Review: Glamourbox February 2013 box

Last Saturday I received the Glamourbox February 2013 box. I had been eagerly anticipating it since – well, since I received the January box, which isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the January box, but I just love getting surprises on my doorstep.

This month the theme is romantic beauty, and the products have been chosen to enhance one’s natural beauty. So no mascaras or lipsticks this time, which might disappoint some; I’m quite okay with it, as I have suddenly accumulated a lot of both in the past few months.

At the back of the theme card is the list of products and their descriptions. You might notice that the list is quite short again, and I’m a little disappointed about that though not really a dealbreaker – they do promise 5 deluxe products after all, so anything beyond that is a plus.

Let’s go through the products one by one:

1. Kji & Co Emergency Lash RX (full size 2ml, PHP1,350): Emergency Lash Rx can produce dramatic improvement in the appearance of volume, texture and density. By using breakthrough technology that features reconstructive components, Emergency Lash Rx prevents new virgin hair from being adversely affected by cosmetic and environmental factors. Plus, by increasing flexibility and preventing breakage, eyelash hair can reach its full potential. Users will see that their lashes appear far fuller and more lustrous. Active Ingredients: Pelvetia Canaliculata, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Biotin, Tocopheryl Acetate.

The company makes a second appearance in Glamourbox. Last month it was their Lip Staysss product. This time it’s for nurturing your lashes. It comes in a clicker-pen form, similar to my Sephora smoothing and brightening concealer. I’m not sure it’s the best idea to have this over a mascara wand because application can be messy. If you click too many times, there’s too much product dispensed. Also, brushing it over your lashes risks putting the product into your eyes. It promises results in 5 days, so I’ll have to see about that.

Note that this product alone is about twice the cost of the box.

2. Snoe Beauty Oil for All Argan Oil (sample size; full size 25ml, PHP799): Argan Oil has been gaining recognition for its restorative and anti-aging benefits to skin and hair. High in Vitamin E, this “Liquid Gold” heals dry skin, prevents acne breakouts and reduces marks and fine lines.

It was only last Friday when I made my Snoe Beauty wishlist, even beginning it with saying that I hope to get the items in the near future. At the top of my list was their Argan Oil. So imagine my delight when I saw this tiny bottle included in this month’s box! I swear I did not expect this at all (Glamourbox has been good at keeping the contents of future boxes a secret – at least to me – and they don’t release teasers like other beauty box companies). This to me is the best item in the box. Thank you Glamourbox ladies for granting one of my wishes!

3. Carmex Moisturizing Lip Balm (full size 7.5g, PHP109.75): Carmex contains natural moisturizers such as cocoa butter & lanolin. These and other emollients give you healthy-looking lips by moistening & preventing chapping caused by the environment. Ingredients: Petrolatum, Lanolin, Cetyl Esters, Theobroma Cacao (Cocao) Seed Butter, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Cera Microcristallina, Camphor, Menthol, Salicylic Acid, Fragrance, Vanillin.

Surprisingly, I don’t have a clear lip balm in my beauty arsenal. The last one I had was Mario Badescu’s vitamin E lip balm, which for some reason made my lips even more chapped. My lips are quite sensitive; most lip products don’t do well on my lips, but Carmex’s lip balm has received generally good feedback so I’m hopeful that this one can help solve my problems.

4. Calvin Klein Beauty (sample size; full size 100ml, PHP5,498): Sophisticated, confident, and radiant, Beauty evokes the ultimate power of femininity and sophistication. It captures the spirit of a woman who is beautiful from the inside out, with an aura that radiates.

I’m sad to say that this is one item I’ll be giving away. While I would love to smell sophisticated, confident, and radiant, one spritz of this perfume was enough to give me a headache. This is just too overwhelming for me. I had to immediately wash my wrist with soap. I’ll stick to my clean and light floral fragrances.

5. Wild Peach Cosmetics Customizable Makeup Palette (personal size with sticker, PHP298): The Wild Peach patented palette is designed to simplify your daily beauty routine. Featuring a magnetic base with free form layout, it lets you minimize clutter by consolidating makeup into one container.

Well, I wish I could use this product, but I don’t have palette-based makeup products. I might give this away as well if I don’t find an alternative use for this.

Aside from the above products, there are also vouchers for Cuzo and Chi Dermatology Clinic, as well as a custom card case. I’m not really thrilled by these additional items. I browsed through the Cuzo website and didn’t find anything that I wanted to buy offhand.

Overall, I’m not thrilled by this month’s offerings. They’re okay, but they didn’t wow me as the previous boxes did. But, remember, these are beauty boxes after all: there is an element of surprise, and a chance of not completely liking all the box’s contents. If you read the horror stories of other boxes, you’ll be quite glad to get a quality box such as Glamourbox (i.e. expired or soon-to-expire products in a Canada-based beauty box, oh my!).

Also, I’m subscribed for the next three months so I just hope that the March one will blow me away again!

What are your thoughts on the Glamourbox February 2013 box? I’d love to hear from you!

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