The Loose Button team, who curate Toronto's favourite beauty box, Luxe Box, have been hard at work and have put together some amazing options for the Spring boxes. The brands featured include Buxom, Vita Liberata, Too Faced, and Soap & Glory, just to name a few. I would absolutely hate to miss out on this box, which is why I am sharing this with you today :).
Luxe Box is the leading beauty membership service in Canada. Every season (i.e. once every 3 months) every Luxe Box Member receives 7-8 beauty and lifestyle products, with complimentary shipping. You can choose to spend $26/season, with the option to cancel anytime you want, or choose a membership plan if you want to spend the whole year with Luxe Box.
I am so excited for this box to arrive, but cannot decide whether to stick with the original box or trade up for one of the Limited Edition Luxe Box that appear from time to time.
[*] This blog post was sponsored by Loose Button. All views expressed reflect my own opinion on the product. For additional information please see the Disclaimer.
A lovely surprise arrived in the mail the other day – it was the Winter Luxe Box by Loose Button. I've been off the beauty box game as of late, but the recent arrivals of Birchbox and Glossybox to Canada have reignited my initial excitement.
Luxe Box by Loose Button was the very first beauty box I subscribed to when I began blogging years ago, and has been the only subscription service I've maintained. If you haven't been introduced yet, Luxe Box is a quarterly beauty subscription service, which offers 7-8 deluxe sized samples with a minimum worth of $70 for as low as $24. They also ofter a variety of seasonally curated boxes – this Winter there was the Zoomer Edition, Chalet Chic, and The Enchantress. But since I love the thrill of the surprise I always choose the regular box.
I absolutely love skincare products, and this edition was chalked full of skin-saving beauties. The first, and personally most exciting, is the Biotherm Aquasource Cocoon Ultra Comfort Balm-In-Gel. I've absolutely loved each and every Biotherm Aquasource product I've ever tried so I have high hopes for this one – they deliver an absurd amount of hydration for something so lightweight. The other facial product in this box was the Suki Transformative Purifying Masque – a potent salicylic acid mask meant to even out skin tone or to be used as a 'spot' treatment overnight – just in time as I can feel a blemish forming above my lip, urgh. The final skincare product, Paula's Choice Clinical KP Treatment Cloths, are meant to eliminate those annoying red bumps that form on arms and legs when skin is too dry – they'll definitely come in handy with this weather. The remaining goodies include: the E.Vulcano Hair Wash & Creme, a Loose Button Eyelash Curler, So Susan Flutter Mascara, and a mini Nicole by OPI Polish in Mer-Made For Eachother. I used the Flutter Mascara this morning and loved the thin formula and blacker than black pigmentation, and the Nicole polish shade feels hand-picked just for me – totally embodies my persona.
Overall I was so delighted with this edition of the Luxe Box by Loose Button. They are such a great company and always deliver amazing curated boxes. If you haven't tried this subscription yet I highly recommend you get on board for the Spring edition.
My affiliation with the P&G Beauty United program over the past year has led to a lot of exciting experiences – glitzy events, celebrity encounters and most importantly the exploration of new and well-loved drugstore products. But the part I love most about my partnership with them is the fact that they are always so eager to incorporate the people that matter the most – YOU, the readers.
If you've followed my blog for a while now you will remember that last year I took part in the Beauty United 12 Days Of Beauty Photo Challenge – posting 5 themed photos on my social media accounts throughout the month of December. Well this year I'm at it again. And once again my lovely readers will have the chance to win all of the P&G products in this years 12 Days Of Beauty Prize Pack – trust me the COVERGIRL Eyeshadow Quad in Notice Me Nudes is not one to miss. All you have to do to enter is join the giveaway below and be sure to follow THE PRETT¥ VAIN on all of our various social media channels to hear my first hand experience with the products.
THE PRODUCTS
Olay Sensitive Body Wash
Secret Oh La La Lavender Clear Gel Deodorant
Olay Regenerist Microsculpting Cream Fragrance-Free
Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care 2-minute Moisturizer Scalp & Hair Treatment
Clairol Hair Colour Coupon
Crest Flex-Fit Whitestrips
COVERGIRL Full Lash Bloom Mascara in Very Black
COVERGIRL Eye Shadow Quads in Notice Me Nudes
COVERGIRL Bombshell Powder Brow & Liner Medium Brown
THE GIVEAWAY
The giveaway will be open from Dec 9th – Dec 18th [11:59pm] and will be open to Canadian Residents only – sorry guys! The winner will be announced on Twitter come December 19th 2014 and will be contacted thereafter. Good Luck dolls!
One can never have too many face masks – at least that's what I've been telling myself recently to shield myself from feelings of guilt. My most recent splurge was during the Sephora VIB sale when I spotted the Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask. I originally had my sights set on this single mask, but once I was shown the brands Skinstant Mask Magic Set ($52), which also included the Rose Stem Cell Bio-Repair Gel Mask and the Pumpkin Enzyme Mask all bets were off. The 3-piece set contains PTR's most popular masks to detoxify, repair, and polish skin and is even available in a mini size, shown here – perfect for gifting.
An ultra-gentle gel that works to soothe, hydrate and detoxify dry, irritated skin. The fresh scent of crisp cucumber will instantly put you into a state of relaxation, while the lightweight gel creates a hydrating layer over the skin to instantly cool and soothe. Even 10 minutes after application the mask still felt comfortable to wear and had yet to dry completely. Upon rinsing the mask off, my face felt smooth, fresh and awake, as if I had gotten my full 8 hours of beauty sleep. This is the ideal mask for the on-the-go girl who is looking for a pick me up to revive tired, dull skin.
A rose-laden gel mask that uses cutting-edge plant biotechnology to reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles by regenerating, rejuvenating, hydrating, brightening, firming and toning the skin. Rose plant stem cells may be amazing, but the rose scent is something I could do without – I'm always reminded of a grandmother, and unfortunately it's never my own – that woman had taste. But once the scent dissipates you come to realize the mask itself is quite lovely. Similarly to the Cucumber Gel Mask it applies creating a hydrating layer that feels cooling to the skin. Once removed from the skin, the mask reveals smoother, softer skin with diminished pores and fine lines – considering I have been obsessing over the size of my pores recently this was a welcomed surprise. Now to find a way to deal with the sickly floral scent.
Key Ingredients: rose commiphora, desert rose, damas rose, pale rose, white rose, rose damscena, rose canina, rose hip seed, and rose water.
A powerful and highly effective exfoliating treatment to address a dull, aging and congested complexion. What they don't tell you is that for the duration of this treatment you will look like Snooki and smell like a freshly baked pumpkin pie. The treatment itself applies like a bad self tanner, covering you in a orange-hued Snooki-esque glow, which you then massage in with wet fingertips before letting it sit for 3-7 minutes. The mask includes 3 key ingredients: pumpkin enzyme to digest dead skin cells, alpha hydroxy acid, which acts as a gentle peel and alumimum oxide crystals to polish and exfoliate skin. Together these ingredients reveal a smoother, radiant and revitalized complexion that glows. If I had to repurchase only one mask from this kit this would be the clear winner – and I'm trying very hard not to base that off of scent alone.
Last week my bestfriend got me into the #PartyWithFlare Event with Coco Rocha for her new book, Study Of Pose, at World MasterCard Fashion Week – that's a lot in one sentence. Not only is Coco stunning; she also has this beautiful, welcoming personality – which, she probably gets from her parents, who were at the event as well. She discussed the troubles of getting a book featuring 1000 poses signed, but thankfully it happened – this thing is the 'model bible'. It's completely blacked out (page edges included) with small gold accents, and inside, 1000 glorious pages featuring Coco in a leotard striking a different pose each time. This is the ultimate coffee table book.
2. Bossy bitches like Chynna Rodgers
Life can fucking suck. But when you listen to a 19 year old like Chynna Rogers rap with so much confidence, and well, no fucks given, it's hard not to get in that same mentality. She's hard and has a song called Glen Coco. Enough said. Check her out here.
3. Flawless, matte skin
Whenever I want to look like a little porcelain doll and embrace my ghostly-ness I reach for my Chanel Vitalumiére Aqua Cream Compact. This high coverage foundation evens out my skin tone, completely hiding any imperfections. It is also extremely long-lasting, but I find that since my skin is so dry I need to refresh my foundation with a spritz of the Caudalie Beauty Elixir every few hours.
4. The glossy nude/pink lip
I love a lip that can go with anything, and the glossy nude/pink lip is just that. My favourite pairing of the moment is my YSL Rouge Pur Couture Pure Colour Satiny Radiance in Blonde Ingenu – noted as Lana Del Rey's nude lip of choice, alongside the YSL Golden Gloss in 10 Golden Peony (released in a LE set). This lipstick is gorgeous and it feels like you have nothing on!
5. Smudged lashes
When I first purchased the Dior DiorShow Mascara it was for my Mom and she hated it. And then it was passed on to me an I hated it. But for some reason I was brought back to it and over time the formula has dried up slightly, meaning it's coating my lashes in thick, sometimes clumpy mascara – and I'm loving it. I also love when I smudge the mascara a little too close to the lash line... am I going crazy?
From lush ivy walls to rainbow-coloured macarons to cotton-candy skies, this city has it all. And now that Vogue has named my neighbourhood, West Queen West, as one of the Coolest Neighbourhoods in the world I figured I should begin to photograph my time here – forgive me for the lack of photos for Sept. as this idea came to me half way through the month.
The highlights:
– Attending the opening of The Power Plant's Fall Exhibition ft. the works of Julia Dault, Pedro Cabrita Reis and Shelagh Keeley
– Playing copious amounts of free PacMan at Get Well (drunk)
– Getting a bossy new hair cut & colour thanks to Anne-Marie at Coupe Bizarre (funniest conversation I have ever had at a Salon – left crying in a great way)
– Attending the launch party for the 'Steal The Look' app by Wet n Wild
Crop Top: American Apparel, Leather Shorts: Zara (no longer available), Belt: Vintage, Thigh High Socks: American Apparel, Open Track Sole Boot: Zara, Watch Marc By Marc Jacobs, Scent: Nirvana Black
Last Friday, my roomate and I decided it was time to go out, get drunk and explore. A bottle of Prosecco and a few various drinks later we were ready, but not before taking a few photos, of course. Lately, when it comes to the dressing for the bar there is only one outfit option in mind: all blvck everything. To keep things slightly interesting I added a leopard print belt, thigh highs and a deep berry lip.
