I just want to take a moment and wish everyone a
wonderful holiday this week.
Have fun, stress-free and safe holiday!
~~99Raina99
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| SH HD Cyber with butter London Fairy Cake |
I bought this nail polish like over a year ago and forgot about it! How the heck did I do that?
I love purples and this is an awesome purple. It has a slight pink shimmer that can be seen in certain positions. But it was kind of drippy and I kind of wrecked the tips by smudging them somehow. Who knows what I did. I can’t sit still when I polish my nails!
Anyhow I put butter London Fairy Cake as an accent on my ring finger. This works so much better with a purple base. Very festive. I have gotten lots of compliments on this combo. I just wish the Sally Hansen HD had a bit better formula because the colour is gorgeous.
I think to drag this mani out a few more days, I am going full on Fairy Cake! LOL Well it is the end of the world after all…. J
What do you think?
~~99Raina99
My December Topbox was waiting for me on my desk this morning. Woot woot.
This month's box came in a nice red tube. That was about the only holiday inspired item from this month's box. L
If you are not familiar with what Topbox
is ... Topbox is a Canadian Beauty Box subscription service that retails for $12/mth for 4 premium beauty samples
each month. Note that at least one product each month is makeup related.
In this month’s Topbox was;
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| December 2012 Topbox |
Full size: 50 or 75ml/$90 or $155
Chloe’s signature scent captures the creative confident individuality of the Chloe woman.
This perfume is cute and smells so good. I really like it.
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| Chloe Eau de Parfum |
Full Size: 7x1ml/$59
Concentrated serum provides intensive rejuvenating treatments for skin.
EndocareTensage Radiance Contour deluxe sample
Full size: 15ml/$72.50
A regenerative formula designed to correct and brighten the eye contour area
I received this sample previously in my October Topbox. Um Ooops Topbox?
Anyhoooo, when I was testing out the first sample, I broke one open to test on my arm first but the next morning when I went into the bathroom the little vial had tipped over and spilt most of the contents on the counter L. Anyhow I lost interest after that. Too much work haha. Geez I should really rename this blog to the Lazy Girls Guide to …um..Stuff…. HAHA
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| Goldwell and Endocare |
Goldwell Hot Form Spray deluxe sample
Full size: 150ml/$20.95Strengthening styling lotion for lasting shape and smoothness.
This spray is meant to protect and help with frizz and flyaways. I have a couple heat protectants in the cue so it may take a bit to get to this one.
Ferro Cosmetics Blushx3 in Bashful deluxe
sample
Full
size: $17 for 4 gramsFounded by celebrity makeup artist Krissy Ferro, that makes 100% natural mineral makeup. Cruelty–free. Available at ferrocosmetics.com
I have heard of Ferro before but I haven’t ordered from them though. This a very nice colour for a blush sample. It is a little to shimmery for me to work as a blush but it would make a great highlighter. This mineral pigment is safe to use on your eyes, face and lips. You can mix a little with some lip gloss and have a nice shimmery gloss. The Blushx3 minerals are supposed to work with every skin tone. It blends very well into my skin tone. This sample is approximately 1g maybe a bit more but $17 for a mineral pigment seems a bit pricey.
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| Ferro Cosmetics Blush x3 in Bashful |
What did you think of this month’s
Topbox?
~~99Raina99
Oh it is that time of the
year! The Holiday Spirit has got me and I wanted to do a little something for
my readers.
I was wandering around
Shoppers Drug Mart a couple of weeks ago and lo and behold I found a stash of
Quo Back to Basic Palette. There were two. So I grabbed one for you guys!
Quo is a ShoppersDrug Mart exclusive brand.
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| Quo Back to Basics Palette |
I blogged about the Quo
Back to Basics palette previously here. I had bought a palette for a Christmas
present for a friend. Now I want to give one to a lucky reader.
I did not get one for myself
as I already have the Naked palette, which I think Quo Back to Basics is a an excellent dupe
for. If you don't believe me, check out Sparkled Beauty's review (with swatches).
Now
I am wishing I had grabbed the other palette L  |
| Quo Back to Basics 12 shadows |
Giveaway is open internationally. It begins Saturday December 15th and will end January 25,
2013.
Thanks for reading and
good luck everyone!
~~99Raina99
a Rafflecopter giveaway
About a month ago I cashed in the bulk of my Glymm loyalty
points at their store and did a little butter London haulage.
I selected two nail polish sets; Quick Change Artist and one of the Sparkle Sparkle Holiday Collections.
Fairy Cake reminds me of Orly’s Shine On Crazy but with a
plop more sparkles. I will be using this for New Year’s I think...
I selected two nail polish sets; Quick Change Artist and one of the Sparkle Sparkle Holiday Collections.
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| Oops I didn't realize the nail polish fell down in the packaging |
Quick Change Artist has Queen Vic and butter London’s Powder
Room Acetone Free Nail Polish Remover
The butter London Holiday 2012 Sparkle Sparkle Holiday
Collection I picked out included Rosie Lee, Fairy Cake and Black Knight.
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| a close up of the sparkle trio |
Black Knight has been on my wish list for so long now so
I knew I had to get one of the Sparkle Sparkle trios. The other deciding factor
was Rosie Lee, a rose copper sparkle lacquer.
I did a quick mani last night using Queen Vic, a classic
wine, with Rosie Lee on my ring finger. And because I had to play with Fairy
Cake, I fancied up my pinkie with it. Now looking at it, I wish I left it
alone. Fairy Cake and Queen Vic don’t look so good together.
I did have to wait 2 weeks for my order as Glymm had some
butter London items on back order. I guess a lot of ladies were cashing in
points last month. So for my troubles, I was ‘promised’ an extra surprise for
my wait but I didn’t get anything other than my order L hmmm so sad...
Anyhow I got my order and luvs them. They are my new
babies for my growing collection. Merry Christmas to me...teehee!
~~99Raina99
I thought I would post my nail of the day (well of the week
actually) before it got super chipped. This pic is day 4!
This is Nicole by OPI Here We Kome A-Karoling that I
received in my November Glossybox. It is from the Kardashian Holiday 2012
Collection. It’s a beautiful dark grape
with a hint of sparkle. The gold stripe on my ring finger is Jordana Pop Art in
Golden Artist.
I had to wear it right away. It is such a very festive purple. Definitely a favorite.
~~99Raina99
November’s Gossybox for Canada is here!
This month had a holiday theme to it. The wrapping paper was so cute; red and white with gingerbread men, presents, and nutcrackers all tied with a red ribbon. AND a little candy cane! It definitely reminded me of Christmas!
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| November 2012 Glossybox Canada |
The items in the box are supposed to get us ready to Sparkle and Shine for the holiday fun.
This month’s box also has another Golden Ticket in it. Fifty Glossies will get a piece of TOVA jewellery. Sadly I did not get a Golden Ticket L
So this month existing Glossies had to shell out the $21 for the monthly subscription.
I think there may be a few disappointed ladies out there. Three of the items are drugstore but on the positive side they are full-sized. Actually everything in the box was full sized with the exception of the Nexxus Hydration Kit. I think I got my value and am trying products I probably would have never tried otherwise. I am also pretty happy with a couple of them. |
| November 2012 Glossybox Canada Contents |
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| MNY * Nicoe By OPI * Kryolan |
Full size 15ml/$10.99
A deep shimmery purple. Grape on ecstasy! This polish is wicked. The ladies in my office were ohhing and ahhing over it LOL. Although, I am not a fan of the Nicole by OPI bottles I do not mind their polish. I now kind of want Kardashing through the Snow….
Maybelline MNY My Gloss
Full size 9ml/$7.49
The one I got was a clear lipgloss. I am disappointed in this being in the box. Didn’t this come out like years ago? Blah enough said.
Edited to add: Okay I have been wearing this all day and it is not all THAT bad. My lips were moisturized and glossy. Okay you got me Maybelline.
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| Kryolan for Glossybox Glossy Rosewood swatch |
Full Size 2.5g/$16.73
Exclusive to Glossybox. I saw this in the US box and prayed it would be in ours. I love this color – a pretty dusty rose pink. The colour on the back of the blusher says it is Glossy Rosewood. A little dry on contact but a very rich colour! I think it would be great for everyday wear.
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| Nexxus and Vitabath |
Nexxus Salon Hair Care: Hydration Kit deluxe samples
Full size: 400ml/shampoo $9.00/conditioner $14.99Therappe shampoo and Humectresse conditioner; I got this previously in my August Topbox. I did use it all and I quite enjoyed it. So I am not disappointed to find this in my Glossybox. Nexxus is a pretty good brand. Would I buy it? If I ever found it in a store and it was reasonably priced – yes I would.
Vitabath Moisturizing Bath and Shower Gelee in Fresh Citrus Twist
Full size 170g/$18.00
This gelee has a citrus smell that is not to overpowering. I have never used Vitabath before. I don’t even know where to buy it other than online? A lady at work said she has seen it at Sears. It is paraben and sulphate free.
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| Curel |
When I first saw this in the box I was like”What the heck?” But it works wonders on your hands. And it is winter which is super drying on your hands. I just put some on and my mangled cuticles look halfway normal…almost. So okay I like it. Although I probably really need to get cuticle butter or something to really fix them up. But this is a great start.
Final item was an Uber Loyalty Card for 50% for Glossybox members at www.uberbeautyproducts.ca
I have to be honest and say I am not sure what Uber Beauty products are. I have never heard of them not have I really seen any reviews. Is it salon products?Hmmmm?
Also included this month was the Glossy Mag – a trends, tips and beauty mag.
If you want to signe up for a Glossybox, here is my referral link and use promo code Glossy27 for %10 off.
If you want to signe up for a Glossybox, here is my referral link and use promo code Glossy27 for %10 off.
So that’s it for this month Glossybox. About a $70 retail value (roughly). Did you think it worth the $21?
~~99Raina99
How many mascaras do you own? How many mascaras is enough? I don’t know what’s wrong with me but if I see a sale on mascara and it is one of my faves, I have to get it. LOL I have backups of backups.
This is a shame post. I was tidying up my makeup area and
started putting my unopened mascaras in a box and realized that there were
backups of backups, one I totally forgot I bought and quite a few samples. My
goal is to get through the samples in the next few months. The backups will
always get used as they are favorites.
All these mascaras are black, very black or blackest black. Geez I
should try a different colour sometime.
The Back Ups
The Samples
The Forgotten :P
I did toss out some old mascaras; such as my Volumious
waterproof that I use in the summer and the last of my Voluminous Million
Lashes mascara (love that stuff).
Am I alone in this? Are there any more mascara hoarders
out there? Help me....
~~99Raina99
After a little game of tag with mailman, I got my Topbox.
I am pretty happy with this month’s Topbox.
If you are not familiar with what Topbox is ... Topbox is
a Canadian Beauty Box subscription service that retails for $10/mth for 4 premium beauty samples
each month. Note that at least one product each month is makeup related.
In this month’s Topbox was;
China Glaze –
Jungle Queen full size
Full Size: $10Jungle Queen is a dark purple from the On Safari Collection. Fantastic for fall/winter. I am always happy to get a China Glaze nail polish in any box!
Cuccio Naturale
Butter Blend deluxe sample
Full size: 240g/$18.95This is pretty moisturizing. I keep touching the back of my hand where I tried it as the skin is so smooth right now LOL. I had a hard time getting it open. You need to snip the end off to use it. It is scented but I didn’t find it too distracting.
Make Up For Ever
Aqua Eyes Black deluxe
sample
Full size: $20I got a sample of this liner before from a 100 point redemption at Sephora and I really liked it. I always intended to get a full sized liner but never got around to it. Now I have another sample! This liner is rich, waterproof and long lasting. Even though I have tried this product before I am very happy to get again! I luvs it J
Roberto Cavalli eau
de parfume deluxe
miniature
Full size: 50ml/$80I haven’t opened this perfume yet. I am planning on giving it to a friend. I did smell it at Shoppers before and I found it to be a very luxe perfume. It was very nice. The bottle that it comes in is simple but elegant.
I am super happy with this month’s Topbox. Jungle Queen
was one my favorites from the On Safari Collection. I am still going to go get
Elephant Walk next time I hit up Chatters. How did
you like your Topbox?
To my American friends, Happy Turkey Day!
Now I am going to go hide my credit cards so I can resist
Black Friday!
~~99Raina99
I got a real beautyblender last May by redeeming some Glymm
loyalty points in their store. I was curious as to the all the raves I had seen about it,
so I knew I had to try it.
For one latex free sponge, it was $26 CDN. Good thing I had points to use!
On the bottom of the tube are the instructions on how to use
the blender. Dampen with water and then squeeze in a towel to remove excess
water. I found I had to hold it under the tap and squeeze for about a minute to
get it expand to the full size.
I washed it prior to my first use. I was amazed at how much bigger the sponge gets when it is wet.
For one latex free sponge, it was $26 CDN. Good thing I had points to use!
It comes in a plastic canister. Inside, the pink egg shaped
sponge is suspended in the middle of the clear tube. Mine got banged around I
guess because it had fallen to the bottom of the tube.
I washed it prior to my first use. I was amazed at how much bigger the sponge gets when it is wet.
So does it make a difference? YES it does! My foundation
looks pretty darn good now. I dab my foundation on my face, then I bounce the dampened
beautyblender all over my face to distribute the foundation. To get the
flawless finish, I gently roll the beautyblender across the flatter sections of
my face and tap the top of the blender in the smaller areas like around my eyes
and nose. I even use the blender to blend out my concealer. I think the egg shape makes for an easier application. The instructions say to dab the blender into
your favorite concealer or foundation. I prefer to put the product on my
face first then blend out as I find the beautyblender tends to suck up the foundation. It is a sponge after all LOL!
I have had my beautyblender for several months now and it is
still in pretty good shape. It is a bit stained from liquid foundation. I have
been using baby shampoo to clean it. I can’t see myself spending $23 for the
beautyblender cleanser.
It does take a bit of effort (and water) to get the beautyblender completely clean. I rinse until there is no more foundation residue coming out of the sponge.
Okay I am going to make a confession and tell you, I usually
use it 2-3 times before I wash it.
Heehee I know I am bad. But I am lazy and washing it every night just
seems like a big hassle. LOL I will make another confession, if I am in a hurry
I skip using my beautyblender and just use one of my flat top kabuki brushes
because I can’t be bothered to go wet the sponge, wring it out blah blah. Yah I
know, real lazy. But that extra five minutes can be a big deal some mornings.
My only cons with the beautyblender would be that it takes a bit more
maintenance than with a regular foundation brush, it stains pretty easily (so if you get one skip the newer white ones LOL) and the price.
Now that I have tried the beautyblender, I am kind of
curious to test out one of the cheaper knock off versions to see how they
compare. But all in all, the beautyblender application gives great results and I
do recommend it if you can afford it.
~~99Raina99
Hi there,
I know long time no post right? I am having computer issues. Something is wrong with the USB ports and I can't use a mouse. Which doesn't seem like a big deal until you try editing photos, scrolling etc... AGHHH!!!
Since I work in a IT office I have some help so hopefully I will be back up soon. Thank god for my iPhone and unlimited data LOL at least I can read everyone's blogs.
Just thought I would let you know that I haven't fallen off the face of earth or been kidnapped so no need to put my face on a milk carton and such...
See you soon ...
~~99Raina99
This theme for October’s box is Breast Cancer Awareness. As almost everyone is aware of now, Glossybox Canada raised their monthly subscription in October from $15 a month to $21.
As I mentioned above, Breast Cancer Awareness is the theme and there were a few ‘pink’ items in the box. I love pink. J
Also to note; Glossybox Canada has 50 boxes out there that have the Golden Ticket item in them; jewellery from Bijoux Caroline Neron. Unfortunately, I DID NOT HAVE A GOLDEN TICKET ITEM IN MY BOX!!! L AGH the tragedy of it all!!!!
 |
| October 2012 Glossybox Canada |
The Rundown:
 |
| Jouviance |
Jouviance Rejuvenating Anti-Aging Cream
Normal to Dry skin Treatment deluxe sample
Full size: 50ml/$93.50 ßGulp Holy poo O-O
Extremely luxurious face cream, gently formulated to hydrate and increase the firmness of your skin.
This better be like the holy grail of moisturizers. The full size is pricey!!! My first impressions is that it seems a little thick for something that would be used as an all over face moisturizer and eye contour but where I tested it out on my hand is very smooth.…
 |
| ModelCo Flipstick Lip Duo |
Modelo Flipstick Lip Duo full size
Full size: Special edition for Glossybox members $38.75
Shine Ultra Lip gloss can be worn alone or layered over Lipstick couture for hours of unbeatable shine in a shade perfect for October pink.
I do have to say I do really like this lipstick shade – a mauvy neutral pink. The lipgloss is a very nice sheer pink with some hint of shimmer but the part that made me smile was the smell. It smelled like fruity watermelon. I am impressed with this duo. I think it is a pretty universal shade. This dual ended lipstick/gloss is a little big to fit in your pocket but in your purse – no problem. I didn’t wear it today because my lips are DRIED right out right now. I fell asleep with my ceiling fan on and dried out my face and throat last night UGHHH.
Another thing I noticed, it that it comes with little mirror on the back of the tube. I thought that is great! Until I realized you can't use it watch yourself put the to put the lipstick/gloss on as it is attached to the tube. LOL Oh well I guess I can always see what a mess I made?
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| Zoya - Loretta |
Zoya – Loretta full size
Full size: 15ml/$8.00
This is a delicate pink jelly. It will be great for French manicures. Even though I didn't like Zoya - Shelby (a pink creme) that I got in previous beauty box. I think I will like this jelly better. Plus it never hurts getting a full sized nail polish.
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| Sebastian Professional Trilliance |
Sebastian Professional Trillance Shampoo and Conditioner deluxe samples
Full size: Shampoo 250ml/$15.79 Conditioner 250ml/$16.39
Cleanse and polishes the hair surface to enable greater light reflection, creating gorgeous natural shine.
Okay I like Sebastian products. I will definitely use these! Doesn’t it seem like we get a Sebastian product every few months? How about a coupon next time too LOL
Gillette Venus and Olay Razor full size
Full size: $16.99
I got this in a previous Luxe Box. Love it. Definitely going to use it. It’s unbelievably moisturizing.
There were also some coupons; one for a free Satin Care shave get with a purchase of any Venus Cartridge and 10% off promo code for Caroline Neron.
So that was the October Glossybox for Canada. Was it worth $21?
I do love my Glossybox and I am happy with it. I think I got $21 worth but I wasn’t over the moon about it. I mean I already have a Venus Olay razor and Zoya Loretta is probably not a shade I would have purchased for myself. But I will use them and i already know I like one of them J but I will reserve my judgement until I play with the lip duo. Okay I am going to go sniff my lip gloss now…..hehe
~~99Raina99
Oh PS: if you are interested in subscribing, I do have a promocode to get 10% off your initial order - GLOSSY27.
