December GlossyBox : Christmas Edition

This month's GlossyBox is a special limited edition Christmas box. The first thing you will notice, is the shiny red box, with black bow and white tissue paper. As much as I love the baby pink & brown colour theme of the original GlossyBox's, I absolutely loved the colour scheme of this one!
The theme of the box this month was "Christmas Gift Guide - Part 2", all items carefully selected to ensure you are the "Belle of the ball at any Christmas party". This has got to be my favourite box of all the months so far. I absolutely love everything in it, and there's not one thing I wouldn't use. I especially like that there a few make up items.

• Cargo Cosmetics Classic Lipgloss "Tokyo" - This is a really pretty shade, and I can definitely see myself getting a lot of use out of this.
• Deborah Lippmann Nail Varnish "Razzle Dazzle" - This is AMAZING. The first thing I noticed when I opened my box as it was so sparkly and pretty.
• Deborah Lippmann "Stripped To Go" Sachet - This is a finger mitt for removing nail varnish, great on the go!
• FAB Daily Face Cream - This cream is really lightweight & sinks into the skin very quickly but leaves it so soft and is a great base for makeup. It is for sensitive skin & contains an antioxidant booster. So far, so good.
• Nouveau Lashes "Noir" Mascara - I was really excited when I saw this in the box. I am a sucker for mascara. I have applied this a few times. I found the brush to be quite hard, and it did hurt my lashes a little bit (that could be my application technique), but it does make my lashes look volumised & very lengthened.
  
• Rituals Foaming Shower Gel - This smells AMAZING, and it's really moisturising. It's one of those products you use in the bath or shower, and get little whiffs of it throughout the day.

Did you sign up for the Limited Edition GlossyBox? What did you think of it? and what was your favourite item?

♥

GlossyBox Catch-up : October & November.

In true slacking-blogger style, I didn't get round to showing you the previous month's GlossyBox's. So today, before I can reveal the Limited Edition Christmas Box in a few days time, I thought I'd go over October & November's boxes and give you a little glimpse of the variation between them for those of you who may still be on the fence about subscribing.

October.

• Dermalogica Makeup Bag - The perfect size for your handbag.
• Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque - I've used this, and my skin felt & looked refreshed afterwards. It did feel a little like I was smearing Lemon Curd on my face though.
• Dermalogica MultiVitamin Thermafoliant - I haven't used this yet but it's a skin polisher that combines chemical and physical exfoliants. Looks fancy.
• Dermalogica Renewal Lip Complex - I absolutely love this. In fact, I'm trying to use it sparingly as I don't want it to run out. It's such a lovely lipbalm, and although for aging lips, it works wonders on dry, chapped lips.
  
• Leighton Denny Nail Polish in "BabyDoll" - This is the perfect baby pink, and looks so pretty and natural on the nails. I also like the super glossy finish & it dries very quickly.
• Stila Smudge Stick Eyeliner in "Moray" - This eyeliner is a gorgeous olive green. I tend to stay well away from coloured eyeliners, and stick to my blacks and browns, but this is ever so subtle, and it really does stay put, yet it's creamy enough for easy application. It has teeny tiny gold flecks in it, which make it even more pretty and very metallic-like. This was my favourite item in the GlossyBox for that month & I'm definitely going to look into getting some more colours.
  
• Robert Piguet Fragrance Samples "Fraca", "Visa" and "Calypso" - I'm not the biggest fan of perfume samples, but these I absolutely LOVED. My favourite is the Fraca one (the pink). They all smell amazing, and it wasn't a brand I'd ever heard of previously, and this is why I love the concept of beauty boxes, they introduce to things you'd never normally try or find. I also like to throw these in my handbags to save you having to carry a whole perfume bottle for re-squirts. :)

November.

• Dead Sea Spa Magik Bath Salts - I'm really looking forward to trying these, as I get majorly dry legs in the winter (yes, mostly just my legs get dry...weird huh?) and I also get ingrown hairs on my thighs, which are already starting to irritate me and my skin, so I'm hoping these salts will work wonders on my legs.
• Nail Rock Nail Wraps - I've used these before, and I loved them. A little tricky to begin with, but if you get someone to help you, you soon get used to it, and let's face it, they look fierce.
• Serge Lutens Unisex Fragrances - These intrigued me. I love the idea of unisex perfumes. One smells lovely (the white box - L'Eau Serge Lutens), and the other I'm not so keen on (the black box - Vitriol d'Oeillet), the second is a lot more of a masculine smell, and much more woody. I would seriously condiser buying the first fragrance but the hefty 100ml £86 price tag has put me off a little bit. I'll have to save that one for a sneaky splurge one rainy day I think.
• Arbonne FC5 Ultra Hydrating Hand Creme - A lot of people said that the strong scent of this put them off. I personally like the scent of this hand cream but then I'm the sort of person who doesn't do unscented. If i'm making my hands soft, i want them to smell nice too :)
• Monu Recovery Balm - This is a gentle balm to provide relief to all skin types, especially sensitive or stressed. I've not used this yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing if it can calm down my spotty T zone.

So that was my quick run down of the past few boxes. I wanted to keep it short and sweet with bitesized information and mini reviews as I'm sure you've seen everyone else talking about them and I don't want to bore you. Is there anything in there that caught your eye? Or if you recieved these boxes too, what has been your favourite item?

♥

London Eye with GlossyBox

Me, Kate, Gemma, Louise, Kate, Lily

Most of you will be aware of Glossybox by now, one of the (now many) brands who offer a monthly beauty box subscription. I was very kindly asked if I wanted to become a GlossyBox Ambassador alongside many other amazing bloggers and vloggers, and of course I took up the offer having met and spoken to the gorgeous girls behind the brand at the previous GlossyBox event. I'm really looking forward to getting a bit more of an insiders view on the thoughts and process' of the items that go into the boxes each month and of course that means keeping you lovely lot updated.

So on Wednesday of last week, Louise & I took the tube over to Waterloo to join the GlossyBox team and the rest of the Ambassadors for a spin on the London Eye. I've never been on the London Eye, so I was excited, but also a little apprehensive (panic attack sufferer locked in a pod is not the best combination) I was fine though, and really enjoyed mingling with the rest of the girls up in the sky overlooking the City at night. It all looked so pretty. We also took a stroll along to the Christmas Market (literally a 2 minute walk from the eye). It made me feel so christmassy with the smells of mulled wine and various sweet treats floating about.

One of the highlights of the evening was finally getting to meet Sammi & Gracie, they were a hoot. It was also lovely to catch up with everyone and a few gorgeous girlies I hadn't seen in a while. And it goes without saying that spending time with Louise was amazing, as always.

♥

September GlossyBox

After attending the GlossyBox Event, I was super excited to receive the September GlossyBox in the post. There is definitely that element of excitement not knowing what you are going to get & everything is presented so beautifully. I understand that the contents of each box may vary slightly but these are the products I received in mine:

♥ L'oreal Professionelle Mythic Hair Oil
♥ HD Brows Eye & Brow Palette
♥ StriVectin SD Eye Concetrate
♥ Mary Greenwell Plum Eau de Parfum Sample
♥ Nuxe HuileProdigieuse (dry oil)

My favourite item is definitely the brow kit. The shadows are so pigmented and easy to blend & I've really enjoyed using it, the colours will also be really good for smokey brown eyes although I have yet to try this out. Besides this palette, I've not really had the chance to try anything else in the box out yet (I'm still trialling the things from the event). I have however given the perfume a little sniff, and that one is not for me at all. It smelt a little like an older lady's choice of perfume in my opinion. Possibly a bit too floral for my liking. Although it could be someone else's cuppa.
I'm still undecided on whether to subscribe to GlossyBox or not. I think the concept is amazing, and a great oppertunity for beauty fanatics to try new, exciting products and I think that it's also a great idea as a gift for someone, I know for a fact my mum would love this sort of thing.

What do you think of GlossyBox? Have you subscribed or are you thinking about it? Let me know your thoughts :)

♥

GlossyBox Event

Victoria (VIPXO) & Lily (LLYMLRS)

Me, Victoria, Louise & Lily (Kindly taken by Lily at Glossybox)

Last Thursday, after attending the Illamasqua Event with Louise, we made our way over to Mortons in Mayfair for the GlossyBox event. It was extremely swanky round there let me tell you. I felt a little out of place in my chino's & flats.

I had heard a lot about GlossyBox, both good, and bad, but having not looked into it more myself, or subscribed to the box, I went there with a completely open mind and not really knowing an awful lot. I already knew that it was a fabulous idea however, but after speaking with the girls behind the brand it all became very clear how much thought and effort went into these boxes, and it confirmed in my mind that in fact, it's a marvellous and exciting idea and concept. I know that most of you may have already had your fair share of GlossyBox info, or be subscribers to the box, but for those of you who may be reading this wondering what it is, I shall quickly sum it up for you (I will probabaly give it absolutely no justice whatsoever, but I will try) GlossyBox is a monthly subscription, which arrives to your door, in a little box, filled with high end Beauty & Cosmetic samples. The idea is that you pay a smaller amount that you would to buy full sized products and get to sample a variety of different things you may not have thought to try previously. The previous boxes have contained brands such as Nars, Illamasqua, Ciate, Xen Tan...to name a few. There are also lesser known brands, some of which deserve to be shouted about I'm sure. It's a great concept for those of you who may wish to experiment a bit more with different beauty products and spend less doing so.

At the event, we were given an empty box, of which we could fill with 5 products that had been used in GlossyBox's during the previous months. This was seriously fun, we even got the little sticker and ribbon to tie the bow (I don't know how they manage to tie these so neatly, mine was a shambles) It was a lovely evening, and the girls were all so friendly, I didn't get to chat to everyone but I spoke with Sky & Lily who were both gorgeous & lovely. I also finally got to meet Victoria & Lily who's blogs I both adore & overall it was a splendid event. Thanks for having me GlossyBox.

At the event we were given a little voucher for a free GlossyBox, I received mine yesterday, but I am staying tight lipped until the subscribers recieve theirs, so look out for my review on that.

♥

New Love | Yves Rocher Mascara "Sexy Pulp"

Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp Mascara £8.45 currently half price (£16.90 originally)

If you read any of my monthly beauty box posts, you may recognise this brand as being something included in the June GlossyBox. I didn't really think too much of it initially, and put it aside. Oh how silly of me. I then stayed a night at a friends house and threw this into my handbag as a quick (and nifty travel sized) mascara option. When I first opened this, I grimaced at the size of the brush head. It does look massive, in length and thickness. It scared me a little, putting this near my eye. I once owned "bad gal lash" by Benefit, and that too had a very large brush on the wand, and I didn't get on with it at all. It was messy, difficult for accuracy and sometimes a little painful (bristles in eye scenario). Now, I believe  I have normal sized eyes, and that although Louise calls me Chumbolina (in reference to Thumbolina), my eyes are of normal size, so if you're thinking "but Zoe, everything looks big compared with you", i'm pretty sure someone else would feel the same way. Once I had gotten over the sheer horror of the size of the brush head, I went to use it on my eyelashes and very surprisingly, had absolutely no problem using it to apply the mascara. The shape of the brush allows you to easily grab each lash with no difficulty what so ever. 

So what makes this mascara so amazing? The first thing I love about it, is the bristles. They are really dense, which means they literally grab every lash, which also means minimum clumping. I am someone who really likes volume in my eyelashes, and this is exactly what "sexy pulp" claims to add, and I really feel that it does. It makes them appear fuller, longer and curlier than that are naturally and I feel like they make a nice impact without going to "false lash" measures. I loved the little sample so much, I immediately went on the Yves Rocher website, and ordered myself 2 in full size. I got one in brown, and one in black, as I do wear a variation of the two shades. When going for something a little more natural I'll opt for brown, and then if i'm going all out i'll go with black. I even stopped using and didn't repurchase, for about the 10th time, my beloved No7 Exquisite Curl mascara which I thought no other mascara could top. 

Here are some scary eye pictures of my mascara in use. I was wearing the black mascara in the images above and only had on 2 coats. If you were really mascara crazy, I think you could carry on with another few coats before it might start clumping. I would highly, highly recommend this mascara to anyone that wants volume, length and curl to their lashes. I had never even heard of this brand before, but that's the joy of beauty boxes, finding absolute gems in them, that you then go on to love and repurchase. Although this mascara is originally priced at £16.90, I was fully intending to spend that much on it because I loved it that much, but was pleasantly surprised to find it was half price on the website, so i'd hurry over and grab one if you were interested as i'm not sure how long that may last for. 

What is your favourite mascara at the moment? Have you tried anything else from Yves Rocher?

♥

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GlossyBox | June 2012

    GlossyBox £10 per month + P&P*

This month, GlossyBox wanted you to channel your sexy summer style. They included products which could cover your every summer need, to ensure that you are beach beautiful. I'm not overly sure I can really tell that this is where GlossyBox was going with the theme this month, as it is quite a broad spectrum of products which could fall into any category. It could just be that the sun is not out but I'm not really feeling the summery vibe! If the sun could just hop on over to the UK for a few weeks, I'd like that a lot. ;)

Included in the box:

GlossyBox Serie Exclusive Pro Beauty Brush - Although I love that this is a customised brush, this was probably the most disappointing item in the whole box. I love the sleek black design, but the quality is not so great. It feels very coarse and shed all over my face. I think it will ideal for popping in your makeup bag for on the go touch ups but as far as everyday makeup application, I don't think I'll be reaching for this too much. I also don't really feel it's worth the £15 rrp price tag. Sorry GB! 

Clean Start By Dermalogica Day/Night 3-step Kit - On a slightly more positive note, this I was highly impressed by. Clean Start is a brand I have been sent samples of before, but at the time, didn't need, as I was happy with my skincare regime, so I gave it to my brother of which he thoroughly enjoyed using and noticed dramatic results in terms of clearer skin. Although I won't be using this myself (as i'm happy with what i'm currently using) I think my brother will grab this from me and be super happy with it. It's fool proof for a guy or even if you are after a simple new skincare regime and have quite troublesome skin, I'd definitely advise you look into this! 

Yves Rocher France Mini Mascara Ultra-Volume Sexy Pulp - Phewph! What a mouthful. I was excited to see a little mascara sample in the GlossyBox, as I had previously fallen in love with the mascara provided in the December box and i'm always up for trying and finding new magic eye wands (that's mascara in beauty blogger terms). This mascara retails for £16 so I'd put that in the higher end category. When I first unscrewed the lid, and what was revealed to me was possibly the biggest mascara brush head I ever laid eyes on, a wave of disappointment crept over me. I have quite small eyes, and so anything that is wider than my eye, is always going to be one messy, panda-eyed fail. (I stupidly didn't take a photo of this, but if you search for it online i'm sure you'll find it). Regardless of the size, the mascara is BRILLIANT. My lashes look separated (no 3-lashes-in-a-clumpy-mess business), volumised and longer. It is definitely going to take me a while to master the massive brush and attempt to get no black splodges on my eyelids, but once I do, I think I could really love this mascara. 

BM Beauty Summer Warmth Bronzer - If you have been reading my blog for a while, or if you are a (creepily) massive Zoella fan (haha), then you will know that my love for my Bare Minerals Faux Tan Loose Bronzer runs very deep. You may think that using a loose powder for bronzer spells disaster, but it doesn't, it's actually very easy and leaves a very nice effect on the skin. I've yet to use this bronzer, but if it's anything like Faux Tan by BE then I'm sure to love it. It's also the perfect size for travelling. 

Vichy Dermablend Ultra Corrective Foundation Cream Stick - I am definitely no fan of foundation cream sticks, personally, I think they spell "SUPERDOOPER Coverage with a slight cakey feeling" (yanno, those kind?). However, for concealing little areas of my face, I'm all up for something with more coverage. I once ventured into Boots to buy the Vichy liquid foundation, and they had NO samples for testing out which shade you may be, so really, it was just trial and error. I trial-ed, and I error-ed. Having the wrong shade meant I couldn't wear it, and also, couldn't return it (bless the UK and their non-returns on beauty items policy...). I love this idea of little samples so that people can decide which colour they may be before contemplating spending £19 on the product. This foundation stick offers SPF 30, High coverage, water/sweat resistant, fragrance free and hypoallergenic. I think it would work amazingly on people with irregular pigmentation, dark circles, spot scarring or redness. 

Overall thoughts on this months box? I liked the box, I wouldn't say it's my favourite. I think a lot of the products are just not as suited to me as previous boxes may have been, but that's not to say it's not your perfect box. There are a few gems in here, which I was happy about, and also a few disappointing products too, but that is all part of the element of surprise!

What did you think of this months GlossyBox?

♥

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GlossyBox 1st Birthday Box | May 2012

GlossyBox £10 per month + £2.95 P&P*

This month GlossyBox are celebrating their first birthday. I can't believe a whole year has passed since they first came on the scene, it only feels like yesterday! I was quite chuffed with this box, not my favourite, but still some great products included which I can't wait to try. They also included two little extras as a Birthday treat.

Inside the box:

Pink Balloon - This needs no explanation, but what a cute thoughtful extra! It is sitting on my desk all pink and balloon-y.

GlossyBox Compact Mirror -  Every girl needs a compact mirror to keep on their bedside table, in their handbag or on their desk at work, so this was a nice extra surprise this month.

Noble Isle Summer Rising Bath and Shower Gel - I have to be honest, I now have a PILE of shower gels that I'm currently trying to battle my way through, so I wasn't enthralled when I saw this, however, it is amazing! Noble Isle is a new British bath and body brand inspired by the natural and cultural riches of the British Isles. It smells really nice and refreshing!

Lolita Lempicka L'eau en Blanc and Eau de Parfum - For a while now, I've been meaning to pick up some Lolita Lempicka perfume samples, as I've heard good things about the fragrances. I also love the name and the packaging! I love both of these scents. They are really light, soft and girly. Perfect for summer days. I think my favourite of the two is the Eau De Parfum, and I may even need to pick up the full size.

Apivita Express Beauty Masks - I haven't ever heard of this brand, but these masks sound a real treat. They exclude synthetic ingredients and replace water with green tea infusion to enhance the antioxidant action. These masks claim to be 90% natural, so i'm looking forward to giving these a try. I do love a good face mask

Osmo Berber Oil Hair Treatment - More recently, I've really been into hair oils and treatments, so I was pleased to find this buried in my shredded paper. It includes argan oil to help restore dry/damaged hair. It also claims to reduce drying time (something that takes a good while for me). It also contains UV filters to protect from the sun and styling tools. Really looking forward to putting this to the test, my hair could do with a bit of TLC after all the sunny weather we've been having.

HD Brows Grow Baby Grow - This also really stood out to me as a "winning box product". Although I'm fairly happy with my eyebrows as they are, I would love to fill out a few sparse gaps in between. This serum encourages rapid growth by increasing the blood circulation and provides essential nutrients. I will most certainly report back if this takes any effect!

What did you think of the Birthday box?
♥

GlossyBox April 2012 | Limited Edition Natural Box

Aprils GlossyBox* was another special edition. These are definitely my favourite kind of beauty boxes, something about it being different from the norm, makes the anticipation of un-peeling the sticker that little bit more exciting. This months box was full of products guaranteed to make you feel your best whilst satisfying the green goddess within. Inside the limited edition 100% biodegradable box, are 5 eco friendly and ethical products. I know that for a lot of you, products sourced naturally with no harmful nastiness is quite an important factor when shopping for cosmetics. So for those of you who prefer your products to be a little more organic, look no further. I was really hoping that GlossyBox would do a box like this, as I think it is very appealing to a vast majority of us. I know I love it any-who. 

The products included in my GlossyBox:

Caudalie SOS Thirst-Quenching Serum - Caudalie is a fairly new brand on the beauty blog scene. We've all heard how marvellous the beauty elixir is (I have just purchased it myself also) so I was super intrigued to try out this serum. Although you only receive 10ml, I think it's a good amount to indicate if you enjoy using the product. The 30ml full size product is worth £29, which is quite steep but for a serum but if it does what it says on the tube, you get what you pay for. I've used this twice, and so far I do really like it. It's very easy to use quite a lot though, as it sinks into your skin so quickly, you almost feel as though you need more. I haven't noticed any dramatic changes to my skin, but I'm not expecting miracles after 2 uses. It does however, leave your skin feeling silky smooth, and made my makeup application that little bit easier. 

Inika Cosmetics Certified Organic Lip Liner - Inika is not a brand i'd heard of previous to receiving this box. They use a blend of cold pressed plant waxes, oils and natural pigments to make up their liners. I think I would have preferred to receive an eyeliner, as opposed to a lip liner, as i'm one of those people who never uses lipliners. Saying this however, the pigmentation was very good, and the liner very easy to use, so I can't fault it for that. I do think this will end up going to my mum though :) 

Ayuuri Natural Body Wash - Now, i'll be honest, when I first saw this giant shower gel, I wasn't overly excited. I have SO many body washes to get through, and the packaging didn't entrall me (I definitely judge a product by it's packaging... shallow but true) The fragrance I received was "rose" and I am absolutely OBSESSED with it. I definitely didn't think i'd end up loving this so much that I'd use it twice in one shower session! It smells amazing, but more importantly just feels so lovely and moisturising on my skin. At only £4.95 for a whole 235g of product, i'm going to be buying some more. 

Figs & Rouge Lip Balm - This is the product that I was initially excited to try. I've heard so many great things about these little lip balms. They are 100% pure, natural and organic and can be used as a multipurpose product on your lips or skin. The one I received is "Peppermint and Tea Tree", it is so lovely to apply and tastes yummy. I already want more of these to keep on my desk, in my handbag and next to my bed.

Philip B Styling Gel - When I initially saw this, I wasn't too excited by it. After all, when you hear/see the words "styling gel", you automatically think of boyish hairstyles being slicked back Danny Zuko style, for an awful wet "do"...no? Just me then? I was actually relieved to discover that this can be applied to damp hair, and is just an aid to styling and to boost volume at the crown of the head before blow drying. I've not used this yet, but i'll be sure to let you know if it's gravity defying stuff :)

What did you all think of the April GlossyBox?

♥