A Very Late Unboxing Of Glossybox UK - December 2020 - Best Time Of The Year Edition*

Over the course of a year there are usually 2 editions of Glossybox that I look forward to just a little bit more than the rest, the August, Birthday edition, and the December Christmas edition.

Visually stunning, December 2020's Christmas themed box wasn't quite as traditional as in previous years, there were no golds, reds or green, instead the box featured various shades of pink, and white, with pink, and white glitter, and embossed white lettering, and trees.

The inside of the box was a very pale nude, beige in colour with a white repeating pattern of the Glossybox logo / monogram. Carrying on with the pink vibe, the contents were wrapped in a sheet of deep pink, almost burgundy tissue paper, surrounded by lighter pink paper shred, all tied together with a white ribbon with the words "Best Time of the Year" printed on it in a matching deep pink, burgundy shade.

The first thing in the box as per usual, was the product information leaflet, which as well as telling you a little bit about all of the products in the box, tells you a little bit about the theme and the inspiration behind the product choices.

The theme of December's box was as you may have guessed "Best Time Of The Year", and according to Glossybox the box contained a mixture of pampering skincare products and festive season inspired cosmetics to help you feel glam throughout the festive season. but did they really achieve that? Let's take a look inside and see...

Symbiosis Glycolic Acid + R.N.A. Overnight Rejuvenating Eye Serum - 15ml - Full Size - RRP £102

If anything summed up my experience with Glossybox in 2020, it probably had to be their obsession with eye products, and in particular eye creams, gels and serums. Although I am quite lazy when it comes to eye products, you would have to be pretty obsessed with them to go through as many as I've received from Glossybox over the last 12 months or so. Needless to say this particular one remains unopened, unused and it's been added to my 'to use' pile.

From luxury, scientific and cruelty free UK brand, Symbiosis, this particular product is one of 11 different eye products in their range.

Containing glycolic acid, RNA, collagen, seawater, and mica, this overnight serum is specially designed to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes, as well as relieving puffy and tired eyes.

From what I gather this particular product is only available direct from Symbiosis where it retails at a pretty hefty £102.

I've got to say that this particular products does sound pretty interesting, and given the rather astronomical price tag I think I'm going to be trying this one sooner rather than later.

Nailberry L'Oxygene Oxygenated Nail Lacquer - Strawberry Jam - 15ml - Full Size - RRP £15

Next up a little nails of the day for you courtesy of the next product in the box, a full sized nail polish from Nailberry. I only own one other polish from Nailberry, also courtesy of Glossybox, but since I haven't tried that on my nails yet, this was my first real Nailberry experience.

Nailberry are probably one of the most cleanest and greenest nail brands out there. All of their polishes are 12 free, vegan, cruelty free, gluten free and Halal. The polishes like this one in their L' Oxygene range are also breathable, oxygenated, and water permeable.

The shade that I received was Strawberry Jam, a gorgeous vivid, berry red. Packaged in a rectangular, block like, glass bottle, the polish comes with a wide, slightly curved brush. The polish wasn't particularly runny but at the same time it did feel slightly drippy.

The coverage was fantastic, the polish itself was really smooth and pigmented and whilst I probably could have got away with one coat, as per usual I went with 2.

It wasn't the quickest drying polish that I've ever used, but it dried down to a lovely glossy finish, that lasted a good 4 without a top coat, and without chipping.

I did struggle a little bit with the application but that was only because of my super short, and narrow nails, the vibrance of the colour and the width of the brush, but other than that this polish was a winner.

It was glossy, vibrant, and it wore well. I didn't actually wear nail polish on Christmas Day, but I was rocking this particular polish on my toe nails, and it was the perfect colour for the festive season. Although I don't particularly need any more nail polish, I would definitely consider trying more polishes from Nailberry in the future. 

Nailberry polishes retail at around £14.50 - £15, and this particular shade, Strawberry Jam, is available from various retailers including direct from Nailberry as well as from John Lewis, and Space NK.

Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Gold Eye Mask - 1 Pair - 4g - Est. RRP £4

I know that Christmas is a stressful time, and Christmas 2020 with its bubbles, and lockdown weirdness was certainly that for most us. Not getting enough sleep, drinking more alcohol, and eating lots of fatty, salty, and sugary foods can all reflect our skin and in our eyes, so I guess that's why Glossybox included not one but two eye products in their December box.

I wasn't quite as put out by this one as I was by the serum because masks are always useful, and I've always got time for a bit of pamper session.

Wander Beauty is a 'clean' beauty range that specialises in creating a minimalist routine with multi tasking products with clean, skin loving ingredients. All of their products are cruelty free, as well as paraben, mineral oil, phthalate, and synthetic fragrance free.

Containing hyaluronic acid, aloe leaf, shea butter, calendula, camu camu, peptides and amino acids, this triple layered eye mask is apparently a real multi tasker. According to Wander Beauty they de puff the eyes, and brighten the appearance of dark circles, as well as being cooling and soothing on the eye area

The eye patches themselves come sandwiched between 2 thing circles of plastic, they were very wet, and there was a lot of excess serum in the packet, which had a pleasant green, herbal scent.

The patches feature 3 different layers, one side is white and is comprised of an elastic layer, and a layer of cellulose fibre that helps the patches stay in place, and helps the serum to absorb, and the other side of the patch has a gold, plastic like, foil finish which helps to stop the serum evaporating too quickly.

You apply the patches with the gold side facing outwards onto clean, dry skin. The patches stuck down really easily and they felt really secure. They initially felt quite cool and damp on the skin but they gradually warmed up to body temperature. The foil side of the patch dried quite quickly so if you wanted to you could pop your glasses on over the top of them but I just kept them off and took the opportunity to have a sneaky 5 minute cat nap :)

Before

On Application

I left them on for about 15 minutes before peeling them off. What surprised me the most was just how little serum there was left on my face. There was just a tiny little bit which I massaged into my skin. My under eye area did initially feel a little bit tacky but the small amount of serum that remained absorbed pretty quickly. My eyes were left feeling cool, refreshed and less tired. There wasn't a huge difference appearance wise but I do think that my skin looked a bit plumper and more hydrated.

After

My skin seemed to really like these, and based on how much liquid they took in I think that my eyes really needed them. I think that these patches are perfect if your feeling a little under the weather and in need of a quick pamper session, they are a lovely treat that made a real difference to the feel of my eye area and I would definitely consider using them again.

Glossybox placed a price estimate of £4 on this one pair of patches. You can buy a single pair for around $5 direct from Wander Beauty, who also sell a pack of 6 pairs for $25. You can also buy a 6 pack from Cult Beauty and net-a-porter for £24.

SPORTFX Blend And Go Make Up Sponge - Full Size - RRP £4.99

The next product in the box was something functional and practical but not necessarily glamorous, it was a make up sponge from Sport FX.

Packaged in an almost clear plastic pyramid, the Sport FX Blend & Go Make Up Blending Sponge is a deep red in colour, and rather than being like the traditional rounded, Beauty Blender style sponge, this one has a rounded base, and an angular, geometric like form which culminated in a slanted, pointy tip. 

This isn't the biggest sponge I've ever tried so I probably won't be using it for a full face of foundation, instead I've found that the tip is perfect for small areas around the eyes and nose, and for blending out say concealer, and the rounded part of the sponge is probably better for blending out a highlighter, a bronzer or a contour than it is for foundation.

It might not be one of the most eye catching or exciting products that you'll ever find in a Glossybox but it's nice quality and it's useful. The Sport FX Blend & Go Make Up Blending Sponge retails at around £4.99 direct from Sport FX, as well as from House Of Fraser and Sports Direct.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula With Vitamin E Original Solid Formula - 30g Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £1.50

The final item in December's box was one of 2 mini products from Palmer's famous Cocoa Butter Formula range. Every subscriber received either a bottle of body lotion or the product that I received a small jar of their original solid cocoa butter.

I love the vanilla, creamy scent of cocoa butter but I always preferred The Body Shops interpretation over the Palmer's offering but since that entire range was discontinued I'll take what I can get!

Containing cocoa extract, cocoa butter, vitamin E, and mineral oil (?!?), this product has a semi solid balm like texture, that melts down to a creamy, oil on contact with the skin.

On Application

Suitable for every skin type from normal to extra, extra dry, this product again is a real multi tasker, bar eating which sounds tempting! you can pretty much use it anywhere, from on patches of dry skin, to the ends of you hair, to on your lips, and on your cuticles.

My hands and nails have been super dry lately so I've mainly been using it on my cuticles, hands and nails as an overnight treatment, but i've also popped a little bit onto my lips, and onto my dry feet and heels.

Lightly Massaged In

It is a touch oily, and a bit sticky but it still absorbs quite quickly into the skin, leaving it looking instantly more hydrated and glowy, and feeling smoother, less dry and smelling like freshly baked cookies!

After 

I've enjoyed using this little pot so much that I've actually nearly finished it, which is saying a lot when you consider just how little you actually need to use at once. I love it so much in fact that I've gone on to buy the full size so I can enjoy both the smell and the benefits for just a little bit longer.

I can't find this particular 30g size anywhere but the full 100g size is available for anywhere between £3.50 and £4.50 from a variety of retailers including Superdrug, Boots, and Morrisons.

So they were my thoughts on the eagerly anticipated December 2020 edition of Glossybox, and I don't know whether it's because I'd looked forward to it so much and hyped it up in my mind before it arrived, but it did leave me feeling just a touch disappointed.

It just didn't seem to live up to all of the glamorous and pampering claims that Glossybox made. Another all be it very expensive eye cream - mehh, a nail polish that definitely did fit in with the festive glamour feel, and an eye mask - pampering? yes but a make up sponge and multi purpose balm? not so much..

Don't get me wrong the value was definitely there in the eye serum alone, and I did like the products and the box design, it just didn't really wow me and much as I'd hoped. Did I expect too much with it being the Christmas box? Let me know your thoughts in the comment and don't forget to use my link to find out more about and about Glossybox and to subscribe x 

I've probably got an empties post for you next but make sure your subscribed for more upcoming content including some more unboxings, some product reviews, some first impressions on some Beauty Pie products and all of the details of my first Colourpop haul x Thanks for reading and I will see you soon with another post x 

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A Late Unboxing Of Glossybox UK - April 2020 Edition - Blossom, And A Nails Of The Day*

Hi guys, I hope you've all had a good weekend x I've got another unboxing post for you today, and today I'm unboxing the April 2020 edition of Glossybox UK.

I have to admit that I was a little bit disappointed when the traditional pink and black box turned up on my doorstep. I really love getting my Glossybox every month but to coincide with the Blossom theme of April's box I was hoping to receive a lovely floral designed box but alas it was just the traditional pink and black box with pink tissue paper, and black paper shred, all tied together with a black ribbon. 

Ah well, at least the information leaflet in its gorgeous, pastel floral design, lived up to my flowery expectations. The purpose of the information booklet as per usual was to tell you just exactly what's in the box (more on that later), and it's also there to tell you a little bit more about the box theme.

The theme of April's box was obviously Blossom, and the box contained 5 products designed to help you "bloom into a beautiful flower" including floral scented skincare, lip care that's full of botanical extracts, and perfectly seasonal pastel coloured cosmetics.

Nails Inc Nail Polish  - Blossom Kisses - 14ml - Full Size - Est. RRP £11 

Speaking of pastel coloured cosmetics, the first item in the box was a full sized Nails Inc nail polish in the shade Blossom Kisses.

Pink is one of the classic nail polish shades and Blossom Kisses is a gorgeous slightly dusky, cool toned pink shade. There is no shimmer, and no sparkle it's just a classic cream polish.

As per usual with full sized Nails Inc polishes, Blossom Kisses, has a lovely, wide, slightly curved brush. Perfect designed to fit to the contours of the cuticle, depending on the width of your nails, you can paint most nails in just one swipe. I have chunky fingers but quite slim nails, so the brush is actually slightly wider than my pinkie finger, so I did need to be a little bit careful with my application technique on that one.

I own a lot of Nails Inc polishes, and I did actually find this polish a little thicker and gloopier than normal. The coverage even after 1 coat was pretty decent, you could still see the odd brush stroke but it was pretty self levelling. With careful application I probably could have got away with just one coat on most nails but in these pictures I'm wearing two coats.

From a distance I think it looks pretty good and very glossy but look more closely and you can see a little bit of bubbling. I know that bubbles can sometimes occur when you don't give your polish enough time to dry between coats but I don't really know what wrong here it did seem to dry quite quickly, and I left nearly 10 minutes between coats, so who knows. 

The wear time to be honest wasn't amazing either, it had started to chip in less than 2 days, and after 3 days I was missing 4 whole nails worth. As per usual when testing or reviewing a polish I didn't use a top coat which more than likely would have improved the wear time.

I really loved the colour, it's a perfect Spring / Summer colour but for some reason I just don't think that the formulation was up to Nails Inc's usual standard, it seemed thicker and it didn't seem to wear that well. I can't find this particular shade online bar on eBay so I think it was exclusive to the April edition of Glossybox which may explain the difference in quality, so I can only give an estimated value of around £11 which is the usual retail price for a basic full sized Nails Inc polishes.

Avant Skincare Gentle Rose Beautifying Face Exfoliant - 50ml - Est. £92

Next up the product that was teased in the March edition of Glossybox UK, and it's another product from high end skincare brand Avant.

Thanks to various subscription boxes I've managed to try quite a few products from Avant now (have a look at my Beauty Product Directory above to read some reviews), and so far so good, I've liked pretty much everything that I've tried so far.

Under their tagline 'combining nature with science', this is a product from their Age Nutri Revive range. It is a facial exfoliant which is designed for all skin types, it's designed to nourish the skin from within, and to combat imperfections, including large pores, uneven skin tone, fine lines and dryness. Designed to gently slough away dead skin, according to Avant it leaves the skin smoother, healthier looking and with an improved texture.

As well as being cruelty free, it's also paraben free, and carbomer free, it contains rose extract, which is an anti oxidant to help calm the skin, and minimise redness, as well as softening and smoothing, and Vitamin B5 which helps the skin to retail moisture.

It has a gel like texture, and it's white in colour with a slight iridescence and shimmer, and it contains lots of tiny, fine white particles.

It quite simple to use all you do is massage it in to damp, cleansed skin. The first thing you actually notice is the smell, it has a gorgeous real rose scent, and then you notice just how well those tiny little particles do their thing. After adding a little bit of water and massaging your face in circular motions, it produces a gentle foam, it isn't scratchy or uncomfortable but you can feel a the exfoliating action.

Before

On Application

After

You could just splash your face with warm water to remove it, but I used a muslin cloth or a flannel, and warm water. The exfoliating particles as I say are quite small so they do tend to hang around a bit even after rinsing, so you probably see a few stray ones in the after picture.

My skin is quite easily sensitised and it does go pink quite easily no matter what the product, and this one was no different. There was no soreness, dryness or irritation, my skin just felt really clean, soft and smooth, and it almost felt as though I'd used a moisturiser or a serum.

So my Avant love in continues, this was another lovely product from them, it smells beautiful, and it leave the skin super soft and smooth. I've been using this about 3 times a week but it's definitely gentle enough for even me to use once a day. The only drawback as per usual with Avant is the price, Glossybox quote a pretty spendy £92 for this size. I can't actually find this 50ml tube anywhere online, I can only find a slightly larger 60ml size but it's actually packaged in a jar rather than a tube, for the same RRP of £92. If you fancy trying this one for yourself it's available from various retailers including direct from Avant, Look Fantastic, and Beauty Expert.

SPORTFX Raspberry And Rhubarb Recovery Lip Balm SPF 15 - 8g - Full Size - RRP £4.99

When you think about beauty must haves, lip balm has to be pretty high up there on most people's lists. I own loads of them but the weird thing is I very rarely seem to finish them, so either I don't use them as often as I think I do, or I just use so many at once that I just have a load of half finished ones that ultimately end up in the bin.

Anyways in case you haven't already realised the next item in April's box was a lip balm from a brand called SPORTFX.

SPORTFX is a make up, skincare, activewear and lifestyle brand that is specifically designed for the active woman, be that in the gym, the office or on the dance floor. All of the beauty products in the range are paraben free, and contain vitamins and SPF.

This lip balm is also dermatologically tested, it contains SPF 15, natural oils including almond oil, as well as shea butter, aloe vera, and vitamins C, E, and F.

The balm comes boxed, and it comes in slightly odd looking, almost a chunky T shape, style container. It features a clear, twist off lid, and inside is a large round dome shaped, deep pink sold balm.

It has a lovely slightly perfume based, fruity scent and taste. It feels hydrating and softening on the lips but it isn't greasy, sticky, or slimy. 

As well as adding moisture to the lips it also add a lovely, subtle rose pink tint, that you could easily wear as a more subtle alternative to lipstick or gloss.

I did find it a little bit awkward to apply, the dome was quite chunky, so you do need to be a bit careful especially if you have thinner lips, it wouldn't be as bad if it was a clear balm but being slightly tinted you are in danger of getting it onto the skin. I actually found the easiest way to apply it was to apply it with my mouth open - not a good look but it works.

If your lips are super dry and flakey, this particular balm probably won't be quite enough for you, but if you are after a lovely, moisturising non greasy, balm with a slight tint, that's perfect for everyday wear then this could be one to try. Like most lip balms I can't guarantee that I'll end up finishing this one but I'm definitely going to try and do my level best to try and use this one on a more regular basis. If you don't like the idea of the Rhubarb and Raspberry scent, this particular balm is also available in two other varieties Peach Bellini, and White Coconut for around £4.99 from various retailers including House Of Fraser, USC, Sports Direct and of course directly from SPORTFX.

Rituals The Ritual Of Sakura Softening Rice Scrub - Organic Rice Milk & Cherry Blossom - 70ml - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £4.60

Now, if you are a regular reader of LouLouLand, then you should know by now that I'm a bit of a body scrub junkie, I love a good scrub, so for that reason I was really pleased to receive a shower scrub from Rituals in April's box.

I'm a huge, huge fan of Rituals entire range of Far Eastern inspired body care range but far my favourite range from them is without a doubt, The Ritual Of Sakura..

I've tried quite a few products from the line now, including the Magic Touch Body Cream, and the Shower Foam, and I've fallen in love with the heady, almost sexy fruity, floral scent. There are actually 2 different body exfoliators in the Sakura range, and this one is officially described by Rituals as a shower scrub.

Containing cherry flower, and rice extracts, and volcanic pumice, this product has a clear gel base, with tiny white and black particles suspended within it. This is product is really a 2 in 1 shower gel, and exfoliator. When you massage it into damp skin, it produces a light foam crammed full of tiny exfoliating particles. 

It isn't the roughest of scrubs but the inclusion of the natural pumice gives it a nice scrubby feel. The foam rinses away fairly easily but like with the Avant scrub, because the particles are so small, they have a tendency to hang around a bit, but it's nothing that a good blast of the shower won't fix.

Despite my own personal preference for chunkier sugar and salt scrubs, this one actually really surprised me. The scrub particles are quite small but I did actually feel as though I'd used a grittier scrub, my skin felt smoother, and softer. The smell might be a little bit too strong for some people (you could smell it the minute you opened the box) but I personally love it, and I've been using it alongside my other Sakura products for a full immersive, scented experience.

As I say there are two scrubs in the Sakura range, the other one which has a slightly different texture and comes in a tub is a little bit more widely available than this particular one. The only place that I can find this shower scrub is direct from Rituals where the full 150ml size retails at £9.90. Glossybox quote a price of £4.60 for this 70ml size.

Hask Orchid & White Truffle Moisture Rich Deep Conditioner - 50g - Full Size - Est. RRP £3

As I said earlier in this post, one of the main purposes of the information leaflet is to give you a little bit more information about the products in the box. Apart from a few odd price estimates I've always found the leaflet to be really useful and fairly accurate, April's though did contain a bit of an error. According to the leaflet I should have received a Sanctuary Spa Nourishing Rose Petal Hydrogel Face Mask, but I didn't, instead I got a Hask hair mask. These things happen and I know I'm not the only one to have received something different over the last few months, I can imagine it's been very difficult for Glossybox containing to pack and deliver boxes during the pandemic so even though I'm a bit miffed because I'm loving hydrogel masks at the minute, I'll let them off this time.

I've had a few Hask products from various subscription boxes over the years, but I haven't actually managed to use that many of them, but since I thought that my poor hair deserved a little bit of a treat, I thought I'd try it out.

I think that Hask are a US based hair brand, all of their products are 100% cruelty free (although not vegan) and they are also free from sulfates, parabens, phthalates, gluten, aluminium starch, drying alcohol, artificial colours, and silicones.

This particular mask is from their Orchid & White Truffle range for dry, and damaged hair. It contains amino acids, orchid extract, white truffle extract, lanolin, and pea proteins, and is designed to soften, and replenish extremely dry hair, and to control frizz.

The sachet contains a fairly thick but not dense or heavy, white cream, with a strong warm, sweet, almost musky floral scent.

You apply it to clean, wet hair, so I used it after shampooing. It was easy to apply to spread and work  through the hair even with fingers, but you can also comb it through for more precise application and even distribution. The instructions advise to leave it for around 10 minutes before rinsing it away with warm water. It was pretty easy to rinse it away under the shower, and my hair immediately felt smoother, and almost slick to the touch.

After towel drying it seemed easier to comb, there were less tangles and it felt smoother. I left my hair to dry naturally as I do 90% of the time, and when it was dry it definitely felt softer, and less tangled, but because it was so soft it did look a touch fluffier and frizzier.

It was actually a really nice treatment it felt luxurious, and the scent lingered on the hair for a good few hours afterwards. It was also surprisingly economical, the tendency with a sachet is always to use it all but even on my well below shoulder length hair, I managed to get 3 generous uses out of one 50g sachet.

I've had a little look online at usual Hask stockists including Superdrug, Waitrose, and Cloud 10, and none of them seem to stock this product. The only place that I can find it online is on eBay and on a website called British Online Supermarket, where it retails for £4.75 which is a little bit steep, when you consider that Hask hair masks usually sell at around £3.

So what did I think about April's box? Well compared to March's and February's boxes, I've got to say that at first glance it didn't look that exciting but personally for me it was one of the best all round boxes that I've had in a long time. I pretty much liked everything in it - I loved the scrubs, the lip balm smelled and tasted lovely, I loved the colour of the nail polish, and even though I didn't get the face mask that should have been in my box, I really liked the Hask hair mask. I'll definitely use all of the products again and everything in the box also fitted in perfectly with the fruity, floral blossom theme.

Let me know your thoughts on this box in the comments, and don't forget to click my link to find out more about Glossybox UK. Thanks for reading, don't forget to enter my giveaway, and I'll see you soon with my May empties post x

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