EMPTIES: January 2013

Mid-month, I was starting to get a little disappointed at my lack of progress but things spend up in the last half of January and I'm proud to say I have quite a decent number of empties to start off the new year with(out).

Denise @ Circuits of Fever and Liz @ Beauty Reductionista (who I got the Empties idea from) still do a far better job than I but I'm slowly slowly getting there!


1. DKNY Red Delicious EDT 30ml - Regular size, Expired
I bought this along with the original Be Delicious (green bottle) years ago. Be Delicious is supposed to be inspired by green applies and Red Delicious by it's namesake. These are 30ml/1oz bottles, which are the smallest of the "regular" size perfume offerings. I didn't like Red Delicious nearly as much as the green and while that was emptied years ago, Red Delicious only made it to the half way point before expiring. I thought it would be similar to Be Delicious which was sweet, crisp, and fresh but with a softer vanilla instead of that greener freshness. I didn't experience much of that. Instead, there was leather and musk. Not too much of it but just what I wanted in this sweet blend. I hadn't picked it up for months but after a spritz in January, I smelled that smoky note which often occurs when perfumes goes bad.

2. Bath & Body Works Sensual Amber Body Lotion - Regular size, Empty
This is actually my second bottle of Sensual Amber. The first one was the old formula, although I can't remember a difference. There's nothing really to be said for the quality of B&BW body lotions. It's moisturizing, but I don't find it any more or less so than most others. For me, it's really the scents (and variety of them!) that drive me to purchase B&BW body lotions over any other ones. The Sensual Amber is way too cloying and heavy for summer but in the fall and winter? It is divine! B&BW categorizes this scent in their Warm family and describes it as pink lotus petals enveloped in golden amber and blended with succulent plum and creamy sandalwood. It's sweet, warm, and spicy and one of my favourites for offsetting the biting cold weather. I won't buy another bottle this winter but will most likely pick it up again next year.

3. Bath & Body Works Black Raspberry Vanilla - Regular size, Empty
Similar to Sensual Amber, I love this one for warm weather, too. B&BW has 8 fragrance "families": Exotic, Fruit, Floral, Fresh, Citrus, Gourmand, Woods, and Warm. This one belongs in the "Fruit" family but I think it would be just as appropriate as as Gourmand with it's good enough to eat smell of raspberries and vanilla. It's sweet but creamy so I associate it less with fruit than dessert. Again, I won't be picking up another bottle this year but will do so during one of their great Buy 3 Get 3 Free sales in the fall to prepare for the colder weather.

4. Boscia - Restorative Night Moisture Cream - Regular size, Empty
I really loved the consistency of this cream. It's moisturizing yet weightless, non-greasy, and didn't cause my super-winter-sensitive skin to go all apeshit in the last few months. But....I hate the packaging because it is the same one used for their Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel reviewed here. I figure it's empty because pushing the pump top no longer produces product but I can't be 100% sure. The frugal side of me wishes this was a clear bottle or a squeeze tube... As for repurchase? Nope. It was a great product but too expensive for the amount. I'm more likely to go back to my favourite boring but dependable brand: La Roche Posay.

5. Dove Revival Conditioner - Travel Size, Empty
This has a very light and pleasant pomegranate scent. It did a good job conditioning my hair and providing moisture. My husband and I both use a lot of Dove products (body soap, deodorant, and for him shampoo as well). We love how gentle and moisturizing their stuff is and it doesn't leave behind that squeaky clean feel a lot of other brands do. I actually find that makes me feel less clean. Drugstore shampoos go on sale so often I wouldn't specifically purchase this one again. However, if I had a coupon and this one happened to be on sale and I've run out (not likely considering my stash...)? I would.

6. China Glaze Fast Freeze Quick Dry - Regular size, Empty
This drying agent contains no DPB, Toluene, Formaldehyde, alcohol, nor oils and is supposed to dry up to 5 coats of lacquer in 30 seconds to the touch, 2 minutes out the door (according to their website). It definitely sped up the drying process but I it seemed more like 5 minutes to me. I was quite surprised that it contains no oils because it actually leaves behind an oily residue albeit lightweight and quick to absorb, similar to dry body oil. What I really love about this product is the scent. It has quite a strong peppermint scent that one review said was really offensive but personally, I can't get enough of it! I would buy another bottle of this just for that. Plus, I really like the applicator which is a little glass eyedropper. I can fill the dropper once or twice per hand instead of for every nail.

7. Covergirl LastBlast Fusion - Regular size, Hate!
This mascara is seriously AWFUL. I usually buy the blackest shade I can find but this time I decided to try a navy blue. First of all, the color didn't do anything for my eyes. The blue wasn't a rich royal blue but more of a faded navy which just seemed like dark fluff on my lashes. It was also really drying and provided no volume, length, or curl. It had decent lasting power but that's about all I can say for it. What a waste of money! I haven't had much luck with Covergirl mascaras but this one was really bad.

8. Cake Beauty Milk Made Velveteen Hand Creme - Regular size, Empty
I think Cake is popular because it has seriously cute packaging and is like a godsend for those who love sweet dessert scented products. I'm not so sure it actually has amazing products skincare-wise, though. I haven't tried but a few samples of bodywashes and lotions but nothing really wow'd me. Likewise with this hand creme. Cake Beauty describes this as a vitamin packed hand cream with decadent mango and shea butters, whole milk, and marshmallow extract to moisturize and sooth dry skin. The scent is of warm vanilla with a hint of raspberries. Those who like Aquolina's Pink Sugar will really like this. I didn't buy it at the regular price ($20) and I don't think I ever would. However, if it goes for $10 or less I would as I'm fond of the packaging, I like the sweet scent, and it's a decent moisturizer.

AND THE FINAL COUNT IS.....

# of bulk sized products: 0
# of regular sized products: 7
# of sample/travel sized products: 1 
# of true empties: 6
# of expired/broken: 1
# of hates: 1

How my counts work: Regular size refers to the commonly sold sizes. For fragrance, regular could be anywhere from 30ml/1oz to 100ml/3.4oz. A sample/travel size would be rollerballs and smaller sample vials and cards. A true empty is product I've fully used up. Hates are products that are perfectly useable but I just hate so much, I've called quits!

TOPBOX: November 2012 (My Last One!)

October's Topbox was pretty disappointing and I wasn't feeling too enthusiastic about reviewing. In fact, I had already been thinking about cancelling and this cinched my decision.

I'll talk more about why I decided to cancel Topbox and why I probably won't subscribe to another one at the end of this post.

I only realized last month that you can see what version your box is in the tracking email Topbox sends upon mailing. This month I received #17. Apparently there were more than 20 different versions.

The items were:

1) 14ml China Glaze nail polish in Elephant Walk (full sized)
2) 9.24g x 2 Cuccio Naturale Butter in Pomegrenate & Fig
3) 5ml Robert Cavalli EDP
4) 0.7g Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes eyeliner in Mat Black 0L

So how much was November's box worth?

The full sized nail polish is $10-12 for 14ml although I've never seen it over $10 (usually $7-8). We'll use $10 as the price for this calculation. The full sized butter is $18.95 for 240g. The full size perfume is $80 for 50ml or $105 for 75ml. We'll use the bigger bottle for this calculation.

Based on a unit price calculation, the nail polish is worth $10, the butter is worth $1.46 (2 x $0.73), the perfume is worth $7 the eyeliner is worth $12.89. $10+$1.46+$7+$12.89=$30.85. Not the most the Topboxes have been worth in the past year but not the least either.

14ml China Glaze nail polish in Elephant Walk (Full Size)
This color is from the On Safari collection. Other box versions contained different colors from the collection. I had admit, I wish I received another color as this one is very similar to Color Club's Wild Orchid which I reviewed here.

I will say I'm really glad we received a nail polish in this box and a full sized one at that! This color looks unflattering in the bottle as I tend to go towards warm taupe-y grays but on my finger? I think it actually looks quite pretty, especially with silver jewelry (or perhaps some silver glitter on the tips??...)

9.24g x 2 Cuccio Naturale Butter in Pomegrenate & Fig
I was curious to try this product as I love both fruits. Plus, I'm always looking for super moisturizing products and this one promises to give you ten times worth! I thought the consistency would be like The Body Shop's Body Butters but this is more like a lotion or light cream. If you've ever tried Vaseline's Sheer Fusion body moisturizers, this is very similar.

The scent is great but not as strong as products from The Body Shop and Bath and Body Works. It is moisturizing but I don't find it to be ten times than any other moisturizer. And I'm sure it's a placebo effect, but I find thicker lotions/creams to feel more moisturizing as they coat your skin. All in all, this is a nice moisturizer but I wouldn't spend $18.95 when the Vaseline version is a fraction of the price.

5ml Roberto Cavalli EDP

Perfume is such a personal thing and as someone who isn't very well versed in the various notes and what they would really translate to when blended together, I find I really need to just it out. I'm glad it worked out this time and I actually received a scent I like. Other subscribers really disliked this and thought it smelled old lady like but I think it's quite beautiful.

According to Fragrantica.com, it's an intense oriental based on notes of orange blossom. There are also ambery nuances of benzoin, pink pepper, tonka and vanilla." Seriously, I have no idea what that means but I do think of this as a night time and/or winter scent. It's sweet and I love how it smells freshly applied and within the first bit of wear. I'm not loving the very vanilla dry down but by then the scent has lightened enough to be okay with me.

I'm also really impressed with the sample size. The bottle looks a lot smaller than rollerballs which can be had for $15-30 at Sephora but it's actually the same size as some of those rollerballs when you look closely at the volume (5ml in this case). This will last me a long time and I'm really loving sample/mini sizes these days since I have so many scents.

0.7g Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes eyeliner in Mat Black 0L

I am loving this! I usually line on my upper waterline with black waterproof liquid eyeliner and save for a couple versions, I've found most still smudge a little (or a lot!) under my eyes after a day's wear. I used this instead to see how it would compare, without much faith I might add. And I was totally wrong. It did as well as the best waterproof liquid eyeliners I've used and much better than many others. I am definitely interested in trying the other colors in this line now and there are some really really beautiful ones. The full size does not have that much more product than this sample so I would say on a price per unit basis? This is quite an expensive eyeliner but considering how well it lasts? It's definitely worth a full sized purchase or two or more...!

WHY I CANCELLED MY TOPBOX SUBSCRIPTION:
So, now that the review part is over, I'd like to share a little more of my thoughts on Topbox in general. Before I go on, please note that many subscribers are more than happy with their subscriptions and this is just my opinion.

Some months are better than others, some months have products of higher value or more interest to a particular subscriber than others. I understand all that. But the main reason I cancelled my subscription was how unfair they were amongst their subscriber base. Here are several examples:

Twice they offered an additional free product for pickup at Holt Renfrew. The card indicated it was "while supplies last". I passed on the first but when I went to the Bloor location for the second, the associate had no idea what a Topbox was, much less that there was a free gift pickup. A second associate knew about it but told me they only received 15 and all were gone the first day. Fifteen when they have hundreds of subscribers in Toronto alone? I work a five minute walk from this location but what about those who went out of their way? If you're out of it by the first day and it was offered to subscribers only? Then you supplied way too little. I was also disappointed they chose Holts. Both freebies were big enough to fit in the box so this was purely a way to get subscribers in store. But if you're going to do that? Be fair and pick a place that the vast majority of your subscriber can access. How many Holt Renfrew locations are there in Canada versus Shoppers Drug Mart or The Bay?

They also offered a pick-up only for additional Lise Watier samples at Shoppers Drug Mart. Sounds greatm right? Well, it was only for a handful of locations in Toronto. Again, what about everyone else across the country! Everyone pays the same amount so why 3 offers that were all Toronto-centric or exclusive? Of those Torontoians, a few came back and said that associates had no idea about the offer. Topbox's Facebook response? Oh, we talked to them now so try again tomorrow. Is it just me or is that just a little disrespectful of their subscribers time? To make matters worse, some subscribers printed off the offer coupon and obtained like 10-15 of these boxes to sell on Kijiji whereas many honest subscribers went out of their way only to leave empty handed.

Aside from this unfairness in terms of geographic location or number of extra samples available, I find their boxes way too varied and unfair. If this month's 20+ different boxes are not an indication enough! They claim their boxes are customized but their monthly surveys are so generic it's hard to know how it feeds into the results. Every month, a number of members will indicate that they hate perfume but received that instead of the eyeliner someone else received or vice versa. Or they received a product for color treated hair or oily skin and they have natural hair or dry skin.

On that note, they also "reuse" samples. This happens every. single. month. They'll send some subscribers one product as it if were "customized" for them then send the same sample to other subscribers in other months. I've asked them and they said it's because their suppliers wanted them to share with a larger customer base. But really, I can't help but think they are working more for their vendors than their subscribers, not customizing as they claim, and also padding up their boxes when they are short on new samples.

Their response via email and on Facebook is always super pleasant and polite but sometimes that's maddening. You don't receive true answers, just fluff like "We're sorry, please email us and we'll help!" or "We hope you like the next one!" It sounds like great customer service the first time or two but after a while, it gets old and you really start wishing for some substance and change.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW BEAUTY BOXES MAKE MONEY!
I'm also hesitant to subscribe to beauty boxes again now that I know how they make their money. Did you know that they not only receive all their products for free but in most cases, receive instructions from the supplier how who they should provide the samples to? Perhaps. Did you know that the profiles and monthly surveys you complete also go to the suppliers as market research?

If you're alright with this and see the $10-15 a month as a service for bringing samples to you instead of having to visit stores and asking (something I hate doing!), then no problem. But after learning about the industry, I feel uncomfortable paying for these company's marketing and market research when I don't always get exactly what I want. I'd rather take that money and purchase products I choose to purchase. The company is making money and I am receiving a product I've decided on. Whereas in this case, the company makes money, the middle man makes money, and only sometimes I receive a product or sample I want.

Sorry for the very very long blog post but this is my last one for Topbox and thus verbal diarrhea!

.....And I'm Feeling Good

My skin has been cooperating recently despite the drastic dip in temperature which is AWESOME. The only damper is...It's like a horror movie, I'm just waiting for the boogey man to pop out. And by that, I mean....a faceful of uber sensitive rashes that sting when in contact with pretty much anything.

However, I actually started this post a week ago and so far? My skin is still doing pretty darn good. So screw those horror movies! I'm totally channeling happy-go-lucky Pixar/Disney now.

Here's what's been going on my face these days:

MORNINGS:
Some days I wash my face with Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Gel and some days I wipe it down with La Roche-Posay Physiological Micellar Solution if it's too sensitive for a cleanser to start (and yes, I know I can just switch to a gentler cleanser but I'm kind of addicted to that particular one!)

1) Estee Lauder Idealist
After cleansing, I use this first. I love the texture of it. It doesn't exactly "dry" immediately but it also isn't wet and sticky before drying down like some serums/treatments. This feels very silky after applying. I usually let it sit for 15 minutes or so while I putter around doing other morning things.
2) Avene Skin Recovery Cream - Rich
Shortly before we leave the house, I then put this cream on. It's the rich formula and it's for very sensitive skin. State-side it is also known as "Avene Cream for Intolerant Skin". It is paraben-free, fragrance-free, colorant-free. Last year I used La Roche Posay's Toleraine Ultra which I loved but I wanted to try something new although equally as gentle this year. I wanted to kick up the moisture a notch thought, so I choose this Rich formula which is slightly thicker than the regular Skin Recovery Cream but otherwise the same.

I then do my makeup half-way through our drive, so that's about 30-45 minutes for the cream to completely settle in. My makeup routine does include a primer.

EVENINGS:
I follow the same routine at night with my "prep" - either the Vichy gel or La Roche Posay Micellar Solution. I'm live a really exciting life that way.

1) Boscia Restorative Night Treatment
This comes out on your hand like a clear watery gel (slightly yellow tinged). I apply this all over my face and because it's watery, I usually leave it for a bit before applying my cream. Anywhere from 5-30 minutes depending on what I'm doing.
2) Boscia Restorative Night Moisture Cream
Once the gel is settled, I put this cream on. Even though this isn't marketed for sensitive skin, it has not irritated me at all unlike some products that are specifically labeled as such. Although it's a cream, it's light. Not watery, but just feels like it weights less on my skin. It is incredibly moisturizing without being greasy. I hate the pump which is the same as the Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel I reviewed previous here but the product itself makes up for it completely.
3) Avene Ystheal+ Eye Contour Cream Gel
To cap it off I'll pat some of this cream-gel on my eyes. The consistency is the same as a light cream. It's very gentle and although I don't see any drastic changes (then again, I don't have drastic wrinkles or dark circles here), I do like the idea of keeping the sensitive eye area well moisturized.

So there you have it. This is what I'm using everyday and so far this combination is working. I suspect it's mostly do to a great combination of HEAVY DUTY MOISTURIZER + SUPER GENTLE FORMULA that's doing the job and only partially these particular products with all their fancy names. But, I'm not going to knock it because my skin really does feel quite fantastic right now.

As for next winter (or late this winter if these products run out) I probably won't purchase Boscia again. And the reason really is just price. So far I'm been quite happy with everything I've tried from the "gentle French brands" like La Roche Posay, Vichy, and Avene. They're more expensive than regular drugstore brands like L'Oreal, Garnier, Olay, etc. but less than most skincare lines at Sephora including Boscia. Performance wise, though? I'd say they're better than the drugstore brands but the same if not better than many high-end brands at less cost.

What's your routine for winter or super-sensitive-skin-is-going-crazy spells? Do you have the same skin problems as me when the seasons start changing and the temperature starts dipping?

REVIEW: Boscia Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel

Boscia (“BO-sha”) is a preservative-free, botanically-based skincare line originating from Japan. The name Boscia comes from BOtanical SCIence with Advanced technology.

The company was actually started 32 years ago but only interested to the US in 2002. Since Sephora began carrying the line (I believe in the last few years) it has become very popular, especially with "green" skincare fans.

One of Boscia's lines that caught my interest is the "Black" collection which consists of 5 products:

• Luminizing Black Mask
• Detoxifying Black Cleanser
• No Pores No Shine T-Zone Treatment
• Pore Purifying Black Strips
• Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel

Each product actually applies black, which is both a little imtimidating and fascinating. I decided to try the Gel and T-Zone treatment to combat my thirsty cold weather skin and oily warm weather skin.

According to the Sephora website, the Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel is a cooling gel-based moisturizer that claims to provide ultralight hydration, refines skin texture, brightens skin clarity and minimizes the look of pores instantly and over time.

It contains the following key ingredients:

• Artichoke Leaf Extract improves elasticity to help tighten pore walls.
• Charcoal absorbs excess oil and impurities as it detoxifies.
• Glycolic Acid helps clarify skin and smooth rough texture.
• Vitamin C helps brighten skintone and minimize fine lines as it defends from free radical damage.
• Jojoba Leaf, a powerful antioxidant, combats free radical damage while it nourishes and protects skin to prevent premature aging, and Willowherb, a unique anti-irritant, helps to calm skin inflammation and reduce visible redness and irritation.







The packaging is unique. It looks like a little pot with a screw on cap but the actual applicator is a press-pump syle. You simply press down on the top of the pot and the gel comes out through the center.

It's a unique way to dispense product and more sanitary than a traditional pot but I find the traditional pump dispenser easier to use and the most sanitary. With this, the product is dispensed onto the surface of the pot and although there is a cap to keep out dust, you have to be careful to wipe off all product or risk a film of the gel drying out on the top. Yuck.

Below is about half a pump of the gel. I find that pressing the top all the way down produces too much gel for just the face. It is however, the right amount if you apply to both face and neck.



The gel may look scary at first. It's a charcoal gray with barely noticeable shimmer. The shimmer is a mystery to me, since it disappears once the gel is seeps into skin and I can't think of any skin-improving qualities it may have?

You can see above how it looks opaque when dabbed onto the skin but is translucent when smoothed out. A few more massages with the fingers and it will disappear completely...






...Or so it appears.

As of this post, there are 9 reviews for this product on Makeupalley.com and all are glowing. It's rare for a product to receive such consistent positive reviews (even if only 9) so I hate to be the debbie downer here. However, I do not have a great review of this product.

It feels great when applied, with a slight cool and tingling affect. The scent is a little herbal, like a mix of rose and something I can't quite pin down. It really does feel very hydrating and a touch to the face reveals that the surface is still moist about 15 minutes later.

But this is really deceiving! What seems to just be serious hydrating qualities is actually a film of product on the skin. The gel does not completely sink into the skin.

You may not notice this if only using the gel (although I did). In fact, you may not even notice if you wait for the gel to sink in, then apply primer.

But you will notice if you then apply foundation with your fingers. Okay, so that may not be the best way to apply foundation but it does reveal this flaw with the Hydration Gel. After applying foundation, I notice gray gunk on my fingers which appears to be a mix of foundation, primer, and the gray gel. I blame the gel because this does not happen when using other moisturizers and the same steps in applying my makeup.

Would I buy this product again? No, definitely not. I didn't find it particularly moisturizing and the fact that it doesn't sink in and causes my foundation/primer to bead is makes this a bomb for me.

What I do like about this gel is that it does not give me oily t-zone. Unfortunately, I can't give it all the credit. The Too Faced primer I'm using is quite good and my suspicions are that I would find the same result using this primer paired with any other gel or light lotion.

I would still recommend you grab a sample from Sephora to try. It really is an interesting product and others seem to really love it. I'd love to know how it works for you and if I really am the odd one out on this!

The Boscia Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel retails at $38US/$46CDN for 1oz/30ml. It is available in the US via Sephora, Ulta, and the Boscia website. It is available in Canada via Sephora.