September 2013 Topbox Unboxing

I am very, very, VERY sad to say that this will be my last Topbox that I will be receiving. I have cancelled my subscription with the company - but rest assured, this was not a mutual decision. It was all me. I love Topbox, but I have decided to try a few other beauty subscription services right now. We had a nice run Topbox.

Anyways! I am also VERY, very impressed with my last box ever!

I knew that when I got the box in the mail (which is odd, because it never comes in a box!) that it was going to be a lot different than any previous Topbox's that I had received, and boy was I RIGHT?

I received the 'Chatelaine Picks' Topbox this month and to say that I am in LOVE with it, would be a total and complete understatement.

In my box I received:

• The Porefessional - 3.0 mL
• Katy's Perry's Killer Queen Sample - 1.5mL (also comes with 8,000 extra Shopper's Optimum points if you purchase from Shopper's Drug Mart - WOO!)
• Redken Diamond Oil Shampoo - 1.7 fl oz.
• Redken Diamond Oil Conditioner - 1 fl oz.
• Zyderma HS Clarifying Cream - 30 mL
• Cover FX Matte Setting Powder - 4.5g
• Chatelaine Special Double Issue (I am so excited to read this by the way!)

I had received a POREfessional in an earlier box (and am still using it!) I actually really like it and will continue to use it.

I was really excited when I saw the 2 Redken products. I absolutely love the Redken Smooth Down Butter Treat. It is actually one of my go-to, HG, absolute favourite conditioners and because I only buy it every once in a while (it's kind of pricey.) my hair never really has a chance to get used to it - so it works fabulously, and flawlessly, every time.

I have never heard of Zyderma before, but I did quick Google search and I'm intrigued. I will have to give this a try and see what it does!

The absolute BESTthing ever about this box - and I mean BEST - is the Cover FX Matte Setting Powder. I have been yearning for this product for months, MONTHS I tell you. I was honestly still a little iffy on it because most setting powders never really do what they claim to do. So when I got this fairly large sample of it in my Topbox (which JUST so happens to be in LIGHT - my shade) I was really really excited.

Topbox how did you know I was wanting that product so bad? Y'all must be psychic!

Also, the Katy Perry perfume, it smells really good. I'm definitely going to have to try it out and see what it smells like on!

Reviews will be coming up from these products soon!

Keep smiling, beauties :)

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May Topbox Unboxing

Hey all!

I received my May Topbox in the mail this morning and after the whole Glymm debacle, I was SO excited to get it since I didn't receive my last Glymm box and I am not disappointed!

The first thing that I received in my Topbox was a full sized product - Cuccio Colour Nail Lacqeur. It's a neutral shade and I love that because I really don't have many. I'm really excited to try this product out. Full Size: $10.

I also received a sample of Lise Watier Haute Couleur High Coverage Lip Lacqeur in colour 343 Stylista and it's a really beautiful pink colour. The sample size was 1.5 mL and the full size is 6 mL and is $23.

The next product was a shadow refill from the Yaby cosmetics line and Copper Wire. I swatched this eye shadow and the first thing I noticed was the texture - it was super silky, not grainy. The colour payoff is awesome, it's highly pigmented and just looks beautiful. I apologize for the poor focus! -.-

The last product I received was the Roberto Cavalli Shower gel and it smells AMAZING. The sample size is 1.0 fl oz. and the full size is $80. 

This ambery floral fragrance illuminates with pink peppercorn, orange flower absolute and roasted tonka beans.

I am pretty happy with the box that I received this month and can't wait to try everything out!

I hope you all loved your boxes this month.

Have a beautiful day lovelies :)

xoxo Rae

Topbox Beauty Box Review!

Good Morning to my lovely readers!

Woke up to a lovely, unexpected surprise this morning! I got my Topbox in the mail! :)

I was originally going to make this blog an unboxing, but I figured that it will be far too long to do both in one, so after this one I will be doing an unboxing!

One thing I want to say first, is just regarding Topbox as a company. As most of you reading this probably know from an earlier blog that I had been having crazy issues with Glymm and just recently found out that they have decided to close their doors and stop serving their dedicated subscribers. I was a little disappointed in that and considered dropping the whole beauty box subscription service all together. I am so glad that I didn't make the decision to do so.

Topbox is an absolutely wonderful company and I have had absolutely no problems with the company, the products or the service so far. I purchase my boxes, they are not given to me and this is my own honest opinion (as always!). My boxes are always charged the first week of the month and delivered promptly during the second week. If ever there is a delay, Topbox actually communicates with their subscribers to let them know. This is something that Glymm struggled with for a long time. Payments were charged 2 months in advance and shipping was delayed till the very last day of the month. There was no consistency with Glymm. You were always left in the dark and they continued that in fine fashion right up until the day they closed their doors.

The products you receive I feel are definitely worth the money I spend and every once in a while they give you a choice on whether or not you want products they select or a privé box - which is essentially a box with  all of the same brand products, I have received so far a Clinique Privé and a Benefit Privé. I love this idea because there are some brands that I love and want to try a ton of their products and I think this is a great way for subscribers to have a choice in what they receive.

If you're looking at subscribing to a beauty subscription service in Canada, I would definitely consider Topbox! I highly recommend it and I've been through a lot of subscription companies.

Have a BEAUTIFUL day :)

xox Rae

Glymm vs. Glossybox & Topbox

Hi All!

I got my Glymm Box in the other day and to say I was unimpressed was an understatement - January's Glymm Unboxing. I stated the obvious reasons that I was upset with my Glymm Box and the samples and brands that I had received and now I'm going to show you the difference between Glymm's samples and Topbox and GlossyBox's samples.

Now, I understand that there are differences cost wise between the companies. I know that GlossyBox is roughly $21/month and that Glymm just recently adjusted their cost to $15/month. However, in this months GlossyBox were 3 full sized products, and in this months Glymm...we received 1 deluxe sized sample - if you could call it that. If you're going to claim that you provide 4-5 DELUXE sized samples each month, than they should be bigger than the size you can get for free from the drugstore. I don't believe that the samples Glymm sent out even add up to the $13 I spent.

If it were a little more of an expensive product and it was a tiny sample, I can kind of understand but it's not.

I have pictures below to show you the difference between samples I have received from Glymm and similar brands that I have received from Topbox and GlossyBox.

Click the image to enlarge.

On the left is the sample that I received in my Glymm Box the other day - sample size .25oz. On the right is a sample of the same product that was in the January GlossyBox - sample size 1 oz.

The one on the right seems more like a deluxe sample than the one I received in my Glymm box.

Click image to enlarge.

These are similar mascara samples that I received at different times. The first one is Clinique. The second one is an Urban Decay sample I received for free. The third one is Benefit's They're Real mascara that I received last month in my Topbox and the last one is the one I received in my Glymm Box this month.

Here's the kicker...

Full Size Costs

Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara - $19.00

Urban Decay Supercurl Curling Mascara - Travel Size ($10) Full Size ($20)

Benefit They're Real Mascara - Travel Size ($10) Full Size ($23)

Lashem Double Trouble Mascara - $19.99

There was no size listed on the mascara I received in my Glymm Box, I suppose there's a reason for that. You can obviously see the difference in size. I don't understand why Glymm keeps doing this. We're not even getting our money back in the product we receive. It's not worth it. 

I'm not sure if the price adjustment is going to bring a change to the product we receive, but at this point...I'm  too disappointed to wait and find out. I have been hoping that the boxes would improve but seeing the mascara sample and the Burt's Bees sample and comparing them with different beauty subscription boxes...that was the final straw for me. I'm quite mad that Glymm attempted to pass off this month as a Deluxe Sample Beauty Subscription Service. I beg to differ.

Sorry Glymm, but I'm jumping ship. It was nice while it lasted...I think.

For anyone debating between Glymm and any other BSS, I strongly recommend another company.  The product just isn't worth it anymore, they're just not providing deluxe samples anymore...and it seems to me, that nothing seems to be tailored towards the beauty profile. I'm tired of getting anti-aging/firming products that I know I won't be using.

xox Rae

January Topbox Unboxing/Review

I have been subscribed to quite a few beauty boxes in the last few years..I've had subscriptions with Loose Button's Luxe Box, GlossyBox, Glymm and Topbox. I am currently only subscribed to 2 right now and those are Glymm and Topbox.

I just got my January Privé Topbox in this morning before I left for class (had to look at it first though!) and I will be doing an unboxing blog on that and I will do one later on in the month when I receive my Glymm box as well. Also, I will post an unboxing blog for GlossyBox for this month as well.

This month was a privé Topbox, which generally means that rather than having a mix of brands, it's loaded with several products of the same brand. I don't believe I got an option in the brand in this months privé box, at least not that I saw.  I did, however, get to choose my options for next months box IF I get a privé box. I chose Benefit as my brand, so fingers crossed!

Let's get started!!

The Topbox came in the same box, with a Clinique branded, pink to green gradient label all the way around, as seen below!

The products that are in this months Topbox are:

Clinique Clarifying Lotion for Oily/Combination Skin

Formulated to help lift the world's impurities to create healthier, younger skin. Full Size: $16 (200mL), $27 (400mL).

Clinique Rinse Off Eye Makeup Solvent

Make it a clean sweep, from lashes to brows.  Or use for on-the-spot makeup fixes. Oil-free. Full Size: $25 (125mL)

Colour Surge Eye Shadow Duo

Go-together shades of silky, easy-to-blend colour in a chrome slide compact. Full Size: $25 (2.5g)

Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle & UV Damage Corrector

A second change for skin against sun damage and wrinkles.  At 12 weeks the visible wrinkle-reducing power is remarkably close to a dermatological laser procedure.  63%, to be exact.  Full Size: $57 (30mL), $86 (50mL).

 I have tried all these before and some of them I still really like, others did not work for my skin and that's okay! Clinique is a really great brand, and I found that their products were great for acne-prone skin and I had absolutely no issues with breakouts from their skincare products, or their makeup. I have used 3 different foundations and a few pressed powders from their line and I loved them all!

If you subscribe to Topbox or any other beauty subscription services, let me know in the comments below what you think of them!

xoxo Rae