This is the last box of my six month subscription to Glossybox.

For those of you not aware of the concept, Glossybox is a monthly beauty subscription box containing 5 hand picked beauty samples wrapped in a signature pink box.

Some of these samples may actually be full size products.

This month Glossybox is a collector’s edition inspired by “all things French” and claims to be a “tour de force of our favourite French finds that contain ingredients that really work”.

The box is curated by Jamie Lee Reardin who is France’s “it” artist of the moment who has put pencil to paper for Chanel, Givenchy and Christian Dior and created “Mademoiselle Glossy”, who features both on the box and on the cute little travel pouch which is the centrepiece of this month’s box.

You can find out more about Jamie on Instagram at @JamieLeeReardin.

Frankly I would have preferred a ‘Madame Glossy’ but clearly Glossybox is targeting a younger audience who are perhaps more likely to immerse themselves in a wider variety of brands and are less brand loyal than older subscribers.  (Remember the tattoos from last month?!).

Actually, the whole beauty box concept needs a bit of a shake-up I think – where are the boxes targeting the 40+s?

I have written before about the fact that this age group (and higher) is actually where the most disposable income is but, as usual, the beauty industry has not yet worked out what to do with us, nor (with the possible exception of L’Oréal) how to market to us.

I still don’t think Glossybox is using the information it collects from its subscribers to maximum effect.  It’s still a one-size-fits-all box.

But I digress.  Let’s dive in to this month’s contents.

There’s an interesting mix of products in this box and, yes, they’re French.

The strange thing about French skincare products is that they often manage to be very effective whilst at the same time being unremittingly dull and unengaging, lost in a sea of meaningless beauty marketing speak.

The value of this box is a little questionable too.

Aside from Glossybox’s own travel pouch (which is valued at £3.99), there is just one full size product in the box and, you’ve guessed it, it’s a lip balm – Lollipops Balm Délicieuse at £4.15.

There is no way of valuing the sample products which are 25 ml, 15ml and 2 x 3 ml.

That makes this box the worst of the six in terms of value.

The move into its own products is an interesting one but a bit of a shame if this is the route Glossybox is going down.

The whole point of a beauty box subscription is to try other brands and to provide a platform for those brands who would otherwise not reach a wider audience.

You can only imagine how difficult it must be to win a spot on the shelves in Boots or Superdrug.

Although perfectly understandable from a business point of view, there’s something a little cynical about passing off ‘Glossybox’ own products as a bona fide item in a beauty subscription box.

Mademoiselle Glossy Travel Pouch – £3.99

So this is centrepiece of the box, the travel pouch designed by Jamie Lee Reardin.

This is a zip-lock pouch to keep your beauty essentials safe through security or for use as an everyday make-up bag.

noxidoxi Enhancing Serum Base Sample Size – 25 ml (Full Size £33.46)

This serum is from Bordeaux brand noxidoxi and has a “CRC6 moisturising complex” (see what I mean about jargon!) to hydrate the skin’s surface as well as the deeper layers and includes “a cocktail of antioxidants and anti-inflammatories to protect the skin”.

It is to be worn under moisturiser.

Teoxane Cosmeceuticals Perfect Skin Refiner – Sample Size 15ml (Full Size £70)

This is Perfect Skin Refiner for night from Teoxane Cosmeceuticals.

It has hyaluronic acid “to plump and hydrate skin” and 10% glycolic acid to “help resurface the skin”. You are advised to use it every other night because you might feel a ‘mild tingling’ at first.

You’re also advised to wear a high SPF during the day.

I can confirm you certainly DO feel a tingling (I’d call it stinging) and if you have sensitive skin I’d be tempted to leave this one in the box.

Vichy Ideal Soleil Tinted Velvety BB Cream, 2 x 3ml (Full Size £15.50)

Then we have two 3 ml samples of Vichy’s Ideal Soleil Tinted Velvety BB Cream.

I always find Vichy’s products to be very good quality and this BB cream, although quite dark when applied, blends to a really nice finish with a subtle hint of colour.

I’m not sure I needed Glossybox to introduce me to Vichy which you can pick up in Boots, even though it is a French brand in keeping with this month’s theme.

Surely there are loads of other French brands just waiting to be discovered.

Lollipops Lip Balm Délicieuse – Full Size £4.15

Lastly, we have yet another lip balm.

This is from Paris-based brand Lollipops – Lollipops Lip Balm Délicieuse, which is described as containing antioxidants and vitamin E.  It’s colourless and has a strange sweet taste.

Am I happy?

I would have preferred less art and more product in this box.

A beauty subscription box should be about the products and not the box – and this is the third ‘collectors’ box I’ve had out of 6.

Let’s not forget that, even though the cost of the box is anywhere from £8.50 to £10, depending on the length of your subscription, the postage is a static £3.25 irrespective of the weight of the box.

Glossybox claims that the minimum value of this box is £52.

I don’t think anyone really considers the value of sample sizes in their box because the whole point of a sample is that it is given away FREE at point of sale to encourage sales of the full size product.

So no, I really don’t think this month’s box is worth a fraction of that.

I have enjoyed receiving my Glossybox each month but most of the products are still sitting in them waiting to be used or, more likely given away.

I may subscribe to another beauty box to see if any of them get the balance right between value of product and the brands they contain.

But for around £14 each month, I may just be better off going to my local highstreet drugstore.

Glossybox can be contacted at www.glossybox.co.uk, on Twitter at @glossyboxuk and on Facebook as www.facebook.com/GlossyBox.co.uk.

*This is a completely independent review based on my own Glossybox purchase.

This is box five of a six-month subscription to Glossybox. For those of you not aware of the concept, Glossybox is a monthly beauty subscription box containing 5 hand picked beauty samples wrapped in a signature pink box. Some of these samples may actually be full-size products.

This month Glossybox is all about “revelling in festival season or hitting a sun-drenched beach” and contains “exclusively designed faux tattoos… to the quick fixes that keep the skin fresh and flawless in the heat”.  To be honest this box looks like an idea which made sense when it was conceived but falls a bit flat in the execution.  For a start, how many of us actually go to a festival?  And the last time I wore a temporary tattoo I was about Caitlin’s age.

The mix of products is a little odd too, even though there are three full-size products in this month’s box (although one of these is a sheet of tattoos).  In amongst the nail varnish and facial mist are an anticellulite boost and a packet of facial wipes.

The box contains 3 full sized products worth £22.76 together and two sample products, one of which is £1.20 and the value of the other not listed. The cost of each box is £10 plus packaging (£3.25), so, again, I have received more than I paid for.

The first full-size product in the box is a sheet of Glossybox’s Flash Tattoos (£6.50). There are 12 tattoos and frankly, I’m not sure the sheet is worth the rather notional price Glossybox has given it. Application is by a damp cloth and the tattoos will apparently last a week.  I might try one later to convince the Husband I’ve had a moment of madness whilst out shopping but they hardly look convincing.  Rather more Art Deco bookbinding than festival tattoo craziness I’m thinking.

The second full-size product is the Anticellulite Booster from Spanish company Kueshi (£14.55) which is a lightweight cream with “a hard-hitting mix of natural ingredients and antioxidants to stimulate blood circulation, in turn toning your skin and fighting off any dimples.  I don’t actually have any cellulite but the cream is pleasant enough, although somewhat sticky.  The natural ingredients include Astralagus, Butchers Broom, Lemon Peel and Goldenrod Flowers.  The website www.kueshi.com is pretty spartan and I can find no obvious way of purchasing the product which is a little odd.

The final full-size product is a “The Gel Nail Polish” in “I Don’t Care” from Essence (£1.71). You don’t need a lamp but you do need a base coat and a top coat so supplying one out of the three products needed to test the product doesn’t make sense to me.  I also find it hard to get excited about a product that costs the princely total of £1.71. The polish is described as “having a long-lasting gel formula for an amazingly shiny manicure that endures all week”. The products seem to be ready to buy from your local branch of Wilko.

The first sample product is Monu Spa’s Rosewood Reviving Mist (full size £11.95) which contains a ‘zesty blend of essential oils including lemon, rosewood and geranium’ which you mist over your face to refresh and set make-up.  You could also spray all over to hydrate skin after a bath, shower or swim (which seems like a very expensive way to use the product to me).  Readers of this blog know I’m not a fan of facial mists (I really can’t see the point) but this one smells pleasant enough, although I can find no mention of whether it is suitable for sensitive skins and, just because it contains essential oils, does not mean it is necessarily that gentle.

The last of this month’s treats is a sample size of Halo Fragrance-Free Facial Wipes (10 wipes, suitable for sensitive skin) which have gone straight into my handbag for emergencies.  I have heard of Halo and I can see the logic of their inclusion in the “Festival Edit” but I’m not sure it fits into the overall Glossybox ethos of introducing new and slightly higher end or different beauty brands.

So there you have it.  The “Festival Edit”.  To be honest I’m not sure the rest of us are as in love with “festival experience chic” as the glossy magazine editors seem to be.  My own ‘edit’ would have included antibacterial hand-gel, a plastic rain hood and some paracetamol.  Best not let me loose on editing the next box then, although I might also have included some chocolate.

Am I happy? This is definitely not the best box I have had but I can’t quibble about the value of the products.  I have one more box in my 6-month subscription to go in July (with a promised French theme) after which I will be deciding whether to stick with Glossybox or, as is more likely, to try one of the many other beauty boxes out there.

I’d love to know which ones you think I should try.  Or are you a die-hard fan of Glossybox?

Disclosure: This is a completely independent review; The Glossybox subscription is my own purchase.

Glossybox can be contacted at www.glossybox.co.uk.

This is box four of a six month subscription to Glossybox. For those of you not aware of the concept, Glossybox is a monthly beauty subscription box containing 5 hand picked beauty samples wrapped in a signature pink box. Some of these samples may actually be full size products.

This month Glossybox is all about getting ready for summer – beautifully. It contains “all the essentials you need to prep for the balmy days ahead”.

I was ready for a change of products and was pleased to find Glossybox had mixed it up a bit this month. I’m not sure I could have coped with yet another lip balm. Unlike last month’s box, which looked a bit spartan, this one looks good value as soon as you take the lid off. Funnily though, the actual value of this month’s box is hard to gauge. It contains two full sized products worth £22.88 together and three sample products, one of which is £3.99 and the value of the other two aren’t listed. The cost of each box is £10 plus packaging (£3.25), so I have still received more than I paid for.

The box contained:-

The star product in this month’s box is the MeMeMe Enchanted Eyes Dual Ended Eye Wand which has two blue tones. The shadows are beautifully soft and do not drag on the skin – always a pet hate of mine. The full size product costs £6.95 but MeMeMe are offering 25% off all orders made on their website by the end of May using the special Glossy code.

The second full size product in this month’s box is the Aloe Vera Ultra Moisturising Gel by Etre Belle. This product is designed as an instant rescue product, being a cooling gel which is claimed to deliver moisture “deep below the surface” and help post sun skin. I am always suspicious about claims that a product can penetrate the dermis (deeper layers of the skin) but this gel does offer a cooling effect (albeit fleeting) and absorbs quickly. I did find it rather sticky but you would need this to help the product to last long enough to soothe sun sore skin. The Etre Belle Aloe Vera Ultra Moisturising Gel costs £15.93 and is available from their website at www.etre-belle.co.

The first sample product is Zerreau’s Towel Off Shampoo Foam in a 70ml size which retails at £3.99. This is the next generation of dry shampoo, say Glossybox. It has a towel off foam formula which allows you to wash your hair without water. You apply, massage it in and towel it off. This product is infused with a delicate apple scent so your hair smells fresh. The full size product (180ml) retails at £7.95.

The second sample and fourth product in the box is coincidentally from a range I had already heard about. SASS is a new range which claims to maintain your ‘intimate harmony and help to prevent unwanted smells, has products which are dermatologically tested and gynaecologist approved and are not tested on animals. The range includes cleansers, freshness mists and gels and an anti-dryness product.

The one in the box is SASS Intimate Perfect Skin Concentrate which is meant to soothe the skin and reduce hair growth post-shave. It has exfoliating ingredients including salicylic acid and fruit enzymes which, SASS say, “delicately exfoliate to ensure ingrown hairs are a thing of the past”. The product retails at £12 for the full size. There is a sample of 30 ml in the box. Time will tell with this one. I have not tried it but the mention of salicylic acid makes me a bit wary. The SASS range is exclusively available at www.boots.com.

The last of this month’s treats is a sample size of Philosophy’s renewed hope in a jar refreshing & refining moisturizer. Philosophy is a range I have heard of but never tried, finding their price point a little high, compared to the many lower priced excellent moisturizers out there. This product is said to be a favourite from “celebrities to top dermatologists”. It is said to work to “reduce the appearance of lines, discolouration and uneven texture”. I can see where it got its name from. Any fans out there? I’d love to hear if it’s worked for you. The full size product retails at £35.50 and is available from boots.com. If you want to try this product, you can get £7.50 off when you buy either the moisturizer or eye cream using the Glossy code before 23 June.

Am I happy? Again, yes. I must admit I do enjoy the arrival of my Glossybox each month. It’s like receiving an extra birthday present. Full marks to Glossybox so far.

Do you subscribe to a monthly beauty box? Which one is your favourite and are there others I should check out?

Disclosure: This is a completely independent review; The Glossybox subscription is my own purchase.

Glossybox can be contacted at www.glossybox.co.uk.

I recently took out a Glossybox monthly beauty box subscription for six months.  This is my review of the April 2015 box.

For those of you not aware of the concept, Glossybox is a monthly beauty subscription box containing 5 hand-picked beauty samples wrapped in a signature pink box.

Some of these samples may actually be full-size products.

This month Glossybox is paying homage to beauty and Hollywood royalty.

There are four collectors’ boxes featuring Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Rita Haywood and Marilyn Monroe.

Guess which one I had!

Lift the lid to reveal the cute pink ribbon and tissue paper

April goodies:  the box contained 3 full sized products and 2 sample products

I was a bit underwhelmed by the contents of this box which I was particularly looking forward to.

The problem is that the size of this month’s products don’t really fill the box, even though the actual value of the box is £20.60 plus the value of the two samples.

However, given that the cost of each box is £10 plus packaging (£3.25), I don’t think this box is as good value as the previous two I have received.

The box contained:-

Lord & Berry Lipstick Pencil in Kiss – full size £10

The star product in this month’s box is the Lord & Berry lipstick pencil in ‘Kiss’, which Glossybox describe as a classic pillar box red, ideal for Marilyn Monroe.

Long-lasting and softening, it has a matte finish. Lord & Berry are a boutique Italian fashion house based in Milan, whose philosophy is to turn make-up into a true fashion accessory.

They say their products are for women of all ages everywhere – without cultural or national borders.

POP Beauty Kajal Eyeliner Pen – Full Size £6.50

The second full-size product in this month’s box is the POP Beauty Kajal eyeliner pen which Glossybox say is ideal for creating Elizabeth Taylor’s iconic cat eye. (If only I could!).

The pencil has a smudger on the other end to help blend. POP has grown from having a cult following in London to having a worldwide fan base.

They aim to bring backstage secrets and make-up artistry to the street, bringing the essence of POP culture from the world of fashion, art and music.

Color Club Barely There Nail Polish, Full Size £4.10

The third and final full-size product this month is Color Club‘s Barely There Nail Polish, a nude shade which complements any skin tone.  Color Club is based in New York.  They over 250 shades and have recently been featured in InStyle and Vogue.

Darphin Exquisage Beauty Revealing Cream – Sample Size.  Full size £65 for 50 ml

The fourth product is a sample of  Darphin’s Exquisage Beauty Revealing Cream which aims to replenish skin, enhance firmness and boost luminosity for that ‘sought after red carpet glow’.  Darphin is a French brand specialising in skin care – specifically a range of potent moisturisers and serums.

Nougat London’s Soothing Bath Pearls – sample size – full size £6 for 35 ml

The last of this month’s treats is a mini bag of Nougat London’s Soothing Bath Pearls, an indulgent pre-event or party treat.  The pearls have a delicate fragrance and leave a subtle shimmer which stays on the skin and claims to create a ‘limb-lengthening sheen’. Nougat London was established as a fashion brand in London’s West End in the ’90s.  Their bath and body range was launched in 2000 and none of the ingredients is tested on animals.

One of Glossybox’s new strengths is that they include discount codes, make-up how to leaflets and video tutorials.

The April tutorial video is certainly worth a watch.

Am I happy?  Yes.

What the box lacks in content value is made up for by the support from Glossybox.

Everything arrived in pristine condition and was nicely packaged.

I’m looking forward to the May box and it will soon be time to decide whether to renew my subscription.

Do you subscribe to a monthly beauty box?

Which one is your favourite and are there others I should check out?

Fancy a Glossybox monthly beauty box subscription?  Find out more at www.glossybox.co.uk.

This is box two of a six-month subscription to Glossybox.

For those of you not aware of the concept, Glossybox is a monthly beauty subscription box containing 5 hand-picked beauty samples wrapped in a signature pink box.

Some of these samples may actually be full-size products.

Glossybox

The excitement of opening the box

Look what’s in the box

This box did not disappoint and contained 4 full sized products and 2 sample products.

I was pleased to see that some thought had been given to the age appropriateness of the box contents.

The box contained:-

Naobay Moisturizing Peeling

Naobay Moisturizing Peeling (full size – £13.71) an organic peeling milk from Spain which uses particles from the acai tree to remove dull dead skin cells.

It has a lovely citrusy fragrance and although the milk is quite thin, buffs the skin nicely.

Naobay stands for Natural Organic Beauty And You and their products contain no artificial ingredients.

Lash Princess Volume Mascara

Lash Princess Volume Mascara (full size – £3.30).

The mascara has a cobra head shaped wand which grabs each lash to create length and ‘dramatic volume’.

Essence is Europe’s number 1 cosmetic brand (according to Euromonitor International in 2012).

They strongly disapprove of testing on animals and believe in total transparency when it comes to ingredients which are listed next to the product on the website.

Dove Youth Vitality Shampoo

Dove Advanced Hair Series Youthful Vitality Shampoo & Conditioner (sample sizes of both.

Full sizes retail at £5.99 for 250ml).

I found the shampoo and conditioner very light compared with my usual shampoo and conditioner (Elvive Fibrology) but, sadly, not conditioning enough for my long hair.

Full marks though for popping in product samples suitable for older subscribers.

ncLA Nail Varnish in Santa Monica Shore Thing

ncLA nail lacquer in “Santa Monica Shore Thing”, a neon pastel green (full-size £13 for 15ml).

The lacquer is free of toxins and quick dry but I have to say I’m really not sure about the colour.

ncLA, who is a high-end beauty brand based in Los Angeles, want to offer a “little bit of Californian love on your fingertips” and pride themselves on their collaborations with niche fashion labels and Glamour Magazine in 2012.

Carmex Moisture Lip Balm in Berry Sheer Tint

Carmex Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm (full size -£4.49 for 2g) – this is a sheer tint in Berry which contains “superfood” ingredients such as Vitamin E, aloe and shea butter.

Cult product it may be but this is the third lip product in two boxes (with the promise of a full size Lord & Berry Crayon Lipstick in the April box) and I wonder if Glossybox is in danger of focusing on lip balms to too great a degree.

This lip balm will be staying in its packaging for the time being.

I estimate the value of the box to be at least £35 which, again, is certainly good value given the £10 cost of the box.

Am I happy?

Aside from one or two niggles (I’m not sure Dove is a brand I would have expected to be included, good though it is and I’m not a fan of the nail colour), I’m still content.

Everything arrived in pristine condition and nicely packaged.  I’m looking forward to the April box.

Glossybox can be contacted at www.glossybox.co.uk.

*This is a completely independent review;  The Glossybox subscription is my own purchase.

I first took out a subscription to Glossybox a couple of years ago when they launched in the UK.  

For those of you not aware of the concept, Glossybox is a monthly beauty subscription box containing 5 hand picked beauty samples wrapped in a signature pink box.  

Some of these samples may actually be full size products.

Glossybox February – The Love Edition

Lift the lid to reveal the cute pink ribbon and tissue paper

I think it’s fair to say, that in the beginning, there were a few issues with the safe delivery of the samples and the perceived value of the items in the box.  

I cancelled when the HD Brows compact in my box arrived smashed, having covered the remaining box contents in black brow powder! 

February goodies

That said,  Glossybox  has certainly built its profile on social media, together with a faithful following and the company now offers an ‘Beauty Unboxed’ tutorial video which shows you how to use the products you have received and a website which highlights trends and features new products. 

The price has remained pretty constant too – depending on your subscription plan, boxes cost around £10 per month plus delivery around the £3.25 mark.

The other previous gripe I recall is that, despite entering details of hair colour, eye colour, etc, early customers felt that the boxes were not sufficiently tailored but, in fairness to Glossybox, doing this would be a logistical nightmare and I think they would be better off concentrating less on individualising the boxes.  

I’m also interested to see how appropriate the samples may be across the age ranges, or whether the products are firmly aimed at the 20-30 age group.

So I have taken out a six month subscription to see if I can ‘feel the love’ again for Glossybox as I like the concept of the beauty box.

It’s a monthly treat at a relatively budget friendly price (speaking as someone who seems to be unable to leave Boots these days without having spent at least £30 just on basic toiletries).

So, what’s in the box? 

The box contains 3 full sized products and 2 sample products

– a Wilkinson Sword Hydro Silk (full size – £9.99) razor which has a water-activated bar of moisturising serum infused with marine extracts and shea butter.

– a Marsk mineral eyeshadow (full size – £14.49) in “Fifty Shades” (no prizes for guessing which movie this refers to), a highly pigmented, mineral, powder-based eye shadow which is 100% natural.

– a Royal Apothic Tinties lip balm (full size – $14 for 3.4g) – this is a Los Angeles brand allegedly favoured by Victoria Beckham.  

The balm contains shea butter and a trio of oils (argan, grape seed and almond) to nourish lips.

– a So Susan Rose Quartet Lip & Cheek Palette (sample size) in pinks or crimson

– Vichy Liftactiv Plus (sample size) – a cream that works to banish the signs of ageing as they appear.

I estimate the value of the box to be at least £30 which is certainly good value given the £10 cost of the box.

Am I happy?  

So far so good.  

Everything arrived in pristine condition and nicely packaged.  

I’m looking forward to this month’s tutorial video to give me some more information about these products.  

And the March box will contain a full sized Naobay moisturizing peeling, a facial milk which is said to gently peel skin with the natural properties of Acai and Gotu Kola (a herb used in traditional Chinese medicine).

My feelings towards Glossybox have certainly warmed up.

Glossybox can be contacted at www.glossybox.co.uk, on Twitter at @glossyboxuk and on Facebook as www.facebook.com/GlossyBox.co.uk.


*This is a completely independent review;  The Glossybox subscription is my own purchase.