Where do I start?! I am super excited about my recent find!! I don’t know how many of you have heard of Loose Button before, but basically, it is an online service where you sign up for $12 a month, and they send you a box, called a LuxeBox, filled with 3-5 travel size beauty products for you to try out. This is so you don’t have to commit to purchasing full size expensive products before you get the chance to actually try them out for a while. In the beginning of the sign up process, you are required to fill out a ‘beauty profile’ so they can learn more about you, like your skin type, tone, eye colour, and other details, to help them better customize the products they send you to your needs. I didn’t even hesitate for a single second. I placed my order and waited. I finally received my box two days ago (they ship the boxes out mid-month) and was very pleased with what was inside.
Note: This service is only available in Canada (for the time being – the company is looking to expand internationally at some point). The US version of this would be BirchBox, so if you’re in the US and you like the idea, then head on over to their website!
When you first open the box, there are two cards on top. The first one (on the right) is a personalized letter giving you a nice warm welcome with a quick overview of what to expect in the box. The second card (on the left) lists all the products in the box with more detail, such as product descriptions and full-size retail prices. This months box also came with a bonus product that was mentioned in the first card but not in the detailed description card. I guess they wanted to leave it as an element of surprise, or just that the product didn’t have any extra descriptions or full-size retail price because… ah what the heck, you’ll find out soon enough if you keep reading :)
After carefully removing the wrapping, I finally got to the goodies inside; the best part! This months box had 5 items. I’ll list each item below and give you the description provided in the card along with how much they retail for and a quick review of each of the products.
Starting from left to right, then moving on to the bonus product (the blue envelope), here are the details of each of the products inside this months LuxeBox:
Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup: Skip the mess and go pressed with Pur Minerals’ award-winning foundation, powder, concealer and SPF 15. Supercharged with shea butter and vitamin E, this nourishing pressed mineral formula is your key to flawless-looking skin in 60 seconds or less. Full-size retail price: $31 (0.28oz). Size of product in the box is 0.15oz. I haven’t tried this one yet, as it looked too dark for my skin tone before I even opened it. I did swatch it on my finger and blended it into my hand though and found that it looked very natural. I will probably give this a try tomorrow and see how it actually blends on my face.
Lip Plumping Treatment City Lips by City Cosmetics: The award-winning formula in City Lips includes Oligopeptide technology to increase collagen production in your lips, resulting in greater lip volume and a decrease in wrinkles and lines in and around the lips. Get extraordinary results and a luxury lip gloss all in one! Full-size retail price: $35 (5ml). Size of product in the box is approximately 2-3ml. I already have big lips (God has been kind to me in that department) so I didn’t really find this to be a product of use to me, but I did give it a shot and something did stand out about it. I know with experience that lip plumping products tend to tingle on your lips (which sometimes reached a point where it felt like I had just eaten a whole chili pepper) and make them look fuller. What I liked about this product is that there is a barely noticeable tingle, if none at all. As for plumping, it did make my lips look a tiny bit fuller, but seriously… not like I needed it! This product would work well for people with smaller lips. Oh, and it smells heavenly!
Proclaim Cocoa & Shea Butter Hand & Body Lotion: Proclaim Hand & Body lotion moisturizes dry, irritated skin while protecting from sun, wind and water. It restores lost moisture and soothes dry, tight skin. Leaves skin feeling smooth and soft without feeling greasy. Full-size retail price: $8 (32oz). Size of product in the box is 3 fl oz. When I first tried this lotion, I noticed a few things: it definitely relieves irritated skin. I had a patch of dry skin on my forearm that I kept itching, and a few minutes after I put this product on it, the irritation went away and the redness calmed down a whole lot. It’s true to its word about not being greasy, which I really like. The only thing I disliked about this product is the strong smell of cocoa. Not that it’s a bad smell, it really isn’t! It’s delicious actually, but I just personally don’t like heavily fragranced body lotions or creams. I like them to smell softer and have that feeling of being there but barely there (if that makes sense). So overall, as far as its description goes, it’s been a good experience and I like this hand and body lotion.
Calvin Klein Forbidden Euphoria Fragrance: Mysteriously sophisticated. Innocently seductive. Coveted, yet forbidden, this fragrance is the younger interpretation of the iconic euphoria fragrance. It evokes a modern, fresh sexiness with a mysterious twist. Full-size retail price: $78 (50ml) and $102 (100ml). Size of product in the box is 3ml. I really don’t have much to say about this product that would add to what the description already said. It’s super sexy! I loved it. I also love the fact that it’s not one of those tiny sample size bottles that barely last 2-3 uses. 3ml of perfume is a lot. What I also loved about this bottle is that it has a roller ball top, which makes it a lot easier to apply to your skin. It’s the perfect size to carry around, and I’m positive this tiny bottle will last me quite a while. Mmm…
Finally, the bonus product! Handmade earrings from Sheyna Jewelry: Sheyna has been featured in Oprah’s blog, and you can read more about their unique story on their website. When I first saw these earrings I thought they were so small and dainty and might not even be noticeable, but once I put them on I really did enjoy wearing them. I’ve been wearing them for the last three days actually and I think they look gorgeous. They’re very subtle; a pearl with 2 beads surrounding it; one white and one yellow-ish. It’s very light and I like that it has a hook backing (is that what they are called??). They are very well made and don’t look cheap at all. Love!
I can’t wait for the September box to come in next month! I hope those of you who live in Canada find this idea intriguing and sign up with them so you can also share my experience. It’ll be like Christmas every month of the year!
Happy unwrapping! xx
beau∙ti∙los∙o∙phy 