Earlier this week, I received one of the Summer 2013 limited edition Luxe Boxes from Loose Button. For those of you unfamiliar, Loose Button is a company that specializes in putting together personalized beauty boxes for subscribers. Their system is a bit different from others, in that they offer seasonal boxes: 4 boxes each year, ranging from $24-$26/box based on the subscription plan chosen.

The Condition Culture edition Luxe Box features six full size products from Condition Culture: a Featherlocks Hair Feather, 3 Colorsmash Hair Shadows, 1 pack of Knotties Hair Elastics and 1 pack of Knotties Hair Bands.

To be honest, the hair feathers are something I probably wouldn't use often, if ever, really. But they're a great accessory to have around that I could put into my hair if I decided to for a party. The feather is quite soft, and heat styling can't damage it which is a huge bonus. The hair elastics and hair bands work quite well, as I've been using the hair bands to hold my hair back while doing makeup in the morning or washing my face. The hair elastics come in a variety of colours and designs, and have a fairly good grip on my hair. They leave a very minimal (you could hardly notice it) bump in my hair after taking them out, unlike the regular thin elastics that I use.

What I was most interested in trying from the box was the Colorsmash shadows, as I've heard a lot of nice things about them. This product is an industry standard that is used to colour hair, and it's supposed to have great staying power in hair until it is washed out. The packaging is similar to a blush, and the texture comes out to be a bit of a thickened powder. The lid twists off, so it's more secure than a flip lid, and I know that it'll be great for travelling if need be as it won't open in my bag spontaneously.

I'm not big on funky, bright haircolours, so what I wanted to do was create an ombre-like look in my hair with the brown shade - Cocoa. The product itself was incredibly easy to use and apply, but it was very messy. I made sure to put a towel on my shoulders to protect my clothing, and the towel came out to be pretty dirty at the end of the application process. As you can see in the photos below, my hands were covered in product, but the good thing is that it washes out easily with soap and water.

The Cocoa shade did grip onto my hair pretty well, and I finished it off with hairspray to seal in the colour as directed. When mixed with the hairspray, my hair felt quite a bit thicker, as it made the product wrap around my strands of hair. Combing it out was difficult, and a lot of the product fell out of my hair in the process. The colour therefore faded, and was harder to see. I did like the end result though, as my ends were subtly lightened and it wasn't permanent either.

The removal process was fairly frustrating for me. I washed my hair twice, until there wasn't much colour left in my hair - but when I went to blowdry my hair, I found that there was still product sticking to my strands. This could be one of two things: either I suck at washing my hair, or the product was stubborn and harder to wash than the packaging had suggested. So do keep that in mind if you try out the Coloursmash product range.

Overall, this Luxe Box wasn't bad. There are products I've already been using quite a bit (love the hairties!), but I do wish I could make use of the pink and blue Coloursmash products though. Maybe this upcoming Halloween? This Luxe Box is available for order until July 7, 2013 - check it out on the Loose Button Website.

*Disclaimer: this post contains a sample provided by PR for consideration of a review

Happy Almost April Fool's Day! Anyone planning on playing a couple pranks tomorrow? :)

Today I have to share with you the March Luxe Box sent to me by Loose Button. A little late, yes, but better late than never!

As usual, the box was sent to me packaged beautifully and personalized.

For this month, the box was filled with: Fekkai Technician Color Care moisture mask, Fekkai Technician Color Care shampoo & conditioner, J. R. Watkins Hand & Body Lotion (Lavender), Prevage Advanced Anti-Aging Serum, and a China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Dance Baby. I don't colour my hair, but my mother does, so she quite happily grabbed the samples out of my hands after I opened my box! If anyone is interested, I can get her opinion on the product.


Other than the hair products, the rest of the items in the box will definitely be used by me. Separate reviews will be posted up for each item soon! I like that there wasn't anything shade specific in the box, and the value of the products in the box this month do exceed the $12 subscription price. Something unique for this month though, is that it is the 1 year anniversary for Loose Button! To celebrate, the greeting card included in each box is loaded with wildflower seeds that can be planted! So cute. For a glimpse of what it looks like, visit their blog here.

Alright, so instead of a trick on April Fools Day, I'm giving you a treat. Loose Button is giving one of my readers a chance to win the May edition of the Luxe Box!

TO ENTER

1. Be a follower of this blog via GFC - just as simple as that! This step is mandatory.

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES

Follow this blog via Bloglovin' (+1)
Follow me on Twitter (@littlmissandrea)(+1)
Follow me on Instagram (@littlemissandrea)(+1)
Tweet about this Giveaway ("Enter @littlmissandrea's giveaway for a May @Loose_Button Luxe Box!")
Comment & let me know what beauty brand you would love to see in a box! (+1)

Please fill out the relevant fields in the Rafflecopter widget below - those are the only entries that will be counted. The giveaway is open to Canadian residents 18+ years of age. The winner will be chosen randomly on April 24th, 2012, and have until April 28th to claim his/her prize. Good luck!

My apologies for this super late review! Due to midterms, and the delay in shipment of January boxes, I finally have put together this post for you.

After receiving my first Glymm box back in December, I was interested in checking out other companies within Canada that offer the same type of cosmetic and skincare sampling services. Aside from Glymm (First box review here), Loose Button offers their Luxe Box program to Canadians, offering 4-5 deluxe samples each month for the price of $12, compared to the $10 subscription fee to Glymm. For the month of January, Loose Button was kind enough to send me the box for review.

What should be noted, however, is that Loose Button did have a set back in the shipping of boxes for the month of January, due to a delay in shipment from one of their partner brands. As a result, their shipment was delayed, so they sent an extra goodie box this month as an apology, in addition to upgrading to expedited shipping free of charge.

Now, let's get on with the review!

PACKAGING



As per usual, the Glymm box arrived in its sturdy pink box with a removable lid. The items on the interior were wrapped nicely with a ribbon, and cards describing the contents of the box. All the items inside arrived safely, sitting snug atop of shopping confetti.





The package sent out by Loose Button was a pleasant surprise to open! The box was personalized with my name printed on a card, and all items were wrapped with tissue, secured with a personalized sticker. The box also came with cards describing the products and where to purchase them. The opening of the box was lackluster for me when compared with the elegant ribbon packaging of the Glymm box, but the personalization was definitely a nice touch! All the items also arrived safely, sitting atop packaging confetti. What's different about the box though, is that it is a pull out style versus the removable top of the Glymm box. After you use up the samples inside, both boxes are great to her around the house to store things!



PRODUCTS



For this month, the products in the Glymm box were: Kaia Bamboo Facial Cleansing Cloths, Anastasia Brow Gel, a Cargo Eye Pencil, Burt's Bees lotion, and Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator. Of the products, one was full size (Eye Pencil), which has a normal value of $16, making this month's box worth the $10 subscription price.



In the Luxe Box, I was sent: a sample of Seattle's Best Coffee, Moroccan Oil, Benefit Moisture Prep, Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Body Cleansing Lotion, and Purminerals Powder. For $12, I would say the samples this month were quite worthwhile, as I can see myself using them often. There's nothing that bothers me more, than receiving tons of perfume samples that I know I will never use!

In the extra box was a sample of the new Schick Hydro Silk Razor & Fekkai Advanced shampoo & conditioner. Yes, definitely worth the $12.

SHIPPING

For as long as I've been subscribed to the Glymm box service, each box has been sent out via Canada Post expedited shipping. I usually receive my box within 2-3 days from Quebec, which is within the delivery standards. I am currently unsure of the shipping method utilized by Loose Button, but I'm assuming it is not expedited, as they automatically upgraded shipping for all boxes this month since they were behind schedule. Either way, shipping for each service is "free" and included within the quoted subscription price.

PRODUCT AVAILABILITY

For Glymm, each month they try their best to send out the same products to each and every customer, so as to maintain constancy in all their boxes. Loose Button, on the other hand, tends to send out different products to each individual, catering to their beauty profile created when signing up for their services. Thus far, I have not received any repeat products, but I have read that some Loose Button subscribers have received the same samples more than once. Personally, I would want to receive different products each month, so as to have the chance to try out a variety of brands. But when you think about it, each company can only collaborate with so many brands, and convince those brands to bring about different products for their customers to sample. It may be quite difficult to secure different products every month, and not have something repeated once within a year.

All the products sent out in Glymm boxes are available for purchase on their website - an easy one stop shop for all your needs. In comparison, Loose Button does not currently have an online store, but each box sent out contains the information about where to get the full size versions of the samples if you so desire!

PRICING & REWARDS

As stated above, Glymm boxes are $10/month, while Luxe Boxes are $12/month. Both are very affordable options, and each subscription is renewed automatically until you request to cancel. Members of each service can also be rewarded! Glymm features a points system, in which points collected can be used towards the purchase of products. Points can be earned through product purchases, referrals, product reviews and subscriptions. The program at Loose Button is a little different, where the referral of three friends gets you a free box.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

From experience, I can say that that customer experience at both companies is excellent. Their representatives work hard to reply to each email, and answer any concerns that customers may have. Each company can be found via email, or through Facebook and Twitter, giving customers access to representatives through a variety of methods.

OVERALL

All in all, I would have to say that both companies are excellent choices for sampling different products in the makeup and skincare field. However, in order to choose and stick with one subscription service, you should definitely take into account the aspect of personalization. For me, I find that the $2 price difference can be accounted for in the way that Loose Button caters to their clients. It takes a significant amount of manpower to personalize each box (lots of printing and organization of the cards & stickers!), and put together products that target the needs expressed in the beauty profile.

If you like to purchase items and be rewarded for doing so (like me, being a hoarder of points!), I would recommend Glymm. They try to provide a wide range of products to test out each month, for anyone looking to just try something different. Loose Button, on the other hand, would be a better option for anyone looking for products to target a specific concern. But of course, it would be good to check out their featured brands ahead of time, to see if they even interest you at all.

TO JOIN

Both services are easy to join! Here's my personal invite link to Glymm. For Loose Button, they currently are sold out of subscriptions, so you can sign up for the waitlist here.

Are any of you subscribed to these services right now? Let me know!

*this post contains a sample provided by PR for consideration of a review

PS - if you haven't done so yet, enter my appreciation giveaway!