Septembers JolieBox

Here is my first Jolie box!! 

My first impressions were initially a bit wary as they had issues with the dispatch email and then the news they'd been bought by Birchbox left me wandering had I joined too late as previously I've seen consistently good reviews BUT!!! I'm impressed!! 

I won't bore you with what I got because this review is really late owing to my total lack or organisation this month the only thing different in my box was an extra gift of the So Susan Wide Awake Face Palate a little welcome gift from JolieBox so thank you for that much appreciated!! 

My favourite items in the box were the Balmi Lip Balm which I received in mint flavour. I love this its cute, Its round and the balm inside is molded to the lid so is round too!! Easy to apply and so far no dry lips just nice soft moisturised lips which is nice! Has a little thing to attach it to your keys if you should wish but mine fits snuggly in my pocket.

The second item I loved was the Twistband. I received two one silver one yellow and I love them! However I don't love the price.

 I think £10 for six of these is extortionate. They are basically Elastic trim or foldover elastic as its sometimes called, which you can buy two meters of in your favourite colour for about £2 on ebay and if you go to your local haberdashery store maybe even less. Thats what I did I bought 2 meters of red,blue and black and have made a huge pile of these bands for less than they want for six........ nuff said!

I like the packaging of Joliebox, the little drawstring bag is a nice touch and reuseable I hate that glossybox and the others always fill the space with that shredded tissue its very wasteful and this is a nice alternative. I also really liked the little magazine that comes with it, It had interesting and relevant articles in it so yes big thumbs up.All in all a good first box and I've just received Octobers box so I shall be uploading that soon.

                                          
                                         

Septembers GlossyBox

This month's GlossyBox Theme is Rising Stars and the box was deigned by Maggie Li and I have to say its beautiful!

In my box I received Lady GAGA's Fame Fragrance sample, Rodial Glamoxy Snake Serum and 5 Minute Facial two sachets of each, Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream, Olay regenerist Wrinkle relaxing complex and L'Oreal Mythic Oil Full Size with two sachets of the complimenting Shampoo and Conditioner.

I'm only going to talk about the products I like this month as it's a bit boring to waffle on about the dead weight in the box so here are my happy products!

I love the hair oil right up my street I got a small sample of this from Whatsinyourhandbag and loved it and still haven't used all of that and now I have this huge bottle!! Hair Oils are worth spending money on if that's your thing as they last for ages and for me they leave my hair sleek shiny and smelling great! So very happy with my Mythic oil!!

The  Rodial Glamoxy Snake Serum is amazeballs! I don't like the name I think its gimmicky however that s**t works!! It does sound like something that would be papped falling out of Victoria Beckhams handbag but it's great and its not extortionate £29 for 10 sachets isn't the most expensive face cream and I think for a quick fix this stuff is great!

What did you get in your box? Are you happy? Let me know your thoughts!!

This month I dropped Shesaidbeauty's box and moved over to Joliebox so my next review will be all about that little adventure!

September SheSaidBeauty Box

After last months box I had high hopes for Septembers offering and whilst its certainly better its just all a bit meh! I don't want to sound like a snob BUT!!! Collection 2000?? I just don't identify with this brand, the primer is ok, the fixer smells rank and in all honesty I have better quality products to do both of those jobs. 

The DHC oil I already have and also received the same sample in Augusts Glossybox so I'm happy to have it but its a bit of a bore to get the same samples across the boxes. 

The Ginvera Green Tea Whitening Marvel Gel and Amie spring clean cooling clay mask are two products I am looking forward to using especially the mask so those were my favourite samples from this month. 

The Popchips were ok but a bit of a strange thing to have in a beauty box however they were a bonus item so can't grumble.

After rooting through my box I sat back and then looked back at my other boxes from she said beauty and came to a conclusion. This box would have impressed me about 10 years ago, the products in it are affordable and this month for example was a really good month for skincare three of the samples I loved but the collection 2000 products just really leave me cold. 

I'm at the stage now where I will happily spend good money on good products and especially with Skincare and this box just isn't delivering those kind of products to me. 

Sooooo!! I cancelled my subscription. Not because SheSaidBeauty is terrible far from it their delivery service and the customer care is amazing and GlossyBox could take notes on how to handle criticism and work PR from them. However its just not a good fit for me. The products don't excite me and don't make me want to rush out and buy whereas GlossyBox I get that at times and I just think their box is a little more grown up. So SheSaidBeauty is no more for me. I'm still mourning the loss of Carmine so I've now signed up for Joliebox as it seems to get good reviews and the products look to be more up my alley. Hopefully their September offering will be a good one!

Hello Fresh

This month I tried out a new food delivery service called Hello Fresh! I found this company via an email from GlossyBox giving a 50% discount on my first box so I though why not!

The concept is that you get a box of fresh ingredients delivered to your door every Tuesday with the recipes included and each meal takes roughly 30mins or less to prepare and cook following the fool proof recipe cards included.

The costs vary depending on how many meals and how many people you are cooking for I went for the 3 meal box for two people which would normally cost £39 but I paid £19.50.

As promised my box arrived mid morning on Tuesday, I was impressed with the packaging, if you were out or it had to be left somewhere you wouldn't worry as its well packaged in lambs wool and ice packs!! 

Once opened everything I needed to make the meals was present and correct and the recipe cards are clear and easy to follow plus as a welcome gift I got a bar of Dark Chocolate.

I've now cooked all three recipes and produced three delicious meals that both I and the other half enjoyed.

Having finished the box I was in two minds about the concept.

I liked the fact that the ingredients were fresh and seemed of a good quality. I liked that there was no waste you use everything supplied and importantly I liked the recipes I recieved.

What I didn't like was that you have no choice over what you get other than you can choose between vegetarian and non vegetarian. This service will be of no use to someone with a food allergy and if you receive your box and you don't like the menu....tough!!

I'm not a fussy eater but there are things I'm not keen on and my other half doesn't eat Lamb so should any unwanted meals crop up its a waste of food and money.

I do think they should have some kind of user profile or system such as Graze where you can let the company know clearly what you can't or don't want to receive.

The other point is the price. £39 isn't outrageous for three meals lets be honest you would spend more than that if you went out, but at the same time I could easily pop to my local supermarket and buy three meals I know I'd like for the same price and be content that my family is going to eat what I'm cooking?!

That all said I did really enjoy my box, the recipes aren't what I normally cook and it was nice to have new ideas as I'm sure like many people I do get stuck in a rut making the same meals every week so it made for a refreshing change to try something new.

I was also lucky in that we all liked what was supplied so it meant it was excellent value for money.

All in all I'm not sure I'll continue with this service, however I think this would make a great gift to new parents or would suit someone who has no fussy eating habits and is up for trying something new! 

Check them out at www.hellofresh.co.uk if you fancy a try!

Augusts GlossyBox

It was a pleasant surprise to actually receive this months Glossy Box during the Month its intended!! Normally we get them right at the end of the month which always bugs me when they take payment at the beginning of the month!! Anyway here is my box, I haven't really looked at any other blogs to see whether I have the "best" box or not and to be honest I've given up with that, some months this box is amazing others not so but again I digress! 

My goodies were the Alessandro Pro White nail polish, DHC Deep Cleansing Oil 30ml, All for Eve Eves balm 7g, Vera Valenti eye palate, Lipcote lipstick sealer and Glossybox's own lipstick in glossy pink! The theme of this box is International Superstars with each product allegedly having cult status in their native country.

The stand out product for me is the Cleansing oil from DHC, I buy this anyway as it really is amazing stuff! Wash your face as normal then cleanse with the oil and you'll be embarrassed as to what it pulls out your skin! Its also reasonably priced and a little goes a long way you can buy 30ml upwards from only £3.60. I love DHC anyway as you get samples sent through with your catalogues and orders, their website clearly lists everything you need to know about their products and yeah they're just yar!

I also love the Eve's Balm, I like the fact it has a mirror in it (I know vain!) and its for a good cause so you can't knock that.

The Glossy Box lipstick is ok the claim that its £9.50's worth seems a little exaggerated but its ok not a terrible colour and its an extra so can't complain! 

I wont waste my time or yours talking about the eye palate... shocking sums it up! The Lipcote is from about 1989 and stings like a bitch I also remembered why I don't use it because the brush gets tainted by your lippy then you end up with grim looking fluid in your tube!! The nail polish is ok small size makes yellow nails look white and bright...again can't moan its ok!

I have seen on GlossyBox's facebook page lots of people bitching about how shite the box is but I have to say it's not the worst box I've ever got, She Said Beauty's box this month was an absolute shocker, in comparison I really liked my Glossy box it contained one of my favourite products and it had a reasonable bonus item so another good month for me! 

                             

August's SheSaidBeauty Box

So as usual I get the email saying my box is on its way and then the door knocks and there's the postman with it in his hand! 

I really wanted to like this months box I'd seen the sneak peek and whilst it didn't blow me away it looked ok however in reality its a pretty poor offering.

In summary I got a mini tube of toothpaste, Redkin colour extend lotion (my hairs not coloured?!) Balance me Lip Salve...really wanted to try this but when I did it just tasted rank and smelt weird and was just a fail for me, Blotting papers....no words...!! Probably the vilest nail foils I'll never try and a tiny tiny bottle of cologne that I hate!! 

It wasn't a good month for me with She Said Beauty there actually is nothing in this box I will try, the toothpaste I already tried from two other boxes and what can I say its just toothpaste??!! The rest was just pants and not for me. This is the first Beauty Box that I've ever received where nothing in it at all has grabbed me but I guess that's the way it goes and hopefully this months poor offering is because they saved pennies for next months awesome box....maybe wishful thinking but we can all dream!

July's GlossyBox

Today I finally got my July GlossyBox!! This is the second box GB has sent me as the courier kindly left my first box on the doorstep and some tramp promptly nicked it which was a bit pants. 

Its left me wandering what was in my original box and whether I was one of the lucky few to receive the HD brows kits....I'll never know and its probably for the best as I am DESPERATE to get my hands on one of those kits but alas it's not to be!

So as you can see from the pic above I received the Collin Resultime regenerating collagen Gel 15ml, Awapuhi Wild Ginger texturizing sea spray 25ml, Monu Night cream 20ml, Jelly Pong Lip Frosting 15ml (fullsize) and Kryolan satin powder 3g (full size) plus some bonus samples from Elizabeth Arden.

I love the Monu Night cream I've had other products from Monu in previous GB's and I really like it. I'm not usually one for herbal smelling products but this is the exception as Monu really works for my skin and actually I don't mind the smell so that for me was a winner straight off!

The Kryolan powder I was initially a bit "meh" about but I got it out tried it and was really surprised at how much I liked it, I used over the top of my normal eye shadow and it gave a really nice shimmer effect and following advice seen on GB's Facebook I tried it wet and was really pleased with the depth of colour so another yes to that.

The Jelly Pong Lip Frosting smells divine remind's me of Hubba Bubba the pink one! I like it it works for me, I think a clear gloss over the top would give it more of a pop but as it is I can see myself using this daily.

The sea spray I'll give it a whirl but I'm crap at the beach look I just end up looking like a gull has nested in my hair rather than the "sexy beach babe" I dream to be!!

Never heard of Collin's before other than the dictionary peeps who I assume are not affiliated?!! It says it can be used daily as a serum or applied thick as a night mask so I think I'll try it as a mask as I already have enough serums to get through!

The Elizabeth Arden samples are in the bin I have no time for those samples they just end up half used oozing in your bathroom till you chuck them so no! It was a bonus however and apparently if I go to Debenhams I can flash the card and get a delux sample so I can't moan.

Really pleased with my box, the Monu products I adore so that alone won it for me and the rest all seems good so I really can't complain. Obviously I would have loved the HD brows kit but actually what I got is more what I'll use so I can't grumble especially as GlossyBox where so good in replacing the stolen box.

Thumbs up to GlossyBox this month I loved it!

She Said Beauty July's Box

So today I received my July She Said Beauty Box and I was already excited after reading yesterdays blog with Tom Pellereau and couldn't wait to try out his Stylefile, S-File!

Inside I found not only the S-File but some eyelash curlers from The Vintage Cosmetics Company, Miners Cosmetics Bronzer and Blusher Blend, Murad Time release Blemish Cleanser, Freeze 24.7 anti aging prep and polish sample and a bizarre bonus of a Debenhams Beauty Club Reward card?!

At first I was a bit under whelmed by this months box but as I got everything out and had a play I warmed to it and actually really like this months offering. 

My favourite products are the S-File which hats off to Tom Pellereau is a great take on the nail file, it really does make filing your nails easy and it looks cute which is always a bonus!! I was a bit non plussed when I first pulled out the Eyelash curlers but actually their ok and I've had mine for years so its nice to have a new set. Finally I love the bronzer blusher blend its not a high end product but I'm about to go on holiday and this will be perfect for while I'm away! 

The Murad Cleanser is for acne which I don't have so its not really applicable to me but I will give it a go and see what its like, my other half gets the odd breakout so perhaps I'll give it to him and see how he finds it. 

The Freeze 24.7 is a tiny sample and without being ungrateful I don't really bother with the sachets unless its something I really want to try its just a hassle and you never get enough to really try the product so in all honesty this will end up in the bin!!

Finally they gave us a bonus of a Debenhams Beauty card....I have one already I don't really understand the logic of putting this in its not a product and its surplus to my requirements and probably most people so meh!!

All in all I was happy with the box and again it was great value for the money we pay so no complaints! 

June's GlossyBox!

Its that time of the month again (No not that time although sometimes I do get a bit angsty when opening the GB box!!)

Hermes, or as I like to call him 'The gangly bloke in the ford sierra' has dropped off my GlossyBox! 

As you can see above I got the HD BROWS precision tweezers, The BM Beauty summer warmth bronzer 1mg, A 10ml sample of Caudalie Zeste De Vigne Eau Fraiche! And a Vichy Dermablend foundation starter kit. Oh and a Glossy box Beauty Brush that they claim is worth £15.....more on that later!

Having had a gander on GlossyBox's Facebook page I'm assuming my luck was in this month as I seem to have got the coveted HD product, although in all honesty tweezers is tweezers! I already own many different ones all claiming they'll remove even the tiniest hair and actually the lady who threads them does the best job but hey they look quality and I'm sure should I find a random hair that I don't get on my chin they'll come in mighty handy!

The Bronzer is a little too dark for me, I really wish GB would pull their finger out and make use of those beauty profiles they asked us to fill in but still don't use (it's been a year what's taking so long??!)

The Caudalie fragrance I love!! And whilst I hate perfume samples being included this was actually a decent size, handy for my handbag and I really liked it so no complaints!

The Vichy foundation set looks promising if it gives as good a coverage as it claims I may well invest in this and its a nice sample set with different shades to try/mix it up so I'll give it a whirl!

Then there was the brush.....claimed to be worth £15.....erm No! Its crap I mean seriously crap I pulled off the plastic covering brushed it on my hand and then noticed I had goat hairs everywhere!! I wouldn't even risk trying this brush out as I'd guarantee you'll be pulling thick black goat hairs out of your foundation and lets be frank that's not a good look for anyone!!! Maybe I got a dud brush but having read many many other moans on the facebook page I think not!

In summary It was an ok box the brush was a fail but the rest was usable and I really really love the fragrance or Eaux Fraiche!! I can't grumble seeing as the tweezers are worth £19.95 however two "tools" aren't really samples and I would rather have had some products to try out but I don't want to sound like an old goat bleating on about GB's inadequacies (see what I did there?!) 

SheSaidBeauty box June

I love this company!! Yesterday I got an email from SheSaidBeauty saying the June Beauty Box had been posted and then this morning there in the Postman's hand was the hot pink box announcing it's arrival!!

So What did I get??? Well in mine was a Yardley Perfume sample 1ml, A Balance Me hand cream (full size!), Elemis bath Elixir 50ml, St Tropez Gradual Tan Body Moisturiser 75ml, Let's Go Lashes, and a bonus sample of Ginerva Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream. 

I love the St Tropez Moisturiser, my sample is Medium to Dark which I wouldn't have bought, I would have gone for the light but I love it!! I've wapped some on my legs and obviously no immediate results but it smells gorgeous and absorbs well as you'd expect from St Tropez so I'm really pleased with that.

Next up is the Elemis Bath Elixir, I've heard a lot about Elemis but haven't as yet tried any of their products so I can't wait to have a soak later and try it out, I've had a sniff and it does smell slightly masculine but I actually like it so we shall see!

The Balance Me super moisturising Hand cream splits my opinion!! On the one side I do get very dry hands from work as I'm constantly washing my hands or working in water so any hand cream that can keep my skin soft and stop it cracking is welcomed. On the other side I hate Lavender and am very particular about the scents of products I use, I'm really not a herbal smell kinda girl and this smells of Lavender.....But!! I have tried it out and it's made my skin super soft and my problem areas seem instantly softer which to me is amazing and whilst the smell isn't my taste its not horrific and if it can help my poor hands I'm happy to give it a chance so another tick for SSB.

As for the rest of the samples I would rather not have had lashes  again I got the same ones in my GlossyBox and whilst these are a better style (No.1!) I'm unlikely to use them plus we had lashes last month. The perfume sample I hate!! I don't like it when they're included as a main sample it annoys me, If I want perfume I'll go to a department store and get the sample for free myself, finally the BB cream is a very small sample but its a bonus so I can't complain, I've not heard of the company but I will try it out as I'm into my BB creams at the moment and the fact its SPF30 would make it ideal for my holiday so I'll have a go and see what I think.

So that was my box, perfume sample aside I liked it I was happy and the main three products I received made the perfume sample less of an issue!! 

I really like how SSB communicate well with their customers, the boxes are early rather than late and so far have all been really strong boxes and the fact their cheaper than GB make them all the more appealing. 

I haven't used their website properly yet but I'm going to have a play and see what its all about, I've peeped in the past and it does seem to have a community feel with real reviews from real people.

So all in all another great month for SSB, loved my box and the products and will definitely be continuing my subscription :) 

GlossyBox May Anniversary edition!

I'd just finished blogging about my SheSaidBeauty box when my doorbell rang and voila GlossyBox's offering was delivered!!

This Month is the one year Anniversary since GlossyBox began and as a result this is their special edition anniversary box.

As a added bonus they've given us all a little compact mirror and a balloon. It says on the blurb they'd like us to inflate said balloon and take a picture of ourselves to upload on their Facebook or to tweet to them!! 

So, what did I get?! Well in mine I had Noble Isle summer rising bath and shower gel which smells really good, I normally have a tantrum when I see shower or bath gels as I always seem to get sent Lavender or eucalyptus scented washes, which I hate with a passion! However this one I'm actually happy about as it just looks and smells divine!

Then I had two perfume samples from Lolita Lempicka......I'm not going to rant but I will say these samples I can walk into House of Fraser and collect for free anytime and I really take issue when a beauty box includes perfume like this as one of the main samples as it's not a luxury sample and its free anyway so I'm not impressed!! I've tried them both and of the two the Si Lolita is the one I like but thats all I can really say on them! (Not happy!!)

Next was a Weleda sample, The packaging is in German which if you don't read or understand isn't helpful but my basic grasp is that its a Wild Rose Milk for pampering your skin and that it contains natural ingredients. I like the smell and I've rubbed a bit on my hands and its absorbed well and left them soft with a gentle rose fragrance so I like this and will give it a proper test later.

I also got a small bottle of Uniqone All in one hair treatment which again I haven't tried yet but meh its another hair treatment I have my regular hair care down but this claims to preform miracles so I'll give it a whirl and we'll see!

Finally I received the Lets Go Lashes, I got the Tease Strip Lashes No.3. I'm going to sound really ungrateful but I've had lashes now many many times in these boxes and whilst their useful I can buy them anywhere and their not really my thing other than when I'm going out so I probably won't even try these and will gift them on.

I have mixed reactions with GlossyBox generally I'm happy with my boxes I know they're not going to please everyone all the time but this time I opened the box had a nose and a poke and then looked at the little deflated balloon and thought, that's two of us!

Not a terrible box by any stretch of the imagination but it goes back to the fact that across the boxes there is too much variation and there is the good box and the bum box and the little bit of both box which is what I think Mine is. 

 I was really good this month and didn't google to see any sneaky peaks or reviews so I had no expectations, however I'm not really moved to praise GB this month which is a shame as recently I'd been on a good run with their boxes. 

I've since googled away and seen others got HD Brows products which makes me sad as I would love to try their products but hey you win some you lose some!

Catch you next time xxx

SheSaidBeauty Box May

I decided that this month I would properly trial all the products I got in my May SheSaidBeauty box, I usually just have a quick dab or sniff but that's a bit boring each month so instead I'll tell you what I got and then focus on what I really liked!

So in my box I received the Natio Lotus Soap, I got the Pink lotus scent of yoga, Inika lip whip in peach, The Vintage Cosmetic Company False Lashes Kitty shaped, Kim Kardashian Eau De Parfum, Green People SPF15 with Tan accelerator and then in a cute little voile bag I got three samples from Snowberry.

Out of everything my favourite product was the Inika Lip Whip however the colour wasn't suitable for me but I am going to buy it in another shade. It applies really easily and stays in place its just a shame I can't pull off the colour!

I also loved the eyelashes relatively easy to apply and remove and looked great on so big thumbs up for them.

The only other thing to say was the Kim Kardashian perfume really surprised me as I liked the smell and I passed it on to a friend who also liked the scent. I have to say I normally don't like celebrity perfumes as they don't tend to be particularly nice in my opinion, but this one is and the roller ball packaging made it easy to try so I would recommend it.

This months box was a good offering and I wasn't disappointed with anything in it so I will defiantly be staying with SheSaidBeauty for the foreseeable future, I'm now on Glossy watch as the boxes have been dispatched and are due any day so I will let you know my thoughts when I've had a try ;) 

Aprils GlossyBox- The Natural Box!

It feels like it's been Months since the last GlossyBox, the delay caused by Easter has pushed back the dispatch BUT!! Aprils offering has arrived! 

Instead of the usual pretty post box this months was a plain cardboard box and inside the main box is a "Natural" recycled box,I actually like it I think its understated and pretty.

This Month is a Natural Beauty box and I believe is in conjunction with Earth day so its all natural beauty products which is a nice change and actually I'm really impressed with my box.

SO!! What did I get, well Five products Three of which were full size, One a very generous sample size and One that as yet I haven't got any product to come out??!! So actually we'll go with Four samples and one tube of air!

Monu Moisture Rich Collagen Cream 50ml, Burt's Bees Milk and Honey Body Lotion  70g, Figs & Rouge Lip Balm in Cherry &Vanilla 8ml, Caudalie SOS Thirst Quenching Serum 10ml and an Inika organic Eyeliner in Purple Minx Full size

The Monu cream smells nice applied easily as I've only used it once can't give too much of an opinion but its full size and I like!

Burt's Bees Body Lotion is a very generous sample and I've used it on my hands the smell is not terrible but I'm def getting hints of furniture polish??!! Despite this I do like it and my hands are silky smooth!

Figs & Rouge lip balm in Cherry & Vanilla, I love these tins they're cute they smell great and you can use them not only on your lips but face and body and nails sadly I foolishly tried out the Burts Bees prior to looking at the balm so despite much prying and pulling I can't get into it but I've had them before and they're gorgeous!

The Caudalie serum I can't tell you about as I seem to have a tube of air!! I've squuezed and squeezed but nothing has come out?? So yeah FAIL!

Finally the Inika organic Eyeliner, it's called Purple Minx it's a very dark purple and I do think I'll use it as I have a two tone blue/pink Maxfactor Mascara that I think it will work well with.

I really like the ethos of this box everything is alleged to be ethical and organic and they're really nice products lots of skin care, great sized samples and all bar the empty tube usable and appropriate to me so that's the second month of thumbs up to GB!! 

Let me know what you think and what you got in your box xxx

New box!

So last week Carmine announced its merge with GlossyBox.......devastated would be my feelings on that matter! The Carmine box in my opinion was far superior to GlossyBox it was consistent and FAIR!! But yeah its gone! I only hope the "merge" will lead to GlossyBox improving but we'll see! ANYWAY, so I wanted to fill my Carmine gap and came across SheSaidBeauty. 

Theres loads of codes around at the moment to get 25% off your first box and its a £1 cheaper than all the others at £11.95 inc P&P a month and it operates the same with monthly or yearly subscriptions cancel anytime! So here it is;

It comes in a Hot pink postal box and opens to reveal a cute turquoise box that opens via a flap at the front! Inside is hot pink tissue & ribbon and then nestling in the straw like filling were the following goodies;

Filthy Gorgeous Nail Polish in Valentine full size, its a deep red I like it but I have this colour already so that'll be gifted to someone!

Mischa Barton pink pop lip balm, Full size,  this I really like its not a strong colour just a hint and it made my lips feel good!! also it has SPF15 and vitamins which according to the blurb will make your lips more kissable so here's hoping!!

Bellapierre Shimmer Powder in Champagne Full size, Its a shimmer powder its a good colour for the summer so yes I'll use it and yes its nice again to have another full size included!

Bharti Vyas Face & Neck polisher sample, smells ok is all I can really say as I havent tried it, it came with a huge leaflet of instructions and sales pitch so we'll see!

Comfort Zone Body Expert kit very cute box of generous sized sachet samples again haven't tried it but will, its apparently going to make my body beach ready.....doubtful as to do that I need to join a Gym stop eating crap and generally try harder but we'll see how it makes my skin feel!!

BONUS Erno Laszlo The Hollywood Collection, I like a bonus who doesn't! Got this in my Harrods GB so have actually tried it and I did really like it so nice little extra 

BONUS Lindt Lindor mini Chocolate Egg, really nice touch to get an Easter egg in a beauty box love it! Going done a treat with my cuppa as I type!! (could be a contributing factor to my failure of the beach body!!)  

That was my box I liked it It's a nice mix of make-up and skincare I liked the two bonus items as well really nice touch. I'd had a snoop around the net to see what others had thought and it generally had great reviews so here we are and box number one is a thumbs up. I like that they do sneak peaks when the boxes are released so if your impatient like me you can ruin the surprise and I like the mix of brands you have high end with middle range and in other boxes they've had low end products but all products are nice and the boxes really seem to offer excellent value for money so onwards we shall go and see what next month brings! 

If you want to try it here's a link I'll get a referral which would be ace but if not go over to their site any way as its got a great feel to it very social and interactive :)

https://www.shesaidbeauty.com/invite/MOPWG

Garnier B.B. Cream

I've been hearing a lot lately about BB Creams and seen several brands launch their versions including Boots, Loreal and Garnier.

Not knowing too much about them I did a bit of tinternet research and found out that BB can stand for Blemish Balm and the idea is that they even out your skin tone hide blemish's and generally make your face look as good as poss! So I had a gander on the Boots website to see what they are price etc and here's what I found,

The Loreal Nude Magique BB Cream claims to mimic the texture and glow of perfect bare skin whilst also providing SPF12 and 24hour hydration, £9.99 for 30ml in Boots

No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream offers SPF 15 and 5* UVA Technology and again claims to even and enhance skin tone, disguise imperfections and banish blemish's! £12.95 for 40ml 

That brings me to the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Daily all-in-one B.B Cream, again offers a SPF 15 and 24 hour hydration.

This is currently £9.99. 

I had a look in my local Boots but wasn't sure wether it would deliver its claims so my next port of call was the Garnier Facebook page where I signed up to get a free sample of the Light shade and voila it arrived! It came with three sachets for me to trial and I have to say each sachet has had three applications worth in so was a great freebie!! 

The cream itself smells nice and applied really easily and smoothly the shade is Light and I have to be honest if you are very pale I think it might be a tad too dark as one over application had me looking more oompa loompa than blemish free and natural!

I do really like this cream as it has left my skin feeling soft after removal and to be honest I didn't bother with foundation as it gave me a nice even coverage BUT!! I did have a few breakouts after wearing it and the point of it is to banish blemish's not create them which left me a little disappointed.

My next point of call is to try the No.7 BB cream as I've a £5 off voucher (boots just love handing them out!!) and I won't feel too bad if it doesn't work for my skin!

The Loreal cream I'm unsure about my sister has bought it and got it in medium and it was too dark for her skin but also for the price I don't feel you get that much compared to the other two I've looked at but that's just the miser in me!

Let me know if you've tried any other brands or have any advice to give 

xx

March Glossybox "Harrods" edition!

In my box I received; Fan Di Fendi Eau De Toilette 4ml, Ojon Hair serum 25ml, Erno Laszlo Hollywood Collection Sample set, Burberry Beauty Miniature Lip cover Rosewood No.4 and Clarins Extra-Firming Body cream 30ml.

Another Month another box! March's Glossybox has been subject to much Hype, if you recall in last months box we all got little cards with the "mystery box" printed on it (I suspect to keep us from cancelling our subscription after the seeing what Feb offered!!) but yes then there was all this clicking on links to get letters...I didn't and frankly couldn't be arsed with all that but then came the press launch party and all was revealed! 

Harrods have collaborated with Glossybox to present a special edition box containing high end luxury samples....(isn't it meant to anyway??!!) 

So this morning the postman handed over the pretty looking box and before he'd even turned away I'd ripped open the box and beheld the white limited edition box... meh its a box and its white and it has Harrods stamped on it nuff said! 

Then I opened it up and smiled at my goodies! I really hoped I'd get the Ojon hair serum and the Burberry Lipstick and I did and I was pleased to see the cute Fendi sample.

                                                      
The Burberry lipstick sample is a generous size and the colour suits me which is a bonus but most of all its pretty, its tactile, and I'm a little in love!!
The Ojon Hair serum is a generous size and is one of the samples I really wanted to try so I followed the instructions warmed a few drops and applied to the ends of my hair and I have to say its really good, as the blurb says its not oily or greasy if used correctly and yeah I've got shiny hair!! 

Then there's the Fendi perfume and I actually quite like it again the packaging is adorable and I did hold it and have a bit of a Gollum moment as I stroked it and the Burberry lipstick!! 

The Clarins cream is also a good 30ml sample had a little sniff wapped a bit on can't say I have instantly firm skin but it smells nice has absorbed well and I'm probably one of the few Glossy girls who hasn't actually recieved Clarins before so I was happy! 

The Erno Laszlo cream samples I have no opinion on as of yet, but I'll give them a go!! 

So in summary I got a good box that I can actually use and enjoy I found two products I'll defiantly buy (lippy and the hair serum) and more importantly I got what I paid for which is luxury samples. I won't ramble on about what GB SHOULD be putting out every month but I will say that as much as I loved this box I can't help but think next months will be another fail so I'm not completely sold on keeping up the GB subscription, next month is make or break! 

Carmine smashs GlossyBox this Feb!

Ok so with trepidation I accepted the hideous Orange box that signals the arrival of Carmine's February box, after the epic fail that was GlossyBox this month I didn't dare hope for anything amazing but how wrong I was!

                                               

Three Full size items, two generous samples and a bonus perfume sample made up this impressive offering and Here is what I got;

Andrea Fulerton Nail Varnish full size in Julia, great product the first coat went on easily smoothly and had great coverage, the colour isn't me but I would defiantly buy. I think you can get this in Superdrug and if not definitely online!!

Balance Me Super Moisturising Body Wash Full Size, so I had a quick shower tried it out really liked how silky it made my skin feel but not so keen on the Herby smell but that's my personal taste I would use it again but I'd probably buy the Rose one just for the smell factor!! I liked last months Balance Me radiance oil so this is nice to compliment that.

SteamCream Tin moisturiser full size, Okay so after 10 minutes of trying to get into the bloody thing I succeeded and yeah its a cream!! Doesn't smell bad absorbs quickly and isn't greasy can be used from head to toe according to the blurb and I think its one for popping in my handbag for on the go moisturising! 

White Glo toothpaste 24g, Unusual to see a toothpaste sample but I kinda like it and lets face it as a tea drinker anything that can help keep my teeth white has got to be good!  

Diego Dalla Palma Lipstick in N0.32 mini sample, Ok well the colours naff on me but the lipstick went on nicely and gave good coverage and is still there now! Not sure I'd buy as I'm happy with my current lippy but it's a quality sample.

Yardley London Peony fragrance sample, Nice touch as an extra but would have been pissed if this had been counted as a sample!! But that's just my fickle self!! Smells ok not sure its one I'd buy but its not terrible.

So yeah that was my box and I'm really impressed, to give Three full size samples made this box extremely good value and they were nice samples. Not everything was to my taste but they were what they should be which is luxury samples from quality brands. 

So big thumbs up to Carmine both boxes from them have been consistently good value and more importantly fair! 

Everyone who subscribes gets the same samples the only variation being the colour/fragrance or design which for me puts them a notch above GlossyBox who just has too much variation in the value and quality of their different boxes. 

I wait to see what March brings and whether GB can redeem themselves!

February's GlossyBox

So after last months fabulous box I have been sat by my letterbox eagerly anticipating February's offering to the Glossy girls and boys! The box arrived and as I expected was beautifully presented and I eagerly removed the paperwork and undid the bow to reveal......well not a lot!! Unfortunately I was one of the unlucky Glossy girls this month and got the bum box! I know I know I'm sounding like one of those moaners who jealously eyes up what others got and feels hard done by. But I really do feel hard done by!!

Here's what I got, Duwop Venom Gloss in buttercup, Dr Bronner Lavender Hand Sanitiser (full size), Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Relaxing Balm, BM Beauty Pure Mineral Eyeshadow in Deep Purple and Como Shambhala invigorating shower Gel. 

Where to begin well firstly the full size item was the hand sanitiser....Lavender.....costs £1.99......Vile. Nothing else can really be said other than I didn't like it and promptly gave it away! The Shower gel....smells rank.....yuk!! Again not my cup of tea and again promptly given away. 

Then there was the Duwop Lip gloss, this I actually really liked does exactly what it says and plump's the lips although if you're not used to these plumper's the tingling sensation can if excessively applied really sting. I Liked it and liked the colour it suited me and didn't look bad so that for me was the star in my otherwise c**p box!! 

Also I like the Paul Mitchell hair balm although for me wasn't new or exciting as I already have it but still a nice travel size for when I go on holiday and a nice product. 

Then there was the eyeshadow, It's a deep metallic Purple and when applied I looked like I had two black eyes!! It wasn't my colour so I don't want to be down on the actual product which seemed nice but just didn't suit me.

So all in all a shitty Month for this Glossy Girl, I was really unimpressed with my box and then I went online and read what others had got AND THEN I was pissed!! I'm not the only one either GlossyBox's facebook page reads like a how not to on customer service. Literally hundreds of pissed Glossy Girls who got the same box as me and nothing but stony silence from GlossyBox itself.

Of course not everyone was disappointed, mainly those who got the better boxes with the nicer products and those are the ones keen to point out what sore losers us bum box recipients are being and of course not everyone is going to be happy that's a given and the risk you take when you sign up but when you look at the monetary value of these boxes and see the cavernous difference between my box and the "Best" box then you start to question the fairness of it all. My full size sample was worth £1.99 and in the "Best" box the Becca beach tint was worth £20.....big difference especially when you consider we're all paying the same amount of money but aren't all getting the best value for that money. But my gripe is not just with the monetary value but with the contents of the boxes themselves. I signed up to this because the blurb promised LUXURY Samples and high end brands that I could discover and buy into, a £1.99 hand sanitiser is neither luxury or high end. 

Moaning aside I did seriously consider whether I should continue with GlossyBox or call it quits however being the sucker that I am the little card they included which hinted at March's "Mystery" box has wet my appetite and I feel compelled to hang on in there and hope next month I get the better or best box!! 

I'm now eagerly awaiting Feb's Carmine box and keeping my fingers and toes crossed its a good one I don't think my fickle little self could take another bum box!!