Topbox Review: July – September 2014

So… the “nail polish” Topboxes continued over the summer and I will have to say that the summer nail polishes were much more to my liking. In fact, most of the summer Topboxes made me a happy camper. One thing that added to my happiness is the option to receive your Topbox in an organza bag instead of the bulky tubes. I think this is a much more environmentally friendly method of shipping the Topboxes and I am thrilled they are offering this as an alternative to the tubes.

July 2014 Topbox

July’s Topbox Included:

CND Vinylux Weekly Polish in Hollywood (15ml – Full Size)
CND Vinylux Weekly Top Coat (15ml – Full Size)
StriVectin-AR Advanced Retinol Night Treatment (7ml)
TheBalm Cosmetics INSTAIN Long-Wearing Powder Staining Blush in Swiss Dot (0.5g)

I loved the July Topbox! While I am not usually a red nail polish kind of person (it makes me think of vampires?), I really do like the CND Vinylux polish. My nails did last for about a week with minimal chipping and while I probably won’t wear the red polish much, I am tempted to use the top coat with other polishes just to see if it will help extend the wear time. My sister really likes StriVectin products and has recommended I try them several times, but I cannot justify spending so much when I can’t be sure of the results, so this sample size is definitely going to help me decide whether or not it’s worth the asking price. I am a fan of blush and it is one of the products I use every day so I am interested in TheBalm’s Instain blush but it is really tiny and easy to misplace.

August 2014 Topbox

August’s Topbox Included:

Barefoot Venus Macadamia Oil Hand Cream in Wild Flower (60ml – Full Size)
LAQA & Co Tuxedo Manicure Duo (Full Size)
Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle Correcting Eye Cream (5ml)
Belvada Cosmetics Nail Polish Remover Pads in Grape Scent (28 Pads, Full Size)

I ran into a small issue with my August Topbox as I didn’t receive the LAQA & Co product that I was supposed, but Topbox did come through and sent me a replacement item. At first I was supposed to get a lip product and since the lip lube was out of stock, Topbox sent the nail polish duo. I appreciated how quickly Topbox responded to emails about the missing product and to be honest, I would prefer to have a nail product over a lip one anyways, so this was a win for me. The LAQA & Co nail polish is a black on matte black duo and while I would probably not use that much black, I would consider using either side as an accent on top of a brighter colour. The Barefoot Venus hand cream is nice and it’s one of those products that I can always use, so this will sit by my desk until needed. *Sigh* I like the idea of eye creams and I have heard good things about the Clinique ones, but I am the worst at remembering to use them, so while I would use this, it’s going to be awhile before I will remember it exists. As for the Belvada nail polish remover pads, I haven’t used this particular one yet, but a friend did buy me a similar one from the USA and I like them but would actually prefer to use a cotton pad and solution instead. I find the pads a little thin and they don’t work as well as I would like for darker and/or brighter colours, which is generally how I like to roll with nail polish.

September 2014 Topbox

September’s Topbox Included:

Bioderma Sebium Foaming Gel (15ml)
Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo (21.3g)
Institut Esthederm Lift & Repair Absolute Smoothing Cream (10ml)
Essie Nail Lacquer in Sand Tropez (13.5ml – Full Size)

The September box was another one that I really liked because it came with one of my favorite types of products ever – dry shampoo! I have a favorite brand of dry shampoo, but I am always on the look out for new ones to try, so this Amika one is going to be used sooner rather than later. I also like that it is a smaller size so I can toss it in my purse or luggage and have it with me on the go. I also like the Essie nail polish in Sand Tropez and it is a great neutral colour for those days/weeks where I want to keep things subtle. I don’t have strong feelings either way about the Bioderm foaming gel but I think it will be ok and do the job as advertised. I am not sure about the Institut Esthederm smoothing cream as I have never heard of the brand before and I don’t know what to expect, although I remain hopeful that it will be a nice surprise, especially considering the price point.

So What Would Argenplath Pay?

As usual, I paid $12.60 for my Topboxes and the summer boxes were mainly wins for me in terms of product and introducing me to new brands. I had to guesstimate the price of the Belvada nail polish remover pads, but I don’t really see them being more that $4, at least I wouldn’t pay more than that for them. So far, I would say the summer boxes were my favorites for 2014, but there is still some time for the future boxes to change my mind. *spoiler alert – October and November reviews coming soon*

July Topbox – Total Value: $42.41

CND Vinylux Weekly Polish in Hollywood ($11.90)
CND Vinylux Weekly Top Coat ($11.90)
StriVectin-AR Advanced Retinol Night Treatment ($16.80)
TheBalm Cosmetics INSTAIN Long-Wearing Powder Staining Blush in Swiss Dot ($1.81)

August Topbox – Total Value: $41.99

Barefoot Venus Macadamia Oil Hand Cream in Wild Flower ($5.99)
LAQA & Co Tuxedo Manicure Duo ($16.00)
Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle Correcting Eye Cream ($16.00)
Belvada Cosmetics Nail Polish Remover in Grape Scent (No Price, guessing maybe ~$4)

September Topbox – Total Value: $43.41