Thursday 28 February 2013

Glossybox Canada - February 2013

So my February Glossybox has arrived! Yeah! It came in such a beautiful box this month! Totally using this box for photos! Super cute!

Contents this month were very generous....not alot of high end products, however, we did receive 4 full sized products this month!

I was not in possession of a "Golden Ticket" item...but I'm ok with that....apparently the extra item was a pair of ruffled panties.....I am ok with not receiving this item...they probably wouldn't have fit my behind anyway! lol

PRODUCTS RECEIVED:

Givenchy Gloss Interdit No. 3 - Coral Frenzy 1/2 size - $15.00
Essence Quattro Eyeshadow - Full Size - $3.99
Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips - Ultra (6 strips) - Full Size - $9.99
Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil Treatment - Full Size - $13.50
Anatomicals Body Wash - Rose and Jasmin Body Cleanser - Full Size - $3.00
Eucerin Hyal-Urea Anti Wrinkle Day/Night Cream Sachet Duo (trial size)
Crabtree & Evelyn Tarocco Orange Eucalyptus & Sage Ultra-Moisturizing Hand Therapy Sachet (trial size)



I was pleasantly surprised on how creamy the Essence Eyeshadows are. They are very pigmented. Glide on the skin smoothly, and seem very blendable.  They seem to be a little too creamy, so you may find that they can have fallout.  Colours are very pretty...see below for swatches.



 
The holy grail of hair products seems to be nut oils.  I have fine hair, so I'm not sure if this product will be beneficial for me.  I will check it out and advise in future blog and/or videos.  We did receive a full bottle. This size retails for $13.50 for 30ml
 
 
This is a new product for me. I've never seen nor heard of this product line. Not sure if Shoppers Drugmart carries this.  Full size, which we received retails at $3.00
Note: This product is Made in England!




These strips will totally remove blackheads and debris from the nose area! Beware, when removing these strips, you will see grossness on them...it's amazing how much crap your pores will hold! Also, you may feel some itchiness when removing the strips from your nose...I know I do!
 

 
Cute cupcake papers and sticks....added bonus from Glossybox to celebrate their Anniversary/Birthday!
 

 

We are going to receive a full size of the Crabtree & Evelyn Tarocco Orange hand cream next month! The full size product retails at $8.00 for 25 g

Overall, I'm very happy with this months box!

Thank you for reading my humble Blog...and check out my unboxing video below!

Ciao for now! xxx Pebbles

YOUTUBE UNBOXING VIDEO! 

 

 

 

 

Monday 25 February 2013

Customer Service is Alive and living in Niagara Falls!

My blog today is about "CUSTOMER SERVICE".  I have to admit that as of late, I have been jaded. I have been left deflated at the lack of customer service by those employed in grocery stores, retail (especially retail), Lowes (horrible personnel in the Niagara location) and other venues. 

For those of you that don't know, I work in the hospitality industry. In my field it is mandatory to give our clients a memorable experience.  Their experiences surround travel and making sure attention to details are addressed.  I have to ensure that the product that I'm giving them is up to standard and that I'm offering them a product that has value and quality.  In essence, it's my job to make my customers happy so that they come back!

I'm fairly confident that most of you out there have come across a rude cashier, or a retail person who is engaging in a personal conversation with their co-worker and doesn't want to be be interrupted to assist the customers.  It drives me crazy!!!! I expect to have the same service that I give to my clients when I'M THE ACTUAL CUSTOMER!

As some of you may know, I've been having challenges with my kitchen renos...what was supposed to take 4 days has now turned into 23 days and counting....but this experience will be in another blog...complete with video and photos.....

This blog, I'm happy to say, is about my AMAZING EXPERIENCE at BRASA BRAZILIAN STEAKHOUSE! located at the Hilton in Niagara Falls.

My boyfriend and I decided to go for a nice dinner.  We had arrived at the restaurant, and had to wait for our table, even though we had reservations...but that was ok, as it was a Saturday night and we were cool with grabbing a drink at the bar while we waited. 

I ordered a pomegranate martini and Brian had a Vodka and Soda.  So here we are sitting at a high top having our drinks....and I had had about 4 sips of my martini, when I discovered a chip in the rim of the glass....you will notice this in my photo below.....so I literally had my lips millimetres from this chip....



Brian took the drink to the bartender to let them know that I had almost cut my lip on the rim of the glass and if they could fix me a new drink.  The bartender was horrified!!!! He immediately replaced my drink, brought the drink to our table personally, and contacted a manager!!! (NOTE: We did not ask to speak to a manager, nor did we create a fuss....)....the bartender took it upon himself to take immediate action to remedy our experience. Which personally for me, I just wanted a new drink in new glass, because the drink was AMAZING!!

We were approached by a tall slender man named "Stephen", who was the Manager on Duty that evening.  He introduced himself and immediately apologized.  After his apology, he immediately stated that he would be comping our dinner that evening! OH MY! That was unexpected!!! They went above and beyond to make sure that the situation was not only rectified, but that we would be such satisfied customers that we would not hesitate to come back and dine at Brasa again, as well as refer our family and friends!

My friends, "Customer Service" is alive and it's located at Brasa Brazilian Restaurant! We had such a wonderful experience....the service was great, all the servers were friendly, fast, efficient and knowledgeable.  The atmosphere was fun, energetic and sophisticated.  The food was superb.  I am completely satisfied with everything!

I truly hope that you all find some "Customer Service" out there that makes you remember that a kind gesture goes such a long way!!!

Thanks for reading my humble Blog!

Ciao for now!
Pebbles aka Maria

Sunday 17 February 2013

My Very First SeasonsBox - February 2013

Seasons Box is a monthly subscription (or you can do a one time purchase only).  It is a lifestyle box. Each month you will receive items that may be beauty, lifestyle, food, household products. 

I was interested in this box after viewing some videos on YouTube.  This was an alternative to the traditional beauty boxes, as it offers unique products that are not main stream. New products that you can try out that you may never had heard of before.  What else is intriguing is that you will receive FULL products in your boxes.

To subscribe - www.seasonsbox.com
One time box: $34.90
3 months: $99.70
6 months: $174.50 = 1 free box
12 months: $349 = 2 free boxes
* Prices are in US dollars
* Boxes are available both in the United States and Canada
* Boxes originate in Canada

WHAT WAS IN THE FEBRUARY BOX
What the box looked like with all the products inside
 


 
DREAM ORGANICS ROSE WATER
The product works great at setting your makeup. Made from premium organic Bulgarian rose petals, infused with a rare organic rose essential oil. Loved by many celebrities.
Retail: $22.00


 BAMBU EARTH SUGAR COOKIE BODY GLOW
Each body glow is handcrafted from scratch using natural ingredients such as mineral rich dead sea salt and coconut oil. This product smells so delicious I was tempted to eat it!!!
Retail: $18
 


 
 
GALERIE AU CHOCOLAT FAIR TRADE BAR
Founded in Montreal in 1985 by a Canadian chocolatier, the company is now evolved into one of North America's best sources for gourmet chocolate.  Made with real Belgium chocolate! Each bar is crafted from natural and certified fair trade ingredients (which is super awesome!!)
Retail: $5.00 


 
KAIA NATURALS BAMBOO FACIAL CLEANSING CLOTHS
These cloths contain vitamins, organic honey, sunflower and citrus oils. Each cloth acts as three products in one: cleanser, toner and makeup remover.  Cruelty Free - which is amazing and I am loving!!! These cloths are 100% biodegradable as well as being sulfate, paraben, alcohol and synthetic fragrance free! WOW! The have it all!
Retail: $22.95 (OUCH!) - for 30 cloths - expensive!!!
 
 

Thanks for checking out my Blog!

Check out my YouTube Video on my Unboxing of my First SeasonsBox!

Saturday 16 February 2013

February Ipsy Bag - 2013

Well fellow Beauty Box enthusiasts, I am delighted to share with everyone my February Ipsy Bag. I just received my bag this week, and I cheated, I checked out other YouTubers to find out what was in the bag, BEFORE, I opened mine! Oops, my bad...I've been travelling, just got back from sunny Los Angeles, and my bag came while I was away, so like a kid at Christmas, I couldn't wait to find out what I received.

Again, for anyone new to the subscription, the bag is $10US per month, approximately $17 Canadian per month, covers shipping and handling and exchange. 

In my opinion the quality and quantity of products we receive are well worth the dollars in value, I actually feel we get more for what we pay for.  This is a fabulous way to be introduced to products that you may never purchase normally or something you have wanted to try but didn't want to spend the money.  You can cancel your subscription at any time, and the customer service is wonderful.

This month we received the following:

1 Black Vinyl Bag (shiny)
Mini Pop Mascara - black
Quad eyeshadows from Coastal Scents
Mica Beauty Cosmetics - gel eyeliner - black
Lash Cards - 4 pack
Pixi Face Primer

If you are interested in signing up, you can go to www.ipsy.com for more information.

Check out my YouTube video to see the unboxing of my February Ipsy Bag.




Marco and Me Unboxing February's Ipsy Bag!!!

CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE VIDEO ON MY UNBOXING!


Thank you for reading my blog!

Ciao for now, Maria....xoxo

Friday 1 February 2013

TGCIF - February 1, 2013

TGCIF - what is this acronym mean? Well I'm sure you have some idea...but just so we are all on the same page....THAT GOODNESS IT'S CHAMPAGNE FRIDAY!

I've decided to do a TGCIF blog and video every Friday (well I am going to try)....you know, it may not seem like it, but I do have somewhat of a social life to maintain! lol

Tonight, I did my blog/video about my idea of TGCIF, I sipped some Champagne all the while, and showed viewers (if I actually have any...lol).....what I HAULED today....I think I got quite the bargoons today!

Anyway ladies and gentlemen who humble me by reading my little blog....I thank you all for coming to visit this blog, reading my little notes, and I truly hope you find some enjoyment from them, a chuckle or two, and even, if I'm lucky you will gain some knowledge about a few things!

Wishing you a very Happy Friday night.....drink responsibly, don't drink and drive and be safe out there and MOST OF ALL....HAVE FUN! Life's too short, so go and CUT LOOSE!

xoxox
Maria

Valentine Nail Art

So tonight I decided that I would sip some Champagne and create an interesting Valentine's Day Nail Art design...nothing beats drinking and painting your nails....I would rank it about as dangerous as Drinking and Driving....fines should be imposed!

Anyway, I hate to drink alone and so my cats are with me this lovely Friday evening, February 1st, and watching me create this Michelangelo piece of art!

I by no means am a Nail Art aficionado, however, I dont' think I did too horrible a job...well, I guess the more you drink the better they look?  Kinda on the same lines as when you are at a bar and see a hot guy and then the following morning you take another good look and it's not only Coyote Ugly, it's what the Coyote ate the night before!

Anyway, that is my Friday night rant....keep a watch for my TGICF videos and blog posts....they promise to be filled with all kinds of crazy antics...do you expect anything less?  (Thank goodness it's Champagne Friday!"

Cheers and drink and paint your nails responsibly.....xoxo


Glossybox January 2013

I received my January Glossybox and normally I find the box to be filled with great things that I will enjoy using.  I was a little disappointed with the quality of products that they chose to include in this months box.  I still feel that Glossybox is one of the better beauty boxes, but they did fall short this month.

Contents of box included:

  • Wella Professionals Brilliance Leave-in Mousse - Full Size
  • Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme (so small you would probably get a couple of applications)
  • Burt's Bees Naturally Nourishing Milk & Honey Body Lotion (did not enjoy the scent)
  • Nivea Essential Lip Care - Full Size - retails for $2
  • B. Kamins Body Lotion in Maple Sugar - sample size (I did not enjoy the scent)
  • B. Kamins Lip Balm - sample size
  • Beauty So Clean Cosmetic Sanitizing Wipes (12 wipes) - I am interested in trying these out - they are used to clean your cosmetic products and keep them staying fresh and bacteria free!



Check out my YouTube video for the unveiling of the January 2013 Glossybox