Surprise! More Un(Glossy)boxing - Box 7!

Remember when we bid a fond farewell to our Glossybox subscription? A box of makeup, skincare and hair goodies delivered to our doorstep every month in the cutest packaging - what's not love? So you can imagine our excitement when another box landed in the mailroom! Keep reading to hear our thoughts on the May Glossybox.

This month's box was heavier on the skincare/hair products. It included a large sample size foaming shower gel, a large sample hydrating moisturizer, two mini moisturizing gradual face tanners, a sample size mascara and a hotel size set of shampoo/conditioner for fine hair.

• I do love me a mascara. It's my one can't-live-without-it beauty product and it's probably my single favorite Glossybox discovery. This new formula from Benefit promises to lift and curl lashes  and set them for over 12 hours. As someone with relatively long curved lashes, I didn't notice a huge difference in the curl of my lashes but it does a great job of adding length and definition. The little hooks on the wand really do grab your lashes, however the formula is rather wet and I found myself wiping smudges off my brow bone.
• As anyone who has seen me on a windy, humid day can attest, my hair is not exactly fine or limp looking. This shampoo/conditioner set left my hair feeling squeaky clean if still a bit tangled. The scent however is very prominent - a vaguely tea tree oil smell that brought back memories of my mom washing my hair with special shampoo when someone in my elementary school class got lice - and lingered long after my shower.
• Before even squirting some into my hand, this shower gel already looks like a fancy spa product. It doesn't disappoint either, transforming into a delicately scented luxurious lather that leaves skin feeling soft and pampered. The question is where can I find more of this stuff...
• Glossybox has seriously upped my skincare game and this gentle moisturizer is already a hit. Silky smooth, it glides on almost like a primer, and sinks in quickly without any sticky/thick residue. 
• Now that summer is around the corner, I need to come to terms with the fact that my face is really not the tan glowing goddess shade I think it is in my head. Fingers cross this tanning moisturizer can help me get a jumpstart on my glow. While the tubes are small, a little goes a long way with this weightless, silky feeling product. 

While the hair products were not my cup of tea, the moisturizers are perfect to add lightweight hydration to the skin during hot sticky summer months and the mascara, while not groundbreaking in my book, is certainly long lasting, having survived a sweaty barre class followed by zumba. 

Photography by Alexia Bacigalupi

Are you an avid Glossybox fan? Or do you have another beauty box subscription? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Un(Glossy)boxing - 6th and Final Box!

It's with a heavy heart that we unboxed this month's Glossybox. After a 6 month subscription, we're going to miss a box full goodies delivered straight to our doors. Along the way we've discovered some new favorites (shoutout to the Too Faced lipstick and Eyeko liner from Box 5 and the most amazing mascara ever from Box 1). But this final box didn't disappoint, presenting a mix of full and sample size beauty, skincare and fragrance products to test out this month.

The April Glossybox included a full size nail polish and face-mask, along with a double-edged eyebrow pencil and a sample sized face oil and perfume.

• Before you open it, the perfume sample is gorgeous, the perfect glam Hollywood addition to any dresser or vanity. After dabbing a little on your wrists, it's another story. The perfume is thick and little musty - like something a grand dame of the Upper East Side might wear. Just having the smell of it wafting up from behind my ears was enough to make me nauseous.
• The nail polish is a beautiful bright raspberry color, perfect for punching up a spring outfit. The plastic packaging, however, is on the bulky side. The color goes on smoothly and dries quickly. Pro tip to cut the drying time - soak your fingers in a cup of ice water once it's dry to the touch to lock the polish in place.
•  The brow pencil has a cool-toned medium brown and a creamy underbrow highlighter. The brow end isn't too soft or overly pigmented, making it easy to get subtle definition and hold for Cara worthy brows. The highlighter however is a bit stiff and needs to be worked into the brow bone and the yellowish ivory tone is not versatile for all skin tones. The best part is that for every pencil sold, Studio 10 donates 100% of the profits to a charity for women with cancer.
• When I finally got the face oil sample open (seriously, that thing was basically glued shut) and massaged it onto my face after cleansing, this face oil smelled heavenly. Slowly working it into the skin felt like getting a facial at a fancy spa. Enjoy free shipping and $20 off a full sized product (1 fl. oz) with the code "GLOSSYBOX20" at biossance.com
• Face masks, the only company we want on a Saturday night. This one comes out as a clear watery gel and smells fresh and soothing. It sinks in quickly without any tight or itchy feelings, leaving skin velvety soft. Use once to twice a week for soft hydrated skin thanks to the aloe and ayurvedic herbs.

A Glossybox subscription makes a great gift for someone who's taste you can't quite figure out or even just as a treat to yourself. With a good mix of generous samples and full size products, it's a great value and a fun way to discover new products. While not everything was our cup of tea (that perfume still evokes memories of a stuffy great-aunt), on the whole Glossybox is a must-try!  

Photography by Alexia Bacigalupi

Are you an avid Glossybox fan? Or do you have another beauty box subscription? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Un(Glossy)boxing - Box 5!

Not much can ease the gloom of finals week, never mind winter quarter finals week. Yummy snacks, spring-like weather and classes on the Quad, and playing with new makeup are the few things that make the cut. So while we procrastinated reviewing for our finals, and pretended that our essays could write themselves, we took the products from the March Glossybox out for a spin. Keep reading to see how they held up!

The Glossybox for the month of March contained a deluxe sample size liquid lipstick, a deluxe sample size felt tip liquid liner, a hand lotion, two sample size face creams, and for the first time, a brush.

• How do we love thee liquid lipstick. This "melted" formula from Too Faced comes in a squeeze out tube, like a lipgloss, with a sponge applicator for saturated and precise application. "Chihuahua" is a neutral dusty rose with slight brown undertones, the perfect "my lips but better" color. The consistency is smooth and lightweight, almost like a balm, and sits comfortably on the lips with even pigmentation. It remains slightly glossy throughout the day before finally drying down to a soft matte finish. It's not fully transfer-proof but not fussy at all.
• Enamored with crisp cat eyes but baffled by tricky paintbrush applicators? A felt tip liner designed like a fine point marker combines the crisp saturated color of a liquid liner with the ease of a pencil. With Alexa Chung, queen of the flawless cat eye, on board as Creative Consultant, you can trust that this little baby from Eyeko will get the job done.
• Contouring is all the range now (thanks Kim?). The first step to getting supermodel worthy cheekbones is the tools. Enter this pretty pink and rose gold angled brush. Simply make a fishy face and dust a cool toned contour  product in the hollows of your cheeks for a sculpted look. And yes, the (cruelty free!) bristles are as soft as the look. The only downside is that it is not very compact, making it harder to buff in cream products.
• Ah hand lotion. While it seems that every box comes with one (check it out here, here and here) I really can't complain, because I find myself going through them like lightning. The wind and the cold can be rough on the thin skin on your hands, so I find it super handy to always have a little tube in my bag. Although the packaging looks a bit tacky, this one smells like ripe fruit and has me dreaming of hot summer days.
• A nice Merlot is delicious, so why not get your skin in on the benefits too? This lightly scented moisturizer is packed with compounds from the skins of red grapes to smooth and brighten skin. Available in variety of "flavors" - Pinot Noir, Moscato, and Cabernet among others - to address a variety of skin concerns. The samples may have been small, but a little goes a long way.

As spring finally rolls around (cheers to that!), our makeup game is ready for a little switch up. After a winter full of vampy lips and grungy smudged liner, we're ready for a fresh, clean look that's just plain pretty. And nothing pairs as well with delicate spring florals as a soft nude lip, kitten flick of liner and glowing hydrated skin. We know we'll be reaching for these Glossybox products to achieve that!

Photography by Alexia Bacigalupi

Are you an avid Glossybox fan? Or do you have another beauty box subscription? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Un(Glossy)boxing - Box 4!

Valentine's Day may have come and gone, but who needs Hallmark and a designated day to show a little love to themselves? The Valentine's Day themed February Glossybox is perfect for pampering yourself and indulging in a little glam to go with a killer outfit.

The box comes decorated with a watercolor design of hearts in soft pinks and reds. Nestled inside was a cucumber fiber mask, a nearly full size roll-on eye gel, a large sample size hydrating cleanser, a deep brick-red matte lipstick and a tiny sample size primer.

• The primer, though tiny (seriously the thing is about the size of my pinky), is magic. Benefit's Porefessional is a cult-favorite for good reason. It applies velvety-smooth, blurs over pores and sets makeup all day. What more is there to ask for, except, well, more of it?
• Matte lipsticks are all the rage at the moment and this one makes the cut. Smooth lightweight coverage, a beautiful deep brick color, creamy but not drying texture - all housed in one seriously chic gem-covered tube. The only downside is the unwieldy bullet, not molded to fit the curvature of the lips which means that application should be done carefully and with a steady hand and maybe the help of a lip brush.
• Oh how we love a good sheet mask! Infused with calming and refreshing cucumber, gently apply this to the face and stretch out for a relaxing nap while the mask does its job. While the application can be messy, we love the cool, hydrated skin it leaves us with.
• GlamGlow is a celeb-fav (and pricey!) line of masks and skincare, so we were super excited to test out a sample of the daily cleanser. Formulated from Brazilian clay to draw out impurities, the cleanser turns to a foamy lather to wash away makeup and grime from the day. The best part is the tropical coconut scent that has us dreaming of summer by the beach. It left our skin baby soft and fresh feeling, especially when paired with a Clarisonic brush.
• Eye-gels tend to be marketed towards older women but hey, college students are sleep-deprived that certainly shows in the bags under our eyes, so why not get in on the action? The golden packaging looks super grown up and high end, and the cool metal roller ball makes it easy to dispense a quick swipe under the eyes. The cold gel tingles a little but is perfect for puffy, tired eyes - just the trick for faking a full night of sleep even if you spent it agonizing over a pset.

The Valentine's Day Glossybox is perfect for really achieving #nomakeup worthy skin. We could seriously get into face masks and mud cleansers for every-day use! And with skin that fresh and glowing, all you really need is a swipe of flawless red lipstick anyway.

Photography by Alexia Bacigalupi

Are you an avid Glossybox fan? Or do you have another beauty box subscription? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Un(Glossy)boxing - Box 3!

Few things beat winter quarter blues like the excitement of unboxing new makeup. Swatching new lipsticks and smearing creams over our faces induces a thrill like no other. As part of our ongoing Un(Glossy)boxing series which we debuted earlier this year, we are here to piece through the January Glossybox and give you the rundown on the products which we love and which ones we'll be glad to see finished.

This month's box included a sample size clarifying shampoo rinse, a body lotion, a nourishing foot cream, an illuminating primer and a deluxe sample size lip crayon.

• The primer comes out of the tube a pale pink color with the consistency of a lightweight serum, but sinks into the skin quickly and easily. It provides a thin base upon which to apply the rest of your makeup and keeps foundation from looking dry and caked on - a problem for many in the drying winter weather.
• Windy winter weather means it's time to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. It's easy to overlook your feet when you spend all day bundled up in wool socks and boots but show them a little TLC with this rich foot lotion. Thick but silky feeling, it's best applied right after the shower when the skin is still damp. Slip on some socks right away to maximize the results.
• Never enough lotion! This body lotion comes out slightly greasy feeling but when worked into the traditionally dry and ashy elbows and knees, provides lasting moisture.
• The first hair product offered thus far, the clarifying rinse is meant to be applied post shampoo/conditioner and smells fresh and citrusy. It applies quickly and evenly but tangled up my ends again. Post shower however, my hair smelled faintly of lemons and was shinier and healthier-looking.
• Making lipstick application as easy as a coloring book? Sounds great! Chubby lip pencils make applying it on the go a cinch and this cheery peachy pink will brighten up any dreary day. One swipe and it applies opaquely to a slightly drying matte-satin finish.

I've amassed quite the collection of hand and foot lotions at this point which has been great (who doesn't want to have soft hands at all times?) but I'm hoping that next month's box is more makeup based so I can try out new brands and colors.

Photography by Alexia Bacigalupi

Are you an avid Glossybox fan? Or do you have another beauty box subscription? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Un(Glossy)boxing - Box 2!

Earlier in the year we unveiled a new series - Un(Glossy)boxing where we unbox (duhh) and review the products in each month's Glossybox. Next up is the November box which featured a mix of makeup and skincare products.

The products arrived in the signature pink and brown Glossybox packaging wrapped with a little bow and a card with tips on how best to use the samples included. This month's box included a travel sized hand lotion, a small loose powder eyeshadow, a deluxe sample size face cream, a sheet mask and a full size lipliner (not pictured).

• Sheet masks, long a staple in Korean beauty regimes, have finally hit stateside. Applying it can be rather tricky as it is slick with serum and slides around on the face. However once you line up the eye and nose holes (and look like a zombie!), you simply lie down for 20 minutes and let the mask do its job. With a fresh organic floral smell and slightly cooling tingling sensation that it produces, simply relaxing with the mask on your face is a treat. Once the time is up and the serum has sunk into the face, the skin is left feeling tight and refreshed.
• Any lipstick lover knows the magic powers of a good lipliner. A neutral-toned fleshy pink, this lipliner suits a variety of skin tones and can be worn under any lipstick or own its own topped with some Chapstick. It twists up for an easy and goofproof application.
• Even for those not in the market for anti-aging creams (myself included!), this one from Estee Lauder works as a luxurious face cream. A little goes a long way of this thick but smooth cream that hydrates skin intensely and blurs over pores like a primer.
• With this dry winter weather, it's easy to neglect one's hands. Chuck this cute purse sized hand cream into your backpack for intense hydration for chapped hands wherever you go. Although slightly greasy and thick upon application, it sinks into the skin for wonderfully soft and supple fingers that smell clean and fresh.
• A beautiful gold toned taupe, this mineral shadow applies smoothly and easily. Word of caution however for those not used to loose powder shadows - it is very finely milled and has a tendency to fly all over the place when you open the container. It was not taped close and spilled all over the box upon opening.

More skincare focused than the last box, this one was full of luxurious creams to pamper the face and hands along with subtle pretty makeup perfect for an everyday look.

Photography by Alexia Bacigalupi

Are you an avid Glossybox fan? Or do you have another beauty box subscription? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Introducing a New Series: Un(Glossy)boxing

If only every day could be Christmas (or your birthday)! Well maybe not everyday, but certainly every month. If one of your New Year's resolutions was to step up your beauty game, Glossybox can help with that. A beauty box subscription service, Glossybox delivers a curated selection of deluxe sample and full size products to your doorstep every month for just $21/mo. A mix of skincare, haircare, and of course, beauty, Glossybox is perfect for the beauty junkie who loves the thrill of trying new makeup or the beginner looking to try a variety of products. At MODA we will be showing and reviewing the products that come in each month's box. First up is the holiday box!

First of all, the packaging - too cute. Each box is made from a sturdy cardboard, with the contents wrapped in a little bow and confetti to protect the more delicate samples. It's hard not to rip apart the tissue paper in anticipation of the goodies inside!

Onto the goodies. Each box contains five products from a variety of brands (including some from their own Glossybox line) which can also be re-purchased separately on the site. The holiday box included a hand lotion, a mascara, a lipgloss, an eyeshadow, and a nail polish - all practically full size!

• The lotion has a nice consistency, not too thick, that is quickly absorbed into the skin, leaving hands soft and smelling faintly like expensive perfume - all wrapped up in a beautiful high-end looking white and gold bottle.
• The lipgloss is described as a "Parisian inspired red" but applies more as a bright fuchsia-candy apple red. The consistency is slick and shiny, coating the lips in intense saturated color in just two coats.
• The mascara has a unique squiggly shaped applicator with silicone bristles that separate and lengthen lashes without clumps. It goes on smoothly and can be built up or even layered over other mascaras for lush, defined lashes.
• From the Glossybox brand, the generously sized eyeshadow is a beautiful stormy purple/gray with a hint of shimmer, perfect for amping up a smokey eye look. It applies smoothly and easily, lasting all night without creasing.
• Last but not least, the nail polish- a rich plummy red perfect for winter. On top of the beautiful color, the polish applies evenly and opaquely with a lasting shiny finish.

All in all, every product in this month's box was a winner that'll go into rotation for either every day makeup or more glamorous going out looks. Stay tuned as we unbox more beauty surprises every month!

Photography by Alexia Bacigalupi

Are you an avid Glossybox fan? Or do you have another beauty box subscription? Tell us about it in the comments below!