Beauty Box

Beauty Boxes

Miss Glossybox November/December 2013

November 18, 2013

Miss Glossybox is the younger sibling of the HBFL favourite, Glossybox. A bi-monthly subscription beauty box aimed at teenagers.

The box costs £7.00 (+£2.95 P&P) and everyone receives the same items.

This month contains three full size products (worth £29.50 together!) and two sample sizes.

Dermalogica Clear Start Breakout Clearing Foaming Wash

Despite being well into my twenties, I still suffer from breakouts like your average teen so this looks to be a great product for me. I’m a huge fan of the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant too so I’ll be switching this into my skin-care regime immediately!

Full Size

£13.00 from Dermalogica.co.uk

So…? Brit Body Spray

Okay so it’s been a long time since I busted out an Impulse spray, and this is a box aimed at a younger market so I’ll give it a shot. Though it’s far from the more mature, multi-note fragrances we’re drawn to as proper grown ups it’s alright as a post workout cover-up. It’s a bit too synthetic, but I’m sure I’ll find a use.

50ml Sample.

Full size £0.99 from Superdrug.com

Jelly Pong Pong 2-in-1 Shadow/Liner

I do love me some Jelly Pong Pong! This is the third or fourth time I’ve received an item from the brand in a Glossybox and it’s always a welcome sight (though I wonder if those who arn’t so fond enjoy the same brand over and over).

This is a gorgeous bronze chubby pencil that can be used as both an eyeliner or eyeshadow, I imagine I will use it most as the latter as it blends beautifully into a subtly metallic shimmer.

Full Size.

Available for £10.50 from Jellypongpong.com

Lacoste Touch Of Pink EDT

First thoughts were “Oh no, another bloody fragrance sample” and “Bleugh, Lacoste?! Chavvy much!” but actually this is a rather charming floral scent. Points lost on being a stick dispenser rather than a spray, but if you’re into very light feminine smells this could be a pleasant surprise.

2ml sample.

Full size £24.99 from Boots.com

Little Mix Nail Wraps – Leigh-Anne

I have to say I think these are absolutely vile. My disappointment only grew at finding the more alternative looking “Perrie” set so I had to remind myself that I’m bloody rubbish at applying nail wraps anyway.

Full Size.

Available for £6.00 from Boots.com

So there we have it, the final Miss Glossybox of the year and overall it wasn’t a bad box at all.

It’s worth remembering that unlike most other beauty boxes, with Miss Glossybox everyone gets the same items (with occasional variety in shades) so you will get exactly what you see here.

You can order your very own Miss Glossybox for £7.00 (+ P&P) here.

Totally hellbent for that lovely christmassy red bag and the treats within!

– Gem

Follow us on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Blog Lovin’

Beauty Boxes

November 2013 Birchbox

November 15, 2013

Seems like this Birchbox came around really quickly! Not that I’m going to complain – Birchbox have had a winning streak of amazing boxes recently and this one is no different!

For the uninitiated, Birchbox is a monthly subscription beauty box that tends to have between 5-6 beauty products and a lifestyle (usually some kind of delicious snack!) extra.

This month is another big one with seven products and an overall worth that’s way above the price point.

Welda Replenishing Oat Shampoo

I’ve been keen to try more from this brand since falling in love with the Welda Skin Food (which I received in a previous Birchbox) so this was a nice treat! It claims to smooth hair, reduce breakage and improve suppleness and is enriched with lots of yummy natural oils!

18ml Sample

Full size £8.95 from Birchbox.com

Laura Mercier Long Lash Mascara

You can never have too many mascaras right? I tend to be less adventurous with seeking out new mascaras, so it’s always great to get to try out samples in beauty boxes. I fell in love with the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser last month, so fingers crossed the mascara is just as good.

5.6g Sample

Full size £18.50 from John Lewis

Matriskin High Performance Cream

Containing 47 different peptides to plump, regenerate and restructure the skin, and I’m guessing it needs every single one to be worth £80.50 a jar! I think I’d like to do a little research into it’s contents before I put it near by face, as a quick google search couldn’t ascertain if this was animal friendly or not. At any rate I doubt it will be a repurchase at that price unless it really does work miracles!

15ml Sample

Full size £80.50 from Birchbox.com

Chella Highlighter pencil in Ivory Lace

I’ve never once considered a pencil as a viable medium for highlighter before, but this is gorgeous! A lovely pinky shimmer that will be just at home on the cheekbones as it will for eye make-up. This is one of the reasons I really love beauty boxes, not only a new brand to be discovered but also a whole new world of highlighters in pencil form!

Full size

Available for £15.95 from Birchbox.com

English Laundry Signature For Her Eau De Parfum

Oh that old complaint of perfume samples in beauty boxes. I don’t really mind when you get the odd one, though I much prefer the adorable miniature bottles to a standard sample card. I’d put this down as a very feminine floral scent, very summery though not too light. Not sure if I’d go for the full size but it might just grow on me.

2ml Sample

Full size £47 from Birchbox.com

BirchBox Pencil Sharpener – Bonus Goodie

It’s always handy to have a pencil sharpener to hand, and this is actually much better than the one I’m currently using. Not super-exciting, but definitely useful! It has a clip off top so you could keep it in your make-up bag and not risk bits of pencil going everywhere, and accommodates both thinner and jumbo pencils.

Full size

Available for £3 from Birchbox.com

Pukka Herbs Selection of Teas – Lifestyle Extra

Is it okay to get excited about tea? I’m English, of course it’s acceptable to get excited about tea! I smelt the delicious Three Cinnamon the moment I opened the box, then quickly spotted Gorgeous Earl Grey and Elderberry & Echinacea beneath. They are all organic and made from the most delicious (mostly) fair-trade ingredients.

3 x 2g tea bag

£2.39 per multi-pack from BirchBox.com

Yet another great box from Birchbox! If you like what you’ve seen, you can get your very own monthy box of treats from www.BirchBox.com for £10 & P&P.

Totally hellbent for tea? OOOOOOH TEA!

– Gem

Follow us on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Blog Lovin’

Beauty Boxes

Glossybox October 2013 – Dark Romance

October 14, 2013

When the preview pictures of the theme for the October Glossybox went up, I was so, so excited – Dark Romance – all thoughts of smoky eyes and deep reds and purples, but the actual box seems to bear little in way of the theme and I have to say is my least favourite since subscribing.

Katy Perry Killer Queen EDP

The first thing I noticed was the perfume sample that I already received in the Sept/Oct Miss Glossybox. I can only assume there are a great number of people like myself who subscribe to both and feel a bit cheated getting the same product twice.

1.5ml sample

50ml for £29.00 from Superdrug

Monu Illuminating Primer

I love a good primer, and this one comes highly recommended. The sample is a decent 20ml size so will get plenty of use out of it at least. I just find it hard to get super-excited about primers, perhaps this will amaze me and i’ll bite my words but it’s a bit…boring?

20ml sample

50ml for £24.95 from Monu

Premae Multi-vit Smoothie Serum

Again, I find it pretty hard to get excited about skin-care. I do like that this is allergen free and clearly marked as being vegan but it just doesn’t strike me as a WOW product.

20ml sample

50ml for £33.50 from Premae

Me Me Me Cherub’s Blush Lip & Cheek Tint

This is the only product you could even remotely tie into the “Dark Romance” theme. It’s the third or fourth Me Me Me product I’ve received in a Glossybox, and probably my least favourite. I tried a little on my cheeks and it stained where I applied before I had time to rub it in leaving me with little red stripes on my cheeks. As a lip stain it was far too watery. I’ll be sticking to my Benetint.

Full size product

12ml for £5.50 from MeMeMe

Vita Liberata Latte Illuminating Skin Finish

Definitely the worst thing I’ve ever got in a beauty box. I don’t use tanning products EVER AT ALL EVER EVER EVER and even if I did I would be disappointed at the two little sachets. I also don’t think tanned glimmering latte skin could be further away from “Dark Romance” if it tried.

2 x 3ml samples

30ml for £29.99 from Vita Liberata

Lots of people have expressed their disappointment at both the lack of adherence to the theme and the products themselves, so here’s hoping Glossybox pull something amazing out for next month to make up for it!

You can order a Glossybox here for £10 (+ P&P) per monthly box.

Totally hellbent for “oh it will be better next time”

– Gem

Beauty Boxes

Glossybox September 2013 – The London Edition

September 10, 2013

Officially the most well timed Glossybox ever. It arrived right as my boyfriend returned back to Holland for uni and gave me a much needed burst of cheer and excitement.

First notable thing (other than the gorgeous union jack box!) is the addition of the GB MAG. Gone is the large fold out explanation of the products, and in it’s place a glossy magazine and small card – just like Birchbox.

Eylure Pre-glued Lashes

I can’t say I’ve ever found myself distressed at the lack of glue on bog-standard lashes, but I’m sure I’ll make a grab for these next time I’m in a real hurry.

Full size sample.

£5.29 from Boots.

Elizabeth Arden Untold EDP

Truth be told, most perfume samples in beauty boxes leave us all a little underwhelmed, but when it’s a mini bottle in adorable packaging I get a lot more enthused. The box itself is very luxe, and the perfume bottle adorable.

The scent is very wearable and floral, and I could definitely see me purchasing the full size at some point. Take note perfumeries, the shallowness of beauty bloggers is unfathomable. Put your sample in a pretty bottle and it’s a guaranteed win…you know so long as it smells nice too!

5ml Sample.

£31.50 – £62.10 from Debenhams

TONI&GUY HairMeet Wardrobe – Classic shine and gloss serum

Am I the only one not crazy about the idea of shiny hair? I’m actually dying my hair as I write this so can’t quite test it out, but I don’t imagine it will be something I use often unfortunately.

Full size sample.

£7.19 for 30ml from Boots.

Be A Bombshell Onyx Eye Liner

Well hello! Just when I thought my frivolous flirting with eyeliners was over thanks to the Eyeko Skinny Mini, I may have just been tempted to stray all over again!

After a quick swatch it was very easy to see the versatility of this liner, from subtle flicks to the most grandiose wings! Something I will be playing around with a lot!

Full size sample.

$14 for 3g from www.beabombshell.com

Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips

This has been a cult product for a long time, and I’ve been temped to purchase it in the past but instead went for the Nib+Fab offering. As my beloved N+F lip and nip cream has been discontinued I think it’s about time I gave this a shot, so yet again brilliant timing Glossybox!

After a quick test I have to say this is almost an identical product to the Nib+Fab, very very VERY moisturising on the lips. It has a really thick texture which some people aren’t fond of, but I find that using a small amount on my lips just before bed means I very rarely if ever suffer from chapped lips.

100% will be a re-purchase!

3ml sample

Full size £11.50 from www.drlipp.com

All in all this is one of my favourite Glossyboxes to date!

You can order a Glossybox here for £10 (+ P&P) per monthly box.

Totally hellbent for good timing!

– Gem

Beauty Boxes

Miss Glossybox July / August 2013

July 24, 2013

Miss Glossybox is the younger sibling of the HBFL favourite, Glossybox. A bi-monthly subscription beauty box aimed at teenagers (or 27 year old’s with a beauty box addiction…*cough*).

The box costs £7.00 (+£2.95 P&P) and everyone receives the same five items.

I was expecting a box within a box in keeping with the grown up Glossybox, but the junior version comes in a purple drawstring bag, that is sizeable enough to be fairly useful in some way or another I’m sure!

Okay onto the shinies –

Kiss Nail Wrap – Cocktail

The first thing that caught my eye – OOOOH ZEBRAS! I love zebras a little too much, and though the pink is a little girly for me I admit I did do a little sequel.

Now I have a confession…I have a drawer full of nail wraps and I’ve never tried any of them. I guess it’s the fear of messing them up and then you’ve wasted the whole product…I might be brave and try these out after festival season.

V05 Plump it up Dry Backcomb Spray

Yup. Definitely my kind of hair product. Gave it a quick try and it gave a lot of volume with little effort. I can say it will 100% be a repurchase, even after only one small test!

Glossybox False Lashes

One can never have too many pairs of falsies, and I don’t own a single pair this full so a great item for me. The Glossybox branded items have always been great products so I’m sure these will be of a high quality too.

Beyonce Midnight Heat

I’m not usually a big fan of perfume samples (is anyone?) unless they are in miniature bottles, but I have to say this smells gorgeous. Not sure why a description of it’s “sensual and enticing” fragrance is included in a box for young girls, but hey-ho.

Miss Patisserie Starlight Macaroon bath fizzy

The gorgeous passion fruit, rose and shea butter scent filled the box even through all the packaging, however I was filled with dismay at finding a bath bomb as I don’t have a bath! When we had the bathroom refitted I decided to have a double shower instead – which means I have lots of room for my products but zero use for a bath bomb.

Overall it was a good box, lacking in make-up items but very usable for me at least. You don’t get as much bang for your buck as you would with a standard Glossybox, but you still end up quids in!

You can order a Miss Glossybox of your own from here for £7.00 +P&P.

Totally hellbent for pretending to still be a teenager

– Gem

Beauty Boxes, Hair, Skincare

Latest in Beauty – Little Beauty Box

July 18, 2013

I love my beauty boxes, but sometimes waiting a whole month for the next one can be so tedious! Latest in Beauty offer two different types of box that offer some much needed “ooooh a shiny box” in between Glossybox and Birchbox deliveries.

Firstly are their LIB collections, themed sets of pre-determined products where you can see exactly what you are going to get before ordering. The collections are usually somewhere between £7-£20 depending on the nature of the theme, but often sell out very quickly! Amie got her hands on the Glamour Beauty Edit which you can read about here.

Second is the package than popped through my letterbox this morning, the Little Beauty Box.

The Little Beauty Box consists of three small samples, and as with the LIB collections you get to see what you will receive in advance, in fact you get to pick which products you want before committing to the box. There is no recurring subscription as payment is taken via a premium text message for £1.50.

Here’s what I chose.

Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate

With an ingredient list that is almost entirely natural essential oils I had to give this a shot. The concentrate is a aromatic oil intended for use as part of the evening skincare routine, and proclaims to clear toxins, reduce puffiness, boost circulation, encourage cell renewal and aid lymphatic drainage.

It smells gorgeous and is a generous 2ml vial of sample, so enough for a few nights at least.

Lavera Liposome Intensive Cream

Again, it was the organic, natural ingredients that drew me towards picking a wrinkle cream that I don’t really need. I received three 1ml sachets, yet somehow they aren’t nearly as exciting as the lovely packaging from Liz Earle.

Curiosity made me open one straight away and the rose scent is just gorgeous, it did feel a little too greasy for my skin, however I will be donating these to Amie’s somewhat dryer skin where I think they will find a happier home!

Aveda Invati Exfoliating Shampoo & Thickening Conditioner

You can opt for one of your samples to be a surprise, and with nothing in the third option making me particularly excited that’s what I went for.

These cute little 10ml tubes smell absolutely amazing, and if my hair takes a liking to them I just might have to go for a full sized based on that alone!

You can order a LIB little beauty box here for £1.50.

Totally hellbent for smelling like a herb garden thanks to my organic picks!

– Gem

Beauty Boxes, Festivals, Hair, Make-up, Nails

July 2013 Glossybox

July 13, 2013

Glossybox day is always the most exciting day of the month!

I’ve been doubly excited about the July box since I saw the gorgeous turquoise print a few days ago as part of the “ready for summer” theme, and I’m glad to say the contents were just as exciting!

After a long day in the sun at work organising a performance for some pupils at my music school, I was filled with glee at my lovely blue box. Despite my hot, sweaty, impatient demeanour I took my time drawing that lovely blue ribbon to reveal the treasures inside.

I am happy to say I will use everything inside the box, in fact I’d used the first item within seconds of spotting it!

Anatomiocals spray misty for me facial spritz

Anatomicals is not a brand I’ve heard of before but I rushed to cover my face in this cooling lavender and peppermint spray the moment I realized what it was. I was still wearing a full face of make-up at the time and it cooled me down and made my face feel refreshed without budging my war paint even a bit!

Alterna Haircare bamboo style boho waves tousled texture mist

I love the wavy just-come-from-the-beach-or-alternatively-from-a-vicious-headbanging-session look so I’m sure I’ll get lots of use out of this. It has a very light summery scent so I’m sure I’ll enjoy that regardless of how good it is at giving me big blue summery waves.

Pukka Ayurveda radiance serum

I’ve become slightly less excited about skincare items in my Glossybox as I find I never really get a chance to properly try them out. I have so many skincare samples and minis I fear I’ll never get around to really giving them a go, but the tripple whammy of Wacken > Bloodstock > Sunkfest next month means I should have plenty of reasons to pack my skincare minis and leave my full sized staples at home!

Ciate paint pot in “Pocket Money”

I’ve been meaning to try a Ciante polish for a long time, but begrudge £9.00 for something I will use one or two times then relegate to the back of my nail varnish drawer, so this was a nice surprise.

I love the warm neutral shade, and the packaging is very pretty however my boyfriend broke the trademark bow within two seconds of seeing it proclaiming “I want to eat it, it looks like dessert”…..

Coola Organic Suncare Collection mineral face SPF 20 rose essence tint

I hate hate hate the feeling of oily sun lotion on my face and sadly stick to foundations with SPF rather than a dedicated cream, reluctantly using a light spray sun protection in the hottest of weather. This however looks like it might be my new favourite product!

The full size product is a tad on the pricey side at £29.99 got 50ml as you have to throw away suncare products every year, but if it protects my face and keeps my skin from looking like an oil slick I might be swayed.

Overall verdict

Although I prefer a mix of more make-up products I’m really happy and impressed with this box, and I think I will get a lot of use out of it on my adventures next month!

You can order a Glossybox here for £10 (+ P&P) per monthly box.

Totally hellbent at almost being set for adventures thanks to my new miniatures!

– Gem

Beauty Boxes, Make-up

Me, Myself and my boxes …

July 11, 2013

I blame Gemma.

For a long time, I have tried to resist the temptation of beauty boxes.

A few months ago, Gemma gave in and purchased her first. Unfortunately, she gave me a demonstration of how she opened her box when it came. She had even resealed the package with the bow so I could satisfyingly pull the ribbon apart to reveal a selection of surprise beauty products. Not only was the ribbon pulled, but so were my makeup and obsessive compulsive brain cells being pulled – and tugged – and shook – and prodded, until eventually the sensible part of my brain gave in with that ever familiar, parent style, eye rolling look, that say’s “*sigh* go on then.”

Alas, completely unsatisfied at having to wait for my next Glossybox I was sucked into purchasing the Glamour beauty edit edition of the Latest in Beauty Box.

I’m not sure what did it for me, it could have been the adorable pink vintage style tweezers, or the excitement of adding yet -more- dry shampoo spray to my “miniature festival collection”, or most likely the miniature Benefit The POREfessional. What I do know, is that it was delivered to my house and now it’s mine!

Totally hellbent for “oops did I just purchase that?”

– Pants