Is it just me or does Christmas feel a little late? It's just 13 days away but I'm still not getting into the spirit of things. Hmm. Well, I'll be blogging about all the holiday releases in the coming week so maybe that'll ignite the flames!

On a related note, would you be interested in seeing a Project Vanity gift guide? What's your budget for gift-giving?

Anyhoo today I'd like to talk about the Glamourbox Secret Santa Box. This is the latest package from the brand, just out last week I believe! It contains a few things that'll help you achieve that holiday freshness even though you're totes stressed out.

Here's what's inside!

Ta-dah! It has three full-sized products sprinkled with a few sample sizes.

Last September 26, I had the privilege of holding my first formal beauty workshop at Solaire Resort & Casino. I've held workshops before but I always considered them to be casual (well, as casual as these things could go!). This particular occasion was extremely nerve-wracking because I was so afraid of making a mistake!

I represented Beauty Box Corp, the company of my good friend Cheryl. Beauty Box is the official distributor of K-Palette, Fairydrops, Cure, and Fuwarie - all awesome Japanese brands that I've raved about in the past. I truly, truly believe in these products. I use them all the time! Maybe that's why Cheryl hired me for the job, haha.

I've already worked with Cheryl sometime last July, when we shot marketing collaterals for her brands. I produced and directed the shoot that time. I had so much fun working on that one mainly because Cheryl and I understand each other well, and my creative team are people I've worked with several times in the past. Well, I guess that's a story for another day.

Anyway! The workshop was part of the Solaire Image Week, which aimed to enrich the beauty knowledge of Solaire's employees. It was an initiative by Charmagne Garcia-Laconico, Solaire's Image Consultant and also Metro Magazine's Beauty Editor. I think it's a great idea for companies who need their employees to look as beautiful, confident, and competent as possible. Those in the hospitality, beauty, and any sales-oriented business would especially benefit from beauty workshops like this!

I think my workshop went well, although I didn't expect it to drag on for two hours per session.

Glamourbox, I think, raised everyone's expectations from the local beauty boxes with its first package last November. It contained a full-sized Australian mascara worth P1,000+ (which is good btw, according to Kira!), a lip palette, and various intriguing perfume samples. I'm pleased to announce that the December box also did not disappoint!

When I first opened it I thought, ok coupons, coupons, sample bottles...meh. That is, until I saw the full-sized VMV lipstick! One tube costs P1,050 at the store, and the box is only P600. I love that Glamourbox puts in one product that's full-sized and costs much, much more than the subscription fee.

I hope they continue doing it. It's not just great value for the customer's money, it's also such a pleasant thrill to receive. That's like 50% of the reason women would want a curated beauty box.