How I spent the last of my Glymm points…

Sorry for the gap in posts! It’s been about a week since my last post. I’ll try to be better now, really, but it can be hard during the semester, especially since this semester is very reading-heavy! I’m already feeling exhausted… Oh well, moving on:

Anyway, this is just a quick post to show you what I got with the last of my Glymm points. I ordered this during the boxing week sales, so there were discounts. On top of that, the lashes were part of the December box, so they made my shipping free as well. So in total, this order came to less than $4! Then, when I opened the box, there was an extra set of lashes! They were supposed to be 3 for $15, but I got 4.

Lashem False Lashes:

These aren’t really anything special, and definitely heavier than the Ardell lashes, which are fairly comfortable. They’re also pretty crazy dramatic, at least for me. I mostly bought them because they were so cheap, and they saved me shipping, but I should definitely get some use of them! At worst, I might trim some of the longer pieces shorter on at least one of the sets, since I have 3 that are identical, and it might make a more wearable pair. (Technically, since I’d be happy to get a Butter polish for $4, I can claim these were free!)

Butter London Polish in La Moss:

I wanted to get this because I love my deep red Oxblood polish from RGB, and I wanted something like a backup. This looked more purple on the site, but it’s actually very close. Either way, I love it, and it’s very good quality, being a non-glitter Butter polish! More than worth the $4!

***

And that’s all! I’m definitely happy with my order, but especially after Glymm’s price increase to $15/month, I’m almost certainly done with the company.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and I should have a big haul post up in a couple day. Please let me know if there are any posts you would like to see. Also, I have started buying things for my giveaway. I think I’ll start it when I hit 50 followers, so if you follow, but not publicly, it’s in your best interest to follow through GFC! =)

Thanks for reading!

October 2012 (and my final) Glymm Box

So I got my final glymm box this morning, after a mini-panic. I checked my email when I woke up, because I was lazy, and didn’t want to get up yet unless my box had arrived. The Canada Post site said that it had been, so I went to go get it from the mail box. But it wasn’t there. No one had brought it inside, and it wasn’t in the box, but why did Canada Post mark it delivered? It wasn’t until almost 3 hours later that it got to my house! But at least it didn’t get sent somewhere else.

Anyway, on to the box:

This month is breast cancer month, or something of the sort, hence the pink ribbon on the card there. I do hope that if they are donating money of ours to breast cancer research that they are doing it right. I also hope that they did donate some of the subscription money, otherwise, why bother theming the box/bag? This isn’t a holiday that you decorate for… (*rant over*) And the bag inside is of course:

Pink. Very pink. I like it. Also, in case you were wondering what is inside that little pink ribbon card:

Oh thank god. No more having to flip back and forth between the site and my box and Live Writer (I use Windows Live Writer for these posts, I don’t directly use Blogger… not that you probably care…). I’m glad Glymm listened to their customers about something. Oh, and there was one little extra in the bag:

A pink ribbon pin. That they kinda put together poorly. The ribbon is on the side you need to pin to whatever it’s going on. Luckily, the pin was very thin, and I just bent it open, wiggled the ribbon to the other side, pinched it closed, and popped it on my bag.

On to the interesting part!

Johnson & Johnson Baby Oil:

Full Size: $6.49 for 592 ml
Sample Size: 88 ml
Approx. Sample Value: $0.96

This was technically a bonus product this month, but it was the first thing I pulled out. This is supposed to, I guess, advertise the “Glymm MAMA” box that Glymm is adding soon. Whatever, as a non-mother I am very not interested. I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to do with this; the card suggests using it as make-up remover, but I’m not sure I want to smother my face in baby oil. I might use small amounts as a cuticle oil, or for when my hands get super dry, as they are prone to do in the colder weather. (I took the size/price information above from Well.ca, which is basically an online drugstore, since Glymm didn’t provide any.)

Miss Jessie’s Baby Buttercrème:

Full Size: $9 for 59 ml (Approx. uses: 5)
                         $32 for 237 ml (Approx. uses: 20)
                     or $58 for 473 ml (Approx. uses: 40)
Sample Size: Full “travel size” (59 ml)
Approx. Sample Value: $9.00

At first I was worried that, after the baby oil, then the name of this, that this was a mom box, but it’s just the name. I think, after looking at the product description on the Glymm site, that this is a softer-scented version of another Miss Jessie product. This is surprising, since the buttercream cupcake smell of this product is pretty strong. I love it, but I can imagine lots of people would be disgusted by something this sweet and sugary smelling.

I used the tiny bit of this from the top of the seal on the jar on the ends of my hair when I opened the bag, and not only did it smell really good and make my hair pretty soft, it also hardcore intensified the curls in my ponytail! I look forward to using this product again.

Cyberderm Every Morning Sun Whip:

Full Size: $38.00 for 50 ml (Approx. uses: 33)
Sample Size: ~3 ml
Approx. Sample Value: $2.28

I’m glad Glymm didn’t send us doubles of both Cyberderm products from last month. Also, since the brand is apparently the “sunscreen company” or something, I’m glad we actually get to try out one of their sunscreens. I’m a little sad they didn’t send this for the spring or summer months, though, when I spend way more time outside, and when my skin might actually require a sunscreen. It’s also really expensive, so I’m very unlikely ever to purchase this. I’ll definitely give it a try though, since it’s meant to have a matte finish.

Cyberderm H2O Hydration:

Full Size: $60.00 for 50 ml (Approx. uses: 166)
Sample Size: ~3 ml
Approx. Sample Value: $3.60

Let me just start off by mentioning that I’m not impressed to be receiving a repeat of this product. It was only a couple months ago that we received this and another Cyberderm product packaged in syringes. Different packages don’t make this a new product. I don’t have much else to say about this one, because I still have most of the first one because I didn’t like it. I didn’t feel like it did much for my skin and I didn’t like the scent at all. I might eventually use this up, or else pass it on. *Shrugs.*

Lash Card:

Full Size: $6.99 for 10 (Approx. uses: 20)
Sample Size: 2 cards
Approx. Sample Value: $1.40

Okay, what? Is this necessary? No… its a piece of cardboard. Do people really get that much mascara on their eyelids? I don’t… I also don’t think you need more than 2 if you do use them… surely you can use each one multiple times! Also, Michelle Phan had a video maybe a couple weeks ago about makeup hacks using business cards, and this was basically one of them, using the card as a shield to put on a lot of mascara. I think that would be just as effective, cheaper, and less wasteful, but maybe that’s just me. I’ll use these to try them out, but I honestly think it would only make putting on mascara difficult, which it really never should be…

Femme Couture Lightening Lash Mascara:

Full Size: $14.00 for 0.4 oz..
Sample Size: full size
Approx. Sample Value: $14.00

While I was sceptical about this mascara when I first pulled out the wand, because of the tiny, hard little spikes instead of the usual bristles, I am actually pleasantly surprised with this mascara. It goes on super easy and really lengthens my lashes without clumping. The hard bristles seem to be pretty good for separating, as well.

However, this mascara doesn’t seem to be waterproof, and while I haven’t had a chance (fortunately) to test its non-waterproofness, I am very unlikely to ever repurchase this unless they also have a waterproof formula. I hate the unpredictability of water-soluble makeup; I’d rather fight with it and my makeup remover to take it off, than have it come off easy whether I want it to or not!

And, in case you want to take a look yourself, here is this month’s product card:

Approximate Total Value: $31.24

Overall, I think this was a relatively good month. The total value was much higher than the total price of the bag itself, and there were two full-sized products, one of which was even makeup that ISN’T a lip product! While I’m glad that I’ll be saving the money that went to this subscription every month, and though I’m sad that I’ll have one less thing to look forward to in my mail box, I am glad that I had a good final month. I am disappointed, though, about getting a repeat on the Cyberderm moisturizer, and about getting a sunscreen for fall. I also technically don’t count the lash cards as a beauty product, since you could do the same thing with a business card, as proven by Michelle Phan a few videos ago. Still contented though.

And, in case you’re interested in signing up for Glymm, please consider signing up through my link below:

https://www.glymm.com/share/youwerefantastic95

I won’t be receiving boxes anymore, but I still get points from referrals that I can use towards the Glymm store, so I’d be grateful for the points if you’re going to get a subscription anyways =)

Let me know if you got a box this month, if everything was the same, and what you thought of the products! Thanks for reading!

September 2012 Glymm Bag

I went and checked, and this is officially the 12th month I’ve paid for a Glymm box. I did get another one because I won a contest, but I didn’t pay for that. At this rate, I would have been better off to buy the whole year at once way back then, but, of course, I didn’t know I’d stick with it this long. Anyways, on to this month’s stuff.

The bag this month was a white/cream version of last month’s fab black plasticy/pleathery bag. Not nearly as happy with this one, but might give it to my sister. Also, the packing box was a plain black, instead of the ugly white of the last few months:

And here’s the first peek inside:

LA Fresh Waterproof Makeup Remover cloths:

Full Size: $9.99 for 24 (Approx. uses: 24)
Sample Size: 2 cloths
Approx. Sample Value: $0.83

I wasn’t super excited about these, since the acetone-free nail polish remover pads a few months ago were a complete waste of space, though I thought these might be okay, and at least smell good. I just tried one out, and they definitely smell nice! Very lavender-y and calming. However, they are as miraculous as the description makes them sound. You still do have to rub to get the makeup off, though it will remove all of your waterproof mascara with a little work and patience. (So will other products, though)

They also leave a fair bit of oil on your skin, so you probably do want to remove that, though the package says you don’t have to. I don’t think it would be fun to break out because you took off your makeup, though! I will use the other one, but I wouldn’t purchase this. Maybe if I could get the remover in liquid form?

Evolvh UltraShine Moisture Shampoo:

Full Size: $24.00 for 8.5 oz (approx. uses: 59)
Sample Size: 2 oz
Approx. Sample Value: $5.65

I wish this was something I had heard of before, but even so, this is a really nice size sample for shampoo. So glad this isn’t a few foil packets! Also this smells pretty good, is organic, paraben free, cruelty free, and vegan. A few of those are more than I really care about (specifically the organic and vegan parts), but I’m sure that means that most people would be happy to try this stuff out.

It claims to be super moisturizing, though I haven’t had a chance to try it out yet, I am looking forward to it, so I’ll probably bring this and the conditioner below with me to the gym tomorrow.

Evolvh UltraShine Moisture Conditioner:

Full Size: $25.00 for 8.5 oz (approx. uses: 59)
Sample Size: 2 oz
Approx. Sample Value: $5.88

I probably could have done the shampoo and conditioner as one thing, but they are worth so much separately, and I took the pictures separately, so there we are. Anyways, everything applicable I had to say was above, so let’s move on…

Bentaberry Super Moisturizing Face Cream for Girls:

Full Size: $19.00 for 30 ml (approx. uses: 70)
Sample Size: 3 ml
Approx. Sample Value: $1.90

When I first pulled this out, I was disappointed because it looks exactly like the sample from this company from last month. Even now, aside from the scent, I don’t understand the difference. I’m also pretty sure my sample is half empty, because I had a hell of a time getting any out to try it out just now. Not impressed. For such a tiny sample, the least they could do is make sure it’s full! I seriously doubt this will last the 7 uses predicted on the product card (see below).

It doesn’t even smell all that great, though apparently the fragrance was specially formulated by a perfumer, or whatever. Meh, it smells like a blah soap. It’s all natural, though, so if that floats your boat, maybe you’ll be more impressed than I am.

Villainess Dulce En Fuego Whipped Body Crème:

Full Size: $15.75 for 177 ml (approx. uses: 35)
Sample Size: 15 ml (?? I hate when these packages don’t have sizes printed on them)
Approx. Sample Value: $1.33

Finally, this is probably my favourite product from this month. Its a tiny little sample (with no size on it, so annoying!), but it smells bloody amazing! My first thought was that it smells like vanilla and cinnamon glazed donuts! Yum!!

This thick, creamy body creme is really nice and moisturizing as well, and absorbs really fast! I will probably just use this for my hands, because I’m not really a body lotion person, but even so, I’m considering getting this instead of the Cake hand cream with my points. (It smells so good I just keep opening the little pot and sniffing it!)

And here’s a screen cap of the “product card” (click for large view):

Approximate Total Value: $15.59

I either tweeted or said in last month’s Glymm post that I would be deciding after this month whether I would unsubscribe or not, and to be honest, this month wasn’t really convincing. I like the big, luxury shampoo and conditioner samples, and the body creme smells fantastic, but the other two samples aren’t great. I’m so sick of getting itty bitty face creams, when I have a relatively cheap one I already love. Also, while shampoo samples are cool, I will never buy the full size. If this bag had been full of full sizes and/or makeup samples, I would probably have said, “Ok, one more month!”… but this just doesn’t warrant that. I’ve been unhappy too many months in a row now. Sorry, Glymm!

I’m hesitant to unsubscribe, because if I ever change my mind, I won’t be able to go back to my $10/month price that I’m paying now, I’ll have to start paying $12/month like other new subscribers. So basically, if I do unsubscribe, I won’t be restarting; I’m much more likely to start another box, either TopBox (if I ever get to the top of the waitlist) or Glossy Box. I do think I’ll unsubscribe though, because that’ll free up $11 bucks a month for products I actually want (nail polish and makeup), instead of random shampoo, perfume, lotion, and skincare samples. I will have one more box, though, since I’ve already paid for October’s box.

If you have different tastes than me, and love the idea of a monthly box full of skincare product samples like the ones I’ve been constantly receiving, please consider using my referral link (I’ll get 50 points for each person who signs up through it):

https://www.glymm.com/share/youwerefantastic95

Also, until the end of September, Glymm is donating $1 to Breast Cancer research for each box sold.

Did you get a Glymm box this month? If so lemme know what you got (or link me to your blog post or video if you have one!), I always love seeing people’s boxes, though I think they may all have been the same this month!

Thanks for reading!

August 2012 Glymm Bag (and why I’m disappointed)

***Edit: added screenshot of product information “card” as well as estimated uses (using the uses per sample from the info card and the powers of math)  for full size products***

Hello again. Sorry  it’s been so long since my last post. I have a couple new polishes to show you, which should be up sometime this weekend or next week, but for now, I wanted to post my August Glymm review. As you probably guessed by the title, I wasn’t too impressed.

This month’s bag, as usual, came wrapped in tissue paper. The box, I noticed even before opening it, was really light, which is always a little worrying/scary, but isn’t always a bad thing. This time, however, it was basically foreshadowing.

The August bag is deceptively cute!

Maybe they knew they wouldn’t really have anything good to put in the bag, so they made us a really nice one, as consolation. However, I don’t really feel consoled, because I wouldn’t have spent $10 + tax for this makeup bag alone ($12 + tax for new subscribers). Here’s a peek inside:

Now, before we get into the regular products, I want to show you the one that made me kind of mad:

The Laundress Delicate Wash – Lady:

Full size: $22.00 for 500 ml (approx. uses: 33)
Sample size: 15 ml
Approx. Sample Value: $0.66

Are you bloody kidding me? They sent us FANCY LAUNDRY DETERGENT?! Why in the world do I need special, extremely expensive, laundry detergent for my underwear? I think this is ridiculous. And in a program which is supposed to send me beauty products, I think this is completely unacceptable. Technically, this is sample #6… and since the bag is supposed to be 4-5 a month, this is probably an extra. However, I hate the next sample so much (and both this and the next one are so small and cheap) that I really don’t count it…

Anyways, in case you are wondering and couldn’t guess: I will never buy this product, and I’m even guessing I’ll probably never use this sample. I just have no use for it. Ugh…

Mai Couture Foundation Power Papier in Nude Glow:

Full size: $19.00 for 50 sheets (approx. uses: 100)
Sample size: 2 sheets
Approx. Sample Value: $0.76

Here’s another product I’m really not impressed with. This is the second time that Glymm has sent out these stupid blotting papers with makeup on them. And although their packaging is better this time (it was in a mini ziploc bag in February’s Glymm Box), once again, there only 2 of these pathetic little papers, which are valued at under a dollar. Finally, once again, these papers are not actually useful, at least for me. They are extremely glittery, as were the “bronzing” papers in February. At least these are the colour of foundation powder! I would probably be a little less angry about these if they called them highlighting sheets, because I can’t imagine them being useful as anything else.

Will never purchase. Might try using these as a highlighter, on a day when it doesn’t matter if I’m too glittery.

Atelier Cologne in Vanilla Insensée:

Full size: $70.00 for 30 ml (approx. uses: 400)
Sample size: 1.5 ml (? estimate; it doesn’t say,
but I guessed 1.5 for the last Atelier sample)
Approx. Sample Value: $3.50

This is the second time that we’ve received an Atelier Cologne (the last was in April), however I’m way less unhappy about this sample. Although I’m not big on perfume samples in general, both of the Atelier Colognes I have received so far smell amazing, are extremely concentrated, and come with an adorable photo postcard (since each fragrance comes with a scene/story). This smell is fantastic, especially since I adore vanilla! According to Glymm, the other notes in this fragrance are: “jasmine and fresh lime to bond with rich oak moss, woods and spicy coriander.”

I doubt I would purchase this perfume, since is is so expensive, but if I ever received it as a gift or in a giveaway, I would be exceptionally grateful!

Naked Princess Naked Shine Luscious Lip Gloss in Barely Nude:

Full size: $26.00 for 2.96 ml (approx. uses: 173)
Sample size: 0.24 ml
Approx. Sample Value: $2.11

I think if this were a bigger sample, it would likely be my favourite of the box. However it’s so tiny!! I have a hard time calling this a “deluxe sample,” but I do admit that it’s really nice. Its supposed to plump without irritation, but I don’t really see any plumping effects. That said, that isn’t something I look for in a gloss, and I’m really glad that it doesn’t irritate or burn my lips. Its very smooth, not sticky, and smells (and tastes!) like chocolate! Its a very neutral pink colour, as you’d expect from the name. Nothing special, but pretty.

I probably wouldn’t buy this product because it is so expensive, and because I have way way way too many lip products. I wish the sample size were bigger, I’m going to go through this so fast!

Vitamine & Sea Mineral Clay Mask:

Full size: $62.00 for 210 ml (approx. uses: 63)
Sample Size: 10 ml (estimate; again unstated)
Approx. Sample Value: $2.95

I like receiving masks because they really aren’t something that I buy on my own because they tend to be quite pricey, and I’m not sure I trust the cheaper ones (if you know a good drugstore one, let me know in the comments!). This is made with Dead Sea clay, which, if I remember correctly, is supposed to be fantastic for your skin. It’s also loaded with vitamins (B1, B2, C, A, D and E) from the sweet almond oil, which is probably also the general scent of the mask, along with the sweetness of the honey, which is supposed to “protect from daily free radical damage and balance your skins moisture.”

I’m looking forward to trying this out, but for $62, this would have to work miracles to make me buy it. I would like to get a mask though, so let me know of any good, affordable ones!

Bentaberry G-1 Moisturizing Face Cream for Boys and Girls – Regulating Line:

Full size: $22.00 for 30 ml (approx. uses: 70)
Sample size: 3 ml
Approx. Sample Value: $2.20

Aside from the products that made me angry, this is probably the product that I’m least excited about. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, but its just another face cream, and they send us a new one pretty much every single month. I like he one I have and use now (Sephora’s Instant Moisturizer), and I’m not interested in any of the creams they send us. I really want them to switch it up with some more makeup, too. Anyways, back to the product. This is 100% natural and has lots of good things in it, and is supposed to mattify your skin. So we’ll see how that goes.

As I mentioned before, this is unlikely to wow me, and thus I am unlikely to purchase the full size, but I shall try it out.

In case you’re interested, here’s the product “card:” (click for full size)

Approx. Total Value: $12.18

This is another reason that I’m extremely disappointed in this month’s products. For me, that’s only 98 cents more than I paid for the box, and for new subscribers, this is more than a dollar LESS than they paid for the box, after taxes! This is completely ridiculous! Usually, even on a lame month, the value of the box is $25 or up, but this s really really sad. There were some very expensive products in this month’s box, but the samples were so small that it still didn’t add up. Only two of the products even count as deluxe as far as I’m concerned – the face cream and the mask – and the rest you could probably get for free elsewhere!

Also, why do we only ever get lip products, skin care, perfume, or hair products? What about something new? Send me some eyeshadow, a liner, foundation, bb cream, blush!! Come on. Also, there used to frequently be a full sized sample! My first month (last October) I got three! Several other months there were two. But the last full size of anything was a lip balm/lipstick duo two months ago from a company I’ve never heard of!

Glymm, you’ve managed to learn to ship on time, now I need you to start sending the products I want to try out. More makeup. Some cool full-size stuff? Preferably not lipsticks? Please?

I remain subscribed for now, because I hold out hope they’ll get better again, and because I want to accumulate enough points to get the stuff I want from the shop… But I might have to leave if they can’t get it together.

If you want to subscribe through my link, click here:

https://www.glymm.com/share/youwerefantastic95

Did you get this month’s Glymm? What did you think?