February 2012 Glymm Box vs. Luxe Box

It feels like a long time since I've posted anything even though it's only been two weeks. I've been away and I've just got back on track with work and blogging. I went to a wedding in Toronto two weeks ago and I had to leave for Las Vegas the next day, where a second wedding took place. Even though it was my third time in Las Vegas this year, I had a fantastic time with my girlfriends :) We watched so many shows and of course, went nuts shopping! So you can imagine me coming back to the winter in Canada, with days of work to catch up to, and to make matters worse, most of my friends left the city for reading week the same day I got back.


However, what was also waiting for me was my monthly subscription boxes. I got my Glymm Box on Monday and finally received my Luxe Box yesterday. I was actually planning to cancel my Luxe Box subscription since I felt I wasn't really pleased with their service and the products they were offering wasn't really "deluxe" or interesting enough. However, I got really busy and distracted with everything I forgot to call them so I guess I'll give them another chance. On the other hand, I was looking forward to my Glymm Box. In my opinion, their brand selection is better-- their brands are more health-conscious and they are harder to get in Canada. Why would I pay $10/month for samples if I can just grab it in any drug store?


This month's Glymm Box came in the usual pink box. It was very light so I was prepared for very tiny samples.

SULA/ Natural Cream Shadow in On My Mind - FULL SIZE

"Keep your eyes looking flirty fresh with this trendy, easy-to-use Sula Beauty shadow. Enjoy playfully pretty eye shadow in gorgeous colors. They're long lasting, easy to blend and made with natural ingredients."

I think the colour is a very pretty purple that is not too bright. You can layer it with any colour on top or just a little dab of it on the eyelid is very sheer and natural too as it brings out the brown in my eyes.

BURT'S BEES/ Tinted Lip Balm (Award winner) in Hibiscus - FULL SIZE

"This Tinted Lip Balm by Burt's Bees gives your liops a hint of color with a soft sweet flavor. It was also voted Best New Lip Product by Consumers. It's made with natural ingredients that moisturize and condition your lips. This stuff really is the 'balm'."

I was skeptical at first because I didn't like their Milk and Honey Body Lotion I got in my January Luxe Box - it smelt nothing like milk and honey. However, I've been wearing this lip balm everyday ever since the moment I tried it on my lips. I could not believe how beautiful and natural the colour was on my skin (medium with golden undertones)! I love lip products but because I work in a hospital during the day, I can't wear anything too dramatic even if they are pretty. I've tried so many lipsticks and lip glosses but most of the colours are just OK, but this colour is perfect for fall/winter or even summer if you just want a minimal/ natural look. The colour gives me a healthy complexion as it doesn't even look as if I've got anything other than a clear gloss on my lips. I love how it's so easy to apply but I do need to reapply every couple of hours. I'm not a big fan of the flavor but it is very moisturizing.

GLAMGLOW/ Tingling and Exfoliating Mud Mask

"Lights, Camera, Action! Designed for Hollywood's entertainment industry, it tingles, tightens & lightens in 15 minutes, so you're always camera-ready. Volcanic rock, French Sea Clay and real pieces of Green Tea Leaf will give you super sexy, super radiant skin."

The ingredients sound very interesting and I will be trying it out. I would like a bigger sample though, that way I feel I can use more than once to see if it actually works..

MAI COUTURE/ 2-1 Oil Blotting/Bronzing Papier in Prettyful

"Beauty on-the-go? Mai Couture has the solution. This lightly powdered bronzing paper eliminates oil and gives your complexion a shimmery glow. No need to worry about carrying your makeup bag and brushes around with you all day. Grab a 'papier' and keep your face flawless."

This sounds like a good idea but in my opinion, any multi-purpose product are just marketing tools that don't perform nearly as well as single-purpose products (e.g. 2 in 1 shampoo conditioners - it's the worst idea for fine hair). My other concern is if I would get an even blush application using just my fingertip and the 'papier'.  Plus, 100 papers are only $24, and I got only two to sample ($0.50). I feel they should be a little more generous.

Overall, I'm not disappointed at all about this month's box. Out of the four products I got, three are make-up products and two are full-sized products! I think I will actually use everything in the box this time :) The only concern I have is..WHERE ARE THE JELLY BEANS?! :(


Now onto this month's Luxe Box. I guess because February is the month of Valentine's, this month's Luxe Box came in a red box! This month's Limited Edition Luxe Box was created in collaboration with Flare Magazine. 
I actually like the red packaging more than the black one, what do you think?

BENEFIT/ Sunbeam

"This golden bronze highlighter gives you a natural, sunkissed radiance. Dot & blend over makeup on to cheek & brow bones for a bronzed glow that complements all skintones. It's liquid sunshine in a bottle! Try it today and set your skin aglow."

Sephora and Vogue Magazine have been advertising it and I have heard flattering things about it too so I will give it a try since I usually do not use bronze highlighters.

CK ONE/ Shock for Her

"CK one Shock for her opens with a fierce bouquet of passion flower, pink peony, and jeweled poppy flower. The intensity deepens with blackberry, jasmine and narcisse flower drizzled with a liquid chocolate accord. The addictive signature finishes with magnetic ambers enveloped in vanillin and patchouli, wrapped in second skin musk."

I'm glad to see a decent sized perfume sample in a roller ball because that is much more convenient and easier to apply. I know a lot of people do not like receiving perfume samples but being a perfume junkie, I did not mind especially if it came in a roller ball. The scent is fruity at first, then the hint of chocolate reminds me of Princess by Vera Wang. It is a sweet scent and I can smell very little patchouli in it.

REDKEN/ Color Extend Shampoo/ Conditioner

"Fights the four causes of colour change: environmental aggressors, poor cuticle condition, colour-altering minerals, water attack. It refreshes and moisturizes hair, protecting colour from fading. Formulated with Interlock Protein Network, the shampoo/conditioner combination gently cleanses while leaving hair shiny, manageable and refreshed."

I was not too excited when I saw three bags of this inside. It felt as if they're in there to fill space for the box and I usually don't like receiving drug store samples in my boxes. It's not that I don't like them, I just think if I wanted them I could get them very easily at my local drugstore at a reasonable price. After all, the purpose of the boxes are to experience new things right? On top of that, the shampoo contains SLS which I won't be using. It's bad enough for shampoo let alone shampoo for coloured hair.

DERMALOGICA/ Daily Microfoliant

"Considered as one of InStyle's Best Beauty Buys, this unique rice-basedenzyme powder helps to exfoliate your skin by removing debris, leaving your skin smoother and brighter. Contains no artificial fragrance or colour, good for all skin types."

I have heard soooooo many wonderful things about this and I was so happy to see it in my box this month. The rice-based enzyme sounds promising because being a science-nerd I believe anything enzyme-based will work because that is the most natural way for all living cells. I know some people have received it in their previous boxes before so I think Luxe Box really has to work on product selection and variety if they want to keep their customers interested.

So other than the three shampoo/conditioner samples which I'm never gonna use, I'm pretty happy with my February box. It's certainly not their best boxes and I do think they have lots of room for improvement. 

What do you think of my box this month? I would love to hear what you got in yours!

- emmy. xoxo

Motives for La La: Beauty in Every Shade

Reality star and actress La La Anthony teamed up with her long-time friend, Loren Ridinger, creator of Motives® by Loren Ridinger®, an award-winning make-up line, for a mineral-based make-up line and officially launched it last week at the Market World Conference in Miami where countless stars such as Kim Kardashian, Scottie Pippen, Fat Joe, and Eva Longoria, attended to support their friend. 

The result is a product line that has garnered buzz in the makeup industry. The line has been featured in various medias such as Glamour Magazine and essence.com. The actress recently had a photo shoot for her new make-up line. During an interview with E! News, she talks about how her cosmetic idea came to fruition and what she hopes to accomplish with it. She is very excited to have her own makeup brand which not only show her signature style but complement the full line of Motives Cosmetics by Loren Ridinger. 

The line was created to target African American and Hispanic women since they are often limited when it comes to make-up. According to La La, “Every girl always tries to find that perfect color or shade that suits their personality, and now she can do it easily and affordably. I spent a lot of time picking the right colors that cover everything. I really feel there is something for everyone.” 


Motives for La La is a perfect blend of runway and everyday styles with products uniquely-formulated for every shade of today’s modern woman. Motives for La La is available for all skin types, but will focus on foundations to match ethnic skin tones, from light to dark.  The line, which includes eyeliners, blushes, lip shines, lipsticks, mascaras, eye shadows and foundations, was created using beneficial mineral formulas to provide long-lasting wear, great color payoff and amazing feel for women of every shade.

The color palette features six hyper-flattering powder blushes and five highly-pigmented eye shadows. The shimmery shadows range from pale beige to jet black, and they are super silky and pigmented. The colours are amazing and unexpected yet they will flatter pretty much any skin tone.








The product that I'm most excited about are LaLa’s lip shines. They are so much fun to apply! The colours are so gorgeous and unique that they will make any look stylish. Plus, the formula is paraben-free!





Motives for LaLa will be available on the Motives website.  They boast high quality and rich colors that compare to brands such as MAC and Bobbi Brown, for a fraction of their prices. 

What do you think about Motives for La La? What Motives for LaLa products are you looking forward to trying?


- emmy. xo

Twilight Woods - Bath & Body Works Review

Bath & Body Works - Signature Collection - Twilight Woods Gift Set

• Full size signature shower gel (10 fl oz.) - $10.50
• Full size signature body lotion (8 fl oz.) - $11
• Signature Fragrance Mist (8 fl oz.) - $12.50

I've been having this set for a month now. My mom's friend gave it to her as a Christmas present, but being a perfume junkie, I had to get a whiff of that! I usually find the scents from Bath & Body Works to be very sweet and more targeted toward the younger crowd.  Personally I am not a vanilla/cotton candy fan at all; I prefer those fruity/floral scents that smells fresh and light. Being a Twilight fan, I was really curious as to how this "Signature Collection" would smell like. 


According to what it says on the bottle, this scent is "inspired by romantic walks in the woods". I imaged it would smell somewhat like cedars, pine and moss in the moonlight woods (it's twilight 'woods' after all, right?) When I smelled it for the first time I was actually pleasantly surprised. I knew instantly I was wrong to even expect anything dry from Bath and Body Works. My first impression of it is that it is very sensual and warm. This scent has a depth to it that is so different from the other girly-sweet scents from BBW. It's more sophisticated and it does smell like a scent from luxury brands such as Prada Candy (which is equally delicious) and Burberry Brit. I think the reason I actually like this scent as opposed to other vanilla scents is because there is a combination of fruity and woody notes. Overall it's still a sweet and romantic scent (at least to me) but it's no where as sweet as Warm Vanilla Sugar.

So I did some research on the notes:
Top notes: Juicy Berry, Sparkling Mandarin, and hint of Coconut, 
Heart notes: Creamy Frangipani, Soft Mimosa, Wet Honeysuckle, Wild Freesia, and Apricot Nectar
Base notes: Oud Wood, Skin Musk Captive, Vanilla Milk, and Warm Woods

Twilight Woods was developed by perfumers Harry Fremont, Jane Konnyu, and Honorine Blanc. While it has no association with the Twilight Saga, but I do think that was their intention when they released the collection right before the second movie, "New Moon", came out.

The packaging is very nice. The shower gel and body lotion are in nice sizes. I love the shape and colour of the bottles, especially the fragrance mist. It's in a tall, sleek bottle which makes it look expensive. I would prefer the fragrance mist in a glass bottle just because scent changes in plastic bottles over time. 

I tried the shower gel with a shower puff and used about a quarter size. It foams up pretty well and smells amazing in the shower. However, the scent tends to fade quickly before I rinsed myself. It's not drying and it does rinse well. The only thing I did not like is that it contains sulfates which are cheap surfactants that dries out your skin and preservatives. 

The lotion absorbs quickly and it's not oily at all. One thing I've noticed is that its staying power is great. I would shower and put on my lotion before I go to work and I can still smell it after 8 hours of work. I'm pretty amazed by that because most of the lotions I put on tend to fade throughout the day. Another thing I noticed is that the lotion smells different from the body mist just by a bit. It might be due to the formula but I do actually like the smell of the lotion better. It smells more natural (like a piece of vanilla cake) than  an synthetic perfume.

The fragrance mist's staying power is decent, about 2-3hours on skin and 4+ hours if you spray on clothes (although you shouldn't really spray any perfume on your clothes as they will stay on). If you want a more long lasting version they also have the scent in Eau de Toilette. However, from some other reviews I've read, the Eau de Toilette tends to be stronger.

Overall, I am liking this whole set. It took me a while to get used to the scent because it is not my usual type of scent. I did find it strong at first but I am liking it the more I wear it. It's a wonderful scent for fall/winter. It can be a bit too heavy for work and day but it's perfect for a night out and I like to put it on when I go to bed.

The Twilight Woods scent is available in a range of accompanying body and home fragrance products. It is also available in Twilight Woods for Men. You can find them in any Bath & Body Works store in U.S. and Canada or online. 


Right now Bath & Body Works is having an online exclusive 'Buy 3, Get 2 Free Signature Collection' which is perfect if you want to try out different scents. As I am a shop consultant, you can also get cashback when you shop through my portal. All you have to do is sign up as my prefered customer on my Web Portal for free and you will  be able to earn up to 50% cashback at our Partner Stores.

What's your favourite Bath & Body Works scent?


- emmy. xo

Julep Maven Special Rate!

Great news! Julep is having a special rate on their Introductory Sneak Peak Box!


For those of you who don't know what Julep is, it's a Seattle-based boutique nail salon that makes innovative and healthy nail polishes and hand and foot care products. It is currently available only in the U.S. and Canada. Their formulas are "3-free" and they donate $1 from every bottle of Julep Nail Color to organizations that support women. Learn more


You can get yours for $19.99/months for a customized Julep beauty treat delivered right to your door (a $40 value). What is different from Glymm/ Luxe Box is that instead of the 4-5 deluxe samples that you may or may not like/use, all their nail polishes and hands and foot care products come in full sizes. Plus, one you become a member, you are allowed to pick whichever style you want for your next month's box, so there are no surprises. That I think is a great idea because I would love to just try out different styles of nail polishes that I like instead of getting stuck with one style all the time. 
I also like that I can skip a month or cancel anytime before the 24th of the month in order to be not charged for the next month's box. It is also a great gift idea for our girlfriends because it is nicely wrapped and the products come in generous full sizes.


I just did my style quiz online and my style is 'Classic with a Twist'. So in my introductory custom beauty editor Sneak Peek Box I should expect:

• Taylor, sky blue and purple make the perfect periwinkle crème
• Maya, peachy pink seashell, like a shimmering pearl

..and because I signed-up to become a Julep Maven today I will also receive a FREE gift of their:

·         Julep™ Glow On Age Defying Hand Brightener visibly minimizes the appearance of fine lines and age spots on your hands, adding radiant glow and evening skin tone.

If you've done the quiz and find that you don't like any of the colours they suggested you can always manually pick your style.

There are four other styles:

American Beauty

• Anne, ultra-saturated tropical violet crème
• Maria, Shimmering platinum rose

Bombshell

• Cotton candy pink crème. Embrace your girly side, Carrie
• A playful and sultry Mediterranean aquamarine shimmer, Megan

Boho Glam

• Chic Platinum greige with a metallic glow, Heather
• Sunny butter yellow  crème, Blake 

It Girl

• Julep Fast Dry Topcoat 
• A playful and sultry Mediterranean aquamarine shimmer, Megan
• Bold and bright neon peach crème, Hayden
• Vivid and refreshing grass green with a hint of shimmer, Leah

Enter promo code: COLOR2012 to get your introductory Julep Maven for only A PENNY! 




Have fun!


- emmy. xo

Welcome to my new blog!

Hey everyone!


So after watching so many beauty gurus on YouTube, I have decided to start my own beauty&fashion blog! In here I will share with you guys everything from beauty, fashion, health&nutrition, entertainment, food, traveling and other wonderful things in my life (e.g, my husky, Simba).
I will also be doing reviews on beauty products such as make-up, nail polish, skin care products, and fragrances. Personally, I would describe my everyday style as classic with a twist :). I believe that less is more; that each one of us is beautiful in our own simple ways.
So then I actually got curious as to how a classy and fabulous girl should be like... This is according to wikihow.com:

How to be classy and fabulous

1. There is nothing classier, for a man or a woman, than striving to improve oneself.
2. Know your stuff by broadening your mind
3. Write well
4. Speak eloquently
5. Expand your vocabulary
6. Watch the news
7. Read!
8. Develop a grasp on national and world politics
9. Develop your intellect
10. Stay healthy
11. Make sure you're putting in what you want to get out (food)
12. Looks count
13. Behaving yourself
14. Sit up straight
15. Cross your legs at the ankle under your chair
16. When eating, use your knife and fork rather than just the fork
17. Touching yourself is awkward and should be avoided in public
18. Another key point is conversation - don't talk about yourself unless asked
19. Most especially, do not mention your appearance


To me that sounds overwhelming... The first few make sense, but #16? Com'on, I love eating with just a fork! What do you guys think?


Anyways, I hope you guys find my blog both helpful and inspiring and please subscribe and leave comments! I will definitely try my best to improve my blog!
Enjoy and happy blogging!


- emmy <3