Topbox December 2013 Review: A Farewell

Well, wouldn't you just know it? This is my last month receiving Topbox, as I've cancelled any further deliveries. As luck (or bad luck) would have it, this box is the best one I've got yet. There is nary a product to mock. Not even a repeat. Ugh.

Tiny, but smells like a soap 10 sizes bigger.

The first item is my replacement "gift". Last month I got a repeat sample of those gawd-awful lipstick pods, so I let Topbox know via email. To their credit, they got back to me within hours, promising to throw this little soap into my box this month. And here it is!

It's about the size of a hotel soap, so it should be good for a week or so of showering. It smells really nice, and doesn't seem like the kind of sample they just hand out by the handful at Shoppers. Nice!

Buttery and tasty!

Next up is a little pot of Belvada Coconut Lip Butter. This stuff is literally the same consistency of butter, and it tastes just delicious. I will definitely throw it in my purse to have when I'm out and about. Soooo much better than those cursed lipstick pods I've (apparently) gotten so hung up on.

Who doesn't want more and more bottles of nail polish?

This is a full-sized bottle of Cuccio Colour "Dare to Dazzle" nail polish. It is a gold-sparkle that goes on pretty opaque.

For some reason, I did not get a product card in my box this month, so I have no idea what the deal is with this polish. I also can't find any reliable pricing on it via google, so I'm going to guess it's worth about $8? More than stupid lipstick pods, anyway...

Smells like camping

This is a 3 mL sample of Estee Lauder's perfume, Modern Muse. It's a little musky and woodsy for my tastes, but the bottle is pretty and you get a decent amount at least.

If Topbox had stuck with department-store brands like this on a more regular basis, I'd probably still be a subscriber.

WTF is this, really?

This is, for me, by far the worst product in the box this month. However, it is a decent-sized sample of a high-end brand, so I won't complain about having it included. I just don't like it at all.

Elizabeth Arden's "Eight Hour Cream/Skin Protectant" is like a red-tinted, slightly thinned petroleum jelly (?!). It smells like Silly Putty. It is really gross. I've had it on my hands for about 45 minutes now, and they are still tacky-feeling. I suspect that if there were a fly in here, it would get stuck to the back of my hand. This is fly-paper turned beauty product at its best.

I would consider putting this on my dry-cracked heels, covered by a plastic veggie bag and a wool sock, overnight to soften my feet. Otherwise, not a useful item (to me).



So that's about it. Goodbye, Topbox. The excitement of getting parcels from you was all too often followed by crushing disappointment about what that parcel actually had in it. You marketed yourself as a provider of "high-end samples", and I suppose it is true that "high-end" is a relative term. Unfortunately, I just don't like paying $13.61 (tax incl.) per month for things that were often available for free in pretty much every drugstore. I will say that you offered excellent customer service, and I suspect it's difficult to turn away offers from Cover Girl and Loreal to be featured in your boxes. This program just does not represent value to me, but others seemingly really enjoy it - at least based on the ecstatic testimonials on your facebook page. Best of luck to all the other Topbox subscribers out there - let me know in the comments if things ever get better!

Thanks for reading! xoxo

Topbox November 2013 Review!

Well, I guess it's time for another Topbox review. I hope I'm not starting to sound too broken-recordish with these things, but another month brings another collection of free samples that I paid $13 for, so...

Your face! Your beautiful face! What have they done to you???

This first item is actually pretty interesting. While at first glance it appears to be a (mafia-themed?) nail polish called "hi'tter Don", it is actually just a really banged-up bottle of Butter London "Come to Bed Red" nail polish.

This is my surprise bonus item. I paid $10 for it as an add-on this month. The promo email from which I ordered it promised "a full-size luxury product at 25-90% discount." Considering this item retails for $17, I have to begrudgingly admit that Topbox has met their promise on this one. I will, however, deduct good-will points for the fact that this is clearly damaged stock, which the company would have been unable to sell at full retail price. I'm curious to know if anybody else who purchased a bonus item received damaged/dented stock. Interesting revenue stream if they can make it work. It won't look too nice on my display rack, but I like that this is a high-demand new colour (currently sold out on nailpolishcanada.com). Well done, Topbox!

I'm not sure how to use this, but I will look it up someday.
Okay, truthfully, it will end up dusty and forgotten at
the bottom of my junk cosmetics drawer.

This pretty blue box contains my "replacement item". You may recall that I was double-"gifted" when, 2 months in a row, I received that crap-tastic tinted moisturizer. After I published last month's blog, I sent Topbox an email to complain about getting a repeat of the same product. They apologised and promised to send a bonus extra in this month's box. This "serum" isn't on the product card, but it was tossed in alongside everything else, so I'm assuming it is here for replacement purposes. I literally have no idea how to use it, or what value it brings to me. I haven't even opened it to see what's inside. Could be a "can of snakes" joke for all I know. I accept full responsibility for this. I know I can google it. I just. don't. care.

Does anybody want a snake oil serum sample? Maybe I'll put it in Dylan's stocking for Christmas!

Ugh. 

So, this is the first item from the actual, regular Topbox.

In a cruel joke by Topbox pack-masters (or cosmic retribution for all the wrongs I've done, depending on your point of view), it is another tinted moisturizer!

This one, however, is a different brand from the ones I received double of in September and October, so there's that. Still worthless to me, though. Still available to you, dear reader, for free at cosmetics counters across the land.

Like a sad cat that keeps showing up on your back doorstep in the rain. 

Does this look familiar to you? It does to me! Know why?

Because it is the EXACT SAME SAMPLE I got last month!

Topbox claims not to repeat products. They were very kind and apologetic about last month's repeat, and then they kick me in the teeth with another one!

Still "Sample. Not for resale".
Still ugly colours for me.
Still not gonna use it.

Booooo.

Where my dry-skin ladies at??

When you sign up for Topbox, you complete a "beauty profile" that outlines your colouring, skin-type, preferences, and so on. If comments on the Topbox facebook page are to be believed, it would seem that the profile is for decorative purposes only. Many gals complain of getting colours and products that are really not appropriate for them.

This is my entry into that category. It is an oil-cleanser. It is designed for people with dry skin to remove their make-up. My skin is normal-oily, so I would rather sleep with my make-up on than put this (for me) nocturnal zit-multiplier anywhere near my face. Profile-shmofile, right Topbox?

Smells like teen spirit

Here is my last Topbox item for this month: a tube-shaped perfume sample.

The perfume is really fruity-floral, and, like the last perfume sample I got, it seems like a scent that is much more appropriately worn by teenagers.

Why can't I get a Tresor sample like some other lucky ladies???

At least I know lots of teenagers, so I can easily find someone to pass this one along to.

Kind of a waste for me, though. Sigh.

So, that brings me to the end of another scathing blog about the disappointment materialized that Topbox has come to represent for me. Sadly, I will be cancelling my Topbox subscription this month. I will do one more blog (on December's box), and then I AM DONE!

I still want to blog, though, so I'm taking suggestions! Does anybody have ideas for regular blog features that would be fun to write and not waste $13 every month? I will still do random posts about nail tutorials and other things I can think of. I would really like to do a series of some sort, though. Please let me know if you have any ideas...

Did anybody else pay for a bonus product this month? What did you get? Was it damaged beyond retail presentability? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading! xoxo

October 2013: Crap-fest Topbox Review

Welcome to October! A month when the weather gets colder, the days get shorter, and the Topboxes get crappier. It is a dark time of year, indeed. If things keep going this way, I will not be surprised if November's Topbox is stuffed with poppies and Boston Pizza mints.

This blog is gonna be short and not too sweet. Seriously, this month's Topbox SUCKS!!! Sucky, sucky, sucky, sucky, sucks. It sucks so bad. How bad does it suck? Well, I have taken over a week to find the motivation to even sit down and write this thing, and writing this blog is something I usually really look forward to.

Because I like to avoid other people's reviews until mine's done, I haven't been on any blogs or boards yet to see what other gals are saying, but I'm going to try and write this quickly so I can indulge in the hatred that I can't imagine is not going on right now.

Here we go, in descending order from "okay, I guess" to "you're seriously charging me money for this?!":

I know I can get you for less than $12.99 if I close my eyes tight and believe.
And also if I wait for you to be on sale.

Last month I got the Wella Heat Styling Spray, which is a full-sized product I will actually use.



This month Topbox is "returning to the same well-a" (sorry), but with Stay Brilliant Colour Protection Lotion. I don't colour my hair, so this product is pretty much useless to me. It is supposedly worth $12.99 from your Wella professional.



I also went online to try and see what the real retail price is on this, but the wella.com website listed on the Topbox product card is ridiculously hard to navigate. Oh, well, I'm not planning to buy it anyway!


Okay, here it is at amazon.com for $7.94 USD. That's a terrible exchange rate, Topbox! For shame!

Meh. What is the deal with this company? Nothing special to see here, folks.

This is a face mask. Blarg. Who cares?

The only thing interesting about this product is that the label claims that it fights "glycation", a thing that I did not know existed. Also, that link does not make it a whole lot clearer to me. I guess it is something to be fought against, though. After my bath tonight I will have a little battle with glycation, and I'll let y'all know how that turns out. I guess you could say I'll be taking a "glycation vacation." That probably sounds like a lot more fun than it deserves to.

Two more moderately interesting things about this glycation-annihilation wonder-mask:

1. It looks like silly putty mixed with a hint of canned Alpo.
2. It smells like slightly off peppermint. Like, if you had a peppermint lotion that you really liked, so you were saving it and not using it very often, then one day a few years after you first opened it, you realized that the smell had started to turn. I have decided to name this smell "poopermint" (sorry).

Ooooh - a free sample from Shopper's

This little treasure is a useless pile of three miniscule lipsticks. They all look ugly. They will most certainly dry out after the first or second application, as you can't reseal the packet once opened. They are a waste of our country's manufacturing resources.

I will give them to a teenager, who will find them charming and fun. I, however, am a grown-a$$ lady, and I prefer at least a little Barbie-size sample like the ones Avon gives out. (Yes, I do realize that my argument is tantamount to the old classic from Annie Hall, "This food is terrible, and the portions are so small!" /paraphrase/)

Honestly, though, when your company is mailing out the same samples that can be had by the handful at every drug store cosmetics counter in town, you may want to start thinking of the morality behind what you are "selling". Guess I'm the sucker for keeping subscribed, right? But I neeeeeed to bllllllogggggg!

Deja vu all over again

Which brings us, dear reader, to the final insult in this grab bag of miserable injury.

The same damn foundation sample I got last month!!!!!!!

Also, clearly marked not for individual sale. Wait, two isn't enough?! Well, I can always go to Shopper's and get 5 more, just by asking and smiling nice at the cosmetics lady.

Honestly, Topbox, if you're gonna cheap out and pretend that drug store samples are actually small-size luxury items that will be coveted by women across the nation, at least send different ones each month! Ugh. Can we not just pretend in this together? You are shattering my wilful denial that your box is actually worth keeping paying for. I am starting to hate you a little bit.

And another thing: WHY IS IT THE EXACT SAME SHADE?!? What are the odds that anyone receiving this is going to be able to use it??? I'm going to be generous and say maybe 1 in 10, but honestly I doubt it's that many. (NB this might actually look okay on me once I get a little more tanned. I will pack it to take to Mexico at Christmas. Here's hoping I am sorely wrong about the value of this product.)

My handsome boy <3

Actually, you know who really likes this? The dog. Rocky thinks it is just fantastic, better than the chicken bits in his mostly not-chicken bits dog food. I put some on the back of my hand, and he just licked and licked and licked. Maybe if I put some in the bathroom, I can get him to clean the toilet. 

So, it comes to this. I am paying $13.60 a month for a box of (mostly) free samples. In addition to the samples, I get the thrill of receiving mail that is not bills, and a guaranteed blog topic. Is it worth it? Ummm...the jury's still out, but I'm in for another month or two at least.

Some people say Topbox used to be better. If you can shed any light on this, please let me know in the comments. Also, I'd love to hear of any ideas you might have for boxes I might like better. I will say, though, it's more fun to write a cranky blog than an effusive one, so there is that.

Thanks for reading! xoxo

Topbox September 2013 Review!

OOOoooohhhh, Topbox...why you gotta make it so hard for me to get my snark on?

I got this month's Tobox on Tuesday. As these boxes have gotten progressively better, it is becoming progressively more difficult for me to write a sneering review. Don't worry, some of the products themselves still suck, but the sheer number of items, combined with a couple of real winners, make the September Topbox well worth the $13.56 that was charged to my Amex a couple of weeks ago.

So...let's get started:

Chock full of all the information that shows up free in your Facebook feed!

This month's box is bigger than usual, to accommodate Chatelaine, a magazine that seems to be everywhere, but I don't know a single person who reads it. Heck, I even subscribe to Chatelaine and I don't read it. ($1/month add-on to our Rogers bill, and I take them to school for the kids to cut up when decorating their poetry.)

Obviously, this is a good marketing move for Chatelaine, because they'll be able to up their ad rates by posting bigger distribution numbers. I probably still won't read it. I will, however, gladly accept it to add to my cut-up pile.

It's not you, it's me.

Next up, we have another baby moisturizer sample. At 5mL, it might be more accurately described as fetal, even, but whatever. I have no need of facial cream samples. I am blindly devoted to Lancome, which is expensive and awesome and one of the few things I go all out and spend way too much money on 'cause I like it so much. (Lancome also has the best gifts with purchase, and they run them about 3 or 4 times a year.)

I've taken to throwing these little gems into my purse and using them for hand creams when out-and-about. This one is creamy and it smells nice, and I have no doubt that it will keep my hands from getting red and chapped this winter.

Why do you exist? Really.

Here we have an "anti-aging primer", which is basically just a light moisturizer. Anyone who believes a cream will help fix fine lines and wrinkles should really check out this all-in-one wonder product called Snake Oil. They should pay absolutely top dollar for it, to a huckster selling things off the back of an old-timey wagon. Perhaps I can find some to sell to them.

Bottom line: the only thing that will make you look younger is plastic surgery. Botox! Facelift! Restylane! Anything else is simply going to add moisture to your skin, which is inherently anti-aging, as your skin will not crack and wrinkle as much if it is not dry. People should just pick a moisturizer that they like the texture and smell of, and that makes them happy and is appropriate for their skin type/what they want it to do. Products like this, pushing the idea that a person needs a "primer" before putting on make-up, as if he or she is a slab of drywall, just get on my nerves. Ugh. Anyway, this is light, smells okay, and will have a happy life at the bottom of my purse, periodically moisturizing my dry winter lizard-hands.

*nb - I will admit that while primers are of no value to me, there are many people (maybe with oily skin?) who swear that their make-up lasts longer if they apply primer first. So, YMMV.

There is a debate on the value of primers...

I think you came from expired stock :(

This is a sample of Bourjois Paris mascara, probably 1/4 of the full size one, which sells for $20 at Shoppers. That is pretty pricey for a drug store mascara, so it must be awesome, right?

Maybe. Mine is really dry and doesn't come close to giving me "10x more volume." I've been using it for the last 3 days, and it differs from my Lancome Hypnose mascara in 2 ways: 1) my lashes look smaller and a little clumpy, and 2) it is really hard to get off! Not a product I will be adding to my collection.

You make the whole September Topbox worth it!

This is a full-sized bottle of Wella Professionals heat protection spray. I am very happy with this product. Not only is it in a good enough size to use it for awhile and really get a feel for it, but it also works well and smells good.

I always use heat spray when straightening or curling my hair. I'm not picky about the brand - just whatever's on sale is what I get. I honestly have never noticed much of a difference, except Biolage smells the best to me. I would definitely buy this if it were on sale when I went to pick up a spray.

Charming and lethally gorgeous, for about 3 hours.

This little thing is listed as a "bonus" on the product card that comes with the box. It is a sample of Katy Perry Killer Queen perfume. Apparently it is "Floriental". I'm not even kidding. Is that a word? Spell-check doesn't think so.

The name makes me imagine a "very special episode" of Ru Paul's Drag Race, where things take a decidedly dark turn.

Anyway, it is supposed to be "charmingly playful yet lethally gorgeous," I find it both musky and fruity. I put it on at 8, and couldn't smell it any more by 11, which is probably par for the course with drug store perfume. I don't always wear perfume, but when I do it's by (surprise twist) Lancome: Tresor or Miracle. Omg, why don't they just hire me already?!?

And that's about it for the September Topbox. Let's do a value tally, shall we?

Chatelaine magazine:                    $1 (via Rogers, prob ~$5 at the store?)
Lise Watier moisturizer:               $8.00/5mL ($48/30mL)
Cover FX primer                           $6.30/5mL ($38/30mL)
Bourjois Paris mascara                 $5.00 (?)(Full size is $20)(Really, kind of worthless and dried out.)
Wella heat spray                           $14 (yesssss!)
Katy Perry perfume sample           ~free at make-up counters everywhere~

TOTAL:                                        $34.30* value to the individual may vary...

Another pretty good month! I will subtract $5 for the crummy mascara, but add $5 for surprise/entertainment value. If Topbox can keep this pace up, I'm definitely on board for the next few months at least.

What did you get in Topbox or other subs this month? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!! xoxo

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

Topbox Review: Remember Gumby? He's back! In nail polish form.

So...have you heard of this recent phenomenon called a "box subscription"? It's that thing where you pay a monthly fee to a marketing company, and they send you a box of assorted items once a month. Ideally, you love the sample products soooo much that you cannot resist purchasing regular-size versions of them from the company's website, thereby providing another revenue stream for the company in question. You can subscribe to such a wide variety of types of boxes, from pet toys or treats, to gourmet cooking items, to beauty samples. Subscription boxes combine your love of small samples with the excitement of getting mail. They will make you feel like somebody really cares.

This is my first month receiving a package from Topbox, a beauty products subscription service. It costs $12/package, and is billed monthly to my credit card. Ostensibly, the products you receive are a stunning value, representing far more than the meagre $12 you invest. This point is debatable at best, which I'll discuss below. Despite my reservations about the actual value of the box I received, I will continue to subscribe for at least a few more months, as it gives me something to blog about. And getting mail makes me feel like somebody really cares.

I would also like to point out that Topbox holds a unique position in the subscription box market. At $12 ($13.56 incl tax), it is one of the cheaper options. Also, the company has a set number of subscribers, so you have to go on a waiting list for about 2 months before you are even allowed to subscribe. I suspect this creates a psychological effect of scarcity and exclusivity for some people, wherein they feel special and privileged to be "accepted" into the Topbox circle. I know I was pretty happy to have made it off the wait list. I am starting to feel like somebody really cares.

I am going to show you what came in my July 2013 Topbox, with approximate values and initial impressions.

You're kinda tiny, Tiny

"This 8[!?] in 1 multi-tasking beauty balm will provide all day hydration while brightening to instantly lift [my] look."

Tried it this morning. Seems okay, not much different than the literally hundreds of other moisturizers beauty balms you can buy.

Full size = $49/50mL
I'm generously guessing this is 2mL?
Sooo...value = $2.04

Imma little scared of this one.

"Thickening sprayable gel/provides up to 70% more volume and heat protection."

Both? or 35% of each? or maybe a 30/40 split? Hmmmm...

Haven't tried this one yet, and I'm kind of terrified what 70% more volume on my head might look like. For once, I'm hoping that the beauty claims are highly exaggerated, which they always are.

Full size = $16.70/200 mL
Value = $2.51

This product should be satirical.

"Pure 24k Gold [sic] flakes as well as Pearl Protein help..." Wait! What?
Effing gold flakes??

Well, that just makes me feel like an a$$hole.

Ugh. Yes, apparently gold and pearl have the little-known and miraculous ability to "stimulate blood flow, build up Amino Acids [sic] and add a healthy glow to the skin for Summer [sic]."

They don't know the difference between proper and common nouns, and they want me to believe that gold will improve my complexion.


If you have 6 minutes and free wi-fi, do check out what David Cross has to say about the gold leaf:

David Cross: Tasteless, Odorless


Full size = $60/60mL
2mL here? Value = $2.00
(Putting gold on your face = priceless)

Okay Mom, I'm ready for my drive to the mall. Moooommmm...let's gooooo!!!

The 4th and final item in my July 2013 Topbox is China Glaze "Keepin it Teal" jelly polish, from their Summer 2013 jelly collection.




Ehhh, it's okay. I googled it, and the polish reviewers are all losing their sh*t about how great it is (maybe girls be pimpin' for some free product?) I'm not a fan of the jelly finish, and this polish is decidedly Gumby-coloured, once you apply the 6 coats needed for opacity. In fact, I decided to put that evaluation to the test, and did a Gumby and Pokey mani:

OMG I used to love Gumby and Pokey so much. <3

If you're going to wear a colour that's fit for tweens, you might as well go all-out cartoon on it, amirite?

Whatevs. I like nail art, so I'll gladly add whatever they send to my nail wall. (Ignoring the little voice in my head that's lecturing about how jellies are too thin for nail art. Shut up, Little Voice. I want to feel like I got a bargain here.)

Ah, Little Voice might be right. The Topbox insert insists that this polish is worth $10-12, (minus some off if you allow for the fact that you didn't get to pick the colour ~10% seems about right), but if you pay that much, YOU ARE BAD AT SHOPPING!

Here it is for $6.95 at the first place I checked.

So...

Real value = $6.95 (Let's be magnanimous and call it $7.98 including tax)

Sooo...

Moisturizer Beauty Balm:                $2.04
Volumizer that scares me:                $2.51
Gold leaf jerk cream:                       $2.00
Gumby tween polish:                       $7.98

TOTAL:                                           $14.53 (I paid $13.56)

Sooo...not bad I guess, but none of these products is an awesome, spectacular deal, and I suspect that the cream samples (or their equivalents) can easily be had for free at Sephora, The Bay, Shoppers, Sears, etc...

I do also like getting mail, so there's that.

I'll keep up with Topbox for a couple of months, but at a yearly cost of $144 ($165.60 incl tax), I am hesitant. I just don't like getting mail that much.

Do you subscribe to any boxes? What are your opinions of them? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!! xoxo