Luxe Box

I had originally read about Birchbox at xSparkage a little while ago, which is a service that sends 3 to 5 deluxe sample-sized beauty products to your home every month for you to try for a small monthly subscription price. Of course, being a cosmetics junkie and all, I was intrigued because it's a fantastic way to discover to brands and products. Alas, Birchbox is only available in the States. Then, when I read that Sydney had signed up for Luxe Box, which is the Canadian equivalent of Birchbox, I immediately signed up. At the time, Luxe Box was invitation-only, so you had to sign up with your e-mail to get on the waiting list, and when they had an opening, they'd send you an invite to join. It has since become public, however, so anyone can join now! It's currently $12 a box if you sign up for one month, $36 for three months, and $120 for a year. I love that you have the choice of signing up for only one box (it's not a scam, like they'll charge you every month for a new box until you cancel), in case you don't like it enough to receive more. Anyhow, I received my first box this month:

In an adorable ribbon-tied cardboard box, I found a note from the Loose Button team on vellum paper, and a card describing the products inside. Wrapped inside deep teal tissue paper was a 13-gram bottle of Dermalogica's Daily Microfoliant, a 9.6 ml bottle of China Glaze's Ink with Nail Art Brush, a full-sized Laura Mercier Eye Colour shadow compact in Sandstone, and a little square of Swiss Delice dark chocolate. So cute!

Overall, I'm quite happy with the products in my June box. I've been wanting to try Dermalogica's Daily Microfoliant for a while, but couldn't bring myself to shell out $72 for a scrub, so this is the perfect way to try it without spending a fortune. I like that they give quite a substantial sample bottle, too, so you have enough to try it for over a month rather than those wimpy one-use packets. The China Glaze Ink polish is a great way for me to try my hand at drawing nail art; I like that I got mine in black because it'll match so many more colours that way (I'm thinking of doing maybe leopard- or zebra-print). And the Laura Mercier eyeshadow (full size!) in Sandstone is a beautiful light champagne shade in a satin finish that suits every skintone. I like that it's not too shiny, either, so it's perfect as a highlight colour. I'm really glad I decided to sign up for this service so I can try out a few new products every month without being overwhelmed. I can't wait for my July box!