BEAUTY BOX 5 (BB5) DECEMBER UNBOXING: A BOX OF AWESOME OR A BOX OF AWFUL?

Not only did the sun come out in our neck of the woods today, but Beauty Box 5 (BB5) made its appearance in our mailbox. They were a bit later in shipping this month (apparently awaiting an item or two for inclusion into this box) but kept everyone updated so all’s good. Well, everything’s all good provided this month’s box doesn’t include toothpicks and empty bottles (see my snarkalicious review of the November box…Oy!).

So many subscription box services are late in shipping this month that it actually makes me quite happy that I didn’t bother purchasing them as holiday gifts. Nothing says “thinking of you” than empty hands but a promise of arriving soon to a friend or loved one, right? Again, oy…

Since BB5 is one of the few subscription boxes that actually didn’t have their head buried in their nether regions for the December box, we’re already going to be a little biased in our review. Human nature and all…

Okay, let’s do a reveal of the contents:

Not a toothpick nor an empty bottle in sight…So far, so good, BB5!

First let’s snatch up that very prettily designed perfume sample. From Lucky Brand, this is their new fragrance Lucky Number 6. It’s a combination of fragrances, including lotus, tiger lily, cashmere woods, and jasmine, and it smells UH-MAZING. Light, fresh, crisp. I normally don’t care for overly flowery scents, but this one is quite lovely and not overpowering in the least. My daughter is going to want a full-sized bottle of this ASAP. Off to a grand start, BB5!

Next up is a sample of Juice Beauty’s Stem Cellular Moisturizer. I’m so stealing this from my daughter’s box (with her permission, of course). I’ve already received 2 Juice Beauty products in other sub boxes and LOVE them. This will be a great addition to the Green Apple Peel and the moisturizer I already have. This product is meant to use morning and evening over cleansed skin (I always wonder why this caveat is always included in instructions – are there really people out there who would apply a treatment over unclean skin?), and with its combination of organic, antioxidant-rich plant and fruit oils, to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, combat sun damage, and seriously hydrate the complexion. LOVE IT.

And how convenient is receiving this travel-sized Absolute! New York nail polish remover pads…I guess the good people at BB5 knew when we saw the next item coming up, we’d want to immediately remove our current polish and use the one in this month’s box, which is:

This is just all sorts of gorge and awesome in a bottle. By Nanacoco, this is their “Stardust” nail polish. It’s twinkling, it’s sequined, it’s sparkly, it’s copper, and it’s PERFECTION. Going on the nails as soon as this blog is published…Happy holidays, indeed!

And with the next-to-the-last amazing item in this month’s box, here we have an awesome rose hydrating facial mist from Jaqua Beauty. This subtle fragrance smells just like fresh-cut roses and a couple of spritzes to the face shows it dries without a trace of stickiness and has an amazing aromatherapy quality. Oh yeah, this is good stuff, BB5.

Now here’s a kicker. Included in this month’s box is a code to get a $50 retail value jewelry product from Lilee with your subscription to their new monthly box. Priced at $49/month, it’s a lifestyle box described on their webpage (www.lilee.com) as: “Lilee knows what she likes- only the best!- and she’s picked out fabulous beauty and lifestyle products to share with you every month. There’s no better way to discover your next must-have lipstick, scarf, bauble or bling than to become a Lilee subscriber! Simply pick your plan below and prepare for $120+ worth of gorgeous goodies every month!” Although this subscription is a little pricier than I like to spend on the regular, I’m thinking it might be worth trying it out. If you’d like to subscribe, go to the previously-referenced website and enter the code BB5PERK to get your free $50 piece of jewelry with your subscription. Nice little offer, courtesy of BB5.

And there we have it, the December Beauty Box 5 (BB5). We totally approve. We still aren’t sure what they were thinking about last month what with toothpicks and empty bottles, but they’ve definitely reclaimed their status with us this month. Here again, besides the item or two that I intend to confiscate from my daughter’s box, these are all very usable and fun items. Not a single bomb in the box.

AWESOME OR AWFUL? Awesome. For $12/month, BB5 has proven yet again it’s a small monthly indulgence well worth the price.

Beauty Box 5 is running a special offer of a free box with subscription (code below). If you’d like more information on Beauty Box 5 or perhaps to sign up for it as a treat for the new year, here is my referral link to their website, as well as the link to the BB5 Facebook page:

WEBSITE REFERRAL LINK: http://www.beautybox5.com/?u=12356 ENTER FREEBOX1 FOR FREE BOX
FACEBOOK LINK: https://www.facebook.com/BeautyBox5

Until next time, stay beautiful, and Happy Holidays from The Beholding Eye.

GLOSSYBOX NOVEMBER 2014 UNBOXING: KEEP IT OR KICK IT TO THE CURB?

TGIF, my lovelies. I hope everyone has a splendid weekend planned full of all sorts of awesome fun.

The mail carrier brought a surprise to the door today, the November Glossybox, which had shown as being scheduled for delivery Saturday. We’re always happy to take delivery of any and all subscription boxes early, so thank you very much, Ms. Mail Carrier!

We had already seen and blogged about a couple of the items as spoilers but still…It’s not quite the same as having the actual products in hand.

Let’s see what’s in the November Glossybox and if it meets our standards to go forward in 2015.

And there’s a familiar sight, the lovely pink box emblazoned with black lettering.

One more sip of coffee and we’ll lift the lid and check out the contents.

And there we have it, this month’s descriptor card outlining the products contained herein, with the products hidden by a layer of pink tissue paper.

Let’s dig in and see what goodies we’ve received this lovely Friday morning.

RETAIL VALUE: $20 for full-sized (3.38 fl oz) product

Anything encased in purple has to be good. That’s just a hard and fast rule at Casa Beholding Eye. Here we have a sample size of Kneipp Herbal Bath: Balancing in Lavender. Out of Germany, this touts the ability to calm nervousness and control mental fatigue. Sounds promising. Smells divine. Can’t wait to try this out tonight, maybe with a candle or two going to add to the ambiance. After a long week of work and holiday activities, this might be just what the beauty doctor ordered. Grazi, Glossybox!

RETAIL VALUE: $20.00 for full-sized (6 oz) product

Oh, this looks promising. A very decent-sized sample of 12 Benefits Instant Healthy Hair Treatment. This is a leave-in treatment designed to offer a dozen benefits (hence the name, I gather) to chemically processed, pollution-exposed, or heat-styled hair, as well as boosting vibrancy of existing hair color and preventing sun stress through sunscreen. We love hair products (especially my daughter with her epic mane of thick, naturally wavy hair). She’s really looking forward to trying this out.

RETAIL VALUE: $45.00 for full-sized (2 oz) product

I’m excited about this product, as it happens to be from the same skincare line as one of the products in the FabFitFun Winter box, which should be shipping anytime now. From Juice Beauty, it’s their Green Apple Age Defy Moisturizer, which is purported to be a potent brightening complex of apple, lemon and white grape juices with vitamin C and peptides. I’ll hold off on using this product until I receive the green apple peel coming in the FFF box. This is very nice-sized sample and should be more than efficient to determine whether it’s worth pursuing a full-sized product.

RETAIL VALUE: $23.29 (this is a full-sized product)

From So Susan, a cosmetics company with which I’m completely unfamiliar, is this UH-MAY-ZING Universal Blush. It claims to combine the staying power of a micronized blush along with the skincare benefits of Buriti, an Amazonian fruit containing beta-carotene and essential fatty acids. This shade is simply gorgeous. Sort of like Nars Orgasm/sort of not like Nars Orgasm. Here, see for yourselves:

It’s difficult to capture in a photograph, but it’s a truly gorgeous combination of pink, mauve, peach, and copper with flecks of gold that truly does look like it would be perfect on any skin tone. I think my daughter and I may have to engage in a quick game of rock/paper/scissors to see who wins primary custody of this piece of awesomeness.

RETAIL VALUE: $9.50 (this is a full-sized product)

From OPI is the custom-created nail lacquer in “Pink Outside the Glossybox.” Cute name, lovely color. While it’s probably not something that will actually be used until Spring, it is nonetheless a very pretty shade that would work equally well on a mani or a pedi. And OPI has great products, so we have high hopes for this little gem.

And there we have it, the November Glossybox, all unboxed.

Now for the test of whether to keep it or kick it to the curb in 2015.

Does it have products we’re looking forward to trying? Why, yes. Yes it does. Every single item in this box is definitely something either my daughter or I will love trying on for size.

Do we feel that we got sufficient bang for our proverbial buck? For $21/month, yes. Two of the items are full-sized products with a retail value of about $35, with 3 additional deluxe-sized samples of equally impressive products.

Will Glossybox be kept around for the December box and going into 2015? That’s a resounding yes. In fact, after careful consideration, if we ever had to decide between Allure Sample Society and Glossybox, we’d probably opt to keep Glossybox. There’s a nice variety of products and even the deluxe samples are of a sufficient amount to get a good idea on how effective any given product might be.

If you’d like more information on Glossybox and maybe snag your own subscription, here are some links to get you started:

WEBSITE WITH REFERRAL: http://www.glossybox.com/referal?CI=MTIxNDg0
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/GlossyBox.com

As always, feel free to follow what I’m up to on the following social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBeholdingEye
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

Until next time, stay beautiful…

FABFITFUN (FFF) WINTER BOX 2014: SPOILER #3 AND $10 OFF COUPON CODE!!!

Happy Monday, lovelies. Hope everyone had a marvelous Thanksgiving and is ready to get back to the regular weekly grind.

Just to start the week off with a bang, here’s spoiler #3 from the FabFitFun Winter box.

“Spoiler #3 is here! Every FFF VIP will get a fab yourMinerals eye shadow duo in their winter box! So what are you waiting for? Get yours today!”

Not a lot of other information, as you can see, such as possible color selections, but sounds like a great addition to an already impressive-sounding box. I’m still most excited about the necklace.

And just to quickly recap, here again are spoilers #1 and #2:

As always, here at The Beholding Eye we’ll try to keep you updated as soon as these various box sneak peeks are available. So far the FabFitFun Winter box is shaping up to potentially be as good as the Fall box…And all of our readers know how much we at The Beholding Eye adored that Fall box.

If you’d like to take the plunge and order your FabFitFun Winter Box now, here are a couple of links to get you started on your quest:

WEBSITE: http://vip.fff.me/7PHPh ENTER BLACK10 TO SAVE $10 OFF OF THIS BOX
FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/FabFitFun

As always, feel free to follow me on the following social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511?ref=bookmarks
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/TheBeholdingEye
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

Until next time, stay beautiful!!!

THE FRENCH BOX: NOVEMBER UNBOXING ~ I LOVE PARIS (I TRULY DO) AND COUPON CODE!!!

After stalking the tracking information for my November The French Box, I woke up this morning wringing my hands in anticipation of its arrival and practically squealed when I saw the mail carrier walk past my office window with the distinctive pink box in her hands.

After carefully removing it from its outer shipping box, my little black heart skipped a beat.

There it was, the November box…être encore , mon cœur!

I carefully opened the lid to reveal the exquisitely wrapped contents…And this month’s frame-friendly postcard was on the top:

Yes…Yes, indeed, Paris is always a good idea. Particularly when one is wasting away in a central California valley rural community. Le sigh.

The theme for November is “Paris, I Love You.” Although I’ve never been there, I can say without hesitation that, yes, Paris, I love you. Or what I imagine you to be, somewhere between Utopia and Heaven.

Okay, let’s see what else is in this box of French wonders.

I’m in love already and I haven’t even touched any of the products. I can practically SMELL the French awesomeness emanating from the box….Let’s check everything out!

RETAIL VALUE: $43.50

Right off the proverbial bat, here we have a full-sized Pier Auge Radiant Mask for all skin types. “Wonderfully gentle, this treatment smooths the skin. Beautified skin regains all its natural radiance and is better protected against the signs of aging, stress and pollution.”

I applied a dab of this to my hand to try it out. Ooh la la. My hand feels soft and silky after just a few minutes. This is a mask that you apply, wait 10 minutes, and then rub in whatever remains atop the skin. J’adore. I’m already swooning.

RETAIL VALUE: $6.00

I snatched this up and did a happy dance. COFFEE. REAL FRENCH ROAST COFFEE. Not the Starbucks version of French Roast or any other non-French-produced French Roast coffee, but coffee really and truly made in France. I’m an absolute coffee-holic. Iced, hot, cappy’d, latte’d, frappy’d, you name it. Even my favorite ice cream is coffee flavored. I’m thrilled with this and intend to enjoy it one perfect cup a day to make it last as long as possible. From Segafredo Cafe de Paris, “its rich, aromatic flavors will leave you craving for a little bit more French throughout the entire day…” Oh, it already has. Parfait!!!

RETAIL VALUE: $12.00

I love the way little objets d’art are included in the French Box, and here we have an absolutely adorable hard-backed journal from Lido Accessories, complete with an elasticized bookmark. It’s almost too cute to use. They’ve also included a pamphlet from Lido describing their burlesque cabaret and it sounds amazing. One can make reservations for dinner and the show or drinks and the show. How I would love to attend for dinner and the show. Here’s a peek at the pamphlet:

And what is this round, perfectly French item?

RETAIL VALUE: $12.00.

Okay, this is seriously THE cutest compact I’ve ever seen. The Paris Pocket Mirror is distinctively French and the perfect size, it contains two mirrors, one in the top half and the other in the bottom. It’s beyond UH-DORABLE. This is definitely going straight into my purse and I’ll be whipping it out at every opportunity to show people how utterly awesome it is. These pictures don’t even do justice to its cuteness.

RETAIL VALUE: $24.90 for full-sized 3.4-oz product

Here we have a sample vial of Leonard Eau de Parfum Signature and it smells DIVINE. I’ll be treasuring this little vial and using it for special occasions when I want my sense of smell to transport me directly to Paris. Ooh la la indeed.

Oh my…Next up is another recipe card (last month’s box had a recipe card for a few menu ideas for utilizing the Herbs d’Provence contained in the box). This month’s recipe is for Croque Monsieur, which is an extremely delectable-looking sandwich that actually makes me want to throw my Subway Club sandwich sitting next to me off of my balcony. It looks amazing and anything that contains Gruyere cheese is going to be a home run with my cheese-loving self. Nice touch, French Box, Keep those recipes coming!

RETAIL VALUE: $61.00 for full-sized 1-ounce product

The last item in this month’s box are 2 sample packets of Guerlain Foundation Parure de Lumiere. I’ve tried a few Guerlain products in the past (and loved them), but I’ve not tried this particular foundation. This one is moisturizing and contains light-diffusing ingredients as well as SPF 25. The active ingredient is Luminescent Water, a marine spring water that hydrates the skin and diffuses light at 360 degrees to create a radiant complexion. The color is conveniently the perfect shade for my skin (woot!). I can’t wait to give these a try. It’s medium coverage, which should also be perfect for me.

TOTAL RETAIL VALUE OF “I LOVE PARIS” BOX: $73.50 (not including a value for the adorable postcard, the sample Guerlain products, the recipe card, or the Leonard perfume).

Once again, I am completely blown away by The French Box. Just opening the box immediately allows me to escape the day-to-day banalities and be mentally transported to a faraway place I’ve only seen in my dreams. I find the curating of the box to be top notch and brings me such a nice variety of things to taste, see, smell, and feel. I’m definitely still carrying on my own personal love affair with the French Box.

If you’d like to check out the French Box, here are some links to help you get started (pssst, The French Box would be a PERFECT gift for any lovers of all things France on your holiday gift-giving list this year).

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frenchbox
Website: https://getfrenchbox.com/ get a discount, enter this promo code when ordering: RRAMY8A4D8
Twitter: @GetFrenchBox
Instagram: FrenchBox_Official
Pinterest: FrenchBox_Official

VIVA LA FRANCE!!!

And I am now departing from my all-too-brief imaginary trip to Paris and back to my American apartment in central California. The struggle is real. Le sigh.

As always, feel free to follow me on the following social media:

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebeholdingeye
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

WINTER NAIL SHADES AND WINTER BEAUTY SURVIVAL TIPS: NAUGHTY OR NICE?

Ahhhh, Thanksgiving is almost upon us and then we’ll be catapulted into the frigid Winter months in the blink of a masacara’d eye. I love the changing of the seasons and, as every fashionista knows, with each change of season comes new trends. What better way to incorporate some winter trends into your wardrobe than with a few new nail colors? Budget-friendly and lots of fun, too.

But, before we dive right into the glorious new nail shades, let’s take a look at what you can do to keep the skin and cuticles of your hands and feet at their twinkling best, whether you’re roasting chestnuts on an open fire or dashing through the snow in a 1-horse open sleigh.

First of all, I happened upon a product a few years ago that seriously forever changed my hand and foot care routine. It’s not glamorous, the name of it is a bit giggle-inducing, it’s perfectly affordable, and it is my winter skin savior.

Feel free to giggle. Seriously. I giggled like a school girl the first time I saw it, but its claims were so amazing that I decided to purchase a small travel-sized tin.

Readily available at mass chains such as Walmart, Target, etc., or even at your local neighborhood pharmacy, Bag Balm will keep your hands and feet so amazingly hydrated and smooth that you’ll ditch those more expensive treatments and become a devotee as well. It has the consistency of Vaseline (a staple for some), yet I find the results are much more immediate. One night with Bag Balm and you’ll definitely be ready for Santa Claus coming to town.

Bag Balm can be purchased for well under $10 at pretty much anywhere you pick up your other beauty necessities.

Oh, and while you’re snapping up your Bag Balm, there are two more items you’ll want to grab to use in conjunction with it.

Yep, plain white cotton socks in whatever style you prefer. Slather the Bag Balm on your feet (paying particular attention to the areas between your toes and your heels), and then slip a pair of these over your feet. They not only prevent the product from being transferred onto your bedding, they help the Bag Balm to penetrate through the dry skin of your feet even more intensely. It’s like a not-so-glamorous spa treatment for your feet.

And while you’re there, grab a pair of plain white cotton gloves for your balm-drenched hands as well. Again, any kind or style that catches your pretty little eye. I like the idea of these disposable ones but reusable ones that can be laundered are an equally good choice. As with your feet, except using a smaller amount, slather Bag Balm over your hands and cuticles, apply the gloves, and let the magic happen while you’re sleeping. In the morning, remove the gloves, wash your hands (always using a mild soap, especially during winter months), and be amazed at the difference in how they feel…Hydrated and supple, without a spot of dryness in sight.

The Bag Balm treatment done 1-2 times a week on hands and feet will have your skin and cuticles hydrated and healthy-looking all through the harsh winter months. I even do it a couple of times per month in summer months, too, just to keep everything smooth and supple. In between Bag Balm treatments, nightly moisturizing with your usual hand and foot creams will be even more effective.

Now that we’ve covered the practical aspect of how to keep those fingers and toes sparing us from entrance onto the Island of Misfit Toys, let’s take a look at some UH-MAZING winter colors courtesy of our friends at Julep. What better way to showcase new colors than with soft, smooth and well-manicured hands and feet?

Ilsa, Sawyer, and Joanne are most assuredly earning a place in my nail collection. Gorgeous shades and totally versatile, perfect for the office, home, or even a quick kiss under the mistletoe.

Also from our friends at Julep, here are some additional products to assist with winterizing your beauty routine for the upcoming months that you may wish to try incorporating into your regimen:

Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, these are the perfect holiday treats for you…And also hit-of-the-party stocking stuffers for those fashionistas on your gift-giving list as well.

If you’d like to snap up a couple of those awesome new shades for winter or check out other winterizing beauty tools and products Julep offers, here’s a link to their page. Oh, and did I mention you do not have to subscribe to Julep to make purchases? Commitment-free shopping that won’t break the holiday budget!

JULEP POLISH COLLECTION: http://www.julep.com/shop/nail-polish.html

And, as always, feel free to follow me on the following social media. Later this week we’re expecting arrivals by Ipsy, Lip Factory, Lip Monthly, Sample Society, and possibly French Box (I’m already having palpitations just thinking about French Box…OOOH LA LA), so stay tuned for more!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBeholdingEye
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

Until next time, stay beautiful!!!