Review : December JolieBox / Boudoir Prive

I received the all new JolieBox today which I was very excited about. For those of you who don't know Boudoir Prive have gone into partnership with JolieBox.

My box...

The Contents...

OPI Gold Shatter Nail Lacquer 15ml (full size) £10.50

JolieBox say : Apply over any dry nail lacquer to create a stunning "shattered" effect

I say : I was very pleased to see a full sized OPI in my box, then a little disappointed to see that it was a shatter one, then pleased again when I tried it. I'm getting a little bored of the crackle trend now but this is the prettiest shatter polish I have seen. I love the shimmer in it.

Mitchell and Peach Shower Wash 50ml approx value £4.00

JolieBox say : An invigorating shower wash containing natural English honey, Vitamin E and wheat proteins

I say : This smells very strong, too strong for my liking. I'm sure some people would love it though and I will give it a go. Hopefully the smell doesn't linger...

New CID Cosmetics i-gloss 6.2g (full size) £16.00

JolieBox say : Light up lip gloss with mirror for a non-sticky, long-lasting and high-glam shine

I say : I received this in Baby Doll which is a gorgeous pinky colour. The packaging is cute. I remember having a cheap lipgloss from Peacocks a few years back that lit up, everyone would be amazed when I pulled it out in the night clubs! The formula of this is lovely.

Jane Iredale 24-Karat Gold Dust 1.8g (full size) £12.00

JolieBox say : A multi-use shimmer powder in shade Rose Gold to apply to cheeks, eyes, lips, body and even hair

I say : This is very pigmented and has lovely flecks of glitter through it. I think this would look lovely applied to cheeks with a very light hand, although I do tend to avoid shimmery blushers as my skin looks greasy enough already.

Yon-Ka Vital Defense 5ml value approx £4.00

JolieBox say : Anti-aging prevention, antioxidant and anti-pollution cream to help the skin to preserve its youthfulness

I say : I love the smell of this and I love to receive a good anti-aging product so this is a win for me. My internet finds seem to suggest that this is a very popular brand amongst the celebs. It also seems to be quite difficult to get hold of. 

Bonus products...

Kusmi Detox Tea 20g value approx £1.90

JolieBox say : A delicious blend of Maté, Chinese Green Tea and lemon grass full flavoured with lemon 

I say : This was a lovely little bonus to receive and I look forward to trying it. JolieBox suggest that we have it the day after the night before, I'm sure the festive season will bring me plenty of opportunities to test this out!

JolieBox Concealer Brush

JolieBox say : Designed for blending concealer, the pointed tip provides precision for small imperfections whilst the flat side smoothes coverage across larger areas such as under the eye

I say : This was a lovely touch in a lovely box. JolieBox suggest that we use this with the Jane Iredale mineral powder. It feels like a soft but firm brush that should work well.

Overall verdict...

• Overall a huge thumbs up for the JolieBox & Boudoir Prive partnership. 
• I love the new box, it is sleek and sophisticated. A lot nicer than the old pink boxes.
• The box contents total approx £48.40, we received five products plus two bonus products. Three of the five products were full size.
• The card suggests how we use all the products together while 'getting primped for festive soirées' which I think is a lovely touch.
• To continue the festive party theme we also had a code entitling us to 20% off at WishWantWear.com.
• This box was so amazing due to the fact that its Christmas and its the first box of the partnership so fingers crossed standards won't start to slip.
• I don't like the box that the information card doesn't tell you where you can buy the products, I spent a lot of time trawling the internet trying to find product prices.

Collective Haul

As I'm sure you're probably aware by now, I have a huge problem, I am addicted to spending. It really needs to stop but I can't resist pretty things, especially bargains!!

I've bought loads this past week, some because they were bargains, others because I went shopping in Reading and felt obliged!

ASDA polka dot dress, reduced to £5

new bowl for Flick, she isn't a kitten but it was reduced to £2 and I'm a sucker for pink!

new bowl for Kitty, this was more expensive than Flick's at around the £5 mark, but it is so apt I had to get it!

Holland & Barrett, the box on the left was a free sample, the tablets cost around £6.50

MAC foundation and pump, around the £23 mark, you can see my review of the product and the whole MAC experience here

There isn't anywhere near me that sells OPI (not that I know of anyway). I saw Sally's in Wokingham so decided to treat myself to my first full size bottle! This cost £10.99

I needed something in which to store my palettes so decided to get the famous Paperchase butterfly letter holder, along with a little notebook to keep a note of my Weight Watchers dieting. The palette storage was about £8 and the book about £3.

The brogues were on sale in Peacocks for £8, I have a new found love for brogues so couldn't resist these! The socks were 3 for 2

Bobbles, £0.50 Primark. I'm sure the butterfly will annoy me if it doesn't fall off before I break it off!

Tan fur trimmed boots, Primark £15. These are so cute I couldn't leave them there for that price!

Necklace, £3 Primark.

PJ bottoms, £5. A few of us were eyeing these up at the Bristol blogger meet as they are so warm and comfy! (They're fleecy) I saw them again and had to buy them, I forgot to take my PJs to Reading with me so this was the perfect excuse!

PJ top, £3 Primark.

Scarf, £3 Primark

My favourite bow tights have just laddered so I picked up these two pairs, £2.50 each, Primark.

Coloured tights, £2 each Primark

Three tier cake stand, £4.99 Robert Dyas. Its pretty, enough said.

What have you been buying lately? As you can see from my purchases I am attracted to a lot of orange lately and am so pleased to see this colour everywhere.

June Glossy Box : Review & Swatches

By now you have probably guessed that most people aren't at all happy with their June GlossyBoxes. Different people had different products and I must admit that seeing what some people had I am quite pleased with mine. So, here are my thoughts on the items inside the controversial June box and what I had...

Batiste Dry Shampoo, Original 50 ml value approx £0.75

GlossyBox say : A trusted summer must-have. This handy handbag size is perfect for refreshing your style wherever you are! Extend the life of your blow-dry or add some texture to slick hair. Batiste will leave your hair smelling and looking fabulous!

I say : this is the part of the Glossy Box that for me and many others was a huge disappointment. "Each GlossyBox contains five selected luxury product miniatures." << That there is taken from the GlossyBox website, now I don't know about you but I really do not class Batiste as a luxury product! Granted I will be using this product but the whole point of signing up to GlossyBox for me was to trial products that I wouldn't normally be able to afford to buy.

 Lalique, Perles de Lilique 4.5 ml approx value £3.06

GlossyBox say : Hello, old-school glamour! Up the ante with Perles, a traditional and glamorous chypre, using natural raw materials from around the world. We adore the art-deco inspired flacon, a must for any femme fatale's dressing table! 

I say : I agree that the bottle is very pretty and will look lovely on my dressing table. For me unfortunately that is where it ends. This perfume is very musty and is not a fragrance I personally would choose. However, that is my personal opinion, everyone likes different fragrances.

 Bioeffect BGF Serum travel size £30

GlossyBox say : Feel the full effect of Epidermal Growth Factor, Iceland's best-kept beauty secret! A veritable potion of youth - Bioeffect's EGF Serum stimulates the growth of new skin cells, resulting in a great complexion  hydrated and overall younger looking skin. Suitable for all skin types and ages.

I say : I haven't yet tried this product but am very much looking forward to giving it a go. This sample size alone is worth £30, the full size bottle costs £125!! Things like this right here is why I subscribe to GlossyBox.

 OPI Designer Series Mini Nail Lacquer 3.75 ml approx £4.19

GlossyBox say : Perfect to set off your tan, OPI's Designer Series nail lacquer comes in glittering, glamorous shades crowned with diamond dazzle for June. 

I say : I'm really pleased to have received this as I have never tried OPI and probably never would as I can't justify spending that much money on nail varnish. The bottle is tiny but when we signed up we were aware that we were signing up for samples.

Pictured next to a full size Nails Inc (freebie) for size comparison

 

 Rouge Bunny Rouge, Secret places of Love shade 054, 7 ml (full size) £20

GlossyBox say : Allude to the tigress in you while remaining the epitome of polished chic. This lip gloss is enriched with a cocktail of Sesame, Boswellia Oils and Vitamin E. Together, they hydrate and plump to give your lips a fuller, magnified look.

I say : I love this lip gloss! The colour is lovely, it has lovely gold shimmery undertones. I don't know about the plumping effect, it doesn't seem to have made my lips any fuller. It definitely is a very hydrating lip gloss though and I will be using this.

really didn't want to do a lip shot as I have loads of spots :( I just had to show you how lovely the colour looks though!

Overall verdict : Batiste to me is a complete let down as it doesn't fit with the GlossyBox image, but ignore the Batiste and I am happy with what I received. The total contents of the box are worth £58, for £10 you really can't complain. The only product that I won't be using is the perfume, purely because the fragrance doesn't do it for me.

GlossyBox have said that as from September they will be adding an extra £2.95 onto the monthly subscription to cover postage. They announced this yesterday which was real stupid due to the fact that everyone was already in uproar, wait for people to calm down before you announce this! I will continue my subscription for July and August, these two boxes will be the decider on whether I stay with GlossyBox or switch to Boudoir Prive who look set to be GlossyBoxes rivals!

*Disclaimer* I Paid for this with my own money. and am in no way licking PR bum.  I know that a lot of people aren't at all happy with this months GlossyBox, I too was initially annoyed when I heard that there was a Batiste sample in the box! I have seen people bloging and tweeting suggesting that those who are happy with their boxes this month are licking bum. I am not! These are my total honest opinions.