A few days before I left for California, I received my March 2013 GlossyBox in the mail. I packed a couple of the samples in my suitcase to try while I was out West, and recently finished the others now that I’m back home. The theme for this month’s box, “Spring Fling”, revolved around products to help the transition from cold and bleak winter into the warmer, sunnier Spring season that seems to have finally arrived here in New England!

What I Received:

Sebastian Professional “Shaper Fierce” Hairspray

ModelCo Cheek + Lip Tint in “Rosy Red”

Elite Models Intensity Eye Pencil (Full Size!)

Prestiche Essential Oil Bar Soap

Koh Gen Do Oriental Plants Emollient Cream

I also received a $40 voucher valid for Prestiche’s online store, which I’m planning on applying towards one of their “Wonder Body Polishes”. With warmer weather on it’s way, that means I have to keep my skin exfoliated and smooth for when I break out the flirty dresses and shorter skirts.

Product #1: Sebastian Professional “Shaper Fierce” Hairspray ($17.00)

Curly hair + hairspray is a tricky combination. In some cases, hairsprays can smooth down frizz and help keeps curls defined. In other cases, they only succeed in making curls crunchy and weighed down. Over the years, I’ve found only a couple of hairsprays that have been lightweight enough to keep the bounce in my curls but still strong enough to tame any flyaway strands.

In January’s GlossyBox, I was introduced to Sebastian Professional’s “Potion 9” Styling Cream and had loved it- so I had my expectations pretty high when I received this spray that promised to not only give my hair a flexible hold, but would also add a “high shine gloss” effect as well.

Unfortunately, this spray was one of the crunch-creators, and no matter how many times I tried to brush or tousle my hair to break up the product, if only a little, it built up fast and dried heavy, making my hair and scalp feel anything but soft. The spray also smelled HORRIBLE. Seriously nauseating. I ended up feeling really self-conscious about how crunchy my hair looked and the way it smelled most of the morning after I’d spritzed some on before work.

Would I Purchase?: No. I’ll be sticking to the aforementioned lightweight sprays (one of which is made by Garnier Fructis and not only smells delicious- but makes my hair so soft and shiny) the next time I need a little extra hold. This stuff was just too heavy for me, and I can’t get over how bad the scent was.

Product #2: ModelCo Cheek + Lip Tint in “Rosy Red” ($24.00)

Considering how much I loved the cheek, eye, and lip tint cream I received in my March BeautyArmy kit, I was open to try this gel, packaged in a precision point tube, which claimed to give a natural, “freshly pinched” look to my cheeks.  Upon applying a couple of drops to my fingertips to tap onto my face, I was immediately concerned with how dark the color appeared. The only way I could describe it was that it had the same look and consistency of food coloring. When I began blending, however, the dark red faded into a rosy pink.

While the consistency was nice and very lightweight, it took a few more drops than I expected to get a noticeable flush to my cheeks- and even after that, the tint ended up making my cheeks look more like I had a patchy case of rosacea instead of a beautiful, natural blush.

My lips didn’t fare much better. Not only was the tint drying to the point of it being painful, but it didn’t spread evenly at all, and my pout looked chapped and dry.

Would I Purchase?: No. As unique as the texture of the tint formula was, This product just didn’t work well for me at all. I’ll stick to my cream or powder blushes for my cheeks, and with more moisturizing colors and balms for my lips.

Product #3: Elite Models Intensity Eye Pencil ($14)

This soft, creamy pencil eyeliner applied like a dream, giving me an even, precise, and mess-free application along my upper lid. This particular brand is long-lasting and waterproof, but is formulated with Shea butter and vitamin E, making it safe and non-drying for the sensitive eye area- even after wearing it for hours. Although I experienced a little fading in the outer corners of my eyes as the day wore on, for the most part the liner didn’t budge and didn’t irritate my lids the way other pencil liners have done in the past.

Would I Purchase?: Yes! Absolutely!  This is such a quality product. It’s gentle and easy to apply, gives a great amount of color, stays in place all day, but comes off easily with no fuss with a basic makeup remover. I’d love to try more of these in different shades!

Product #4: Prestiche Essential Oil Bar Soap (16.99)

I’m sure I’ve mentioned before how much I love all-natural soaps. I don’t like putting anything loaded with chemicals on my skin, as I find it will either be extremely drying, or the complete opposite of the spectrum- and make me feel super greasy. This hypoallergenic soap, loaded with antioxidants, essential oils, moisturizers, and vitamins not only smelled wonderful, but lathered nicely, and made my skin feel so, so soft and conditioned without leaving any kind of oily residue behind.

Also, unlike some other all-natural soaps, this bar didn’t disintegrate after one use. I still have plenty left over to last me a while, meaning that this product also gives you your money’s worth, too.

Would I Purchase?: Yes! I liked this soap the second I felt how silky it made my skin during the very first use- and how it stayed that way long after my shower. It’s made of really great ingredients, and should last a while.

Product #5: Koh Gen Do Oriental Plants Emollient Cream ($123)

For $123 a pop, I expected this botanical extract cream to be nothing short of a miracle in a jar. I applied it before bed, and hoped to wake up with a glowing, radiant, flawless complexion. The cream absorbed quickly, felt lovely, and didn’t have any artificial fragrances to it, which was definitely a plus- but I didn’t see or feel a significant difference to my skin, even after using it for another few days. It certainly didn’t do anything that any less-expensive creams couldn’t do.

Would I Purchase?: No. This cream, as nice as it felt, isn’t worth the money, in my opinion. There are so many other alternatives out there that could not only give me better results, but wouldn’t cost as much, either.

2 out of 5 products in the March GlossyBox were fantastic and were definitely things I’d purchase in the future. The other 3, not so much. I’d say the box was a bust, but the $40 Prestiche voucher was a pleasant surprise and definitely made up for the lackluster hairspray, cheek + lip tint, and moisturizer.

GlossyBox once again surprised me this month, just as they did last month, by sending me an additional box free of charge. I’m still not exactly sure why, but no complaints here! The extra samples are perfect to travel with and to give to my friends who are curious to try new products.

This month’s theme, “International Style”, focused on Fashion Weeks around the globe, and featured products inspired by jet-setting models, designers, and fashionistas from NYC all the way to Milan. I finished trying the samples over this past weekend, and can now give a full and proper review.

What I Received:

Evologie’s Esystem Duo Pack Intensive Blemish Serum & Stay Clear Cream

LiSi Liquid Line Eyeliner in “Enchanted”

Nail Rock Nail Wraps

Bvlgari Eau Parfumée Au Thé Blanc Soap

Da Vinci Shimmer Powder in “Twilight”

Product # 1: Evologie’s Esystem Duo Pack Intensive Blemish Serum & Stay Clear Cream ($15.00)

Upon receiving this product and reading it’s description, I decided to incorporate both the cream and the serum into my daily skin care regime to see if I noticed any improvements to a couple of little blemishes that popped up in what I’ve dubbed “pre-PMS misery”. Sorry to any guys reading this, but it’s just a part of life and nature. Deal with it.

Anyway, while I noticed the serum did indeed help reduce redness and the size of said blemishes, the cream all but completely dried the rest of my face out. I applied it as directed, and almost immediately my skin felt tight and uncomfortable. I had to apply another oil-free moisturizer on top of it just so my makeup wouldn’t look flaky or patchy.

Would I Purchase?: It’s a maybe for the serum, since I feel it would come in handy for those one or two pimples that pop up (and usually at the most inconvenient of times), but absolutely not for the cream. It was way too drying for me.

Product #2: LiSi Liquid Line Eyeliner in “Enchanted” ($7.00)

I’m not a fan of liquid eyeliners at all. I’ve never found one that really works for me in terms of staying power and clean, neat, simple application. My trademark eyeliner look features a mild cat-eye, so I typically stick to gel-cream liners, since they stay in place the longest and are easier to apply and blend. I also use pencil liners, although with those, more often than not, I find I have to make sure my cat-eye doesn’t end up bleeding down to my cheek throughout the course of the day/night.

Even still, I gave “Enchanted” a try. A lovely purple color, it was a pain to apply. It just seemed I couldn’t get it off of the applicator and onto my eyelids evenly, and I had to go over it about three times total to cover areas that the first swipe of the liner missed completely because it wouldn’t spread.

The picture above was taken minutes after I finished applying the liner. I wore it out for the night, and when I came home to wash my face before bed, I noticed that almost all of it had flaked off. I was left with uneven, purple, patchy sections along my lid. So disappointing!

Would I Purchase?: No. I’ll stick to my gel-cream liners. Even though the color was pretty, this eyeliner was sort of cheap. It was a pain in the ass to apply, and it didn’t even get me through the night without fading.

Product #3: Nail Rock Nail Wraps ($8.00)

I was actually really excited to try these press-on foil wraps. They come in a variety of funky color combinations and patterns. The ones I received were split, half cheetah print-half bright red, which worked out well since it was a near perfect match to my current nail polish  Not wanting to overdo it, I decided to put the pattern on only my ring fingers. As meticulous and as careful as I was applying the foils, they still crinkled up along the edges of my nails, which kind of sucked and required a lot of buffing and filing- but even that still didn’t get the foil completely smooth.

Despite that, they are pretty cool looking, and are advertised as being designed to last up to ten days. I’m on day three right now, going into day four, and even after showers, rifling through my purse, and a lot of typing, they haven’t budged. Priced at only $8, I’m impressed.

My apologies for my kind of icky cuticles in that photo. I’m in need of a manicure.

Would I Purchase?: Yes! I don’t think I’d wear them on every single one of my nails, but they’d be a lot of fun to mix and match with different nail polishes, and they definitely stand out. You can’t beat the price, either, especially since they seem to have staying power (so far!)

Product #4: Bvlgari Eau Parfumée Au Thé Blanc Soap (30.00)

First, the good- this soap made my skin feel amazing. Even before I got out of the shower, I could feel a difference. My skin was soft and very, very silky, and it stayed that way long after I got out of the shower and dried off. The soap lathered up pretty well, which gave me an allover clean feeling, too- also a perk.

Now, the bad- I feel like I’m in the minority when I say this, since I’ve seen people raving about this soap in their reviews for the very reason I was put off by it- but I didn’t like the way it smelled. At all. It was just too much for me, to the point of it being kind of gross, and I ended up spritzing a little perfume on after my shower to try and cover it up.

Would I Purchase?: No. As wonderful as my skin felt, $30 is a lot of money for something that I couldn’t stand the smell of. I’d be better off putting that towards a lightly scented body lotion or body butter if I wanted the same moisturized, silky feeling, but without the overpowering aroma.

Product #5: Da Vinci Shimmer Powder in “Twilight” ($15.00)

I was a little nervous about applying this golden-toned shimmer powder to my face, worried that it would make me look too bronzed since it appeared to be on the darker side in the container, but I was pleasantly surprised at the beautiful glow and subtle shimmer it gave me after I brushed some on my cheekbones as a highlighter and on my brow bone.

The shade of this powder isn’t just limited to the “Twilight” shade, either. There’s quite a variety- from nudes, to pinks, to plums, so depending on your skin tone and personal preference, you can find a color that suits you!

Would I Purchase?: Yes! I loved the shimmer, which isn’t overpowering and actually stays in place unlike other shimmer powders and blushes I’ve tried in the past. This is a great product for cheeks and eyes, and can serve as an easy to carry substitute for eye shadow and blush, especially when you’re traveling and simply don’t have the room to carry a bunch of compacts, jars, or tubes around.

Two loved products, two not-so-loved products, and one I’m still on the fence about. I may not have been as blown away by the February GlossyBox as I was with the January one, but I had fun trying everything, and I discovered some new brands and products I’d love to experiment with more in the future.

xx