My Topbox Review - April 2015

April's Topbox was full of some new products from companies I have not tried in the past.

For $12 a month, you get 4-5 beauty product samples (one is usually full size), either a surprise or chosen brand box.

OFRA Cosmetics - Lipliner

Water resistant pencil suitable for the most sensitive eye & lip areas.  Created with a synthetic beeswax base for a smooth, soft and long lasting application.

1.13g $17.25.  Available at OFRAcosmetics.com 

I don't use lip liner, so this is another eye liner to add to my collection.  

Initially, I found the tip quick sharp the first few applications, but it is getting better with use.

I use it with light pink and beige/cream eye shadow as a change from my normal black eye liner. 

It doesn't leave residue on my lower brow like some other eye liners, so that in itself makes it a decent product. 

PUR-Lisse - Blue Lotus 4-in-11 Eye Adore Serum

Apply day and night, using your ring finger, lightly tap (to reduce tugging) a small pump of serum around eye area.  

15ml $65.  Available at Shop.Purlisse.com

This eye cream is a medium thickness that requires very little to cover the under, side, and lower parts of the eye skin.  

After using this for almost a month, I've barely gone through 1/3 of the sample bottle.

It has a light scent to it, but nothing irritating.  

It dries quickly, and I can definitely see the fine lines around my eyes diminish after application.

If it weren't for the price point, I would definitely add this to my regular skin care routine!

Orofluido - Beauty Elixir

For all hair types, with a pure luxuriance that envelops your hair.  Three organic natural oils in an equisite mixture with a pleasant silky texture, that absorbed rapidly, leaving no residue in the hair.  

25ml $17.81.  Find a salon near you at Orofluido.com

Normally hair oils don't like my hair, leaving it lank and greasy looking.  My hair is thin and long - not a good combination with oil.  

This mixture has a lovely sweet scent - which covered up a shampoo/conditioner combination I'm currently reviewing (and don't like the smell of). 

I put about 3 globs of the thick oil in my hair ends, and brush it throughout my hair for even distribution. 

It leaves my hair looking healthier and swooshy - whether or not I have time to blow dry it in the morning.

I would definitely incorporate this into my beauty regime once this is finished. 

Lise Watier Cosmetiques Inc. - Sublimessence High Concentration Age-Defying Serum

Apply on clean skin, morning and night, before your regular skincare routine.  Smooth in gently all over face.  

28ml $84.  Available at The Bay, Sears, Shoppers Drug Mart, and LiseWatier.ca

This serum has a delicious scent that doesn't linger under the nose or on the skin.  

It is a thin-medium thickness serum, which requires a couple of finger fulls to cover my entire face.  In 2 weeks, the sample size was finished, therefore the full size would last less than 2 months.

It dries extremely quickly - in under a minute - leaving me a bit more time to get my skincare routine completed in an orderly and efficient manner.  

I haven't really noticed any difference from my normal serums, so it isn't much better than the $15-$20 serums I have from companies like Yalmeh and Garnier.

The Painting of Gideon's New Bowl @ The Pottery Place

I visited a local ceramics shop - The Pottery Place - last summer to paint a cute mug and turtle during a Bachelorette Party, and really wanted to go back to paint something else.

Then Gideon's food bowl broke. 

He's afraid of metal bowls, so we had to opt for either plastic or ceramic.

I scoured the local stores and Interweb for something different - we wanted something special enough for him, but alas, we found nothing. 

I then found a picture of Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night" while Googling "Unique Dog Bowls" or "Tardis" - I don't remember which. I had seen it before, and knew one day I would paint it (with my own flare). 

My inspiration was in full force and I knew I was going to paint "Starry Night" on Gideon's new bowl.

With the dogs.

And a Tardis.

Just because I can.

So, I went in a Friday night after work, and painted for almost 3 hours.

You start with the lightest colour to the darkest. And put 3 coats of each colour.

With tedious details, I ended up going back Saturday for another 2-3 hours to finish the bowl.

And unlike painting on canvas, you don't paint the background colour on the entire canvas, then paint over those colours...but you don't want to overlap, or the colours may look muddy after the kiln fires away.

Then I had to wait a week to pick up the bowl.

It's not exactly how I envisioned it, but given the painting technique and a shaky hand for outlines, I think it turned out decent enough. 

Gideon and Fynn encompassed in Starry Night while the Tardis flies above their heads.

Gideon even ate out of it and wasn't afraid. Win-win!

I would definitely recommend The Pottery Playhouse in Stittsville, Ontario, for anyone looking to get their creativity on - even if you're not creative, you can paint a one-of-a-kind item that is made with love.

You just have to bring a donation ($ or non perishables) as your sitting "fee," which are then donated right back into the community.

I plan on returning soon to paint one of their new Garden Gnomes - I have to make a Zombie Gnome!

Husband says I should try to sell it. *I* think NOT. I remember the last time I sold my wares...it turned into a 6 year adventure!

Once I'm done my current professional exam, I THINK I'm ready to conquer painting the bird room into a mural. That will be a task in itself!