Review: November Luxe Box

And just like that, it's time for my second Luxe Box. I really enjoy receiving these – it's such a lovely little surprise to come home to, and they're so well-executed. It's a nice little indulgence for myself, living like a beauty editor for just a day per month.

Let's look at the goods.

A large sample vial of Lise Watier Plumpissimo Le Gloss. The colour I got was "Nude," a pale rose with gold shimmer. I liked that it had a brush applicator but found it picked up too much product. I'm not a regular lipgloss wearer, and this had many of the characteristics I dislike about gloss – it felt goopy, thick, and overly flavoured. I felt like a Kardashian with it on. It might grow on me if I'm careful to apply less, or maybe I'll just give mine to Laura, who dug it as a nineties throwback.

Two samples of Paco Rabanne perfume: Black XS and Black XS for Her. I really like receiving perfume samples since I'm currently looking for a new scent. The bottles these came in had their highs and lows – nice heavy metal with little bag clasps, but the packaging looked tacky. The men's bottle has a fliptop like a Zippo lighter, which I really liked, and smells clean and woodsy, with hints of lemon, cinnamon and amber.

The women's scent is a dark fruity floral, heavy on the rose and patchouli. It's a little bit spicy and a little gourmand, with vanilla and cocoa notes. I'm digging it right now, but it does smell a bit young to me. Not one I'll purchase in full size, but I'm glad to hang out with it for a little while.

I'm actually really surprised they didn't send out the latest Paco Rabanne scents, 1 Million and Lady Million, if only because I've seen them promoting those pretty heavily on fragrance shelves.





I received a little pot of Lise Watier Couleur Folle Mineral Loose Powder Eyeshadow in "Folie Soleil", a shimmery yellow gold. I've been needing a replacement for my go-to gold shadow, so I was happy to receive this. Typical loose eyeshadow application – it tends to fall all over the place so I probably wouldn't choose it, but it looks like pretty pollen and I'm not overly picky. Because of the messiness, I wouldn't recommend this to people who like a precise application (or you can wet it, I think? I don't know from experience, so you tell me). Check out what it looks like on me, smudged on with my finger.

I LOVED the packaging for this Benefit B. Right Moisture Prep Toning Lotion – the glass is thick and the colour palette is reminiscent of shells and the beach, so I'm more than okay with adding this to my shelf. I used it before using my usual Weleda Almond Lotion and I noticed the moisturizer sunk in quicker. I don't know if it would be worth buying a full sized version, but it's a nice little treat and I'll enjoy using up the bottle.








Despite how much I love tea, I've despised Teaopia for a while because I hate their branding SO MUCH. It's just so awful – tacky tribal tattoo-inspired packaging and a garish black and orange colour scheme. I think they even use the dreaded Papyrus. I keep seeing new locations pop up whenever I turn my back though, so it's obviously working for some tea drinkers.

Though, this little sample tin of their Cactus Fig green tea blend isn't as ugly as it could be, and it's actually a pretty big sample – I'd imagine enough to make at least 5 cups of tea. Loose Button also included 3 paper sleeves in case you don't own an infuser. It's a mixture of organic Sencha green tea, aloe vera, fig pieces, sandalwood and orange flowers, and does, as promised, taste earthy and sweet all at once. It's a very nice green tea, but seeing as I'm more of a black and rooibos drinker, this small tin will likely last me all winter.

I also received a card for 20% off my next Teaopia purchase, which, holla at me if you want my code – my heart belongs with Davids.

I received Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Revolution Complex as an extra this month, with a little card stating I'd be contacted by Olay to provide them with feedback directly. Sure, Olay! I can't believe more companies aren't doing this, asking us obviously willing folk to be their guinea pigs.

This stuff absorbed quickly and left my face feeling very smooth. It really smells like conditioner to me, which isn't a bad thing, but was a little unexpected. I can't speak to its effect on wrinkles, but my skin overall feels very nice. I think this is a smaller sample than I'm used to receiving in the Luxe Box, even considering other products from Olay. I don't think this'll last me long, but I'll enjoy it for now.







Overall, this box had a lot of stuff in it, but it didn't feel as satisfying as October's did. I guess a lot of the products weren't particularly suited to my tastes. Such is the nature of the Luxe Box, I guess – you win some, you lose some. I saw other people received full sized Essie nail polishes (I know Laura did, that lucky duck) and another friend received a Moroccan Oil styling cream. Hopefully I'll have better luck next month.

As for the samples from my October Luxe Box, I'm still in total love with the Moroccanoil, which I use probably once a week, just to run through my damp ends when they're feeling dry. I use the Olay Pro-X eye cream when I remember to and do notice less undereye darkness, and I use the bronzer and Chloe perfume a couple times a week.

If you're interested in signing up for a Luxe Box,

I'd very much appreciate if you'd use my referral code.