January 2013 GLOSSYBOX (Feat. ManRepeller)

Subscription boxes seems to be the new fad these days. There's practically one for everything you can possibly think of. My dear blogger friend, Steph, can attest to that, because she blogs about them all the time. It's rather mind blowing just how many are out there. If you want to learn more about all the possible boxes, drop her blog a visit, and you will see what I am talking about.

For me, I have always been a little hesitant about them because it is a monthly commitment to make. I've researched many such as Birchbox and ipsy, but the only one I've found that has really appealed to me the most is GLOSSYBOX. They were avaliable to many other countries before America, and from what I saw, they seemed to have great samples from high end brands. I was excited when they finally launched here in early 2012. The only thing that was stopping me then was the price tag. It is $21/month, which is twice as much as the typical $10 subscriptions. So I just sort of waited...

Finally in November, during what I believe was Black Friday weekend, GLOSSYBOX had a promotion where their first box would be $12 instead. I decided to jump at the opportunity and sign up. My first box came in December, so this the second box into my subscription. This box was a special collaboration with Leandra of the popular fashion blog: The Man Repeller.

At GLOSSYBOX, they don't skimp out on the packaging. The boxes are sturdy, and you can reuse them for storage and organization. Each box seems to always come with a card listing information for each of the products you receive. Occasionally, some products you see on your card may or may not be in your box. I had this happen in my first box. This is because not all boxes receive the same products. From what I've seen in other people's boxes, there are sometimes slight variations where one or two of the things will be different. If you do some research around the time everyone gets their boxes, you can see all the possibilities.

This time around I got 7 samples total. Two are full-size, three of which I consider deluxe samples, and two normal sized samples. I haven't tried every yet so I can't speak for everything yet, but I will provide some comments nevertheless.

1. Estée Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara (0.1oz/2.8ml) - I have never tried their mascaras before so it will be interesting to see how this works for my sad sad lashes.
2. Fresh Umbrian Clay Mattifying Serum (0.17oz/5ml) - I have the Umbrian Clay bar from Fresh, and I love that thing so I am very interested to see how good this is.
3. Le Métier De Beauté Replenishing Daily Solution (0.10oz/3ml) - I've heard much about their makeup, but I haven't heard too much about their skincare. Hopefully, it's just as good.
4. Living Proof Prime Style Extender (1 fl oz/30ml) - This is a great travel size, and I will test this out against all the other pre-styling products that I am using.
5. Narcisco Rodriguez for her Eau de Toilette (0.03 fl oz/1ml) - The smell...is not my cup of tea, unfortunately. I think I am more of a sweet smell kind of girl.
6. OPI Liquid Sandy Nail Lacquer in "Can't Let Go" (0.5 fl oz/15ml) - The color is gorgeous. There's so much glitter! The texture is interesting, and you're not suppose to use a top coat so it leaves a look of sand. I'm excited to see how this performs.
7. Vincent Longo Lipstain SPF 15 Lipstick in "Belle Etoile" (0.12oz/4g) - The texture is very smooth and it feels just like a balm. The color looks very intimidating in the tube but on my lips it looks more like a deep berry color.

The color is not so intimidating after all is it?! Perfect for those days where you want to give your lips a little oomph! I really enjoy the way this feels on my lips.

And, I can't forget to swatch that gorgeous polish for you all. I think it would look great with or without a top coat. It's like a bottle of glitter exploded on your nails!

Overall, I am pretty satisfied with this month's box. I think I will really get some good use out of most of the products.

Does anyone else have a GLOSSYBOX subscription? Let me know what you guys think of this box.

The Adored & Loved of 2012

Every year I write an extensive post talking about my favorite products of the past year, and it's usually posted on New Year's day. However, this year I was in China, and I did not have access to blogger since it was blocked. Now it's a month into 2013. I was about to skip it all together, but it's one of my favorite posts to write, so here it is anyways. Better late than never, right?

Let's start off with products that aren't recurring from my last yearly favorites.

• Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Foundation - My favorite drugstore foundation to date. It's easy to apply (I use my fingers), has great coverage, and is fairly affordable. During my two week trip in China last month, this was my go-to foundation simply because it cut down my time to get ready in half. As much as I love brushes, using my fingers is still the quickest way, and because this covers most of my imperfections, I didn't have to spend so much time putting on concealer. It also lasts a good amount of time on my oily complexion.
• Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain - I have 5 of these in my collection. Does that speak enough about how much I love these? These are super long lasting, and I enjoy many of the colors that they have. I am one of those people who really never reapply my makeup during the day because I am too lazy for that. This is no different when it comes to lip products either. I just never remember. Therefore, I am all for lip products that last long and feel good on the lips. These are it! They stain my lips so I don't have to worry about reapplying, and they don't make my lips dry and flaky like many other long lasting lip products.
• Makeup Forever Full Cover Concealer - The name says it all. This is a full coverage concealer, and does a great job at concealing those unwanted blemish spots. When I was in China, I had massive break outs that left a lot of scarring. This was the concealer I used to cover up those scars. I squirt out a little my fingers and dab it on all the spots. I find this method provides the best coverage, because it doesn't blend out the product as much.
• Lise Watier Base Miracle Pore Minimizing Primer - When I'm having a girl's night out, I need my makeup lasting all night long through all the dancing and good times. This has been the primer of choice for those nights as it really makes my makeup stay on. It also does a great job of smoothing out my skin in preparation for my foundation.
• OPI Nail Lacquer (Got the Blues for Red) - The ox blood shade has been all the rage this past fall/winter season, and I definitely fell for the color hard. I practically owned every piece of clothing possible in the oxblood shade, and it was one of my favorite colors to wear on the nails. 9 out of 10 times I did my nails in the past 3 months, it was this color. I just love how it looks.
• Maybelline ExpertWear Eyeshadow Quads (02Q Stylish Smokes) - This quad is travel friendly. I find the colors easy to work with, and it has pretty much all the shades I would want for my daily makeup look. I particularly enjoy the matte brown shade, as I have found it to be the perfect outer corner color. Even when I use my Naked palette, I still use the matte brown from this quad There have been a few times that I traveled in the past year, where all I brought with me for eyeshadow was this palette. It's affordable, and an overall great product to have in any collection.
• Urban Decay 24/7 Shadow Pencil (Sin) - I use this to highlight the inner corners of my eyes. It really brightens them up without being too much. I find highlighters on the white side tend to be too bright, and it just makes my eyes look a little weird. This is the perfect shade because it's a champagne color that blends nicely into the skin. 
• Kiss Me Heroine Long & Curl Mascara - Best mascara for short straight Asian lashes! Gives great length, and makes my sad lashes actually visible. It's one of the best sellers in Asia, and I can definitely speak for that.

And finally, the two favorites that are still going strong (I didn't include all of them because that may be making this post just too long)...

• Urban Decay Naked Palette - This will always have a place in my heart. Enough said. It's a great value. I would recommend this palette to anyone.
• NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder (#720 Sunny) - This bronzer is a cult favorite. It's cheap and it works for many people. The shade is matte and easy to work with. You don't really need to worry about putting too much on because the finish is very natural.

Do you share any favorites items with me? Let me know your favorite beauty items because I am always up for trying new products!