styling primer. Not quite sure what to do with it, but does hair really need to be primed for more products??

Zoya Nail Lacquer (full size $8) - I received Electra which is a clear base packed full of tiny silver bar glitters. I wore this on the tips over a navy blue polish and it looked very festive!

JewelMint Ring ($29.99) - JewelMint is like the jewelry version of Glossybox. Basically you pay $29.99/month and receive a piece of jewelry each month. I'm not that into jewelry so I think $29.99 is a bit much to spend every month. I like the ring I received, but I would never pay $30 for it - it seems more like a $5 Forever 21 piece to me.

And that's all! This was another just okay box for me. I'm looking forward to January though!

November Glossybox

Another month, another Glossybox! I was hoping to get a Christmas themed Glossybox, but maybe that's coming next month? In any case, I have to admit that this was the most disappointing Glossybox to date. Oh well, I guess every month can't be amazing! Here's what was in my box:

Illamasqua Lip & Eye Medium Pencil in Devotion (full size $20) - Devotion is a very unique mint green color. I doubt I will EVER wear this on my lips, but it looks quite cool as an eyeliner. My problem isn't so much with the color, but with the dryness of the pencil. I'm used to really soft, creamy pencils like the Urban Decay 24/7 ones, but this one is tough to work with - I really have to press hard and drag to get good color payoff.

Lierac Gommage Sensoriel (full size $30) - This is a scrub, which I'm guessing is for the body because the granules are quite large and the tube says "body hydration." It has a really heavy perfumey scent, that isn't unpleasant, but kind of unexpected. I can never say no to a good scrubbing!

NuMe Style Arganics by NuMe Argan Oil (full size $59) - I put a few drops of this on my hand and I was surprised by how viscous it was. I use the Josie Maran argan oil and it is a lot more liquidy. I can see myself using this on my hair, but I'm a little skeptical of using this on my face. I also noticed that other people received a $100 gift certificate, but I didn't get one!

Perfumies Solid Perfume Stick (full size $7) - I'm chalking this one up to getting the wrong scent. I received Honeybunch, which to be smelled like a mix of cookies and incense. I really hate sugary, cookie, baked scents so I really couldn't stand this. I checked out their website though and there are a bunch of different scents and I quite like the idea of a solid perfume stick. Just make sure not to mix it up with your lip balm!

Skin&Co Roma Truffle Serum: Hydra-Toning Day Face Serum (full size $36) - I'm always up for trying new serums and this one claims to slow down the signs of aging with truffles! It doesn't really smell like truffles, which I guess is a good thing since they sort of smell like musty dirt lol.

Yeah, this months box was disappointing, but Glossybox is still my fave. I hope we get a holiday box in December!

October Glossybox

After my disappointing Birchbox and Sample Society, I am having a total love affair with Glossybox. Like I said, it costs a little more ($23 something in CA, including tax), but you really get mostly deluxe to full size products from amazing brands.

I just realized that while cleaning up this morning, I seem to have thrown away the product info card so I'm going to have to wing it and do some googling to figure out the descriptions and prices! I think the theme of the month was something like a home spa day, but if it was up to me, I would have called it the month of amazing smelling products. Yeah, that doesn't sound as nice, but whateves. Here we go...

Alterna Bamboo Luminous Shine Mist (full size $22) - I always enjoy a good shine spray and this should come in handy since a sleek look is in for fall. I'm not super familiar with the Alterna brand although I have received quite a few samples of their products through beauty boxes and shops. What are your favorite Alterna products?

Carol's Daughter Almond Cookie Shea Souffle (full size $13.50) - OMG holy deliciousness! I love love love the way this smells! I love it so much that I already placed an order for the spa set which includes a shower gel, scrub, oil and another souffle. The smell kind of reminds me of the L'Occitane almond line - a little nutty, marzipan-y, and sweet. I'm not usually one for sweet/cookie type scents, but this one blew me away. The texture is reminiscent of a body butter, but as the name suggests, it is a lighter more whipped consistency.  I have so many shower products waiting to be used, but I can't think of any more appropriate for the holidays than this one.

Heartland Fragrance Co. Exfoliating Loofa Soap (full size $8) - This is an interesting product in that there is a piece of loofa inside of a glycerin soap. I'm always looking for scrubs and exfoliating products, so this will definitely be useful. I received the Secret Garden scent which smells more fruity than floral to me, but delicious none the less.

Nastassja Skin Enzyme Facial Peel (full size $40) - Another product that smell amazing - very citrusy and fresh. You just need to put a thin layer on your face and neck, let it sit for 2-3 minutes, then massage in circular motions. Dead skin is supposed to start pilling off. This is perfect because I just used up the last of my REN Glycolactic Renewal Mask so I needed a new exfoliating product.

Model Co. Lipstick/Gloss duo (full size $39) - I'm not entirely sure if this is an actual product because I can't find it on their website. I think the full size price just reflects the cost of a lipstick plus the cost of a lipgloss. In any case, $39 is pretty steep even if you are getting two products. I've never had a lipstick before that smells so good! It smells like gummy candies or something. I like that the color is a very wearable pinky brown with a peachy nude gloss. However, I will say that lipstick/gloss is really big and somewhat unwieldy when applying the lipstick side. There is also a built in mirror on the side, but it sort of defeats the purpose because you can't really use the mirror and the lipstick at the same time if that makes any sense.

Overall, another great Glossybox. I can't wait for my next one!

September Glossybox

I am so so so so soooo excited about the September Glossybox! Glossybox is my favorite beauty box and even though it is the most expensive, I also feel that you really get your moneys worth. It is $21/month, but in California you have to pay sales tax, so it comes out to just over $23. It is still WELL worth it and I am psyched to share with you what I received:

GKHair Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner (full size $20) - These were the items that I was the most "meh" about. I pretty unfussy about my shampoo and conditioner, probably because my hair is generally quite well behaved and I've never really been wowed by a shampoo. These smell quite nice though so I'm sure they will be good for travel.

Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water (full size $13) - I am so happy that I received this! I started snooping online at other people's boxes and noticed that someone received this, but most others got some kind of mattifier. Well, I really wanted to try a cleansing water like Bioderma, but couldn't bring myself to buy one until I used up my current eye makeup remover. Now I got one for free!! (well sorta, you know).

Kryolan for Glossybox Moisture Rich Lipstick in Glossy Pink (full size $14) - Pretty nice lipstick in a rosy pink shade. I don't think this is a color I would have picked for myself, but it'll work.

Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42 (full size $29.99) - I actually almost purchased this, but then I remembered that I had given up on Asian BB creams. Most of them are just too darn light for my skin color and give me a bad case of the ghost face. However, the Missha BB cream comes in 5 shades and the shade I received, 31 Golden Beige, is the darkest. I saw that some people received shade 21, which would have been waaay too light for me so I was hoping and praying that I would get 31! I guess I just got lucky because Glossybox doesn't ask about your skin tone.

Anyway, a lot of stuff to be excited about! I might do a more in depth review after giving some of these products a go. I was also really happy because on the tracking info it originally said that the box would be arriving Oct 3-4 which really annoyed me. I don't really understand their shipping system and it annoys me to no end when I see that it takes over a week to get to LA from Las Vegas!