Trimming My Stash - August 2021 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews*

Hi all, I hope you all had a good weekend x Mine to say the least was mixed, it started off on Friday when I had a whole host of technical problems, and that pretty much set the tone for the rest of the weekend!

Never mind though, my productivity increased as the weekend went on, and even though I didn't manage to post what I wanted to, I still managed to get my nail post up on Saturday night, and I managed to get this one, my August empties post, drafted yesterday.

Lanolips Antibacterial Hand Cream - 50ml
Nivea Q10 Multi Power 5 In 1 Firming + Cellulite Gel - 200ml
EOS Evolution Of Smooth Essential Hand Lotion - Berry Blossom - 44ml
Soap & Glory Melty Talented Dry Skin Balm - 30g
AVON Senses Winter Treasure Raspberry And Vanilla Liquid Soap - 250ml
BYBI Strawberry Booster - 15ml
Nair Wax Strips - Face - 12 Wax Strips
Beauty Pie Soul Providers Re-Energizing Dry Oil Sugar Scrub - 475g
Naobay Detox Illuminating Micellar Water - 200ml
Creightons Cocoa Butter Softening Hand Cream With Vitamin E - 50ml

Total - 10 Items

I know I hinted at it in my July empties post, but yes in August I secured the hat trick, and I managed to finish another 10 items! Again a nice mix of body and skin care products, with a few products that you've seen before and a few more bargain buys.

1. Lanolips Antibacterial Hand Cream - 50m

First up, the first of 3 hand creams in this post, and this one is from the dry skin specialists, Lanolips. If you haven't heard of this cult brand, where have you been? Lanolips is a beauty brand that is based on the power, and the healing properties of pure grade, cruelty free, lanolin.

Particularly famous for their lip balms, they've now branched out into skin care and body care. I think that I got this particular hand cream in a previous edition of Glossybox UK, and sadly, based on my own research, I think that it's now been discontinued.

This wasn't just a hand cream though, it was an antibacterial hand cream, so it was perfect for these germ obsessed times. Designed to condition and protect, this hand cream claimed to kill 99% of all germs whilst at the same time moisturising and protecting the hands.

With a creamy texture, this white hand cream had a really fresh, clean green, herbal scent that reminded me a bit of pine needles and fresh rosemary. It was fairly easy to massage into the skin, and it almost seemed as though it was coating the skin. It was a touch tacky at first but it did eventually absorb in to skin leaving the hands smooth and protected.

This really was the perfect hand cream for a COVID winter so it's a real shame that it seems to have been discontinued.

2. Nivea Q10 Multi Power 5 In 1 Firming + Cellulite Gel - 200ml

Okay, I can almost hear the words that you're currently shouting at your screen right now - something along the lines of "anti cellulite products are a scam" and you can't firm your thighs by rubbing in a cream" and yes I hear you, but I do actually really like this product!

Did I notice a visible difference in my cellulite within 3 weeks like Nivea claim? To be honest not visually but my skin on my bottom and thighs certainly feels smoother and softer, and I love the fresh, fruity scent of this turquoise gel, so I've bought a couple more tubes and I'm going to keep using.

The RRP of this product is £11.99 but I didn't pay that I was suckered in on a half price offer, so if you fancy trying this for yourself then keep an eye out in Superdrug, as this is often on offer for around £5.99 or on a buy one get one free.

3. eos - Evolution Of Smooth Essential Hand Lotion - Berry Blossom - 44ml

Next up another hand cream, and this one was another £1 bargain buy from Poundland. From another cult brand eos, Evolution Of Smooth, this is one of several different types of hand cream in their range.

Packaging innovators, this hand cream comes in an almost ergonomic style, easy to hold pod shaped tube, with a flip top cap.

Containing shea butter, aloe vera, cocoa and oat extracts, this fruity / floral scented hand cream is yellow in colour, and has a light, creamy texture. It's super quick to absorb and it leaves the hands feeling silky smooth and smelling heavenly.

I really loved this hand cream and I particularly loved the soft floral combined with fruit berry notes of the Berry Blossom scent, but whilst it feels good in the palm of your hand, the pod style packaging does make it quite difficult to get the product out. It's made of quite firm plastic so it isn't the easiest tube to squeeze, and it's also pretty hard to cut it open and get the last dregs of product out,

I do have another one of these also in Berry Blossom to use up, and I also have another one in the Fresh Flowers scent to try, but I would definitely consider buying it again in the future.

Despite seeing a few other eos products in Poundland recently, I haven't seen this particular hand cream for quite a while now, but if you fancy trying this one for yourself. you can pick it up for around £2.99 from various places including eBay, Amazon, Direct Cosmetics, and Beauty Outlets.

4. Soap & Glory Melty Talented Dry Skin Balm - 30g

With Christmas on its way, it shouldn't be too long before the Boots Christmas Gift Guide is out. It's definitely one the signs for me that Christmas is on its way, and I love nothing more than reverting back to childhood and circling the things that I want, and trying to work out what this years Star Gifts are going to be.

The next empty that I am going to share with you is a product from one of the famous Soap & Glory Star Gifts, and like so many of the original Soap & Glory products this one too appears to have been discontinued.

Packaged in a retro style, metal tin, this multi use dry skin balm contained a combination of coconut and almond oils, mango butter, and vitamin E as well as wheatgerm and castor seed oils.

With a semi solid texture, this natural yellow balm, with a subtle vanilla / coconut scent, melts on contact with the skin. Being a multi use balm you could pretty much use this anywhere that needed a bit of extra moisture, from your lips, to your knees and elbows, the ends of your hair, and to your hands and cuticles.

I mainly used this as a cuticle treatment and as a hand moisturiser. You only needed a tiny fingernail size amount for all 10 nails, a little went a very long way. It felt very moisturising, and obviously a touch oily, but at the same time it didn't feel too heavy or sticky. It took a little while to absorb but the skin immediately looked more hydrated and glowy.

This was a really nice hand and cuticle product, and I can imagine that it would have been great for dry patches or for people with generally drier skin. I know this particular product retailed at around £5 but as I say it's out of stock on the Soap & Glory website, and I can't find it at all on the Boots website, so it look as though it's gone for good. 

5. AVON Senses Winter Treasure Raspberry And Vanilla Liquid Soap - 250ml

Next up another hand care product and this time it's a liquid hand soap. Although I've been using a lot of Carex hand washes lately, I'm a huge fan of a lot of the seasonal fragrances in the AVON Senses range, and also of their Care range, and this one Winter Treasure Raspberry And Vanilla, was I think for either last year or the year before.

Bright red in colour, it wasn't the most outwardly festive scent that I've ever smelled, instead it had more of a warm fruity scent.

Alas this particular scent has now been discontinued (although you might still find the odd product on eBay) but I just had a look at the latest AVON book and this years festive shower gel and hand wash scent is Gingerbread. I do love me some gingerbread scents so I'm definitely going to be ordering myself both a hand wash and a shower gel.

6. BYBI Strawberry Booster - 15ml

The next item on the list is the first of two products that I received in the January 2020 edition of Glossybox UK, and you can read my full review here x 

I don't really have too much to add to my original review - I still feel that it was very much a seasonal product for someone like me with a more oily skin, and I'm still disappointed that it didn't have more of a strawberry scent, it smelled quite oily, and that scent only got stronger the longer the bottle was open. Personally I don't think that I'd repurchase this product but if you have a drier skin especially in the winter months that this could be something to try.

7. Nair Wax Strips - Face - 12 Wax Strips

If you read my June 2021 empties post then you'll have already seen me raving about these bargain priced wax strips, and about what a revelation they've been in my life! Again not too much to add other than I still love them and I'm going to keep buying them for as long as Poundland stock them!

8. Beauty Pie Soul Providers Re-Energizing Dry Oil Sugar Scrub - 475g

Now I'm not going to go into too much depth about Beauty Pie here as I have a few first impressions posts coming soon, but if you aren't familiar with it, it's basically a membership service, that allows you to buy high end products under the Beauty Pie brand, without the marks ups, and advertising costs of designer and high end brands.

After a friend bought me a few bits for Christmas, I signed up for my own membership at the end of December, this is one of the first products that I bought.

I'm a huge body scrub junkie and I'm obsessed with trying new ones, so it made perfect senses that I would try one of the two body scrubs that Beauty Pie offer as one of first items.

The one that I went for was the Beauty Pie Soul Providers Re-Energizing Dry Oil Sugar Scrub, which contains Demerara sugar, sea salt, lemon peel sweet almost oil, apricot kernel oil, evening primrose oil, Indian gooseberry extract, holy basil, black pepper, and cedrat lemongrass fragrance.  It also cruelty free and vegan.

It comes boxed and as well as the tub of scrub itself, you also get a lovely Beauty Pie branded, wooded scoop to stir and scoop out the scrub,

Peel back the protective seal and you're greeted with quite a coarse sugar and salt scrub containing smaller darker particles, including tiny pieces of lemon peel, with a layer of oil on top. You need to give it a stir first to mix the oil into the sugar mix, then you just scoop it out and massage it into the skin in circular motions before rinsing it away.

On the Louise scrubby scale this is quite a scrubby scrub, there is a lot of texture to it, and you really feel as though you've had a thorough spa like exfoliation every time you use it. The high oil content stops it from being too harsh though, and when you've rinsed the scrub away the oil almost turns into a milk, leaving the skin feeling almost glass like smooth and moisturised.

Oh and did I mention the scent? Look at the ingredients list and imagine the scent and you're probably thinking along the right lines; it smells beautifully spa like with a real citrus hit of lemongrass - gorgeous and both refreshing and relaxing!

This is by one of the best, if not the best body scrubs that I've ever used, it smells gorgeous. it's really scrubby, and it leaves the skin super soft - it therefore goes without saying that I've already bought another pot. In fact I love this product so much that this scrub alone has justified my Beauty Pie membership.

Beauty Pie members pay £10.37 for this 475g tub, which has a typical recommended retail price of £50. If you want to try Beauty Pie for yourself then you can use my personal recommendation link here or type LOUISE_HOLLOW into the recommended by a friend box when you sign up, for £10 off your first order, and because Beauty Pie are nice like that I'll get £10 off my next order too, so I guess that's an #affiliatelink :)  

If you're interested in finding out more about my experience so far with Beauty Pie then make sure you stay following my blog to see my first impressions make up hauls, which should be up sometime in the next few weeks x 

9. Naobay Detox Illuminating Micellar Water - 200ml

Next up another skincare product, and like the BYBI Beauty Strawberry Booster, this product also came in the January 2020 edition of Glossybox UK, and again you can read a full review here x 

This product I guess sums up one of my frustrations with Glossybox, I potentially would have repurchased quite a few more products that I've been introduced to by Glossybox, including this one, but so many things are just too hard to find, even with the entire internet at your disposal, which is a real shame.

10. Creightons Cocoa Butter Softening Hand Cream With Vitamin E - 50ml

Finally we have another hand cream, and this one was another bargain buy, this time from Home Bargains. Established in 1954, Creightons are an award winning British company who design, create and manufacture a wide range of 100% cruelty free, skin care, hair care, body care, and wellbeing products.

As you know I love me some cocoa butter, so I couldn't resist giving this hand cream a try. Containing cocoa seed butter and vitamin E, this hand cream comes packaged in a metal look, plastic paint style tube. The product inside is creamy white in colour, and it has a light but dense creamy texture. Rather than the true chocolate, vanilla scent of cocoa butter, this hand cream has a much subtler almost vanilla yogurt type scent.

It was really easy to massage into the skin and it seemed to absorb quite quickly, leaving the skin smooth, and looking and feeling more hydrated.

For around £1 I would definitely consider buying either this one, or one of the other fragrances in the range such as argan or coconut again. I got mine in Home Bargains for around £1 but you can also buy it direct from Creightons for around £1.29.

So they were my August empties, and it was another solid performance with 10 empties. Could I do better in September? Well believe it or not I could! My September empties post will be up in a week or so, but in the meantime if you have any questions on any of the items in this post then please leave me a comment and I'll see you later this week with another post x 

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

A Very Late Unboxing Of Glossybox UK - January 2020 Edition - Sleep & Refresh*

Can you remember what you were doing in January? To be honest I can barely remember what I did yesterday let alone 4 months ago! but at some point in January, exactly when I'm not sure, I know I must have opened and photographed the January edition of Glossybox UK.

After all the glamour and sparkle of December's box (read my thoughts here), the January edition of Glossybox reverted back to the traditional pink and black colour palette, with the familiar pink and black cardboard box, pink tissue paper, and black shredded paper all neatly brought together with a black ribbon.

As per usual the first item in the box was a little booklet which as well as including more information on the contents, also revealed the theme of the box. The theme of January's Glossybox was "Sleep & Refresh" and the products inside were specially selected to leave subscribers feeling revitalised for the year ahead, with a mixture of complexion boosting products, and products that were perfect for a no make up look.

BYBI Strawberry Booster - 15ml - Full Size - RRP £12

The first item in the box was a product from a brand called BYBI. I've only tried one other item from the brand and that was a lip balm that I received in the March 2019 edition of Glossybox (You can read my thoughts on it here if you haven't already).

Founded in 2017, BYBI, which stands for By Beauty Insiders, produce a range of clean, and affordable beauty products. All of their products are certified vegan and cruelty free, and they are made of only 100% eco friendly, natural ingredients.

This particular product contains only 1 ingredient, 100% cold pressed strawberry seed oil, which is actually a byproduct of the juicing industry. Strawberry seed oil contains both Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids and allagic acids which are smoothing, nourishing, and calming especially on dry, dehydrated or irritated skin.

This skin boosting facial oil is designed to be integrated into to any daily skin care routine, you can add few drops to any existing balm, moisturiser, or serums, to give the skin on your face and neck an extra boost of hydration, or you can use it alone as a moisturiser or as a moisture boost.

The oil itself is quite runny, and in the bottle it has a yellow, green tinge. Despite claims that it has a subtle strawberry scent, all I got was a slightly green, oily scent which was a bit disappointing. 

Although my skin has been a bit traumatised over the last few months with the cold weather, central heating, and of course illness, it's still a little bit on the oily side, so I've mainly been using this on it's own as part of my morning skin care routine.

The bottle isn't very big but you only need a couple of drops. It glides easily over the skin and whilst it initially felt quite slick and oily, it absorbed quite quickly leaving the skin nourished, and smooth.

Although BYBI claim that it makes an ideal base for make up, it didn't really work that well for me, and my make up just didn't last especially on my oilier t-zone. I did noticed that even when I wasn't wearing make up my skin looked a lot shinier than normal but despite that I still liked the feel of it on my skin. It left my skin feeling comfortable, even when it was being severely tested by illness and central heating, and in fact it even kept the dry, flakey patches that I often get on my brows and forehead in the winter months at bay.

If you have an oilier skin, then this would probably be more of a seasonal product for you but if your skin is drier, or more sensitive or irritated especially at the moment with so little fresh air then this could be something worth trying that won't break the bank. This full 15ml size retails at £12 from a variety of retailers including BYBI direct, Boots, ASOS, and Feel Unique.

Basic Beauty Tweezers - Full Size - Est. RRP £15.10

Now I don't know about you but my eyebrows need some serious dye and wax action! The hair are getting longer, the greys are increasing, and I can see the perfectly trained shape disappearing before my eyes. 

It's for the best and we're all in this together, but what do I do? The sensible option would be to leave well alone, but surely it wouldn't hurt just to tweeze out the odd stray hair? No of course it wouldn't but we all know what would happen, I'd get carried away and before you know it I'd have no brows left. That said though if you have a good pair of tweezers then surely you should be able to just pull the odd super long one without destroying years of hard work, and thankfully I have a few pairs of decent tweezers that may save my brow sanity.

The next item in the box was of course a pair of tweezers from a company called Basic Beauty. From what I can gather Basic Beauty is a US based Indie beauty and fashion brand. The website features a few clothing items, some cruelty and paraben free make up items, and various different beauty tools.

These slim, baby pink, metal tweezers come boxed. They have a textured section to help with grip and a slim / slanted tip. One of the signs of a good pair of tweezers is to have a tip where the sides meet perfectly with no gap, and these ones do exactly that.

I normally prefer a sturdier set of tweezers with a wider slanted tip like my beloved Tweezerman but these aren't too bad. Since the tip is a bit smaller you do really need a good mirror to see what you're doing, even for those little stray chin hairs that you can sometimes grab blindly (admit we all get those little wires growing in places where we don't want them to!) but with a mirror these tweezers are great for smaller, more precise work. 

Tweezers are a real must have and whilst I probably will end up leaving  the majority of my brows alone, I will definitely find a use for a use for them in the future.

Glossybox quote a price of £15.10 for these tweezers, and from what I can gather they are only available direct from Basic Beauty who ship worldwide for around $20 / £15.84

Model Co Clear Brow Gel - 3.5ml - Full Size - RRP £14

Thanks to various subscription boxes and magazine freebies, I managed to try quite a few products now from Australian brand Model Co including a Matte Lip Cream in Peachy Nude, the Instant Brows In Light / Medium and a Lip Gloss in Berry Pink, and whilst I haven't loved everything I've tried I do have a fairly favourable view of the brand, and it was nice to have the opportunity to try something new and especially something that would work so nicely with the previous item.

Packaged in a hot pink mascara like tube with a clear bristle like wand, this is basically a cruelty free, and vegan clear brow gel. Unlike a lot of brow products that can look cloudy this is completely clear. It actually feels quite dry to the touch, and it doesn't feel sticky or gloopy.

I've included some before and afters here but apart from highlighting my long straggly brows, and some grey hairs, there actually doesn't appear to be any difference at all between the two pictures but I guess that's the point. Fitting in perfectly with the bare faced, no make up theme, all this product is supposed to do is tame the unruly hairs, and maybe add a little bit of thickness. It doesn't add colour or look obvious, it just makes your eyebrows look tidier and it calms down the off uncooperative hair, all without the tackiness and stiffness that you can often get with similar product or through using clear mascara. If you need a bit of colour on your brows you can also use this gel to set any other brow product.

Before

After

If you like the idea of brow setting products but you dislike the often sticky feel then this particular one is worth trying, you don't get a lot of product for your money but it works. Despite the fact that retailers such as Look Fantastic and Amazon stock a range of Model Co products I can't find this particular product on any other website bar Model Co direct where it retails at £14.

Beauty Pro CBD Oil Infused Mask - 1 x 22ml Mask - Full Size - RRP £5.95

I've tried a few products from mask specialist Beauty Pro now, but the next product is the first that I've tried from their Plant Based Range. All of the products in this range are 100% plant based in origin, they are also water free, vegan and cruelty free.

Suitable for all skin types, this sheet mask is made of 100% biodegradable bamboo fibre, this face mask contains the super ingredient of the moment CBD Oil. It contains Cannabis Sativa Seed oil and extract, as well as arnica, hibiscus, rosemary, lavender and rosehip. This mask is rich in anti oxidants, and Beauty Pro claim it is anti-aging, and will nourish and soothe stressed skin.

The first thing I noticed about this mask, is just how wet it. The mask was absolutely soaked in a cool, almost gel like solution. It was a little bit fiddly to unfold but it was strong enough not to tear. It had a lovely green scent, with just a hint of lavender. I applied it to clean, dry, skin where it felt immediately cooling and refreshing on the skin.

Mask On Face 

After Removal

When I removed it after about 15 - 20 minutes my face felt very wet and there was still quite a lot of liquid both on my skin and in the mask itself, so I massaged as much of the excess liquid into my face, chest and neck - waste not want not! It took about 5 minutes to completely absorb into my skin. and even then my skin still felt slightly tacky but it felt and looked clean, cool, and refreshed, and hydrated for a good few hours after removal.

I have to say that this is one of the nicest products that I've tried from Beauty Pro so far. I loved the subtle fresh lavender scent and I loved how fresh it made my skin look and feel. The mask seems to be quite new so it isn't that easy to find, the only retailers that I can find are Beauty Pro website where it retails at £4.95 and Look Fantastic where it retails at £5.95.

Naobay Detox Illuminating Micellar Water - 200ml - Full Size - Est. RRP £10.30

The final official item in the box was from Spanish skin and body care brand Naobay. I've had a few things from them in previous boxes but this is the first time that I've had the chance to try anything properly.

The range is paraben free, certified organic, cruelty free and over 98% of the ingredients in this particular product are of natural origin. This particular product contains aloe vera, lemon, sage, raspberry, and green tea. In simple terms it's a micellar water but according to Naobay it's a multi functional cleanser, that purifies the skin and prepares it for moisturiser, and it also protects the skin again environmental pollution whilst balancing, hydrating and soothing the skin.

I love micellar waters when I'm tired or when I'm in a rush, and I although I'm trying to get out of the habit or it, I usually end using a micellar for my morning cleanse. I normally use an oil, a balm or a cream cleanser to remove my make up but I decided to really put this product to the test and to remove a full face of the stuff.

Like the name would suggest, it has an almost water like feel, and a green slightly sweet scent. Like all micellar waters it was really simple to use, just apply it to a cotton pad or if your being eco friendly like me, a reusable cotton pad, and then gently wipe it over the face and eyes.

Before

After 

It felt cool on the skin, and almost exactly like water, there was no tingling or stinging on my face and even on my eyes. It took a few pads but as you can see it all came off, leaving my skin clean and fresh, it was a touch pink but it certainly didn't feel dry, tight or stripped.

Naobay isn't the easiest of brands to get a hold of in the UK and whilst Beauty Expert, Look Fantastic, and Waitrose do stock a small range of their products, the only place I've actually seen this is on a website called Ecco Verde where at retails at around £9.

Nakd Cocoa Orange Raw Fruit & Nut Bar - 35g - Full Size - Est. RRP 75p

Although there were officially only 5 items in the box, I actually received a 6th item - a Nakd bar! Eating a predominantly gluten and wheat free diet, I love Nakd bars and Cocoa Orange just so happens to be my favourite flavour. They don't look very appetising but they are really tasty and unusually for a lot of snack bars they are really filling.

Containing dates, cashews, raisins, cocoa and just a touch of natural flavouring, it tastes like an amped up fruitier, nuttier, and healthier chocolate orange, not only that but it's gluten, wheat and dairy free. The box also included a money off coupon so I may have gone out before lockdown and bought myself a few more bars.

A pack of 4 x 35g bars retail at around £2 - £2.50, where as individual bars such as this retail at around 75p from most major supermarkets, Boots, and health food stores such as Holland and Barrett.

After all of the glamour of December's box, January's was always going to feel a little flat, and a bit mehh in comparison, but whilst it lacks the glitz and sparkle it makes up for it in practicality. It contained things that people will use - tweezers, brow gel, and things to revive and pamper tired winter skin, and of course something a little bit healthier to eat after all the festive excesses. Let me know your thoughts on this box in the comments and of course don't forget to check out Glossybox for yourself, and I will see you soon with an epic combined empties post x 

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

Unboxing Glossybox UK - March 2019 - The Empowerment Edition*

After the special Valentines Day, heart theme of the February box, the March edition of Glossybox has gone back to basics with a return to the traditional box colour palette of pink and black. The box itself is in the trademark dusky pink, the lining is black and pink, the paper shred is black, and the products inside are wrapped in pink tissue paper tied with a black ribbon. I love the limited editions that Glossybox often have but at the same time there is something quite stylish about their original black and pink design.

Underneath the ribbon, as per usual you find an information card, telling you about the box and the products inside, normally it's just a double side piece of card but in this box it's changed to a four page fold out booklet x

The theme of March's Glossybox is Empowerment and the box contains 5 product that are created by innovative and go getting entrepreneurs, sounds good doesn't it? but what is inside? well let's pull back the ribbon, and see...

Bellapierre Kiss Proof Lip Creme - Incognito - 3.6ml - Full Size - RRP £20

The first product is a full size item from Bellapierre. I've tried a few products for Bellapierre over the years, and my first product was one of their fabulous multi purpose, mineral pigment stacks. In the early days they were known just as a toxin, paraben and cruelty free, mineral make up brand, but nowadays they offer so much much more than just pigments and powders.

In March's Glossybox every subscriber received a full sized Kiss Proof Lip Creme. These are full coverage, long wear, liquid lipsticks, that go like a cream and have a matte finish. Glossybox customers were randomly sent one of 4 shades and the one I received was Incognito which is officially described as a "muted peach nude".

As you can see from the swatch below the pigmentation is superb, you only need a small amount of product for full coverage. Thanks to the slanted doe foot style sponge, applicator it's really easy to apply and it's easy to accentuate and stay within the lines of your lips. At first it looks quite creamy, but give it a minute or so to dry(the colour darkens slightly as it dries), and you are left with a matte, but not flat finish. Like all matte products it is slightly drying, and it does tend to cling to any dry bits that you have on your lips but it certainly isn't the most moisture sapping product that I've ever used. 

What about wear time, well it's pretty fantastic as it turns out. I've only managed to wear this twice so far but it's survived mashed potato, vegetable stew, and ice cream, and it still stayed put. It's pretty easy to reapply but if you don't bother to touch up it gradually fades and eventually it goes a little bit bitty. When I took my make up off last night there was still a bit colour of coming off my lips so yeah this is pretty long wearing. Obviously the matte look isn't for everyone though so if you wanted to put a gloss on over the top you could change the look and the finish. If you read any of my Glossybox Advent Calendar unboxing posts then you might have seen me mention a product called the Bellapierre Kiss Proof Lip Finish (You can have a read here if you haven't seen it). That product is specifically designed to be used alongside these lip cremes to add gloss, and prolong the life of your lip colour. I haven't tried the two together yet but it's definitely something that I'm going to be trying soon.

So nice colour, super long wearing, it should be love, and it very nearly is bar one thing! In application it doesn't smell too bad, a slight synthetic fruity scent but nothing too nasty, as it dries though it develops a not very pleasant plastic, newspaper, rubbery scent and taste, which lingers for as long as the colour does. To be honest I'm quite devastated about it, I love the product and I would happily buy more based on my initial impressions if it wasn't for the taste and scent. I'm hoping some flavoured balm or gloss while eradicate it, but only time will tell.

Bellapierre Kiss Proof Lip Cremes retail at £20, and are available from various retailers including Bellapierre direct, Look Fantastic, and Beauty Expert.

BYBI Plumper Lip Balm - 10ml - Full Size - RRP £9 

Next up the product that was trailed in last months box from 100% natural, cruelty free, and vegan company BYBI. Available from both ASOS and their own website, this full size, plumping lip balm is designed to soften, restore and protect the lips. It contains Shea butter, orange and grape seed oil, peppermint, cinnamon and chilli. 

At first glance the tube looks like it's made out of plastic, but it's actually an eco tube made out of sugar cane rather than plastic, so it's 100% biodegradable, and recyclable. The tube itself is quite hard to squeeze, not because of what it's made of but because of the thick consistency of the balm. The yellowish, waxy balm is really thick so you only need a really small amount. Despite it's thickness it melts on contact with the lips and its quite easy to massage in. With a a cinnamon and mint flavour and scent, it leaves a nice sheen on the lips. I did experience a slight tingling sensation, but it definitely wasn't painful or uncomfortable. Unfortunately I didn't manage to take any pictures of it on  but I didn't really notice any real change in their volume, I definitely noticed a change in the smoothness of my lips though and I like how it looked and how it felt so I'm definitely going to keep at and see if makes any difference to the condition of my lips in the long term.

Laritzy Cosmetics Dew Pot - Utopia - 3.5g - Full Size - RRP $20 / £15.30 - £20

Next up another make up item, and this is an item from one of those brands that you only ever seem to see in subscription boxed. I've tried a few bits from this Candian /US based, 100% cruelty free and vegan brand before, and I've always been pretty impressed. In fact I've already tried one of the Dew Pots before after receiving in August 2018's Pink Parcel (click here to watch my unboxing). The colour I received then was Wonder, an icy white, but in this edition of Glossybox I received Utopia, a warm rose gold. I know it looks as though there is more than one colour in the put here but I think it's just a slight separation of the pigment - now that I've swatched it, the whole pot looks the same colour

Dew Pots are basically smooth and creamy blend able highlighters, that suit all skin tones and all skin types. Because they are so creamy, you only need a small amount to add a subtle, dewy glow to the skin, but you can add more for a more dramatic effect. 

I've just applied a bit to my cheekbones here to add a bit of a glow. because it's so smooth and creamy it's really easy to apply it with your fingers, just pot a few dots on and then blend it in. You could use a brush or a sponge, but fingers do the job just fine. You can use it on top of make up or directly onto bare skin but I've used it on top of a face powder here, and it still blends in pretty well without too much caking.

I do love a highlighter so I'm always happy to add new ones to my collection, and this one is super pretty. This isn't the easiest of brand to get in the UK but you can buy this product direct from Laritzy and you can also buy it from the Pink Parcel Shop.

Essence Instant Matte Make Up Setting Spray - 50ml - Full Size - RRP £3

The fourth product in this months Glossybox, is from one of my favourite budget brands, the female founded Essence. I've been lucky enough to have worked with Essence in the past and I've bought products from them for years both Europe and now from Wilko.com in the UK. 

I have to say I'm a tiny bit cynical when it comes to facial sprays, and setting mists, do they actually work or is it just the quality of the make up underneath? I'm not sure but I still continue to buy them and use them. This is a new one to me though, it's oil free, lightweight and non sticky and it aims to mattify the skin, set make up and make it last longer.

I haven't had too much of a chance to use this yet, but based on a couple of squirts, it feels cooling on the skin  and it doesn't really have any scent bar that synthetic scent that fragrance free products often have. It did make my eyes water a little bit but I like the mattifying idea so I'm going to try integrate this product into my make up routine over the next few weeks to see how it performs. This is a full 50ml size which is valued at £3 and it's perfect for both your handbag and you dressing table.

The Body Shop Coconut Body Butter - 50ml - RRP £6

If you've been reading my blog for a while now then you'll know that I'm a bit of a fan of The Body Shop. I've been lucky enough to work with them on several occasions. I love a lot of their products but one of my long term favourites has to be their body butters. 

I've lost count of how many different scents that I've tried over the years, and March's Glossybox contained a 50ml size in either Shea, Coconut or Wild Argan. The one I received was their Coconut Body Butter. I would be the first to admit that coconut isn't my favourite scent but there is something about this particular product that I love. Containing virgin coconut oil from Samoa and Polynesia, this stuff has a real, fresh coconut scent, that a million miles away from the synthetic scent of so many coconut based body products. This is one of their ultra creamy body butters that is designed for dry to extra dry skin. It takes a while to absorb but it's worth the wait.

Because you need so little this 50ml size which retails at £6.00 will last you for ages, and give you that summer feeling even when it's snowing outside!!

So those 5 products made up March's Glossybox, and despite the odd quirk I'm very happy with the contents. I'll use all of the products, and all of the products bar the body butter are full sized, and even that is a decent, retail size. Considering the Bellapierre Lip Creme retails at £20, and the whole box on my plan retails at £13.25, again March's Glossybox is excellent value for money. The sneaky peek for April's Fruity and Floral themed box, is a Pomegranate Superfood Regenerating Sleeping Mask from Dr Botanicals, so if you're interested in getting your own box with a bit of a discount, then click my link to find out more x Let me know your thoughts on this box in the comments below, and if you have any questions please let me know xx