May 2012 GLOSSYBOX Review

The second beauty box to arrive in the mail was from GLOSSYBOX. I was excited to try this one because I had read excellent reviews of their product selection as well as the sizes of their samples. It is the most expensive of all the boxes - $15/month & free shipping - but, as you'll see below, I think this is definitely a good value. (By the way, please excuse the horrible camera photos - it was night and my good camera is dead.)

 First, the packaging. The products come tucked into a cute pink box that only has one tiny GLOSSYBOX logo on the outside. Perfect for reusing!

Simple eye make-up remover for sensitive eyes and refreshing facial wash gel. These are decent sized travel samples that I will definitely toss in my bag for weekend trips. The eye make-up remover did a good job removing shadow & mascara although it did sting a little bit. The facial wash gel rinsed off nicely and didn't leave a film or my skin feeling dry.

Curel Foot Therapy cream. I have been using this product every night since the box arrived on Friday and, while I haven't seen a noticeable difference, I like the texture of the product and the light floral smell. I have a pretty sensitive nose so I'm happy it's not overly fragranced - kind of reminds me of my grandma. I will continue to use this product nightly and will probably buy more once I run out since I don't have a regular foot cream.

Pandora's Lips lipstick (can't remember the colour and don't have it here). I wasn't overly thrilled to receive this since I don't ever wear lipstick (the insert card did say lipstick OR gloss so I was hoping for the latter) but I'm always willing to give a new product a try. I really like the packaging of this product and it's the first time I've seen a paper lipstick tube. The lipstick itself went on smoothly and didn't smell funny or have a funky "lipstick" taste but the colour was too frosty for me. Will probably stay in the sample pile.

 

Sebastian Volupt volumizing shampoo. This is a full-size bottle of shampoo from a brand I recognize and have used in the past. This is the only product I haven't tried yet but when my current bottles run out I'll be adding it to the rotation. I'm always on the look-out for a good volumizing shampoo so hopefully this will work for me. I like to use products from the same brand so I will most likely purchase the conditioner as well.

All in all, I am quite pleased with my May GLOSSYBOX and, if the quality over the next few months stays consistent, this beauty box is a good contender to be the one I keep.

Scenes from my weekend

We had an incredibly busy (but fun) weekend and that looks to be the trend right up until September. Here are a few snapshots from the weekend.

I received my first Glossybox on Friday! Will post a separate review later.

I go once a month for a gel manicure. After my crazy purple and gold disco nails last month, I decided to go with something a little calmer this time. This glitter is what my nail lady calls her "shit mix" - basically just a bowl she uses to catch glitter when she opens all the small containers. I love it!

Sunday was my dad's tree dedication ceremony. I'm not sure what I expected but what we ended up doing was choosing a tree and removing a tag so other people knew it was taken. The trees are planted quite close together so when they are grown I don't think there's any way we'll be able to find it, but my step-mom put a little mushroom garden stake under it for future identification.

While out at Big Hill Springs Provincial Park, we looked up and noticed an unusual sun shining down on us. People called it a sun dog but from my reading, I think it's more likely a 22º halo.

 

My step-sister and brother-in-law own two adorable (and high energy) pugs named Starbuck and Apollo. They kept everyone entertained all afternoon.

 

While driving home we saw this awesome vintage car. A. called it a motorized carriage. 

 

And last, but definitely not least, our crazy daughter would put socks on her hands and called them her gloves. Apparently she was cold...

Have a great week!!

May 2012 Loose Button Luxe Box

Apparently I've been living under a rock for the last year and hadn't heard of the new trend in mail-out beauty boxes. There are several different companies you can sign up with in Canada and it looks like they all deal with different brands. So far I have signed up for Luxe Box, Glymm, and Glossy Box and I'm on the waiting list (which apparently is MONTHS long!) for Top Box. I intend to try them all out for several months and keep one or two that I like best. The subscription cost is relatively inexpensive ($10-$15/month & free shipping). I imagine this monthly fee essentially covers the cost of shipping since brands provide the samples free.

Yesterday I received my very first Luxe Box and I must say, I was quite pleased. Keep in mind that this is the only one I'll be receiving this month so I don't have anything to compare it to.

I liked the packaging - sleek and simple.

The personalized sticker is a nice touch.

Inside the May edition was a card describing each of the products as well as a coupon code for $20 off a subscription for Panty by Post. There was also a postcard explaining that May is their "Thanks to Mom" month. In my "personalized" box I found 3 perfume samples - ck Shock, Calvin Klein Sheer Beauty (which I tried last night and is quite nice), and Oh, Lola! by Marc Jacobs. I like trying new fragrances but my office is a scent-free environment so I can't wear perfume to work. There was also a sample tub of Kérastase Masque Chroma Riche for colour-treated hair (which I don't have, but will still try) and a sample tube of Olay Regenerist. The thing I was really excited about thought was the full-sized! tube of Cargo Glitter Top Coat eyeliner. This item alone is worth $18 which more than made up for the cost of the service. I tried it out last night and it adds a nice, visible sparkle to the eye line. Super pretty!

These two items came in an additional "Bath and Body" box - a Gillette Venus & Olay razor and another sample of Olay Regenerist. Apparently I'm getting old. ;)

So, that's May. I know each month will be different (and sometimes disappointing), but I'm looking forward to what June brings!

Have you subscribed to any of the beauty box services? Love? Hate?

In Your Light

We recently purchased Gotye's album "Making Mirrors" and M. is OBSESSED with "Somebody That I Used To Know." She asks me to play it every morning and afternoon when I drop her off and pick her up from the dayhome. It is, admittedly, a great song but my favourite track from the album is "In Your Light." It's one of those songs that just makes me want to dance.


 
Have a great weekend!

Mom, You're Great

Mother's Day is right around the corner and, if you are like me and prefer to shop online for beautiful, one-of-a-kind gifts, you need to get on it. I've compiled a list of gifts (all under $50!) that I, as a mom, would be over the moon to receive from my daughter. There's something for the art appreciator, the tea drinker, the jewelry collector, and the messy purse owner. You will also find a gift for the stressed out mom, the mom who adores baths, and the mom who is making the switch to an iPhone. Happy shopping!

Mom, You're Great - Gifts Under $50 treasury on Etsy

Do you have a gift all picked out for your mom?

In Memoriam

My dad's funeral was one week ago and I guess I can say things are getting better. I'm able to talk about him most days without crying but it stills breaks (and warms) my heart to see M. go to bed every night clutching the program from the service. She carries it around with her and talks to Afi on her Dora cellphone. Clearly she understands that something is different, she just isn't quite sure what.

My step-sister, Shandie, put together a really lovely slideshow and I wanted to share it here.