A Late Unboxing Of Glossybox UK - April 2021 Edition - Woke Up In Spring*

So, I'm back after another unplanned blogging break. I've been struggling a lot health wise over the last month or so, but some how I've managed to accumulate some energy from somewhere that's allowed me to be a little bit more productive, so I'm back today with another catch up post x 

My Glossybox posts in particular seem to have gone right up the spout this year, and I'm now so behind with them that it's actually untrue, but I'm plodding on, and my aim is to try and get completely up to date by the beginning of January, but you know what usually happens when I make plans, so we'll have to wait and see.

So today I'm taking you on a journey, we're going to leave the dark night, and dull days of autumn, and we're going to take a trip back to the height of spring, and the freshness and newness of the April 2021 edition of Glossybox UK.

As with March's box, the April edition also comes in the classic pink and black colour way, with the pink box, the pink tissue paper, and the black ribbon and paper shred.

As always the first thing in the box was the information leaflet which talked about the products and the theme of the box, which in April's case was "Woke Up In Spring" and according all to Glossybox all of the products in the box were specially chosen to brighten up your day! but did they actually achieve that? Let's find out..

- 417 Serenity Legend Hydrating Dead Sea Bath Salts - 100g - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £2.17

Where possible I always like to try every product that I talk about in these unboxing posts, but every now and then there are products that I either can't use, or there are products that for whatever reason I've chosen not to use, and unfortunately for you there were two such products in April's box.

This first item was a sachet of bath salts from Dead Sea Salt based brand -417 (Minus 417). I've already tried a few skincare products from them  (You can read my reviews here and here), but this was the first body product that I'd had from the brand and unfortunately I couldn't use it.

Yes, as you should know by now, I don't have a bath, and to just use it as a foot soak, in my opinion, would be a bit of a waste, so I'm passing this on to a friend to try, and hopefully she can experience some of the relaxing, soothing and nourishing properties of these vegan friendly, spa like scented bath salts.

Glossybox placed a value of £2.17 on this 100g sachet - according to -417 you need around 50g per bath so this should be enough for two baths. The only retailer that I can find is direct from -417, but they don't sell this specific size, they only sell a 500g sachet which retails at £14.

Sophia + Mabelle Eyeshadow Quad - The Aphrodite Palette - Full Size - Est. RRP £25 / $18

Next up the first of two make up products that featured in the box, and the first one was a an eyeshadow quad, from new brand to me, Sophia + Mabelle. Sophia + Mabelle are a Florida based, Peta certified, cruelty free make up brand that is designed to fit into the live of any person, no matter what stage of life they're at.

Packaged in a gorgeous floral designed cardboard box, the palette itself is really simple and basic, with its small square shape, and basic pink, and translucent pink plastic construction. Although it looks quite inexpensive the packaging quality wise, actually feels pretty decent, and it reminds me a little bit of the Colourpop quads.

The palette that I received was 'The Aphrodite Palette'. This pink themed palette contains a pale matte pink, 2 shimmery pink shades, and a matte almost charcoal, black, grey, brown shade.

As you can see from these pictures, the colour payoff, even on the palest, and the matte shades in really good. All of the shadows were really soft and smooth, and they were pretty easy to apply. There was a tiny bit of fallout which is understandable given the softness of the shadows. The dark shade was so pigmented that it did show a tiny bit of resistance to blending , but that was only because it was so pigmented and it was really easy to overuse, but it was nothing that a lighter application, and a bit more blending wouldn't fix.

This is the most perfectly applied or blended eye look that you will ever see, but I hope you can see just how pretty and wearable this palette is.

The shadows are of a really nice quality. They were nicely pigmented, fairly easy to apply and blend, and they wore surprisingly well, so all in all I was pretty impressed.

What I wasn't so impressed with though was the £25 price tag that Glossybox put on this palette. I've had a look at the Sophia + Mabelle website, and whilst they don't have this particular quad, they have a similar quad, in a plainer outer box, which retails at $18. Whilst the shadows are good, the palette is pretty small and fairly basic (For comparison the similar Colourpop quads are around $9), so I personally don't think that I could justify spending that sort of money on an eyeshadow quad like this one.

Feel Free Antioxidant Eye Contour Cream - 20ml - Full Size - Est. RRP £4.77

I know I've mentioned it in a few posts, but I'm pretty much reaching saturation point when it comes to certain beauty products in my stash, and one of those products in eye cream. So late last year, or was it early this year, who knows I decided to stop opening any of the new eye creams or gels that I acquired, and instead I vowed to try and use up all of the eye products that I've already opened - A good idea in theory but to be honest it's pretty slow going, and I now have another one to add to my 'to use' pile.

From Spanish natural and organic skincare company Feel Free, this antioxidant eye contour cream, contains hyaluronic acid, rice extract, aloe vera, and coffee extract, as well as lemon, mint and apple, and is designed to balance, moisturise, and reduce expression lines.

Obviously I haven't tried it yet, but I'll let you know my thoughts when I do. Although Feel Free do have an English website, in the UK we can't shop from it, and despite a little search online, I can't find this particular product anywhere but according to Glossybox it retails at around £4.77 for a 20ml tube.

dwtn Paris Liquid Blusher - 15ml - Full Size - Est. RRP £19.58 / €18

Next up another make up product, and this time it something for the cheeks. From Parisian based beauty brand dwtn Paris, this liquid blush cheek colour is made from 99% natural and vegan ingredients, including white marrube (white horehound) which protects the skin against pollution and blue light, as well as acacia gum, organic corn and black radish.

Packaged in a black and white, modernist design tube, this blush had a slightly thick, creamy texture and no discernible scent. At first glance the colour looks quite scary, its quite dark and very pigmented. It's a terracotta, dark brick red like shade, but it quickly and easily blends down to a more natural peach / bronze shade.

All you do is apply a few dots to your cheeks, it is pretty pigmented so it's probably best to start out with less and build it up. It was actually fairly easy to blend, I used a brush but I think I would have had a bit more control with my fingers.

I wore on top of both foundation and loose powder, and as you can see it did slightly disturb my base, exposing some of the natural redness of my cheeks, but there was no change in the texture, and they was no pilling, just a smooth natural finish.

I subsequently had a little bit of a play around and tried blending it with my fingers and a more tapping motion (not photographed) and my base pretty much stayed put, but I don't think there is a right or a wrong way to use this product, I think it depends on your base, your skin type and what type of look you're going for, so play around and have some fun, that's what make up is all about after all.

I have to say that I was a little bit scared of this at first, the dark brick shade was so dark, but by applying a small amount at once, blending it out and building up the colour, the resulting colour was actually really pretty and wearable, and even on my more oil prone skin it lasted nearly all day, without any of the clumping or balling, that I often experience with cream and liquid cheek colours.

All in all despite my initial argh! reaction I was actually really pleased with this product. If you fancy trying it for yourself, I believe it is only available directly from dwtn Paris French website, where is retails at around €18, Glossybox place a value of £19.58 on this full size tube.

Skin & Co Roma Truffle Therapy Morning Dew Ultra Gentle Botanical Face Cleansing Gel - 20ml - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £1.98

Finally, a skincare item and it's a specialist morning cleanser from a brand called Skin & Co Roma. Now i was convinced that I'd tried something from this brand before but I've had a little look, and it looks as though this is my first product.

Both vegan, and again Peta certified, this Italian founded brand is a botanical based, Mediterranean skincare and body care brand, that is based on the antioxidant properties of the Black Winter Truffle.

Truffle Therapy Morning Dew is a daily (morning) cleansing gel, that is designed to cleanse, uplift and brighten the complexion and protect it from environmental damage.

This sulphate free cleanser contains Umbrian Black Winter Truffle, as well as papaya extract, an AHA to minimise blemishes and improve the appearance and texture of the skin, as well as other botanicals including olive leaf, orange flower extract, lavender, cucumber, and calendula.

Packaged in a white and gold tube, the cleanser has a slightly runny, gel like texture, which is translucent yellow / light amber in colour. If you are a regular reader you'll probably already know that I'm pretty useless at describing scents but this one has me well and truly beat! At first it has quite a warm, nutty, almost coconut like scent, but add water and it seems to bring out more herbal, green and fruity notes.

You basically use this one like any other face wash, I usually wet my face and pop a small amount of cleanser into my palm before adding a little bit of water and working it into a lather on my face

The lather as you can see is really light and creamy. The instructions say to massage the cleanser onto the face in circular motions for around 1 minute to get the full antioxidant and AHA benefits, before rinsing.

It was really easy to rinse away, and my skin immediately felt and looked cleaner, brighter and fresher. It felt really soft and smooth, and it was left with almost a matte finish. My skin did feel a tiny bit tight, but it quickly subsided and there was no redness or dryness.

This was actually a really nice morning cleanser, the smell was actually really nice, if a tad confusing! It  also left my skin feeling very clean and soft, and ready for the rest of my skincare and make up. I would definitely consider buying this cleanser again in the future and I'm also interested in trying some more products from the range.

Glossybox placed a value of £1.98 on this 20ml tube, unfortunately I can't find this particular size anywhere online, but the full 200ml size is available for around £22 direct from Skin & Co Roma.

A little late I know, but that was my unboxing of the April 2021 edition of Glossybox UK. Despite another eye cream and a bath product that I couldn't use, I still think that this was another decent box, despite my initial hesitation about the blush, I liked both of the make up items but the stand out product for me was actually the Skin & Co Roma cleanser. It left my skin feeling super soft, and looking brighter and more awake.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this box, so please let me know if you think it was a hit or a miss in the comments section below x Don't forget to to check out Glossybox for yourself and I'll see you later in the week with an empties post x 

*This Post Contains Added Automatic Affiliate, Added Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

Unboxing Pink Parcel UK - August 2019 Edition - Midnight Garden Edit*

I know this post is a little bit late but I'm not going to apologise for that - I took a bit of time out for some family and friend time - I helped my mam celebrate her birthday and I spent a lovely day with my bestie, that unfortunately I'm still recovering from, walking along the sea front, eating ice cream, playing mini golf, and shopping.

Even though I haven't managed to get a post up, I've still being posting on Instagram and I've been photographing products, and make up looks for some upcoming posts. The first few posts that I've got coming up are quite long and in depth so I'm going to get down to it straight away, and do some catch ups starting with August's Pink Parcel unboxing x

After a few up and down months with Pink Parcel, like July's box , August's arrived bang on time and its arrival coincided perfectly with the arrival of my period. My August box was packaged in the old style grey and pink outer box, and inside it contained the familiar pouch and a mixture of Pink Parcel, and Betty Box cardboard boxes.

Again I chose a pads only box, and this time round I received 24 items, which was one more than last month. Like last month, and the month before, and the month before that I got a mixture of different brands rather than the brand and product type that I requested. As I've said before I don't really mind a mixture of brands but I actually received an email from Pink Parcel last month telling me that the items I'd selected were being discontinued, so maybe that's why I've been getting a mixture of different products. I've selected another product now so it should be interesting to see what I get in September's box.

Now on to the fun stuff and the theme of August's box was Midnight Garden, and the theory behind the box was products that would take from day to night. It contains products that would be great for festivals and summer days, and pampering products that would help you wind down at the end of the day.

Floss My New Favourite Lip Gloss - Yul - 15g - Full Size - RRP £16 / $16

The first item in the 'Wants' box is from a new brand to me, Floss. Hailing from Canada, their products are cruelty and paraben free, are specifically designed to enhance your natural beauty.

Packaged in a squeezy plastic tube, with a doe foot applicator, Floss claim that this gloss is smooth, hydrating and long lasting, and that it will quickly become your new favourite lip gloss, a big claim indeed!

I received the shade Yul, which I believe is the code name for Montreal International Airport. It looks translucent pink in the tube but as you can see from the swatch below it actually comes out clear.

It's not the thickest gloss that I've ever used but it feels comfortable on the lips, and it doesn't feel too sticky or tacky. I used to be a real lip gloss fiend when I was younger, but now I'm not a huge fan of the gloopy or tacky feel. This isn't bad though it adds a nice subtle gloss to the lips, without too much of the goo. Obviously you can wear it over another lip colour but I like the slightly glossy, natural look that you get from wearing it alone. 

If you're not a huge fan of full on thick, sticky glosses then this one might be worth trying. It looks nice and wears well, but personally I'm not a huge fan of the taste or scent which more often than not is a pretty big deal for me. It has a slightly synthetic, and dare I say it plastic like vanilla / coconut scent. It's not crazily strong so I will probably use this up but I can't see myself repurchasing it. If you fancy trying it for yourself though, then you can buy it directly from Floss.

Minus -417 Time Control Firming Radiant Mud Mask - 20ml -Est. RRP £8

Next up another brand that you may not have heard of Minus -417. Apart from featuring occasionally as potential prizes on the Clawee app (my invite code code is WCLLZER if you fancy playing), the first time I heard about the range was when I received a face wash in the January edition of Glossybox UK.

You can read my thoughts on it here, but I really enjoyed using it so I was really pleased to receive another product from this Dead Sea based skincare range in August's Pink Parcel. 

Pink Parcel are famous for including face masks, and this one is a 2 in 1 exfoliating and nourishing mud mask, that is designed to deeply cleanse, exfoliate, and nourish the skin, whilst at the same time drawing out impurities and absorbing excess oil. It contains Dead Sea mud, red and white clay, avocado, and olive oils, verbena extract, honey, titanium dioxide, and vitamins A, B, E, and F.

With a mild, slightly earthy, aquatic scent, it has a creamy clay mask type consistency, and it contains small exfoliating particles. -417 recommend that you apply it to cleansed skin, avoiding the eye area. It was nice and easy to spread, and to apply evenly. On application there was a slightly warming sensation that gradually disappeared after a few minutes. 

On Application

The advice was that it should dry in about 7-10 minutes, but given the humidity when I tried it out, it probably took around 10 or 11 minutes to dry completely. It dries like any other clay mask, and you do experience a slightly tightening sensation as it sets but it wasn't uncomfortable.

After Around 10 Minutes 

Clay masks can often be quite stubborn and quite difficult to remove, but this particular one was quite easy to remove with warm water, and a muslin cloth. My skin was a little bit pink after removal but that quickly disappeared. Unusually for a clay mask my skin didn't feel tight, it felt comfortable and supple, and it looked clearer, cleaner and smoother.

After Removal

I am a bit of a maskaholic and this was a nice one, I liked the warming sensation, and the exfoliating aspect and I liked how supple my skin felt when I'd removed it. I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to repurchase it but I'll happily use it up. Pink Parcel value this 20ml size at £8, the full 10ml size retails at around $39 direct from Minus -417.

Mudmasky Hair Mask, Scalp Treatment & Miracle Shampoo - Full Size - RRP £26-£29

The next item is a product from Pink Parcel favourite brand Mudmasky. Over the years I've recieved quite a few products from Mudmasky but this time it isn't a face mask, it's a hair product.

Now I haven't had a chance to try this yet but it sounds really interesting. It's basically a paraben and sulfate free, 3 in 1 hair mask, scalp treatment, and shampoo. Like all of the Mudmasky products it isn't tested on animals and based on the theory that healthy hair starts from the scalp, it's designed to repair and strengthen the hair,  and to moisturise and to prevent an itchy scalp and to control dandruff. It's suitable for all hair types but it's especially good for damaged hair.

As I say I haven't tried this yet, but it sounds like it could be a real time saver, you need to leave it on the hair for 1 minute, and it could replace up to at least 3 products, so I can't wait to give it a try. As per usual I'll let you know what I think in a future empties post x This is a full size tube and retails at around £29 / €29 direct from Mudmasky x 

Anatomicals Tanatomicals The Stick It Where The Sun Does Shine Stick SPF 30 Lip Protector - 5.5g - Full Size - RRP £3

It's been a little while since I've had an Anatomicals product in a subscription box, so it's nice to see them again and it's nice to receive a product that I haven't tried before x 

From their sun care, and fake tanning diffusion line Tanatomicals, this is basically a twist up, stick lip balm that contains an SPF 30. 

I'm not a huge fan of the slightly cardboard, synthetic plastic taste but it's actually a pretty decent lip balm. It has a nice moisturising feel, it adds a nice bit of gloss to the lips, and it actually absorbs into the lips, rather than just sitting on the top.

The addition of the SPF also means that you could also use it on the tops of the ears, on the nose, and on other exposed bits that catch the sun in an emergency. 

Even though the Anatomicals range still seems pretty widely available, the Tanatomicals website doesn't seem to exist any more, and I can't seem to find this product anywhere online, so it may have been discontinued. 

Moonface Fan Brush - Full Size - RRP £8

I do love a make up brush, as I'm sure my rather crowded dressing table would testify to, if it could talk that is, so I'm always pleased to see a brush in a subscription box, and in particular I'm always pleased to see a fan brush.

My first ever fan brush was from Ruby and Millie and would you believe that I still have it x Look after your brushes and they really will last a lifetime. Fan brushes are just so useful, you can use them for removing eye shadow fall out from under the eyes or on the cheeks, or to apply loose powder to the t-zone, or even to apply a bit of highlighter or cheek colour. 

This is a particular nice example, I love the pink and purple ombre handle, and the pink hairs are super soft.

I can't actually find out anything about this brand though, the website that Pink Parcel gave doesn't seem to exist and a web search proved equally fruitless. So if you know anything about Moonface then I'd love to hear from you so please leave me a comment below, or contact me via my email louloulanduk@gmail.com or via my other social media channels x 

Cocoba Milk Hot Chocolate Spoon - 33g - Est. RRP £2.75

I'm going to start off by saying that technically this is a stick not a spoon, but that in no way affected my enjoyment of this product ;) Why would it, gorgeous Belgian milk chocolate, that you melt into a mug of warm milk, or if you're greedy you can just eat it as it is.

I'm not going to lie that's what I did, when I got my Pink Parcel it was way too warm for hot chocolate, so I just ate it off the stick like a yummy chocolate lollipop. A huge chunk of good quality chocolate, what is not to love about that! 

I can't put an exact price on this product because all of the similar products on Cocoba actually contained a wooden spoon, but they looked almost identical so I would imagine that this product would retail at around £2.75. 

Lyons No3 Rich & Full Bodied 100% Fresh Ground Coffee In A Bag - 1 x Bag 

I honestly don't know why these bags aren't everywhere - the whole idea of ground coffee in a bag is just such an amazing, time saving concept. I've received a few of these in the past, most recently in March's Pink Parcel, and as yet I still haven't managed to try one - Mummy Lou drinks a lot more coffee than I do, and she always manages to get there first, so fingers crossed I get a chance to try one of these at some point in the future x 

I don't think was the most exciting box that I've ever received but as per usual there was a decent range of products, and most probably products that I'll use - the standouts for me was definitely the mask, and the chocolate spoon but I'm also excited to try the Mudmasky hair product. Let me know your thoughts on this box, and don't forget to check out the Pink Parcel website if you're interested in signing up for your own box x 

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links