August Top Box Review! (w/pics)

Well, another month, another Top Box! And let me begin by saying that this month's box is waaay better than July's disappointing crap-fest. This month gives me hope for the future. Supposedly Top Box is sending out some pretty good stuff throughout the fall, and August is a pretty good start.

Once again, I got the regular Top Box with 4 items. I will never choose the Privé boxes, due to my love of the unknown: good or bad, I'd rather be surprised when I open that lovely cardboard tube.

Best song I know about loving the unknown

So let's begin!

Gardener's best friend!

Belvada Coloured Tweezers
List Price: $5.00

"...will make tweezing easy (okay...) and fun (!)"

I have several pairs of tweezers already (doesn't everybody?), and they all cost a lot more than $5, but I guess I can use these? I tried to pluck a couple of close-lying eyebrow hairs, and I was not able to get the job done with these. I much prefer my razor-sharp and thin Revlon tweezers, but I suppose I can throw these in my First Aid Kit. I can also see myself using them to pluck slugs off the hostas, maybe.

You are not nearly as nasty as you look!

Clinique - Almost Lipstick in Black Honey

Full Size: $19
Approx. value - $4.50 (?)

Wellll...this is the first product yet that I'd actually consider buying. Wow - this stuff is awesome. When I first saw it, I thought it looked like another cast-off from the Island of Unsellable Colours. I was WRONG! Supposedly transparent pigment looks slightly different on each person, depending on your base lip colour. On me it looks like a slightly dark cherry colour, with a bit of gloss to it. Fabulous! It also stays on for a few hours, similar to the lipsticks I usually wear.

The only thing that will probably prevent me from buying this is that I *hate* Clinique's packaging. I just think it looks ugly and dull, especially compared to my two favourite cosmetics lines from MAC and Lancóme.

Lise Watier - Ombre Soufflé Supréme Eye Shadow

Full size: $24, approx. value $5 (except not really because this is obviously a sample that you could get for free if you know where to ask for it.)

Pretty shiny! Pretty messy! Pretty pretty!

This product is just lovely. I'm not usually a fan of cream shadows; I find them a little messy compared to my trusty old pots from MAC. Despite the slightly messy application, this shadow goes on smoothly and evenly, and it stays on all day. These are both colours I would wear, being light and shimmery, so I'm extra happy about that. I'll definitely use this package up, and I will consider buying this in the future, especially if Lise Watier happens to have a good "gift with purchase" promo. It just depends on if I can get past the goopy mess or not. Time will tell.

Dark, strange and creepy

Avon MEGA Effects mascara

Full size: $12 (9g)

Here we have a strange and wondrous item. Apparently the "imagineers" over at Avon have been trying to find a new way for people to get black gunk on their eyelashes. Because a traditional wand is so difficult and ineffective? Hmmmm...I've worn mascara nearly every day since I was 16. Let's do the math on that:

22 years x 365 days = 8030 mascara applications with a wand. Add in a few more for all those times I just went over the morning's mascara before going out for the evening, and we'll call it an even 8200.

Suffice it to say that I'm *really good* at putting on mascara with a wand. Like, a pro, almost. I am also, apparently, really bad at putting on mascara with a centipede-like wedge. I have tried this product for the last two days, and I have also jabbed myself in the eye with this product for the last two days. I even got mascara on my contact lenses, as well as my lower lid. On top of that literal poke in the eye, I can't get enough leverage/pressure to build the mascara up for thickening or lengthening. I am an Avon MEGA Effects failure.

I'm not going to complain too much, though, because I really respect this product's designers for thinking outside the (Top)box. (Or tube, I guess.) At least this product is different and wacky, compared to the banal moisturizer samples I got last month. Props to Top Box for entertainment value.

To wrap, here's the value breakdown of this month's selections:

Tweezers:                      $5.00
Lip-stuff:                       $4.50
Eye shadow:           (I refuse to give this sample a value)
Disturbing mascara:     $12.00

GRAND TOTAL:        $21.50

Not bad, Top Box. Not bad at all. Adding up the entertainment value (which is really my primary interest) and the actual retail value, I feel that I certainly got my money's worth this month. Here's hoping they can keep it up!

What other items are floating around out there this month? Did anybody else get this Top Box, and what did you think? Let me know in the comments! Also, please feel free to post links to your own reviews...

Thanks for reading!! xoxo

Easy Summer Flower Mani!

Ahhhh, summer! So many lazy days to fill by doing seasonal-themed manicures!! Flowers are my fave, and today's blog post will show how to do an easy, summery, Hawaiian-y flower design.

"Let's Talk Dirty in Hawaiian" by Those Darlins Feel free to listen to the mood music if it suits ya!

To start, you will need the following:

• Base coat
• Quick-dry top coat
• Bright colour polish (I used Essie Mod Square)
• White polish
• Dotting tools
• Nail jewels
• Nail glue
• Tweezers to position jewels
• Cotton & remover to clean your tools

Nestled in a lovely basil plant

This is a great set of nail jewels. One side is little compartments of clear/diamond-y jewels, and the other side is colourful ones. There are lots of different shapes and sizes to pick from.

This kit is available at Sally Beauty, in store or here.

Nestled in a smaller, but equally lovely basil plant

Another product I had to use today is this: nail polish thinner. If you have been throwing out old, goopy polishes, let me save you now! I put 4 drops of this into about a half-full, pretty thick bottle of Essie, and it came out practically new after a few good shakes.

Some people on the internet say you can do the same thing with nail polish remover, but I really trust very little that people say on the internet (aside from celebrity gossip, of course.)

I think I got this one at Winners, but you can find a couple of other options here at nailpolishcanada.com.

This is the thinned-out, almost like new, Essie Mod Square.

Okay! I think we're ready to go!

Step One: Paint those nails! Don't forget to use base coat along with quick-dry, high-shine top coat, or Santa won't come this year. Also your nails will look dull and the mani won't last very long.

Also, if your top coat's not quick-dry, it will take forever before you can move on Step Two. You will also no doubt have to find your keys or something and wreck it. This is known as Smudgie's Law in the nail polish world.

I bet you can do better than this, no?

Step Two: Using a larger-size dotter, make 5 round dots in a sort-of circle shape where you want the flower to be.

For this mani, I'm doing flowers on both ring fingers, as well as my right thumb.

Because we're going to add dots and jewels, the flowers don't have to be so perfect on this mani. Just do it the best you can. I'm really not a perfectionist. 

Looks mangled right now. I promise it gets better.

Step Three: As soon as you get the dots done, grab your pointiest dotter (or a round toothpick) and drag from the center of each dot into the center of the "flower". This will create the petal effect.

Getting better!

Step Four: Take various sizes of dotters to make larger to smaller dots coming out of the petals of the flower.

I like to aim for a sort-of spiral pattern, but it would probably also look nice if you went with smaller dots in a random pattern.

I prefer the glue with a brush, as I think it's easier to control
and less likely to dry out quickly.

Step Five: It's Jewel Time!

This is my favourite part. I just love nail jewels: picking them out, placing them on, gazing at them endlessly. Love. It.

Anyhoo, put a dab of glue in the centre of your flower, then stick a jewel on it. Make a veritable nest of glue, and you can use the tweezers to press the jewel in and make slight adjustments.

Is this not the definition of nice and shiny? 

Step Six: Top Coat Time!

The white polish will probably still be a bit tacky, so make sure you blob a ton of top coat it on and spread it over the nail with very little pressure. This is essential if you want to avoid streaking your design. If you want your flower to look like it's a speeding cartoon, then by all means apply lots of pressure in the top coat phase.

Once it dries, you can always do another top coat to smooth it out if it's blobby or uneven.

Peekaboo! Top coat on you!

Here are some pictures to compare before and after top coat is applied to the final design. It really does make the mani.

I had a teenager tell me once that she never used top or basecoats, because she didn't want to "waste" her money on polish that is not a colour. 

Teenagers! Crazy, no??

Do you have a favourite flower design? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!! xoxo