A Quick Overview Of The Glossybox 2021 Advent Calendar - Surprise Me - Days 13 - 25*

Hey Guys x I hope you're all having a good weekend so far, Today I'm spoiling you with not one but two blog posts and first up I'm sharing a quick overview of days 13 to 25 of the 2021 Glossybox advent calendar x (You can catch up on days 1 - 12 here x).

Day 13 - Laura Geller Touch Up All Over Face Brush - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £13

First up another beauty tool, and it's a make up brush from one of my favourite brands, Laura Geller. It's a small synthetic fibre face brush. It feels lovely and soft and it's a real multipurpose face brush, meaning you can use it for blush, highlighter, setting powder, and even for Laura Geller's famous Balance-n-Brighten base product. You can buy the odd Laura Geller product from a few online retailers now including Simply Be, and QVC UK, as direct from Laura Geller herself but I can't find this specific brush anywhere, Glossybox however give it an RRP of £13.

Day 14 - Ecooking Peeling Mask - 15ml - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £11.10

Next up a skincare product, and it was a product from Danish based beauty brand, Ecooking. Crammed full of AHA's including glycolic and salicylic acids, this mask is specially designed to remove dead skin cells, in order to tighten and smooth the skin. As someone with very visible pores, and unevenly textured skin, who loves acids this mask sounds ideal for me. I haven't tried it yet but I'll let you what I think about it when I do. 

Glossybox place a value of £11.10 on this 15ml size, but it doesn't same to be available anywhere on its own. The full 50ml size retails at around £37 and it available from various retailers including direct from Ecooking, and from Feel Unique.

Day 15 - Magnitone Swipes Eco Friendly Microfibre Cleansing Pads  - 2 x Pack - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £7

The next product or should I say products come from cleansing specialist Magnitone. I was first introduced to Magnitone via their Pulsar cleansing system, and whilst they still do produce a variety of electronic beauty tools, they also sell a range of microfibre cleansing products called Wipeout. I've already tried the cloths which you can use with cleanser or even just with water to remove make up, and these pads work pretty much the same way.They feel lovely and soft and fluffy, and as well as for general cleansing and eye make up removal, I think I'll also be using them with toners and skin fresheners. 

Glossybox place an estimated price of £7 on this pack of two pads, online I can only find a pack of 6 that retails at £15 direct from Magnitone and from Feel Unique.

Day 16 - Steve Laurant Lip Liner - Uptown - 1g - Full Size - RRP $15 / £10.70

It wouldn't be a Glossybox product if it didn't feature a product from one of their favourite make up brands Steve Laurant, and the 2020 calendar contains a nude brown lip pencil in the shade Uptown. I've already tried a lip pencil from Steve Laurant in the shade Vogue, and you can read my full review here. 

I'll do a full review of this pencil in due course but if you fancy trying it, it's available direct from Steve Laurant for around $15 x Glossybox placed a value of £10.70 on it.

Day 17 - Boucleme Scalp Massager - Full Size - RRP £12

I said in my last advent calendar post that were a lot of beauty tools in this calendar and here is another one, and this time it's a hair care product from curly hair specialist, Boucleme. The ergnomically shaped masssager has an easy grip, easy hold design, and soft rubber nodules. It's  perfect for using dry as a head and scalp massager, or for applying shampoo and conditioner. Even though I only have wavy, not curly hair I can't wait to give this a try to try and stimulate my scalp and a bit of hair growth.

Although a lot of retailers such as Feel Unique, and even Boots sell Boucleme products, the only place that I can find this particular product is direct from Boucleme, where it retails at £12.

Day 18 - Zoeva Infinite Potential Mascara - Full Volume - Black - 9ml - Full Size - Est. RRP £15

From the hair on your head to the hair on your eye lids (I'm sure that sounded better in my head ;), and your eyelashes, and the product in box number 18 was a mascara from Zoeva. Originally known for their make up brushes, Zoeva now produce a very successful make up line, I've only tried one other make up product from them but I was pretty impressed with it and I can't wait to share my thoughts on this volumising, defining and lengthening mascara in a future post x

This full size mascara retails at anywhere between  £15 - £17.50 and is available direct from Zoeva as well from various other retailers including Feel Unique, Flannels Beauty, and Cloud 10 Beauty.

Day 19 - This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray - 5ml - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £6 

Next up something that I've talked about a few times before, and it's a product that I love. If you're having trouble sleeping as I said in the previous advent calendar post there are lots of things you can do to help, including sleep masks, calming tea blends, changing your pillows (more on that to come in a future post;) and by using a product like this. Containing lavender, camomile and vetivert, spray this gorgeous smelling blend onto your bedding, take a few deep breaths and feel the stresses drain away! 

I've actually found a similar product that I like slightly more, but I would still throughly recommend this one if you're having trouble switching off at night x I can't find this size on it's own but it is available in a few kits, and sets and various sizes are available direct from This Works as well as from Feel Unique, Look Fantastic, and Marks and Spencers.

Day 20 - Laritzy Cosmetics Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick - Nude Peach - 3.1g - Full Size - RRP £14 / $20

Like Steve Laurant, Laritzy are another popular subscription box brand, and in box number 20 of the 2021 calendar, beauty lovers received a full size Laritzy Liquid Lipstick. The calendar contained one of 5 shades and the one that I received was in the shade Nude Peach, which more of a nude, peachy brown shade. I will be featuring this product in the depth in and upcoming post but if you want an idea of the performance and texture then you can read my review of a different shade Tidal here x  This product is available exclusively from Laritzy where it has a retail price of $20 / £14

Day 21 - Bubble T Cosmetics Bath Crumble in Pink Grapefruit - 100g - Full Size - RRP £4.99 - £5

The next item in the calendar was something that I couldn't use so I will be passing it on to one of my friends who is lucky enough to have a bath. From fruit and tea inspired brand Bubble T, this is a bag of pink grapefruit scented bath crumble, which basically looks like broken pieces of bath bomb. The only place that I can find this is direct from Bubble T where it retails at £5.

Day 22 Verso Skincare Nourishing Cream With Niacinamide - 15ml - Deluxe Mini- Est. RRP £23.20

From body to face, and the next product is a skincare item from a new brand to me, Verso. Hailing from Sweden, this is a hydrating moisturiser, thats crammed full of niacinamide to protect the skin. I haven't tried it yet but I will probably show you this one is a future empties post.

I've done a bit of research and this one is also not available on it's own in this size, it is available in a few try me sets though, and the full 50ml size retails at around £80 from various retailers including Space NK, Feel Unique, and Cult Beauty as well as direct from Verso.

Day 23 - Illamasqua Antimatter Lipstick - Bang - 2g - Mini - RRP £12

Next up another make up item, and it's another lip product this time from Illamasqua. From their Antimatter line, this is a mini lipstick in the shade Bang, which is officially described as a muted pink, although for me in the bullet it's looks more like a nude, peachy pink. Again I will be featuring this in a future luscious lips post x 

I can't find this mini size on it's own but the full size has an RRP of around £17 direct from Illamasqua.

Day 24 - Rodial Soft Focus Glow Drops Illuminating Ultimate Glow Primer - 31ml - Full Size - RRP £50

Now when I first opened this next box I initially thought that this was a liquid highlighter. Pale shimmery pink in colour though this product from Rodial is actually an illuminating primer, that you can either underneath your make up, mixed with your foundation, or on its own for a glowy, fresher looking complexion. If you would like to see a full review of this one then please let me know in the comments x 

This product has a retail price of around £50 and it available direct from Rodial as well as from Look Fantastic, Feel Unique and Harvey Nichols.

Day 25 - HUDA Beauty Mercury Retrograde Eyeshadow Palette - Full Size - RRP £58

Now, I would be honestly be lying if I said that the item on Day 25 wasn't the main reason why I decided to get this calendar. Unlike in previous years, I wanted to know what I was getting before I decided which to calendar and thankfully in 2021 there seemed to be a lot of spoilers floating around, and since I'd wanted this palette for the longest time, the 2021 Glossybox advent calendar was the perfect choice.

From cult brand HUDA Beauty, box number 25 contained a full size Mercury Retrograde eyeshadow palette and isn't she an absolute beauty! Nudes, brights, mattes, shimmer, foils and glitters, this palette would be perfect for anyone that loves eyeshadow, and that wants to play it safe on some days and go all out and experiment on others!

Not only does it look beautiful but the quality is immense, again I have a full review coming soon but if don't want to wait and you fancy splashing out purely based on two pictures, this palette has a recommended retail price of £58 and is available from more HUDA Beauty stockists including Boots, Cult Beauty, Feel Unique, Net-a-Porter, ASOS, and of course directly from HUDA Beauty.

So there you have it the 2021 Glossybox advent calendar in full, obviously you can make you're own conclusions on whether it was worth it or not, but for me it most certainly was - like with all beauty advent calendars there were a few minis, and deluxe minis, but I don't honestly mind that especially when some of the full sizes have such a high retail value. Speaking of expensive products there were actually quite a few in this calendar, the retail price of the Avant product alone was more than the entire calendar, and the HUDA palette was 3/4 of the value so I don't think you can really complain about the cost of the products v the calendar price. There is always a risk with calendars, and it is very much a case of you'll like it or you won't, personally though I love the surprise element and I love trying things new things and new brands.

Just a quick word on the packaging as well, I love the drawer style so I can definitely reuse that but I do wish that there was a way of cutting down the individual boxes, I try to use them the best I can for storing Christmas decorations and for packaging mini gifts, but there is still a lot of excess cardboard but I'm not sure there is another solution .

Again let me know your thoughts on this calendar in the comments, and as I say I will try to review as many of the products as I can in the either individual review posts or in future empties posts but if there is anything in particular you'd like a full review of then please let me know below x Thanks for reading and I will see you later today with another lifestyle post x

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

A Quick Overview Of The Glossybox 2021 Advent Calendar - Surprise Me - Days 1 - 12*

Hey all x I hope that you've all had a good long weekend, and a fabulous Christmas if you were celebrating. It was a really weird one this year, with just me and Mummy Lou. She still wasn't feeling too great so I cooked and cleaned, and we spent the day in each others company watching films and opening pressies. It actually went better than I thought it would and I guess this year really made it obvious to me what Christmas is really all about.

Thankfully, fingers crossed, my mam seems to be feeling a lot better now, so we've just had a lazy few days, losing track of time, and date, and enjoying each others company.Today though I thought I'd give her a little bit of space and I thought I'd try and stick a blog post up for you guys.

In the past I've done a variety of different types of advent calendar posts for you, ranging from full products reviews, to just sharing the contents of whatever calendar that I was lucky enough to receive that year. This year I guess it's going to be quite similar to that, I haven't a chance to try anything in this years calendar yet, so this year I'm just going to share two basic unboxing posts with you - showing you what I got, and giving you some sort of idea of the value of the items in the calendar, and then later on whether in stand alone posts, or in empties posts I can share my thoughts and reviews with you x 

First up the calendar itself, and I have to say I really wasn't sure whether or not I was going to get one this year, but after seeing a few sneak peaks from some of this years offerings for the fourth year in a row, Mummy Lou treat me to the Glossybox calendar.

With a subscriber price of £85 and a regular retail price of £105, this was their most expensive calendar to date, but with an apparent value of over £465 it still seemed like decent value for money.

Like 2020's calendar, I was pleased to see that the 2021 calendar took the same reusable format. In a gorgeous marble like print, in shades of white, pink, grey and gold, this calendar comprised of a sturdy cardboard outer box, with magnetic fastening doors, that opened to reveal four deep, strong cardboard drawers with pink ribbon handles.

Each drawer contained several numbered boxes, again in the pink, white, gold, grey, and a taupe like colour way.

Every numbered box contained a small amount of black paper shred and a lovely beauty product,

Day 1 - Elemis Pro-Collagen Energising Marine Cleanser - 30ml - Deluxe Mini - RRP £9.70

First up a deluxe mini size product from one of my favourite skincare brands, Elemis. For their famous Pro Collagen Marine range, this is one of their newest products, the Pro Collagen Energising Marine Cleanser, and it's something that I've been wanting to try for sometime. 

Glossybox placed a price of £16 on this 30ml size but the only place that I can find this particular size is direct from Elemis where it retails at £9.70.

Day 2 - Wander Beauty - Trip For Two Blush And Bronzer Duo - Bellini And Costa Rei - 8g - Full Size - Est. RRP £25.50 

In box number 2, there was the first of several make up items in this years calendar, and it was a blush and bronzer duo from 'clean' beauty brand Wander Beauty. Now I've only tried an eye mask from the brand before (read my post here) so it's nice to get the opportunity to try something else. The sturdy cardboard palette contains a pale peach matte blusher, and a light toned matter bronzer.

Glossybox placed a value of around £25.50 on this palette but I could only find this particular shade paring at the slightly higher price of £35 from Net-A-Porter, and for $36 direct from Wander Beauty.

Day 3 - GLOV Satin Sleeping Mask - Full Size - Est. RRP £6.90

Now as you know I do love my sleep, and if you aren't getting the quality of sleep that you need there are a few different things that you can try, I've got a post coming up the in the new year that might help you, but in the meantime have you ever tried a sleeping masks? I know they do give you some classic movie glamour, Breakfast At Tiffany's vibes, but they really can help especially if you are disturbed by bright lights, or if for whatever reason you need to sleep during the day.

Box number 3 contained a super soft satin sleeping mask from Polish brand GLOV. With a comfortable elastic band, and a padded, silky smooth finish, this mask is so light you barely feel like you're wearing anything at all. I personally have a love hate relationship with sleep masks, but this one is dream to wear, it isn't tight or uncomfortable and it's isn't scratchy or uncomfortable.

Although I have found a couple of retailers of GLOV's beauty tools in the UK, none of them seem to stock this specific item, so the only place where you might find it is on the secondary market.

Day 4 - Sarah Chapman The Facialift Sculpting Facial Massager - Full Size - Est. RRP £30 

Next up is something that I actually already owned after receiving it in a NEXT beauty box, so this particular one was passed on to a friend. Basically what this is, is a sculpting facial massager from top facialist Sarah Chapman. With 8 rubberised head, this roller designed to brighten, lift, drain toxins, and get rid of puffiness on the face and neck. Bar a basic roller, I tend to find a lot of facial massage tools a little bit uncomfortable but I've read a lot of good things about it so i'm going to try and keep using it 

Glossybox place a value of £30 on this particular tool and it's available at that price from Space NK, Feel Unique, Look Fantastic, NEXT Beauty and Beauty Expert, and for around £32 direct from Sarah Chapman and from John Lewis,

Day 5 - Avant Skincare Eight-Hour Retexturing & Anti-Oxidising Hyaluronic Facial Serum - 30ml - Full Size - RRP £89

Something that I'm eternally grateful to Glossybox for is for introducing me to Avant Skincare  - the range is just so expensive that I would never have tried it otherwise and I was super excited to get a chance to try another product from the range on day 5. Something that I've discovered and loved over the last year and a half or so, is the miracle of hyaluronic acid! I used it as least once a day under my moisturiser, and I've really noticed a difference in the feel and texture of my skin. I've been using and loving one from The Ordinary but it's going to be nice to try a higher priced product to compare.

Glossybox placed a price of £89 on this full, 30ml size. It's available at that price in the same packaging direct from Avant Skincare, as well as in the same size, but in slightly different packaging direct from Avant Skincare as well as from Look Fantastic, and Beauty Expert.

Day 6 - Molton Brown Heavenly Gingerlily Bath & Shower Gel - 100ml - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £10

In box number 6, I received a 100ml, deluxe mini size shower gel from one of my favourite shower brands, Molton Brown, and it was actually one of the first shower gels I ever used from them, Heavenly Gingerlily! Despite the name I think that this is definitely a unisex product, it warm and spicy and just a little bit floral. Molton Brown make great shower gels and I'm definitely going to enjoy using this one.

I can only find this particular size in gifts and sets but the full 300ml size retails at around £22 direct from Molton Brown, and from various other retailers including Feel Unique, and Look Fantastic.

Day 7 - Grow Gorgeous Intense Thickening And Scalp Mask - 30ml - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £9

From the body to the hair, and on day 7 I received a 30ml tube of the Grow Gorgeous Intense Thickening Hair and Scalp Mask. I don't know whether it's down to stress or the weather, or diet, but my hair is going though one of it's regular falling out phases, and believe me I'll try anything to hang on to it - so this mask which claims to increase hair thickness, and nourish the scalp is going straight into my shower!

I can't find this particular size on its own online but the full 200ml size has an RRP of £25 and its available direct from Grow Gorgeous, as well as from Look Fantastic, and Boots.

Day 8 - W7 Cosmetics Super Brows Super Definition Eyebrow Pencil - Brown - 1.5g - Full Size - RRP £2.95

Next up more make up and this time it's eyebrows. Although I didn't manage to get my hair done before Christmas I did manage to get my brows waxed and dyed, and instead of going to a Benefit counter - I decided to try someone local and I have to say I was pretty pleased with the results, so I'll be saving my cash and keeping it local! 

To be honest my own brows have been so good since I got them done that I haven't reached for anything rather than a bit of clear gel but a good brow pencil never comes in one, and this is a nice dark brown which I think should look pretty natural on me.

This is definitely one of the more budget friendly products in this years calendar with a retail price of £2.95, look hard enough though and you might be able to find it for even less than that. 

You can buy W7 direct from their own website, as well as from various other discount cosmetic retailers including some B&M Stores, and you can even now find W7 stands in some larger Tesco stores.

Day 9 - Eyeko Black Magic Liquid Eyeliner - 0.4ml - Full Size - Est. RRP £16

From eyebrows to eyeliner, and it wouldn't be an advent calendar without an eyeliner, and this one is a full size felt tip style liner from Eyeko. I've got a few liners from Eyeko in my collection but as you can probably guess I don't really get one with them. I don't think it's particularly the fault of the liners, more my shaky hands, and lack of talent. I think my relationship with eyeliner will go one of two ways in 2022, I'll either master it, or I'll give up on it completely - what will it be?

This pink packaging appears to be exclusive to Glossybox or this calendar but this eyeliner is available in the normal black packing for £16 from Marks and Spencers, Look Fantastic and direct from Eyeko.

Day 10 - James Read Gradual Tan Sleep Mask Face Retinol - 25ml - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £15

Now I don't know about you but thanks to the season and life in general, and I look as pale and peaky as they come. I guess this was product was included to help you get ready for the party season, but even if the furthest you going is from the sofa to the fridge, I'm sure this product will make you look a little bit healthier. From celebrity tan specialist James Read, this is an overnight facial gradual tan with anti-aging and skincare benefits.

I can't find this particular retinol sleep mask tanner formulation anywhere but this size of the original sleep mask retails at £15 directly from James Read.

Day 11 - Pixi Glow Tonic - 100ml - Full Size - RRP £10

On day number 11, I received a product that I love, the Pixi Glow Tonic, I love acid toners like this for clearing up blemishes and for improving the texture of my skin. You can read a full review of it here x 

This particular size retails at £10, and is available from a variety of retailers including Look Fantastic, Marks and Spencers, Boots, Cult Beauty and direct from Pixi Beauty.

Day 12 - Vitamasques Lip Mask Plump And Repair - 1 Mask - Full Size - RRP £4.99

The final item I'm going to share with you in this post was in box number 12 and it was another skincare item, this time from Vitamasques, and it was a lip plumping and moisture mask. My lips are as dry as sticks at the moment, so I will be using this one sooner rather than later.

The Vitamasques Lip Mask - Plump and Repair has a retail price of around £4.99 and it available direct from Vitamasques.

So that was days 1 - 12 of the 2021 Glossybox advent calendar and so far so good, a few bargain buys and a few really good, high end products, and a lot of things that I'm eager to try. As I say I will feature as many items as I can in future posts, and I will see you soon with either another general unboxing or days 13 - 25, so in the meantime if you have questions on any of the products so far then please leave me a comment and I'll try and get back to you xx

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

Luscious Lips - HUDA Beauty Power Bullet Matte Lipstick - Wedding Day*

I know, I know, I promised you this post last week, but thanks to the busy week that I'd had planned things didn't quite go to plan. As well as seeing both friends and family over the course of this week, and last week, I had a very successful shopping, and I also had my second COVID vaccine last week.

Thankfully compared to my mams reaction to the AZ vaccine, my own experience with the Pfizer jab was a breeze. I was tired and a little sore after both jabs, and a felt a little heady after the second one but it was way better than my experience with COVID, so when you're invited - go get that vaccination!

Anyways, I know it seems like I'm just posting a constant stream of unboxing catch ups, and empties posts at the minute, so as I say, I've decided to try and break them up a bit with some hauls, some product first impressions, and some reviews, and today I've got the first post in what I hope will be a regular feature on the blog, Luscious Lips. I have an insane amount of lips products in my collection, the majority of which, I've never shared with you. So in this ongoing mini series I'm going to share some reviews of both some of the newest products in my collection, and some of my favourite products with you.

The first product I'm going to share with you, I guess falls into both of those categories, it's relatively new, and I love it! This full size lipstick from high end, influencer lead brand, HUDA Beauty, came in box number 20 of the 2020 Glossybox Advent Calendar.

From the Power Bullet Matte Lipstick range, this cruelty free lipstick contains sweet almond oil, and promises a highly pigment, smooth, cushion like, non drying formula, that lasts.

The lipstick comes in a clear plastic box, and is packaged in a matte, ombre patterned tube, in black and in the colour of the lipstick, which in this case is Wedding Day. The tube is engraved with the brand name 'HUDA Beauty', and it's magnetic so the cap doesn't fall off in your bag.

Wedding Day is described as a "super soft caramelised pink (cool toned)". I can see where they are coming from but for me it's more of a brown toned, pink, nude. It looks quite dark on me but as HUDA Beauty claim, it's a shade that I expect would work well on most skin tones.

The lipstick itself has an almost velvet, mousse like appearance, and rather than the usual smooth bullet shape, it has a very geometric shape, with lots of angles, and sharp lines. 

Lightly scented. and with an almost coconut and vanilla taste, the pigmentation and coverage is superb. The geometric, angular shape makes it really easy to apply all over the lips, as well as making it easier to line, and even the exaggerate the lip line.

For a matte lipstick it's actually very comfortable on the lips. My lips didn't feel dry or parched, and they actually initially felt even more hydrated.

The finish was definitely matte, but it didn't feel flat, cakey or one dimensional. It did transfer especially at first onto both cups, and people! but by and large it stayed on the lips, and the colour remained there intact for a good few hours.

Although I wasn't too sure about the colour at first (it was a darker nude then I would normally wear) I've actually grown to love it. It felt comfortable on the lips and it wore well. If you're not traditionally a fan of matte lipsticks then this could be a good place to start, as for me other than the finish it doesn't really behave like a typical matte lip colour.

This colour as I say is Wedding Day, but the HUDA Beauty Power Bullet Matte Lipstick comes in at least 23 other shades, and they retail at around £22 each. As well as purchasing them directly from HUDA Beauty you can also buy these lipsticks from Feel Unique, Cult Beauty, Boots and Harrods, and a small selection of HUDA Beauty Power Bullet Matte Lipsticks is also available on ASOS.

I have a couple of HUDA Beauty eyeshadow palette reviews to come (including a little giveaway) but if you have any lipstick recommendations I'd love to hear them x 

Thanks for reading and if you have any questions then please leave me a comment below and I will see you soon with another Glossybox unboxings x 

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

Sample Saturday - The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask *

Happy Saturday x I hope you're all have a good weekend, I've had a bit of a rough week both mentally and physically so instead of the Glossybox catch up that I had planned for today, I've decided to bring back an old series on the blog, Sample Saturday and today I'm talking about a product that I got in the 2020 Glossybox advent calendar.

Before I start on the review, I thought I'd just give you a quick overview of the 2020 calendar x At £80 for Glossybox subscribers, and £99 for non subscribers, this was their most expensive calendar to date, but the contents was apparently worth over £390. 

What I particularly liked the 2020 calendar, was the fact that unlike previous years, it was really easy to reuse it. As you can see the sturdy cardboard calendar, came with magnetic fastening doors, and contained 4 good sized drawers, filled with little boxes of goodies. Although there was obviously an excess of paper shred and thinner cardboard, the fact that the bulk of the calendar could be used for storage was a huge thing for me, and it's currently living in my bedroom, stuffed to the brim with surprise, surprise make up, and beauty products.

Whilst I had issues with a few products in the calendar, the product value was probably there, alongside some cheaper items, and some teeny, tiny samples, there were some really good, high end full sized products, that along with the packaging, made the 2020 calendar a fab way to bring 2020 to a close. If you want to take a peek at the full contents then you can check out the a full day by day unboxing in the highlights section of my Instagram page x 

 

Today though, I am going to talk about one specific product in the calendar, and it's something that Glossybox described as a deluxe mini, and it's a skincare product from The Body Shop.

The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask, is designed specifically for oily skin, and skin that needs a little TLC. Containing sustainable, Himalayan bamboo charcoal, green tea leaves, Moroccan lava clay, pumice, argan shell powder, and argan oil, and Community Fair Trade tea tree oil, this mask claims to unclog pores, suck out dirt, debris and excess oil, and to add healthy glow, as well as leaving the skin softer, and smoother.

The is dark, khaki, green, brown in colour, and it has a creamy, clay like, mask base, with addition of dark green leaf like particles that give it a slightly gritty, textured feel. The smell is quite fresh, clean and herbal based, with hints of tea tree 

You can apply this mask either with a mask brush or your fingers, I've tried both and it was actually slightly easier with my fingers because of the leaves. Almost immediately on application it feels hot, then cold , and very tingly. The first time that I tried I actually debated whether or not to wash it straight off it was so uncomfortable, but I persevered and as the mask started to dry the tingling gradually subsided

Before

On Application

The Body Shop advise that you leave it on for between 5 and 10 minutes, so for full effect I've left on for around 10 minutes. As you can see in the picture below it wasn't completely set, but it was near enough. It dries down like a typical clay mask, with the mask drying, tightening and cracking, and it changes colour from a the dark brown, green, to a pale, slightly khaki tinged beige.

After 10 Minutes

It wasn't the easiest mask to remove, because as well as the clay you had the charcoal, pumice, argan powder, and the green tea leaves to remove. With all of the particles the removal process was quite a scrubby experience. The best way I found to remove it was to soften it down with a warm, damp flannel, before removing it in circular motions with lots of warm water.

After Removal

I'm not sure whether it down the mask itself or exfoliation from the removal but my skin did like quite pink and felt slightly hot. My skin though generally did look brighter, and clearer, and I don't think that my pore looked quite as noticeable. It's not that easy to see in these pictures but I did actually have a little hormonal breakout on my chin area, and I did feel that using this mask dried it up a little bit quicker than normal. The biggest difference I actually noticed though was the feel of my skin, it feel smooth and super soft, even on the oilier and bumpier areas of my face.

If written this review after the first use I probably wouldn't have bought it again, because the tingling was just a bit too uncomfortable. However, in the 2 or 3 times that I've used it since the tingling, hot, cold sensation wan't anywhere near as strong, and I still achieved the same smooth feeling, clear, fresher skin. I did first try this mask in the depths of winter so even though it's snowing today, my skin could possibly have been drier than it is now, hence the stronger reaction. I don't know what I do know is that yes I would potentially buy this again, probably in this smaller size, to deal with hormonal breakouts and as part of a multi mask application when my t-zone and chin feel more oily. If you have drier skin though I would definitely give this one a miss. This mask in my opinion is perfect for people with oilier skin, more visible pores, and breakouts, oh and if you have a more sensitive skin, then I'd probably also give this one a miss, as I thought I might just be a bit too scrubby and strong for you x 

This 15ml deluxe mini size retails at £6, and you can also buy the full 75ml size for £18 from The Body Shop stores, online, and from your local The Body Shop At Home representative.

Have you tried anything from The Body Shop skincare range? Let me know your thoughts and recommendations in the comments x

*This Post Contains Both Automatic And Added Affiliate Links

A Quick Update And Unboxing The 2019 Glossybox UK "It's The Season To Be Glossy" Advent Calendar - Days 13 - 25*

Hi Guys x I hope you're all well, since I last posted everything seems to have changed again - In the UK, we've pretty much gone into full lockdown, which is scary but at the same time in my opinion it was long overdue.

Thankfully before the new government restrictions were put in place I managed to get out and do a bit of shopping, and collect a prescription, and I also eventually got my foot sorted out, - after another trip to urgent care, a lovely nurse practitioner prodded and poked, and managed to remove a piece of glass or hard plastic from the wound on my foot - no wonder it wasn't healing properly and it hurt! thankfully though it's now on the mend.

Since I spend such a lot of time indoors anyways, I'm having no real problems adapting to this new normal, but I think I'm missing the fact that I can't go out even if I wanted to, my mam is classed as vulnerable, and it's safer for us just to stay put and to get our groceries delivered. I was lucky enough to grab a Tesco slot so we've had a shopping delivery this week, which to be honest is just as well as we're both feeling a little under the weather, I currently feel as though I've swallowed grit, and as a result we've have to self isolate again anyways. 

Anyways enough about me and mine, I'm sending lots of love to you and yours, it's not an easy time for any of us at the moment - so I'm sending big virtual hugs your way - we will get through this! As I said in my last post I'm going to do my best to try and carry on as normal, and try catch up on some long overdue unboxings and reviews before I move on to some reviews and some newer content, and today I'm sharing part 2 of my 2019 Glossybox UK Advent Calendar unboxing with you. So sit back, relax, and enjoy, as I transport you back to December 2019.

Day 13 - Dr Dennis Gross Professional Grade IPL Dark Spot Concentrated Serum - 7ml - Est. RRP £23

The first item in the second part of my advent calendar unboxing to be honest was a bit of a surprise. Whilst skincare items aren't unusual, a product designed for such a specific problem is perhaps a little bit strange.

This is a high end skincare product from New York dermatologist led brand Dr Dennis Gross. The aim of the brand is to produce professional level treatments only in easy to use at home formulations.

This particular product is designed to lessen the appearance of dark spots and pigmentation, whilst at the same time improving the skins radiance, and tone by removing dead skin cells, and protecting again environmental damage.

Containing liquorice root, ascorbic acid, and natural AHA's, it's a rusty, brown, orange in colour and it has a runny, serum type texture, and a slight herbal scent. All you do is apply it twice a day to clean, dry skin, and make sure that you apply sun screen on top, and you should see an improvement in dark patches, and skin discolouration.

This is one of the few products in the calendar that I haven't managed to try out properly, but looking in the mirror I am starting to see the odd darker area especially around my eyes, so I think I will be trying this serum out sooner rather than later. Glossybox quoted a value of £23 for this 7ml size. The full 30ml size retails at around £99 from various retailers including Cult Beauty, and Space NK. 

Day 14 - 3INA The Cream Eyeshadow - 313 - Light Brown - 2.5ml - Full Size - RRP £12.95

Next up a make up item from European, vegan and cruelty free brand 3INA, who claim to product high quality products at honest prices. I own a couple of things from the brand including the lip primer which I received in the 2018 version of the Glossybox Advent Calendar (read my thoughts here), and I've been pretty impressed, but as much as I love them, cream eyeshadows and me don't always mix, so I was a little bit wary about this one.

As well as being cruelty free, and vegan, this eye colour is also paraben free, and made in Italy. The shade that I received is officially called Light Brown, but I think that does it a disservice, it is so much nicer than that. I would describe it as a metallic nude, bronze, brown. It doesn't feel wet but it has a lightweight, super creamy texture. 3INA claim that it's very blendable and long lasting and it is, you can use it with a brush, a sponge or even with your fingers, and it just goes on really easily with no creasing or pilling, it dries really quickly and it stays put!

Heavily Swatched 

Blended Out 

As I say as much as I love them I don't have much look with cream eyeshadows, but this was without a doubt one of the best that I've ever tried. It went on really smoothly, it lasted for ages even on my oily eyelids, and it faded gradually. It didn't crease or flake, and it didn't disappear after a few blinks, it stayed there until I removed it. It was beautiful and wearable on its own, but you could also use it as a base, or as part of a multiple shadow look.

I'm definitely going to consider adding a few more colours to my make up collection. 3INA The Cream Eyeshadow retails at around £14.95 direct from 3INA, and from other retailers including Look Fantastic and Feel Unique.

Day 15 Curaprox [Be You.] Candy Lover All In One Toothpaste - Watermelon - 10ml - Est. RRP £3.10

Next up, a slightly controversial addition to the calendar, a tube of toothpaste. Every time a toothpaste appears in a calendar or a beauty box, people seem to complain. I guess I can understand why, after all toothpaste isn't the most exciting treat but if you think about it, maintaining good dental hygiene is one of the most important things that you can do when it comes to beauty.

This particular toothpaste is SLS free, and it contains Pro Vitamin B5, and a whole host of natural ingredients including echinacea, devils claw, penny work, and more common ingredients such as fluoride, xylitol, silica, as well as menthol pearls for extra freshness.

This particular toothpaste is from their Candy Lover range, and is watermelon scented and flavoured. It claims to be whitening, desensitising, gentle and breath freshening.

The toothpaste itself has a slightly, off white, opaque gel base, which contains a smattering of pink beads, which burst in your mouth. It has quite a sweet watermelon scent and it also tastes like watermelon flavoured candy, with just a hint of mint and menthol. 

It foamed up gently and it didn't sting like some toothpastes do, and it did leave my teeth feeling clean and fresh, but for me it just tasted a bit too sweet and candy like, call me a traditionalist but I prefer toothpastes that taste like mint, be it spearmint or peppermint.

I can only find this particular toothpaste on the Curaprox website. Glossybox quote a figure of £3.10 for toothpaste of this size. A pack of 6 mini toothpastes in this size, and a variety of different flavours with a toothbrush retails at around £14.95 from Curaprox, and a full size tube and a toothbrush retails at around £13.95, also direct from Curaprox.

Day 16 - Nude By Nature Touch Of Glow Highlight Stick - 01 Champagne - 5g - 1/2 Size - Est. RRP £9

I do love my make up, and this calendar was full of it, on day 16, I received another make up item, and this time it was a highlighter from a brand called Nude By Nature. Now as a beauty junkie I'd heard quite a lot about this Australian based, cruelty free, mineral make company but bar the odd sample this was the first time that I'd had the chance to properly try something from the brand.

Containing native Australian Kakadu Plum which is full of Vitamin C, and Desert Lime which is an antioxidant, and perfecting Vitamin E, this is a fragrance free, solid cream to powder highlighting stick.

Packaged in a gorgeous coppery, bronze, twist up stick, this stick actually feels quite dry to the touch, it isn't oily or sticky in anyway. It blends out quite easily but you need to be quite quick with it because it dries down quite quickly. I mainly used this on top of foundation, or powder or mineral make up and I did find that it pilled and went a little bit bitty on top of certain bases, so it might be better applied either onto bare skin or over a liquid.

If you like in your face, super sparkly, or obvious highlighters then this probably won't be for you. The champagne shade contains no glitter, or obvious sparkle, instead it just gives the skin, on me anyways, a really natural highlight and glow.

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With Flash

Although this is a good size, it's actually a half size, Glossybox value this size at £9, the full 10g size retails at around £18 direct from Nude By Nature, and from various other retailers including Debenhams, Boots, John Lewis and Feel Unique.

Day 17 - Rituals The Ritual Of Sakura Magic Touch Body Cream Organic Rice Milk & Cherry Blossom - 100ml - Est. RRP £8.41

Next, up a product from one of my favourite bath and body care brands, Rituals. I've largely discovered my love for this Far East inspired beauty brand thanks to various press events and subscription boxes. I've tried quite a few products from them now including a a gorgeous hand balm which I received in the November 2019 edition of Glossybox (read my post here) and whilst I love all of their scents that I've tried so far, my favourite by far has to be the scent of this body cream, The Ritual Of Sakura.

It has a beautiful fruity floral scent, and it contains natural rice milk, and cherry blossom extract. This body cream also contains Vitamin E, and Centella Asiatica. It has a lovely, rich and creamy texture but despite it's thickness it absorbs quite quickly leaving the skin feeling silky soft, and dewy looking.

The scent is quite strong and it does tend to linger on the skin, but I love it so I'm not complaining and I'll be using alongside the corresponding shower foam that I got in the NEXT Summer Beauty Box, for a full, immersive spa like experience.

Glossybox quote a price of £8.41 for this 100ml size tube. The full 220ml tub retails at around £18.50 from a variety of retailers including Debenhams, John Lewis, Beauty Expert, Look Fantastic and direct from Rituals. 

Day 18 - Dr PawPaw Original Balm Multi Purpose Soothing Balm With Natural Paw Paw Extract - 10ml - RRP £3.95

In box number 18, I got a tube of the original Dr Paw Paw bam. Thanks to various beauty boxes I've tried a few different versions of this now, including the Hot Pink version from the April 2019 edition of Glossybox, and the Rich Mocha version which came in last years Next Summer Beauty Box, but this is the first time in a long while that I've owned the original.

Containing natural Paw Paw (Papaya) extract, aloe vera, and olive, this vegan and cruelty free product is a multi purpose balm that can be used on the face, the body, and the hair, to add extra moisture. Although I've used this particular product in the past on my heels, and as a cuticle treatment, I've mainly been using it on my lips.

It has quite a thick, almost waxy consistency, with barely any taste or scent. Just a tiny little blob or dot is more than enough for the lips. As well as adding hydration, and protection, it also gives the lips a nice glossy sheen. A lot of mineral oil based lip products and balms have a tendency to just sit on the surface of the lips but this actually seems to absorb into the lips, and it really makes a difference to sore and chapped skin.

This 10ml size has an estimated price of somewhere between £3.50 and £4.00 directly from Dr Paw Paw, and it's also available in this size from NEXT Beauty and Beauty Bay.

Day 19 - Avant Pro Intense Hyaluronic Acid Illuminating Day Cream - 50ml - RRP £98

Next up a product from high end skincare brand Avant. If it wasn't from beauty boxes, and subscription boxes, this pricey brand wouldn't be on my radar at all but I've managed to try a few things from them now including the Pro Perfecting Collagen Primer Touche Eclat from the June 2019 edition of Glossybox, the Supreme Hyaluronic Acid Antioxidising Duo Moisturiser from last September's edition of Pink Parcel, and the Deluxe Hyaluronic Acid Vivifying Face & Eye Night Cream from January's 2019's Glossybox, I've been pretty impressed with the things that I have tried, and since the products are way out of my price range, I was really pleased to get the opportunity to try something new.

Containing hyaluonric acid, sea water, jojoba, and soya lecithin, this moisture claims to hydrate the skin and improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, whilst at the same time evening the skin tone, and balancing sebum production.

Pale blue in colour, and with a fresh scent, it's very similar in texture and appearance to the Duo moisturiser. It feels cool to the touch and it massages into the skin very easily without any pulling or dragging.

It absorbs quite quickly and it leaves an almost matte finish to the skin. It works perfectly on my combination, skin and it really seemed to balance out my oilier t-zone. If your skin is on the dry side this might not be enough for you on its own, but if your skin is a little more topsy turvy like me then this could be something to try. It's the perfect base for make up, it balances and leaves the skin smooth, and hydrated, what's not to love bar maybe the retail price of £98!

I've checked online and the same product although in the slightly different packaging retails at around £98 direct from Avant, but I've also seen the same product on Fragrance Direct for £88 so it's work doing a web search before you buy.

Day 20 - Barry M Blusher Palette - BQ 1 - 4 x 2g - Full Size - RRP £5.99

Box number 20 contained another make item, and this time it was a palette from drugstore, and blogger favourite brand Barry M.

Now cruelty free, and suitable for vegans the box contained a Barry M blusher palette, which included four good sized matte and shimmer blushers in warm peach and coral tones.

Both the shimmery and matte shades all felt super smooth and silky, the pigmentation was excellent, all of the shades were really blendable, and they also lasted really well on my combination skin.

As much as I love blush I do tend to go for more pink toned, cooler shades, especially in the winter months, but as the weather warms up and the sun comes out hopefully I'll get more use out of some of these warmer shades. 

If you're a fan of peaches, and corals then this palette is an excellent bargain buy. It has an RRP of £5.99 and it's available from various retailers including direct from Barry M, as well as from Look Fantastic, Boots, and Superdrug.

Day 21 - Dermalogica Age Smart Daily Superfoliant 13g - Deluxe Mini - RRP £17.50

Next up a product from top salon skin care brand, Dermalogica. I've dabbled with the brand on and off for many years now but I've never used anything consistently, so box number 21 gave me the opportunity to try something new.

This is basically an exfoliator in a dry, powder like formulation. It contain activated Binochotan charcoal, to purify, smooth and cleanse the skin as well as absorbing toxins from deep with the pores which can lead to ageing, as well as red algae and tara fruit extract to guard against environmental pollution. It's gluten free, and paraben, and cruelty free, and it also contains no artificial fragrance or colourings.

I've used a few dry, powder exfoliators in the past from the likes of ELF and Alpha-H, and who didn't use Japanese Washing Grains from The Body Shop, back in the day! I've always loved the concept and since this is one of Dermalogica's best sellers I couldn't wait to give it a try.

After cleansing the skin, pour out about 1/2 tsp of this earthy, green, almost tea tree scented, gritty grey powder into wet hands, and rub it together to form a paste.

Then massage into the skin and leave it for a minute or two before rinsing with warm water. I personally found it a little bit scratchy, and it did leave my skin looking slightly pink, but I did notice a definite difference in the the smoothness and clarity of my face.

As the name suggests you can use it daily, but I think that would be a bit too much for my skin, so I've just been using it a couple of times a week. I'm not 100% sure that I would repurchase this but I do like how clean and smooth that it left my skin, and after receiving one is a recent NEXT Beauty Box I'm definitely going to continue using it at least in the short term.

This 13g size retails at £17.50 direct from Dermalogica and also from John Lewis. You can also be a larger 57g size which you can buy from various retailers including Look Fantastic and NEXT.

Day 22 - Kat Von D Tattoo Liner Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner - Trooper - Black - 0.2ml - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £6.18

Box number 22 contained another make up item, and this time it was a product from Kat Von D, or KVD Vegan Beauty as the brand is now known after the Ms Von D left the company. This eyeliner is one of the brands best selling products, and it's actually a product that I already own, and as someone who struggles with liner, there is no doubt that this product lives up to its cult reputation.

It's a basically a felt tip style, liquid liner, which is matte black and is designed to be waterproof and smudge resistant. The felt tip style applicator makes it ideal for drawing both thick and thin lines and the pigmentation and coverage is you can see in these swatches is excellent.

As I've said on many occasions I am a total noob when it comes to eyeliner but even I can achieve a vaguely passable finish with this liner. If your technique is a little off you need to be quick though with your clean up as this stuff dries really quickly, and once it sets it says put! Having oily, hooded eyelids, I don't really get on with eyeliner it just doesn't last, but this stuff stays pretty much put on me until I take it off, it doesn't smudge, it doesn't smear and it doesn't disappear.

If you're looking for an eyeliner that stays on no matter what you throw at it, then this is it, and it is something that I will continue to use, and live in hope that practise really does make perfect, and that my eyeliner technique will improve in time.

Glossybox give an estimated price of £6.18 for this mini size, Debenhams currently sell what they call a mini for £10 but they don't give any indication of the size. They also sell the full 0.55ml size for around £17.

Day 23 - Steve Laurant Lip Tint / Lip Gloss - Cherry - 3.5g - Full Size - RRP $22 / £17.33

Next up yet another make up item, and this time it's a product from subscription box favourite brand , Steve Laurant. The 2018 version of the Glossybox advent contained a lip gloss (read my thoughts here) and the 2019 calendar also contained a lip product from this cruelty free company.

Beautifully packaged in a pink / copper toned cardboard box, the glass pot inside comes with a gorgeous, designer looking rose gold / copper twist off lid.

The product inside is a semi solid, cherry red / pink balm, it doesn't the creamiest of textures but it's smooth and whilst it's only meant as a tint rather than a solid colour, the pigmentation is decent.

Despite the fact that it's not the creamiest or most moisturising balm it feels comfortable on the lips, and the fact that it is a bit drier really helps with the wear time. I got a hour or so out of it before it gradually started to fade away.

This lip tint only seems to be available directly from Steve Laurant, where it retails at around $22, Glossybox give this item an estimated retail price of £17.33

Day 24 - Nails Inc - Be Your Incredible Self With Nails Inc Nail Polish - Golden Days Ahead - 14ml - Full Size - Est. RRP £11

Although it seems like a lifetime ago now, we're finally at that magical and some would stay stressful day that is Christmas Eve. Box number 24 contained a full sized nail polish from leading British nail bar brand, Nails Inc.

I'm a huge fan of Nails Inc and I probably own enough of their polishes to stock my own nail bar! so I was really excited to find an exclusive shade in the calendar. Golden Days Ahead is a gorgeous rich, slightly shimmery, yellow gold.

I don't know whether it's down the weather or the sheer amount of washing and sanitising that we're all doing at the moment but my nails have been rubbish for months now, which is typical when I got a gel manicure system, and about a dozen regular polish for Christmas - grrr! so I am afraid nail wheel swatches will have to do.

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With Flash

I've applied two coats here but I probably could have got away with one on such a smooth surface, the coverage and the pigmentation really is that good.

This shade seems to be exclusive to the calendar but comparable Nails Inc polishes retail at around £11.

Day 24 - Tarte Cosmetics Park Ave Princess Chisel Palette - Full Size - RRP $45 / £40

So we've opened 24 boxes and there is only one left, and on day 25 Christmas Day it was the biggie, a highlighting and bronzing contour palette from top US brand Tarte Cosmetics.

Despite pretty limited access to the brand in the UK I'm a huge, huge fan of Tarte Cosmetics, I love their ethics (all of the brands products are cruelty free, paraben, SLS, nasty and gluten free and dermatologist tested) and I love their products, so I was really excited to get the chance to try 6 different products in one.

The palette itself comes beautifully boxed and packaged in gold and copper tone snakeskin / crocodile embossed plastic. The palette contains a large mirror, and 6 powders. It contains 2 highlighting powders, and four shades of bronzer / contour powder, in a mixture of matte, semi matte and barely there shimmers. All of the powders contain Tarte Cosmetics famous Amazonian Clay, mineral pigments, vanilla extract and Vitamin E.

The palette and the powders have a slight vanilla scent, but it isn't strong, irritating or overpowering. All of the powders feel silky soft and almost creamy to the touch, and the pigmentation as you can is excellent even on the paler highlighting shades that don't look or feel chalky in any way.

Unfortunately I haven't managed to take any pictures of this palette on my face yet, but I have been playing with and whilst I'd be the first to admit that I'm quite a clueless contourer, (I'm a 3 and E girl) the leaflet that comes with the palette, is really useful and gives you lots of tips on how to contour and use the palette depending on your face shape.

This palette isn't just for a full face contour though, you can also use it for basic bronzing and highlighting, and I've also been using a few of the colours on my eyes for a neutral day look.

The quality of this palette is excellent, the packaging is beauty, and it's something that I will definitely use one way or another, and I felt that it was a really nice item to bring the calendar to a close.

Glossybox put a value of £40 on this palette, It was a limited edition I can't find it on QVC UK, or on its own on the ship to the UK version of the Tarte Cosmetics website where it's only available in the Park Avenue Princess Vault kit for £140, but it still available on its own on the US version of the Tarte Cosmetics website for around $45.

Well we got there in the end, didn't we? That was what I got in the 2019 Glossybox UK "It's The Season To Be Glossy" Advent Calendar (don't forget to read days 1 - 12 here) and despite hearing all of the usual complains that you always get like there were too many drugstore items, there weren't enough full sizes, and why weren't there more high products? I don't think you can with the quality of the products in the calendar or the overall value for money.The value of the products included in the calendar easily reached and even surpassed the £70 that the majority of people paid for it.

It goes without saying that you aren't going to like every single product, and that there is always the risk that somethings won't work for you, but that is the chance that you take. I've passed a few bits on that I won't or can't use and I'm fine with that and I sill feel as though that the calendar represented good value for money.

The 2019 calendar definitely seemed to be a bit more make up heavy compared to the 2018 version but again that's something that I'm okay with. I wouldn't have minded a few more body and hair care items but I'm not complaining and overall I was pretty happy with the contents.

The packaging as I said in the first post was pretty similar to 2018's calendar, and again as much as I liked the design, the questions still remains what do you do with all of the packaging. Yes, you can reuse the individual boxes, and shred for packing things like Christmas decorations away but unlike the Look Fantastic calendar from a few years ago (read my post here) there is no obvious use for the outer box.

I'm debating on whether to use this one and the 2018 calendar, either as mini shelves for say displaying something like nail polish, or whether to remove the shelves and use them as storage boxes, or whether to cover them and use them as gift boxes. If you have any ideas about how you would, or you have reused them, then I would love to hear them.

I definitely think the packaging element is something that Glossybox and some of the other manufacturers and retailers of especially beauty related advent calendars need to consider. In fact that's possibly the only thing that making me consider trying a different calendar in 2020 - Christmas seems an awfully long way away at the moment so I guess I'll have to wait and see.

As I said I'm so sorry that all of these posts are going up so late, but I hope they are still useful in one way or another. If you have any questions or comments on any of the items that I've mentioned then please leave me a comment below, drop me an email or send me a message via any of my other social media channels x 

*This Post Contained Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links