Iconic Beauty - A Review Of The Clinique Black Honey + More Gift Set And A Life Update*

I can hardly believe it's been nearly a month since I last posted but predictably life got in the way again. My auntie passed away peacefully at home with her family around after a short battle with cancer. understandably it's hit us hard, my mam in particular especially coming so soon after my uncles passing last year so understandably I've been spending lots of time with her reminiscing, and focusing on other things. Throw in the fact that she hasn't been very well either, and I'm not only still struggling with my teeth and gums, but I've also been struggling with an scratch on my left eye and very uncomfortable dry eyes, it therefore will come as no surprise that yet again the blog has been pretty low on my list of priorities.

Despite that though I have been doing a bit of post prep and a bit of editing here and there, but seeing as I'm trying to rest my eyes a bit and limit my screen time, nothings happening very fast. That been said though I do actually have a little post for you today that I've been working on for a few months now and it's part of a new mini (or maybe not so mini - we'll see ;) series called 'Iconic Beauty'. In this series I'm going to be sharing my thoughts on some of the most iconic and talked about beauty products on the market, from products with a cult following, to products that everyone on social media seems to be talking about, and the first product I'm going to be talking about is Clinique's Almost Lipstick in the iconic shade Black Honey.

First released back in 1971, this deep, deep berry shade, must have really stood out amongst the bright colours of the hippy area, but it quickly became a best seller, and all of these years later according to Clinique, 1 tube of Black Honey is sold every 7 minutes worldwide! I've been reading about Black Honey and why it's so perfect for both in magazine and online for years now but I never got round to buying it,  until that is I started using Tik Tok. Yes according to various journalists and retailers the old clock app has apparently introduced a whole new generation of people to this product, and for a while last year it was in pretty every haul video, or get ready with me that appeared on my for you page, so I gave up, I was indeed influenced and I decided to take the plunge and try it for myself.

Now, you should know by now that I love a bargain so I didn't by the lipstick on its own, instead around Christmas time I bought in a little kit called Clinique Black Honey + More. As well as containing a full size Almost Lipstick in Black Honey it also contained, a good sized mini mascara and an eyeliner for just £30, and considering the lipstick was £24 on it's own it would have been rude not to pick this up instead.

So Black Honey, why is it so iconic, well just look it, it looks beautiful, in this 1.9g full size  Clinique's sleek, minimalist, matte and shiny silver packaging really makes, this dark burgundy black lipstick stand out. It looks almost black here but I can assure you it is a tiny bit more berry toned in real life.

If you don't know anything about this lipstick, I can pretty much guess what your thinking - 'why is a lipstick that looks like it belongs at a goth convention so popular?' Well in case you haven't realised it doesn't really go on that colour. According to Clinique the perfect blend of blue, red and yellow pigments, produces a sheer berry tone, that will miraculously work on any skin tone which is shown in their numerous ad campaigns - the simple reason why it's popular is that it suits so many people.

As you can probably guess from the difference in colour in the tube, to the colour payoff, Black Honey actually has quite a sheer glossy finish, sort of my lips but better. It's described as the perfect hybrid between a lipstick, a lip balm and a gloss.

So that's why it's popular, and why it's so iconic but what did I really think of it? I have to admit that even though I knew what to expect, this 100% fragrance free lipstick still looks intimidating in the tube, but I needn't have worried. The soft but not overtly creamy formula applies easily, and it definitely creates an almost just bitten sheer berry tint - Clinique claim that you can apply it without a mirror, I guess it depends on your skin tone as I could see little imperfections on my skin when I tried but you might be different or more skilled at applying it ;). Whilst sheer the colour is slightly buildable so the more you apply the more intense the colour will be - just don't expect a block, solid colour finish.

I definitely think it has a more balm like feel, and a lovely shiny almost gloss like finish. It isn't the creamiest lip colour, or even tinted lip balm that I've ever used but it was still comfortable to wear and it certainly didn't leave my lips any drier.

The wear time was decent, predictably the glossy finish was the first to fade, transferring onto cups and glasses quite quickly, but once that had gone, it left a slight berry stain which lasted for a few hours.

I have to say I actually do like the product a lot, and I can see why it has the reputation it does but if I'm being honey I think it maybe is a tiny bit overhyped, it's certainly nothing earth shattering, either colour wise or moisturising wise, but I guess the fact the just about anyone can wear it is it's real selling point, and it's certainly better than the few so called dupes that I've tried, but I can't help thinking for the price it might be cheaper just to buy a tinted lip balm if that's the effect you're going for - hmm. For the rare people that Black Honey apparently doesn't suit there is apparently a pinkier version called Pink Honey, which I might try next - If you've tried that one please let me know  your thought- I think it might be too pale for me but you never know. The Black Honey + More Kit is really hard to find now but the lipstick, it is still widely available on its own for around £24 from retailers including Boots, ASOS, M&S, John Lewis, Beauty Bay, Look Fantastic and Sephora.

As I said earlier in this post I do love a bargain, and at the time it made more sense to buy the Black Honey + More set rather than the individual lipstick. As well as the beauty that is Black Honey herself, the kit also came with a couple of eye products, including a 3.5ml half size of the  Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black, which retails at around £14

Although I don't remember buying it outright, I had actually used this mascara before, so I think it was either a GWP or a magazine freebie, and I remember being pretty impressed, so for just an extra £4 on top of the lipsticks retail price, I was pleased to have the opportunity to try it again.

As you would expect from Clinique this mascara, is ophthalmologist tested, free from fragrance and oil, and it's safe for both contact lens wearers and people with sensitive eyes. The packaging is clinical and to the point, if you want a fancier tube Clinique certainly sell mascaras in more expensive looking packaging but this particular one lets the product inside do the talking. 

Even though this particular tube is only a half size, it came a full size, signature soft, full fibre spoolie brush, which when teamed up with rich black pigments, Clinique claim produces a mascara that adds buildable volume and length all without clumping.

Thanks to the full brush it was nice and easy to apply on the top lashes, but predictably there was a little bit of spotting and smudging on my shorter lower lashes, but nothing too extreme and it was fairly easy to remove with a cotton bud.

After just one coat you can already see the difference, the lashes are darker, longer, more separated and fuller. One coat is perfect for everyday use, but if you want to go bolder then this mascara will help you do exactly that.

Before 

1 Coat 

2 Coats 

With 2 coats, the effect is intensified, the lashes are darker still, longer, fuller, and more separated. This picture is taken straight after application, no fiddling or combing so they do look a little bit clumpy and spidery, and there are a couple of smudges under the lower lashes, but it's nothing that a lash comb and a cotton bud couldn't fix, and most importantly even with an extra coat the lashes didn't feel, tight, dry, heavy or uncomfortable.

Before

1 Coat

2 Coats 

Despite the fact that it's not promoted as a waterproof, or long wear mascara I was still pretty impressed with the wear time, only after about 6 hours do I start to notice a bit of panda eyes going but it wasn't too bad, and when even when I came to take it off at the end of the day, it removed easily with eye make up remover and there was still plenty of product still remaining on the lashes.

Whilst I don't agree with the non clumping claim, everything else Clinique claim about this mascara rings true, darker, longer and fuller lashes, a buildable formulation, and decent staying power. There are probably a lot more dramatic, false lash effect mascaras on the market but this particular is a real workhorse, perfect for everyday both wear and for when you want to add just a touch of drama. 

Also available in Brown and Black-Brown, this half 3.5ml half size retails at around £14 and is available from various retailers including Boots, ASOS, Beauty Bay, and M&S. The full 7ml size retails at around £24 is also available from Boots, ASOS, Beauty Bay, and M&S, as well as John Lewis, Look Fantastic and Sephora.

Now as well as the two items that I was more than happy to have Clinique's Black Honey + More kit also contained another item from the High Impact range, only this time it was one that I wasn't quite so enthusiastic about!

Yes it was of course my nemesis, an eyeliner, and more specifically a felt tip liner - the Clinique High Impact Easy Liquid Liner in Black. I think this is the year when I've eventually admitted defeat with liners like this, no matter what the brand and the promises they make, my eyelids are just to oily and my hands are too shaky to make them work. Purely for you guys though I had a little play with this one and whilst I achieved nothing worth photographing, I do have a few thoughts.

First up the blurb from Clinique - again as you would expect, it's fragrance free, ophthalmologist tested, allergy tested and suitable for people with sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers. Advertised with the tag line ' All the drama of a liquid eyeliner without the drama of putting it on' - this pen is designed with a precision, ultrafine tip for both thin and thick lines, and they claim is has 24 hour smudge and budge resistant wear.

I'll start by saying that this is a believe around half the size of the regular, retail product, and do you know what? if pushed I would definitely go for the smaller size pen. The smaller size made it, even for me, quite easy to control. I also liked the tip on this pen, it was fairly easy to manipulate, it was also quite firm and as a result you didn't need a lot of pressure, so I'm pretty sure that the steady handed liner lovers amongst you should be able to achieve both an ultra fine, and thicker bolder line.

So far so good, but the old, oily, hooded lids quickly ruined any joy or love that I felt towards this liner! Whilst it did seem to dry fairly quickly the minute I blinked a smudgy, mirror image of a line appeared in the middle of my eyelid, and almost immediately the original line looked faded and patchy. That been said though once I'd cleaned it up, reapplied and made sure not to blink for a few minutes whilst it was completely dry it did actually stay put - it did fade and go patchy but there was still liner there when I removed it with my normal eye make up remover about 6 hours later!

As someone is rubbish with liner it this one wasn't actually that bad, the key i think is to give it enough time to dry - If you're a liner buff and you're looking for something to try then this one might be worth a look. I can't find this particular 0.3g size online but the full 0.6g size retails at around £23 and is available online in this shade from John Lewis, M&S and Look Fantastic.

I hope you've enjoyed this little foray into some of the Clinique's make up products, and taking a look at one of their cult products in the Almost Lipstick in Black Honey. If you've tried it I'd love to your thoughts, and whether you think it lives up the the hype, and I'd also love to know what other cult beauty products you'd like to see me cover in this series - so please leave me a comment and let me know and I will see you soon with a little nails of the day post x 

*This Post Contains Affiliate Links 

A Late Unboxing Of The February 2022 Edition Of Glossybox UK - Timeless Treats*

When it comes to Glossybox unboxings, like so many things,  this year is turning out to be a bit of a fail - so I could do what I did last year and give up, or I could keep plodding on and try to get as many posts up as I can before 2022 comes to a close.

After a lot of thought though I've decided to keep at it, I've photographed products, I've researched them, and in most cases I've already started using them, so there is absolutely no reason why I can't get my finger out and get myself back on track, starting today with my thoughts on the products in the February 2022 edition of you've guessed it, Glossybox UK!

February's boxes are usually little bit special, with several previous boxes featuring Valentines Day appropriate themes such as lips, love, hearts and romance, and whilst this box too was themes, it didn't really scream Valentines Day or even love for that matter.

Every subscriber received either a black box, or like the one I received a white one. Reminding me a little bit of Chanel, or some other high end fashion or beauty brand, the plain white box lid featured a black border, with the word "GLOSSY" printed in the middle in large, bold, block capitals, with the words "timeless treats"in a softer, italic font underneath, and the the Glossybox logo underneath that, also in black.

The inside of the box as per usual features the Glossybox logo design, this time in black and white, but instead of covering the whole of the inside of the lid, the lid also featured a quote from the icon that was and still is Audrey Hepburn. Everything else about the inside of the box was pretty normal with a sheet of pink tissue, black paper shred and a black ribbon, and like in January the box contained a small card with a QR code printed on it, to enable you to access the February edition of the Glossybox digital magazine.

As well as detailing the contents of the box, the February edition also included several other beauty articles, such as a nail tutorial, and Hollywood glamour make up looks, all tied in with the boxes theme, which was 'Timeless Treats'.

According to Glossybox, February's box was all about creating glamorous, iconic looks that will never grow old, by the inclusion of products to create dramatic eye looks, perfect brows, red carpet worthy hair, and a flawless complexion - Sounds good to me, but did the box actually live up to my expectations, and of course Glossybox's aims, and leave me looking like a Hollywood starlet? LOL not the easiest task admittedly, but lets take a look inside and see...

Rituals The Ritual Of Mehr Sparkling Hair & Body Mist - 20ml - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £5.90

Alongside perfect hair, red lips and a posh frock, nothing screams iconic glamour more than a high end perfume advertisement, so it guess it makes sense that the first item from February's Timeless Treats edit was a fragrance. It wasn't a high end fragrance or even a true perfume though, instead it was a hair and body fragrance mist, from Eastern inspired spa brand, Rituals.

From their energising and mood enhancing The Ritual Of Mehr range (Mehr is the Persian for sun), this sunshiney packaged spray contains sweet orange and cedar wood. For me this could definitely be a unisex scent. You get the warmth and spiciness of the cedar wood followed by a sweet, tangy natural orange scent. You can use this spray the scent and freshen both the hair and the body, and because it's water based, it won't stain or damage clothing. I've got to say that I'm not the hugest fan of woody scent, but since the orange gives this one a bit of freshness, it isn't too bad.

I can't find this particular scent in this size anywhere online, but different scents in the 20ml size seem to retail at around £6.50 direct from Rituals, but Glossybox placed a value of £5.90 on this particular product. The full 50ml size of the Rituals The Ritual Of Mehr Sparkling Hair & Body Mist retails at around £19 and is available direct from Rituals.

Illamasqua Liquid Eyeliner - Black - 1.2ml - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £10

Next up, one of my most used and loved beauty products, a felt tip / liquid eyeliner! LOL only joking if you're a regular reader then you'll know that's a big fat lie!

I can just about manage to use a pot of cream or gel and a brush, or on a good day a pencil, but I'm sorry although I'll keep trying, I've come to the conclusion that these things are pretty much beyond me, and do you know what? I'm okay with that! I have wobbly hands, and less than perfect eyes, and I'm much more of a shadow girl, than a liner girl anyways! Despite that as I say I'll keep trying, and using my limited skills I thought I'd bite the bullet and review this one for you anyways.

Illamasaqua as a brand are known for their inclusivity, their artistry, and their striking, eye catching make up looks, and one product that nearly always features in their visuals is some sort of eyeliner. There are and have been lots of different liners in their range, but this particular one is by far one of their most popular, and even though I don't get on with this type of liner, it's probably easy to see why.

Boxed, and packaged in a black, plastic pen style applicator, this is a felt tip style liner. The point was firm enough to use without splaying or bending, but it didn't feel hard or scratchy on the skin.

As you can see from the swatches the pigmentation and depth of colour is superb. It's a rich true black, with just a hint of a sheen to it.

The pen as I say was fairly stable, so in theory it was fairly easy to use and apply. One of my biggest gripes with liquid and pen style liners is the fact that they tend to transfer too easily, and they never seem to stay put on my lids but this one honestly dried really quickly, so you had to be quick off the mark when it came to touch ups and correcting mistakes ;) but there was barely any transfer or movement, and even on my oily, twitchy eyelids I got a good 4 hours plus wear.

Although my application skill still leave a lot to be desired, and I still ended up using a few cotton buds, a bit of eye make up remover and some concealer to touch up the odd mistake, and some of my lines weren't as straight and ended up a little bit thicker than I intended, I think that this is probably one of best felt tip style eyeliners that I've used, and I would definitely put it up with the KVD / Kat Von D Tattoo Liner. It wasn't scratchy, the depth of colour was excellent, and even on my lids it dried quickly with minimal transfer, and it stayed put! 

I don't think I'll ever use or wear products like this on a regular basis, but if you're a fan of liners like this, then I 'think' that this is a good one. I can't find this particular pen in this mini / travel size anywhere but Glossybox placed a value of £10 on this 1.2ml size. The full size retails at £21 and is available direct from Ilamasqua.

VEGAN By Happy Skin Original Skin Essence Toner - 100ml - Full Size -  RRP £34.99

From make up to skincare, and the next item in the box was a skin tonic or toner from a new brand to me, VEGAN By Happy Skin. VEGAN By Happy Skin are a UK based, high vitamin, 'natural', cruelty free and obviously vegan friendly skincare brand featuring everything from serums for the face and eyes, to moisturisers for the face and body, and of course toners, or should I say toner. There is only one toner in the VEGAN By Happy Skin range and it's this one.

This alcohol free, anti oxidant skin tonic contains a whole host of good for you ingredients including aloe vera, calendula, and chamomile. It's designed to balance and soothe the skin, and to help it feel calm and nourished.

Like all toners you apply it after cleansing, and you can apply by either using your hands and using it as a splash, or to make it go further, like me you can use it with a reusable cotton pad or a disposable one - your choice x

The toner itself is a translucent, slightly pink tinged water like liquid. VEGAN By Happy Skin pride themselves on their natural fragrances, and this tonic has the most gorgeous perfume, aromatherapy like almost floral, orange blossom type scent.

As you would expect from the ingredients it feels slightly cool on the skin (a must in this weather!). My skin felt fresher and even a touch more hydrated after using, and a big plus for me it didn't leave my skin dry or sticky.

This is a really good everyday toner for all skin types, it soothes the skin and it smells gorgeous. The one drawback is the price, this is the full 100ml size and it retails at £34.99 direct from VEGAN By Happy Skin, and at £39.99 from Feel Unique, but if you are looking for a cruelty free, gentle, alcohol free toner, then I throughly recommend that you go direct and give this one a try. 

The Beauty Crop B.F.F. Brow Friends Forever Grow & Groom Brow Gel - Clear - 4ml - Full Size - RRP £5

...And the award for the product with the longest name ever goes to the next item, and it's a product to help you create that iconic A list brow look from another UK based brand, The Beauty Crop. This brand produce a wide range of affordable make up and cosmetic products that are both cruelty free and vegan friendly, as well as being mineral oil and paraben free.

Containing conditioning and nourishing castor oil and vitamin E, this is basically just a clear brow gel designed to groom your brows and to keep those pesky stray hairs in place, and you can either use it alone or over another tinted brow product.

It comes boxed and packaged in a typical brow product / mascara like tube. The tube contains a short stubby spoolie like applicator. The gel itself is translucent and as you would expect it feels a touch sticky.

It's easy to apply in short, upward strokes, and as you can see in both the before and after pictures (please excuse the white brow hairs, I was overdue both a wax and a tint when I took the pics ;) it really helps to smooth the brows down and to take those unruly hairs.

Before

You can see a little bit of shine or varnish in the after pictures but unlike some products that I've tried, when it dries down it doesn't leave the brows feel stiff or sticky.

That being said though it seem to go a little bit bitty and blobby, and whilst my brows did indeed stay in place, it almost seemed to ball off, look closer in both the after picture below and in all of the eyeliner pictures above, and you can see tiny almost dandruff like, white specks of product in my brows, to be fair not many people will probably look that closely but not an attractive look!

After

I've noticed that a few brow gels do something similar so I think it's general issue but personally I'm not a fan, and whilst I will use this one up, I've used better products in the past so I probably wouldn't repurchase it.

While Superdrug seems to sell a lot of products from The Beauty Crop, this particular item doesn't currently feature in their online inventory, so the only place that I can currently find it is direct from The Beauty Crop, where this full 4ml size retails at £5.

We Are Paradoxx Repair 3-in-1 Conditioner Hair Mask Finishing Cream - 50ml - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £10.50

For the hair that you do want on your face, to the hair on your head, and again nothing scream glamour like luxurious shiny, conditioned hair, and the final product from February's box promises to give you exactly that. From sustainable, plastic free, 'clean', gluten, PEG, and mineral oil free, cruelty free and vegan haircare brand, We Are Paradoxx, comes a game changing 3 in 1 hair saviour.

Containing coconut oil, matcha green tea, carageen moss, peppermint oil, bergamot, lavender, eucalyptus and ginseng, this product can be used in one of 3 ways - first of all you can use it as a regular hair conditioner, as well as, as an intensive hair mask, and also as a finishing or styling cream, and it's claimed that this product will leave your hair 'soft, repaired, glossy and frizz free'.

This deluxe mini size comes packaged in a metal, paint style tube. It was a bit difficult to squeeze out but it was worth the initial effort, the off white conditioner had a lovely rich and creamy texture, and a gorgeous aromatherapy based scent that reminded me a bit of Philip Kingsley's Geranium And Neroli Elasticizer.

Sine you can use it in 3 ways I tried it out in 3 different ways. First of all I tried using it as a regular conditioner. The tube was a touch awkward to squeeze and manoeuvre with wet hands but I was really pleased with how this product performed as a basic, everyday conditioner. Despite it's creaminess it was pretty easy to spread through the hair, and it was pretty easy to rinse out a few minutes later, leaving the hair clean, smooth and detangled.

Now as you know I do love a hair mask, so when I found out you could use this particular product as a pre wash hair treatment I had high hopes, and I have to say I wasn't disappointed.

You can either apply it to damp or dry hair, and in the photo that you can see below (excuse the roots!) I applied it slightly damp hair. I started off by squeezing out a few blobs onto my hands and then massaging it into my hair. It did feel a touch tacky and stiff in parts but giving it a couple of comb throughs it helped to distribute it more evenly. It dried and seemed to sink in fairly quickly so as We Are Paradoxx suggested I left it on as an overnight treatment. It didn't leave any marks or staining on my pillowcases, and it was pretty easy to shampoo out the next morning, and again it left my hair feeling softer, and looking shinier and slightly less frizzy.

Speaking of frizz and flyways, the final way to use this product is as a finisher or as a styling product. I predominantly use products to smooth my hair and to reduce the frizz and the halo effect, so I used a little bit of this to smooth my ends down and to control a few flyaways, and it worked! I will say that it was a case of working out just how much to use, if you used to much it did tend to feel a touch sticky, but get the amounts right, and you're on to a winner. My hair stayed put and I gave it a bit of TLC and a leave in treatment at the same time.

I've tried a couple of bits from this brand now including a fabulous hair oil (sorry no full review but you can read more about it here) and I've been pretty impressed, and this was another goodie. It smelled nice, my hair felt good after using it, and it's a great multipurpose buy perfect for holidays or if you're trying to economise. The only real awkward or negative aspect was the metal tube but since that's exclusive to the size it's no real issue, and I did to overuse it at first but once you've figured out just how much to use it's fine.

If you fancy trying this product for yourself then you can buy this 50ml size for around £10 direct from We Are Paradoxx, you can also buy the full 250ml size in a metal pump action bottle direct from We Are Paradoxx as well as from Look Fantastic, Cult Beauty, and Feel Unique.

So there you have it, my long awaited thoughts on the February 2022 edition of Glossybox UK, and summing up again it was a decent one, all be it with a few wobbles. Bar the brow product, I liked the other products in the box, fragrances in subscription boxes are always a bit of a risk but this one from Rituals wasn't bad and in my opinion it was unisex to boot. Obviously I had issues with the liner because you know lack of skill, but it was a good one, I loved everything about the toner apart from the RRP, and the versatility of the hair product meant it was another winner!

Again I have to ask though did the products really fit in with the box theme? I guess they did  at least to some degree, but for me they were more basic, everyday products rather than the glamour inducing items that I'd been promised - I don't know - what do you you think? Let me know in the comments and don't forget to use my exclusive link to find out more about Glossybox UK for yourself. Thanks for reading and even though it's thankfully now a bit cooler in the UK don't forget to use SPF and keep hydrated, and I will see you soon with another post x 

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

A Late Unboxing Of Glossybox UK - May 2021 - Let The Sun Shine Edition And An Update*

Hi, and hello from illness city! Thankfully neither of us have had the old 'rona' again, but me and the mothership have had a 'fun' couple of weeks! Mummy Lou had to go on an unexpected trip to urgent care, and I'm now on antibiotics and a steroid nasal spray thank to the chest infection from hell! Thankfully we're both feeling a bit better (touch wood!), the antibiotics have a couple of nasty side effects so I'm currently having the odd spell of wondering if the cure is worse than the disease! but hopefully I'm getting there!

Whilst I've been coughing and spluttering, I've been doing a lot of thinking about the blog, and after a lot of thought Ive came to a few conclusions. Last year was a bit of a fail when it came to posting on the blog, they were sporadic at best, and despite honestly doing my best to keep on top of it, and to keep things up to date, when 2021 ended I was nowhere near where I wanted to be and to be honest it really stressed me out.

Up until that point despite my grumbles, I'd always found blogging to be a pretty positive thing for me, but in late 2021 all of that changed and I got to the point where it was affecting my mental health in a negative way. I felt like I was a failure and everything was just getting too much, so I had to take a step back and reassess. 

So what have I decided to do? Well after this post in some senses I'm going to start from scratch. This post is going to be the last Glossybox unboxing of 2021. I'm so far behind on them now that I think it's better to just to write it off and start afresh with my 2022 unboxings. I will of course try to show you as many of the products as I can in some future reviews and empties posts, but I really need to take a bit of pressure off myself at this moment in time, so I really hope you understand x 

So before we start afresh let's take one last look at Glossybox in 2021, with an unboxing and review of all of the products in the May 2021 edition.

May! My birthday month and I guess the official start of summer, and that was reflected in the bright, sunshine, holiday design of May's special edition box.

With a pale lemon base and a pale sea blue / turquoise and light yellow ombre lid with a gold foil embossed sun burst and the words "Let The Sun Shine" printed on it, the lining of the box used the same colour palette, with a yellow base and turquoise Glossybox logos, and a smattering of gold foil embossed sun bursts.

The bright sky blue and yellow colour palette also features inside the box with pale turquoise / blue tissue and paper shred, and a gorgeous pale yellow ribbon.

In case you haven't already realised the theme of May's box was of course "Let The Sun Shine" and according to the information leaflet the box contained make up products "as shimmery as the sun", and summer scented products to help "transport you to tropical lands".So did the box make me feel all summery and shimmery? well let's see...

MineTan Body. Skin Rapid Recovery After Sun Gel - 50ml - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £13.35

Now nothing screams summer like getting your tan on, and the first product in May's box was something from fake tanning specialists, MineTan, but it wasn't actually a fake tanning product! After trying their Exfoliating Coffee Scrub way back in 2020, May's box contained another one of their skin and body care type products, and this time it was an after sun.

This vegan friendly, paraben, palm oil, mineral oil and sulfate free after sun gel contains sustainably sourced aloe vera, a known anti inflammatory and skin soother, as well as niacinamide to reduce sun damage and the appearance of fine lines.

Packaged in a squeezy tube, this product is a translucent green gel with a runny, almost liquid texture. The scent isn't over powering and is quite fresh and green based, it might just be my nose but the smell reminded me a bit of washing up liquid!

I didn't get a lot of sun exposure last year but I did try this on my shoulder after a bit of mainly conservatory sun exposure, and I actually also used a little bit after a hair removal session! It was really easy to massage into the skin, and it absorbed pretty quickly, leaving my skin feeling cooler, refreshed, and calmer without any stinging. Compared to other aloe vera based after suns that I've used I also found it to be a lot less sticky, it did leave the skin a tiny bit tacky but that quickly subsided.

I don't think I managed to give this product a truly thorough test but it was pretty decent and I'll happily stick it in the fridge for some extra benefit and use it up this summer, providing that is that we get some sunshine x 

Glossybox placed a value of £13.35 on this 50ml deluxe mini size. I can't find this particular size online and I can only find the full 177ml / 6fl oz size online direct from MineTan where it rather surprising retails at £13.99

Ciate London Definer Liner Gel Eyeliner With Sharpener - Starburst - 1.10g - Full Size - RRP £18

Next, up the first of two make up items in this box and it's the first of the "shimmery as the sun" products, and unsurprisingly for Glossybox, it's another eyeliner!

In the twist up, gel liner style with a sharpener on the end, this eyeliner in the shade Starburst is quite correctly described as a metallic champagne gold. It quite firm but the liner has a smooth consistency despite the fact that there are a few quite evident tiny glitter particles present.

The eyeliner itself has quite a thin"lead' and a thin point so it's not too difficult, even for an eyeliner phobe like me to achieve a fairly precise line. Alas it didn't show up as much as much as I expected it to on my skin tone. I had to reapply it a few time to really get it to show up. The finish on me was a lot more subtle than what I'd hoped for but I can imagine that if you have a darker skin tone it might look a little bit more dramatic.

There was a tiny bit of glittery fallout and transfer but the wear time even my oily lids was excellent and it lasted most of the day without budging!

Although this finish of this liner wasn't as dramatic as I'd hoped, I actually really liked this liner. I generally prefer pencil, or gel pencil liners and this one was pretty forgiving and easy to apply, and I was really impressed with the wear time. It was definitely more subtle than I'd expected but it was still very pretty x 

The only place that I can find this eyeliner is direct from Ciate where it retails at £18.

Rodial Dragon's Blood Eye Masks - 1 x Pair - 5g - RRP £6

Sticking with the eyes, from innovative skincare and now make brand Rodial, comes an eye mask from their popular Dragons Blood range.

Containing Dragon's Blood extract ( no Dragon's were harmed ;) it's from a tree ;), arnica extract and hyaluronic acid, these patches are specially designed to hydrate the eye area and to reduce puffiness. I normally love masks like this but alas these ones didn't quite live up to my expectations.

The sachet contained two thin under eye shaped gel like patches that were, at least as some point sandwiched between 2 fibre sheets. They were absolutely sopping wet and one of the patches had freed itself and was crumpled up at the bottom of the sachet. It was also really hard to get the remaining one off the backing and to straighten them out because they kept folding up and sticking to themselves.

Before 

Considering that they felt so sticky and tacky they didn't actually stay put on my under eye area that well, I actually ended up having to put my glasses on top to keep them in position.

They initially felt quite cooling on the eyes but unlike some of the previous gel like under eye patches I've tried, the coolness disappeared within a few minutes of wearing them. 

On Application

The instructions advised to leave them on for between 20 to 30 minutes but I just about made it to 20 before they came loose and gave up hope! Despite the amount of liquid in the sachet, there was nothing left on my eyes to massage in when I removed the masks.

My eye area did feel a little bit fresher and awake and maybe did look a little less puffy and more hydrated, but on the whole I didn't really notice that much of a difference.

After

I keep looking back and trying to see if I did anything wrong with these masks, but other than maybe putting them in the fridge to firm up a bit, I can't really see what I could have done wrong. I just found them really awkward to use, and texture wise they were just too thin and flimsy to justify a repurchase.

Now the funny thing is that these masks now seem to be really hard to fine, so whether or not they've been discontinued, or reformulated and replaced by the Rodial Dragon's Blood Jelly Eye Patches that have slightly different ingredients, I really don't know, but for the price I'd try something else. The only place that I can now find these particular ones is Look Fantastic, when a single pair sachet retails at £6.

Kueshi Lemon Shower Gel - 200ml - Full Size - Est. RRP £5.70

As well as shimmer the information leaflet talked about the scents of summer, and whilst this shower gel doesn't really make you think of truly tropical beaches, it certainly makes you think of sipping a cool glass of limoncello in the sunshine.

From Spanish vegan and natural beauty brand Kueshi, this revitalising shower gel contains lemon extract, chamomile, and aloe vera. Designed to clean and protect the skin, this shower gel is a slightly cloudy, pale yellow in appearance and it has quite a runny texture.

Initially you get quite a subtle, sweet citrus, lemon hit, but when you add water you get much more of a generic fruit scent. I would definitely describe it as a sweet lemon smell rather than some of the more  in your face citrus burst scents that you often get with lemon based shower products.

Performance wise a little went a long way, and it produced a nice creamy lather that left the skin feeling clean with leaving it feeling dry or tight.

Again another nice product from Kueshi but again the same problem - it's nigh on impossible to find this brand in the UK. Glossybox place a value of £5.70 on this particular product, but if you fancy trying it for yourself the secondary market such as eBay might be your best bet.

Lottie London Power Foil - Golden Hour - 2g - Full Size - RRP £6.95

Finally we make a welcome return to shimmer and boy do I mean shimmer, this product has some serious sparkle and shine to it From cruelty free and vegan British based brand Lottie London comes one of the most impressive individual eyeshadow or pigments that I've used in a very long time, but here's a warning - it's going to get messy!

If you love the look of a real metallic, foil effect eye, then the Lottie London Power Foils should be right at the top of your shopping list.

These shadows come in a glass pot, carefully unscrew the lid, and inside the pot there is a small plastic lid, slightly smaller than the inside of the pot, which I assume is designed to keep the product in place, it doesn't 100% but I think it would be a lot messier without it.

Lift it up, and you're greeted with a soft textured, slightly clumpy pigment powder. I don't know if it's my imagination but it almost feels damp to the touch, and almost creamy. The shade that I received was Golden Hour - officially described as gold in real life it's probably more of an old gold, or a golden bronze.

As you can see from just this swatch the pigmentation and the metallic foil finish is unbelievable. You can apply it with a brush for a bit more of a subtle look but for me this product isn't really for that - it's for making a real impression, so use your fingers and get messy!

I found that the best way to use this product in order to achieve that full on foiled finish was to pat it on to my eyelids with my fingertips. No you can't be precise and be prepared for fall out and clean up city, but the finish is just so worth it, and my quick application and photos will never ever do it justice.

You only need a teeny tiny amount for a full coverage finish that lasted me nearly all day with just a little of fading and creasing. Obviously as time progressed I did experience a bit more fallout but if you're going to go all out then who cares about a bit of excess shimmer and sparkle on the rest of your face!

As I say if you didn't want to go all out then you could apply it with a small brush, or if you wanted to be even more precise then you could even mix the pigment with water, mixing medium or even setting spray and paint it on for a less messy wash of colour.

Is this product messy? Yes it is but the finish is so worth it, I don't care about the fallout and cleaning a bit of excess off the bathroom cabinets and mirrors, I love the metallic finish and I'm only sad the Lottie London don't do a silver or gunmetal shade.

This full size 2g pot has a recommended retail price of around £6.95 and is available in 3 shades direct from Lottie London as well as from Look Fantastic, ASOS, Feel Unique and HQ Hair.

So that was my very long awaited review of the products inside the May 2021 edition of Glossybox. I loved the sunshine box design and bar the Rodial mask, I was really pleased with the products in side of it. A special shout out obviously goes to the Lottie London foil, but I was also really impressed believe it or not with an eyeliner, well done Ciate! All in all not a bad box and I discovered a couple of gems. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this box so please leave me a comment below x 

As I say this will be the last 2021 Glossybox post that you're going to see from me but I will be starting afresh in a couple of weeks with my thoughts on the January 2022 edition (It didn't arrive till the middle of the month so I'm still trying things out x). In the meantime if you'd like to try Glossybox for yourself then please use my link to sign up, I'd really appreciate it x 

Thanks again for your patience, and for reading and I'll see you soon with an empties post and a couple of lifestyle and beauty reviews xx

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