Top Box Dec 2013

Hello!

This will be my last Top Box. I have already signed on to the wait list of iPsy and will be cancelling my Top Box subscription soon.

Unfortunately, this month's box did not do much at all to "win" me back. At least only 1 of the 4 items were "not for resale" which is better than all 4. The only other thing I don't really "like" about the Top Box is the fact that they send a lot of face/lip products. I don't mind it so much once in a while but I am more of a make-up person. I like to use the skin products my skin is used to so that it can minimize any irritations. I think iPsy would be a much better box for me.

With that said, here's this months box! (Funnily enough, this box I actually took individual product pictures lol!!!)

Unfortunately everything in this box looks like the leftovers from things they didn't get rid of before. At least others boxes look like that as well (eg. someone got the Benefit bombshell lip colour that I got a few boxes back).

 Belvada Cometics: Coconut Lip Butter. (Sample size: no idea but you can see how big it is; FS: 10mL for $10.)

I don't really need more lip balm because I never fully get through all of them! None the less when you open it and smell it, it just smells like wax, but when I put it on my lips it smells more coconut-ty. It's not a particularly pleasant smell but it's not gross either... I'm not sure how I feel. I've put it on and when your finger touches it, there's not much of a "give" in the pot and when I look at my finger, it's pretty clear. Almost like oil on your finger. Then you put it on and it's pretty "slick" on the lips and it's a little shiny. I personally would not buy this because after a while I felt like I kept having to re-apply it. My lips do feel a little bit more "dry" after applying it. I'm definitely sticking with my Burt's!!

Cuccio Nail Lacquer in Remix. (FS: 14mL for $10)

I actually got a Cuccio nail polish a few Top Boxes ago. I don't think I ever posted it but it was a nude colour and it was PERFECT. I absolutely loved the formula and colour! This time around I got a glittery polish which  is PERFECT for Christmas. I'm glad I didn't get the red one others got... I have way too many reds! I thought it would be an opaque glitter polish but it's actually clear with a lot of sparkles. Like most glitters, you gotta dab it on to get the flakes in the right spot. With that said, this is one coat.

I'm really excited to use it over colours as well as by itself. It's very pretty with magenta, blue, green and silver glitters.

 Estee Lauder Modern Muse Eau de Parfum. (Sample size: 2.9 mL; FS: 30 mL for $65, 50 mL for $90 and 100 mL for $115)

I enjoyed this smell but it smells like a lot of other perfumes that companies like Estee Lauder, Lancome etc put out. I will definitely use it. The packaging is also super cute.

 Skiin Instant Skin Tightener and Line Filler (Sample size: 3 mL; FS: 15 mL for $49.95)

I've never heard of this company before so I went to their website. It seems to be a company specializing in eye creams and just one cleanser and moisturizer. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I did use the Stri-Vectin one and I do quite like it. I guess it couldn't hurt to give this a try but damn I have way too many eye products already!!


That's all for this month and it also concludes my relationship with Top Box. I wish I kept up with the blog for the other times I received it because it honestly doesn't even take that much time.

I can't wait until I get on the iPsy list!! Eek. Super excited.

What did you get this month? Did you get the prive box?

Top Box Nov 2013

This month felt longer since they sent out the boxes later :P haha

so from the last box... I've used the StriVectin-TL but not religiously but it does seem to tighten my skin a little bit. The Stila sample had no colour to it... it basically blended into my skin and didn't offer much coverage :( Didn't even use that body bling crap lol and I've been using the Benefit cream and I really like it.

Now onto this month... I got the Givenchy Prive box :) I was excited since I saw other blog posts of the regular Nov box and wasn't impressed with that one.

To be honest, I forgot what was supposed to be in this box so I wasn't super excited at first. I didn't really care for the male sample. Anyways.. here's what I got this month.

Le Rouge Lipstick. (Sample size: 1.5 g; FS: 3.4 g for $38) The shade I got was 103 Brun Createur. It's a nice dusty rose colour! I really like the colour and the pay-off looks amazing. It has a matte finish and smells really good too. The packaging does not look cheap at all! I'm very happy with this lipstick.

Dahlia Noir Eau de Toilette. (Sample size: 5 ml; FS: 50 ml for$80 or 75 ml for $92). I really like this scent! It's a nice floral fragrant that isn't too sweet. The packaging is also really cute because it looks like a mini bottle!

Noir Couture Mascara. (Sample size: 4g; FS: 8 g for $35). I'm excited to try this out because it's the one that has the 3 balls on the wand! It's a 4-in-1 mascara which means it thickens, lengthens, curls and conditions. The packaging is similar to the lip stick where it isn't just a plastic tube like other samples I've had (I'm looking at you Estee Lauder and Shiseido!) It really gives it a fancy feel.

Gentlemen Only Eau de Toilette. (Sample size: in some shitty pouch lol; FS: 50 ml for $67 or 100 ml for $88). I obviously can't smell it because it's in that "pouch" kind of packaging. I'll probably give it to my BF.

Kinda sucks that my 4th "sample" was so small but I guess I knew that when I picked it, I just forgot.

I am happy with the Top Box I received this month, however, all of the items do say "Not For Sale" which means that I could probably go to a counter and get it for free. This just doesn't sit well with me.
I may just stay with Top Box for one more month after this (so for the month of Dec) and then switch to the iPsy bag because their subscribers seem to always get really good quality items. On top of that, there are a ton of videos on how to use things in the iPsy bags which would be really helpful for me.

What did you get in this month's box?

Top Box Oct 2013

Yay! It's time for October :) I honestly never realize how fast time is going until I get my next Top box!

I'll do a quick little review on last Topbox. I didn't use the Lise Watier shadows yet because I like to save those for a good day! LOL I might use them for work this weekend. The mascara isn't volumizing enough for me :( I think it's because it's a more wet formula. For my Asian lashes that like to point downwards, I need something more dry. Hopefully once it dries out a bit (seeing as it is a newer mascara) it'll be amazing! I like the perfume but I don't exactly have a habit of wearing perfume daily so I haven't really worn it out yet. I haven't used the keratase oil yet simply because I don't have time for it but hopefully I will get to it soon!

Anyways onto this month...

So in October we received the 4 items. It came in a Murale box. I don't recall them advertising they were going to do a "special" box. I think these are items that you can purchase there.

First item is the StriVectin-TL 360 Tightening Eye Serum. (Sample size: 7mL; FS: 29 mL for $69.00) I think this is quite a nice size for a sample!! I don't use eye creams a lot but this one has quite a pleasant smell and a nice thick texture. Feeling my hand where I had applied it, it definitely feels a lot smoother. It's very evident because I'm feeling it up compared to where I put the Benefit moisturizer (more on that later ;) ) and I can tell that it's very smooth. I can't wait to use this daily and nightly! Unfortunately since it's a sample size it doesn't come as a roller but rather as a pointed tip but oh well!  I like this a lot more than the jar ones (like the Lancome Genefique) which is a little bit unsanitary!

Next we were given the Stila Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Beauty Balm. (Sample size: 5 mL; FS: 38 mL for $50) I feel like I may only get 2 or 3 uses out of this, but I'm not 100% sure yet because I'm also not sure what it's for. lol I thought it would be like a BB cream (like the missha ones) but it only comes in one colour. This is kind of weird for me because I've tried out a bunch of BB creams but of course there are different colours... I tried it out on my hand and the colour seems to work for my skin tone! That portion of my skin isn't as smooth as the StriVectin one but it's pretty good! Coverage is pretty even. I think I'll try it out tomorrow for work!

Third we have the Scott Barnes Body Bling Original. (Sample size: 30 mL; FS: 118 mL for $42) This is a moisturizing shimmering body lotion. I'm going to be completely honest right now. I hate receiving these "tanning" type products. The reason being that I don't even know where to put it without it looking weird,you know? For example, if I put it on my arm, would it look weird because only my arms would be shimmery and have a darker tone to them??  So weird... anyhow, I did put it on my arm and it's quite shimmery. It was very easy to blend into my skin however it just doesn't wow me. I'm not sure if I'll use it when I go out. I might just use it just to play around with... Pretty disappointed that I got this :(

Finally, the Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream. (Sample size: 8.9 grams; FS: 48 grams for $42) The pricing for the full size is pretty much on par with some of the higher end moisturizers. I'm excited to try this out. It smells DIVINE. I wish I could remember which perfume it smells like but when I was in JHS/HS I would get 2 perfumes a year... so that's at least 12 different ones so I can't remember which one it smells like. Anyways, it seems like a really good moisturizer and has really good reviews on both Makeup Alley and Sephora! I'm excited to use it. It is a little thicker than I'm used to for a day cream. It does absorb super quickly which is always a plus. I can't wait to use it and I love that it smells good!!


I realize this is probably not the best format for a blog post but ... I just like to blurb out my thoughts =P

Thanks for reading!

Topbox Sept 2013

I know it's been extremely long since my last post, but I really like what I got for this month's Top Box so I figured I would post a pic.

It came with the Sept edition of Chatelaine magazine! I never really read magazines unless I'm in a waiting room. I used to buy Cosmopolitan's a lot but not anymore. Perhaps this will peak my interest and get me in on a subscription!

This month we also got 5 items instead of the usual 4, which is awesome.

The first item on the top left is the Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara. (FS: $28.50). I love Estee Lauder mascaras and I love volumizing ones so I'm super excited to try it out! I actually haven't heard of this one before, but I'm sure it'll be amazing like all their other ones.

The next one is the Cover FX Matte Setting Powder. (FS: $32.00). I've used Cover FX's liquid foundation before (well, it was my mom's but she rarely used it so I took it hehe). I really liked what they had but I never actually went to buy any of their products myself. I'm excited for the matte setting powder because I've been using BB creams a lot lately and I usually use foundation to powder it. I always felt like that was overdoing it but I didn't want to go out and buy a setting powder (because the only one I'd really want is MUFE's HD microfinish powder and that is super $$$). I'm excited to try it out. I'm glad that even at this sample size we are able to screw the plastic part so that the holes get covered when not in use.

The third item is the Lise Watier Ombre Souffle Supreme. (FS: $24.00) This was a Chatelaine pick. I'm excited to use this because A) it's a Canadian brand B) I've only used their lip products in the past (AND LOVE IT) and C) I love trying out eyeshadows.  This is supposed to be a long lasting mousse shadow that is anti-aging and has antioxidant properties because it has Labrador Tea Extract in it. I got the colours "Sunrise Peach" and "Vert Enchante". All the shades seem to be shimmery. The Sunrise Peach is more a peachy pink with some brown undertones (IMO, I don't think jack about colours so this is just what it looks like to this untrained eye) and the Vert Enchante looks like a gun metal with a hint of dark green. I think I feel obligated to say green simply because it's named vert :P I'm kind of disappointed that we don't get to try all the colours because I really like the "Cirle De Nuit" and "Taupe Fantasia"! Actually who am I kidding? They all look great. The "Magie blanche" would be great for highlighting and the "Magie noire" would be amazing as a crease colour. Oh well! I'm still excited to try it even though I will probably only get one use out of it.

Next one down is the Keratase Elixir Ultime (FS. $54.00). This is also a Chatelaine pick. I've heard GREAT things about Keratase (... I've been meaning to try their shampoo & conditioner but it's so gosh darn $$$) so I'm really excited for this. I love using oils on my hair to make it soft and shiny (currently using Moroccan oil). This particular hair oil is a combination of camellia, argan, maize and pracaxi oils.  I've never heard of Camellia or Pracaxi oils before so this will be very interesting. 

Finally, our bonus item of the month is Katy Perry's Killer Queen fragrance. (FS:  not given) I just sprayed it on my arm and I LOVE IT. It smells great. It's not too sweet and has a nice feminine smell to it. I think I might actually get this in the full size... or buy it for my friend for her birthday. I think this is something she'd really like. I wish I was more a perfume person so I could explain it a lot more. The card does include the notes. The top notes are dark plum, wild berry and bergamot. The Heart (middle) notes are red velvet flower, rainbow plumeria and natural jasmine sambac. The Base notes are cashmeran, natural patchouli heart and liquid praline.  So yes, at first smell, it does smell a little sweeter, but then you get the hit of that jasmine... it's amazing. What was also included was a coupon for 8000 bonus points at Shoppers Drug Mart if you purchase the 50ml or larger (I'm assuming 100ml ?) of this perfume. I definitely think I will get it if it is at a reasonable price since I don't wear perfume that often anymore and I have a crap ton of samples still to go through!! On a second thought though, I can't stop smelling my arm so.. maybe I'll give it a thought since the offer is valid starting the 20th of Sept until Dec 1st. I've got plenty of time to think about it since the coupon is not in effect yet :P

Anyways WOW what a long first post back! I will hopefully be able to blog a bit more here and there. I forgot how much I liked giving my opinion on things and now that I have a bit more time, I will hopefully be able to integrate this into my schedule.

Thanks for reading!

DAY 5: YEG TO LAX

HI!  Last day in LAX.

Got up and went to get some Starbucks and In and Out burgers.

iced soy hazelnut macchiato :D

nom nom nom cheeseburgers

went to Ulta to get my Fake Bake & RCM gel nail kit

After we went to Beverly Hills and .... LOL they have this weird thing where you can cross diagonally 

SO WEIRD. hahaha but I guess it's a little more efficient?

so preeeetty

then we went to Santa Monica haha

had lunch in the food court at Santa Monica Place

We had Dragon Roll and Crazy roll LOL it was alright

my mom's friends BF bought this and shared it. it was just some teriyaki chicken with shrimp and rice!

nom nom nom tutti frutti

can you guess which one is mine? LOL

pic at the entrance of 3rd street promenade

Santa Monica pier

performers

the ocean

After we went to eat at a Thai place called Sanamluang Cafe haha it was okay I guess but I mean it was already 11 pm and I was so tired I didn't even care. Just wanted food.

Thai Ice Tea

Tom yum!

pad ka pow

the reason why the pics have such crappy lighting is because the inside had crappy lighting HAHAHA it was all neon and fluorescent

pineapple fried rice

padthai

so when we came back today... (this would be day 6; no point in making another post for it)

THIS is what our baggage pick up area looks like LOL WTF right??? there's also one for Oil Kings and one for Eskimos. pretty silly but it's cool too hahaha

That wraps up my trip to LAX. It was so short and I can't wait to go back. I haven't typed up much because I have gel nails on and it's hard to type hahaha.

DAY 4: YEG TO LAX

Hi!! Day 4 now.

Today we ate lunch at home and then headed to Huntington Library!

No it's not a library :P it's actually a place full of art and gardens from around the world. Very cool.

I'm just going to include a bunch of pics. We went to the rainforest, the Chinese garden, the Japanese one, the Rose Garden, and the Virginia Steele Scott Gallery of American Art.

Man it was super hot out and I was super tired too. I also got a little sun burnt on my shoulders and a hideous tan line LOL . faint but still.

orchids!

look at the next pic LOL!! isn't that cray

cacao plant!

entrance to Chinese garden

I don't know why my arms look so butch :(

me with fishies. LOL!!! it was at the ends of the bridges.

lotus!

roses

LOVE this one

and this.

entrance of the Japan garden.

bamboo shoots for dayz.

After we met up with my relatives and had some nuoc mia!! finally. so good. then my moms friend and BF left us and we went for dinner with my relatives. They are my cousin once removed, his wife and my second cousin. I think that's the correct iteration. In Chinese culture though, I think he's a "grandpa" to me (I'd call him my 'sook gong' or uncle grandpa) and so his daughter is my "aunt". She's 4. LOL!! she's so cute but yes. ahahah Asian problems I tell ya!

After we stopped by the mall in Arcadia to go to Nordstrom and I finally bought my Toms and Minnetonkas!! Unfortunately they only sell their Birkenstocks online :( boo!!

had dinner at this restaurant. This other guy joined us and he used to work for my grandpa back in Vietnam! haha my mom said he helped her and my aunts a lot because they were in the same refugee camp together. He still sees them as his boss' daughters but it's funny because it's been so long already!

Kimberley (my "aunt" LOL) wanted wonton noodles and my "aunt grandma" gave me some saying it was the bomb. It really was. omnomnom

we also had bo 7 mon and ca catfish nuong. hahah I don't even like fish so I barely ate that but everything else was really yummy :)

group pic! haha
 L -> R: grandpa's old employee, "uncle grandpa", my mom, me, "auntie grandma" and in front my "aunt" hahaha.

Afterwards, I went home. Phew. tiring day but it was fun nonetheless. 

Tomorrow is more shopping and Santa Monica!! woohoo

See ya'll tomorrow :)