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 - April 2021 Edition - Woke Up In Spring*

So, I'm back after another unplanned blogging break. I've been struggling a lot health wise over the last month or so, but some how I've managed to accumulate some energy from somewhere that's allowed me to be a little bit more productive, so I'm back today with another catch up post x 

My Glossybox posts in particular seem to have gone right up the spout this year, and I'm now so behind with them that it's actually untrue, but I'm plodding on, and my aim is to try and get completely up to date by the beginning of January, but you know what usually happens when I make plans, so we'll have to wait and see.

So today I'm taking you on a journey, we're going to leave the dark night, and dull days of autumn, and we're going to take a trip back to the height of spring, and the freshness and newness of the April 2021 edition of Glossybox UK.

As with March's box, the April edition also comes in the classic pink and black colour way, with the pink box, the pink tissue paper, and the black ribbon and paper shred.

As always the first thing in the box was the information leaflet which talked about the products and the theme of the box, which in April's case was "Woke Up In Spring" and according all to Glossybox all of the products in the box were specially chosen to brighten up your day! but did they actually achieve that? Let's find out..

- 417 Serenity Legend Hydrating Dead Sea Bath Salts - 100g - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £2.17

Where possible I always like to try every product that I talk about in these unboxing posts, but every now and then there are products that I either can't use, or there are products that for whatever reason I've chosen not to use, and unfortunately for you there were two such products in April's box.

This first item was a sachet of bath salts from Dead Sea Salt based brand -417 (Minus 417). I've already tried a few skincare products from them  (You can read my reviews here and here), but this was the first body product that I'd had from the brand and unfortunately I couldn't use it.

Yes, as you should know by now, I don't have a bath, and to just use it as a foot soak, in my opinion, would be a bit of a waste, so I'm passing this on to a friend to try, and hopefully she can experience some of the relaxing, soothing and nourishing properties of these vegan friendly, spa like scented bath salts.

Glossybox placed a value of £2.17 on this 100g sachet - according to -417 you need around 50g per bath so this should be enough for two baths. The only retailer that I can find is direct from -417, but they don't sell this specific size, they only sell a 500g sachet which retails at £14.

Sophia + Mabelle Eyeshadow Quad - The Aphrodite Palette - Full Size - Est. RRP £25 / $18

Next up the first of two make up products that featured in the box, and the first one was a an eyeshadow quad, from new brand to me, Sophia + Mabelle. Sophia + Mabelle are a Florida based, Peta certified, cruelty free make up brand that is designed to fit into the live of any person, no matter what stage of life they're at.

Packaged in a gorgeous floral designed cardboard box, the palette itself is really simple and basic, with its small square shape, and basic pink, and translucent pink plastic construction. Although it looks quite inexpensive the packaging quality wise, actually feels pretty decent, and it reminds me a little bit of the Colourpop quads.

The palette that I received was 'The Aphrodite Palette'. This pink themed palette contains a pale matte pink, 2 shimmery pink shades, and a matte almost charcoal, black, grey, brown shade.

As you can see from these pictures, the colour payoff, even on the palest, and the matte shades in really good. All of the shadows were really soft and smooth, and they were pretty easy to apply. There was a tiny bit of fallout which is understandable given the softness of the shadows. The dark shade was so pigmented that it did show a tiny bit of resistance to blending , but that was only because it was so pigmented and it was really easy to overuse, but it was nothing that a lighter application, and a bit more blending wouldn't fix.

This is the most perfectly applied or blended eye look that you will ever see, but I hope you can see just how pretty and wearable this palette is.

The shadows are of a really nice quality. They were nicely pigmented, fairly easy to apply and blend, and they wore surprisingly well, so all in all I was pretty impressed.

What I wasn't so impressed with though was the £25 price tag that Glossybox put on this palette. I've had a look at the Sophia + Mabelle website, and whilst they don't have this particular quad, they have a similar quad, in a plainer outer box, which retails at $18. Whilst the shadows are good, the palette is pretty small and fairly basic (For comparison the similar Colourpop quads are around $9), so I personally don't think that I could justify spending that sort of money on an eyeshadow quad like this one.

Feel Free Antioxidant Eye Contour Cream - 20ml - Full Size - Est. RRP £4.77

I know I've mentioned it in a few posts, but I'm pretty much reaching saturation point when it comes to certain beauty products in my stash, and one of those products in eye cream. So late last year, or was it early this year, who knows I decided to stop opening any of the new eye creams or gels that I acquired, and instead I vowed to try and use up all of the eye products that I've already opened - A good idea in theory but to be honest it's pretty slow going, and I now have another one to add to my 'to use' pile.

From Spanish natural and organic skincare company Feel Free, this antioxidant eye contour cream, contains hyaluronic acid, rice extract, aloe vera, and coffee extract, as well as lemon, mint and apple, and is designed to balance, moisturise, and reduce expression lines.

Obviously I haven't tried it yet, but I'll let you know my thoughts when I do. Although Feel Free do have an English website, in the UK we can't shop from it, and despite a little search online, I can't find this particular product anywhere but according to Glossybox it retails at around £4.77 for a 20ml tube.

dwtn Paris Liquid Blusher - 15ml - Full Size - Est. RRP £19.58 / €18

Next up another make up product, and this time it something for the cheeks. From Parisian based beauty brand dwtn Paris, this liquid blush cheek colour is made from 99% natural and vegan ingredients, including white marrube (white horehound) which protects the skin against pollution and blue light, as well as acacia gum, organic corn and black radish.

Packaged in a black and white, modernist design tube, this blush had a slightly thick, creamy texture and no discernible scent. At first glance the colour looks quite scary, its quite dark and very pigmented. It's a terracotta, dark brick red like shade, but it quickly and easily blends down to a more natural peach / bronze shade.

All you do is apply a few dots to your cheeks, it is pretty pigmented so it's probably best to start out with less and build it up. It was actually fairly easy to blend, I used a brush but I think I would have had a bit more control with my fingers.

I wore on top of both foundation and loose powder, and as you can see it did slightly disturb my base, exposing some of the natural redness of my cheeks, but there was no change in the texture, and they was no pilling, just a smooth natural finish.

I subsequently had a little bit of a play around and tried blending it with my fingers and a more tapping motion (not photographed) and my base pretty much stayed put, but I don't think there is a right or a wrong way to use this product, I think it depends on your base, your skin type and what type of look you're going for, so play around and have some fun, that's what make up is all about after all.

I have to say that I was a little bit scared of this at first, the dark brick shade was so dark, but by applying a small amount at once, blending it out and building up the colour, the resulting colour was actually really pretty and wearable, and even on my more oil prone skin it lasted nearly all day, without any of the clumping or balling, that I often experience with cream and liquid cheek colours.

All in all despite my initial argh! reaction I was actually really pleased with this product. If you fancy trying it for yourself, I believe it is only available directly from dwtn Paris French website, where is retails at around €18, Glossybox place a value of £19.58 on this full size tube.

Skin & Co Roma Truffle Therapy Morning Dew Ultra Gentle Botanical Face Cleansing Gel - 20ml - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £1.98

Finally, a skincare item and it's a specialist morning cleanser from a brand called Skin & Co Roma. Now i was convinced that I'd tried something from this brand before but I've had a little look, and it looks as though this is my first product.

Both vegan, and again Peta certified, this Italian founded brand is a botanical based, Mediterranean skincare and body care brand, that is based on the antioxidant properties of the Black Winter Truffle.

Truffle Therapy Morning Dew is a daily (morning) cleansing gel, that is designed to cleanse, uplift and brighten the complexion and protect it from environmental damage.

This sulphate free cleanser contains Umbrian Black Winter Truffle, as well as papaya extract, an AHA to minimise blemishes and improve the appearance and texture of the skin, as well as other botanicals including olive leaf, orange flower extract, lavender, cucumber, and calendula.

Packaged in a white and gold tube, the cleanser has a slightly runny, gel like texture, which is translucent yellow / light amber in colour. If you are a regular reader you'll probably already know that I'm pretty useless at describing scents but this one has me well and truly beat! At first it has quite a warm, nutty, almost coconut like scent, but add water and it seems to bring out more herbal, green and fruity notes.

You basically use this one like any other face wash, I usually wet my face and pop a small amount of cleanser into my palm before adding a little bit of water and working it into a lather on my face

The lather as you can see is really light and creamy. The instructions say to massage the cleanser onto the face in circular motions for around 1 minute to get the full antioxidant and AHA benefits, before rinsing.

It was really easy to rinse away, and my skin immediately felt and looked cleaner, brighter and fresher. It felt really soft and smooth, and it was left with almost a matte finish. My skin did feel a tiny bit tight, but it quickly subsided and there was no redness or dryness.

This was actually a really nice morning cleanser, the smell was actually really nice, if a tad confusing! It  also left my skin feeling very clean and soft, and ready for the rest of my skincare and make up. I would definitely consider buying this cleanser again in the future and I'm also interested in trying some more products from the range.

Glossybox placed a value of £1.98 on this 20ml tube, unfortunately I can't find this particular size anywhere online, but the full 200ml size is available for around £22 direct from Skin & Co Roma.

A little late I know, but that was my unboxing of the April 2021 edition of Glossybox UK. Despite another eye cream and a bath product that I couldn't use, I still think that this was another decent box, despite my initial hesitation about the blush, I liked both of the make up items but the stand out product for me was actually the Skin & Co Roma cleanser. It left my skin feeling super soft, and looking brighter and more awake.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this box, so please let me know if you think it was a hit or a miss in the comments section below x Don't forget to to check out Glossybox for yourself and I'll see you later in the week with an empties post x 

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

A Late Unboxing Of Glossybox UK - March 2021 Edition - Pretty Pleasures*

After a little break where I posted some slightly different content, I'm back today and I'm playing catch up again!

Even though our thoughts are now heading towards Autumn and dare I say it, even Christmas, let's take a trip back to the newness, and the hope that springtime brings, as I share with you my thoughts on the March 2021 edition of Glossybox UK.

After the retro cassette tape design of February's "Sing, Dance, Love Repeat" box, March's box saw a return to the classic design and the traditional pink and black colour way.

As per usual the information leaflet gave us not only the lowdown on the products inside the box, but it also revealed the theme of March's box which was "Pretty Pleasures". The contents was specially selected to remind us of the newness and prettiness of Spring, providing us with a range of pretty pastel tones products that would look great and make us feel great.

Figs & Rouge Satin Soft Blurring Primer & Finishing Fix - 30ml - Full Size - RRP £38

I think I've mentioned this before but I can never quite decide whether primers are actually skincare products, or make up products. It's a tough one isn't it? Especially since the majority of primers now contain a whole host of skincare ingredients.

So whether it's make up or skincare, the first item in March's box was a primer and a finisher from UK based, ethical and vegan skincare brand Figs & Rouge.

Containing marshmallow root extract, arctic cloudberry, hyaluronic acid and beta hydroxy acid, this silicone free primer can be used both under and on top of make up, and is designed to blur imperfections, banish shine, minimise pores and prevent blemishes.

Packaged in a gorgeous pink and gold tube, the primer itself is pale pink in colour and it has a thin, liquid, almost serum like texture.

After cleansing and moisturising, you just pat a tiny amount of this subtly sweet smelling primer over your face, concentrating on the t-zone. It is super lightweight and absorbs into the skin almost straight away, leaving it feeling smooth and silky, without the heaviness and tackiness that you can often experience with silicone based primers.

Straight From Tube

Slightly Blended Out 

I tried and tried to capture the effect on my face but for some reason you could never quite see what I was seeing in real life. In the mirror I noticed a definite mattifying effect, and an almost blurring of my skin texture, which you can just about see in the swatch photograph below.

When Fully Absorbed

This primer just made my skin look smoother and more perfected. Since it was so lightweight it was a perfect base for foundation. I used it with a liquid foundation and there was no heaviness, stickiness or separation, just a really smooth finish.

Not only is this a primer though, it can also be used as a finisher to help set your make up, and to blot down shine. I used it on top of both a liquid foundation and a loose powder, lightly patting a tiny amount onto my t-zone. It was lightweight enough not to really disturb the make up underneath , and it didn't cause any pilling or separation, it just tamed the oiliness and helped to blur the obvious pores on my nose.

I completely understand the pull of silicone based primers, they create an almost glass like, velvety finish, they you foundation pretty much sticks to, but sometimes they can feel a bit heavy and to be honest they can sometimes make my oily bits feel even more oily, which is why, especially lately, I seem to moving more and more towards silicone free, and more lightweight primers like this one.

Not only does the more liquid texture and lack of silicone of this particular primer, feel lighter on the skin, but it also does exactly what you would want it to, pores are less obvious, oiliness is reduced, it's a great make up base, and it just makes your skin look better.

With an RRP £38 this isn't the cheapest primer on the market, but if it sounds like a texture that you might like, then it's well worth it. You can buy it exclusively from Amazon UK via Figs & Rouge.

Nails Inc Nail Polish - Palace Gardens - 10ml - Full Size - RRP £11

I love me a nail polish but whether it's down to logistical reasons, or whatever, you don't actually see that many nail colours in subscription boxes, so its always a bit of a bonus for me when you get one, even if like this one, it's a polish that you already own.

I have a lot of nail polishes and I probably own more Nails Inc polishes than any other brand, so I guess it's not real surprise that I already had this colour in my collection.

In the old style, cylindrical bottle Nails Inc Palace Gardens, is a dusky, duck egg, blue, grey colour.

Unlike the now common Nails Inc thick brush with a slightly curved edge, this brush had a slightly curvy edge but it was quite thin and a touch straggly, and as a result it wasn't that easy to control. The polish also seemed quite thick so it wasn't the easiest nail paint that I'd ever done.

Probably because of the thickness of the polish, the coverage was excellent, it was pretty self levelling, and you couldn't really see any brush strokes. I could potentially have just got away with one coat. especially since the polish was quite slow drying, but as per usual for full coverage I went for two coats, and as per usual since I was reviewing the polish - no top coat.

It had a lovely glossy finish, and I loved the colour and finish even on my relatively short nails, but to be honest this wasn't the best Nails Inc polish that I'd ever used. As I saw the brush and the formulation just weren't what I've come to expect from Nails Inc, and the wear time wasn't up to scratch either with the first chip appearing after less than 24 hours wear!

I sometimes wonder if brand like Nails Inc manufacture products like this especially for brands like Glossybox at a lower price, and they just aren't the same quality as their normal full price products. Strangely enough the other bottle of Palace Garden that I have was a magazine freebie in a similar cylindrical bottle, so who knows?

It's a real shame either way as this is such a pretty colour and Nails Inc as a brand is usually fairly reliable.  Other than the secondary market this particular polish is nearly impossible to find, although you maybe ben able to find in the new style bottle in the Nail Kale formulation.

Beautaniq Beauty Nourishing Mascara - 8ml - Full Size -RRP £15.00

Next up a make up product, and pastel theme continues, not in the Beautaniq product itself but instead in the pink and duck egg blue packaging.

I honestly thought that I'd tried more from this brand, but I can only find one other review from them, and it was for a pair of beautiful angel wing under eye patches, that I received in the June 2020 edition of Glossybox UK.

If you haven't heard of them Beautaniq are a cruelty free, plant based, earth loving, sustainable, UK manufactured, make up and skincare brand.

The product that I received in March's box was the Beautaniq Beauty Nourishing Mascara. Containing nourishing ingredients such as camellia oil, and almond oil, which are both rich in vitamin E and Oleic acid, this mascara claims to add volume, thicken, lengthen, and curl the lashes, as well as separating, defining and evenly coating every single lash

Beautifully boxed, this mascara is packaged in a squeezy tube. Although in my experience they do dry out a little bit more quickly than conventional mascaras, I am actually a fan of squeezy tube mascaras because you do same to waste less product, and from the start to the finish it's really easy to get the product onto the brush.

The consistency of the mascara was good, it wasn't too wet and it wasn't too dry. The mascara comes with a nice, traditional, full bristle spoolie. It was really easy to apply, the coverage was good, and the spoolie did a really good job of separating the lashes.

I'm wearing two coats in both of the after pictures - 1 coat gave a really, really natural separated look, where as two gave a more noticeable separated, fuller, longer, darker, lash look, so it's definitely a mascara that you can layer up for more of an impact. I haven't used a lash comb in these pictures and as you can see there is virtually no clumping or blobbing.

Before

After

There was a tiny bit of transfer at first but bar a tiny bit of under eye smudging towards the end, I got a good 5 hours plus of wear out of this mascara on a pretty warm day. By and large it stayed put and it felt comfortable on my lashes and it didn't made them feel dry, stiff or heavy.

Before

After

Although it's fairly buildable, this isn't the most dramatic mascara that you'll ever see but it is a great everyday mascara that again does what it says it does. I was particularly impressed with the separating aspect and the fact that it doesn't clump or dry out the lashes.

Glossybox put a price of £15.50 on this product, and whilst it was £15 as of September 2022 it's actually now £19 on the Beautaniq website, all be it though in a different outer box. 

So Eco Complexion Sponge - Full Size - RRP £6

From a make up item to a make up applicator, and this time, in keeping with the pastel theme it's a another make up sponge.

I've had a few make up sponges from Glossybox now but this one is a just a little bit different - So Eco are a UK based make up brush, and beauty tool and accessory brand, which produce a wide range of products that are approved by PETA, and as well as being cruelty free, their products are also made to the highest ethical and sustainable standards, and their packaging it also made from ethically sourced, compostable, recyclable, and biodegradable materials. They also support the charity Tree Nation, planting one tree for every 100 products that they sale, so this is probably the most ethical sponge in my collection!

Their complexion sponge is in the traditional, almost pointed egg like design with a large rounded end, and a pointed tip. It felt nice and dense, whilst at the same time super soft, and lightweight.

The larger rounded end is great for applying foundation, and as I often use it for, loose powder, to larger areas, where as the slightly pointed tip is great for smaller areas such as around the eyes and nose.

This sponge washes incredibly well, and whilst there is a little bit of staining, which is probably down to the pale colour of the sponge, it's still going strong after around 3 months of use without cracking or splitting.

There are loads of sponges like this on the market at all different price points, but if you want to go for a more ethical option from a company that gives back, this one could be worth trying. It retails at £6 and is available from a variety of retailers including Beauty Bay, Look Fantastic, Holland and Barrett, HQ Hair and Tesco.

Lord & Berry Line / Shade Eye Pencil - #221 Travel Black (Dark Black) 0.7g - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £10

Ah my nemesis, eyeliner! To be fair though after creams and gels, for me at least pencils are probably the next easiest to use - although you probably can't tell that based on my pictures ;)

From affordable artistry brand Lord & Berry, this is a deluxe size of one of the many different type of eyeliner that they sell.

In the shade Travel Black, or Dark Black as it also seems to be known, for me it has quite an ashy black finish compared to a lot of the more glossy black that you seem to see out there.

Containing 63% natural origin waxes, it's very soft and very creamy, good in the respects that you don't need to press too hard to get some colour pay off, and it doesn't pull or drag on the eyes, but not so good in others.

It was so soft and smudgy that I really struggles (even more than usual) to get a precise line, but I hope you can see at least what I was trying to do.

On Application

Alas though i had the same issues that I often have with liners, it just wouldn't stay put, in fact it didn't even last long enough to take all of the photos, and you can already see some transfer in the picture below.

With 5 minutes it had smudged all over my upper lid, so instead of taking it off, I roughly blended it out for a very rough and ready, impromptu smokey eye, which lasted roughly an hour before disappearing completely.

Roughly Blended Out

I'm in no doubt that the softness and creaminess of this pencil lead to not only the poor wear time, but also the snapping issue that I had, and also the fact that it was so hard to sharpen it properly.

If you like creamy pencils and a super smudgy look then by all means give this a try, just don't expect it to last very long especially if you have oilier eyelids.

Glossybox place a price of £10 on this deluxe mini / travel size which is available direct from Lord & Berry from where you can also get the full size pencil which retails at £13.

So several months later than anticipated that was my review of the products in the March edition of Glossybox UK. Although I didn't really get on with a couple of the products in the box (and what does a black eyeliner have to do with spring and pastel colours?) I was still pretty pleased with the other 3 items in the box, and as per usual the box was well worth the money x Don't forget to use my link to find out more about Glossybox, and you can also use it to find out a little bit more about this years Glossybox advent calendar. Thanks for reading and I will see you later this week with another post x 

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