February Glymm Box!

Seemed to me that people were extra complain-y this month. Looking at the Facebook page you’d think everyone hated Glymm.

I waited patiently and got my box on the 27^th, a day before the expected delivery date. I’m not upset… so long as I get my box then I’m happy.

Yay for:

Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Rose                                          Full Size 4.25g

I’ve bought these personally before, and I’ve always adored Burt’s Bees lip balms. I haven’t tried the Rose tint before, I’ve had Hibiscus and some other colour I can’t remember… but this is nice. It has a very subtle scent that I’m not wild about, but the colour is nice and the balm is very moisturizing.

Nay for:

Glamglow Tingling and Exfoliating Mud Mask                         7ml/0.24oz

I have oily skin. I do not want more glow/sheen/radiance/whatever. It does tingle, a little more than I’d prefer, but again… this would be better suited to a different skin type.

Meh for:

Sula Natural Cream Shadow in Why Not?                                  Full Size 0.15oz

Well, this is okay. I love cream shadows, but this shimmery golden green colour has surpassed shimmery into sparkly for me. I am not a fan of shimmery/sparkly/glittery things… never have been. The colour would have been so much more appreciated had it been less shimmery. It is decently pigmented and it comes in a lovely glass jar, it’s just the shimmer I’m not a fan of.

Mai Couture 2-1 Oil Blotting/Bronzing Papier                         2 Sheets

I am so glad I didn’t get the blush papers that some other clients got… I don’t use blush. Not because I don’t like the concept, but because my cheeks are naturally very rosy. So I was happy to see the bronzing papers instead, but a little bit disappointed to read that they too have shimmer. Enough shimmer! This comes with 2 sheets which is supposed to be enough for 4 uses… I’ll save the rest for the summertime. For 99% of the time I’m all for matte products, including bronzers.

Overall impression of February’s box:

Overall I’m very pleased with my tinted lip balm, and I am going to get a lot of use out of the cream shadow… I’d say this box is worth more than the $10, but one complaint I’ve heard again and again with Glymm is that their products are not suited at all to their customers. They’ve been working on creating a client profile that is accurate to people’s skin tones and skin types/preferences, but as of yet there hasn’t been. 

The Last Few Days

Got my birthday gift from Sephora, and decided to get a few things too, just to try em out. 

 Also got a pencil sharpener, with a larger hole for thicker lip pencils and such. $4, can't complain.

 These are the birthday duo gift! They're SUGAR lip treatments. They are extremely moisturizing, but I'd never buy these for myself because they're so expensive. The rose tinted one is wonderful and smells light and fresh.

I've been looking for a mint/pastel green for a long time, so I decided to use a coupon to get this for free. It's so little and pretty!

February Julep Maven Box!

I caved… I signed up for Julep.

I had been seeing an irresistible promotion online (you get your first month for only a penny. $0.01. Not a joke). So of course how could I refuse?

Packaged very securely

Each month Julep lets you know what colours you’ll get BEFORE you place your order. Unlike most subscription services that are out there (Glymm, Topbox, Luxebox, and Glossybox), there’s no guessing what’ll be in your box.

They did include a little extra though: a cute Oscar-statue-chocolate! Adorable. …And delicious.

In my box there was a cuticle oil (in a very convenient and mess-free roller ball form). There’s 8.2ml in it, but with how many hand creams and lotions I use on my hands, I’m not really sure how long this will last.

Along with the oil there were two polishes. One in a very beautiful navy blue. It has a slight gold-green shimmer in it, very iridescent. I like this one. I don’t have anything too similar.

The other polish is a gold sparkle. It has some medium sized glitter and I do have several golds already (a shatter, a solid, and a matte), however this is different enough that I am drawn to it.

Each polish does have significantly less in the bottle than normal polishes (which usually contain between 12-15ml), this one has 8ml each. I’ve noticed that is the main complaint when it comes to Julep… that their polishes are expensive, and do not have that much product. Note, I have only finished two polishes in my life. So I don’t really think that’s a big issue for me personally.

One thing I love about these (and several other brands of polish) is that they’re 3-free. So no harmful chemicals to put on my nails! I really, really wish more brands would follow suit. Considering how often I paint my nails, it’d be nice to know I’m not slowly killing myself.

Overall, very impressed with this first box. I do need to thoroughly consider whether I’m going to continue with other months… $20 is not an exorbitant amount of money, but it is if it’s every single month. I’ll probably skip some future months. But this is a great start! Plus, free shipping (even to Canada) is wonderful!

Roses from Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day?

I'm not sure if this is a pet peeve against Valentine's day, or if this is just how I tend to feel about generally over-hyped and commercialized holidays. Is it even a real holiday? I say no.

Same thing as when people freak out about their significant others' missing their anniversaries or birthday or Christmas or whatever... the exact date isn't important! You aren't going to die if you don't celebrate on that specific day! It is a symbol!

And yes, I'll admit I'd be miffed if I spent my birthday alone, but so long as I know I'll have some semblance of a celebration CLOSE TO my birthday date, then it's all good.

I would LOVE to have these. Any time of the year, thank you very much!

I'm not against the idea of celebrating with a loved one. I'm against the societal pressures that dictate that celebrations must be today. Flowers. Chocolates. Dinner.

Know what I'm doing tonight? I'm going to work! I'm going to work like I do on Tuesday evenings. This doesn't make me an old maid. There are many people who care for me and there is a very special person in my life... but that doesn't mean life is put on hold for this day. For the last 3 (or is it 4? Oh dear...) I haven't changed much about my schedule on Valentine's Day, despite having someone I could spend it with. If I'm busy, I'm busy. This doesn't change my feelings, or my devotion. My adoration and time isn't dependent on whether I celebrate a certain day.

And I do not need a holiday as an excuse to treat someone. Yikes to all the people out there expecting roses. Candies. Little stuffed bears holding stuffed hearts...
Your stuffed heart is going to be broken, if not highly disappointed if you have such high expectations.

Instead, I expect to have a lovely regular Tuesday evening, and whenever I get the chance next? I'll treat my special someone. Just like I do every time I see them regardless.