Showing posts with label subscription. Show all posts
Showing posts with label subscription. Show all posts

Monday, 10 February 2014

Fancy Box: January Kelly Box

Happy (belated) Lunar New Year my readers!!! <3



Today I have a great monthly subscription box to share with your courtesy of Fancy!
Now, I am pretty used to the beauty type of subscription boxes where each month a company sends a bunch of beauty deluxe samples to my door. This is pretty much the same but it's not limited to beauty items!
I was really interested in trying out a Fancy Box subscription because I already have so much cosmetics and polishes piling up in my room but I miss the feeling of coming home to presents in my mailbox. This was a great change and I have to say I was pretty happy with what I received, colour me happy :).

Just a little info:
screenshot from fancy.com
Fancy box is a monthly subscription box priced at $39USD + s/h (they ship WORLDWIDE).
Shipping to Canada is $17, while to the USA was shown as $7.95. If you would like to know the shipping rates for your country, simply sign in and make a mock order, the prices will be shown at the checkout. This service is shipped via FedEx.
They have quite a few types of Fancy boxes to choose from. They have their original box full of goodies or food and then there are a few celebrity curated boxes (options shown below)...

screenshot from fancy.com
 ps. from my "amazing" sleuthing I also found out they will soon be having a Fancy box curated by Isaac Mizrahi (fashion designer)!!
At this time, they also have their Limited Edition Valentine's box (top left corner; $80 USD) which you can buy for someone, the items are already known, if you want to know more about this particular box, click here. There is one geared towards women and one towards men.

Fancy Box is supposed to include over $80USD worth of items, depending which type of box you choose, they are either food, living and home, technology, or just fun stuff etc. handpicked by a celebrity or the Fancy team.
Originally I wanted to try out Coco's or Tyler's but I got the Kelly, it ended up being a box I liked so yay! My reasoning was because Coco would be more beauty/fashion oriented so it won't be TOO much out of my comfort zone and Tyler because I was excited for all the fun kitchen tools to play with!
p.s. Bonus points to Fancy for collaborating with VERBAL. I LOVE HIM!!!!!!!! <3


The best part of this was I received this box TWO days after the order was put in. Now I am not sure if this is the norm for Fancy but I was pretty amazed by that. ps. double points for the box being purple! haha

Okay, enough rambling... let's look at the goods.

Thursday, 25 April 2013

Starlooks February & March

Woohoo, Starlooks again :)
This time I have Feb and March! 


February:
This month's special is by Lauren Clark! A professional make-up artist. If you click at the link below, you can browse her blog and check out her bio etc!

Isn't the box adorable..? Very "valentine-y"
loving the box!

You can read her review on her blog page here: http://laurenclarkmakeup.blogspot.ca/2013/03/starlooks-lauren-clark-signature-set.html
she does a really nice look with it (unlike me hehe)



So, this month's products are really "valentine-y", very girly and pink!  The set included a lipliner in Tipsy, HD fluid blush in Barbie, infinity liner in Princess Diaries (gel eyeliner, doubles up as cream eyeshadow :)) & lipgloss in Pink Oasis. 
The only downside, I already received the lip liner in my birthday box. But oh well :)


HD fluid blush, it was really hard to squeeze out of the tube, it was probably since it was sitting in the cold mailbox for hours before I picked it up XD. I am not really a user of blush, and this one is super pink. Will have to learn how to get this product working, since I saw a few of Lauren's looks & it looks really nice!

Can you tell I suck at blending? hahaa..

Infinity liner in Princess Diaries, it's a really nice soft pink shimmer. Texture is soo pretty and I'd prefer to wear it as an eyeshadow. Amazing product!





Lipgloss in Pink Oasis, it's a purple toned pink, super sparkly and glossy :)




March:


Loving the plain looking box but it's not the same size as the others, so now they stack weird!! (OCD here!! but I know you girls would understand :P)



This month's box included lipstick in Flutter, eyeshadow in Disarray, and mascara in Black. Plus a bonus sample of their lip sugar in Vanilla (a lip scrub) and 20% off all Starlooks EYE products with the code: EYEDEAL313

and of course, a crystal for the collection.

I love mascara so no cons for this product. I love love love mascara so I am glad I got this since one of my mascaras already dried up. Another thing I love about this is, it's like a baton!! hahaha I love that's it has some weight to it and not at all flimsy!

my mascara baton, doubles up as a weapon harhar...
nice thick brush
brightened picture: closer look on the brush
This eyeshadow is a lovely colour. One swipe and it doesn't seem tlike anything but it's buildable! It's a lovely dark navy with a blue shimmer, I tried it over my eyeliner and the blue shimmer was so intense. Also no fall out which for dark eyeshadows is a MAJOR plus! BUT after like 2 hours of wearing it, no primer but at home, it kinda faded, a lot more than any of the December palettes so hmm, I'll have to try again with primer and see how that goes. I usually don't mind fading since my eye allergies make it difficult for me to wear eyeshadows long but this time my eye didn't react and it still faded so *shrugs*

picture 52 just for the correct colour! But it's so lovely! 





left: one swipe & right:3 deep swipes

Lastly, we have a lipstick in the shade Flutter. It's an dark orangey colour with gold flecks. The girls in my group had trouble with this colour but it was recommended we blot, blot, blot so it doesn't come out as dark and it'll give a more natural look ;)


w/o flash
w/ flash, it's really not THIS intense
a swipe, still a bit too coloured for my personal taste.


Bonus item: Lip Sugar in Vanilla. It's a bit sickly sweet and I haven't tried it yet but I definitely need a lip scrub so yay..



What I'd like to see in the future with Starlooks, for my own preference. I prefer nuder lipsticks, I'd love a bronzer and I can never get too much eyeliners :)
I looked at a sneekpeek at the April box and I think I'm liking the look a whole lot. so here's to hoping!

Monday, 25 March 2013

Club Nail Polish - Review

Hi Everyone!

before you start, I'd like to apologize for my bad nail pictures, they have been so bad all winter *hides*


Club Nail Polish sent a review package for their upcoming subscription service.

I was pretty excited waiting for this package.
But when I got it, I have to be honest. I was a bit underwhelmed.

Find out why under the break.

Wednesday, 13 March 2013

Wantable - free box

Hey Everyone!!


Someone posted something on a group I follow that I just want to share! :)


and sign up to receive a *free box once Wantable.co starts shipping to Canada :D

I have word that they have plans to start shipping to Canada in April!

I have read a few reviews and by word of mouth, they sound completely customizable AND amazing.


From what I have learned within my few minutes of 'researching' is:

-They have awesome customer service. (big plus!)
-They offer two variety of boxes 1 for makeup, 1 for jewelry. You can pick either one, or probably even purchase both!
-They will offer a survey for you to fill out to customize your box. 
-From what I read you can either opt out of receiving nail polish, customize colour choices.
One of the blogs I read said she'd prefer not getting nude lipsticks and instead got a lovely red shade!
-Each box offers a variety of products! (big plus as well) Items include: 
jewelry: Rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces.
makeup: nail polish, lip gloss, lip stick, eyeshadows, liners, brushes etc!! :)


*terms have said you purchase a box and within 2 days you will be reimbursed the amount less canadian shipping.

So I have yet to figure out the total cost w/ CDN shipping..

but this sounds promising..!

Are you already a subscriber, if so what are your thoughts?
If Canadian, will you be signing up for this offer? ;)


----------------------------------UPDATE-------------------------------------------

If it wasn't clear, Wantable is a subscription box like Topbox, Loose Button, Glymm, Julep etc and the list goes on..~!
There are two types of boxes available to choose from. One focuses on jewelry and one focuses on makeup.
There is an extensive profile survey you fill out in the beginning so they can fully customize your box. Unlike other subscriptions which also has a survey, from reviews this one actually seems to follow it!
One blogger states, she hated nude lipstick and she only received shades like red & pink (big plus!)
I, personally dislike pink/red lipstick, so I am glad if I fill that out I won't be getting any!

Also, aside from signing up for email alerts, there hasn't been anymore information yet but my friends who has been following this longer than I have, assured it will be coming soon..


I know Wantable is already quite pricey, but this definitely seems like a box to try!



Friday, 1 March 2013

Starlooks - December, Birthday & January

Hi Everyone,

***before you read this post, I have to apologize for my excessive use of smiley faces, exclamation points and the word amazing, I am just a total fangirl when I talk about Starlooks. Yes imagine a fan with balloons, a huge I heart Starlooks fan sign and the whole she-bang!***

I have been waiting SO long to share. Thanks to my friend Aleks for teaching me a SD card upload trick, I can finally post this!! (Thanks Aleks <3)

wait.. I have to thank Aleks again! She was the one who introduced me to Starlooks! Since there was a bunch of us at the same time, we did a ladder approach to referrals so I also have to thank Rebecca as I registered under her via Aleks <3

While browsing on Facebook, I read about Starlooks. It is a cosmetic brand who puts out a monthly beauty box full of their own branded products (sometimes they feature extras from other companies :)). So kind of like Julep but cosmetic related. (I am the best explainer right? haha.) On their website, they also sell an abundance of products, so be sure to take a look ;)

They are based out of the US but because they are a lovely company, they also allow Canadian subscribers to join in the fun (Thank goodness they did!!!!!!)

It's 15$ a month but for Canadians there is an added 4.50$ shipping fee...according to my VISA it's approx, 19.75$ with currency exchange, but it's still a good deal :), February I was charged 20.47, it really depends on the exchange rate but it's worth EVERY PENNY <3

Canadian subscribers cannot subscribe through their website but instead e-mail them with a completed form, or call. They will be more than happy to help you out. :)
Customer Service is AMAZING. They reply super-quick and they definitely put their customers first!

At the end of the post I will give out a bit more information because right now I want to show you my Starlooks experience.

December - Be The Light:

So there was mention about Starlooks having an amazing December box, a 99$ 15 Shadow Palette for the price of only 15$!!..
My thought was WOW,  $99 value for only $15!..equalling to $1 an eyeshadow. How can I say no..?
So as I was contemplating whether to buy it since I have a lot of eyeshadows already and eye allergies (boo!), someone mentioned on your birthday month, Starlooks also would send you a birthday box.
SOLD.  haha I am a weak-willed consumer for gifts~! Especially this year was my Dragon birthday, I totally spoiled myself :)

So I took the dive and ordered a Starlooks box. I took a peek at their palettes to see the choices they had available.

http://starlooks.com/collections/eyes/products/15-shade-eye-shadow

I was floored, they had so many options, I was EXCITED!

When I finally got my December Starlooks box, I ripped into it happily. lol
I was met with a flurry of shredded box stuffing "snow".  I had to quickly vacuum before my mom saw :) After that I finally opened the palette. It was a December Starlooks exclusive!
It was gorgeous, It had a rainbow of colour choices - shades of reds, yellows, blues, greens and purples!!!
Now I have to admit,  some colours were questionable to me like that bright matte red and the greens (on my skintone...hmm...) but with a little creative blending, they still look AH-mazing.
Most of the palette is shimmer colours except for a bright matte red and deep matte plum.



15 exclusive colours :)

Quality wise, it is amazing too!!
When I first swatched the eyeshadows lightly, it seemed sheer, so I swiped a bit more and it was SO pigmented. So this is very versatile for the look you want to achieve, a sheer soft look to a vivid intense look :)
It goes on velvety smooth and blends well.

one swipe


buildable colour!



one swipe

buildable colour!
(I was going to do a MAC comparison but the files got corrupted so I will have to repost them later)


Onto my amazing birthday box.

Starlooks offer their lovely subscribers a birthday box on the month of their birth.. (obv right haha :), another one of my great explanations) It came separately from the December box in a nice sleek back box.



I am flabbergasted! I think these items are full-sized! I tried looking on their website but it didn't say sizes but it does seem like it! :)
It came with a lipstick and its corresponding lip liner and a glitter glam!



but the best part, a handwritten birthday card from Starlooks :) it's too too cute that they decided to put in a birthday card. It really is the little things & attention to detail which makes this company special..!


thank you Starlooks :)

Here is a close up of the products:

Glitter Glam, 0.07oz in bb pink.



OF COURSE, I put it on before reading the package since it was so pretty and guess where.. my eyes of course LOL.
Then I read the package.."Glitter can be applied all over the body, hair, nails and face excluding the area surrounding the eyes." I really am the best, aren't I...?
This is really great for the body and hair (really, it's lovely for any application, except the eyes okay peeps!!! Don't make the same mistake I did hahaaa, may be dangerous, I didn't clarify the reason yet - I believe it is due to its coarse texture*)
I currently use NARS Hungry Heart Duo for these purposes since it's too light for me to be used as a normal blusher but Glitter Glam is a great substitute.
*quote from Starlooks "More course in texture than the pigments, this super shiny glitter will "bling" out any makeup look." ps. yes, there's a spelling error


Lipstick, 0.13oz in Tipsy & Lip Pencil, 2.4g in Tipsy.



Now I have no experience with Lip pencils but thank you for sending matching lip products hahaah!
The only other lip pencil I have doesn't match the lipstick it came with.. It was part of a gift basket so.. no idea what happened there lol!
It goes on pretty smooth and very pigmented, it will be nice to complement the lipstick and define my sad lips!...
At the moment, I am in love with lipsticks so I am very happy to receive this. Also in a colour I probably wouldn't pick up for myself since I usually stick to nudes, so it's always nice to get something new to try out :).
Tipsy is a orangey-pink coral colour which is quite bright.. can't wait to try it out !!
I love lipstick!! I think they look so pretty and Starlooks simple packaging with a little cap at the bottom of the colour is easy for storage ^_^.. This set also comes with a corrsponding lipgloss as well!
  ps. random fact - the lipstick doesn't have any scent, woohoo a plus for me..!


I took a look at their website and holy moly, they sure have many lipstick colours to pick from, I can't wait to try out more colours in the future ^__^...

For a free birthday box, this is AMAZING right..?
Glitter Glam ($12) + Lipstick ($11) + Lip Pencil ($9.50) = $32.50!!

Thank you Starlooks for an amazing birthday present!


January - Eden:
So after the first exciting month of Starlooks, I was dancing in my seat just waiting for January's box..
When it came, I tore in and saw a bright green box!



I looked inside and was like Elisha Cuthbert..??? haha but no, it's just Starlooks FACE OF STARLOOKS Winner Johnnie Faye Cartwright! She's so pretty :)


Anywho, this month we received a few goodies :)
Two types of eyeliners, a blush, a brush and a bracelet.




The thing I was most excited for was the blush. I normally don't wear blush so I am glad to have a chance to try it out. The colour is called Cuty Peach, pretty accurate, it's a light-ish peach and I think it matches my skintone pretty well..

in box
no flash

super duper close-up! (no flash)

Next are the eyeliners, also colours I hardly wear.. (wow Starlooks is really pushing the boundaries of my makeup collection aren't they??!) They had a normal brown eyeliner and a diamondline eyeliner in green!
without flash

with flash
The brown eyeliner is appropriately called Brown lol, it's a normal eyeliner, goes on pretty smooth but I think I still prefer wearing a vivid black eyeliner due to the way I usually line my eyes :)
I might try it out for a 'lighter' look when I just want to line my water line. The Diamondline eyeliner is super glittery/sparkley (lovee), I received the green one called Fancy.


Like I said I normally don't wear green, but I love this colour!!!! Although it's a bit too glittery for me to wear in the corners of my eyes since my look is plain. I did wear it lined with my usual black eyeliner (double-liner hehe.. I don't really  know the 'technical' name) and I find it made my eyes popped... by the end of the day there was a bit of fall out and my whole eye area was kinda glittery, it may be also due to the weather though..hmm..
But overall, it goes on pretty smooth and the lasting power is good.

Lastly, I received a small dome brush, # 858, which is a brush I usually use for putting on eyeshadow and blending. It's made from cruelty-free pony hair. It's really soft and does the job well.. One can never have enough awesome brushes!




As a bonus, Starlooks also included a handmade bracelet by Abby Rose Designs. It nicely tied in with this month's colour...green!! :) It's very cute and smart of them to make it a wrap type bracelet so it's one size fits all! :) because I am still a blogging noob, I don't have a picture of the bracelet close up but if you scroll back up, you can see it in the picture which shows the month's contents :)


Starlooks also includes 2 small crystals, apparently it is a regular feature in the boxes (minus december). If you buy a little jar/vase, you can fill it up and create a cute centrepiece.




I cannot wait for February :)

Thanks everyone for reading this long long post....!
This is just the beginning of an amazing subscription with Starlooks.
This has definitely blown me out of the water, I cannot say enough GOOD things about this company :) :) <3 <3

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
So a little more of Starlooks...since Canadians cannot subscribe normally on their website, you have to email or call them to subscribe.

1. Call them at 1-949-679-0679 between 9:30 am and 5:30 pm (PST)
2. Request a subscription sign-up form to be sent to your address. If you do this option, once you receive it, you have to fill it out and send it back. Once received they will place your order (personally I don't like this option, hehe)
3.  Email them w/ information. This is the option I did,  by emailing : info@starlooks.com

I emailed them with the form below filled out and they processed me asap :)

Your Full Name:
Your Complete Shipping and Billing Addresses: (please indicate if they are different)
*how I did it since mine were both the same was just posted it twice under the headings Shipping: & Billing:, incase there were any misunderstanding
Credit Card Number:
Expiration Date:
3 Digit Security Code:
Phone Number:
Birth Date:
Skin Tone:
How did you hear about us? (under this please write: Referred by Miranda Cheung via Aleksandra Sokal :D



- M


Relevant links:
Aleks: http://plumpishbeauty.blogspot.ca
Starlooks: www.starlooks.com