Beauty Box 5: November 2012 Box

This is my 2nd box from BB5 and also my last, for now. I didn't like the October BB5 box and haven't used anything from it yet. It took forever to get here too because they are located so far away and I hate getting the box at the end of the month. This time took a week and a half.

Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion
Received: Deluxe Sample Size @ $1.11
Full: 236 ml @ $9
Non-irritating, oil-free, non-greasy, fragrance-free and packed with humectants to bind moisture to delicate skin. Came with a $1 off coupon! So the $1 off coupon says only valid is USA...this is another reason why I am unsubscribing.. it's not really catered to Canadians.. Will definitely be trying this out though, the Lise Watier Hydrasmart Gel-Creme is just too expensive for me.

Global Goddess Uprade Complexion Face Primer
Received: 2 ml x 2 sachets = 4 ml @ $1.84
Full: 50 ml @ $22.95
Contains Vit A & E and antioxidants to create a youthful glow. Can't wait to try this after I finish up my 'Prime Time' Bare Minerals primer.

Envie De Nuef Eye Mask
Received: 1 Sachet @ $3
Full: 10 Sachets @ $30
I'm not sure if this is safe for my sensitive skin.. If this is a peel-off like those nose strips, they ruined my nose :( then I definitely can't use.

$10 Gift Card for My Name Necklace
I don't think I'll be using this, the nice ones are $50+ and I don't like to showcase my name out to everyone.

Model Co Lip Shine in "Strip Tease"
Received: Full Size!
Full: 0.14 fl oz @ $16
Nice to receive a full size..  but it was smeared around the edges so I hope it's brand new.. smells awesome, like peach candy! It say non-sticky (highly reflective, and shimmering) but when I wiped off the residue on the threads it felt very sticky. I ended up giving this to a friend.

Swagger Cosmetics Eyeshadow
Received: Full Size!
Full: 5 g @ $9.50
100% vegan. I hate loose powder eyeshadows so we'll see if I even get around to using this. I like that they included something so cute and different though! I have no clue what colour this is. Either Responsitranity or Red Bone. If someone knows please let me know.

Swatch of Swagger Cosmetics Eyeshadow, Right is blended out (in Responsitranity or Red Bone, I honestly have no clue please let me know in the comments if you do)

Total BB5 November Box Value: $31.45

Okay so BB5 did better this month, I am overall content with the products. the Cetaphil, Swagger Eyeshadow, and Primer are the only products I will be using!

Did you like your box? Did you receive the same products? Tell me what you think!

Lisa's Cosmetics Warehouse Sale 2012 Haul & Black Friday: Sephora & Brandy Melville!

So after a long... tiring weekend consisting of very little sleep and for the first time ever taking the night bus in the morning!!! I have to share with you a small collective weekend haul!

For Black Friday, I missed a lot of the online deals but I made sure to get to Sephora right when they opened (@ 6 AM, kill me now) and this btw consisted of me waking up at 4:15 AM which is something I never EVER do... especially when I went to bed past 1 AM! I went with my aunt as she took the week off :) and no one thought I could do it but I did! It was well worth it, but now I know for next year not to bother going downtown.

There weren't many sales. The only excitement was Breakfast Television hosting free giveaways! We didn't win anything :( Anyways.. got to Eatons at about 6:10 AM and had my aunt go to guest services where they were giving $10 gift cards to the first 100 in line. Of course there was a massive line already (as well as the giftcards being given out at H&M) so we didn't get either... these people must be crazy, getting there at 4 AM to wait 2 hours.

Here is what I got from Sephora... only 6 items @ $12 each, the total came out to about $80.

Josie Maran Bear Naked Wipes & Bear Naked Nail Wipes: 
I adore these! Used them twice and haven't broken out, they remove my makeup well enough but as other reviews have said yes they take a lot of rubbing to remove eye makeup. UPDATE: Using them a few times they seem to burn my face a little, I heard it's from the grapefruit, will update as to whether they break me out or not. << YES, they seemed to break me out. I was using them with Naked Skin FD so I don't know but either way they burned, so I returned them to Sephora.

Sephora Gilded Brush Set Trio: These feel super soft and are very sparkly and eye-catching, can't wait to try them out!

Too Faced Deluxe Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder & Travel Kabuki Brush (x3): This is my HG bronzer so I had to stock up! I got my aunt to get an extra one as a gift :) Although the kabuki is super tiny... what is this for really? I think I can maybe contour with this...maybe?

Stila Travel Palette in Merry and Bright & Deluxe Kitten Lip Glaze: This palette is awesome! It's like a mini on-the-go naked palette for me. I can use all the colours. One is more of a shimmer and isn't too pigmented but still it's awesome! I haven't tried the lip glaze yet but seen swatches and it looks very shimmery :) 

To the right of the Stila palette are samples! The cashier just threw them in my bag without telling me and when I looked inside I was super excited to see.. (from L to R)
Giorgio Armani Fluid Master Primer, (5 ml), Bare Minerals Matte in Med. Beige NC20 (0.3 g), Mini Kabuki Brush, Active Cell Renewal Night Serum (3 ml)

Second stop... Brandy Melville @ Queen and Spadina! This by the way was brutal! As I had to wait in line with tons of girls for an hour... then inside we're lined up for the fitting room and about 8 of them decide that they can join their friend in front of me when there's only 4 fitting rooms (and you have to be in the cash line by 11 AM to get the 20% discount)! It was one of those kill me now moments.. I honestly no longer wanted to be there but I came so far... and everything was 20% off.. one of the employee's noticed and politely asked them to get behind me, I didn't want to have to argue with anyone about jumping the line...again.., why does this always happen to me everywhere..lol. Can I grow a few inches please..

Give me some credit for this too.. I had about 9 items to try on and narrowed it down to the 3 that looked best on me! Finn Knit, Tiger May Tank, & California Crop Tank in Navy

My total came out to about $102 I believe.

Now onto my Lisa's Cosmetics Warehouse Sale.... 

This was my first time going, and I had to wait a ridiculous 3 hours in line in the cold. I had to stand with my complaining bf the whole time, it was terrible.. I made it up to him by buying him a few bathroom essentials he needed! Btw I also wasted my time in line as I did not buy any makeup products and the household essentials probably would have still been there later on.

Sorry girls. Nothing too interesting here..hehe. Although the total was still $99.25. I bought about $20 worth of stuff for the bf but left it at his house. 

I'll list the products not shown below incase anybody was wondering:

Not Pictured:

Another Lysol Disinfecting Wipes

Irish Spring Body Wash

Phisoderm Gentle Facial Cleanser

Tresemme Conditioner Large

Edge Shave Gel, Band Aids

Revlon Heel Smoother Thing....that doesn't work very well *sigh*

The Lysol wipes were the best deal by far... and the Febreze! Honestly I needed this stuff and since I didn't find any makeup I wanted I just focused on essentials.. the Tivoli Nail Polish Remover pads were $1 and Style Snaps were $3.

All in all this weekend was super tiring but fun! I learnt from my first time at Lisa's that I could have gone a lot later and avoided the long wait in line, but I was hoping for some new cosmetics I haven't seen on other blogs. It wasn't as crazy as expected and I'm satisfied with my deals :)

Did you go to Lisa's Cosmetics Warehouse Sale? What did you buy!? I'd love to see black friday hauls as well. Leave me a comment about it!

Beauty Box 5: October 2012 Box

This is very long overdue! My October 2012 Beauty Box 5 (also known as BB5). I possibly have not been excited enough to post about this because the box itself didn't really excite me.... in fact I was quite upset upon receiving it because 

A) it took about 2+ weeks, 

B) the samples all seem to be very "free" looking (you know what I mean!) and not deluxe at all. 

I actually haven't used any of these products yet, except for one which gave me a terrible reaction (the city lips gloss/plumper!) I haven't tried it a second time around yet because I'm scared of the outcome... will probably give to a friend to try out. 

So here are a few photos I took of the box contents and what I think about each product!

NOTE: None of these are tested so far, besides the City Lips Plumper.

Fulesse Elevens - Frown Line Reducing Patches

Relax frown lines in a gentle, natural (no needles!) way. Simply apply the clear patch while you sleep and a few hours later you'll see fewer lines. It's that easy.

Received: 3 Patches = $2.01

Full Size: 30 Patches = $20

No way I can really use this. I'm 19, I don't have frown lines yet. I can't find decent reviews about trying it if you do not have mature skin, so I am holding on to this hopefully for a trade for something I can actually use.

Goat Haus Dairy Lip Balm

Your lips will lust after this light-weight, soft and silky goats-milk lip balm!

Received: Full Size!

Full Size: $2.50

This isn't very appealing for a full size product. You can see that it is only half full. I heard it wasn't a bad product, so I'm hoping to try this once I finish some other lip balms I have! I like how the ingredients are very natural.

Margania Pure Argan Oil

With naturally high levels of Vit. E and skin-supporting fatty acids, this "miracle" oil is perfect for healing skin ailments and protecting against premature aging. Use alone or mix with your moisturizer.

Received: 2" tube? Not sure of value.

Full Size: 2 fl oz  = $32

Am interested to try this out. Confusing though because others have said it is for the hair but the card seems to imply that it's for the face or body. Can I try it on my hair!? I have yet to try it because I'm not sure exactly how or where to apply...

ShowStoppers Fashion Tape

Received: 2 = $0.84

Full Size: 24 = $10 

I think these are self explanatory. Double stick "designer fashion tape" to keep your shirt stuck to your bra (or body). These would come in handy for emergency, or a really low cut/revealing dress. So I will hold onto these for the future I guess!

Lash Card

Received: 2 Cards = $1.40

Full Size: 10 Cards = $7 

Again, self explanatory by the picture. I won't be needing these. I never get mascara on my top lid and if I do I can quickly wipe it off... I heard it was also difficult to use. I would probably end up poking my eye out or something with this!

NuMe $100 Gift Certificate

Okay how many of these am I really going to get? Already received 2 and didn't use either, then they expired. I find it ridiculous that they charge $170 for a hair tool, so the $100 off doesn't mean anything, since in brackets it usually says (+$15 + $10 shipping). Not to mention duties on top of that. What's the +$15 actually for? Probably won't be using this again...

Do you use NuMe products or have bought from them/received a sample? I would love to hear what you think about them in the comment box below.

City Lips Lip Plumper in Sun Diego

These luscious lip plumpers are packed with antioxidants and moisturizing ingredients! Apply alone or over lipstick for fuller, plumper lips in an instant!

Received: 1.5 ml = $9.60

Full Size: 5 ml = $32

Only product I've tried so far. I already have plump lips so these made them extremely tingle and feel uncomfortable. They burnt for a few minutes and I felt like I had a fat lip and had to take it off. No one else seems to feel this reaction so I may try again, however, I'd rather just give to a friend since I don't need it.

Total BB5 October Box Value: Approx. $20.61
Value is approx. due to estimation of value for Margania Argan Oil

Did you like your BB5 box!? How long have you been a subscriber? 

Topbox: November 2012!

Here is a little preview of what I got in my November Topbox. I know some people have been curious about what's in it so I am scrambling to post these photos first and will add the reviews as I've begun trying the products out.

Cuccio Naturale Butter Pomegranate & Fig (Hydrating Butter Blend)

10x the Moisturizing Power of Lotion. A non-oily intense hydrating treatment for silky smooth skin.

Received: Sample Size @ $0.73

Full Size: 240 g @ $18.95

I'm not one to use hand cream but I really like this. This stuff does what is claims, It actually is non-oily! I can put it on my hands and it absorbs almost instantly and does not make my hands sticky whatsoever. 

I would highly recommend this for those who hate oily creams (making their hands uncomfortable and slippery). I didn't appreciate the bubbles inside making it look like an aero bar (which also means less product) but I def will be purchasing the full size anyway!

Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes (Waterproof Eyeliner)

An award-winning, waterproof, smudge-proof, and fade-proof eyeliner that doubles as a vibrant eye shadow.

Received: 0.7 g @ $12.35

Full Size: 1.13 g @ $20

Pandora's Makeup Box Polish and Perfume Duo 

These paired polishes and perfumes are fabulous for travel or gifting!

Received: Full Size @ $24.50/pair

Full Size: $24.50/pair

I am not interested in trying out the polish, I've seen swatches and the colour is usable but I usually wear bright, pastel colours on my nails. They've been very very brittle lately from wearing polish all summer so I let them breathe for a few months. I tested the perfume. It's really faint, smells like a mix of candy and flowers. It's not too bad, I don't like floral fragrances but I can stand this as it's not too strong.

Total Topbox November Value: $37.58

If anyone wants to trade for the coral/citrus duo please!!! I will love you forever :D

Topbox: Lise Watier Complimentary Tobpox!

So a little less than a month ago, Topbox decided to collaborate with Shoppers Drug Mart instead of Holt Renfrew, and offered all of their members in the Toronto region a change to receive a free, limited edition Lise Watier Topbox! This post is quite late (like many of my posts will probably be, due to school being so tiring and time consuming..) but I also wanted to be sure that I was able to test the products out before posting about them. Only members in the Toronto area that were able to travel to the 6 locations were able to receive the complimentary sample box. This made a lot of members upset, but Topbox has assured everyone that they were testing it in Toronto first and that they would expand this nation-wide if it was successful (probably because it is close to their actual headquarters, so it made sense that it must have been easier to dispatch the boxes around Toronto rather than send them all around Canada). 

I picked up my box the same night that I saw a picture of another blogger's box because one of the locations was a minute from my boyfriend's house! I was delighted to see how deluxe the samples were! This really made up for the smaller samples in Topbox's October box. 

So going in order of what's on the card...

Plumpissimo Le Gloss

Received: Deluxe Sample Size $5.08 (1.5ml)

Full Size: $21 (6.2ml)

This is suppose to moisturize and smoothen the lips while plumping at the same time. I've never really had any luck with plumping lip products, I swear they make my lips look huge and swollen. And not an attractive kind either, it probably scares people. So I tried this once but I didn't feel too much plumping, it felt nice and I really adore the colour. If it wasn't a plumping product I would definitely use this everyday.

Hydrasmart 3D Hydration Gel-Creme

Received: Deluxe Sample Size $24 (30ml)

Full Size: $40 (50ml)

I cannot even explain how much I love this product! So first of all, I have sensitive skin that has been acting up lately causing it to be VERY sensitive and I have not used a moisturizer because they all cause me to break out. Others are too thick, don't seem to absorb well, and give me a very oily t-zone. But this!! I fell in love. It absolutely did not break me out. I have been using it for half a month and my skin looks like it is really improving. It's softer, smoother, and I forgot to mention that it hydrated my super dry spots that were dried out by benzyl peroxide. I stopped using this for 2 days and my skin stayed moisturized, even in this cold weather! I would definitely buy this once I run out, the only problem is the steep price tag! I hope I can find a cheaper alternative, otherwise I don't mind investing in something that finally works. I found my HG!

Frisson Neiges Twist & Spray Set

Received: Purse Spray $26 + Refill $26 = $52

Full Size: $40 (30ml), $59 (50ml)

This fragrance with the refill is actually worth $52 alone! I couldn't believe how generous it was! It's too bad that I really do not like the fragrance. I like fruity, fun fragrances and am not too into floral fragrances. Hopefully I will find someone who is though! Although I really love the travel/purse friendly idea, with the twist up cap. 

Total Lise Watier October Topbox Value: $97!

Thank you so much Topbox for the very generous, complimentary box! How did you like the products in your box, if you were able to get one?