March 2012 Luxebox

Hi everyone!

I know that this post is quite late, as we are over halfway through April now, and for that I apologize. I did receive my March Luxebox box late, which is part of the reason it has taken me so long to get to this post, but as some of you may already know I have also been dealing with some personal family issues. Regardless of the date, I wanted to share this with you anyway so let’s get on with it!

I did a video unboxing as well, though this time I tried something a bit different. Unlike my March Glymm Box Unboxing video and My First Topbox Unboxing video, which were “true unboxings” (that is, I opened them on camera so you could see my initial reactions and impressions) which ended up running quite long, for my March Luxebox Unboxing video I decided to open the box ahead of time in an effort to make the video a little bit shorter. I still didn’t make it to the ideal under 10 minute mark like I was hoping, but it is significantly shorter than my last video! I am planning to do my March Glossybox Unboxing the same way.

Anyway, moving right along… (Does anybody else get Muppet flashbacks from that phrase? No, just me? Okay, I’ll stop and get to the point! )

Opening up my Luxebox you can see that it has the typical “Made for Katie” sticker – a personal touch unique to Loose Button that I really like.

Inside the box was an assortment of items…

This month, I received a product in my Luxebox from their First In Line reservation program. To be honest, it was so long ago that I cannot remember exactly what the other products offered were though I believe there was an eyeshadow and a hair product. I do really like the concept of the First in Line program, which allows you to log on and pick one product from a selection of three that is guaranteed to be in your box for the month, while the rest are still left as surprises. That way, you know you will be happy with at least one item in your Luxebox.

However, if I have one complaint about the program it would be the way it is implemented – products sell out so quickly that unless you log on to reserve something immediately after receiving the First in Line e-mail, you are very unlikely to receive your first choice. Of course, you do not have to reserve anything if you don’t want to (or aren’t able to) and it is possible that you may still end up with one of the First in Line products in your box anyway, but I am not sure how often this happens. I suppose it all depends on how many of each product Loose Button has available.

The product that I chose, for the simple reason that I had already missed out on the eyeshadow and that I didn’t really want another hair product sample, was the Cargo Glitter Top Coat Eyeliner. I have received Cargo products in my subscription boxes before (a pink cream eyeshadow as well as a lip gloss), but I have never tried their eyeliner. And as I’m sure many of you know, I do love glitter!

The idea behind this Glitter Top Coat is that it acts as a transitioning product, taking your eye look from daytime to evening. It can be worn alone or you can use it to top any waterproof eyeshadow or eyeliner. The full size of this product retails for $18, though the information card in my box does not say how much the full size contains. The sample I received is 2.8 mL.

The next product I received was also from Cargo, and likely pairs well with the Glitter Top Coat. I got a Triple Action Mascara, which purportedly coats, extends and curls lashes and makes them look more defined and visible. The full size retails for $20, but again, my information card does not say how much product the full size contains. Mine seems fairly big, and holds 4.5 mL, so I believe that both Cargo products are full sized. If anyone knows for sure, please let me know in the comments below!

I also received a J.R. Watkins Hand and Body Lotion in my box, which is a brand I am unfamiliar with, though the lotion does smell nice. The full size is 325 mL and retails for $10, and the sample I received is 29 mL (which is just under 9% of the full size).

There was also a $1.00 off coupon to purchase any J.R. Watkins Hand & Body Lotion from Shoppers Drug Mart. (*By the way, I said in my unboxing video that I thought the lotion smelled like lavender but that the card didn’t say – but as you can see here, it does clearly say Lavender on the bottle! I just missed it, but I guess I was right! )

Finally, I received more perfume samples this month from what Loose Button refers to as their MyScent Program. In the past I have really enjoyed getting these, though I know reviews on such small samples are quite mixed among the blogging community.

Personally, I like getting a variety of perfume samples but I must admit that I enjoy receiving cute mini bottles more than the typical vials you can request for free in department stores. The last time I got a package of perfume samples, it contained five different ones, which I thought was awesome! This time, my MyScent samples included three different perfumes: Marc Jacobs OH, LOLA!, Vera Wang Lovestruck, and CK one Shock for Her.

The Marc Jacobs is described as a “sparkling, fruity floral” with opening notes of raspberry and pink peony followed by vanilla.

I do like this one a lot, and as I mentioned in my unboxing video, I also have the imitation scent of OH, LOLA! by ParfumsBelcam, called si… bella. I purchased the 50 mL replica for only $4.00 on clearance at Wal-Mart, but it is nice to try to real thing as well. The full size Marc Jacobs version (also 50 mL) retails for $79.

Vera Wang Lovestruck does not have a description of its notes on any of the cards included in the box, though it is described as a “sparkling addictive floral”. The full size (50 mL) retails for $79 as well.

Finally, CK one Shock for Her is described as an “addictive scent” (hmm, interesting how it is also addictive – and the Marc Jacobs is apparently “irresistible”!) containing blackberry and amber. The full size (50 mL) retails for $45.

Overall, the dollar value of this box is not as high as some I have received lately. Assuming that the Cargo products are both full size (though they may not be!), they are worth $38, though in my opinion that seems awfully expensive for what you get. Had I not received them in my box, I would not be willing to pay that much to get these items. The body lotion is worth less than $1 and the perfume samples can be picked up for free almost anywhere, so the total value is under $40. Still, when you consider the fact that the entire box only cost me $12, that is not too bad.

However, compared to my March Topbox (which I absolutely loved!), or even my March Glymm box (which was my most disappointing box to date, though it still was not too bad overall), that isn’t really great. Both Topbox and Glymm are only $10 too, which does occasionally make me wonder why I am paying extra for Luxebox when it is often my least favourite of all the subscription services.

Additionally, I think it is important to weigh other factors when determining how good the box is, such as how often you will use the products inside or (obviously) if you even like them or not! I would have to say that my March Luxebox is not the best one I have ever received, but I don’t have any major complaints about it either. I am not wowed, but I do like all of the products and I think I will use them all, which is really all you can ask for, I suppose.

What did you receive in your March Luxebox? Did you get something different? What are your thoughts on perfume samples like these in subscription service boxes? Leave me a comment below! I would love to hear from you!

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