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March Topbox

It's that time again! That's right, the time when companies ship out their monthly beauty boxes! It's my favourite time of my month, just second place to getting my pay check! Haha!

So, Topbox shipped first this month even though it was a couple of days late after getting stuck in the shipping facility at Scarborough.  Here is what I received this month:

• mark. Gloss Gorgeous Stay On Lip Stain
• mark. Nailed It Trend Mini Nail Lacquers
• Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes
• Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash
• Redkin Colour Extend Shampoo and Conditioner

So, I did kinda cheat a little bit and took a peak at what other people got before I got mine.  I was expecting a Cargo eyeshadow in my box, but I was still very happy with what I got.  I have way too much eyeshadow, and I think getting nail polish, mascara and lip gloss all in one box is pretty darn good. 

February Monthly Subscription Boxes Comparison

This month has been a very exciting month, another contender in the beauty box subscription joins the ring.  And the box that wins this month is...Glossybox!

Luxury - Topbox was the winner this month in terms of the degree of luxury of the products received.  I really liked the two YSL products that I received this month.  Glymm comes in dead last because I received a Burts Bee lip balm and Sula eyeshadow.  Luxebox and Glossybox scored the same; they were lower than Topbox, but didn't really outdo each other.

Quantity: Samples Received - Glossybox won this month because it had the most samples received. Topbox and Luxebox tied because I received the same amount of samples in both boxes.  Glymm comes in last again.

Quantity: Full Size Products Received - Glymm comes in first in this category because I received 2 full sized samples, while the other boxes gave me one or less than one.

Range of Products - Glosstbox wins this round with the wide range of products that I received.  I received perfume, hair care, lip product, face care, and body care.  Luxebox comes in second with only hitting three categories - nail, hair, and body care.  Glymm and Topbox got low marks in this category because they hit less than three categories.

Timeliness - Glossybox was the first box to come, while luxe box and topbox came on the same day.  Glymm lost major points in this category because their brand partner did not ship on time and resulted in boxes being delivered late.

Glossybox comes in first this month based on the average of the score with Luxebox coming in at a close second.  I would say that the major competition is between these two boxes now.  I don't think Glymm and Topbox operate at the same level as Luxebox and Glossybox, and I probably won't renew my subscription with them when my annual subscription runs out with them.

Natural Eye with a Pop of Colour

I was inspired to do this eye look from the aqua eyeshadow that I received from Topbox this month.  This look is both fun and office-appropriate for casual Fridays.
I used Maybelline EyeStudio Colour Explosion Eyeshadow in Caffeine Rush and I used the aqua eyeshadow as the eyeliner.
The eyeshadow is very creamy and soft; making it very easy to line the eye.
I have mono-lids and that's the reason why the eyeliner does not pop as much when my eyes are opened.  But when you are having a conversation with someone and looking at them in the eye, trust me, the bright eyeliner will definitely get noticed!

February Glymm Box

So, I finally received this month's Glymm box after waiting so long.

This is what I received:

• Sula - Natural Shadow in Nature Made 
• Burts's Bee - Tinted Lip Balm in Hibiscus
• Glamglow - Tingling and Exfoliating Mud Mask
• Mai Couture - 2-1 Oil Blotting/Bronzing Papier

Here is what the products look like

The products in the box look awfully small compared to the other boxes this month, even though there are 2 full size products in this month's Glymm box. 

 

Here is a swatch of the lip tint (on top) and the eyeshadow (on the bottom)

So, there are a couple of things that I want to talk about.  Regarding the Sula eyeshadow, the colour payoff is horrible and it really does not complement my skin tone.  Furthermore, be careful when you open up the compartment for the eyeshadow.  The pan is not connected to the compact, and there no sticky or magnet in the box so that you have a choice to stick it to the compact.  

Onto the Burt's Bee lip tint, I do agree that the lip tint is quite moisturizing, but the colour payoff is not as great as the Revlon lip butters.  The colour of the lip tint is a gorgeous rose colour, but unfortunately, the shade is so sheer that it actually comes out as a bit orange on my yellow-toned skin. 

This box definitely disappointed me this month and contrary to what Glymm claims, this box was not worth the wait. 

February Luxebox

So, I noticed two things for this month's luxe box.  First of all, the box is red this month since this is a special collaboration with Flare.  Second of all, the box was absolutely bursting at the seams this month.

This is what I received this month:

• Redkin Colour Extend Shampoo and Conditioner
• Moroccanoil Moroccanoil Treatment
• Mereadesso Beautiful Body Balm
• Mereadesso Face and Neck Toning Gel
• China Glaze Nail Polish in the colour Innocence

The nail polish goes on very smoothly and is a very nice baby pink colour. 

This is what the box looks like

Here is what are the products look like

This is what the nail polish looks like (with flash)

This is what the nail polish looks like (without flash)

February Topbox

I wasn't very happy with what I received from Topbox last month, so, it is with hesitation that I open this month's box.
This month I received the following:

• Yves Saint Laurent - Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils
• Yves Saint Laurent - Touche Eclat
• Pari Beauty - Eye Shadow in colour#72
• C. Booth Derma Skincare - Collagen Elastin Restorative Hamd & Nail Treatment
• Lillypilly - Kakadu Plum Hand & Body Creme

Even though I was very excited about what I received last month, I didn't really enjoy the products.  The dry shampoo dried out my hair, and left my black jacket and bathtub stained, while the Shu Umera shampoo was too watery and didn't lather up very well. 

So with trepidation, I tried out the Pari Beauty eyeshadow.  And to my surprise, the colour felt nice and smooth on my hand.  The colour is a very vibrant aqua blue, and is a very close dupe to Urban Decay's Painkiller as you can see in the photo. 

February GlossyBox

GlossyBox is the first beauty subscription box to arrive this month.  If I were the other boxes, I would also wait and see what this new comer is going to bring this month.

received the following in my GlossyBox:

- Ahava Mineral Body Lotion

- Skin Care Moisturizing Stick by Elizabeth Grant

- Wella Professionals Brilliance Shampoo

- Live in Love from Oscar de la Renta

- Elizabeth Arden Prevage Day Anti-Aging Restorative Cream

- Beauty So Clean Sanitizing Wipes and Mist

The GlossyBox is a very pale pink box with black detailing.  When you open the box, you will see the back of a black envelope with a personalized label closing the envelope.  Inside this envelope, I see the introduction card, 3 GlossyBox stickers and product description pamphlets of some products that I received.

I definitely feel like there's going to be some competition between the boxes this month and GlossyBox came out swinging.  If you look at the price points of the Elizabeth Grant products that were in the box, you will see that the products are quite expensive.  Now, even though they give me two Elizabeth Grant products, what I didn't like about the box was, it seems like everyone got the same products.  I'm pretty certain that I did not write anti-aging as one of my top three skincare concerns, and yet I received this anti-aging cream which tells me that this box is not as personalized as some other boxes.

Another thing that I noticed when I picked up the box from concierge was that it was heavier compared to the other boxes and it was also larger (see last picture).   While I thought there must be a lot more products than what I normally get, I think that the weight of the box has to do with the packaging.  The box itself is very sturdy and made from thick cardboard.  The paper inside the package was also try heavy and there was an abundance of it.  So, just because the box is heavier and bigger, doesn't necessary mean that you get more out of it.  Mind you, GlossyBox does have the option of putting more inside their box instead of having to resort to two separate boxes like LuxeBox did last month.

This is what the box looks like:

This is what the inside of the box looks like.  There's a sticker with my name on it.

This is what the package looks like without the envelope on top.  It definitely looks very feminine and sexy at the same time.

These are the products that I received.

Comparison of the box sizes between GlossyBox, LuxeBox and Glymm Box.  As you can see, GlossyBox is larger.

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January Monthly Subscription Boxes Comparison

The winner of this month's subscription boxes is *drumroll*.....Luxebox!  This might come as a surprise to some, as Luxebox was extremely late this month, but I really feel that they really stepped up their game in terms of the samples that we received this month.

Here are the scores that the boxes received this month:

Luxury - Topbox scored the highest in this category this month.  I received Principessa, Shu Uemera, and Stila all in one box this month.  Glymm Box scored the lowest this month since I received two Burts Bee samples, and the other samples weren't too outstanding either. 


Quantity: Samples Received - Luxebox definitely wins this category.  Instead of receiving one or two perfume samples like prior months, Luxebox actually gave me a packet of six samples on top other other samples.  Topbox scored the lowest because I only received 4 samples this month. 


Quantity: Full Size Products Received - Luxebox scores the highest scores this month since I received three full size products this month - NYX Lipstick, NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil and a Shtick Razer.  


Range of Products - Luxebox scores the highest score in this category this month because they hit the most categories - lips, eyes, perfume, hair, shaving.  Topbox scores the lowest with only hitting two categories - hair care, hand cream, and Face Makeup. 


Timeliness - Luxebox scores the lowest this month, since the box came at the end of the month.  Glymm Box and Topbox tie since they came in the mail on the same day. 


Here is a summary of all the scores for all the boxes so far:

So, so far, Luxebox is still leading the pack with 109, but the other boxes are pretty close.   Next month, I will also be adding glossybox to the list.  So, stay tuned!

2012 January Luxebox

My LuxeBox finally came in!!! Oh my gosh, I waited so long for it to come in this month. So, without further ado, here's what I received this month:

- Curly Hair Solutions - Curl Keeper
- NYX - Round Lipstick in the colour Sash
- My scent package which contains the following perfume samples
          - Prada Candy
          - Prada Infusion d'Iris
          - Nina Ricci L'Air du Temps
          - Nina Ricci Nina
          - Paco Rabanne Black XS for Her
          - Paco Rabanne Lady Million
- NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in the colour Milk
- Schick Hydro Silk Razor
- Fekkai Advanced Brilliant Glossing Shampoo and Conditioner

So, I guess Loose Button saw that their box is not big enough to house all the samples that they want to send this month, so, they actually had to add an extra box this month. The white box is an limited Bath and Body Box this month and housed the Schick Hydrop Silk Razor and the Fekkai Advanced Brilliant Glossing Shampoo and Conditioner.

One thing that I noticed this month is we got a lot more stuff than before. For example, there are six perfume samples instead of the normal two that I normally get. And there is actually a good sample size of coffee as the treat this month.

So, this is how the boxes look like this month:

GlossyBox Is Now In Canada

Welcome to Canada, GlossyBox!!  GlossyBox is a beauty subscription box service that originated from the UK and has gone international to France, Germany, Korea, Brazil and Australia, with Canada being their latest addition.  The service will soon launch in the states, and you can submit your email on www.glossybox.com so that you will be the first to know when they start sending boxes to the states. Many people fell in love with the GlossyBox when they first released their boxes and I can fully understand why.  The box itself is a light baby pink with a black emblem, and the products are wrapped in black tissue paper with a baby pink ribbon.  I think that it is very feminine and reminds me of the La Vie En Rose box.  The GlossyBox is $15 (taxes included) and it a couple of dollars more than the other beauty subscription boxes in Canada (LuxeBox, Topbox, and GlymmBox)

Currently, we don't know what their brands partners are yet.  But I have done my research and know that the December UK box contains Deborah Lippman nail polish, Rituals Foaming Shower Gel in Yogi Flow, MeMeMe Seventh Heaven, and Cargo Lipgloss.  January GlossyBox contains Nivea Rich Nourishing Body Moisturiser, Sheer Cover Nourishing Moisturiser, Sheer Cover Lipgloss, Kosmea Daily Facial Exfoliant, and Mirenesse Tight Liner Hydra Gel Eye Liner.

I do think that both boxes are very different, there are brands that I recognize in December's box, but there are a lot of brands that I have never heard of in January's.  It might come down to the fact that the December box that I researched is from UK while the January box is from Thailand.  It would be very interesting to see what we would receive here in Canada.

So, if you're interested in receiving the a glossybox, please go to www.glossybox.ca and order yours today.  Or if you would like to help me start collecting glossydots, please click on the below this link and I will get points for referring you.  There are three boxes left as of Monday, January 23 at 10am, so, act quick!

*UPDATE: GlossyBox sold out as of 11:30am*

http://beauty.glossybox.ca/invitation/NjYw?utm_source=Customers&utm_medium=link&utm_term=NjYw&utm_campaign=Refer-a-friend/

2011 January Topbox

Here's what I got in January's Topbox
- Principessa Beauty - Notte Breeze Dry Shampoo
- Shu Uemura - Full Shimmer Illuminating Shampoo
- Stila - Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer
- Lillypilly - Tea Tree Hand & Body Creme

This month's box totally blew my mind. I cannot believe that I got Principessa, Shu Uemura, and Stila all in one box! I am very excited about the dry shampoo, because I have never tried any dry shampoos before.

This is what the box looks like:

This is what the products look like:

January 2012 Glymm Box

My Glymm Box came in on Tuesday, and here's what I got:
- Kaia Naturals - Juicy Bamboo Facial Cleansing Cloths
- Vasanti Cosmetics - BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator
- Anastasia Beverly Hills - Clear Brow Gel
- Burt's Bee - Nourishing Milk & Honey Body Lotion
- Cargo Cosmetics - Eye Pencil

Here's what the box looks like:

Here's what the products look like: