Mail of the Week (January 9 - 13)

I didn't get tons of exciting things in the mail recently not to mention the postal service is on hiatus during the Holidays, but I know some of you love these kind of posts so I felt bad not posting it for what... three weeks? I even contemplated - again - to stop posting what I get in the mail but I don't want angry readers =P Oh well, I hope you will enjoy this post anyway!

Marcelle BB Cream I don't know if you remember me mentionning the big surprise at the Marcelle/Annabelle #Avant1reBeauté event... but it was the BB Cream! Yes, Marcelle came up with the first Canadian-made BB Cream formulated specially for Canadian women in pharmacies as well as mass retail stores!

If you don't know what is a BB Cream - I'll admit it, despite seeing these all over the blogosphere, I was confused before being finally able to try one for myself - well, "BB" stands for Beauty Balm and it's designed to perfects the skin to reveal a more even epidermis and well-hydrated, flawless complexion, all in one. Ideal for any age and any skin type, the Marcelle BB Cream comes in two shades and is suitable for a wide variety of carnations thanks to its self-adjusting pigments that transform and adapt to skin tone.

Marcelle BB Cream will be available at pharmacies and mass retail stores across Canada as of February 6, but while stocks lasts, beauty trend-setters like you lovely ladies will be able to order BB Cream as early as January 16! Sold at its regular price of $22.95, shipping is FREE with any purchase over $25.00 before taxes at shop.Marcelle.com. How awesome is that?

Stiletto Hardware insoles I still remember having to walk home barefoot from the Marcelle/Annabelle #Avant1reBeauté event because my new heels were killing me - of course I catched a cold after, what did I expect? I have tried quite a few shoe insoles in the past but none of them worked, not even the ones from Dr.Scholl's! They would all slip or loose their grip after a few use. I really hope these ones are different! Here's what I've been kindly sent:

• Ball-of-foot Cushions for painful high heels
• Ball-of-foot Ultra-Slender for shoes that are too tight to fit a standard size ball-of-foot pad
• Heel Cushions for flats

Introductory "Classic With a Twist" Julep Maven Box I was not familiar with Julep Maven before being offered to be sent an introductory box and even though there's tons of those subscription services on the market already, I like that this one focuses on nail polishes - no to mention they are free of DBP, toluene, formaldehyde and formaldehyde resin! I'm not posting the content of the box I received already because I want to dedicate a whole post to it... along with a little surprise for you lovely ladies! In the meantime, feel free to use the code GABYSBEAUTYBLOG at checkout to receive your first Julep Maven Sneak Peek Box for just $9.99! (valued over $40). Also, for a limited time only, you can use code NEWYEAR2012 to get a box for 1¢ only - yes, 1¢!

Telus 2012 calendar Telus were giving this calendar for free to all of their customers so I grabbed one for myself as it's just too cute! Now I'm stuck with three 2012 calendars though, hmm...

Winter issue of Compassion Over Killing magazine I didn't know that but COK sends out their members magazine once to twice a year. Not yet a member? Join today! You can also view this issue (and the older ones) online.

February issue of Glamour

February issue of Cosmopolitan Wow, the little Dakota Fanning is all grown up! I can't believe she's turning 18... I still remember the little girl from I Am Sam! Also, is it only me or does Cosmo really have troubles with Photoshop sometimes? Come on, I didn't even recognized her at first!

♫ Born To Die - Lana Del Rey

Mail of the Week (December 5 - 9)

My prize from Alex's giveaway : Can you believe I have never tried Joe Fresh before, except for their double end concealer a looooong time ago? I'm so lucky to have won this giveaway because I keep hearing great things about their cream blushes and their nail polishes! Here's what Alez kindly sent me:

• Joe Fresh Cream Blush in Melon (a gorgeous peachy-coral)
• Nail Polish in Twilight (a flaky with a black base and reflective flakes that sheen orange, yellow and green)

My order from Apothica.com: I'm sad to say that I'm disappointed with their shipping this time. I placed my order on November 28, it was shipped on November 30 and I received it on December 6 - the thing is that I opted for the USPS Express Mail International, which means I was supposed to get my order within 3 days, not to emntion I wasd provided with a tracking number that didn't even exist... well, don't waste your money on that. At least I got my whole order safe and sound, and I'll do a separate post about it (:

Oral-B Pulsonic Power Toothbrush* from ChickAdvisor: As I'm a member of their Product Review Club, I was lucky enough to be chosen to be test and review this toothbrush! I haven't used power toothbrushes in a long time but I really think they are awesome! I'm not sure if you'll be interested in reading a review on a toothbrush so I don't know if I should post this review on here or only on ChickAdvisor? Let me know if you want me to post it on here also!

Coupons from WebSaver.ca for a free box of Kellogg's Special K and a free Glade Sense & Spray

January issue of Glamour

January issue of Cosmopolitan

♫ The One That Got Away - Katy Perry

*These products are NOT cruelty-free

Mail of the Week (November 7 - 11)

Deborah Lippmann Shake Your Groove Thing: The new Deborah Lippmann 2011 holiday collection has just been released and I've been very kindly given the opportunity to review a polish from this collection. Of course, I had a super hard time deciding which one I should go for but I finally opted for this one because I don't really own a glitter gold nail polish and the description of the shade by Deborah herself won me over: "We have seen so many large sequins in fashion I wanted to make the most full-on gold ever. Shake Your Groove Thing is all large sequined glitter in gold with nothing but a clear base. It’s holiday in a bottle!"

Nail Art Stamping Kit from BornPrettyStore: Jayce generously sent me this stamping in which there's 108 designs to choose from, how amazing! I have never tried Konad before and I'm super excited to give this a try!

Samples from The Great Canadian Soap Co.: I don't really remember how I got these samples, I think you just have to sign up for their mailing list and you will receive the form to fill out by email. I was sent a sample of their Ylang Ylang & Lavender Soap and some samples of their Great Outdoors Shampoo.

Grandoe SensorTouch Gloves: How annoying is it to always have to remove your gloves to use your cellphone in the winter when it's freezing? Well now, you can always keep your hands warm while using your touchscreen device with Grandoe's SensorTouch gloves powered by Knit Fingertip Technology! How amazing is that? I have never heard of those gloves before but I couldn't refuse the opportunity to try them!

2012 PETA Rescued Calendar: This year's calendar features beautiful animal portraits along with the heartwarming stories of how the pictured animals were rescued. Each month also features animal rights-related anniversaries and victories.You can order this calendar here for $12.

December issue of Glamour

♫ Where You Wanna Go - Mischa Daniels ft. J-Son

Mail of the Week (October 17 - 21)

For some reasons, I totally forgot to post last Friday! I usually make sure to post before going to work but oh well, I guess I was too lazy/tired! So this is what I got in the mail last week and this week.

Shikakai Hair Wash from Raw Gaia: I'm very excited to try this 100% natural shampoo powder - yes, powder! You mix the powder with water to create a thick paste and then gently massage into hair. It is also claimed to slightly darken the hair (making it not suitable for people with blonde hair) but that's good news for me as I'm always struggling to get my brown hair even darker!

Dariya Hair Pad from AJHairPad.com: I'm sure you have heard of those pads before, I keep seeing them on blogs! The Dariya Hair Pad is an innovative special velcro hair pad that hold your hair away in place when you do your makeup, wash your face, put on contact lenses, etc. It is very hot in Asia right now and other people are trying to bring it over too. I'm so glad I had the chance to try it out as this product is not available around here as far as I know!

Lip balms from MyLipStuff.com: Being a lipbalms junkie - thanks to my constantly dry and chapped lips - I've been curious about those handmade, natural, vegan and cruelty lipbalms so when I was given the opportunity to try some, I had to say yes!

Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips: Please don't hate me! I know Crest belongs to P&J which is evil because they test on animals, but do you know how hard it is to find a teeth whitening product that is cruelty-free, that doesn't cost an arm and a leg and that actually works? My teeth are naturally yellow, and to make things worst, I'm addicted to coffee and tea. I have tried many kinds of whitening products such as toothpaste and mouthwash but nothing really worked. Do you have any idea how pricey these teeth whitening products are? This Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips box retails for $54.99 - I absolutely can't afford that.

With this review, I will also have a little surprise for you - that's another reason why I couldn't refuse this product.

I'm making big efforts to go completely cruelty-free but it's harder than I thought! If you know of any cruelty-free teeth whitening products, please do let me know!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty express For Brows and Eyes in Blonde: I have never used something like this before and I must say, I'm very excited to try it out! Hopefully it will help to tame my unruly brows!

$50 gift certificate to Mirage New York: This is actually the first time I won a prize from a radio station! Thank you 94.7 Hits FM!

November issue of Glamour: I'm often told that I look like Kristen Stewart! I can see a resemblence in the face shape and maybe the eyes... What do you think?

November issue of Cosmopolitan: OMG What's with the getup, seriously? I know it's Nicki Minaj but still...

And the winner of my EnvyDerm mascara giveaway is...

♫ Sexy and I Know It - LMFAO

Mail of the Week (September 5 - 9)

P&G brandSAMPLER samples: The samples I received were quite disappointing as I've been told this edition was one of the most interesting to date. Here's what I got:

• Gillette Odour Shield Antiperspirant/Deodorant (great to keep in my handbag!)
• Gillette Fusion ProSeries Thermal Face Scrub
• Cascade All in 1 2 pacs

Skindinavia Bridal Makeup Finish Picture Perfect Hold Ultra Fine Long Wear Makeup Setting Spray: I won the prize #5 of Holly's month's worth of giveaways, which was a Skindinavia Makeup Setting Spray in the finish of my choice (I chose the Bridal Makeup Finish). This is the first makeup spray I own and I can't wait to try it! Thank you Holly! =D

October 2011 issue of Glamour

♥Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera

Mail of the Week (August 15 - 19)

Thursday Plantation products: I have been kindly given the opportunity to try some Thursday Plantation products from Abundance Naturally. Here's what I was sent:

• Tea Tree Blemish Stick
• Tea Tree Liquid Filled Cotton Tips
• Tea Tree Lip Balm
• Tea Tree Face Wash Foam
• Tea Tree Hand & Body Lotion

I keep hearing about the wonders of Tea Tree products but I've never had the chance to try some for myself, so I'm very excited!

September 2011 issue of Glamour

♥Little Bad Girl - David Guetta ft. Taio Cruz & Ludacris

Mail of the Week (July 11 - 15)

My prize from Minnie's giveaway: I was extremely lucky to win a selection of MAC products of my choice from Minnie! I just couldn't believe it when she announced me as the winner of her amazing giveaway, as I could never afford MAC products with my tight University student budget. Here's what I received:

• Crème Cup Cremesheen Lipstick (light blue pink)
• Fleur Power Powder Blush (soft bright pinkish-coral)
• Bronze Eye Shadow (gold brown with gold-bronze shimmer)
• Ebony Eye Pencil (soft black)
• Just Superb Cremesheen Glass (dirty neutral pink)

L - R: Fleur Power, Bronze, Ebony, Just Superb, Crème Cup

Thank you sooooo much Minnie!!!

My prize from Catherine's giveaway: When Catherine featured this cute Vaseline tin in one of her recent haul posts, I was so sad that we don't have Superdrugs here in Quebec! I haven't even found the little tins anywhere neither. So she kindly decided to host a giveaway and I was one of the three lucky winners! Here's what I received:

• Vaseline storage tin
• Vaseline Lip Therapy 
• Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips with Rose and Almond Oil
• Vaseline Lip Therapy with Cocoa Butter
• Vaseline Lip Therapy with Aloe Vera
• Swizzels Maltow Double Dip Orange and Cherry
• Love Hearts

Thank you Catherine! =D

New Jergens Naturals Aloe Soothing Body Moisturizer with Cucumber: I was given the opportunity to try and review this new moisturizer from Jergens. I was happily surprised to learn that this range is cruelty-free (or are all Jergens products cruelty-free?) and it is also made with 94% natural ingredients. I'm curious to see how it will help with my eczema.

My Apothica order: I placed my order on July 6, it was shipped on July 7 and I received it the next Monday, July 11 - talk about fast delivery! Here's what I ordered:

• Too Faced Leopard Love Complexion Perfection Kit
• XEN-TAN Deep Bronze Instant Self-Tan 
• Avène Cicalfate Restorative Skin Cream

With every Apothica order you make come some samples. This time I received a sample of The Art of Shaving Pre-Shave Oil and some band-aids in a very handy little Avène packaging to keep in my handbag.

peta2's I am Not a Nugget Leggings: The moment I saw these leggings featuring the cute Nugget, I knew I had to have them and didn't hesitate to redeem 7000 Street Team points for a pair. These leggings are claimed to be comfy and made of a thicker material than most other leggings on the market, but I was a little disappointed when I tried them on. I ordered them in Small but they are a little loose and not as fitting as I thought they would be, and they also didn't really appear to be especially warm.

PETA's Vegan College Cookbook: I hesitated a long time before ordering this book because from the reviews I read on the net, it seemed like a very average cookbook because some of the recipes aren't even recipes (like grilled cheese, salsa, etc). I decided to order it anyway because it was free (it "costed" me 8000 Street Team points) but it's available in the PETA catalog for $14.99. I received it today so I haven't had the time to properly read it yet, but I'm very eager to try those recipes!

August 2011 issue of Cosmopolitan

August 2011 issue of Glamour

♥ What Them Girls At - David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj, Flo Rida

Mail of the Week (May 30 - June 3)

My prize from Natalie's giveaway: The prize was Sigma 12 Brush Kit Make Me Classy in Black. I still can't believe I won her giveaway out of 430 entries (not to mention she has 2600+ followers!) I thought my prize would never come as I won back in April (around the 10th), so I contacted Sigma about this and they told me they had never shipped it LOL. It was finally shipped on May 18 and I got it on June 2. Yey! =D

Here's what the kit includes:

• Eyeliner - E05 - An extra-fine tipped synthetic fiber brush that delivers a precise, firm, even stroke to line the eyes.  
• Pencil - E30 - Precise application of color on the crease, outer corner, and upper and lower lash line. Also ideal to smudge out pencil liner. Natural bristles. 
• Tapered Blending - E40 - Rounded and tapered top. Specially designed to apply and blend color on the crease. Natural bristles.  
• Eye Shading - E55 - Soft and dense with a rounded finish. Can be used to apply pressed or loose eye shadows and pigments. Ideal to build intense color on the eyelid. Natural bristles. 
• Large Shader - E60 - Flat shape is ideal for application of cream formulas and eye shadow primers. It also works great with loose eye shadows or pigments. Can be used to apply color all over the lid or precisely on the lash line. Natural bristles. 
• Small Angle - E65 - Essential for the application of gel or cream eyeliner on the upper and lower lash line. This brush is also excellent for filling out the eyebrows. Synthetic bristles. 
• Medium Angled Shading - E70 - Angled, tapered, flat top. Ideal to apply highlight shades underneath the eyebrow and on the inner corners. It can also be used for a precise application of darker shades on the crease area. Natural bristles. 
• Large Powder - F30 - Very dense with a rounded top. Ideal to apply powder products on face and body. Natural bristles.  
• Large Angled Contour - F40 - The angled shape makes this brush ideal to apply blush or contour shades. Natural bristles
• Duo Fibre - F50 - Specially designed to generate an ‘airbrushed’ finish when used to apply liquid foundation. It can also be used to apply blush, highlight shades and loose pigments. Blend of synthetic and natural bristles. 
• Foundation - F60 - Can be used to apply liquid or cream foundation. It is also recommended to apply moisturizers and conceal large areas. Synthetic bristles. 
• Concealer - F70 - The rounded, tapered, flat shape makes this brush ideal to conceal the under eye area. It is also recommended for a precise application in small areas. Synthetic bristles.

That is amazing! Who needs more brushes after that? Thank you so much Natalie! =D

Crystal Light samples: If you like Crystal Light Canada Facebook page, you will be able to request 3 free samples (just click on the "Free Samples" tab on the left). I got the following flavours:

• Strawberry Orange Banana
• Lemon-Lime
• Raspberry Ice

Elemis FreshSkin Discovery Kit: In May, I had the chance to try some of Elemis FreshSkin products, but now they have sent me some more! Here's what the Discovery Kit includes:

• Dreamy Sleep Night-Time Moisturiser / 15ml: Intensely hydrating night time moisturizer improves skin vitality and radiance whilst you sleep.
• Skin Glow Exfoliating Face Wash / 25ml: With a deep pore cleansing action, this exfoliating facial wash gently polishes and helps refine skin texture for an instant glow.
• Softly Softly Daily Moisturiser / 15ml: Breathe life into your skin with this light and non-greasy daily moisturizer that soothes and softens.
• Peachy Perfect Gentle Face Wash / 30ml: Leave your skin beautifully glowing and soft to the touch!
• Deep Clean Purifying Facial Mask Purifying Face Mask / 3 Sachets: This blend of natural clays, goji berry extract and frankincense oil help to draw out impurities.

Coupon for a free Nesquik Less Sugar Flavoured Milk Beverage: You can still request your free coupon here. If they have exceeded their amount of coupons per day, try the next day.

July issue of Cosmopolitan: Gorgeous Rihanna and her amazing hair on the cover (:

July issue of Glamour: I'm so happy to see Blake on the cover, although I don't know if it's just me but something looks strange with her face... too much Photoshop maybe?

♥ Save The World - Swedish House Mafia (is it wrong that this song actually makes me sad?)

Mail of the Week (May 9 - 13)

 June issue of Glamour

Coupon from Save.ca for a free box of Kellogg's Corn Flake cereal

Product samples from LaVaque: I didn't know about this brand but their tweezers come with a lifetime guarantee, how great is that? I was sent some Standard Slanted Tweezers and Crystal Nail Files to review.

Products samples from Pink Dandy: Everything from their website look so yummy! Here's what I was sent:

• Whipped Satin Luxury Hand & Body Cream - Birthday Cake
• Pink Lace Body Perfume Oil - Citrus Splash
• Pucker Up Lip Balm - Peach Daiquiri

Reno 911 Female Deputy Adult Costume from Sexy Costume Discounters.com: This is a little random but I agreed to review this costume. Seriously, how could I have said no to a sexy Halloween costume? And let me tell you, I won't wait for Halloween to use it, if you know what I mean =P

Coupon for a free tub of Yoplait Asana yogurt

June issue of Cosmopolitan: Isn't Cameron just gorgeous?

Sample of Purex Complete with Zout

♥ Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO Ft. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock