May Glossybox ...

I know a lot of people have been talking about this month's glossybox recently but I was quite disappointed with this one, especially compared to last month's, so I thought I would share my opinions as well. 

My first impressions of the box were really good. This is only my second box, and as the last one was for the natural theme, I hadn't seen this pink box before and I thought it was quite sleek and something I would keep for future use. I also really liked the tissue paper! It's such a nice, simple way to conceal the contents and the packaging provides the protection. I will definitely be saving it for wrapping a small present or something. I also thought the sticker was pretty cute too.

Initially, I wasn't overly impressed with any of the products in the box and it hasn't really improved much since. I don't want to be negative but seeing as it was their one year anniversary box I really thought they would have made it more special. They have included a fairly nice mirror, and although it is always useful to have a mirror in your bag, I already have several mirrors that I really like to use. They also included a balloon which is ok but really I wouldn't have been fussed if it hadn't been included. 

I really wasn't impressed with the fact that these two samples count as one of the five products included. They are perfumes that I haven't tried before but is it just me who finds it weird that in most department stores you can get perfume samples for free so why are they being included as a product in a box that you pay for?? Last time I bought my boyfriend an aftershave from Debenhams the sales assistant gave me about 6 samples. Also, these scents aren't really for me, and I already have a pretty long list of perfumes I want to try when my current ones run out. So, in summary, the samples might go into my bag on the odd occasion but I won't be buying them, especially as they are quite pricey at over £60, and I'm a bit disappointed that for a supposedly special box for their anniversary they have been included. 

I don't want to be too negative with this review, but compared to last month's box this month's is pretty underwhelming. I received these eyelashes, which from this range seem to be some of the nicer ones, as some of them are really big or have gold all over them, but they still aren't really my thing. I'm not a huge fake eyelash lover anyway but if I do wear them I go for  the ones that look fairly natural, and these aren't really natural at all. They are nice, but they look really spiky and obviously fake. Although, I'm sure these will be nice for a special occasion I'm not overly impressed that these have been included either. Also, I have heard that some people received different eyelashes that at about £8, are much more expensive than these which are worth £3.90, which seems a bit odd. I imagine that the Glossybox team do their best to make the boxes all add up to a similar price, but I don't think my box is worth £10 let alone the postage on top of that, especially compared to how much my box was worth last month. 

This is another product that I'm not over the moon about. I was given two packets but I don't really wear face masks very often as I have quite sensitive skin. Although I probably will use these at some point, maybe a girly night in or a sleepover, I wouldn't buy them myself and I wouldn't have been fussed at all if they hadn't been included in the box. 

This is a product that I actually am quite positive about (at last!). It has got quite a masculine scent which at first is a bit off putting but I have tried it in the bath and the scent was much more pleasing when it wasn't so concentrated. It also lathered up really well and was really relaxing. The size of the product isn't great, it is more like something you would get in a hotel but I travel up to Manchester quite a lot so it will be handy for that. I'm not blown away by this product, but I do like it and I imagine I will use it all up. 

This product is the one I am most pleased with. It is a hair oil and although the sample is tiny at 10ml I'm still pleased I got it. I have been wanting to try hair oils for a really long time but they are quite expensive. The scent is really nice and feels really lovely on my hair. It seems to be working in the last two days I have been using it, so hopefully it will work with my hair in the long term but I will be using it sparingly because I don't think I will pay £19.99 for 100ml when it runs out. I'm really glad this was included in this month's glossybox, and is the best product by far for me. 

Overall, as I'm sure you can tell I'm pretty underwhelmed by this month's box and if this had been my first box I would have probably unsubscribed, but I loved last month's box so hopefully this is just an exception, which is a shame considering that it is their one year anniversary box. I don't like to be so negative and I'm sure there are some people who are really happy with their box, but unfortunately I'm not and I feel that it is important to be honest.

xxx

My first Glossybox! ...

When I first started reading beauty blogs, one of the first things I came across was the Glossybox beauty box. I really love the idea of receiving a box full of lovely products every month; it's really exciting when you know it's going to arrive at your door any day! I also like trying new products and brands, and for only £10.00 + £2.95 p&p, it's a really nice way to do it.  I was so excited when I received this month's Glossybox and although a lot of people have already done reviews I thought I would talk about my first experience of a beauty box. 

Like a lot of people I was really pleased to see the natural themed box. It was a really nice touch and I had never really thought about trying just natural products before. For me the main point of trying out a beauty box was to try out new brands and products without breaking the bank, and in my opinion this box really achieves that aim. 

As you can see from the pictures above, the packaging is beautiful and feels like a lot of thought and care has gone into it. The box also comes with a really nice note/leaflet describing each product, and detailing prices and sizes etc. I also thought this was a nice touch. Anyway, I should probably get onto the products ...

The first product I thought I would review is the YES! NURSE hand cream which you can see in the above picture in the cardboard box, which is what it is delivered in if you order it from the website and it is small enough to fit through your letterbox, so no answering the door in your trusty (but not so attractive) pj's! The description in the note from Glossybox is ' The 24h 'Super Moisturiser' packed full of essential Omega's and antioxidants to hydrate and revive tired skin'. It is the brainchild of a nurse who felt that none of the hand creams were helping with her cracked and irritated hands. Originally, you could only order these on a monthly subscription service but now you can buy them as a one-off purchase as well. Now some people may not be over the moon about this product, but I really like it. As some of you may know, I'm going to be a student midwife in September and just from my experience on the wards so far, that hand gel can really dry your hands out, so the plan is if I really like it is to reorder it for when I start my course. (I'm so so excited to start!)

The packaging is really sweet and a really nice touch. I also really like the smell of this product (it reminds of porridge ?? might be just me but ..) and it seems to suit my hands really well. You only need to use a small amount and it's a 50ml tube (which is full size and costs £5.45) so I can see it lasting quite a long time. I tend to use it twice a day - in the morning and night - and my hands feel soft all day. It absorbs quite quickly and isn't really greasy, and obviously it is all natural, and contains manuka honey and Omega 3, 6 and 9. Overall, I really like this hand cream and feel like it suits me and my lifestyle really well. However, I can't see this suiting everyone, but I would strongly recommend it if people were looking for a hand cream. 

The second product I am going to review is probably my favourite. I don't know what I did without this product in my life before, and the thought that one day it will run out is terrifying me, because it is pretty darn expensive. This sample is 10ml and it is £29.00 for 30ml, which is quite a lot for my budget so we will have to see if I can afford to repurchase it when it runs out :( This serum is a 'SOS thirst quenching serum' from Caudalie and this sample size is exclusive to Glossybox. You are supposed to use it before your moisturiser, morning and night, and it is lovely to apply. It is runnier than I anticipated so beware of that when you are using it for the first time, but it feels so lovely and light on my skin, and really prepares my skin for my moisturiser. It really is so lovely, and to be honest made the box for me. 

The third product is the FIGS AND ROUGE LIP BALM in Rambling Rose. I'm not overly keen on the smell but I really like the texture and it lasts quite a long time. I have been using it pretty much constantly since the Glossybox arrived, but I would probably have preferred a different one, like the peppermint and tea tree one, but this is just me being picky :). It's another full size product and costs £3.29 for 8ml , which looks to me smaller than a standard size lip balm but is not teeny weeny. Overall, another really good product  and one will definitely get used, but probably not one I would have bought. 

Unfortunately, this is my least favourite product of the whole box as it just doesn't really suit me. It is a from INIKA but I never really wear lip liner, and on the odd occasion that I do i.e. if I'm wearing a red lipstick, I already have the lip liner to match it. I do really like the sound of this though and it's a full size product that costs £11.75, which is quite pricey really, so I will probably give it to my mum. 

This is the last product that was in the Glossybox, and is another one I really like. I'm pretty sure it is full size and costs £4.95 for 235g (the sample is 200ml). It is from a company called AYUURI   and the one I got is the rose one which is enriched with Indian Rose, Jasmine and Aloe Vera. The smell is nice and light, and I also like how it lathers up and makes your skin feel very soft. I'm really pleased I got it and will use it up but like the lip balm I probably wouldn't have bought it of my own accord. 

Phew! That was a really long post! I apologise but I wanted to do my first Glossybox justice and I hope it has been helpful. If you are considering subscribing to Glossybox (or any other beauty box) I would definitely recommend it. My personal theory is that if I like 3 products of the 5 it has been worth it for me, and it is also really nice that the sum of these products adds up to more than I pay to get the box, which is also a bonus. 

Right, I'd better get back to revision! I don't even want to talk about the exam yesterday :( but  I was thinking about doing some tips about dealing with exam stress etc. so look out for those 

xxx