Unboxing: Special Edition Snoe Glamourbox

I've been wanting to try Glamourbox for some time, so when additional slots opened up last week for their Special Edition Snoe Glamourbox, I hit 'Subscribe' right away. (And what perfect timing--they shipped the boxes out the next day and mine arrived on Saturday afternoon! Almost-instant gratification... Love it!)

So here it is... The unboxing of my Special Edition Snoe Glamourbox! (Are you excited?? I am!) Warning: This post is picture-heavy!

YOU GUYS. This. Box. I love this box! It's simple, sturdy, and sleek. I'll definitely be keeping it to store random beauty items in.

LOVE!

Anyway, on to what's inside...

Looks full! (Getting even more excited!)

It says: "We've teamed up with Snoe to make 2014 your most ravishing year ever! Get a complete beauty makeover for your skin and hair with these unique, skin-loving makeup & bath and body finds! Have a drop-dead gorgeous year, Glambabes!"

Product listing and prices. Click the picture above to read each product included in the box.

They look like full-sized products! How awesome is that?! And they're so pretty! I love the colors and the packaging. This month's box contains 7 products in total, 6 of which are full-sized (oops, scratch what I said earlier). Let's go through each one:

1. Hair Heroes | Agent Zero Cleansing Serum (250ml / Php599)

Got sensitivities? Let Agent Zero save the day! Made with zero fragrance, sulfates and silicones, this vegan hair and body cleanser won't irritate even the most delicate babies, kids and adults.

2 & 3. Snoe White Beauty Bar | Organic Papaya and Lightening Licorice (150g / Php139 ea.)

Organic Papaya: Be the fairest of them all! Delight in the fresh, fruity smell of carefully hand-selected fresh papaya fruits in this organic beauty bar. It gently exfoliates the skin to erase all signs of dark spots and blemishes.

Lightening Licorice: Make your sensitive skin stand out! This special beauty bar with licorice safely brightens and nourishes skin for a younger, silkier complexion with a pinkish glow.

That packaging. Those colors. Um, FAVE!

4. Body Ritual Recipes | Whipped Body Frosting Lotion (150g / Php249)

If your skin's feeling dehydrated, whip out this indulgent lotion for an instant moisture fix. Infused with skin-protective Vitamin E, papaya extracts and SPF15, you'll see, smell and feel addicted to your radiant skin!

When I first opened the box, I thought, "How pretty!" And then it hit me... Pink lotion. I don't think I've ever owned such a shockingly pink lotion...? Nope. Never.

5. Fizzy Clean | Foaming Hand Sanitizer (50ml / Php179)

Hands feel clean, soft and silky-smooth with this quirky alternative to traditional hand sanitizer. Soft bursts of foam wash away dirt and germs while skin hydreated. Feel the fizz!

I am not a fan of this hand sanitizer's packaging. Looking at all the other Snoe products in the box, I think they could've done a better job with this one. The retro blue dots, the clouds, the font used for the name 'Sky Mist'... It looks sort of cheap in my opinion. So not like the rest of the products! And I couldn't even figure out what it really was at first.

The actual product seems good though! If they could revise the packaging, I think this could totally compete with and be a local alternative to Bath & Body Works' Sanitizing Hand Gels.

6. Bedside BesoBalm | Deep Moisturizing Lip Treatment in Pink Pout Pucker (4g / Php249)

Keep this on your bedside so you won't forget to treat your puckers while you sleep. A word of warning, though - it creates luscious pink lips that may attract the opposite gender!

Not sure yet how effective this is, but so far loving how minty it is!

7. Poudre Extraordinaire | Face Powder in Vanilla Creme (35g / Php799)

Armed with acai berry, the most nutritious fruit in the world, this mineral powder is more than just makeup. It protects skin from free radicals, tightens and smoothens fine lines yet totally blends naturally into the skin.

The Poudre Extraordinaire is the only one that didn't come in a full-size package. There's supposed to be 3 shades, and this one is the lightest. (Definitely not my shade--I'm a MAC NC40/NC42--but I'll give it a try.)

That's it!

Overall thoughts: I've never tried Glamourbox or any Snoe products before, but so far, I'm really happy with what I got. The packaging is beautiful and fun--I could see most of these being carried at Ulta or Sephora. And have I told you about the price? No? This box is only (wait for it.....) Php595!! ...595 pesos lang, you guys! That's only about 1/3 of the total cost of all the individual products added up together–whoop whoop!

More pictures:

Did you get yours? What did you think? Let us know in the comments section below!

Until next time!

Love,
Grace

P.S. If you want to know more about Snoe, check out their website here. If you didn't get your Snoe Glamourbox yet, head on over to Glamourbox.ph; they might have a few boxes left!

Korean Beauty Haul!

How's it going, you guys?! Anyone else wake up this week with a need for some retail therapy? ...No? Just me, then?

Well, I did wake up this week wanting to buy new beauty products, so off I went to SM City The Block looking for Korean makeup that wouldn't burn a hole through my wallet. I ended up with these makeup and skincare products from Etude and Nature Republic. (Don't they just look pretty?)

I am soooo excited to try all of these shiny, shimmery, new stuff! (But of course, I took some pictures first to show you guys what I got.)

Etude House

Here's a rundown of all the things I bought:

I Need You, Pomegranate! Essential Mask Sheet (20ml / 0.67 fl oz) | Php58 and

Moonlight in Spoon Blending Sleeping Cream - Green Tea (6g / 0.21 oz) | Php88

Soft Touch Auto Lipliner | Php98 and

Rosy Tint Lips in After Blossom (7g / 0.24 oz) | Php478

Goodbye Pore-ever Pore Primer Stick (4.2g / 0.14 oz) | Php478 and

Color My Brows in Natural Brown (4.5g / 0.15 oz) | Php348

Ice Cream Nail Polish in Peach | Php128 and

Etude House Sharpener | Php28

Nature Republic

And here's everything that I bought (mostly skincare-related):

Blackhead Brake Clear Charcoal Nose Pack (7ea) | Php175,

Foot & Nature Moisture Foot Mask (13g / 0.44 fl oz x 2ea) | Php195, and

Foot & Nature Peeling Foot Mask (25ml / 0.85 fl oz x 2ea) | Php195

Can't wait to have spa night at home tonight! I'll let you guys know how these products work out, so keep checking back in the next few weeks for product reviews.

Until next time!

Love,
Grace

NYX Craze: 11 New Matte Lipstick Shades!

Yup, you read it right. Nyx has come out with 11 new matte lipstick shades! 

They are gorgeeooouuusss! I cannot wait to try them out. I have yet to swatch them because I just got them yesterday; and I was too excited to share them with all of you! (Check out the swatches here.)

I'll be doing a weekly review of all the shades (one shade per week) so check back next Wednesday! 

Until next time!

Love,

Sally

ETA: Finally swatched all 11 of these lipsticks! Check them out in this blog post.

Preview: First in line is...

Bath & Body Works Haul!

Good morning, lovelies! I hope everyone has been having a great 2014 so far. 

My holiday season was certainly a very busy one, filled with endless get-togethers and gift shopping. Surviving the holidays is definitely no easy feat! By the end of it all, I felt like I deserved a treat....

Bath & Body Works Outlet

Thank goodness for the Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual Sale! I was able to get a lot of nice things without taking out a second mortgage (Kidding! I'm not even a homeowner.).  

I have always been a fan of Bath & Body Works. I love their body lotions, their body creams, their hand sanitizers, their fragrances, their hand soaps, their shower gels, their candles, their wallflowers bulbs! You name it, I love it. (I have to admit though, that I have yet to try their shampoos. Sorry.) 

I have to say that I didn't go *too* crazy whilst shopping, and only got my utmost favorite products. 

Here is a visual rundown of everything I got: 

Japanese Cherry Blossom Body Lotions (2 fl oz/59 ml) 

 Warm Vanilla Sugar Triple Moisture Body Creams (8 oz/226 g) 

Sweet Pea Triple Moisture Body Cream (8 oz/226 g) and Golden Sugar Scrub (8 oz/226 g)

Japanese Cherry Blossom Triple Moisture Body Creams (8 oz/226 g)

Sexy Dahlia Rush fragrance 

Mason Jar Candles (Marshmallow Fireside and Twisted Peppermint) 

And before you judge me, know that I'm pretty sure I'm going to give most of them away and only keep a few for myself. Because who really needs that much body lotion/cream in their possession, right? Right. I think. Maybe.

If you're interested in any of the products pictured above, you should totally check out the Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual sale online or at a store near you!  

Until next time!

Love,

Sally

Real Techniques Part 3: Kabuki Brush

Time for Part 3 of our Real Techniques Brushes series!

2-in-1 Kabuki Brush:

*Use the 2-in-1 kabuki closed for powder, then unfold to sweep on color for high-definition results

What I like about Real Techniques Kabuki Brush is it's size. I've taken it with me to quick weekend getaways when I have had to travel light. Again, this brush is plush and amazingly soft! It can also be used to sweep on color, but I've personally only used it to apply powder and for quick touch-ups (keep that shine in check!). The flat top also allows for easier and faster application.

Although, this is a nice brush and I like it, I probably wouldn't repurchase this again in the future since I prefer just using their multi-task brush. No regrets though,since this was only $7.

I also reviewed 4 other Real Techniques brushes (Travel Essentials set + Stippling Brush) here and here, so please check them out. Overall, I am very happy with these brushes. Here's a quick review of what makes them soo amazing!

Pros:
- super soft and does not irritate my skin
- no fallout
- easy to use and clean
- most brushes have a flat base so they can stand on their own
- affordable

Cons:
- some of the brushes (eyeshadow and essential foundation brush) have a flat base with arounded edge, so they topple over

Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

Love,
Grace

*Description from RealTechniques.com.

Real Techniques Part 2: Stippling Brush

As promised, here is part 2 (my favorite part!) of our Real Techniques series! Today's review is all about their stippling brush. If you're interested, I also reviewed the brushes included in their Travel Essentials set in this post.

Stippling Brush:

*This dual-fiber brush is the trade secret for creating airbrushed, high-definition results with all types of makeup

If you are in the market for an amazing foundation brush, this is the brush for you! Even if you already have a foundation brush, you have to go out and get this brush (come on, it's only, like, $9!).

Before the Real Techniques Stippling Brush, I had been using the MAC 187 Duo Fiber Face Brush for about 2-3 years, probably even more! I was absolutely in love with it back then, but during this past year, not so much. The bristles are too long and every time I used it, I had fallout issues (and the strands that fell out stuck to my face--not pretty!)

Not with this one! The bristles are smaller and shorter than the 187 and, like all the other brushes in their line, they are densely packed. My foundation goes on smoothly and flawlessly! The smaller size allows me to effectively apply foundation in small, hard-to-reach areas, such as the area around my nose. This brush is also super soft and feels great on the skin.

Is it weird to say that I love my face after I've applied foundation using this brush? Well, I do! I've used it with different types and brands of foundation and they've all gone on perfectly using this brush. I would totally buy this again over the 187 in the future--it's only $9! If there is one Real Techniques brush that you have to buy, it's this one for sure!

Well, that's it for today. Make sure you guys come back tomorrow for Part 3! And don't forget to let us know in the comments what your favorite foundation brush is.

Until next time!

Love,
Grace

*Description from RealTechniques.com.

Real Techniques Brushes: Love 'Em or Leave 'Em?

Hey guys! Today I want to share with you some of the makeup brushes that I have been using lately: the Real Techniques makeup brushes by Sam + Nic Chapman. These brushes are extremely affordable, high-quality, and user-friendly. They are a great fit to makeup newbies and experts alike! Keep on reading to find out more about them.

Products: (1) Real Techniques Travel Essentials (includes 3) for $17.99 at my local Ulta; (2) Stippling Brush for $9.99 also at Ulta; and (3) Kabuki Brush for $6.44 at Target.com

Essential Foundation Brush:

*Build flawless custom coverage with liquid foundation or concealer

Although this is technically a foundation brush, I've been using this as a contour brush. The flatness of the brush allows me to better apply my bronzer in a distinct line, which I just blend out with my Multi-task Brush afterwards. I also have the MAC 168 contour brush, but the actual bristles are too fluffy for my liking for contour application. The Essential Foundation Brush works just as well and is a much, much cheaper alternative.

Multi-task Brush:

*For effortless application of powder, blush, and bronzer

This brush is my second favorite Real Techniques brush! I use it everyday to apply my setting powder, blend out any harsh contour lines, and sometimes even to dab on some color on my cheeks. The bristles on this large face brush are very fluffy and dense--perfect for quick powder application to set your makeup in place!

Domed Shadow Brush:

*Tapered design smoothly shades and defines eyes

I love this shadow brush! When I saw this at Ulta, I thought to myself, "that looks like it will work very well for blending out eyeshadows!" (I may have bought the Travel Essentials set just to get this brush...) I was right though! Although the bristles are kind of long, they are very densely packed, so they stay together when I sweep them across my lids. This is perfect for softening the edges of your eyeshadow and blending colors together. The bristles also slightly taper off towards the middle, which allows you to focus on small areas when necessary (either to blend out or to pack on additional color).

Have you guys used any of these brushes? Let us know your thoughts! And don't forget to check back tomorrow for Part 2 of the Real Techniques series.

Until next time!

Love,
Grace

*Description from RealTechniques.com.