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August 24, 2011

August Luxe Box

Luxe Box is an exciting and new subscription service that allows members to try beauty products in the comfort of their own home before buying them full-sized. Members receive 3-5 hand-picked deluxe sized products in a chic box every month, delivered to an address of their choice. Members also get exclusive access to beauty tips and tutorials that teach them how to make the most out of their products.

I was happily surprised when I received an email from the very lovely Abigail with the opportunity to review a Luxe Box! I must say I'm very sceptical regarding these "boxes" and I'm not ready to buy a subscription yet, but I'm really glad to be able to try one for myself.


I received the August Luxe Box on August 22. I was a little surprised to see that it was delivered in a bubble envelope as these are hardly protective and reusable. I feel a box would have been more appropriate because the Luxe Box is made of a very light and not so sturdy cardboard and it was a little bent when I received it but it was nothing major though.

I think the box is very cute with the little ribbon!

Inside the box, there's a little card with the product descriptions and some tips explaining each of the samples I received.

The green silk paper is a nice touch!


Here's what the August Luxe Box contained:


Proclaim Cocoa Butter Hand & Body Lotion (received full-size)
Full-size retail price: $8.00 (32 oz) 
Proclaim Hand & Body lotion moisturizes dry, irritted skin while protecting from sun, wind and water. It restores lost moisture and soothes dry, tight skin. Leaves skin feeling smooth and soft without feeling greasy.

While I was happy to receive this full-size lotion because I have dry skin and I love coca butter, I was expecting a high-end full-size product, not a moisturizer I could have bought myself at the durgstore. Anyway, I just started using it and it seems to work well and I love the smell.


City Lips Lip Plumping Treatment (received sample)
Full-size retail price: $35 (5 ml)  
The award-winning formula in City Lips includes Oligopeptide technology to increase collagen production in your lips, resulting in greater lip volume and a drecrease in wrinkles and lines in and around the lips. Get extraordinary results and a luxury lip gloss all in one!

I have sensitive lips that tend to react badly to anything chemical, so I tend to shy away from harsh lip plumpers. I might give this one a try though even though I don't have high hopes for this kind of product (even the  popular DuWop Lip Venom didn't work for me). The formula looks very thick and sticky in the tube, not really interesting at first glance.


Kaia Bamboo Facial Cleansing Cloth (received samples) 
Full-size retail price: $18 (30 cloths) 
These bamboo facial cleansing cloths are soaked in vitamins, 100% biodegradable and feel like cashmere on your skin. No matter how late it is, or how tired you are before falling into bed, Kaia natural makeup remover keeps it simple - no rinsing, no water, no bathroom requires.

I think this is the most disappopinting product of the box in my opinion. If you take a look at the FAQ on the Loose Button website, here is their answer to the question "What makes your samples different from the ones I get for free?":
At a store, you are handed random samples that last one or two uses. In comparison, Loose Button delivers you deluxe-sized luxury samples, equivalent to travel sizes or products that you receive from “gifts with purchase” packages. In addition, we sift through hundreds of brands to curate a collection that we truly believe in.
Well, these cloths are surely not "deluxe-sized luxury samples"! I received two cloths that are one time use each. Yes they are great to keep in your handbag and for when you are on the go, yes they are 4 in 1, yes they are 100% biodegradable, etc, but this is really not what I would expect for $12.


Calvin Klein Forbidden Euphoria Fragrance (received roller ball sample)
Full-size reatil price: $78 (50 ml) $102 (100 ml) 
Mysteriously sophisticated. Innocently seductive. Coveted, yet forbidden, this fragrance is the younger interpretation of the iconic Euphoria fragrance. It evokes a modern, fresh sexiness with a mysterious twist.

This is not a fragrance I would have been immediately drawn too if had smelled it in the store, but I actually love it! I have never smelled the original Euphoria fragrance so I can't compare, but Forbidden Euphoria is aimed at young women (17-20) and is reportedly younger, sexier and easier to wear than the original. Forbidden Euphoria is a fruity floriental; notes include mandarin, peach blossom, raspberry, pink peony, tiger orchid, jasmine, cashmere woods, patchouli and skin musk. It's fruity, which I love, but nothing over the top. I'm also happy to have received this sample with a roller ball, which is great to keep in your handbag.


Pearl and Moonstones Earrings from Sheyna Jewelry
Retail price: $18 
Silver earrings with moonstone, pearl, and citrine. Exquisite and delicate earrings made from pearls, and moonstone and citrine rondelles.

These handmade earrings from Sheyna Jewelry are a bonus included in the August Luxe Box. These are asbolutely not my style and I will give them to my mother straight away! I also personally think they look a bit cheap...

Overall, based on my experience with the August Luxe Box, I would say the Luxe Box is a great and original concept, but it is not for everyone. Of course, the content of every box is a suprise, so if you don't like that concept, you could be disappointed. You can make nice discoveries, but you can also end up hating everything. Personally, I would prefer to be able to personalize my box each month to be sure my $12 is well invested. I think it's also a little disappointing that you only receive one full-size product in each box.

Luxe Box is available for $12 a month with free shipping for Canadian residents and features brands such as Dermalogica, Benefit, Stila, NARS and much more.

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for consideration to review. I was not paid for this review,  I am not affiliated with this company and the fact that the product was free absolutely does not influence my opinion.

29 comments:

  1. Hey Gaby,
    I sent you an email :)
    Holly x

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  2. Hi Gaby! How are you?!
    I always love reading your reviews and I have heard of Luxe Box before but like yourself, was never really drawn into the concept because I think I would more than often be disappointed than happy with what I get. I am a bit picky about my products (skincare, perfume etc) so that would be a problem to start.
    Like yourself, for your August box I don't see the full sized "high end" product. The hand/body lotion doesn't appear anything more than a drugstore brand....and I agree that the City Lips lip plumper doesn't look very enticing with the labelling either. I hope it doesn't give you any irritation if you try it.
    LOL - you made me laugh when I read your honest opinion about the earrings. It's not my style at all and I would totally pass them onto my Mom also :) Great review as always.

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  3. I've really wanted to try something like this, but most of the time they're not worth $12.00 however, what you got seems fairly nice!

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  4. I love how the Luxe box is packaged and presented...to cute! I want the samples you got in my birchbox!

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  5. Cute packaging! These types of box subscriptions are everywhere! :) Haven't tried the UK versions yet! :)

    http://lucyywrites01.blogspot.com/
    Lucy x

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  6. I've received two of my three month subscription LUXE Boxes so far and they've been a disappointment for me as well. Unfortunately this seems to be yet another circumstance where the Canadian version of something just doesn't live up to the versions in other countries. I think too being bloggers our expectations may be a little higher than most but for $12 I'm definitely not wowed.

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  7. Hi Gaby,

    Since this box was sent to you to try for free, it will not be personalized. But if you sign up with them, you get to fill out a beauty profile in which they can more likely personalize the products to your needs! Give it a try. I was happy with my previous boxes and now i'm waiting for my September box and i'm super excited. You can always subscribe for one month and then when you receive your box, if you're still unsatisfied, you don't have to keep going with the membership, you can just cancel it! I think $12 is a good price! Not so bad... lol

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  8. this looks great! I can't believe they sent out earrings!

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  9. Ooh, looks like you got some neat goodies!

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  10. Interesting box.. I see what you meant in your comment on my Birchbox post. Side note - I LOVE CK Euphoria, and I'm tempted to try this new scent, glad to hear you found it pleasant :)

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  11. @ Holly, Miss Fashion Beauty : Yes I saw it, just replied to you. Thank you! I'm excited =D

    @ Karen Law : Hi Karen! Are you back already? Yes I tend to be picky with my beauty products too because of my dry skin and eczema. What can I do, I really didn't like the earrings LOL!

    @PerilouslyPale : Yes I've been reading reviews on the Luxe Box ever since it went out and I'm glad I didn't jumped on the bandwago as it seemed they started out great but then the boxes became disappointing. It's sad though because it's an interesting concept!

    @Anonymous: Yes I know that but I said so because I've read reviews on this August Luxe Box and everybody seems to have gotten the same products except for one or two of them. Yes $12 is a great price but I'm not sure Luxe Box lives up to the "boxes" hype. I have tried only one box though so it maybe not enough to have a strong opinion on the service, but I've been reading posts on the Luxe Box even since it went out and most people seem to be more and more disappointed with it ): I'm glad you liked your boxes though, but not everybody has the same taste, that's why thic concept is interesting but it still can be disappointing.

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  12. This reminds me of birchbox which i am in love with at the moment

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  13. i wish we had awesome deals like this in my country.. :/ i'm jealous of all the goodies! :)

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  14. i dont relaly like whats inside this box. i feel like birch box (american version i think?) has better products to offer!

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  15. The rollerball fragrance looks great - really useful to have in your bag. Looks like a good range of products to try out, the lip plumper looks a little scary! x

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  16. It's crazy how those darn boxes are disapointing, especially the ''second'' ones so far.

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  17. Oh the department store I work at just got that new CK Euphoria Forbidden in stock- I smelled it today and am in love! Glad you like it, too :)

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  18. Wow! I love the honesty for this! I have also gotten crushed boxes and have been on the fence with how the last couple boxes have been. haha I also thought the coco lotion would be nice but it's really not. It seems as well that Glymm has more known brands then Loose Button =/
    Great review!!

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  19. love all your stuff!!

    http://xoxo-carolinalove.blogspot.com

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  20. I love the earrings!! :)

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  21. I love darker greens on pale skin.. One thing you should do if you want to be more adventurous with greens is check if you have a green eyeliner pencil and smudge that along both your lashlines.. It's a great way to try colour and it's a great easy smokey eye (if it's a darker green :P) =)

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  22. it looks gorgeous! love your blog :) xx

    http://stylefashionvintagebaby.blogspot.com/

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  23. I have to say, I think the most intriguing things are the earrings and maybe the city lips thing!

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  24. That sucks how these aren't that great esp for your money's worth!! I hate hypocrites - why say they don't give you samples like the shops do and that its "deluxe" when its just two sheets.. They should give like 5 or something if its a sample like that. Aust just recently had a few beauty boxes like this but you get to choose your most preferred things such as body, face, eyes, lips, hair etc. And you set up a profile of your details about your hair colour, eyes, skin etc because everyone is different - not everyone is going to agree with the same crap being sent and at least you can also see what brands you'll get a selection of as well as it being a "surprise". Haha

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  25. Maaaan, this Luxe Box looks awesome! Pity only in Canada

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  26. Ses vraie que les boucles d'oreilles ont l'air un peu cheap.. Ses bizzard qu'ils est pensés à mettre sa dans la boîte !

    En passant viens faire un tour sur mon blog j'ai un nouvel article qui parle de mes déceptions cosmétiques du mois d'août !

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  27. Hi Gaby, I waited to open my box before I read this. Turns out I have very similar feelings about the contents this month. I was not happy about the Proclaim lotion being the full size product, I tried the lip plumper and it's not for me, etc. I do love the concept of these though so I might continue with my subscription, I guess we'll see.

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  28. Gaby. I got the same things as you. I was SUPER DISAPPOINTED with the cleansing cloths. Most of the other people got full sized nail polish from cheeky monkey or a deluxe sized foundation from pur minerals. I was SO angry.

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