IPSY Glam Bag - May 2013

I mentioned in this post that I had recently subscribed to the monthly subscription service, IPSY Glam Bag and was thinking of doing a comparison between this and Glossybox. However, I received my May package last Wednesday when I was in New York, and upon opening it the other night, it was way too good to wait! The timing is a bit off to do a comparison review - I received my IPSY Glam Bag halfway through May, while I'm not expecting to receive my May Glossybox until the first week of June, so I'm going to go ahead and show you what I got. I think this is the first time I was this excited about a subscription box, and I've tried several (Glossybox, Topbox, Luxebox).


For your information, the total subscription price ended up being $174CAD after the conversion to Canadian dollars, etc. This works out to $14.50 / month. I believe the total cost is $10 / month if you are in the USA.

Here is everything I got:

First of all, everything came in this super cute little cosmetics bag. This is a great little bag to carry a few items around with you in your purse, so I'll get a lot of use out of this. I believe a bag comes every month, but I'm not positive on that, so we'll see.

St. Tropez One Night Only Instant Glow Body Lotion - I have not yet tried any of the St. Tropez tanning products, but I have been meaning to for a while now. This is different as it does not develop over time, but rather it is an instant tan that washes off in the shower. I guess it would be good for a night out, etc. It is transfer-resistant, so hopefully it will not rub off on clothing at all, but I may test it with older clothes first! Anyways, I'm excited to try this because I cannot wear dresses without some sort of colour on my legs.

Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss in Pink - this gloss is gorgeous! It has a sweet fruity smell and is absolutely not sticky at all. I normally love Juice Beauty products, but have not yet tried any of their cosmetics, so I was really happy to get this. The colour is actually more of a mauve than pink, like the name, but it is exactly the colour that I would have selected for myself.

Yaby Conealer in Buff - I have never heard of Yaby, let alone tried it before, but I will likely buy more of this concealer, as well as look into what other products are available from this brand. I used it today over my regular foundation, just in the areas I needed it, and the coverage is really nice. The concealer is creamy and easy to blend. The colour seemed to melt right into my skin, even though I was worried it would be a bit dark. It worked great. Also, this little pan popped right into my Z-Palette for safe storage. 

Mirabella Perfecting Powder - I used this to set my makeup this morning. It is a nice powder. I'll have to use it for a little while to see if it is different from my other setting powders. This product is talc, paraben, and gluten-free.

Zoya Nail Polish in Blu - this was the only disappointment - not because I don't like it, I actually already have it! You might have seen it here. I wish I had received one of the other colours from this collection. Blu is from the Zoya Lovely Collection that came out this spring. I would have loved to try the pink or the gold. Oh well..

As for the cost, a full size Zoya polish is about $8.50, and the Juice Beauty lip gloss is around $14 (this particular version hasn't been released yet, but I did see a similar gloss from the brand selling for this amount). So just with these two products you are getting more than the price paid. Impressive!

Anyways, all in all, I was really, really impressed with my first IPSY experience. I can't wait for my next bag! 

Thanks for reading!

Glossybox - April 2013

It's that time again! My Glossybox came last night and I was eager to rip into it. This month's box was put together by Olympic Medalist, Tracy Little and seemed to be sponsored by Silhouette Greek yogurt - there was no yogurt in the box, but there were coupons and a sticker. Anyways, let's get into the products.

• Schick Hydro Silk Razor - I like razors like this that have the moisturizing strips around the blade. I  normally buy the kind where you just buy refills, but this is nice to have for when I travel next. 

• Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetics Lip Blush - I've never heard of this brand before, but I'm always excited to get a makeup item in my box. This is a light pink moisturizing jumbo lip pencil, similar to those sold by almost every brand these days. The color is quite saturated, and it seems like something I would wear this summer. This product does not contain sulfates, or a bunch of other potentially harmful ingredients and does not contain animal by-products.

Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetics Lip Blush

• Boscia Recharging Night Moisture - I've been meaning to try the Boscia skincare line for a while now, but not specifically this product. I've been eyeing the makeup cleansing oil, as well as the Black Mask. So perhaps if I like this moisturizer, I'll go ahead and try the other products I've been eyeing.

• Pop Beauty Eyeliner in Blazing Blue - This is a really strange eyeliner - I've never seen one like it. The tip is sort of a flat rectangular shape, which I imagine is to help get a winged-out application. I'm sort of disappointed in the colour. While it is a very pretty blue, it isn't something that I can really wear to work. I'll give it a try this weekend to see how I like it.

Pop Beauty Eyeliner in Blazing Blue

• Heartland Fragrances Epsom Salts in Soft Mint scent - I don't really take many baths in the summer, so this will likely sit in my cupboard until next winter, and by then I'll probably forget about it. I'm not really a fan of bath products. This is just meh for me.

So that is April's Glossybox! There were some interesting products, one very practical item, and a not so exciting item (for me). Can't wait for next month!

BTW, I recently subscribed to Ipsy's Glam Bag. I should be receiving it starting in May, so perhaps I'll compare the two in my next Glossybox post. 

Thanks for reading!

Glossybox - March 2013

So it is Glossybox time again! I just love receiving these boxes. I look forward to it every month. And I have subscribed to other monthly boxes, but this one is by far my favourite as I feel it provides very good value for the money. Four of the five products were full-size this month! Based on the prices provided on the information card, the four full-size products would have cost $72.97, so that is pretty exciting. Anyways, here is what I got this month:

• Tresemme Platinum Strength Deep Conditioning Treatment - Full size! This is something that I never would have picked up, but definitely could use. My hair is feeling really dry right now and I use a curling iron everyday, so I do have some damage. This treatment is supposed to reinforce your hair's naturally-protective layer to protect against future damage. Can't wait to try this.

• L'oreal Paris Youth Code Dark Spot Corrector Serum - I really hope this serum works, because I could definitely use some spot-correcting! I'm glad this is a full-size, because a serum like this really takes time to see results. 

• BM Beauty Platinum Tiara Eyeshadow - So this mini size of mineral eyeshadow looks lovely - it is a pretty grey shade with sparkles, it is cruelty free and vegan, but I just don't really like how it looks on the eye. Way to glittery for me. This might be a miss, but I will give it another shot - maybe layered over a darker base. 

• Modelco Cheek + Lip Tint in Rosy Red - Another full-size! I was really excited to see this in my box. I like experimenting with tints, but don't normally buy them. This consistency of this one is a lightweight gel, and it goes on the cheek quite smoothly, when applied with a stippling brush. I also applied thin layers on my lips and was able to build up a pretty stain. I really like this product.

• Jergens Natural Glow 3 Days to Glow Moisturizer - Full size. With the summer coming, I would have picked up a product like this soon anyways, so this is a great thing to find in the box. Also, this one promises no odour, so we'll see about that!

All in all, a great month for Glossybox!

If you are interested in subscribing, click here!

Also, if you currently receive Glossybox, don't toss those boxes! I've made great use of them as drawer organizers for my makeup drawer. I'll post pictures sometime soon!

Thanks for reading!

Glossybox - February 2013

This post is sooo late! I got a bit behind in the posts that I wanted to complete, so anyways, we are almost done March and I'm showing my February Glossybox. But by now, at least I should have had a chance to try these products and let you know how I feel about them. So here we go.

• Biore Acne Clearing Scrub - I'm pretty sure I've already received this in a box. Not sure if Glossybox is repeating items, or if it came in a Topbox or LuxeBox to which I also subscribe. If it is the same product, I did enjoy using it, and actually still have it sitting in my shower. I use it on days that I'm not using my Clarisonic. I'm saving this new one until the first tube is empty. This is a full size product.

• Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil Treatment for Hair - Ok, so I haven't opened this one yet. But I am excited to try it once I'm done using my John Frieda Frizz Ease Serum (which I also received in a past box and really like). This treatment is supposed to add moisture, nutrients, shine and provide UV protection. Sounds good!

• Givenchy Gloss Interdit No. 3 Coral Frenzy - I love when they include makeup in these boxes! This colour is so pretty and feels light and non-sticky on the lips. The full size version is $30, so I'll just enjoy this sample while it lasts!

• Anatomicals You Need A Blooming Shower Rose and Jasmine Body Cleanser - Another full sized product! I haven't tried this yet since I have a bunch of half full body cleansers currently in my shower. It smells nice though.

• Essence Quattro Eyeshadow - More makeup! This isn't a quad that would stand out to me at the drugstore, so I would be unlikely to purchase it, but I think it will be a fun thing to experiment with this summer. 

• Eucerin Hual-urea Anti-Wrinkle Day / Night Cream - I really hate this little packet samples, but I may give this a go, eventually. I think that Eucerin would get more bang for it's advertising buck if they just splurged on some mini bottles for their samples, but oh well.

• Crabtree & Evelyn Tarocco Orange Eucalyptus & Sage Hand Cream - You cannot really see this in the picture, but it is another packet. 

• Glossybox Cupcake Kit - This box was celebrating Glossybox's first anniversary so they threw in some cupcake wrappers. Kind of cute.

So there you go! It was a really good box this month! I love the gloss, excited to try the hair treatment oil and the eyeshadow, and you can never have too many facial scrubs and body cleansers!

Thanks for reading!

January Glossybox

I received my January Glossybox last night - not sure if this is late, or if everyone receives their box in the following month. Anyways, this month's theme was all about moisturization and taking care of dry skin. If you have never heard of Glossybox, or would like to find out more, you can click here.

So here is what I got this month!

• Wella Professionals Brilliance Leave-in Mousse - So this says it is for colour-treated hair. I'm not exactly sure what that means. I'm assuming I can still use it even though I'm au natural. This is a full sized product, so that is always nice. Glossybox sent out a product from Wella Professionals in the past, but I could not use it because the pump did not work and everytime I tried to spray it, it leaked everywhere. I'll give this mousse a try, but I don't have high hopes for it.

• Nivea Essential Lip Care - This looks like a regular lip balm. The package says it contains jojoba oil and natural shea butter, so that should be nice. I'll definitely use this, most likely before bed. Another full sized product.

• Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme - This is such a cute little tiny sample size lip plumper! I will definitely throw this one in my purse and I think I'll like it since I know I have enjoyed the original non-extreme version in the past.

• Burt's Bees Naturally Nourishing Milk & Honey Body Lotion - This is a really nice sample size - 1 oz, so perfect for carrying with you. The scent is light and quite non-offensive. The cream makes my skin feel silky and not oily at all. I really like this!

• Vitabath 20% Shea Butter Hand Creme in Fresh Citrus Twist - This was not listed on the card that comes inside the Glossybox, so I'm not sure if this is some kind of bonus, but I like this lotion as well. The smell is not overly citrusy. In fact, I probably would not have guessed the scent if it did not say on the packaging. I will definitely use up this hand lotion as well. It is bigger than the Burt's Bees lotion at 2.1 oz. 

• Beauty So Clean Cosmetic Sanitizing Wipes - I already have some of these that I have never used, but I can see why they would be handy. These would be nice if you are a make-up artist, or if you have recently been sick. I'm going to leave these out so that I will remember to use them in the future.

So there you have it! In January's Glossybox, I would have to say that my favourites are the lotions. I often forget to pick up lotions to keep in my purse, so it is nice to get these. I'm also excited about the Too Faced Lip Injection!  

Thanks for reading!