TOPBOX: April 2012

aaaaaaaaand it has come.

hooray! it was shipped on the 11th and Topbox mentioned a batch that day was missorted so may take longer to arrive. the expected date was the 17th but i didn't get it until yesterday (19th). even with the delay, Topbox remains the first box i receive every month.

this month's box design was based on April's Earth Day. consumers are allowed to choose whether they receive this design or the purple design for their future boxes. i think this is a great idea - i like switching it up :) these boxes are great for storing makeup brushes or gift wrapping. i made a circle scarf recently and put it in this (it was a super tight squeeze though).

April's samples:

1) Benefit the POREfessional
YAY for a Benefit product!! i kept seeing people receive Benefit products in their boxes and this is my first time! i have some noticeable pores so this will come in handy! it comes with instructions as to how you use it. you can also use it under or over makeup. i tried it today using it over my makeup and the areas i applied it to became super soft. i didn't notice a big difference so i think i will try it again under my makeup. i like how it can also function as a primer! love multi-purpose products :)

the texture is very silky and there is a light fresh (lemon-y?) scent. it is an apricot color that blends into your skin.
size: 7.5 mL
retail value: $34 (22 mL)

2) Lise Watier HydraSmart
hmm.. does anyone else find that Lise Watier samples tend to be super tiny? plus, when i used it this morning it does not seem like the tube is even half full. not sure how many uses i can get out of this...
anyhoo, it is a "3D Hydration Tinted Veil". very fancy name. there is quite a bit of these fancy terms in the makeup market today like "3D", "blu_ray" (Cargo Cosmetics) and "HD" (Make Up For Ever).

this is also lightly scented like the Benefit balm but is much darker. however, it blends into my skin tone just fine. i am not really wowed by this product yet but will try again tomorrow.
size: 2 mL
retail value: $35 (40 mL)

3) Misa Nail Lacquer in "157 High Waist Hue"
this was actually the first item i pulled out and i was immediately overjoyed. love nail polish AND love the color. i don't know why but i have a thing with browns lately. not like super dark or dirty looking browns but pretty like this one!! this was a personalized shade according to the survey they sent out last month. i haven't seen any bloggers with this color yet. cute name too! i haven't been able to do a swatch yet since i bought some Orly polishes recently and immediately changed my nails like two days ago. will update with a photo soon!
on the side of the bottle, there is a special offer for 20% off your next Misa purchase.
size: 15 mL (full size!)
retail value: $8.99

-- update 05/01/12 --
i discovered that there is a blue shimmer to the polish when it is in the bottle, however it doesn't transfer to the nail when it is applied. i'm not a huge fan of the brush - it is too thin for me which makes me feel like i have less control.

here are some swatches of the nail polish: left pic was taken in artificial light; right in natural light.
sorry for all the imperfections again - i applied it before watching a movie and then became completely unaware as to what i did with my hands during it. oops! oh and this is 3 coats - 1 coat was way too sheer.

4) Bella Pella Tropical Flowers Body Lotion
ahhh i am having the hardest time pinpointing this scent because i am pretty sure i had a perfume that smelled exactly like this. hmmmmm...
so another body lotion. not very exciting but this is my first Bella Pella product and i like the scent. i find that is absorbs quite quickly.
size: 30 mL
retail value: $15.95 (175 mL)

5) *bonus* Cargo blu_ray Pressed Powder
i am considering this a bonus since it was just stuck onto the product card and is a "sponsored ad". in addition, this is not a deluxe sized sample since it is only for one use.

overall, i am happy with my Topbox (which is common). i especially love the Misa nail polish and the Benefit POREfessional. will have to try the color for the polish first to be sure but the shade seems lovely.
not surprisingly, Topbox is holding yet ANOTHER giveaway. click here to enter the Benefit Cosmetics gift set. you have until May 1 to enter :) 

a quick note on the First in Line program for Loose Button. it has been a super frustrating experience this month. it was supposed to open at 12 pm EST (or 10 am MST) yesterday. i decided to log in like 10 minutes after since last month it took me like 25 minutes to reserve a product. but of course, there were issues with the page. the program was not active on their website. Loose Button looked into it maybe an hour later? some people were finally able to log in - i figured they didn't want the site to crash or something so they were filtering access to certain people. but then for some reason, the program was suspended for everyone else. the company decided another approach - sent an email to everyone allowing them to choose a time slot. they would also be given a password so they will be able to reserve a product during that time slot.
again, problems arose. i was sent an email to register for a time slot 2 minutes before midnight last night. i selected 3-6 pm EST. did not receive a password, emailed them. the time slot has come and gone and i have yet to hear from the team. it is really too bad this is not working out because i really wanted the Essie nail polish i heard other people were reserving. i know many people think there shouldn't be complaints since this is supposed to be just an extra feature but the amount of time people have wasted trying to access it is ridiculous. hopefully Loose Button will be able to get things in order soon.

on a happier note, i reached 2000+ views today. yippee for another milestone :) thank you readers!