June Julep Maven Box

This month, I decided to stick with my style - Classic with a Twist.  There was nothing classic about the colours and was all twist!  And I love it!  I did purchase some add-ons, but those are coming separately!


Just in the nick of time, this month's box came with Julep's daylight defense lip balm and daylight defence hand and face cream, and of course my gorgeous colours!

First up are the Pixie sticks....HAHAHA! I've never had a pixie stick before in my life, but from what I gather, they are straws filled with flavoured sugar?  ohmigoodness.  Me and sugar do not get along.  I actually get hyper like a little child.  I can't control myself, so bring it on!  :P

Julep SPF 30 Daylight Defense for hands and face.  I'm not sure how I feel about this product.  I always thought that you should use what was meant for your hands on your face because it would be too thick?  But I guess, if it was a face product, then you can use it on you hands?  It contains Vitamin E, which helps hydrate skin and strengthen nails while the built-in SPF helps guard against fine lines and sun spots.  This product, like all their other products does not contain any paragons or sulfates and is PABA-free.

Julep SPF 15 Daylight Defense Lip Balm in Vanilla Mint. It smells fantastic!  It smells like those minty chocolates that you get from restaurants.  It applied really nicely but it stings a little - I think that it might be the mint.  I hope that I can stop myself from trying to eat  this!

This month, Lauren and Claire paid me visit and said that they'd like to stay.

Claire is a beautiful sky blue creme with a gloss finish.  It was kind of streaky and required three to four coats.


Lauren is a hot tropical pink creme with a matte finish.  I really liked this.  Once again, it was a little on the streaky side and took about four coats to get the opacity that you see in the swatch below.  But I still love this shade!  

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with this month's box and this subscription service in general. I really like the fact that I can skip a month or that I can switch up boxes if there is another box that I like better!  And these two shades are just perfect for those summery, lazy, breezy days!

Sephora OPI Indian Summer Minis

 As you all probably know by now, I'm in LOVE with mini polishes! I'm completely insatiable when it comes to these little mini sets - doesn't matter which brand it is, if they are mini and come in a set, I'm gonna get you!

Sephora and OPI have this little party going on where OPI will release Sephora exclusive polishes.  Betsey Johnson and Bohemian Nights are some of their more recent releases.  


Just in time for the summer, they've released a new mini set - "Indian Summer".  This set contains some very bright and bold colours.  And in true OPI fashion, they have some cute and very appropriate names!

 Paisley Attention to Me - Bright, vibrant, show stopping orange.
What Aura You Gonna Wear? - Beautiful magenta pink with a touch of cool.  This is probably my favourite shade.
Seriously, It's a Naan-Issue - Deep dark purple.
I'm So Sari! - Flashy Iridescent and glittery blue, blue base.

I wish that I could wear all of these colours - at once!  Out of all the collections that Sephora OPI have put out, I think that this one is my favourite by far!  

Sweet Delights Divalicious Sample box Review!

Yes, you read right!  It's another box!  Sweet Divalicious Delights is a sample box and is slightly different from the rest (i.e. TopBox, Luxebox, Glymm, and Glossybox).  This box is seasonal (kind of like the new Luxebox format) and guarantees anywhere between 10-15 sample to full sized items, all for $26 (includes shipping).  The items range from beauty items to jewellery. The majority of the items are natural and organic and form "local" artisans and companies (YAY!). This box ships to Canada and US.  


It's important to sign up for their newsletter because they often send you sneak peeks and let you know when the box is going on sale.  It is first come, first serve, so once they sell out, it's out.  This box sold out in 2 hours!!!!


When I first received the box, it was chock full of goodies - and I mean brimming!

I don't even know where to begin!  


Acrylic Graphic Design Picture - I don't know what to do with it, but it's interesting.
Gourmet Scented Pencils - grape and bubblegum.  I'm a pen girl, so I think that I'll be giving these away to my niece. 
Del Sol colour changing nail polish. 
Three lip balms (one is called Monkey Farts!!!  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!)
Small pot of concealer.

A BUNCH of soaps.  They range anywhere between guest sized to deluxe size.  All smell delicious!

More miscellaneous samples.  
John Frieda hair samples
Bugs Away natural bug spray.  Cool!  This is a fair sized sample, and with the wet weather that we've been having, I'm probably going to need it!
Lots of lotion samples.  

Jewellery!!! I received a very cute peas in a pod pendant, pie on a plate with fork and knife earrings and a red swarovski flower pendant.  I love the peas in a pod pendant.  It's very delicate and pretty.

So, this is the box!  I'm not sure if I'm going to get it again.  The one good thing about this box is that they let you see the box contributors, with links to their website, so you can check them out before you purchase the box.  


What do you think of this box? Did you order one?

Best Pedi Ever!

Over the past couple of months, I've amassed a ton of pedicure products from my Julep Maven boxes.  I usually don't pay that much attention to my feet because it seems like the more that I do, the worse that they look.  Especially those heels!  They really take a beating.  Some of the pedicure products that I've received is a pedicure file, the "Best Pedi Prep Ever!" and the "Best Pedi Creme Ever!" - all full sized products.  Rather than letting them go to waste, like I normally would have done, I decided to test them out.


First things first, though, my normal pedi routine consists of using this Revlon Callus Remover.  It seriously looks like a metal hurt contraption.  And then, I finish off my lazy-person routine with the Rocky Mountain Foot Butter and moisturizing socks (maybe.)

With the "Julep" system, you roll on the prep (contains super exfoliating AHAs and chamomile extract) and wait 2-3 minutes for it to soften and exfoliate your heel.  You do not have to soak your feet beforehand. Then you file your heels like your life depended on it.  The file that Julep sells did not outlast the pedicure session.  It was a little on the cheap side and the water seemed to break down the glue that held the "sanding paper" piece on.  Yes, we shall stick with that story - I refuse to believe that it was my heel that broke the file.  :P You rinse your feet and then you apply the creme. 

The cheap foot file aside, my heels did feel really nice and smooth at the end of the session.  The prep roll on was a little bit of a weird experience for me - just because I wasn't used to it.  I couldn't really tell how much product I was supposed apply, and it was often hard to tell if any had actually rolled on (especially if your feet are already wet).  The creme had a nice foot creamy- coconutty smell, not too thick and absorbed quite nicely.  

I probably wouldn't do this treatment often, as I usually don't have the time for it, but it was nice to kind of pamper myself.  Would you try this out?  What is your tried and true pedicure routine?

JUNE JULEP MYSTERY BOX!

Hey everyone!!!  

I wasn't expecting one so soon, but Julep has just announced that they will be releasing a June Mystery Box!  You don't need a subscription to order!

Use JUNEMYSTERY promo code to bring the regular price of $60 for the box to $19.99.  I'm really hoping that I get a wicked awesome box!!!!  Will you be ordering one?

Hope everyone is having a fabby Thursday!  One more day until the weekend!!!!

May's GlossyBox

GlossyBox is quickly becoming one of my favourite boxes.  Really!  It is!  I don't know what it is that makes it one of my favourites...the box is this beautiful powder pink colour and really good quality.  Oh yeah, and the products aren't too bad either!  HAHAHA.

Unfortunately, there was a bit of a snafu and I didn't get a tracking number for the box, but  GlossyBox had posted something on their Facebook page to let us know.  When I picked it up, I couldn't believe how HEAVY it was - again!  Last month's box was super heavy too.  That got me really excited!  Heavy boxes = full sized samples!!!!  YIPPPEEE!!!!  And as always, it's smelling simply delightful!  I didn't get an information card this month with my box, so I'm going to wing it.  

First up is a FULL SIZED Professional Sebastian Volupt Volume Boosting Shampoo.  WOOT WOOT!!!  This shampoo contains cushioning particles to provide a volume boost and soft touch to your hair.  It also contains natural bamboo extracts.  It smells fantastic.  Snaps for great smelling hair.

Next up is Curel Foot Therapy.  It is a soothing cream for dry, cracked feet.  This doesn't look to be a full size, but it is a fairly good size (100ml).  Perfect for travelling.  It is infused with shea butter, coconut milk and vitamin E to help build a 24 hour hydration barrier.  I'm happy to have it, but I doubt that it'll beat out my Rocky Mountain Soap Foot Butter (two applications and your feet are soft as a baby's bottom!).

The next two products are probably the ones that I'm most excited to try.  Simple Eye Make Up Remover and Simple Refreshing Facial Wash.  I've been wanting to try out their products, but just haven't gotten around to deciding which one I wanted to try our first.  So now, the decision has been made for me!  They are pretty big deluxe sizes (once again, probably the same a travel size), so it'll contain enough uses for me to be able to do reviews on them.  

The last product is from BOXX Cosmetics and I'm assuming that it's a full size.  A little about the company - Boxx Cosmetics is a Canadian cosmetics company where everything is designed and made in Canada.  I received a cream corrector in Evelia (Medium shade with pink undertones.  Best for those with light to medium skin).  It might be a little dark for my skin tone.  This cream corrector can be used as foundation or concealer and it's supposed to be able to cover all those little imperfections (including under eye circles, sun damage and broken capillaries).  This is formulated without paragons, formaldehyde donors, phthalates, gluten (? - hey, I don't question...), animal derived ingredients and oils.  One thing that seems odd about this is, is the packaging.  It is minimalistic packaging (which is fantastic) but it also makes the assumption that you will have a magnetic case for it, as I think that it would be awkward to use in the plastic container it came it and probably would dry out faster because already, my plastic container isn't sealing properly)  The value of this product (as per the website) is $24. The cream corrector alone covers the cost of the box ($15).

What a fantastic box!  I'll have to give it a 5 out of 5 rating for this month.  Usually, i end up giving away some of the products that I've received in my box because it wouldn't suit me or I'm just not interested, but with this month's box, I'm going to try every single product because I like it all!I

What do you think of this box?  Which item would you be most excited to try?

May's LuxeBox

There's nothing like getting May's box in June...Oh Luxebox....  For such a large box, it was pretty light.  Whenever I receive light boxes, I always say to myself, "Roh-oh!"  And this was no exception.  Though we received two boxes - the regular LuxeBox and a special Bath and Body box, the boxes still felt really light - like their were empty.  Anyways, enough about that, I'm sure that you get my point...Here are the "goodies/baddies" that I received!

Paco Rabanne - Black XS L'Exces for her and Black XS for Him

WHHHHYYYYY?????????

Goldwell - Dual Sense Color Shampoo and Conditioner

Little shampoo packets will be the bane of my existence with these beauty boxes...This shampoo is supposed to gently cleanse and maintain your hair colour for visibly more brilliance and a natural feeling without weighing down the hair.

Full Size: Shampoo - 750ml ($28), Conditioner - 750ml ($32)

Sample Size: Shampoo - 20 ml ($0.75), Conditioner - 20ml ($0.85)

ORLANE - Active Hydration Body Care

Enhances the flow of water into skin cells, preserving and restoring hydration and the skin's youthful appearance.  It moisturizes intensively, and ensures optimal and dynamic hydration.  This is a pretty small sample that looks like is going to be a one time use...on a leg or arm.  I probably won't be able to gauge whether or not I'll let this product.

Full Size: 250ml ($105) <- WHAT????  Surely this is some sort of typo.  I'm expecting my skin to turn to gold for this price!

Sample Size: 7ml ($2.94)

ESSIE - Navigate Her

It is a muted lime green shade.  Unfortunately, I already have this shade in a mini.  

Full Size: 15 ml ($8)

Sample Size: Full Size

In the Bath and Body bonus box, I received a Gillette Venus and Olay razor and another Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Revolution Complex.  I think that these two products are pretty good.  I have yet to try the first Olay Regenerist product that I've received a while back, but I could always use more razors - uhhh...not that I'm super hairy or anything....

I think that it's awesome that we've received full sized Essie polishes in the past two boxes, but it's not enough for me to want to keep my subscription.  The lack of decent sized products in my boxes are really disappointing.  Plus, I didn't even get a tracking number for this month's box.  


I knew that eventually, I would have to start unsubscribing to some of the boxes and I think that I've given LuxeBox enough chances to try and redeem themselves, and it's just not happening, unfortunately.  I think that is will be my second last LuxeBox (if I recall correctly, they've already charged me for June's - which is silly.  They hadn't even shipped May's boxes and they've already charged for June's...).


What did you think of your May LuxeBox?  Were you happy or disappointed?

May's Love It or Leave It!

This month will be another Love It!  I know, I'm pretty shocked myself, but I think that I've been on a roll when it comes to purchasing things lately!  This month's focus will be hot tools.  For my birthday, a couple of months ago, I had decided to stop using my drugstore hot tools.  They just weren't cutting it for me anymore.  Not to say that they were cheap (I mean, they still did cost about $40-$60), but I was replacing them quite often.  So I decided that it might be time to invest in something a little more heavy duty and professional.  And off I went!  I do want to stress that these are mid-range professional tools - I'm not quite ready to make that big of an investment yet.

First Love is my hairdryer.  It's an Avanti Ultra Professional Hairdryer.  My hair normally takes about 5 minutes plus to dry (that's a lot of time to be stressing out your hair with heat).  Now, it takes less than that.  And the best part of my hairdryer is the cold blast button.  You press it once and it'll stay on cold blast until I press it again to turn it off.  AWESOME!  With all my other dryers, I had to hold down the button.  This dryer had three heat settings (four if you count the cold blast) and three speed settings.  It's got a removable magnetic filter cover, so I'm not breaking my dryer every time I'm trying to clean the lint!

Second Love is my Flat Iron.  I've been using one is a Vidal Sasson Ceramic flat iron that I purchased from London Drugs eons ago.  Just lately, I've been noticing how long it's been taking me to straighten my hair.  I would have to go over the same layers two three times to get it straight. Once again, Avanti showed me the way.  The flat iron that I've been using the past couple of weeks is the Avanti Ultra Ceramic flat iron.  There is a button that keeps your flat iron closed, but it doesn't close to the point the plates are touching each other, it leaves enough space to fit a finger.  This way, it won't ruin your plates.  I think that it takes me less time to straighten my hair than it does for the tool to heat up (which takes about a minute) and for me to spray the heat protectant on.  It's absolutely wonderful (plus it's hot pink to boot)!


Third Love is my Heroine Make Mascara Remover.  This has got to be one of the weirder products that I've ever purchased.  It's an oil based remover.  No, correction.  It's just oil.  The applicator is like a weird mascara applicator.  You put it on before you remove the rest of your make up, so by the end of everything, you just wipe with a kleenex and all mascara is gone!  I think that it just completely dissolves the mascara.  How safe is this product?  Like with most other asian products, I'm not too sure, but I'm guessing that it's alright because on MUA it has some really good ratings.  Another weird thing about this product is when you apply it, it doesn't move, so you'll never get it into your eye unless you rub it in there.  If you have a heavy hand when it comes to applying mascara, you might have to leave it on for more than the normally required 30 seconds and you might have to wipe a few more times.  I found that the best technique is to wipe with kleenex and then take your thumb and forefinger and rub your lash in between your fingers gently to get ANY excess off (for those more dramatic mascara days). 

There must be something in the air for me to have two LOVE IT months in a row!  I can't complain though - there's nothing worse than knowing that you spent money on a dud product...so I'm happy that I found some gems!

What are some of your love (or hate) products for this month...or ever?