Monday, November 16, 2015

November's Topbox

My monthly topbox arrived today (yay!) and I'd love to show you all what I got!  This month I received the regular topbox which is what I wanted.  For those of you who don't know how topbox works let me explain.

Topbox is a monthly beauty subscription service.  For $12 a month plus tax you receive 4 deluxe samples (sometimes full size products) delivered to your house. There is no shipping charge and in Ontario it comes to $13.56 with tax.  You are billed monthly and the box ships on the 15th.  You can fill out a beauty profile and they try to send samples catered to your needs,  likes and wants so it's a good idea to answer the questions honestly.  At the end of the month they email out a 'wish list' where they will ask you questions (ie is acne a concern for you?) and give you the option to swap the regular topBox for a privé box.  Privé boxes are typically brand specific or themed and you are told what is in them. You can wish for one,  all or none of the privé boxes.  There is no guarantee you will get what you wish for so it's still a surprise!  I typically go for the regular box,  I like to be completely surprised ;)

So this is what I received this month



  • Benefit's Air Patrol 1.5ml
  • Nova Scotia Fishermen Lip Balm 9.9g (full size!)
  • Revlon Proffesional Style Masters Modular Hair Spray 500ml
  • THEFACESHOP Character Mask 
I am very excited to try Benefits Air Patrol!  I really like the idea of an eye primer that not only primes but protects the delicate eye area. It also has an SPF of 20 which is great!

I have been using the lip balm from Nova Scotia Fishermen and I am in love!  My lips feel great and the sea salt and caramel flavour is delightful!

One can never have to much hairspray and I have yet to use this particular Revlon one.  I am looking forward to using it tomorrow. 

Lastly,  the sheet mask from the FACESHOP. To be honest,  I hate sheet masks.  They don't fit well and are such a nuisance.  Call me old fashioned but I prefer the regular tube/tub style masks.  Having said that,  this mask is cute.  I like the character idea and I'm really hoping that the mask itself has a picture on it. I'm not going to lie,  I'm intrigued.  I plan on using it tomorrow and will update you all once I've done so. 

Three out of four hits in this box for me.  Do any of you have a subscription to topbox?  Are you interested in joining?  If you would like to skip the wait list let me know,  I can help you out :)

Click here to visit the topbox website for more information,  to join the waitlist or to purchase any of the limited edition boxes. 

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Isa Professional Tourmaline Ceramic Flat Iron | Review

I have been searching for a flat iron for a while now and as luck would have it I stumbled upon this gem!  My daughter has the most beautiful curls but has been asking to have her hair straightened.  I have straight hair and I'd like to have waves. So instead of buying multiple tools I decided to look for a flat iron.

Flat irons are great for straightening hair but can also be used to create waves and curls.  I put the isa Proffesional 1 Step Victorya Tourmaline Ceramic Flat Iron to the test and will share my results as well as my thoughts on it.


So here are some features of the Victorya 1 Step Flat Iron

* 100% Solid Tourmaline ceramic plates
* SMART Automatic Temperature adjustment
* Universal Voltage
* Fast and safe straightening, curls, waves
* 360 degree no tangle cord
* Full 2 year warranty

Sounds great right?  Well it is!  Ceramic plates ensure fast,  even heating which means you don't have to go over hair multiple times.  They also glide over the hair without tugging, pulling or breaking hair.  Tourmaline is a negative ion which is added to ceramic to counteract positive ions found in dry or damaged hair.  This helps to give hair a smooth and shiny appearance.  When shopping for a flat iron,  solid tourmaline ceramic plates are a must have.  The fact that the Victorya is 100% solid tourmaline ceramic is a major selling feature.

So how did it work on my daughters hair?  In a word,  great!  I was able to go from this


to this in just under 20 minutes!


I passed over each section twice because, as you can see,  she has very curly hair.  The Victorya straightened her hair with no pulling or tugging and the 360° swivel cord made it very easy to work with.  I used only a dry heat spray (Wella Thermal Image ) and no other products.  Her hair stayed straight all day and only started to re-curl at the ends the next morning.

A word of advice,  this flat iron is very hot near the plates.  Keep hands away from them and protect any surfaces that you may use to rest it on while styling your hair.  An old towel will suffice.  Trust me it's better to be safe than sorry,  I've learned the hard way ;)

Click here to go to ISA's website to learn more about the Victorya,  purchase one or to view the other products this company has to offer.

*I received this product for free.  My review is 100% genuine and as always never influenced by compensation