BEAUTY | April 2024 Ipsy Glam Bag

Purchased by me

This is my FIRST review of the Ipsy Glam Bag in almost 10 years! Back then, there were a ton of subscription services and I was subscribed to probably five of them with a few brands like Glossybox and Birchbox sending me boxes to review. I was also receiving a lot more press samples so all of that combined left me overwhelmed and frankly, uninspired to review and use the products inside. I have not thought about signing up for anything since FaceTory until I took some time off at the start of this month and realized that I missed these little surprises and mini sizes of brands I haven't tried before! With the exchange rate and shipping, this box ended up costing about $27 CDN so not the cheapest, but is it worth the surprise of trying new things? Maybe! And, what's nice is that I can pause it anytime and resume with ease!  

BEAUTY BOX | Glossybox September 2015 Edition

A part of me debated not even writing about the last couple of Glossyboxes that I was sent because of how much time had passed, but after looking at their contents I decided that they were worthy of sharing for anyone interested in signing up for Glossybox. This is a US-based subscription service which, with the Canadian dollar currently where it is, may cause Canadians like myself to hesitate when it comes to signing up. I actually still have two US-based subs going because even with the exchange rate, the products I receive are still worth it. Hopefully my reviews of what I received in my September Glossybox* will be just that for you!

BEAUTY BOX | December Birchbox Review + Holiday Idea!

I have talked about Birchbox numerous times over the year and I reiterate that they were the first of the beauty subscription boxes and while MANY subscriptions have come and gone, Birchbox still remains - and at $10 CDN/month + $4.95 shipping. $10 was the magic number 5 years ago and while other subs have slowly hiked their prices, Birchbox has kept theirs at that magic number. I have been so entrenched in this beauty world that sometimes I forget that there are still people that don't about subscription services such as Birchbox. If you are still looking for a gift that keeps on giving, let's take a look at Birchbox!

SUBSCRIPTION BOX | November Vancity Box Review

After October's raving review (here) of the Vancity Box, I was more than delighted to be given the opportunity to review November's box as well especially now that we are into the holiday season trying to get gift ideas for our loved ones (or ourselves!). As I mentioned in my previous review, this is a purely artisanal subscription box that is filled with goods made by local companies and there were definitely some familiar favourites this month!

BEAUTY BOX | July Glossybox Review (Better Late Than Never?)

Call it OCD, but I need to go in order! The summer just sort of vanished and I was still in denial that cold weather was finally here until I was forced to take out my Aritzia winter coat (you all know that Talula one that is like a Vancouver rite of passage) and wear a wool scarf! July's Glossybox wasn't really a summer-themed one, but I found it to be somewhat disappointing as I wasn't too thrilled with the product assortment. Nevertheless, there was one shining star for me in this box which I will highlight with much excitement further down.

BEAUTY BOX | Vive La France October GLOSSYBOX

Welcome to one of the prettiest and chic Glossyboxes I have ever seen! I was expecting the classic pink box and and instead was this beautiful Parisienne-themed piece of art for the month of October. It is so beautiful that I had to jump the gun and skip the summer Glossyboxes I still have to show you! On top of this beautiful box (that I now MUST find a use for!), there was a consistent theme throughout that acutally MADE SENSE and contained products with some French flair.

Even the inside of the box was beautifully decorated!

BEAUTY BOX | June Glossybox Review

Welcome to the new Cosmetic Proof where I play beauty box catch up just like last year. I was so proud for doing all that writing last week so that you guys could come here to a new post every day, but then work and late nights caught up with me and we’re back to this unscheduled and impromptu way of doing things. Now, onto June’s Glossybox* which featured some brands that I know and love and some that I had never heard of, but that is sort of the fun with these boxes isn’t it? Discovering new product loves!

BEAUTY BOX | Birchbox x Best Health Collaboration

For the month of July, Birchbox has teamed up with Best Health Magazine to provide a curated selection of only the best in beauty. This “Go for the Gold” Birchbox is all about making sure that you have your “healthiest summer yet”. This is a pretty bold claim so let’s see whether it lived up to my now sky-high beauty box expectations!

 

BEAUTY BOX | Revisiting TOMBox aka The Time of Month Box

At the beginning of the this year, I reviewed an interesting beauty box subscription service called the TOMBox (past review here) which elicited both laughs and comments of disbelief in the comments section. To recap, TOMBox is a monthly subscription service that as of now, only ships within the US, and caters to what a girl/woman might need or want during her menstrual cycle. It’s funny how they only REAL difference between TOMBox and all other beauty box subscriptions is the addition of pads or tampons. I guess we ladies want what we want.

BEAUTY BOX | Glossybox May 2015 Edition

Does everyone still get excited when they see that characteristic cotton candy pink of a Glossybox? I love that the boxes are so sturdy and can be repurposed for other things as well! I house all of my nail art supplies in them and even some of my makeup. May’s Glossybox edition* came as a surprise in my mailbox and it’s a shame I wasn’t able to pick it up sooner to share with you all!

BEAUTY BOX | May Birchbox – Curated by Emily Shuman from Cupcakes and Cashmere!

The blog Cupcakes and Cashmere was one of the first blogs I started reading because let's face it, Emily Shuman is a veteran when it comes to this blogging world and her book is the ONLY coffee table book that I have ever thought worthy of purchasing. Her 5 Favourite Things segment is one of my favourites and have always loved how easy she seems to make any task from baking a pie to putting together an outfit for a night out. Imagine how excited I was when I heard that the May Birchbox* was to be curated by the one and only Emily Shuman!

BEAUTY BOX | March 2015 Glossybox Unboxing and Review

Glossybox Canada broke my heart 2 years ago by leaving me, but at least they didn’t do what Glymm did and take my money as well. Recently, Glossybox USA opened up their hearts to us Canadians so that for those of us who were left high and dry or never even got the chance to try the service, we now have a chance!

To keep this brief, this is a subscription beauty box service with three different plans: a monthly package ($21/month), a 6-month package ($126), and a 12 month package ($220). Canadians also pay an additional $5 shipping fee which in combination with the terrible exchange rate makes this beauty box potentially less value than it could be, but regardless the contents and presentation of my Glossybox* made me forget about it temporarily!

SUBSCRIPTION BOX | TOM Box - The Monthly Period Box (Yes, You Read That Right!)

There is a subscription box for EVERYTHING right now from beauty to crafts to even ones for your own pets! I shouldn’t have been too surprised when I saw a monthly menstrual cycle box, but there was/is a small part of me that still says, “really?” What’s interesting is that around that Time of the Month (TOM) I make my monthly trip to London Drugs and pick up what are seemingly random items only to realize that I have picked up pads, chocolate, chips and nail polish.

The idea of the TOMBox* is to have these “supplies” anticipated for and have them show up at your doorstep ready for your cravings! Unfortunately, I just saw that this box is unavailable to Canadians…sorry us!

The homepage is a little cheesy with Christina Aguilera lyrics at the ready.

MEMEBOX | Special #45 Chocolate Mania (Now THIS is My Kinda Box!)

I thought the Cafe Box I reviewed (here) smelled good, but this Chocolate Mania Memebox* is sensorially (real word?) more my speed. Everything smells legitimately like real chocolate which might be overkill for some, but perfect for a chocophile like myself. As I write this, I’m even eating homemade chocolate chip cookies. I’m just a beast.

BEAUTY BOX | Ipsy September 2014 “Street Style” Edition

Let us forget that it is Christmas for a second and pretend I am just blogging like it’s just any other time of the year. Sometimes I feel like Christmas is that newly engaged friend of yours that won’t stop talking about wedding planning. Just take a break! This is my second to last Ipsy bag and seeing as how I haven’t even opened my October one, it was probably time to stop the subscription! September was all about street style, but I failed to really see a clear theme with the products I received.

Birchbox Comes to Canada! SNEAK PEEK!

It’s here. The time has FINALLY come. Birchbox* has now come to Canada! In what feels like a game of Survivor: Beauty Box Edition, Birchbox has outlasted, outwitted and possibly outsmarted many of its competitors. Monthly subscriptions are $10/month (plus $4.95 for shipping) or save two months by signing up for the year at $100 (plus shipping). To ensure that your Birchbox suits you best, make sure to fill out your beauty profile so that your straight hair isn’t subject to products that restore curl (true story…).

When I first entered the beauty box subscription ring 3 years ago, oh how I fantasized about getting a Birchbox. With its variety of makeup brands and rarely a sample packet, subscribers have seemed consistently happy with the service and boxes. More importantly for me, Birchbox has been running for 4 years which is a record after having gone through shutdowns from other beauty box companies. I’ve yammered on for long enough and I’m sure most of you have already scrolled to the bottom to see what was inside, but let’s go through the unboxing anyway shall we?

Memebox Special | #39 Cafe Box Unboxing and First Impressions

 I remember when Korean beauty products were something that beauty bloggers on this side of the world didn’t really talk about. I don’t remember how many times people would say “I’ve always wanted to try Korean beauty products, but I’m scared/unsure of what to buy”. I honestly don’t know HOW Memebox has been able to get people to be so trusting all of a sudden, but hey, it’s getting Korean cosmetics on the map. One thing that Memebox has done incredibly well is choosing themes that make us go mental and cause us to buy boxes in MULTIPLES. Today’s coffee-themed Cafe Box is going to be one of those multiple boxes so I apologize in advance.

Petit Vour | July 2014 “Summer Loves” Beauty Box

Don’t laugh because this may be a summer box, BUT it is also my second to last Petit Vour even though I was heartbroken to end my subscription. Many reasons have gone into not talking about this box until now and if any of you were to look at my blogging history for July, it was probably one of THE quietest months for me thanks to a super terrible work situation and it’s funny how I can actually “feel” how unhappy I was through those July posts. Well, THAT took a turn for the personal so I’ll regroup and bring this post back to a really awesome Petit Vour box!

Ipsy | August 2014 “Beauty Schooled”

This is essentially a countdown as I have also cancelled my Ipsy subscription with October being my last bag. I just have way too much product to get through and things are starting to expire which always upsets me. Ipsy is still one of my favourite subs as there is always a lot of makeup in each bag and less skincare so I’d still highly recommend it if you’re looking for a new beauty subscription!

Topbox | August 2014 Edition (My Last One…It’s the End of a Beauty Box Era!)

I pulled the cord and ended my Topbox sub in September due to the an overwhelming number of products in my life and the lack of excitement I was feeling from each Topbox. I have been a Topbox subscriber since November 2011, so it was a big part of my beauty blogging life. I do still LOVE their limited edition FLARE and LOULOU boxes so I will definitely have my eye on those!

August’s Topbox was fairly lackluster for me which is what really got me to break up with Topbox, but I believe the Jayne from 2011 would have really loved it because she had so little product back then. Nonetheless, I would use 50% of the items in this box, but that always seems to be the case with all of my more recent Topboxes. Shall we dive in?