Glossybox July

I was actually pretty impressed with this month's Glossybox. I had been starting to go off it, but actually they really pulled their socks up this month (in my opinion). I even think that this was much better than Birchbox's July offering. Very happy indeed!

So the contents of this month's box included Carmex Moisturizing Lip Balm, Absolute New York Eyeshadow Primer, Bellapierre Lipstick, Color Club Nail Polish and NYC Cream to Powder Blush Stick.

I had never previously heard of this brand before getting it in my Glossybox so it is completely new to me and I wasn't biased when trying it. I really liked this as it had a great consistency and shade, plus I liked the soft doe-foot applicator. In the picture you can see on top where it is just applied and beneath where it has been blended (barely visible). It has a slight shimmer to it, so slight it is barely noticeable but I do think it means it highlights slightly which is always nice. I haven't tried it out to see if it does prolong my eyeshadow but based on application etc, it is winning. I shall write a post on this soon!

This polish is one that was specifically created for Glossybox, and so is an exclusive. I get that the shade is aimed to fit the theme of 'Stars and Stripes' but I just think it's not brilliant for summer. It's too dark and more of an autumn/ winter shade for me. A red or white would have been better for ticking both the theme box and the season box. Regardless, it is a great nail polish, as is expected for Color Club and I will definitely be putting it away to use in the colder months.

There isn't really a great amount you can say about Carmex. It's a great lip balm and I do use it a lot (I have three tubes of the stuff at home!) so I am a real fan of it, it just doesn't really set your world alight does it? Glad to have extra but would have preferred something a little more exciting! Also, if I'm being picky, I would have preferred the squeezy tube version. The only thing with having the pots is that you can it all under your nails when getting the product out the pot!

I'm so in love with this lipstick! I had found that with a lot of the lipsticks that came in these subscription boxes, they were a bit rubbish. The pigmentation was always really weak and they were a bit...pointless. But not with this Bellapierre offering! It is a highly pigmented, vivid red shade and I just love it! It applies really smoothly and is very moisturising and even stays on for a good couple of hours before reapplication is needed and is just a bright, cute, girly shade.Raving about this!!

Now this is the product I thought I wouldn't really be interested in, but oh how wrong I was! I always think of NYC as being a bit cheap and rubbish, this is definitely not rubbish. It applies so easily to the skin, the top picture is just one swipe across the back of my hand with the stick then the second is it blended in. It is a lush shade that isn't too over the top and the whole concept it just great and easy to use. I will definitely be using this a lot over the summer, especially as it is so handy to do on the go!

So that was my box for July, have you tried any of these? Or do you subscribe to Glossybox and received different products? All comments are very welcome!

Birchbox July

When I received this month's Birchbox I was initially slightly disappointed. There was one product that I was really excited to have received but the others I felt a bit 'meh' towards. After trying them a couple of times I am still not massively sold on them, it seems a lot of people had received the same products as me though so I can't complain too much!

So here is what products were found in my Birchbox this month:

From left to right is: Ultra Dex Fresh Breath Spray (WTF???), LAQA & Co Lip Lube, Whish Body Butter, Gilchrist & Soames Mineral Bath Gel, Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream and Weleda Nourishing Shampoo. A good range of products, just not anything mega exciting...

I was instantly put off by this body butter because it stated that it was lavender scented, is it just me or does that not instantly make you think of your gran?! Now, I love my nan but I really don't want to smell like her (no offence). So I put off trying this for a while, but then the body lotion I was using ran out (I get through these sample bottles so quickly) and so I thought I better at least give it a try. Luckily I was quite surprised as this doesn't smell strongly of lavender at all, it was quite subtle and therefore bearable to use in the mornings. It had quite a nice texture and absorbed really well, despite the fact it had an almost gel like consistency. Left my skin feeling very well moisturised and so I would recommend it, possibly in a different fragrance though if I'm perfectly honest.

I had received a shower gel from Gilchrist & Soames in a previous month's box and was not particularly blown away by it. I think it was because I had researched it and found it was quite a high end brand so was expecting big things when in fact I didn't like the smell and found it slightly dehydrating. Because of that, I wasn't interested in this product at all. It said on the product card to pour this under running water for your bath, so I gave this a go. Again, I didn't think the scent was all that impressive. It didn't really dry my skin out too much but it didn't really have any beneficial effects on it either. Just a pretty bog-standard, boring product in my opinion. Sorry Gilchrist & Soames, I'm just not sold on your products. Possibly make them more affordable and I'll reconsider?

The product card advised to use this product as a normal shampoo, but don't expect a lather. I instantly felt a bit disappointed - again! I was quite excited to use a Weleda product as I read so many great reviews on this brand but I'm just not a fan of shampoos that don't lather. I have tried non-sulphate shampoos in the past and am just of the opinion that a good shampoo should have a good lather, that's what makes it feel really clean. I'm fully aware that this is completely psychological and that this non-foamy shampoo will probably wash my hair just as good, I just am put off using it a bit. Saying that though, the scent is quite nice and my hair did certainly look clean and shiny after use, just would have liked a few bubbles with it!

I here so many great things about Balance Me and so I can't really understand why I don't feel blown away by it. The products work well, the price isn't bad and the packaging always looks appealing, and yet I still think of it as a bit of a basic brand. This eye cream is pretty good, does exactly what it says on the tin, but I have been using Clinique's eye cream up until now and just find that one so much better for fine lines and dark circles. I'll continue to use this because it is quite nice, I just probably won't repurchase it.

I recently got sent a couple of PR samples from LAQA & Co to review (here) and loved them! I even mentioned in the review that I really wanted to try their lip lubes as they looked gorgeous and came in some great colours so I was SOOO pleased to receive this in my box, and I love the shade!! It really is a great product, I have been wearing it nearly every day. It just applies so smoothly to the lip and is so easy to apply neatly and on the go. The shade is beautiful for the summer and really would compliment a tan. I can't sing this products praises enough! It was by far my favourite product in this month's box and I would recommend these to any one.

Now this 'lifestyle extra' just seemed a really random 'WTF??' addition to this month's box, what are you trying to say Birchbox?! I hope I'm not the only person that thought this (or received this for that matter!). Ok, it's alright for what it is. It tastes pretty nice and minty, it does freshen your breath without the need to chew gum. But it is just not anything to get excited about is it?! A bit odd in my opinion.

So that's all this month's products. In hindsight, they actually weren't too disappointing but Birchbox has done a lot better with past boxes. I hope this was just a blip! But I did like the design of the box and this month's theme, here is a photo of one of the cards included in this month's box because I just thought they were simple yet very cute (and a bit of a nail art inspiration!)

Birchbox - May

I finally received May's Birchbox on Wednesday, felt like I had been waiting forever!! What makes it worse is the fact I knew this month's was a collaboration with Bazaar and so I was literally desperate to get mine! But here it is, and it did not disappoint. Even the box looks great:

This month's products are Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanse and Polish, Aromatherapy Associates Revive Morning Bath and Shower Oil, Beauty Protector Protect and Shampoo & Protect and Condition, Benefit They're Real Mascara and Soigne Nail Polish in shade Persimmon.

This oil actually smells delicious. The sample size is pretty small, which is a bit disappointing, but I think if I use it before showering it will last. I am really looking forward to trying this as I have heard brilliant things about Aromatherapy Associates.

These shampoo and conditioner bottles are really handy for taking to the gym as they fit nicely in my wash bag and have dispensing lids which are always good on  the go. I was kind of hoping that the samples would be a bit bigger as they are a Birchbox own brand and so they could have been a bit more generous. They are literally tiny bottles, 2 washes at the very maximum. Being that the full sized product is around £16 though, I am hoping I will be impressed.

What an amazingly packaged nail polish! It was in this very chic box, surrounded by a foam packaging to stop it getting damaged, very nice! I love the shade, even though I have so many polishes in roughly this shade but never mind. I couldn't test it yet as I have just painted my nails but I will do soon. It does look a very nice, high end product. And it's a full sized sample!

I have heard so many brilliant reviews about this Benefit mascara and so I was really excited to get my hands on it. I was slightly put off by the applicator as I prefer the brush fiber ones to the plastic like ones like this, as I think they just do a much better job of separating the lashes and making them appear longer. After trying it though I was very happy with it. It beautifully separates and lengthens my lashes with no clumps in sight. What I like about the wand is that it is shaped to catch even the little lashes in the corners, which really gives a great wide eye effect. Love.

This Liz Earle cleanser has got to be my favourite item from this month's box and the product I was most looking forward to. I think it's hard to miss the amazing reviews and awards this has been receiving and I wanted to try it out to see if it lives up to it's reputation on my oily skin. It really did and then some! I use this at night before bed and the improvement in my skin by the following morning is already noticeable. Truly a wonder product. I have already ordered myself a full-sized bottle and more muslin cloths as I know it will be a product I really miss when it runs out!

So that was my box! I may have had to wait ages for it but it was definitely worth the wait. If you're a subscriber to Birchbox, what products did you receive this month? Were you impressed with your box?

Monthly Subscription box - Glossybox May

This month's Glossybox really was a good one, definitely worth every penny. As with most monthly subscription boxes, they can be a bit hit and miss from month to month but May's box is a hit with me. Glossybox teamed up with Superdrug for this month's box as a celebration of Superdrug's 50th birthday, and with it came some brilliant products.

Firstly then, this BB cream from Garnier. It is described on the box as a '5-in-1 Miracle Skin Perfector' and I really hope it lives up to it's claims as it really does sound like the perfect BB cream if so. I was slightly worried at first to see that I had been sent the medium shade as I may not exactly be pale, I am not usually medium either! I would definitely have chosen the light shade if I was buying it in the shops myself, but actually when I swatched it on my hand the shade wasn't too dark for me (the second picture is it blended in). I'd say it is slightly darker than my actual skin colour but may just about be passable enough to at least trial it for a few days if blended enough, fingers crossed! I do really like all of the Garnier products that I have had though so hopefully this is another great product from them.

I love this B. Sheer Conditioning Lipstick in shade Coral 33. It really does have a hydrating feel on your lips and leaves them looking really glossy without being at all sticky like with a gloss. It doesn't quite have the colour pigmentation I would have liked, but saying that it does leave a nice subtle colour to the lips so would be good for if you were trying to have a subtle lip look. I would definitely buy more colours in this product though as they really are nice on the lip, and as they are down to £3.49 plus being 3 for 2 at the moment I think I will be buying a few really soon!

I was slightly disappointed with this when I first received this Maybelline Color Show Crystallize Polish in shade 236 Nearly Black, we are coming in to Spring now and with that I was hoping for gorgeous, bright spring colours and so this black shade (albeit it contains glitter) just seemed a bit dull and depressing. It does look nice on the nail after 2 coats, and it is really easy to apply evenly so I do really like it, I just would have preferred a colour more appropriate for this season! Oh well, I'll put it away in my nail polish draw as I'm sure I'll be getting a lot of wear out of it in the colder months.

I am going through a bit of a hair oil/serum phase at the moment so I was really excited to receive this Frizz Ease product from John Freida. I've seen the adverts and it really seemed like it would be a great product (it seems I'm a sucker for advertising). I wasn't disappointed either. I don't particularly have frizzy hair as mine is naturally dead straight, but I do get a few fly-aways here and there and serums are always good for making your hair look really glossy so I will always use them regardless of how frizzy my hair is. I found that it was really easy to apply to the hair and didn't leave your hair feeling greasy or weighed down and kept it looking really smooth and shiny. I would be interested in knowing if people with actual frizzy hair were impressed with the results of this product as much as me.

I recently did a review on my favourite foot cream from Sanctuary Spa here so I was quite happy to find one in my Glossybox this month for comparison. I find Scholl a really good brand for all things feet and have bought many products from them before so I had high expectations for this product. I have only used it once so far and, although small, I have noticed a difference in the condition of my feet already. My feet were in a relatively good condition anyway as I do take care of them, applying foot balms and using a pumice stone at least once or twice a week, but this just seems to give them a deep, intensive moisturising that you could really feel the next morning. Very soft and with it being non-scented I liked it that little bit more. It may just be me but I find a lot of foot creams/ balms have a funny smell to them? One that you would definitely not pick up if it was in a body lotion or hand cream. But this was nice and I'm looking forward to using it again. Oh, and it isn't messy at all. I was thinking that going to bed with cream all over my feet would leave oily marks all over my sheets where it has rubbed off but it really hasn't.

This was a pretty small sample so was difficult to really get a good trial of it as after 1.5 uses it was all gone! Slightly disappointing... But this Oil-Infused Nourishing Lotion from Garnier does seem to be a really good product and one I would like to buy to try more of. I have quite dry skin on my legs and arms and this really did feel nourishing on my skin. There seemed to be a slight improvement to my skin but it would have been nice to see how it benefited from being able to use it over a longer time period. Did smell delicious though. Will be picking up a full size bottle soon!

My friend had made me try this Ghost Eclipse perfume when we were at The Perfume Shop the other weekend and so it was a nice surprise to receive a sample bottle in my box! It is quite a sweet scent that I love and will be keeping in my bag to spritz on during the day. I wouldn't say it was one of my favourite perfumes but I would happily wear it. I also found the scent wore off after a couple of hours so doesn't have a great longevity.

So that's my opinion on this month's Glossybox. Did any other subscribers get the same products as me? What were your opinions?

Garnier BB Cream available here for £7.99
B. Sheer Conditioning Lipstick available here for £3.49
Maybelline Color Show Crystallize Polish available here for £3.99
Frizz Ease Original available here for £3.99
Scholl Velvet Smooth Night Mask available here for £5.99
Garnier Oil-Infused Nourishing Lotion available here for £6.99 for 400ml
Ghost Eclipse Eau de Toilette available here for £33 for 50ml