A Very Late Unboxing Of Glossybox UK - December 2019 Edition - Merry Metallics*

I've had a little look at the posts that I've got coming up, and I think that this might be the last one that dates back to 2019, so after this one everything else should at least be from the right decade, maybe? Anyways since this post and the ones that follow are so late I've had a chance to try nearly all of the products that I'm going to talk about, so that is really my justification for featuring boxes that you can no longer get your hands on - I hope you'll agree with me and I hope that you'll find at least some of the product reviews useful.

Like most Christmas subscription boxes, the December edition of Glossybox UK arrived on my doorstep in special, limited edition, festive packaging. The box lid was a warm metallic gold, overlaid with a rich, matte red geometric design, which coordinated perfectly with rich, matte red base of the box.

The red and gold theme continued inside the box with rich red tissue paper, and paper shred, and a sparkly gold ribbon.

The theme of December's Glossybox was "Merry Metallics" and it was full of radiance boosting products, to help you sparkly your way through the party season - ah the memories when we could actually socialise - surprising what you take for granted - but you can still get glammed up at home for those video chats and these are some of the products that I've been using over the last few months.

LA Splash Cosmetics Golden Gatsby 3D Faux Mink Lashes - 00370 - 1920 - Full Size - RRP £9.50 / $12

The first item in the box was the second LA Splash product that I received in December after the Wickedly Divine Eyeliner In Rosaline, that I got in my Glossybox advent calendar (you can read my thoughts on it here). 

I don't know a lot about them but from what I can gather LA Splash are a US based, cruelty free cosmetics company, and even though I'm not a huge lash wearer cruelty free ones are a must for me! These are gorgeous, full, synthetic lashes. I remember it caused a little bit of controversy at the time but there was no adhesive with the lashes due to potential latex allergy concerns, but I'm sure most lash wearers would already have a tube or two floating around.

This is actually the only item in the box that I haven't tried yet. Again my facial paralysis, is probably to blame but I am useless at applying false lashes, so now that we all have plenty of time on our hands, one of my goals for 2020 is to learn how to apply false lashes properly, so make sure you're following me on my other social media channels to see how I get on!

These lashes are available either direct from LA Splash for around $12 or from Beauty Bay for around £9.50.

Steve Laurant Loose Powder Pigment - Rose Gold - 1.5g - Full Size - RRP £14 / $14.60

Next up, an item from another brand that appeared in the 2019 Glossybox Advent Calendar, Steve Laurant. Where as the advent calendar contained a lip balm / tint (you can read my review here), December's Glossybox contained a multi purpose, loose pigment powder.

Both cruelty free, and gluten free this powder come boxed and beautifully packaged in a faced clear pot, with rose gold / copper toned lid.

This superfine powder is in a beautiful coppery, gold shade, the pigmentation is excellent and it blends effortlessly into the skin.

This is a multi use products so you can use it on the face, body and on the eyes. I've mainly been using this as an eye colour and I think that it's a really pretty shade, that would also work nicely in the summer with a tan.

The pot is quite small but since you only need to use a tiny sprinkle of pigment each time, it should last a long while.

The only official retailer of this product appears to be direct from Steve Laurant where it retails at around $18, Glossybox give it a UK retail price of  £14.60.

Bellapierre Liquid Shadow Eye Candy - Venus - 3ml - Full Size - RRP £15

The next product was another make up item and this time it was a product from cruelty free, mineral make up brand Bellapierre. Bellapierre is a real favourite subscription box brand, and even though I was already familiar with the brand various calendars and boxes have given the opportunity to try more products and learn more about the brand. I've tried a couple of lip things from them now including a Kiss Proof Lip Creme, in the March 2019 edition of Glossybox, the Kiss Proof Lip Finish from the 2018 Glossybox advent calendar, and the Banana Setting Powder from the 2017 Look Fantastic Advent Calendar, but this is the first time in a long while I've had the chance to try an eye product.

This is basically a liquid / cream eyeshadow that Bellapierre claim won't crease or smudge. The shade I received was Venus, which is officially described as golden nude.

First impressions were good, I loved the colour, and the swatch only encouraged my optimism,  the sponge applicator made it simple to apply, it was smooth, it was pigmented and it set pretty quickly.

So I immediately decided to pop it on my eyes, it was a little more glittery than I'd expected from the swatch but it looked it very pretty on, but and the big but it didn't last at all, the swatch on my hand actually washed off quite easily with just water, and in under an hour the shadow had completely disappeared from my mobile lid, leaving only dozens of particles of glitter!

I love the colour but this just didn't work for me at all - They were right it didn't crease or smudge, it just disappeared! I hate giving up on products so I'm going to try this with a variety of shadow bases, and I might even try it as a base for other shadows - I'm not relegating this to the useless pile yet but we'll see. The only place I can find this online is from the official Bellapierre UK website only in slightly different packaging.

L.O.V Cosmetics The Fateful Lacquered Lip Stain - No.730 Dewy Infinity - 5.3ml - Full Size - RRP £7.99 / €8.99

Yes, it's another make up item, and it was something from a new brand to me L.O.V, who are a mainland Europe based cosmetics company, with the same parent company as Catrice and Essence.

This lip product is described as the perfect of a lipstick and a gloss. Containing Vitamin E, hyaluronic filling spheres, this lip colour claims to be long lasting, smudge proof, and it also claims to plump and enhance your pout.

Glossybox subscribers apparently received one of 5 shades, the one that I got was Dewy Infinity, an almost cherry red. Packaged in an almost mascara like tube, this product comes with a tapered sponge applicator for easy and precise application, which is exactly what you need with a colour like this which has a tendency to creep outside of the lip line. It felt very creamy, and smooth on the lips, and it felt very comfortable to wear.

The finish itself was very shiny and glossy, that gloss gradually faded leaving a real pretty and slightly more wearable pink, red lip stain, which gradually faded from the inside out.

This isn't a very "Louise" colour but I'm slowly but surely learning to appreciate a bold lip, and whilst I would only wear this colour for a party or for a night out, I can appreciate the quality, the finish and the wear time. One word of warning though don't get this on your clothes if you can help it - I managed to get some on a pale blue top, and it's taking some getting out! The only place that I can find this range is directly from the L.O.V website where this full sized lip colour retails at around £7.99.

Original Source Sweet Rhubarb & Raspberry Shower Gel - 250ml - Full Size - RRP £2.30

Away from the glitz and glam of the rest of the box the final item was a little bit more practical and it gave me a chance to try another shower gel from Original Source.

Like the previous shower gel that I tried from Original Source (read my review here) this one is suitable for vegans, it's eco friendly and it contains 100% natural fragrances. This particular shower product contains 4 essentials oils and extract including rhubarb stalk extract and raspberry extract.

The first thing you notice when you open the bottle is the scent, it has a very fruity but at the same time, natural scent. I can smell a true raspberry scent, intermingled with the tart, sweet notes of the rhubarb - it really has one of those scents that makes your mouth water. It isn't all about the scent though this is a lovely thick shower gel, only a tiny amount produces a mountain of surprisingly moisturising bubbles.

I love rhubarb and it's slightly tart, tangy scent, and I'm really pleased to see it popping up in more and more beauty products, and this shower gel has quickly became a firm favourite in my bathroom.

Glossybox quote a recommended retail price of around £2.30 but like with a lot of drugstore, and widely available products it worth shopping round, obviously safely and observing government guidelines as you do it but I've seen it for as little as £1.

For me this was a pretty decent box, especially since I'm a huge make up lover, the eyeshadow was a bit of a fail, but the standout product for me was another make up item and it was the Steve Laurant pigment, a lovely shade, and something that I will definitely use. All in all this box was well worth money, and the contents were ideal for the party season and beyond. As I say despite the lateness of this post I hope you've found it useful and I hope that you've been inspired to look beyond some of the more obvious beauty brands and products out there, and to try something new x Don't forget to use my referral if you fancy trying Glossybox for yourself - have a click of this link to find out more x  If you have any questions on any of the items in this post then please leave me a comment below and I will see you soon with another late unboxing 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 

Glossybox "All I Want" Advent Calendar - Part 1 - Days 1 - 12

Now I know that some people don't like them but personally I love a luxury advent calendar. I've always had an advent calendar ever since was a child, and even though we've now come a long way since the cardboard and glitter calendars of my childhood, opening a box or a door every morning in the run up to Christmas still gives me that hint of childhood excitement.

We're well advented out in the house, between 2 people and 3 cats, we seem to have acquired 6 advent calendars. The cats have one with kitty heart shaped treats inside, my mum has a Lindt chocolate one, and a NEXT home fragrance calendar, and somehow I've ended up with 3. I have a traditional Cadbury's one, a lovely Moo Free chocolate one which was a gift from a friends parents and I also have a luxury beauty advent calendar, which this year is from Glossybox.

Pretty much every brand and store this seemed to be doing their own advent calendar this year, and there were so many that I could have chosen or gone for, but after receiving a press release, I decided to go for the Glossybox UK All I Want Advent Calendar. This to the best of my knowledge is Glossybox UK's first advent calendar, and as expected it proved to be extremely successful and it did in fact sell out. I'm super grateful that Mummy Lou ordered it for me as part of my Christmas present, the retail price was originally £99 for non subscribers, but subscribers like me got the chance to pre order it for just £75. I also had some Glossy Credits which you could redeem against it, so we paid a little bit less in the end.

The designs itself is beautiful, wrapped in a pink ribbon, it's predominately in shades of pink, rose gold, and grey. Open the door and you're greeted with 24 different sized boxes all filled with goodies and shred, the boxes themselves are stacked on 4 little shelves within the box. That's not all though adhered to the inside of the left hand door is another box, with a 25 on it which is just the icing on the cake in my opinion, it's really nice to have an extra gift on Christmas Day itself.

Unlike the calendar that I got last year, this one probably isn't quite as reusable, but I'm definitely going to think of a way to reuse it, obviously you could refill it as it is, or you can use the individual boxes either for gift wrapping or for storing decorations. I'm definitely going to try and resuse it even if I just put something on the little shelves, we'll see, but it's definitely too pretty to just recycle.

Even though I had a few hints (okay a full contents list!) it's still exciting opening the boxes every morning and seeing what's inside! I've been posting day by day pics on Instagram but like in previous years I thought I'd share some initial impressions about the products inside on the blog, some of them will be full reviews with swatches and so on and with some products I'll just be telling you about more about what it is, what does, and an idea of the retail price so you make your own mind up as to whether or this calendar was worth the money - so a little but here are days 1 - 12.

Day 1 - NARS Velvet Lip Glide - 3.4ml - Immoral

Ah, NARS, who doesn't love a bit of NARS. They're one of those brands that I would happily buy everything from, providing I had unlimited funds that is,  I love their products, and thanks to the Glossbox All I Want Advent Calendar I've been able to try another one.

Lip colours are the one area where NARS and I haven't really got on, but this one thankfully was a winner. NARS Velvet Lip Glide is the perfect mix of a lipstick and a gloss, they apply with the smoothness of a gloss but with the intensity and pigmentation of a lipstick. Containing waterlily and white tea they are moisturising on the lips and have a smooth satin to semi matte finish.

Immoral is a beautiful creamy, cool fuchsia pink shade, it's extremely pigmented and it feels smooth and nourishing on the lips. I am officially in love with both this colour and this formulation. You can see a quick pic of it below and I am also wearing it in upcoming December 2018 Glossybox Unboxing Video x The one pity is that this shade appears to be a limited edition and quite hard to find, if you're in the USA though you can be this shade in this deluxe mini size as part of duo for around $16. Glossybox estimate this deluxe mini size at around £13.72 - a full 5.7ml Velvet Lip Glide retails at around £23. Although it might be quite difficult to get your hands on this particular shade, there are lots and lots of other shades to try, and I'm definitely going to be splashing out on a few more of these in the future x

Day 2 - Nip + Fab Hydrate Dragon's Blood Fix Plumping Serum - 30ml

I've tried a few products from Nip + Fab, mainly from the Glycolic and Kale ranges but I've never tried anything from their Dragon's Blood range before. A few people have told me how much they like this product and apparently Kylie Jenner is a fan too.

The idea of dragons blood sounds a little bit scary, but no komodo dragons, Smaugs, or Drogons have been harmed in the making of this product, dragons blood is in fact the sap from the Croton Lechleri tree, which when teamed up with velvet flower extract and hyaluronic acid provides intense moisture, plumpness  and comfort to all skin types but especially dehydrated and sensitive skin that is prone to redness. My skin is strange at the moment I have a few hormonal spots on my chin but at the same time, it feels quite dry, so I might give this ago in the run up to Christmas to see if it can perform a festive miracle or two x This is a good 30ml size which Glossybox value at around £11.97, the regular 50ml size retails at around £19.85

Day 3 - Yankee Candle Small Jar Candle - Berry Trifle 104g

I do love a candle especially when it's cold and dark outside, there is something so warming and soothing about candlelight, especially when it smells as good as this one does. Apparently there were two different scents but the one I got was Berry Trifle. I love food and fruit scents so this one is right up my street. It has a mouthwatering warm, fruity, berry scent with just a hint of vanilla and creaminess. Between us, me and Mummy Lou could probably own our own candle store and we I first smelled this I thought we already owned this one, but the one we actually have is the similar smelling Berry Jam, so Berry Trifle is a welcome addition to our extensive candle library. This is a Yankee Candle Small Jar Candle, which burns for 20-30 hours, they retail at £8.99 so this was a nice item to receive.

Day 4 - Philip Kingsley Body Building Conditioner - 60ml

Now, I'm a huge Philip Kingsley fan, Elasticizer is a must have and I regularly use the brands shampoos and conditioners and I have a few other bits to try. I've tried a couple of their conditioners before but I've never tried this one before. I've reviewed the corresponding shampoo before (read my review here) but this is new to me. I haven't had a chance to try it yet but once I've cleared a few more products out of the shower I'll be giving this ago.

According to Philip Kingsley (who are a professional trichology brand) this is an ultra lightweight conditioner that's ideal for fine hair types, it's designed to add moisture without weight, and it's designed to thicken the appearance of each individual hair strange, and detangling the hair as well as combating frizz and fly aways. Sounds good? I'll probably let you know what I think in a future empties post x This 60ml size is quite hard to find but it retails at around £7.00, the 75ml size retails at £10 if you fancy giving this a go.

Day 5 - MDM Flow Greater Than Mascara - 6.5ml

I've tried a couple of lip products from this UK, cruelty free brand before, but I've never tried any of their eye or face products. Now I haven't opened this that because I've already got a couple of mascaras on the go but it sounds pretty promising. According to everything that I've read this is a highly pigmented black volumising mascara, with a indented brush designed for increased volume and clump free application. It's also apparently long wearing but it contains a unique Easy-Off formulation that makes it easy to remove with either water or a water based eye make up remover. Sounds good and I can't wait to give it ago - I'll let you in a future post what I think about it if you're interested. This full 6.5ml size of the MDM Flow Greater Than Mascara retails at around £18.

Day 6 - 3INA The Lip Primer - 10ml

I've used a few bits from 3INA in the past but this is new to me x I've never much of a fan of lip primers if I'm honest - the majority either seem to dry your lips out or they just look like you've covered your lips in concealer, this is a little bit different. As well as being paraben free, vegan, and cruelty free, it's also water based. It's basically just a slightly iridescent pink, liquid cream. It matiffies the lips without making them dry or sore. I've mainly be using this under both lipsticks and glosses and it definitely makes the majority of them that I've tried last a little bit longer. You can also use it as a lip nourishing produce and on top of lipstick to give a more mattifying effect. This is a full size and retails at around £9.95.

Day 7 - Patisserie De Bain Strawberry Cupcake Bath & Shower Creme - 50ml

I was a little bit excited when I saw this, I do love fruity smelling shower products and this is the scent of summer in a tube just what you want when it's freezing outside! Patisserie De Bain are the sister brand of Yorkshire based company Rose & Co. I've tried a few Rose & Co products, and my mum is already a huge fan of Patisserie De Bain's Sugared Violet range, but this is a new scent to us both. This vegan friendly shower product apparently smells exactly like strawberries and cream, yummy! I'm in a wintry and warming mood at the moment when it comes to shower products so I'm going to hang on to this one and keep for when it quite so vile outside x This product has an estimated RRP of £2.99.

Day 8 - Real Techniques 200 Expert Foundation / Face Brush

I do love a make up brush and I was thrilled to open one of my little boxes, and see a make up brush from Real Techniques. If you haven't heard of Real Techniques where have you been?? It is an excellent, and affordable make up brush for make up artists and You Tuber's Sam and Nic aka Pixiwoo. I love their brushes and this is a limited edition version of one of their most popular brushes, their foundation / face brush. Their brushes are cruelty free, soft, durable and silky, and in this case in particular they look amazing. This brush which perfect for applying both cream and liquid foundations has super soft, densely packed duo fibre hairs. The body of the brush in a gorgeous almost rose gold, pink metal, and a almost rubberised feel plastic. I can't actually find this brush for sale on it's own so it's definitely a limited edition, a comparable brush would retail for around £9.99 but if this one has taken your fancy then it is available as part of the newly released Everyday Essentials Set which retails at around £19.99 and contains 4 brushes including this one and a Miracle Complexion Sponge.

Day 9 - Charles Worthington Take Aways Volume & Bounce Body Booster Mousse - 50ml

Now I've got to be honest I don't really use hair mousse, my hairdressers occasionally uses it before she blow drys my hair but it isn't something that I use at home. My mam on the other hand has crazy curly hair, and as a result she loves her mousse, so she's already nabbed this, and fingers crossed she likes it. From celebrity hairdresser Charles Worthington's line this mousse contains collagen is designed to boost volume, and give body, bounce, and lasting volume x This is a travel sized mini and has a retail price of around £2.49.

Day 10 - Bare Minerals Skinlongevity Vital Power Infusion - 7.5ml 

I actually have a tube or two of this but as yet I haven't tried it. You may be familiar with bare minerals as a make up brand but did you know that they've now branched out into skincare. It's a natural progression I guess for a natural brand that already produced make up with so many skincare benefits. This sounds amazing and I'm actually going to try it out tonight. Containing Bare Minerals patented Long Life Herb Extract. this is basically an all round skin replenisher, which is designed to promote a more youthful appearance, by adding moisture, and diminishing the appearance of fine lines, pores, wrinkles and uneven skin texture. You simply apply it to the face and neck after cleansing both morning and evening. You can either use on it's own or under your normal moisturiser for extra boost. According to Glossybox this 7.5ml size retails at around £7.29.

Day 11 - Bellapierre Cosmetics Kiss Proof Lip Finish - 3.8g

Bellapierre are another mineral based make up brand, all of their products are toxin, paraben free, and cruelty free, and contain only naturally derived ingredients, I own a few of their products already including some of their pigments and I've been pretty impressed with the things that I have tried but this is something new!

Now this product has flummoxed me a bit - At first I wasn't sure exactly what it was - was it a lip gloss or was it a lip sealer like Lipcote, designed to keep your lipstick in place no matter who many people you kiss under the mistletoe, it turns out it's probably a combination of the two. Kiss Proof Lip Finish is a hydrating clear lip gloss that is designed specifically to be worn on top of Bellapierre's Kiss Proof Lips Cremes, transfer what is in essence a matte product to a long lasting glossy one

Obviously you can use over any lip colour and I actually tried it over NARS Immoral and wow the difference in appearance was phenomenal, for a pretty satin finish to a full on almost mirror like gloss finish in one sweep. The gloss is a bit runny but it gave a fabulous almost mirror like finish to the lips and believe it or not it improved the wear time of something that was already pretty long lasting. This is a full size and retails at £15.

Day 12 - MUA Make Up Academy Eyeshadow Palette - Cosmic Vixen 

and on day 12 my true love, or Glossybox in this case, gave to me a full size MUA Make Up Academy Eyeshadow Palette. Although they are definitely at the lower end of the price spectrum, Make Up Academy Eyeshadow Palettes are pretty amazing and I already own quite a few of them but I didn't have thankfully I didn't have this one.

This palette is both talc and cruelty free and contains 15 fabulous shades in a mixture of textures, mattes, shimmers and high pearl finishes, this palette isn't for the faint hearted, there are some pretty out there shades in it. From pinks, almost reds and corals, to mauve's, purples and plums, there are some bright colours in this palette. Fear not that because it also has a few gold, taupe's and bronzes so it isn't all scary. If you like the idea of Urban Decay Naked Cherry with just a touch of Naked Heat thrown in then this palette is a fab budget alternative.

All of the shades feel soft and silly and the shimmers and pearls almost have a creamy feel to them. As you would expect pigmentation wise it's the shimmers and pearls that will blow your socks off, smooth shimmery, buttery and delicious colour payoff. The mattes on the other hand whilst feeling soft and silky vary slightly, the pay off on the darker colours in fine, but some of the paler shades are a bit chalky.

In reality I probably wouldn't have bought this palette, a lot of the colours are just slightly too bold for me but even though I've just managed to swatch it I'm really thinking that I could make more of the colours work for me than what I first thought. It's definitely going to be one that I'm to experiment with in the new year. This is a full size palette and retails at a pretty fabulous £5.

So 12 days down, (well more like 16 now) and a week and a bit to go before the big day - Verdict? So far, so good - A good assortment of products, full sizes and prices, and a few fabulous new discoveries - Highlights? too many but NARS, 3INA, Yankee Candles, and Real Techniques are the things that excited my most, we'll see though when I've had a proper play. Don't forget you can keep track of the days and the boxes on my Instagram and I'll be posting days 13 - 24, hopefully on Christmas Eve. In the meantime if you have any questions on any of the products in the calendar so far, I'd love to hear them so leave me a comment below xx