Unboxing Glossybox - April 2019 Edition - Fruity Or Floral*

Ah, at last I've found some time to sit down and get my blog on, so I'm stuck indoors despite the fact that it's Good Friday, and unusually for a Bank Holiday in the UK it's actually sunny! I can hear people laughing and generally enjoying themselves but I'm not bitter at all, I've actually had a pretty decent week for once, and I'm getting very excited about an impending new arrival (check out my Instagram and Facebook page to have a sneaky peek), and I've being enjoying the April 2019 edition of Glossybox UK.

Last month saw a return to the traditional pink and black Glossybox that we're so familiar with but in keeping with the changing seasons and hopefully the return of the warmer weather, April's vibrant, and colourful box design just screams Spring and Summer.

Every subscriber this month received one of two randomly selected boxes, one with a fruity theme, and one with a floral theme, which was reflected not only in the box design but also in the contents.

I received the floral box, which features a bright pink box base, and a white lid festooned with a large, glossy floral design in shades of yellow, pink, and turquoise, with gold foil accents. The goodies inside were wrapped in turquoise / teal tissue paper, and pink ribbon, and surrounded by pink shredded paper.

Sticking with the fruity and floral theme, all of the boxes contained an assortment of fruity and floral treats, the contents varied depending on what box design you received but all of April's boxes contained the usual 5 items, and an extra treat.

Jeanne Arthes Let Your Dreams Blossom - Eau De Parfum - 30ml - Full Size - RRP £20.99

Now perfume is always a slightly dodgy items when it comes to subscription boxes - fragrance is such a personal thing, you could ask 100 people what they thought of a fragrance and you'd probably get a 100 different answers. Personally though I don't mind receiving fragrance, I've probably had more hits than misses in my years of receiving beauty boxes, but at the same time I've also discovered some real gems over the years including the fabulous Courreges La Fille De L'Air which is now one of my go to fragrances.

The name Jeanne Arthes seems quite familiar to me so I think I've potentially tried something from the brand in the past, I don't think I have anything in my collection so if I have I obviously passed it on. Based on the research that I've done the brand was founded in my year of birth 1978 in the home of fragrance, Grasse. It doesn't seem that widely available in the UK but a quick search on ebay and Amazon brings up a few different fragrances from the brand.

From what I gather this fragrance, and the fragrance in the fruity box were made especially for Glossybox, and the floral design on the bottle even mirrors the floral design on the box lid. With notes of rose petals, cedarwood, lily, freesia and amber it's a lovely fresh, rose based scent. Rose scents can sometimes smell a little bit old fashioned but the fresher notes, and warmer notes give it a wider appeal. I like rose based scents so this was actually a winner for me, it reminds me a little bit of the long discontinued MAC Cosmetic fragrance Deja Rose from the Rose Romance Collection. Mummy Lou who loves Paul Smith Rose, and some more traditional rose scents also loves it so it's definitely a multi generational scent.

This fragrance is exclusive to Glossybox and the only official place where you can buy is directly from Glossybox but I've also seen a few on ebay x 

Soaper Duper Zingy Ginger Body Butter - 300ml - Full Size - RRP £10

After receiving the Soaper Duper Fruity Green Tuberose Body Lotion in the February edition of Pink Parcel (read my review here), and loving both the brand and their ethos, I was delighted to receive another Soaper Duper product in April's Glossybox.

Like the body lotion that I tried this body butter is vegan, cruelty free, and is free from parabens, phthalates and artificial colours. The ingredients in this particular body butter are 97% naturally derived and including all sorts of lovely things including ginger, eucalyptus, grapefruit and rosemary extracts, lime, macadamia, camelina, and sweet almond oil, vitamin E and C, and shea butter.

It's white in colour and has a thick and creamy texture, despite its richness though it absorbs into the the skin pretty quickly, and leaves it feeling soft and smooth, and looking hydrated and glowy. Rather than smelling of gingerbread it actually has more of a green, tropical scent with hints of citrus and ginger root that lingers on the skin. If you liked The Body Shop's Candied Ginger festive range from a few years ago, then you might like this. It isn't as warm but it definitely has a similar vibe. 

Again I was really impressed with this product, it's perfect if you need the hydration and power of a body butter but without the heaviness or stickiness - it leaves the skin soft, hydrated, glowy and delicately scented - what more could you want ? You only need a small amount too so this huge tub will last for ages. This body butter is available from Soaper Duper directly and various other retailers.

Dr. Botanicals Po Pomegranate Superfood Regenerating Sleeping Mask - 30ml - Travel Size - £12 - £14

Next up another product from Dr Botanicals, they seem to be a bit of a subscription box favourite at the moment, and do you know what? I'm not complaining - I'm still loving the Cr Charcoal Superfood Mattifying Face Mask that I got in March's Pink Parcel (read my post here) and I'm still picking up the rose facial oil on a regular basis so it was to the opportunity to try something else.

I haven't managed to try this yet but like the rest of the products in the Dr. Botanicals range it's cruelty free, vegan and it's certified by PETA, and it contains only high quality natural ingredients. Containing pomegranate, sweet almond oil, grapeseed and shea butter, this is an overnight mask that aims to nourish, hydrate and smooth the skin, and add brightness and antioxidants to the skin. 

All you do it apply a thin layer to clean, dry skin, 2 to 3 times a week before bed, and let it sink in while you sleep. I haven't tried anything like this before so it's gone straight in my to try pile. This is the 30ml travel size which seems to retail at anywhere between £12 - £14 from various retailers including direct from Dr. Botanicals and Beauty Expert. The full 50ml size retailers at around £19 and is again available from various retailers including Look Fantastic.

Original Source Hydrating Water Infusions Raspberry & Rose Water Shower Gel - 250ml - Full Size - Est. RRP £2.30

What I like about Glossybox is the real variety of products that you receive - now a little of people aren't a fan of the inclusion of more purse friendly products but I really don't mind. There really is nothing worse than falling in love with a products and not being able to afford to buy it again. This shower product comes from unisex, drugstore brand Original Source, I love their Lemon and Tea Tree shower gel already and this gave me a nice opportunity to try something new.

This is a product is part of a new range from Original Source of hydrating body washes, that are infused with vitamins and anti oxidants, and are designed to nourish, hydrate and detoxify the skin. They are vegan and are paraben free, but they do contain SLS. This particular one contains raspberry fruit extract, and rose flower water.

Just a small amount, of the slightly pink toned, translucent gel produces a lovely, creamy lather. It didn't smell quite as sweet and fruity as I'd expected it to, instead it had a green, more natural fruity scent, that reminded me a bit of raspberry leaf tea! It's not sweet instead it has a warm, greenness to it. It didn't feel drying on the skin and if your skin wasn't particularly dry, you could probably pass on a body lotion afterwards if you were in a rush. This is a full size tube and depending on the retailer the price at the moment varies dramatically - it's currently £1 in ASDA and £2 in Boots and Wilko.com so my advice is to shop around a bit.

Dr Paw Paw Hot Pink Balm - 25ml - Full Size - RRP £6.95

Next up a variation of a product that almost cult status in so many peoples lives. Dr Paw Paw Balm. Now I'm sure I have a tube of the original balm floating around somewhere but I can't remind whether or not I've ever tried it. In its original form it's a cruelty free, vegan, PETA certified, fragrance and gluten free balm that can be used anywhere from patches of skin, to dry lips, and dry cuticles. 

The main ingredient is Paw Paw or as we know it better in the UK, Papaya, which is combined with aloe Vera, olive oil and in this case colour pigments.

Although slightly less versatile than the original, this is a hot pink tinted version of the original Dr Paw Paw Balm, that you can use on your lips and cheeks. The shade is designed to suit all skin tones and complexions. You can apply a small amount and blend it out for a sheer finish, or you can build it up for a more dramatic finish.

I definitely think that it's easier to start of sheer and build it up, apply too much at once especially on the cheeks and you may be doing your best Aunt Sally impression. A small amount though and you get a really pretty, pink pinched cheek look that doesn't look greasy or shiny. As well as adding a pretty pink tone and a bit of gloss to the lips, it also adds and huge hit of moisture and nourishment and it actually wears pretty well.

Obviously as I say the pink tone makes it slightly less versatile when it comes to a skin care product, but it's still a multi functional make up item so it's a great one for travel and when you're on the go. You can buy this product directly from Dr Paw Paw and from various other retailers including Feelunique.

Palmer's Natural Fusions Chia Seed & Argan Oil Hair Mask - 30ml / 1 fl. oz. - Deluxe Mini - RRP £1.99

Finally an extra treat, and despite the fact that it's labelled not for resale ;) it's a nice addition to the regular 5 items. When it comes to Palmer's I automatically think body products, and Cocoa Butter, but did you know that they also have a hair care line? Well I didn't and although I haven't tried this yet, I do love a hair mask so I can't wait to give it a go.

This intensive conditioning hair mask isn't tested on animals and contains 95% naturally sourced ingredients and it contain no sulphates, parabens, phthalates, mineral oils or gluten. The two main ingredients are chia seed to strengthen the hair and promote new growth, and argan oil to rejuvenate dull and lifeless hair. It also contains sunflower oil, shea butter, coconut oil, rosemary leaf extract and rice bran wax. 

My hair is desperate need of some colour, so when I hopefully got rid of those greys, I'll treat it to some of this mask and let you know my thoughts in a future post x This is a deluxe mini with an estimated RRP of £1.99, the full 60g size is available from Superdrug and retails at £2.99.

I have to say that again I'm pretty happy with Glossybox, the value again was definitely there and it contained a nice combination of items all of which that I'll use, and that fitted in very well with the whole fruity floral theme. As per usual the box also included a little sneak peek as to what we can expect in May's box, and it looks like it's going to be a good one . In May's box every subscriber will receive either a Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Cream Kit, or a Barry M Cosmic Lights Highlighter Palette. Being a pale girl, and a highlighter junkie I would really love the highlighter palette but since it's randomly selected, I guess I'll have to wait and see x If you're interested in trying Glossybox UK for yourself, then check them out via my link, and save a little bit of money on your subscription xx Thanks as always and enjoy the rest of your weekend xx 

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