Happy New Year!  Hope you all had a fun New Years Eve and are excited to start 2012!  I’m not a fan of new year’s resolutions so I typically don’t make any, but hey, if you have some, all the power to you :).

Since we are starting a fresh new year, I thought I would list off my favourite products from 2011.

Beauty

Best Foundation: Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation

Best Concealer: It Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye

Best Eyeshadow: MAC Satin Taupe

Best Palette: Urban Decay Naked Palette

Best Lipstick: YSL Rouge Volupte #7 Lingerie Pink

Best Lipgloss: NARS Turkish Delight

Best Blush: MUD Rose Beige

Best Bronzer: NARS Laguna

Best Mascara: YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils in Black

Best Eyeliner: MAC Liquid Eye Liner in Boot Black

Best Nail Polish: SpaRitual Knowledge is Power

Spa Ritual Knowledge is Power

Best Top Coat: Seche Vite

Best Shampoo: Pureology Anti-Fade Complex Hydrate

Best Conditioner: Pureology Anti-Fade Complex Hydrate

Best Hairspray: Farouk Royal Treatment Ultimate Control

Best Hair Product: OSiS Dust It

Best Fragrance: Angel By Thierry Mugler

Entertainment

Best Reality Television Show: Keeping Up With the Kardashians

Best Sitcom: Whitney

Best Drama: 90210

Best Song: Mr. Saxobeat by Alexandra Stan

Best Album: Femme Fatale by Britney Spears

Best Novel: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

Best Movie: Don’t have one but if I had to choose maybe Breaking Dawn: Part One  (Don’t hate!)

Best App: TuneIn Radio

So that’s it, those are my favourites of 2011!  Some of them didn’t necessarily come out in 2011 but they were my favourite thing in that particular category for the year.  Feel free to answer this tag!

What were your favourites of 2011?  Leave me a comment below!

Red cheeks coming from a vial that looks like blood?  Yup, up next on the Cult Collection is Benefit Cosmetic’s Benetint.

From Benefit Cosmetics:

Our original rose-tinted stain is kiss-proof, see-through color for lips & cheeks that lasts for hours. Naturally sheer & sexy on all complexions…it’s innocent yet provocative.

Originally created for an exotic dancer in the 1970s, benetint has soared to cult fave status. It’s loved by celebs, makeup artists and gals around the world. It’s the sexiest flush you can get from a bottle!

Benetint is Benefit’s flagship product I believe, and also one of their most popular ones.  I don’t have a full size of this because I have always been scared to try it, but when I got a little sample size in the Benefit Big 10 set, I thought, why not, right?

With Benetint applied on my cheeks

Benetint is a rose-scented liquid lip and cheek product that settles into your skin creating a nice red, natural-looking flush.  The product comes in a little jar and literally looks like blood (that’s probably the reason why I was so scared to try it in the first place).  I have tried cream blushes, powder blushes, but never liquid ones, and I have to admit, I’m quite impressed.

To apply the product, you take the nail polish-like applicator and brush a few strokes on your cheek (yes, cheek, do one at a time). From there, and you have to work fast, you blend it into your skin where it will settle and present a nice looking, natural flush.  Because the product settles into your skin you have to make sure you work quick with it because otherwise you’ll have a red blotch on your cheeks.  You will also probably notice the red settling into your fingers as well.

I wonder what blush I used today...

So do I like Benefit’s Benetint?  Surprisingly, yes.  Like I mentioned, it gives you a nice flush that best of all, looks natural.  Sometimes I don’t want that obvious look that I’m wearing a blush and Benetint is the answer for that.  It’s easy to use, creates a nice look, and it’s different.  Who would have thought that you can create a blush in a liquid form?  Well, Benefit did.  They also offer this product in a pink colour as well, called Posietint, which I also got to try thanks to the Big 10 set.  It’s exactly the same but instead of a red flush you get a pink one.

Posietint applied

So is it cult worthy?  I would think so mostly because it’s different and it’s a versatile product.  I have not applied this to my lips but according to Benefit, you totally can.  Would I purchase a full size of this product?  At $36 CDN it is very pricey so I don’t think I would but I am rationing out my mini sample in the meantime.

Have you tried Benefit Cosmetics’ Benetint?  Do you think it’s cult worthy?

Please note: I did receive this product as part of a set for review, however, it did not affect my opinions on it.  All opinions are my honest own :).  

Happy Boxing Day!  For all of you non-Canadians out there, Boxing Day is basically like our Black Friday, all the retailers have their big end of season discounts.  Stores do tend to get crazy but I haven’t heard of anyone getting pepper-sprayed (I take that back, my local mall was pepper sprayed) or beat up over a two dollar waffle makers…

Anyways, in honour of Boxing Day I thought I would review the Loose Button Luxebox, a monthly sample service containing beauty products.

The Loose Button Luxebox is similar to the other beauty sample services in that you pay a small fee ($12) per month and they send you a box of deluxe samples of different beauty products.   Every box is different and you won’t know what you will be receiving every month, so it’s kind of like opening Christmas or birthday presents every month.  Right now, Luxebox is only available in Canada but the company is working on getting it in other countries as well.

Okay so first impressions on the packaging of the box, I absolutely love it!  The whole feel of the product is very luxurious and I love the little touches they put in.  For example, each box is personalized to you.  When you slide the inner part out there is a sticker that says “Made for Shayna” and there was also a card with my name on it. I really like how the company goes the extra mile to make the consumer feel special.  I felt like I was receiving a special package from a friend of something.  I liked feeling how I wasn’t just a number to the company, they think of each person who registers as a person and each box is addressed to the individual.

I also liked how the box looked.  The sleek black with the high-fashion typography really adds some appeal to the whole package.  The whole thing just looks so appealing and expensive that it’s really a treat to open the box and see the goodies inside.

Speaking of…

I was very surprised (in a good way) about the goodies I got in the December box. My box included Kerastase Elixer Ultime, Velour Upper Lashes (so excited about these!), Prada Candy perfume sample, Prada Infusion D’Iris perfume sample, DDF Advanced Firming Cream, and a Loose Button chocolate coin.

DDF Advanced Firming Cream (14 grams) **Full-size 48 g retails for $130.

Kerastase Elixir Ultime (5 ml)

Velour Mink Lashes (full size)

Prada Candy Perfume Sample (1.5 ml)

Prada Infusion D'Iris Perfume Sample (1.5 ml)

Loose Button Chocolate Coin

I also got a Chase! Kidding, kidding!

The retail price for my box is easily over $50 (the lashes alone are $34.99).  I have to say I was very impressed with the product choices and the selection of stuff I got.  My favourite product in the box was obviously the lashes (full review coming soon!), but I also liked the Prada Candy perfume sample and Kerastase hair serum.  I tried the DDF cream but ended up giving it to my mom as I don’t really need wrinkle cream yet.

Love my Velour lashes!

Like I mentioned earlier, every box is different, so just because I received this stuff doesn’t mean that everyone did.  If you check out the Loose Button Facebook page others got China Glaze nail polish and NYX eye liners as their full-size product.

In the end, Loose Button is one of the more expensive beauty sample services offered in Canada at $12 a month, but if every box is like this one, it’s totally worth it.  On their Facebook page there are a few people complaining about what they got, and okay, I understand the whole perfume sample thing (anyone can get perfume samples for free at department stores) but would you have necessarily tried these particular scents?  The whole point of these services is to introduce you to new brands and try products that you maybe would not have tried before.  For example, I probably would not have bought a pair of $35 eyelashes, but having tried them (and knowing the fact that they can last up to more than 21 wears) maybe they actually are worth the money, and who knows, maybe in the future I will order more pairs.  $12 is not a lot of money to spend each month to receive some cool products that you may not have tried anyways; it’s basically the price of one lunch.

So would I recommend the Loose Button Luxebox?  Well, if every box is like the one I received, then yes!  I loved the products I got and I hope that they keep up with the higher-end brands.  I also loved the packaging, it made me feel like I was receiving a gift in the mail from my best friend of something.  The box was super cute and honestly, I don’t even want to throw it out, it’s too cute!

Have you tried the Loose Button Luxebox?  What were your thoughts?  Leave me a comment below.

Please note: I did receive this product for review, however, it did not affect my opinions on it.  All opinions are my honest own :).