A Late Unboxing Of Glossybox UK - July 2020 Edition - Aloha*

After the relatively plain pink and black design of the June 2020 edition of Glossybox UK, July's box was a breath of tropical fresh air. The pale turquoise, ocean blue tones of the box base, coordinated perfectly with the bright and cheery, tropical leaf and flower design of the lid. The box also featured an embossed gold foil dotted lattice design. The word "aloha' was also embossed onto the lid in a gold foil, as were the words "A MOMENT OF PARADISE" on the side of the box lid.

The turquoise and aqua theme carried on inside of the box with the lining of the box and the paper shred, resembling perfect turquoise seas. The box contents were wrapped in a sheet of peach / coral tissue paper, and a pink ribbon, a colour palette that reminded me a little bit of tropical sunsets and exotic flowers - a lovely and cheerful box design perfect for bringing a little bit of sunshine into an up and down British summer.

As you should know by now the first thing in the box is the information leaflet. Again brightly coloured, the colour way of June's leaflet was reminiscent of a sandy beach and a beautiful blue sea, The theme of June's box was obviously 'Aloha' and it was all about those tropical summer vibes. Containing a mix of refreshing and hydrating skincare, and products to give you a flush or colour and a sun kissed glow, the box was designed to make you feel as though were on the tropical beaches of somewhere like Hawaii.

Jecca Blac Glow Drops Highlighting Primer For Face - Rose Pearl - 20ml - Full Size - RRP £16 

The first product in the box was all about the, and it was a product from a new brand to me, Jecca Blac, or as it's often known as just Jecca.

Jecc Blac is a gender free make up brand thats focus is inclusivity. They whole brand philosophy is "beauty for all genders, identities, expressions, sexualities, abilities, ethnicities, shapes and sizes". All of their products are vegan and cruelty free, and are made right here in the UK.

This product is basically a make up primer, but it's a primer with a twist! As well as doing all of the things that a primer normally does such as making your make up last longer, and evening up your skin tone, this particular primer is also designed to give your skin a healthy, natural glow.

The primer comes boxed and is packaged in plastic, paint style, squeezy tube, The primer itself has quite a fluid feel. It doesn't feel greasy or sticky, and it dries and sets down pretty quickly, so have to blend it out quite quickly. The colour itself is described as Rose Pearl, but in real life it's probably more of a warm copper / rose gold.

It's not very clear in the pictures below but it definitely adds a noticeable shimmer and warmth to the skin. I've just photographed it on bare skin here but when you use it under foundation, you don't really see a lot of the shimmer, it just warms the skin tone up and make the skin look a bit brighter and has a bit more of a glow.

Before 

On Application

After Blending

Unfortunately though as nice as the glow was, this just didn't really work for me as a primer. My skin looked shiny quite quickly and foundation didn't seem to last that long especially on my t-zone. If your skin is dull or dry, or it needs a bit of a boost though then this would be ideal for you. Jecca Blac say you can also use this on the cheekbones, on top of foundation, and on the collarbones, as a liquid / cream highlighter, so I think that's how I'll be using this in the future.

Even though this didn't really work for me as a primer, it has definitely made me want to try more from the Jecca Blac range, so if you have any recommendation I'd love to hear them x Whilst Look Fantastic, HQ Hair, and NEXT Beauty all sell a small range of Jecca Black products, the only retailer that I can find for this product is direct from Jecca Blac, where this full 20ml size retails at £16.

Naobay Orange Juice Hand Cream - 100ml - Full Size - Est. RRP £11.50

The next item in July's box came from Spanish natural skin and body care brand Naobay. I've tried a few bits from them now including the Naobay Detox Illuminating Micellar Water, that I received in the January 2020 edition of Glossybox UK, but this is the first opportunity that I've had to try a body product.

I love a good hand cream, and as operation nail growth continues, I'm pretty much going through a tube a month at the moment, so I was really pleased to receive one in July's box.

Like all of the products in the Naobay range, this hand cream is paraben free, certified organic (ECO CERT) and cruelty free, and it's also suitable for vegans. Designed to moisturise and hydrate the hands, and revitalise and regenerate the skin, 99.279% of the ingredients are natural in origin, and include aloe vera, olive and avocado oils, shea butter, and chamomile and orange extracts.

The hand cream comes in a plastic tube, and it features an eye catching wood and plastic lid. The hand cream itself is white in colour, and has a creamy but not sticky or heavy texture. 

It was really easy to massage into the skin, it absorbs into the skin really quickly, without feeling oily or sticky, and it leaves the skin feeling silky soft, and smooth, and hydrated. 

As expected it has an obvious citrus scent, I was expecting something sweet and juicy, but instead it was more of a tart, tangy almost orange pith type scent

I'm a huge fan of citrus based hand creams, and this is another good one, and I've used more than half of it already. I've been using it as an overnight treatment with loads of cuticle oil and cotton gloves, but the fact that it's non greasy, and it absorbs into the skin so quickly, means that it's perfect for using during the day, after hand washing or sanitising, Again it's not the easiest product to find, in fact the only places that I can find it are on Amazon or on Ecco Verde. Glossybox quote an RRP of £11.50 but around £7.30 seems to be a more realistic price.

#GIVE THEM LALA BEAUTY Aloha Bronzer - Ibiza - 7.5g Full Size - RRP $26 / £19.80

Nothing screams summer beauty more than a bronzer, and the next item in July's box was a full sized bronzing powder from another new brand to me #GIVE THEM LALA BEAUTY. Founded by US reality TV star Lala Kent, #GIVE THEM LALA BEAUTY is a high quality, cruelty free, cosmetic range, that features a large range of lip and cheek products.

This powder bronzer came boxed in a special Glossybox themed "Aloha" themed box. The powder inside was packaged in a round matte black compact. Again this seemed to be special packaging that was exclusive to Glossybox, because the same powder on the official website comes in a white compact.

The compact contains a mirror and a full sized bronzing powder in the shade Ibiza. Officially described as a light milk chocolate tone, perfect for light to medium skin tones. it feels really smooth and as you can see the pigmentation is superb, with just a hint of visible shimmer.

I'm not going to lie though, it is a touch orangey on me, and despite the fact that it blends really well, it still looks a tiny bit dark and a bit muddy on my skin, but it definitely adds a bit of welcome warmth to my skin.

It's definitely not the worst bronzer (colour wise) that I've ever used but it's just a bit to orange toned for my paler, pink toned skin. If you have a warmer complexion this would probably work a little bit better for you than it does on me, and if not there are several other shades available on the #GIVE THEM LA LA BEAUTY website where this full sized bronzer retails at around $26 / £19.80.

The Beauty Crop Palm Balm Lip & Cheek Balm & Color - Mauve Wave - 4g - Full Size - RRP £17-18 / $22 

The next item in the box was another make up product and it was something from natural ingredient, cosmetic brand, The Beauty Crop. The Beauty Crop produce a large range of products made from natural, plant based, ingredients. All of their products are cruelty, paraben and mineral oil free.

This product really is a multi use product that you can use on your eyes, lips and cheeks. It's made of 90% natural plant oils including coconut oil, pomegranate seed extract, grapeseed oil, and apricot kernel oil.

It comes boxed and it's packaged in a small clear, glass pot, with an oceanic, turquoise twist off plastic lid. The balm itself has a semi solid texture, that softens on contact with the skin. The shade I received was Mauve Wave. The surface was a just a touch darker, and warmer, compared to the mid toned, cooler pink underneath.

With a slightly oily taste and scent, the pigmentation as you can see is decent. A lot of balms are soft and creamy but this one really wasn't, it had an almost dry feel. It was pretty also pretty quick drying, and the fact that it didn't feel that greasy or creamy meant that it wasn't that easy to blend.

The colour though was spot on, I used it below to create a really natural pink flush to my cheeks, and a soft pink tint to my lips even though it wasn't that moisturising. I didn't manage to photograph an example for you but you can also use on the eyes for an on trend pink eye look.

Although this wasn't perfect by any means, it's a really nice multi use product. and the shade Mauve Wave works really well on my skin tone. I would have maybe liked it to be a bit creamier in texture but the fact that it isn't greasy meant that it actually lasted really well especially on the lips and cheeks.

From what I can gather this product is exclusive to The Beauty Crop where it retails at £17 for this full sized pot.

Kocostar Slice Mask Sheet - Watermelon - 12 Slices - 20ml - Full Size - Est. RRP £2.99 - £4

The final item in the July's box was a skincare item and it was from another new brand to me, Kocostar, who retail a nice range of quirky, yet high performance Korean skincare products. All of their products are vegan and cruelty free.This particular sheet mask is designed to be moisturising and refreshing, and it contains watermelon fruit extract, acai extract, plum blossom, anise, and thyme.

Now I do love a sheet mask but this was something just that little bit difference. Immediately on opening the packet I was hit a lovely, mouthwatering, fruity scent. I was expecting a normal sheet mask but instead the packet contained a plastic sheet with 12, wet, fibre circles, in two different sizes, that looked exactly like mini watermelons. 

You really just use it like you would any other sheet mask, you just apply the mini melons to clean, dry skin and you leave them on for around 15 minutes. I wasn't sure how well they would stick, but they were actually quite secure. They initially felt quite cooling on the skin but they gradually warmed up to skin temperature, and they actually started to feel quite tingly as time went on. After around 15 minutes the stickers felt quite dry, but there was a little bit of liquid still left on my skin, which felt slight sticky when I massaged it into my skin, and even after it had completely absorbed. My skin looked slightly pink and felt a little bit warm to the touch, but it definitely looked plumper and brighter.

Before

On Application

After

I'm not 100% sure that I would repurchase this particular mask, my skin definitely felt more hydrated but with the tingling and warmth, I'm not sure that my skin particularly liked it. Kocostar products are available from various retailers including ASOS, but I can only find this specific mask on The Fragrance Shop website, on the Danielle Creations website and on Notino. Glossybox quote a RRP of £4 for this mask but for what I've found the price seems to vary between £2.99 - £3.90.

So that was the July 2020 edition of Glossybox UK. The quality and value was definitely there but I can't help feeling a bit mehhh about some of the products, that just didn't work that well on my skin type and skin tone. I'm definitely going to try using the Jecca Blac primer as a highlighter, and I might try using the bronzer on my eyes, and I might have a bit more of a play with it on my face to see if I can make it work better. The balm for me makes a better cheek product and I love the hand cream. Boxes like this are always a risk so you can't really complain about a few duds. I've had a chance to try some new products and new brands and for me that is what it is all about. Let me know your thoughts on this box in the comments, and don't forget to use my link to find out more about Glossybox for yourself and to find out more about this years advent calendar, that went on sale to subscribers today x Thanks for reading and I'll see you soon with a nails of the day post x 

*This Post Contains Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links 

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