May 2012 GlossyBox

GlossyBox has just started running their service in the United States, and I received my first box from them a couple days ago. I've never tried one of these services before, and I wasn't sure what to expect. At $21 per month, this service seems a little pricey, and I'm still not sure it's worth it. However, I was pretty pleased with this month's samples.

The GlossyBox contents were shipped in a cute and sturdy pink box and wrapped in tissue and a bow. I appreciated the sturdy packaging (and the sturdy cardboard box the whole thing was shipped in). I don't live in a major city, and sometimes my USPS packages arrive a little beat up.

The theme of this month's box was "Around the World" and the box came with a nice card detailing each product and its origin (each from a different country).

1. AMORE PACIFIC Moisture Bound Refreshing Hydra-Gel
Amount: .27 fl. oz. (sample size)
Rating: 4/5
PROS: I really enjoy this moisturizer, and it's one of my favorites from this box. It smells amazing, a sort of lotion-y not-quite-floral smell that reminds me of my childhood summers spent with my best friend and all the products her mom used. The packaging is cute and sturdy, with a little mirror on top, and I think once it's empty it will make a nice travel container for earrings. The texture of this product is very silky and it really does feel like it's providing a lot of moisture to my skin.
CONS: The price! At $100 for 1.7 oz (the sample was .27 oz), this moisturizer isn't quite amazing enough to be worth the price to me. I'd probably get 20 full-face uses out of this sample, and at almost a dollar per day of application, it would be quite expensive to use regularly.

2. BURBERRY BEAUTY Lip Mist Natural Sheer Lipstick Copper No.202 (UK)
Amount: .028 oz (sample size)
Rating: 4/5
PROS: Okay, the packaging and design are the best part of this product. Everybody loves the traditional Burberry check, and this tiny square lipstick has that pattern embossed on its case. Using this lipstick makes me feel far more sophisticated than I actually am. :) The color was nice, though not terribly amazing with my skin tone. It went on very smooth and stayed on for quite a while. It didn't taste disgusting like a lot of lipsticks do, although it was still not my favorite. At $30 for a full size (.12 oz) lipstick, I might consider buying this product if I found a shade I really loved.
CONS: The only real dislike I have for this product is the smell. It smells like really expensive, high-end play-doh and tastes a little bit of the same. However, I know there are people out there who love the way this product smells, so to each their own! Also, the lipstick was kind of melted by the time it got to my house. :(

3. MARVIS Marvis Whitening
Amount: 1.23 oz (full size)
Rating: 3/5
PROS: This product supposedly has a whitening effect, which is something I appreciate as a heavy tea drinker. The mint is mild and quite pleasant, which I enjoyed, and my teeth felt nice afterward. Bottom line, it's toothpaste.
CONS: I wasn't really expecting toothpaste in one of these boxes and I'm not sure what to think of that! Also, this is very very expensive toothpaste at $7.50 for a tube not much bigger than a travel size tube of any common toothpaste. I might pay that much if this had some miraculous whitening effect, but this seems unlikely given that the whitening ingredient is .8% sodium monofluorophosphate, which is found at similar levels in other widely-available brands. I'll have to keep using it and see. Another possible con for those of you who are particularly ingredient-conscious is that the primary ingredient in this toothpaste is aluminum hydroxide. This compound is suspected to possibly contribute to neurological disorders, though no rigorous scientific studies have ever concluded anything other than that this is unlikely. I'd feel safe eating a tube of it.

4. PHYTO Phytojoba Intense Hydrating Mask for Dry Hair
Amount: 1.7 fl. oz. (sample size)
Rating: 5/5
PROS: This is my favorite product out of this box. I have hair that is very fine but thick and I have some serious problems with frizz. I have been using this product as directed (it's a mask that you leave on for several minutes) after shampooing and my hair looks absolutely fantastic. It lies flat, there's minimal frizz, and it's soft and shiny. I also love the feel of the packaging of this product.
CONS: At $38 for 6.7 oz, this product is a bit pricier than I would usually buy, but given how many washes it looks like I'm going to get out of it and how pleased I am with the results, I think it may be worth it.

5. ZOYA Summer 2012 - Beach and Surf Collection
Color: Zuza
Amount: .5 fl. oz. (full size)
Rating: 1.5/5
PROS: The color (a sparkly medium teal) was nice enough, and I'm glad it was a full size product. The brushes on mini bottles of nail polish are often very hard to deal with.
CONS: I'll be straight - this nail polish seemed cheap. At $8 per .5 oz bottle, this polish costs about the same as the brands I usually buy, but I was much much less satisfied with it.

BONUS: GlossyBox blush brush
Rating: 1/5
This goat hair brush was a thoughtful little extra, but not really worth much. The handle is very sturdy and attractive-looking, but the bristles are rough and frayed and just plain not very good.

OVERALL BOX RATING: 3.5/5
ESTIMATED COST OF CONTENTS: $48 (not including brush)

For now, I'll be continuing to order GlossyBoxes. It was fun to try out new products and I'm really enjoying the Phyto hydrating mask.

ETA 15 JUNE: I called GlossyBox customer service about the melted lipstick and they told me they were going to send out a replacement right away. I'm very pleased with the way they handled that and with the promptness and courtesy of their customer service representative, Nicole.