Review : December GlossyBox

I received the much anticipated December GlossyBox yesterday before heading off to Bristol for the Xmas Blogger Meet, which was amazing!

I love that the Christmas boxes were red instead of the usual pink - such a nice touch.

The products...

BIONOVA Eye Wrinkle Cream 4g approx £12.13

GlossyBox say : Utilizes the technology based on Life Science Nanotechnology by treating the skin with the same ingredients in the same quantities and ratio naturally produced by a Human Body.

I say : I love a good eye cream so was very pleased to see this in my box. The first thought when I saw this was the complete waste of packaging! Why use such a big box for such a tiny sample? It seems like a very good eye cream, it feels really nice and soft. As for fragrance, it smells a bit too soapy for my liking.

Blink+Go Eyeshadow and Blush Palette 19g (full size) £14.95

GlossyBox say : Blink+Go Eye makeup is the ultimate effect for eyes. Take your eye style to a dizzy height with maximum colour and a perfect silk texture and finish.

I say : This is such a lovely little compact palette and I am so pleased with the colours I received as I will use these. The swatches blew me away, I didn't expect the eyeshadow & blushers to be of very good quality, but, as you can see they are super pigmented. The eyeshadows are a lovely silky texture as described and have a beautiful shimmer.

They have given us 25% off any Blink+Go Eyeshadow & Blush duo or Mascara.

Cargo Classic Lip Gloss in Las Vegas 0.45g approx £0.95 (I think, I could be very wrong here)

GlossyBox say :  Cargo's new Lip Gloss formulation! Perfect shades, great wear and high shine without being sticky.

I say : The colour of this isn't really very me. This is a small sample which makes it ideal for throwing in your handbag for a night out. It applies really well and really isn't sticky. The glitter makes it look extra shiny, if it was in a different shade this would be ideal for the Christmas party season.

Deborah Lippman Razzle Dazzle Mini Nail Varnish approx £10.69 (again, pricing is a bit of a guess as I'm not sure of the sample size, so I could be quite wrong)

Deborah Lippman Stripped To Go Sachet approx £2.34

GlossyBox say : Party glitter nail colour with a sachet of the most amazing polish remover finger nail mitt.

I say : I was so pleased to see a Deborah Lippmann nail polish in my box as I have been dying to try one. I'm not disappointed either, the above photos were taken with two coats and just look gorgeous. I can see me wearing this polish a lot. 

I haven't tried the nail remover mitt yet as I'm wearing nail foils at the moment. I'll let you know how I get on with it, probably in a monthly summary post.

Rituals Foaming Shower Gel 200ml (full size) £6.50

GlossyBox say : This unique foaming shower gel gently cleanses your skin and leaves it silky soft and smooth.

I say : I haven't used this yet but it smells gorgeous. 

GB have given us a barcode which gives us £5 off a £25 purchase in any UK Rituals store, I don't think they have a store in Wales so I won't get to use this.

Overall Verdict:

• My very rough estimate of the total box price is £47.56, which is very impressive. 
• I will use almost every product, the only one that may not get used is the lipgloss, which is the cheapest thing in the box.
• We received two full size products.
• The star item for me is the Blink & Go palette, for me this was an excellent item to receive and really made the box stand out.
• I hate to say this, but I was initially a little disappointed. Even though I love this box GB did build it up quite a bit so I was expecting something to 'wow' me or extra products. Please don't think I'm moaning as I'm not, I just think that GB maybe built the box up a bit too much.

Rumour has it that the January box is also going to be a limited edition box especially for Valetine's Day. If it is as good as this box I will be more than happy.

If you haven't already signed up to GB you can do so here. Existing subscribers may be interested to know that the Beauty Profile appears to be working. I've just filled mine in, it does say that it won't affect the box contents just yet but will be used in the future.

Did you receive this box? What was your star product? Did the box live up to your expectations?

Review : November Glossy Box

I received my GlossyBox yesterday :) It was with a neighbour so by the time I received it it was too late to post about it, better late than never! Talking of late, last month I received my box on the 17th, this month the 21st. I haven't even received my Boudoir Prive box yet as they are having problems. I do hope that they manage to get next months boxes out on time.

The products...

 Nail Rock Designer Nail Wraps full size £6.65

GlossyBox say : The new Nail Rock designer nail wrap range is designed to last up to 7 days on nails and 8 weeks on the toes. They won't chip or stain the nail, require no drying time and deliver on trend style in just 15 minutes.

I say : I was pleased to see these in my box and love the design of the wraps I received. I still haven't tried nail wraps despite owning several. They are something that really appeal to me yet I never end up using. I will use these, I will!

GlossyBox have given us a code for 15% off this range.

 MONU Skin Perfector 50ml (full size) value £16.25

GlossyBox say : A weightless cream which instantly smooths imperfections and enhances natural radiance as it glides onto the skin.

I say : This product has soft focus technology for fine lines and expression lines. I'm really keen on anti-ageing products at the moment so am looking forward to trying this. I like the silver top as I think it makes it look like an expensive product. I'm not so sure about the scent of this, it has an almost medical smell to it, kind of like Savlon? 

GlossyBox have given us 10% off this range.

 ARBONNE FC5 Cooling Foot Creme 15ml value approx £2.42

GlossyBox say : Moisturising, non greasy foot creme hydrates rough, dry skin and soothes, cools and comforts tired feet.

I say : Another product that I'm happy to receive. I have terrible dry skin on my feet and am always trying to find the holy grail product. This smells nice and minty like your average foot cream.

 Dead Sea Spa Magik Bath Salts 250g value approx £1.38

GlossyBox say : 2011 Beauty Awards winner. Fantastic for alleviating dry skin conditions as well as a natural exfoliant, Dead Sea Bath Salts remarkably improves skin texture.

I say : I received the salt scrub by this brand in a previous box and loved it. I'm happy to receive products from a brand that I have previously received stuff from provided it isn't the same product, which this isn't. I don't tend to have baths but really should start having them more often as I do have a jacuzzi bath. Maybe this bag of natural goodness will tempt me into the bath!

You can also add oil to these to make a body scrub or use them for a foot soak.

GlossyBox have given us 25% off our next order.

SERGE LUTENS L'Eau Serge Lutens 1ml value approx £0.86

GlossyBox say : A lasting sensation of wearing a "clean" scent for men and women.

I say : I'm not sure how I like these mixed sex fragrances. This is very overpowering on first spray but after a while it does smell very nice. Its not something that I would usually choose but it is something that I will happily use. It may even sway me from going for the sweet perfumes in the future.

SERGE LUTENS Vitriol d'Oillet 1ml value approx £0.78

GlossyBox say : A new and elegant carnation fragrance for both men and women.

I say : This isn't as overpowering as L'Eau Serge Lutens, its actually not a very powerful smell at all. I'm undecided on this one at the moment.

Overall verdict : 

• The total product value comes to approximately £28.34. It doesn't total as much as previous boxes, but it is still over double what we paid for the box.
• Most of these products, if not all, will get used eventually.
• The perfume samples have spray tops which I much prefer, these are very handy for popping in your handbag.
• I would like to see more make-up in these boxes. We seem to get a moisturiser every month, which is getting a little boring now. I'm receiving them quicker than I'm using them. 

Also, a heads up to non GB subscribers. They have said that there will be a special surprise in the Christmas GlossyBox so if you are tempted to sign up it may be worth doing so for the December box! You can sign up here. Fingers crossed its more than a Christmas card!

Did you receive this month's box? What products did you get? Were you happy?

October GlossyBox : Review

I think that this is only the second time that I have received my GlossyBox on time! I was very pleased when my neighbour handed over that gorgeous looking box as I do like to have a surprise.

The products...

Dermalogica Age Smart MultiVitamin Thermafoliant 15ml value approx £8.10

GlossyBox say : A powerful thermal skin polisher that combines physical and chemical exfoliants.

I say : I like the smell of this and from what I have heard about it previously I am very excited to receive this in my box. It is a heat activated scrub which I love. I am 26 now so I do like to receive products that claim to help with those horrid lines that are starting to appear! 

Dermalogica Age Smart MultiVitamin Power Recover Masque 15ml value approx £7.07

GlossyBox say : A powerful masque of concentrated antioxidant vitamins to help skin recover and regenerate.

I say : I'm not to keen on the smell of this, it reminds me of the smell of the PVA glue that we used to use in school! Smell aside this is another product that has rave reviews so I am excited to try it.

Leighton Denny Expert Nails in Babydoll 12ml (full size) value £11

GlossyBox say : Beautifully groomed hands and feet are always in fashion and with Leighton Denny Nail Colours, it's easy to keep them that way.

They have given us 15% off the range.

I say : I've been wanting to try Leighton Denny for a while now so was pleased to receive this. The colour isn't necessarily 'me' but there is no denying that it is a gorgeous shade. The above swatch is with just one coat.

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Moray (full size) value £13

GlossyBox say : Stila's highly pigmented, waterproof eye liner glides on delivering intense, vibrant colour with staying power.

I say : Another product that excited me! I've never tried any Stila products before this and have been wanting to give them a whirl. The eyeliner is a beautiful colour and has great pigmentation. It glides on easily and when left to set it doesn't budge! My eyeliner won't twist up, I wrote on their facebook page about this and received a reply straight away asking me to email them. I have just emailed and am confident that GlossyBox will provide me with a decent answer - I will keep you posted!

Robert Piguet Eau de Parfums 3 x 0.8ml samples value approx £1.04 per sample

GlossyBox say : Fracas de Robert Piguet, Visa de Robert Piguet and Calypso de Robert Piguet are three Signature scents from the 'most Parisian of fashion designers'.

I say : I actually quite like all of these fragrances, I love that they provided us with three different perfumes from the range instead of just one perfume sample.

Dermalogica Age Smart Renewal Lip Complex 1ml value approx £12.86

with Dermalogica Beauty Bag

GlossyBox say : A daily treatment that restores the delicate lip tissue.

I say : Love this so far. The product smells amazing and feels gorgeous on my lips. They also gave us a beauty bag which will come in handy.

Overall Verdict : 

• Another pleasing box, I think everyone received the same products this month, just different colour nail varnish (correct me if I'm wrong!). I know this will please a lot of people as sometimes with the varying products you can feel that you lost out. 
• As this is the sixth box GlossyBox provided us with a 6th product, plus a small beauty-related gift to help you carry your "six-pack", the Lip Complex and the beauty bag. I thought this was a lovely touch. 
• They are know providing the QR codes for the products on the information card which should take us straight to that product on the GlossyBox website.
• The products total comes to approximately £55.15!! Not too shabby hey!
• I like that we have received several products from the range with both the perfumes and the Dermalogica products, this way we get a good experience of the brand.
• GlossyBox have always added a refer a friend programme, for every person that signs up on your recommendation you get 200 GlossyDots, I can only assume that when people sign up they are now asked where they heard of GlossyBox.
• There was a lack of discount codes this month which was disappointing, the last couple of boxes have provided discount codes for all the products, this month we only had one discount code.

If you are signed up to GlossyBox have you received yours yet? What did you think of the products?

If you aren't signed up does this box make you wish that you were?

September GlossyBox : Review

I'm quite late with my GlossyBox post this month, annoyingly instead of leaving it with a neighbour the postie took it back to the depot which meant I didn't get it until Saturday. I did resist looking at other posts though so had a nice surprise when I opened my box.

The products...

 Dead Sea Spa Magik Salt Brushing two 50g sachets value £1.80 per sachet = £3.60

GlossyBox say : Voted 'Best Exfoliator' by You Magazine. A harmonious blend of pure Dead Sea Salts, vitamin E and coconut oil, with a hypnotic citrus aroma, make this a wonderfully pampering body exfoliator.

They have given us a 25% discount off our next purchase

I say : I'm pleased that I received these, the sachets are of a decent size so I will get a few uses out of them. The chunks of salt are large and will definitely give me a good exfoliate, the only worry is that they may be too harsh for my sensitive skin. The Citrus scent is lovely.

 HD Brows Eye & Brow Palette (full size) value £20 (approx)

GlossyBox say : Eyebrow expers HD Brows have developed this fantastic multi-use palette containing four matte eyebrow colours. They double up as an eye shadow and eyeliner as well as lasting 24 hours! 

They have given us a code for £5 off our next purchase of a complimentary product. The only problem with this is that the HD-brows website is awful and I can't find how to buy products, which is why the above price is an approximate one!

I say : First off I'm impressed that GlossyBox provided a decent brush as well as the sponge brush in the palette as we all know how useless those sponge applicators are! As you can see from the above photo (top before, bottom after) this kit does make my eyebrows look a lot better. This was a rough application that took less than five minutes so if I were to sit down and take my time after plucking my eyebrows I think I would get some great results! The colours have great pigmentation and great staying power. I really had to scrub hard in the shower to remove the swatches!

 Moa The Green Balm 

GlossyBox say : Crammed with organic yarrow and lots of other lovely natural stuff this handy little pot of Moa balm has many weird and wonderful uses, we're just balmy about it!

They have given us 20% off our next purchase.

I say : When I first opened my box this month I thought that I'd been done out of a product because this sample is so small that I didn't see it! They haven't told us what size this sample is which is quite annoying, I like to know the size of the samples I'm receiving. For me the fact that GlossyBox always tell us this and Boudoir Prive don't was a big plus to GlossyBox. This balm feels and smells lovely, it goes onto the skin quite oily and is really moisturising. I'm not really sure what I'll use a pot this size for, the website seems to suggest that it has healing powers so I may try it on my spots. If it works well I'll let you know!

 Neal and Wolf Glow Super Shine Spray 100ml (full size) value £11.95

GlossyBox say : GLOW is a weightless spray that adds deep, lasting shine. Its unique formula also helps to smooth hair, control frizz and reduce static. The result? Incredible all-over sine that leaves hair glowing! 

They have given us 15% off the whole range.

I say : I was pleased to see this product in my box. It does exactly what it does on the tin! My hair looks really nice and glossy after use and it also has a pleasant smell. As with all shine sprays if you use too much it does make your hair greasy.

Plum by Mary Greenwell Eau de Parfum 1.5ml value approx £2.70

GlossyBox say : Plum is the signature fragrance by world-renowned celebrity make-up artist Mary Greenwell. A stunning classic chypre with a memorable modern twist. 

They have given us 20% off our second item from the collection

I say : I usually don't like to receive perfumes in my boxes as so far I haven't liked any of them. This one however I actually do like! I will definitely be using this up.

Overall verdict : I really am pleased with this months box. I will use all of the products (provided that my skin doesn't hate the salt scrub). There has been a good variety as we've received body, make-up, hair and fragrance. The main disappointment for me is the tiny sample of Moa The Green Balm but I'm sure I'll find some use for it!

The total value of the box amounts to approximately £38.25, this really is very approximate as I haven't included a value for The Green Balm and have had to guess at the value of the HD Brow kit.

If you've reviewed this months box please leave me the link to your post as I love seeing what other people received and what they thought of it!

Week in Post #13

This week I've received...

 My September GlossyBox, loving the HD brow kit! Full review of the products to come soon, I haven't had a chance to play with them yet, busy busy!

 Some fab products to review from VIVO, again, review to follow...

 My first trial since being accepted on Tesco Home Panels, dishwasher tablets

I was lucky enough to win Jenna's giveaway which was a goodie bag from Funky Divaa, I sent my details off on Thursday evening so was very impressed that the prize arrived on Saturday! I will show you the products in more detail soon.