Thursday, December 22, 2011

December Beauty Battle

In November, I had my first beauty box showdown with the three beauty subscription services available to us in Canada.

To recap; the standings as of November were as follows:
#1 - TopBox
#2 - Glymm
#3 - Loose Button

Now that all three December boxes have been received, I can go ahead and do my December showdown

... insert drumroll here ...

Standings as of December:

#1 - Glymm - Glymm definitely redeemed themselves this month by sending an awesome assortment of deluxe samples. I was most impressed to find they had taken my feedback seriously and were nice enough to send me a different color Smudge Paint and RGB nail polish in my box this month. Now that is customer service. You can read my review here.

#2 - Topbox - Topbox is the new kid in town, and they definitely continue to impress me with their samples. Although I did place them at #2 this month, they are very close behind Glymm. I gave Glymm the edge this month, just for their YSL perfume sample and their gesture to send alternate product color samples. You can read my Topbox review here.

and a distant #3 - Loose Button - Unfortunately Loose Button continues to disappoint not only me, but other customers as well. There has been lots of grumbling on their Facebook page about how people were less than impressed with the samples as well. Of the three, Loose Button continues to fall well below the other two services. You can read my review here.

December Glymm Beauty Box Review

Glymm (along with Topbox) is one of the top two beauty subscription services for me and I was very excited to finally find my December Glymm Box in my mail today!




Included in this month's box:





Yves Saint Laurent - Parisienne Eau de Parfume

According to the info card "Parisienne is a floral, feminine yet sensual fragrance that will leave a trace of mystery everywhere you go. This luxurious scent wraps up a woman's body and stays with her all day long."


I've never tried YSL perfume, and was very happy to find this in my beauty box.  The sample is a very generous .25 fl oz (or 7.5 ml).  Full size is 50 ml for $75


Ahava - Mineral Hand Cream



According to the info card "Ahava lightweight lotion goes to work the minute you apply it with a powerful blend of ingredients to treat hand dryness and dermatitis.  It's rich, nourishing Dead Sea minerals hydrate and restore  moisture to even the most rough and scaly skin.  The hazel extracts soothe and soften dry skin without making it feel greasy."

Living in Western Canada where our Winter runs from October/November to April, one can never have enough hand cream.  I have hand creme in almost every room of my house, in my purse, and in my car.  I quickly tried this when I opened the box, and it a very nice light hand cream that isn't at all greasy - and the scent is very nice as well.  Full size is 3.4 oz for $20


Principessa - Dolce Dreams Whipped body Lotion


I was a little confused because my information card indicated I should have received a Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream.  However, I'm not complaining about receiving the Principessa lotion as I love their Pretty Piede Foot Cream and Bacio Lip Balm and was happy to see this in my box.


Sula - Natural Lip Gloss (full size)


The color I received was Secret Crush which is a nice rubyish red.  I wasn't familiar with Sula Beauty so when I saw this in my box, I went to their website to check them out.  They have a lot of interesting products and I'm even thinking of trying their Shea Butter Balm!   Full size is $8

Tthen of course, we can't forget about the jelly beans ...



And, a $10 off card for the Glymm Shop ...



Now, if you remember I was disappointed that in my November Glymm Box I received a black RGB nail polish and a royal blue Annabelle Smudge Paint that I really didn't think that was appropriate for someone my age.  I provided feedback to Glymm about possibly keeping a closer eye on the ages of their customers in the future when sending out sample colors so that for us "older" folks we'd get colors that were more suited to our age bracket.  Glymm was nice enough to include a different color Smudge Paint and RGB nail polish in my box this month.  Now there folks, is great customer service.



Glymm continues to provide quality deluxe samples from different brands each month, which is something I definitely appreciate.  I'm definitely happy with my subscription and if Glymm (and Topbox) continues to provide these types of samples, they'll definitely keep stealing customers from Loose Button.

If you are interested in ordering a Glymm Beauty Box for yourself or someone else, you can do so by using this link.

December Luxe Box Review

Another month, another Loose Button Luxe Box Review.  So what did we receive this month?






As some of you may know, last month, some customers of Loose Button received an expired Moroccanoil product.  I was one of these customers.  In response, Loose Button indicated they would compensate us by replacing the item with a Moroccanoil Hairspray and a special something in the next box.  The following products were the replcements:

Moraccanoil Luminous Hairspray



Moraccanoil Shampoo & Conditioner



Now onto the regular box contents:

Keratase - Elixir Ultime


This was one of the choices in Loose Button's "First in Line" program where customers can pick from two different products for their Luxe Box and be guaranteed this item in their box.  Between the two choices - an DDF Advanced Firming Cream and the Keratase - I chose the Keratase eventhough I had previously received it in my October Luxe Box.  The full size of this is 125 ml for $50


Nina Ricci - L'Air du Temps & L'Elixir


I'm not keen on receiving perfume samples, but don't hate them, however, when those samples are less than half full, I would rather not even receive them.  I can get similar samples elsewhere, plus those samples are full.  The full sizes of these are $72 & $65 respectively.


Yves Rocher - Rouge Dragee Lipstick (full size)


I'm really not sure why I even received this, as I don't wear lipstick, and even previously asked Loose Button not to include lipstick in my boxes.  Full size is $5.

Also included in this month's box was a silver wrapped chocolate coin.

So after all that what did I think of this months box?  If you take away the replacement Moroccanoil products, you are left with little much in the way of "deluxe" samples.  I am very disappointed in my December box and give it a 2 out of 5.


*Note - I had recently contacted Loose Button to cancel my yearly subscription, which I just renewed in October, and was told that they would be happy to cancel, however because I paid for the full year I would not be receiving a refund for the remaining 10 months.  Alternatively I could transfer the subscription to someone else. WTH????

I am definitely NOT happy about this as we have not yet received the boxes and therefore Loose Button is keeping money that does not belong to them.   I am still trying to get my money refunded, and may look at contacting my lawyer for help to get the money I am owed refunded.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Update on Beauty Subscriptions

As you may have read in some of my previous beauty blogs, I ended up being very disappointed in Loose Button's Luxe Box subscription service over the course of the past few months.

For one, they continue to send samples from brands we've previously received - and two, generally their service has just gone downhill lately.

I was optimistic Loose Button would step up their game with Glymm and now Topbox providing a similar service however, it appears that they have not.

Their boxes are taking longer and longer to arrive each month. This month, boxes were supposed to be sent out between December 12th and 16th. However, on December 16th I received an email from Loose Button saying they couldn't get my box out on time, and it would be shipped on Monday (today).

Here is the email ... Of special note is the lovely personalization on the email ... "Hi (first name)" ... *facepalm*


What really ticks me off is that Loose Button ought to have known that December is a busy shipping month and gotten their boxes out earlier. It's really disappointing for their customers, especially those of us that are out West and are founding members, to have to wait for our boxes when some people have already had their boxes since December 14th.

Also, reading the comments on Loose Button's Facebook page, there are a lot of unhappy people with this month's box. Last month, some of us received an expired Moroccan Oil product and were told "we are sending you a Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray and a special something in your next box, as a replacement for the expired Hydrating Styling Cream".  Unfortunately people are reporting that they are not receiving these products in addition to the regular contents of the December box, but in place of.  Boo Loose Button

Another concern is that it is reported that this month's samples are poor - especially the half full perfume samples. Add that to the Moroccan Oil products that have apparently replaced the regular samples and people are just very unhappy.  Me included.

Topbox was intuitive enough to know that December is a busy shipping month and decided to send their boxes early - starting with boxes for those of us out West which was an awesome gesture, and Glymm also promptly sent their boxes too. Why couldn't Loose Button do the same??

Unfortunately after one too many disappointments, I emailed Loose Button yesterday asking for my yearly subscription to be cancelled. I have yet to hear back from them.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

December Topbox Review

My December Topbox has arrived!! This was my second Topbox and I have to say it definitely didn’t disappoint ...

So what goodies were in this month’s tube??




Cargo Cosmetics - LipGloss with TimeStrip Technology (Full Size Sample)



According to the information card, "this month, our stylists have teamed up with the stylists at Cargo to select an amazing shade that compliments your beauty profile" Full size is $25

I love the color of this gloss and am very intrigued by the cool timestrip technology which lets you know when your gloss should be replaced. Looking forward to trying this!!


Cover FX - Skinprep FX Primer


According to the information card, "this is Cover FX's #1 selling primer. It's an instant smoothing primer that binds makeup to your face for even, color-true and long lasting wear" Full size is 30 ml for $45.

I've really only tried a few primers, with less than good results, so am hoping this primer will be better.


Skinceuticals - Hydrating B5 Gel


According to the information card, this gel is "enriched with vitamin B5, and replenishes nutrients the skin needs to feel smooth" Full size is 30 ml for $78

Now this is something I am very excited to try. Winter weather here in Canada can be harsh on your skin and I really hate how my face feels and looks in the winter. I love the little dropper bottle and can definitely see myself using it for travel.


Bella Pella - Marula & Neroli Glycerine Soap (Full Size Sample)


This soap is soooo pretty and smells very citrusey, and who can't use a beautiful bar of soap. Apparently Bella Pella' soaps are handcrafted from 100% vegetable-based glycerine. And they have over 60 different types of soaps. Full size is approx. 125gr for $7.95


Wow ... what can I say?? Another month with 2 full sized samples and again, there wasn't one product that I didn't like. Plus, this month, tubes for those of us out west were shipped before those in the east so that we wouldn't have to wait as long for our tubes. How awesome is that!!! Topbox definitely continues to impress me. Well done once again Topbox - I'm very much looking forward to January's Topbox.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Favorite Beauty Products - November 2011

It's that time again ... time for November's favorite beauty products outlining the products I used most often for the month ... so here we go


Body Satin Hand Creme


Those of us living in the dry, cold climate of the Great White North are always looking for a good hand cream to ease the itchy dry skin we always get around this time of year. I picked this up as part of my November Melaleuca order and have been using it every day! The lotion isn't greasy at all and absorbs quite quickly. It has a super smooth texture with a really light scent. According to their website, this hand cream has a "blend of shea, cocoa, and mango butter with firming Egytian blue lotus flower and powerful antioxidants found in white tea and vitamin E" ... all I know is I like it and will definitely be ordering it again.


Sei Bella Repair Hair Masque


Another of my purchases as part of my November Melaleuca order. I've used it a couple times in place of my regular conditioner for of a more deep conditioning of my color treated hair and it definitely left my hair softer, shinier and silkier. I can definitely see myself using this more throughout the cold Winter months to help keep my hair in better condition. Another one I'll be buying again.


Laura Mercier Face Polish


I received a sample of this in my Laura Mercier Flawless Favorites 500 point perk from Sephora and I immediately fell in love with it. I have been using Philosophy's Purity and Philosophy's Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash for quite some time and thought they both were good, but the LM Face Polish is even more wonderful. It doesn't lather or produce a foam. It has a mild scent that doesn't linger and it's just overall, a nice way to get rid of dead skin cells laying on top of your skin so that fresher skin can shine through.

The LM Face Polish is one of the mildest yet effective scrubs you can find. I appreciate the two qualities that set it apart from other scrubs I've tried, that it's not too rough on your face and that it isn't drying. You could even use it on other parts of the body that need exfoliation. I imagine you'll run out of product a lot faster but if you like it, that's the way to go.

Another definite purchase again product.


Garnier Skin Renew Clinical Dark Spot Corrector


Now, I admit I was skeptical at first, especially since this is a drug store product, but thought I really had nothing to lose (other than $20 LOL). However, after using this for almost a month, I really have seen a decrease in the redness and acne marks on my cheeks and chin. I really see and feel a change in my skin. It is wonderful. The dark spots have lightened more than half and the texture of all my facial skin is younger feeling and smoother. I recommend it highly! Another repurchase.


Sephora Cuticle Care Pen


Another downfall of living up here in the Great White North (besides the dry skin), is dry cuticles. I've been using the Sephora Cuticle Care Pen for a few years now, but really love to brush it on my cuticles each night before bed during the winter months when my cuticles are super dry. This is a lovely little drink for them. I'll never be without this!!


Perfect Formula Pink Gel Coat


Even my nails feel dryer in the cooler fall and cold winter months, and this nail polish creates a sheer pink coating that strengthens and hardens natural nails so they grow beautifully long and strong. According to the Sephora website "Its keratin-rich formula includes an optical brightener that filters out any yellow appearance in your nails, bringing out the natural color in your nail bed and making the whites of your nails appear whiter." Love this stuff.


Philosphy - Creme Brulee 3-in-1


I love most of Philosphy's 3-in-1's but this is my ultimate favorite and I find myself always returning to this scent in the cooler months. This product is intoxicating!!

Until next month ...

Friday, December 9, 2011

More Mally Goodies

After receiving my Mally Evercolor Shadow Sticks yesterday, and giving them a quick try, I found I really did like them. So much so, that I went back online to QVC to buy a couple other colors and was pleasantly surprised to find that QVC had a Mally My Favorite Things 12-piece Collection as their "Today's Special Value" ...

Included in the collection are:
~ 0.06 oz Evercolor Shadow Stick in Twilight (taupe)
~ 0.06 oz Evercolor Shadow Stick in Purple Rain (purple)--new and exclusive to QVC until 3/12/12!
~ 0.06 oz Evercolor Shadow Stick in Firework (rose)--new and exclusive to QVC until 3/12/12!
~ 0.01 oz Evercolor Waterproof Automatic Eyeliner in Onyx (black)
~ 0.01 oz Evercolor Waterproof Automatic Eyeliner in Tiger's Eye (brown)--new and exclusive to QVC until 3/12/12!
~ 0.01 oz Evercolor Waterproof Automatic Eyeliner in Fierce Forest (green)--new and exclusive to QVC until 3/12/12!
Three 0.39 fl oz Volumizing Mascaras in Black
~ 0.12 oz High Shine Liquid Lipstick in Fuzzy Navel (peach-pink)--new and exclusive to QVC until 3/12/12!
~ 0.12 oz High Shine Liquid Lipstick in Orchid (berry-pink)--new and exclusive to QVC until 3/12/12!
~ 0.12 oz High Shine Liquid Lipstick in Mally's Baby (pink)
~ Three small gift bags


Now I think the object of this collection is to share with a couple friends, but I just may be selfish and keep them all for myself LOL On the other hand, I doubt I'll use 3 mascaras at once so may put one of those up for swap on MUA (along with probably the green eyeliner).



Mally Evercolor Shadow Sticks

I've seen tons of gurus on Youtube raving about Mally's Evercolor Shadow Sticks ...

What are Mally Evercolor Shadow Sticks? Well they serve as a primer, shadow, smudgy eyeliner, and eyeshadow brush in one. Application is easy--just line eyes and fill in the lid. You have about 30 seconds of play time to smudge with your finger or a brush to create the look you want. Make it soft and smoky or more defined. Finish by gently smudging your lower lash line with the Evercolor Shadow Stick using your finger or a brush.

I purchased mine from QVC - normally they're $25/each, but found them packaged as a duo for $31.92 - they arrived yesterday (Dec 8)

Each "duo" includes two 0.06 oz Evercolor shadow sticks
Foxy: includes Rosy Taupe and Saddle Shimmer, both brown shades
Showstopper: includes Plum, a deep purple and Champagne, a shimmery beige




I quickly gave these a try and unfortunately I can definitely see myself liking these and having to buy more LOL ... Also, they will come in very handy for travelling.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

My Home Based Business

I recently just started a home based business, partnering with an environmentally friendly company that manufactures all-natural products that helps people make their homes toxin free. Melaleuca has everything from vitamins, cleaning and laundry products to weight loss and pet products. What I like about Melaleuca is they don't use any sort of chemicals, especially formaldehyde, peroxide, ammonia and phosphates. Their products provide consumers with safer, less toxic products at superior quality and better prices!

I’m buying things from Melaleuca that I would already be buying at the grocery store – basically just “switching stores” so I'm not buying anything extra. Like Costco you pay a membership fee, however in return you receive awesome benefits. Basically with Melaleuca you get money back by referring people to the company as a preferred customer. However, in order to remain a preferred customer, you must shop for 35 points worth of products each month (around $50-$60 depending on what you buy).

By referring people to the company, the residual income I make is more than enough to pay for my product purchases each month plus some left over. My friend has actually gotten almost $1300 back from the company since August. Don’t worry about not being able to get 35 points/month, because I’ve placed 2 orders with them already and both orders have been over 35 points easily. Or another way to do it is split the order with another person to make up the 35 points a month.

How does the residual income work?? If you enrol one person, you'll get a minimum of $7. Every person thereafter, you earn a minimum of $32 as your bonus. SO, enrol three people, and you earn a minimum of $71. This doesn't include the residuals that you earn every month from their purchases. (There is a 95% reorder rate with the company, remember.) Once you enrol a total of eight people, you will earn an average of $168 monthly. I'm sure you know 8 people that would benefit from the products.

I was truly sceptical at first, but this is honestly not a scam ... here’s a picture of the cheque my friend got last month – I was shocked!

Also, beginning with your second month as a preferred customer, Melaleuca will give you $24 of Loyalty Shopping Dollars to spend each month for 5 months. This $120 worth of Loyalty Shopping Dollars can be spent on select products each month so you can try different products at no additional cost!

Worried you won’t like the products?? Melaleuca is so confident their products will make a noticeable difference in your wellness that if any product doesn’t meet your highest expectations, return the product within 60 days for a full credit or exchange. The internationally patented formula of the Access Bar sold by Melaleuca was developed by Larry Wang, PhD - a professor at the University of Alberta here in Edmonton. Dr. Wang is recognised around the world as an authority on fat metabolism.

And no, it’s not MLM or a pyramid, It’s a fantastic company and a wonderful opportunity, which I am very excited to work with. You have nothing to sell. You do not carry an inventory. You just refer people to the company for the products or the business opportunity, or for both. You earn a residual income on orders placed by all customers that are enrolled below you. ALL customers-- meaning whether you enrol them, I enrol them or someone else above me.

... and yes, even if you don’t enrol anyone, you can still earn money - How? By the fabulous people above you enrolling people into your tree (although the $$ won’t be as good as if you do refer/enrol people).

Here’s a video explaining who/what Melaleuca is



You can check out Melaleuca's Products in their product store

A great website that outlines why Melaleuca products are awesome - Why I LOVE Melaleuca!

And remember, you don’t have to sell anything, just introduce people to the company and enrol that person as a customer - simple - then they can enrol people, etc.

Seriously think about it ... watch the video, look at the products then talk to some of your family or friends to see if they’d be interested. Normally it’s usually $29 to enrol, but right now it's only $14.50 until Dec 20th.

I would really love to have you on my team. This company is a lot of fun, and actually quite simple. Plus, the money is fantastic.

TTFN,  Bonny

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

New Wellness Products

As mentioned in a previous blog, I recently just started a home based business, partnering with an environmentally friendly company that manufactures all-natural products called Melaleuca. Melaleuca has over 350 products (everything from vitamins, cleaning and laundry products to weight loss and pet products) that are all are safe for our bodies and our environments - all backed by scientific data & research and all come with money back guarantee.

I placed my second order placed with Melaleuca ... it arrived today ...

Vitality Total™ (Essentials + Heart + Body) — Women


The supplements come in a box and include a 30-day supply of a variety of Melaleuca's patented Vitality Multivitamin & Mineral, Vitality Calcium Complete, CellWise, Florify, Phytomega, ProvexCV, Replenex, NutraView, and EstrAval.

According to the Melaleuca website, these supplements include "Oligo (Oligofructose Complex) - which gives your body more of the antioxidants and minerals it needs for more vitality and a lifetime of better health. Only Oligo binds minerals to protein and fiber to mirror the way minerals are found in fruits and Oligo keeps minerals soluble during digestion, so you get more of the nutrients you need." Melaleuca and scientists at the University of Iowa made the Oligo discovery in 2008. For more on Oligofructose Complex check out this video.

I buy most of these supplements separately each month anyway so am not buying anything I don't need, and what I really like about these supplements, is they come packaged in convenient AM and PM packs which will definitely be awesome for travel.


Tough & Tender™ Wipes


These are Melaleuca's all purpose cleaning wipes for "virtually every surface in your home". Tough & Tender wipes are naturally free of bleach and harsh chemicals, and they’re safe to use on almost any surface, even natural stone like granite and marble, plus they are biodegradable.

I'm looking forward to trying these, especially with multiple animals in the house as I'm very conscious of what I put on the surfaces in my house because of that. I definitely don't want to poison our pets.


Sei Bella Bright Eyes Soothing Gel


I had spied this when I first took a look through Melaleuca's catalog but was hesitant to purchase it at first because of the price, however, because this was my second month with Melaleuca, I received $24 in Loyalty Shopping Dollars in my account and used that towards the purchase (beginning with your second month as a preferred customer, Melaleuca will give you $24 of Loyalty Shopping Dollars to spend each month for 5 months. This $120 worth of Loyalty Shopping Dollars can be spent on select products each month so you can try different products at no additional cost).

According to the description on the Melaleuca website, this gel is supposed to "Invigorate and stimulate the skin around your eyes for a refreshing boost any time of the day. Active goji peptides and antioxidants create an immediate visible firming effect. Oat and argania fruit tone skin for instant refreshment while providing long-term wrinkle-fighting benefits. Use in the morning or any time your eyes need instant refreshment."


I will report back in a short while to give my review of these products. If you've tried any of Melaleuca's products, what did you think??

If you'd like to know more about Melaleuca, this blog will answer most of your questions.

f you are looking to improve your family’s health, rid your home of toxic cleaners & allergy-causing body products, save money, or even start a home business, then I highly recommend Melaleuca!

For more information on the products or to join, just contact me by email. I'd love to have you join ... your family, your health and the environment will thank you!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

100% Pure Deals @ Hautelook

I really do love Hautelook!!!

100% Pure - Red Wine Resveratrol Concentrate - $10.50 (Regularly $35.00)

I've been wanting to try this for some time, but really didn't want to shell out the regular price just in case it didn't work for me. So when I saw it as a deal on Hautelook, I thought why not.


100% Pure - Neopolitan Body Scrub Gift Set - $14.00 (Regularly $35.00)

You can't go wrong with scrubs (especially great smelling scrub) - and this set includes Strawberry Lemonade Juicy Body Scrub, Vanilla Bean Scrub, and Chocolate Mocha Body Scrub. Can't wait to try it!!



100% Pure - Blackberry Mini Mascara - $6.00 (Regularly $12.00)

I've wanted to try 100% Pure mascara but again, wasn't sure how I'd react to it. This mini mascara is the perfect "try me" size



Regular Price: $82.00
Paid: $30.50
Total Savings: $51.50

Can't wait to try them!!

If you want to sign up and get awesome deals like this, click here. Membership is free and everyone is welcome! Best of all, get a $10 credit for every friend you invite when they make their first purchase.