Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
placeholder article
placeholder article

February 2012 Luxe Box Review

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Toronto chapter.

For those of you who have been with us since our September launch, you’ll remember reading a post we put up about Loose Button’s Luxe Box. But since then (if Google Analytics is to be trusted) we’ve gained quite a few readers and so we thought we’d introduce our newer readers to one of our favourite products. 

Loose Button is a service that sends deluxe sized samples (and occasionally even full size products) to you every month. For a price of $12 a month, $36 for 3 months, or $120 for a year, subscribers can try out Luxe Boxes filled with 4-5 products a month from brands such as Moroccanoil, Nina Ricci, Cargo, Calvin Klein, Dermalogica, and Benefit. Each box is sleekly packaged and personalized with a sticker that says “Made For *insert name here*” and a card that says “To *insert name here*” that gives the Luxe Box a delightfully personal touch in an age where things are unnecessarily mass produced.

This month, we received a limited edition Luxe Box when they partnered with Flare Magazine (much like how Birchbox partnered with Teen Vogue in the US). Bright red instead of the usual black, February’s Luxe Box also included tips from Flare editors on how to use the products included inside. Speaking of which, here are the products that were included in this month’s box:
 
Benefit Sun Beam   
 
I have a confession, I love Benefit products. Everything from the packaging to the punny names and not to mention products that are fun, witty, and amazing quality. To date, I probably own about half of their range, and love most of the products I have. Benefit’s Sun Beam is a golden bronze version of their cream highlighter products, similar in texture and application to High Beam (a personal favourite of mine) and Moon Beam. Benefit junkie that I am, I admit that I do have some bias when trying out Sun Beam, but I genuinely love this product and I can’t wait until this summer to use this product to give me the most perfect golden bronze glow.
 
Mereadesso Beautiful Body Balm
 
I own maybe two or three dozen different body lotions, body butters, hand creams, and other products with similar names. So at this point I like to consider myself a bit of an expert on these products. Mereadesso’s Body Balm is an amazing product that I know will come in handy during the harsh winter weather that seems to come and go in Toronto these days.

 
Mereadesso Face and Neck Toning Gel
 
We were also lucky enough to receive a bonus sample of Mereadesso’s Face and Neck Toning Gel which is supposed to be able to replace moisturizer, toners, serums, primers, and a variety of face creams. Being able to replace numerous steps with one simple product? Count me- and every other time conscious student- in.  
 
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
 
Dermalogica’s Daily Microfoliant is one of the most interesting products I’ve ever seen in my life. The face wash comes in a powder form rather than a paste or scrub like most cleansers. This microfoliant is made of a rice based enzyme powder that is supposed to remove debris and leave your skin smoother and brighter. Having heard great things about Dermalogica, I can’t wait to try out this product.
 
Moroccanoil Oil Treatment
 
This oil treatment has gotten plenty of rave reviews and it deserves them. Just a drop of this oil makes my hair feel amazingly soft and shiny. It contains fatty acids, omega 3 oils, and vitamins for shine as well as antioxidants that helps to repair damage- which is definitely needed with the insane winds Toronto has been dealing with these days when the wind damage alone is enough to ruin your hair.

The February Luxe Box also came with a coupon for $25 off a purchase of $75 on the website Dealuxe which sells brands such as House of Harlow, JBrand, and Rebecca Minkoff as well as invitations to participate in a giveaway from Mereadesso and to try out a new Benefit product. The best part about the Luxe Box for beauty product junkies like myself is that you get to try out tons of new products without having to commit to a full size product. And let’s face it, the likelihood of me finishing a full size product is very small. Moreover, for budget strapped university students like ourselves, $12 a month for 4-5 deluxe sized samples of products such as lotions, hair products, face cleansers, perfumes, and makeup products you would normally buy anyways, is a pretty good deal. That they come from high end companies such as Lancome, NARS, Chloe, and Bobbi Brown is simply a bonus. Also Loose Button’s plans are relatively flexible, allowing you to purchase boxes on a monthly basis, which is always great for cash strapped students who may have to skip a month here and there when money is particularly tight. All in all, I highly recommend checking out Luxe Box even if it’s only for one month. From there you can decide whether to invest in a quarterly or full year plan. But either way you’re guaranteed 4 or 5 great products to try out. And if you sign up for either the quarterly or annual Luxe Box now, you even even get a 3 month subscription to Flare Magazine included for free! 
 
Have you tried out Luxe Box or a similar service? Let us know what your experience was like in the comments below!  

For more information on Loose Button: http://www.loosebutton.com/ 
This is a partner post. All opinions are 100% our own. 

Natalie has recently completed her second year at the University of Toronto with a double major in History and Ethics, Society, and Law. She is excited to bring Her Campus to U of T and seeing it expand its presence in Canada. She is also active in the school's Model United Nations circles and numerous organizations off campus and is best described as a political and pop culture junkie. Born and raised in Toronto, she is blindingly proud of everything the city has to offer including the best school in the country, no matter what Macleans says, and its sports teams, no matter how many times they may lose or miss the playoffs.