January 2015 Beauty Box Five

The January 2015 Beauty Box Five* features products to help us keep our minds open to fresh possibilities in the New Year. The products are meant to encourage us feel confident enough to greet new opportunities while putting our best face forward. If you are unfamiliar with Beauty Box Five, it is a subscription service that sends its members five cosmetic samples each month. The service is open to those in Canada and the USA, and subscriptions start at $12 per month. The best part is that shipping is free!

The brands that Beauty Box Five works with are also very impressive (see them all HERE).

Now let’s talk about the January items…

1. Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips | Retail: $9.99 - I’ve always loved nail strips. They are easy to apply and don’t require any drying time. These ones are meant to last 10 days, and they can be easily removed with regular nail polish remover. I received them in the pattern Misbehaved, a light gold base with a black fishnet design. I’ll save these for a night out.

2. Ultraflesh The Gold Standard Mascara in Blackout | Retail: $21 for 0.27 oz (sample is 0.08 oz) - While I’m very happy with my Bare Escentuals Buxom Lash Mascara (and rarely have any desire to try new mascaras), this mascara really caught my eye with its shiny gold tube. The product claims to provide dramatic, thicker lashes, so I’m looking forward to trying it. 

3. Coastal Scents Eye Shadow | Retail $1.95 - $24.95 - I’ve always loved the combination of bronzy shadows with a hint of mint. This little sample shadow quad features very pretty colours that will be my beauty inspiration for spring and summer. 

4. Garnier Fructis Daily Care Fortifying Shampoo | Retail: $3.99 for 13 oz (sample contains 1.7 oz) - Garnier products always smell deliciously fruity. I used to use them often as a child but stopped when I started dying my hair in my teenage years. Now I only use sulphate free shampoo. I will pass this on to someone who doesn’t have colour treated hair. 

5. Softsoap Nutri Serums Vitamin E Body Wash | Retail: $15 for 15 oz (sample contains 1.7 oz) - When I first opened this month’s BB5, I was drawn to the shimmery pink and gold beads in this body wash. The beads are filled with Vitamin E and Omegas 3 and 6 for long lasting hydration. I’m really looking forward to trying this. It’s almost too pretty to use. 

Overall, I am very happy with the January 2015 box from Beauty Box Five. The nail strips and body wash are very exciting, and the items in the box cost more than the monthly subscription fee. I’m looking forward to next month’s box and can’t wait to see what Beauty Box Five has in store for February. Could it be Valentine’s Day themed?

Sally Hansen Real Nail Polish Strips in Are You Single? (Review + Photos)

Back on June 22 I made a haul post featuring these nail strips from Sally Hansen. In the post I said that I would likely save the strips for Valentine’s Day because the little leaves in the pink, purple, red, and silver pattern look like hearts.
I wore them to a special dinner a few days after Valentine’s Day. I didn’t have much time to do my nails and couldn’t wait for regular nail polish to dry. Then I remembered that I had these nail strips in Are You Single? and decided to try them out.
The strips were very easy to apply. I only encountered a bit of difficulty with trying to find the perfect size strip to fit my nail. I have very small nails and a lot of the strips were just a tiny bit too big so I had to trim them with scissors. They were easy to cut though and I did not ruin any strips during trimming process.
The best part about this product is that it truly sticks to the nails and lasts for two weeks. I left mine on for 14 days with only minimal chipping on my dominant hand after 8 days. I didn’t have to keep pushing down lifting edges and there were no air bubbles. The strips removed easily with regular nail polish remover.
Overall, I really enjoyed this product and would definitely purchase more if I find them on sale because these strips can be a bit pricey where I live.
Have you tried these nail strips from Sally Hansen? If so, what are your thoughts on them?