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