February 2012 Luxe Box

I picked up my Luxe Box from the mail room yesterday! For those of you who want to check out last month's box, you can check my review here! There's also a blurb at the beginning explaining what Luxe Box is.

This month featured a bright red box (to celebrate the month of love I suppose), and was collaborated with Flare magazine.

Overview of the products inside. As per usual, they give you a thank you card, as well as a card that explains the products and their full-sized prices. This month also had a form for Flare magazine, which you could fill out and pay for a subscription.

Cargo Lash Activator
Sample size: not indicated
Full size: 11ml ($35)
Note: The formula contains agents that promote lash growth and help strengthen lash roots.

I really like the rubber wand, as the mascara doesn't clump at all. I noticed a clear lengthening and a little volume of my lashes after one stroke, which I think is good for everyday use. The only thing I didn't like was that it rubbed off easily and that I saw a few particles had fallen on my under eye area by the end of the day.

PureDKNY Verbena
Sample size: 7 ml
Full size: 50 ml ($80) or 100 ml ($105)

The box it came in was cute. I think it smells fresh, light and a little floral; perfect for spring. I don't normally buy perfumes, but the sample they gave out will last me a while.

Dermalogica Microfoliant
Sample size: 13g
Full size: 75g ($72)
Note: Good for all skin types.

You mix this powder with water after cleansing to create a paste which buffs away impurities, leaving skin soft and smooth. I have yet to try this.

Redken Color Extend Shampoo & Conditioner
Sample size: Shampoo 3 x 10 ml & Conditioner 3 x 10 ml
Full size: Shampoo 300 ml ($15) & Conditioner 250 ml ($17)
Note: Meant for colour-treated hair.

I'll try out these samples anyways, even though I've never dyed my hair before. These samples would obviously benefit those with coloured hair more than myself.


Overall I think this month's box was much better than last month's. I really like the perfume and I'm interested in the microfoliant! I'll also use that mascara until I can replace my old one.
If you're interested in subscribing to Luxe Box, then click here!


Until next time!

Reading Week + Haircut + Photoshoot Locale

Hey guys! Another daily post for you!

So this week was my Reading Week for school. We don't have classes, but it's an excuse for my profs to pile on a bunch of reading. So far I've managed to get a good portion done.. but I find myself getting distracted easily by other things!
It was nice to be back at home for a bit though. I'm leaving for school again this Sunday... it's too soon!

Today specifically I went and scoped out potential photoshoot locales for my Howl cosplay. My dad is a cameraman and was a photographer in college, so I figured if I could find somewhere close to home, then maybe I could get him to take a couple pictures of me!

I had that one seen in my mind from Howl's Moving Castle where Howl and Sophie first meet and they're going through alleyways in order to dodge the blobby men (I forget if they had names! D:). I found some interesting little walkways that I think would be suitable for some European-themed backdrops.

On a sunny day I think they would look especially great!

I will finish this post off with a photo of the haircut I got today! My bangs grew out so I had to get them cut again.. I like this look though!

I can wear circle lenses!

Hey guys! The title might seem a bit silly, but this is something that I've been trying to do for a couple of years now. I'm so happy that I can put in and take out contacts now! (*´艸`*) My optometrist said I couldn't do it because I always get antsy in my eye exams.. HA! SEE THAT?!

This isn't actually going to be a review because I'm a total noob when it comes to lenses, but if you're interested, then check out Sachie's review! These are the Nudy Green lenses from Geo Medical. So that being said: COMMENCE THE PHOTO SPAM. ─=≡Σ((( つ•̀ω•́)つ

I think my blue eyes will be ideal for wearing lighter coloured circle lenses since the colours will show up better. I just need to be careful with darker colours, since my natural eye colour might peek through and look weird?

If I try opening my eyes really wide then I look like a deer hehe! The texture sort of reminds me of a crocodile's skin.. のヮの;

From afar these look super natural (as in they blend very well)! They also have a good enlarging effect. If it was for cosplay though, I'm thinking I'd prefer something with a darker ring just so my eyes pop out even more on film! (〃∇〃)
(I'm also showing off my rainbow nails that i did a couple days ago.. super colourful and pretty~)

Here are some close-ups of the design. The pixelated design helps the lense blend in with your eye colour!

Because it was my first time putting anything in my eye, it felt a little uncomfortable (a little teary, but no stinging). I just blinked slowly a couple of times and gently pressed on my eyelid before my eyes became accustomed to them.

I was actually inspired by this video. Before I was having a hard time doing it the standard way (holding eyelashes up, lower lid down and then the other hand with the lense on a fingerヽ(ｏ`皿′ｏ)ﾉ). Michelle Phan in the video made it look waaaay easier, and so I was able to get them in! (ง´▽`)ง

And now I can cosplay more characters and be more accurate!! HURRAY!!

Tea Lounge

Last nigth was really fun because I actually did something that pertained to a social life of some sort!

Asuka invited me to go to a tea lounge that was about a half hour walk from my residence. I needed to pick some stuff up at the Shoppers Drug Mart nearby, so it was a pretty good idea! (I ended up picking up a Fekkai shampoo, but not the one I tried in the Luxe Box for some reason.. I'm weird like that.)

I've never been to a tea lounge before, as I've only just started drinking tea. I felt like a super trendy university student when we went in. The place was a little small, but cozy and warm! My knowledge of tea is limited, so it was helpful that the menus gave you a good description of the taste. The tea is 100% organic as well, so you could actually get up and smell the containers with the flowers, tea leaves, etc.

I ordered white tea!

I think it's a very neat idea and wished we had something like this on campus! It would be SO easy to do, as you would only need a hot water dispenser, tea leaves, some steepers and the cups! You can reuse the tea leaves as well, so that saves the customer's and the lounge some money!

They also sold crèpes that were VERY tasty. I had one that was breakfast themed.
It was a good night.. my stomach was so full

On another note! I got my blog on bloglovin'! So if you do that, then you can click on the link below to follow me there:
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January Luxe Box 2012 [super duper long]

     So I recently received my first every Luxe box from Loose Button! If you're familiar with the Birchboxes in the US, then this is basically a Canadian version. There are other companies that do this service as well, so this is just one company out of the many that have been popping up recently.

     For those of you who don't know, however, these luxe boxes are a service you pay $12 a month for and what you get inside are 4-5 regular and deluxe sized samples. The idea is that you can pay a manageable fee and still try out some products that you may not have thought about trying before. It's a great way to expand your knowledge of beauty and health products!

     Rather than a super in depth review for each product, this post will focus more on my first impressions of this company and this month's box as a whole.


     They shipped it out late this month, so I actually only got it today..

 
     So apparently I was lucky this month and got a complimentary second box (white) as a New Year's present of sorts. I think the packaging is very chic, but perhaps not as eco friendly as it could be. Actually, these two boxes were sent in yet another box, which I don't really like. They also have a bunch of shredded paper inside, which looks cool, but again it's pretty wasteful I think.

     Something I do like about it, is that it's somewhat personalized. They have your name on all the cards, as well as a thank you card from the company. I've exchanged emails with them as well, and they were very prompt in reply and very courteous.

     I'm not familiar with benefit (or at least haven't tried them yet), but apparently this isn't for sale. I suppose there's some value to that!

     I got the above in a full-size, which retails for $4 (Not outstanding, but it's still full-size). I wouldn't recommend this for use on eyebrows though, as it is just WAY too dark for a natural look. I suggest keeping it as a kohl eye liner. 

tip: for the appearance of fuller lashes, line your upper waterline.

from top to bottom: Lise Watier Plumpissimo le Gloss, benefit posie tint, NYX slim eye pencil.

     I don't think I'll be using the Lise Watier gloss that often, as the applicator was this weird brush thing. It felt gloopy on my hand and the tint isn't what I go for usually... it's a little too mature a shade for me I think. 

     The benefit posie tint goes on quite shear and has a cute pink colour to it. It has a liquid-gel consistency, so while it says you can apply it to both your cheeks and your lips I'm still hesitant to put it on my cheeks as the texture would kinda creep me out. It seems nice enough for the lips though!

     The NYX eye liner seems like your standard soft kohl liner. Not too sure what it's doing in a luxe box...

     This is a good sample size of a very expensive moisturizer. Although I wish it was targeted more towards my age.. however the benefits might still apply. The smell of this reminds me of old, dusty cottages. It has sort of a musky, wood scent for me which I'm not sure if I like it or not. The moisturizer itself is not sticky, greasy or oily. It seems to soak well and leave the skin feeling soft. Can't speak for it's long-term effects though!

     I don't drink coffee AT ALL, so this is rather useless to me. However, this is yet another full-sized product that retails at $9.99. In this sense, I can't be too angry as I've already made my money back with both the eyeliner and this packet of coffee!

That being said, here's what I got in the white box!

     I wasn't too crazy about the razor. It seems a bit weird to get something like this in a service that's supposed to provide luxury items we don't normally get to experience. I'm not sure if I would classify this as a luxury item. However, this is yet another full-size product that retails at $13.99.

     The shampoo and conditioner is a little more conventional to receive for a service like this. Everyone seems to like this brand online so I'm a bit curious to try it out! This sample also came with a coupon thing worth 8 000 bonus Shoppers Optimum points (which, if you know me, you know that I'm a sucker for these things) when you purchase any Fekkai hair product. This is REALLY tempting, but I took a peak online and it's pretty expensive. I'm gonna have to love it to the point of no return if I want to justify buying it.

     So while I'm disappointed in some areas, and impressed in others, I have to say that even buying one month is nice treat! There's the downside of not knowing what you'll get, but there's the potential of getting something you'll really love!

    Sadly, my subscription ends after February, so I have one more luxe box to go and then I'm done. I might try another service like Top Box, as that seems to be a very popular one. I think there's limited availability though, so who knows when that will happen.

     So if you're hesitant with buying products because you don't know if they're for you or not, this service is great because you make your money back and then some. It's super affordable to begin with anyways! This is also great for beauty noobs because it'll expose you to many different products!

If you'd like to try out Luxe Box by Loosebutton, then click here: Luxe Box website (this is a referral link, so that if you sign up from here, then I earn points for free luxe boxes. I can't afford this service all the time, so if you think I deserve a treat then I would be very flattered!)

If you live in the USA, then try out Birchbox here: Birchbox website

Thanks for reading this far, and if you decide to do it then great! I hope you find something you really love!