I returned from a wee holiday in Turkey on my own last week (not nearly as sad as it sounds!), and had completely forgotten that I’d effectively treated myself to a new present every month. Enter http://www.glossybox.co.uk/
I first heard about GlossyBox on another blog and thought it sounded like a fantastic idea. You set up a profile on their website where they ask questions about your skin tone, hair colour, make-up routine and skin concerns (etc.), you pay £10 per month for your subscription and then each month they send you 5 FULL SIZE brand new products to try based on your profile. Well, I’m sure you can appreciate that it didn’t take long for me to part with my £10 and sign up straight away!
I was so impressed when Mr. Postie presented the package to me that I think I may be guilty of letting off a small girlish squeal. Just look at the packaging!
When I opened it there was another beautiful gift box inside (which I will be saving to put Christmas presents in!), and in that box the products were delicately wrapped in sophisticated black tissue paper and white grosgrain ribbon. It really did feel like my birthday. Inside I found...
Illamasqua Pure Pigment eyeshadow in Involve
Ciate Paint Pot
Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Body Oil
LP Skin Therapy Lip Rescue Gel
Ultrasun Anti-Ageing SPF for Face
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| L-R: Ultrasun Anti-Ageing SPF, Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Body Oil, Ciate Paint Pot, Illamasqua Pure Pigment, LP Skin Therapy Lip Rescue Gel |
The Illamasqua Pure Pigment came out way better than I expected. Having green eyes, I am personally a fan of purple eyeshadows but find it a struggle to find one that’s not the colour purple you find in a children’s paint palette. Yeps, definitely more of an aubergine/plum kinda gal. I would say that this is the perfect mid-point between a lilac and a plum, and really makes my eyes pop – the shimmering particles really help to brighten the eye area. The formula is soft and super blendable, and you can use it for a wash of colour or build it up to create a strong smoky catwalk look and coloured eyeliner. We all know berry tones are so AW11 ;) It has come out a lot brighter in this image than it looks in true light, so don’t be put off!
Next up is the Ciate Paint Pot. I’ve seen these being sold on ASOS for a while now, but given their low price I always suspected they would be one of those cheapy nail varnishes that are a waste of money. How wrong could I be! This bad boy puts my Chanel and YSL nail varnishes to shame, just 2 coats was all I needed for a flawless finish and it has hardly budged in 7 days of wear. The colour is fantastic, it’s bright orange and fits in perfectly with summer’s colour-blocking trend (and my Turkish tan of course). The only thing that lets this down is that I can’t find the name of the colour on the pot!
Equally impressive is the Pomegranate Regenerating Body Oil by Weleda. I find body oils such a pain in the bottom because they’re messy, greasy and can take an age to absorb into your skin. Luckily, given my peeling post-holiday skin I ignored my anti oil instincts and used this twice a day to keep my tan in tip top condition. It is ultra moisturising and you really do get the feeling that your skin is hydrated...plus it smells DIVINE. The scent reminds me of a clove and orange essential oil that I burn during Winter for that Christmassy smell. Another trick I’ve been using this oil for is as a replacement for shaving gel – seriously, this gives the smoothest legs ever!
This GlossyBox really has not let me down, because I adore the next product too. LP Skin Therapy Lip Gel (developed by TV psychologist Dr. Linda Papadopoulos) is a lip gloss that plumps, moisturises, softens and even contains a herb extract to reduce anxiety and calm you down! *It is my new best friend* I usually hate lip glosses for that ever seductive ‘hair-stuck-to-face’ moment, but this isn’t sticky at all – your lips just feel sort of waterproofed. It does exactly what it says on the tin, the packaging is grown up and elegant, and it tastes like orange Opal Fruits! (they will never be Starburst to me, only Opal Fruits!).
I must admit that given the somewhat dull Liverpool weather we’ve had since I got back from the 44-50 degree heat of Turkey, I haven’t bothered to test out the suncream. If we are ever awarded with the rest of our summer I’ll be sure to test it out and review.
All in all, I was massively impressed with my GlossyBox. Considering these are all full-size products and the Illamasqua eyeshadow would have been £14 just on its own I think this is fantastic value and means I get to refresh my make-up bag with new products every month. Plus, when you log into your online account and review the products, you get one ‘glossy dot’ per review – when you have collected 100 you qualify for a free GlossyBox. Winner!
In other news, I have just 4 short weeks left of my Invisalign Refinement! Given that my dodgy incisor has finally decided to move into place, I am confident that this will be the end of my treatment. So watch this space for before and after pictures when I get my retainer J
