Glossybox UK April 2014 Unboxing

My Glossybox arrived today! Clever postie left it with my neighbour for a change too!

This month I have managed to stay away from Glossybox spoilers & other blog review posts so I had no idea what I might be receiving in my box. That means that this unboxing post will be entirely my honest thoughts on what I received in my box and not an 'Oh I wish I got this item instead' kinda thing. Of course as soon as I publish this post I will be checking out what everyone else got! :-D

Heres a quick look at my box contents

The first thing I noticed was a Lip Brush from a brand I've never heard of Emite Make Up. This brush has an RRP of £17! I have to say I would never pay that much for a makeup brush but it is very soft and looks good quality. I do like getting makeup brushes in boxes but I don't use lip brushes, however this looks a similar size and shape to the eye liner brush I use for my gel liners so I will probably use this one for that instead of for lips. 

Next out the box is Warming Ginger Massage & Body Oil by MONU Spa. Not something I would think of to buy myself but body oils are slowing growing on me. This does have a really lovely Ginger smell which I find relaxing. I have put some on my hand and can't stop smelling it, it's so nice! This oil can be added to a bath or applied directly to the skin - perhaps I can convince my boyfriend to give me a back massage! It can also be used in the shower just before rinsing and claims to transform into a milk which is interesting, I may need to try that out. Full size is £25 for 100ml, this is a 30ml sample worth £7.50.

MeMeMe Cosmetics Beat the Blues - Pearl Pink was a product that confused me when I took it out of the box. I didn't read the card at first and thought this product was a nail varnish but is in actual fact a highlighter. I've haven't tried any of MeMeMe Cosmetics before so I'm quite excited by this one. It's a multi-use product (I love multi-use) which can be used as a highlighter, applied under blusher for a dewy glow or even added to foundation more a subtle shimmer. I received the full size which costs £5.50. 

Also included is a discount code for 20% of an order on mememecosmetics.co.uk which I will most definitely be using.

The next product in this months box is from the only brand I've use before TRESemme - Instant Refresh Dry Shampoo. I have never used their dry shampoo before but have used the normal shampoo/conditioners many times in the past. I love seeing hair products in beauty boxes but I'm sure not many people will agree with me on that. I was given a 100ml sample which is half the full size, so I will get good use out of this. Full size retails for £4.99 making this sample worth around £2.49.

Last is a face cream Daily Face SPF 50+ from SunSense UK. This is a light, soft, oil free facial sunscreen which is slightly tinted and comes in a little 10g tube (reminds me of the hair treatment shot I got in last months box HERE) I don't use sunscreen as often as I should. Living in Scotland we don't see much more than rain! Having said that we got a good summer last year and this year is shaping up to be just as hot. Full size is £20.99 for 75g making this sample worth about £2.79. 

Glossybox have also included a 25% discount code to be used at crawfordhealthcare.com valid until 31st June. I have already had a look on their website and they are currently offering 50% off the Daily Face SPF 50+ cream, so if you are thinking of getting the full size best be quick as I'm not sure how long the offer will last.

The total value of contents this month is just over the £35 mark - highly due to the retail price of the lip brush. It's not as high a value as last months box (I don't think that could of been beaten) but I definitely think it is worth the £10 + p&p paid as I have received a great variety of products that I wouldn't have thought to buy myself and I get to try brands and products I've never used before. So overall I'm very happy :)

Birchbox UK April 2014 Unboxing

I did my best to not look at the spoilers for this months box.....but I couldn't help it! I looked and wow what a great selection Birchbox had on offer. My first thought was Laura Mercier Body Butter...I want! I want! I want! My second thought was there is no way I will get it in my box, and I was right unfortunately. I guess I will just have to buy the full size when its back in stock :-)

This months theme is 'Good Enough To Eat'. All products are food related in some way or another, but in no way edible! (except the propercorn)

I was very impressed that my Birchbox arrived before any of the other beauty boxes I subscribe to (YBD, Love Me Beauty) so well done Birchbox you made my day!

Here is what I received in my box this month.

The first thing that caught my eye was the Full size bottle of Tommyguns Shampoo in 'Pomegranate & Orange Flower' which reatils at £5.50 for 250ml. You can probably read the text on the bottle so I wont bore you with repeating it. This shampoo smells amazing! I was however a little put off by the fact it says it will highlight fairer tones and my hair is very dark brown so will this have any effect on lightening my hair? I really hope not I like my dark hair and want to keep it dark. Hopefully it will just give it a nice shiny finish.

Next up is a product I choose myself - technically. Birchbox gave current subscribers the choice of 4 shades of nail lacquer from Colour Club but we had to be quick to make a decision! I opted for 'Aquamarine Azulino' - described as 'a pastel shade that evokes blue skies and the spring dawn' how lovely does that sound? These polishes are £15 for a set of 4.

A product I was very happy to receive was One Love Organics Skin Savior Waterless Beauty Balm. I really love organic products, more & more are making their way into my everyday skincare routine. This citrus scented natural balm is multi use. It can be used as a cleanser, moisturizer, to tame flyaway hairs and can even be added to your foundation for a smoother complexion! Full size is £30 for 39ml, this sample is a generous 15ml.

'How 'Bout Them Apples?' from The Balm is a product I've wanted to try for a while. At £26 for a palette of 6 shades it was a little bit more than I wanted to spend on a cheek & lip tint. I would much prefer separate single blushers as apposed to a 'set'. This sample is therefore perfect! I get to try the shade 'Pie' and who knows if I fall in love I may just purchase the whole set. It has a really creamy texture and is great for that little pop of colour.

The last product is my least favourite purely because I own so many eyeliners. Lord & Berry's Couture Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil in Black retails for £10 full size 4g. This sample is a mini 0.6g but as eyeliners go its handy to have a mini size to have when out & about. It's easy to apply and can be smudged for a smokey look. 

The lifestyle extra for this month is a wee 8g bag of Propercorn. I got the flavour 'Fiery Worcester Sauce & Sun-Dried Tomato' which I have tried before in a Boots Meal Deal and oh wow is it fiery! I couldn't eat the full size bag (20g) when I bought it as it was just too spicy, I'm sure I will manage this sample size no problem.

Overall a great box this month with a total value of around £25. Keep up the good work Birchbox!

If you would like to subscribe to Birchbox I'd love it if you use my referral link http://birchbox.co.uk/?raf=30654. We will each get 50 points worth £5 to spend in the Birchbox E-shop. 

For a limited time you can use the Promo Code BBXCHOCOLATE to receive a free box of hand-selected, delicious chocolate bars from Cocoa Runners (worth £20+) plus a £5 gift voucher to satisfy your next craving. 

If your not a chocolate fan then use code SUMMERBONUS instead to get FREE p&p on your first box. 

OR use code BBXAPRILSHOWERS for a trio of extra beauty treats - eyelash curlers, Number 4 Non Aerosol Hair Spray and Benefits Stay Don't Stray

Makeup Revolution Mini Haul

Today I received these lovely goodies from the newly launched Makup Revolution. They offer a range of professional must have products at an affordable price - starting from just £1!

I have to admit I did have a little trouble placing my order. For some bizarre reason the checkout page wouldn't show if I was logged IN to my account, but worked fine if I was logged OUT. Took me 2 days and multiple attempts before I worked this out, and it seems I wasn't the only one to find it difficult to get to checkout page. I got there in the end however and I'm very excited to show you what I bought. Please excuse bad pictures my camera is well as truly past its best. New one on my birthday wishlist fro next month.

First up is a lovely Eye Shadow Palette called 'Hot Smoked' which I think is a close dupe of the Urban Decay's 'Smoked' Palette which you can see HERE. Makeup Revolution's palette has an extra 2 colours compared to the Urban Decay palette and is a fraction of the price coming in at £4.

Next I went for Focus & Fix Brow Kit in 'Light/Medium' I currently don't own any brow products. I've been meaning to get a brow pencil for what seems like forever now. This kit contains 3 powders and 1 wax cream, (all blendable to match your brow shade easily) along with an applicator brush and mini tweezers. This kit cost £2.50 

I couldn't decide whether to get a Lipstick or Lipgloss so I bought a combined one! Genius! This is called Lip Power in shade 'Yesterday's Favourite' - Handy for travel or nights out to pop in your handbag as it saves taking two separate products with you. Retails at £3. I also got a Kajal eyeliner. Easy application crayon, colour intensity can be built up for a long lasting smudge-proof look. This product is £2.

The brand offers 2 different foundations. The Matte Effect (available is 8 shades) and The One Foundation (available in 16 shades) I got both as I wasn't sure which foundation would work best for me. They are both very affordable £2 and £4 respectively. I wasn't breaking the bank to get both so why not right? I went for the lightest shade 'Ivory' for The Matte Effect and 'Shade 3' for The One Foundation. Both appear to blend well when tested on the back of my hand, here's hoping they will both work well when applied to the face!

Lastly I went for 2 nail polishes. The one on the left is a Glitter Polish available in 10 shades which cost £1.50. I opted for 'Lover Boy'. It's a beautiful teal shade - this photo doesn't do it justice. On the right we have a shade called 'Wanted'. It's a lovely bluey colour. This polish is £1 and comes in 40 different colours!

Overall this little bundle cost £20. I'm sure I will be spending another £20 again soon as there are still so many products I want to try from the range available. Highlighers, blushers, bronzers, mascaras, eye primers.....lots and lots of palettes and single eyeshadows & eye dusts. The list goes on...

My April Wish List

My top 3 items to buy in April

Ginvera Green Tea Exfoliating Marvel Gel available from Janiro (£19.95 for 60g)

Picture taken from Janiro website

I received a 10g sample size of this product in my January You Beauty Discovery box and loved it. I haven't got around to buying the full size yet but its definitely top of the list to buy this month. Its a gentle exfoliator to be used on dry skin. It works by dissolving and removing the dead skin cells on the top layer of epidermis (skin). Great at removing black heads!

Goldwell Kerasilk Ultra Rich Care Shampoo from Hairtrade (£6.05 for 250ml)

Picture taken from Hairtrade website

Again another product I tested in my January You Beauty Discovery box. This is one of the best shampoos I've used in a while. It made my hair really soft, shiny and smooth - my hair is very thick and frizzy so a product that makes my hair smooth is always a bonus for me! The Goldwell range is fairly new to the UK, only being launched at the beginning of February. I may also buy the Goldwell Kerasilk Ultra Rich Care Treatment too.

Laura Mercier Ambre Vanillè Soufflé Body Crème Birchbox (£44.50 for 300g)

Picture taken from Birchbox website

I got a sample size of this product from Birchbox in January and its just about finished. It has an amazing vanilla smell, I would eat it if I could! I use it multiple times a day, more as a hand cream than its intended purpose of a body cream. Unfortunately its currently out of stock on Birchbox so I may need to search elsewhere. Or maybe see if I can buy another sample from ebay to tide me over until its back in stock at Birchbox. Laura Mercier also have a body scrub in the same scent - That is without a doubt going on my birthday wishlist for May.

Manuka Doctor Haul Post

Today I received a recent order I made at Manuka Doctor.  I had ordered a free sample of the Mini Hero Kit through Sampleyes (an app for your phone that gives away free samples) which included a voucher for 25% off an online order.  So of course I made an order.  The website is currently still offering the mini hero kit for free (so I got another) and they are offering an ApiNourish Try Me Set for free so I added that to my basket too. If you spend over £20 you are entitled to free delivery.  My total order with discount came to £21 which meant I could get free delivery! What a brilliant deal I'm sure you will agree!  

Here's what I ordered

ApiClear Blemish Busters Bundle was £16.97 NOW £11

Contains Blemish Cream (25ml), 25 Facial Wipes and Ease & Repair Gel (25ml)

ApiClear Purifying Introductory Kit was £14.99 NOW £7

Contains ApiClear Foaming Cleanser (25ml), ApiClear Skin Treatment Serum (15ml) and ApiClear Facial Moisturising Lotion (25ml).

Platinum Introductory Kit was £19.99 NOW £10

Contains the best-selling Rejuvenating Face Mask (25ml), the ApiClear Skin Treatment Serum (15ml)and the ApiRevive Rub Ease Balm (25ml).

Then the FREE gifts

ApiNourish Try Me Kit 

Contains Rejuvenating Face Mask (7ml), Age-defying Serum (7ml), Restoring Night Cream (7ml)

Manuka Doctor Mini Hero Kit 

Contains ApiNourish Rejuvenating Face Mask (7ml), ApiClear Skin Treatment Serum (5ml), ApiRefine Targeted Wrinkle Filler (3ml)

As you may have noticed a few of the kits contain the Skin Treatment Serum but I am pleased about this. I can't wait to try these all out! I will hopefully do a review on some of the products later once I've used them a bit.  

Glossybox UK March 2014 Unboxing

I gave in to temptation and finally signed up to Glossybox!  A beauty subscription box service that gives you 5 beauty treats each month for £10 + p&p.  I had been debating joining for a few months now.  I had read so many bad reviews of people getting cheap poundshop brands or small sachet samples or perfume samples that can be picked up in department stores for free.  But lets face it there are a few beauty boxes on the go that give perfume samples in boxes.  I agree its not fair when you are expecting 5 luxury high end brands and end up with something you can pick up for free yourself.  So why join now I hear you ask?  Well despite the worry of getting 'free samples' a lot of the boxes contained products that looked not half bad and I would use.  At the end of the day its about the quality of products not the quantity or size of products.  As long as the overall value of the boxes are more than I pay for them, then I'll be happy. 

So I signed up for the March box hoping against hope that I would get the product that stood out in everyone's boxes for me, in the colour I longed for.  That product is the Shimmer Powder by Bellapierre Cosmetics Ltd.  This item alone covers the cost of the box.  A full size retailing at £12.99.  The colour I wanted is called 'Sensation'.  And I got it! :-)

Now for some this colour may seem boring or unusable.  But for me its the kind of shade I would get the most use out of.  It's a glittery white colour which is shimmery when applied.  The Shimmer Powders are a multi-use product.  Can be mixed into blusher, nail polish or lip gloss.  I will be using it as a highlighter or adding it to the corners of my eyes when I do a 'smokey' look.


Next up is a product that will make me the envy of many...sorry ladies I really didn't think I'd get this in my box, but have to say I'm pleased I did.  Maitrise du Temps by Helenere is an intensive serum which claims to moisturise deeply while preventing skin ageing and adds skin elasticity to give a brighter complexion.  This product is full size at 10ml and cost £38.50!  I love that it comes in a dropper form, its makes for easier application.

Others received perfume samples or sachets of fake tan - which I think is very unfair as the price comparison of these items are nowhere near the same value of the serum.  I do hope Glossybox add an extra item next month into the boxes of those who didn't receive the serum to make up for the difference in box values.

I'm getting more and more into anti-ageing products.  I'm coming up for 27 and apparently women should be starting to think about using anti-ageing products from 25 onwards as that is when your skin starts to change. I'm not sure about the truth behind this claim as aging affects everyone differently but its always a good idea to start thinking about it sooner rather than later.  It's also important to have a healthy diet as the food you eat can change the way your skin looks aswell.  

Next out the box is a Sleek MakeUP Pout Polish in 'Bare Minimum'.  It's a tinted lip balm which moisturises while leaving your lips with a hint of a sheen. I'm kind of glad it doesnt add much colour to the lips as I prefer a more natural look on my lips.  Again this is a full sized product £4.49 for 10g.

Dove is a brand I've used before but only their soaps and shower creams.  This Intensive Repair 60 Second Treatment Shot is as you would expect a hair treatment.  I used it this morning and although it has left my hair soft I'm not sure I would buy it again.  There are many expensive hair treatments on the market so this one is good value for money with full size being £1.49.  Would be good to take away on holiday instead of packing a larger product but it seemed too much like a normal conditioner to me. 

Last is the product I'd use the least.  Body Cream from Mitchell and Peach. Containing English honey, organic cocoa, vitamin B5 and shea butter.  I can't quite decide what it smells of but it's not a bad smell.  I will use it but not something I'd be rushing out to buy again.  This is the only sample size product in this months box.  Full size is 180ml and costs £36 making this sample worth £8.

Overall I'm very happy with my box this month and hope Glossybox continue to impress me.  Total value of my box is £65.47 (mostly due to receiving the serum)


Leave a comment to let me know what you thought of this months box. If you got the March Glossybox did you get the same products? Were you happy with the selection this month? 

You Beauty Discovery March 2014 Unboxing

This month when I saw what was on offer for the You Beauty Discovery box I just about screamed the house down! I couldn't believe the value of the products as so many of them were full sized or big samples. It was going to be a hard choice to make. I was so tempted by The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Butter which retails at £12 but I have a few cleansers on the go at the moment so I didn't really need another one.

Content of my 'Best of British' box.

In the end I opted for GlycoWash by BeautyLab London which came in an impressive 100ml bottle.  Full size is 200ml with RRP of £32 making this 'sample' worth £16.

My second choice this month was a no brainer for me. Dr Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips. I've wanted to try this for ages but never got around to buying it. I was so happy to see it as an option in this month's box. I've enjoyed using this lip balm so far. It has a nice thick texture, and a little goes a long way! This is a 15ml full sized product retailing at £11.50.

The first thing of the added extras this month are two tea samples from DragonFly Tea. I'm not much of a tea drinker - I prefer coffee - but I have to say I really enjoyed these. Excuse the picture, I used the white tea before I took the photos. Also included is a voucher for 50p off a box which can be used in many local supermarkets. I will be using this voucher as soon as I decide on a flavour!

Last but not least I received Toe Separators from The Vintage Cosmetics Company.  I don't paint my toe nails so will have no use for these. They will be passed on to a new home where they will be loved!


Overall an excellent box this month.  As always You Beauty Discovery delivers month after month.  For £6.95 a month and free p&p, it is by far the best value beauty box on the market.