More of the July Glossy Box

So Glossy Box day is quickly turning into my favourite day of the month.

Last month I read a lot of criticism of the box, mainly because of the lack of make up and the mini Bastiste spray, on top of the price hike starting next month (they will start charging £2.95 on top of the £10 for delivery) they really seem to have tried hard this month. For starters there were two items of make up in my box, Illamasqua Pure Pigment powder and a Ciate nail polish which were both full size, plus a full size bottle of Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Rose Oil. These full size products are worth about £45 alone!

Ciate Nail Polish- Beach Melba
I got a pinky peach, difficult to show in the picture over my nails without a lot of coats but it is pretty much the colour of a french manicure pink. It is a nice colour, dried fairly quickly and went on smoothly.

Illamasqua Pure Pigment- Conquer

I imagine that everyone was excited to see Illamasqua included. I have not tried the brand before and was eager to give it a go. I am not sure about the Forest Green colour I got but I think it could work as liner or to blend for a green smokey eye look. This retails at £15.50 for 1.3g, by contrast the MAC pigment powder is also £15.50 but you get 4.5g so quite a big difference in value for money.

When applied dry, the powder is sheer and can be built up. When applied wet the pigment really comes out, the colour is really deep and shimmery. The one thing I did notice is that it washed off with water very easily so may need a little primer underneath to hold it.

Xen-Tan Deep Tan Luxe

I love this tanner, I already have the full size version but the little tube will be great for keeping the tan topped up when away. The tanner comes out a dark greeny brown and is rubbed on in a circular motion, the result is really even and natural and no tide marks. It also gives a much more flattering olive glow rather than orange. Another perk is that it is vanilla scented and much more pleasant than the usual fake tan smell!

Weleda Pomegranite Regenerating Body Oil

I gave this a try after a shower and it left my skin soft, moisturised and glowing. Not that easy to apply as the oil pours out quite readily- I can see it running down quite quickly with my liberal application! Really does smell amazing though and absorbed quickly so I did not get oil on my clothes.

Etat Libre Orange pefume samples- "Tilda Swinton" and "Archives 69"

Both perfumes are spicy and rich, quite pleasant and unusual, applied in the morning they seemed to last a long time.



Favourite item was definitely the body oil as it smells amazing! I know there were a few variations in the boxes so let me know what was in yours and what you thought.

xxxx

July Glossy Box- contents

Finally the post has arrived bringing my July Glossy Box.

This months contents-

30ml Xen-Tan Deep Bronze Luxe
My fave tanner so brilliant inclusion- great for tan top ups on weekends away!

Ciate Nail Polish- Beach Melba
Lovely pastel pink!

Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Body Oil
Full size!! Retails at £19.95 so really pleased with that.

Illamasqua Pure Pigment- Conquer
Again full size, retails at £15.50. Not too sure about the colour for me but could use as an eyeliner.

2 samples of perfume by Etat Libre d'Orange
A vial each of the Tilda Swinton and the Archives 69

So far so good, brilliant products included. I really enjoyed last months box but I know it was heavily criticised for lack of make up and inclusion of Batiste, they have definitely tried to win people back this month.

BIOeffect update! Wonder product from the June Glossy Box

Just wanted to give a little update on the BIO Effect serum that was included in the June Glossy Box, see my previous blog post here.

As the sample is coming to an end :-( I thought I would share my opinions. Although I have had the sample for four weeks I have not used it everyday (thus only just finishing the sample now).  I must say though, the sample has latest really well as I have used it about 4 days of every week, a little really has gone a long way- which is great for a product that is £125 for 15ml.

The serum is for use at night and is a sticky fluid. You can feel it is a layer on the skin and when I have woken up I can still feel it there, this is not a problem as it is not uncomfortable or messy but suggests that it works like a mask. It certainly wouldn't be a good idea for using during the day. Overall, my skin has felt smoother and healthier and the tone very much improved. The first couple of times I used it, I got a few small spots but these stopped and it also helped to tone down the redness of my acne.

You use the serum on the eyes too and it can be applied all over the eye lid. As I don't normally use eye cream I think I noticed the most difference here. The skin around my eyes was much plumper and softer. The small creases were basically gone and my eye area looked much fresher. I also found it improved the texture of my eyelid and my eyeshadow went on much more smoothly and stayed put longer that usual.

I was really impressed with the serum, I am still not sure I will spend the £125 straight away but I would be more willing knowing how well it worked and how long a small amount can last. I think that more expensive products should be available to sample as people would be less reluctant to buy if they felt they knew it worked for their skin (take note Estee Lauder Idealist!).

Maybelline Colour Sensational- Coral Pop!

Fancying a change from my usual pink and red lipstick choices I bought this Maybelline Colour Sensational lipstick in Coral Pop (420). It was about £7 from Boots and was a bit of an impulse buy- mostly bought for the colour.

I am not that familiar with Maybelline products so wasn't sure what to expect but I really like the pigment and the texture of this lipstick. It is fairly sheer, very light but the colour is quite strong. It feels more like a balm than a lipstick and was very moistruising. It faded quite quickly, touch up needed after two hours and did fair well through eating a drinking, but great if you want a light balm with good colour.

Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Colour- £16

Bobbi Brown have recently bought out a new range of highly pigmented lipsticks, there are currently 12 colours available. The lipsticks are SPF 12 and boast 'crisp colour' and creamy moisturisation.

I tried a couple of these out at the Bobbi Brown counter and bought 'Cosmic Raspberry' which is described as 'a bright pink fuchsia'. The assistant recommended that the lipstick should be applied straight from the bullet and without lip liner.

I have been pleased with the lipstick. It is a bold colour with a matte cream finish. There is no sparkle or gloss to it although it has a nice moisturised sheen. I would say the finish of this colour is less pink fuchsia and more purpley, although it is a nice colour. It goes on smoothly, and despite being applied with out liner or brush it went on neatly. I did find the formula moisturising for a few hours but as it faded my lips definitely craved a bit of lip balm or a reapplication. It lasted for about 4/5 hours before needing retouching and did not survive lunch. Biggest downfall with this lipstick was that it did not fade evenly and it does leave a bit of a ring. As it is such a bright colour I think this looks pretty noticeable so makes the lipstick quite high maintenance for long wear.

Overall, I would check out other colours of this range for sure as I think this colours, and the others available are really sophisticated but bright and fun.

Revlon Nails- Plum Seduction!

Check out NOTD Revlon Nail Enamel in Plum Seduction. Long lasting and great colour in one coat.

Max Factor staying power! Lipfinity gloss.

I have not used many Max Factor products, but I was looking for a pink gloss that I could wear for work without having to reapply all the time. I picked up this Max Factor Lipfinity Colour & Gloss in Shimmering Pink (500).

Apply the first one, a thick colour, allow to dry and then apply the light gloss over the top. The colour is a little heavier than a usual gloss, the first end is quite thick and dries in about 2 or 3 minutes. It is a metallic pink. The gloss end is sheer and shimmery, much more what you would expect from a gloss.

The finish is great. The first wand gives a lasting colour base. It stayed perfect from morning right through to the night. The gloss needed a retouching a little after eating. You need to use make up remover to take it off and, with the remover it comes off easily. Although the colour part dries and stays on your lips the gloss wand keeps your lips moist and soft. Can't believe the staying power of this stuff! I will definitely be checking out a few more colours.

The only time it let me down was when I didn't let the first colour dry enough and it started to rub off and ball up a little on the lips after a couple of hours, as the gloss started to wear off.

MAC Cream Colour Base £13.50

As someone who has no visible bone structure to speak of, I am constantly looking for new ways to sculpt in some cheek bones! My favourite is this multi purpose cream-to-powder from MAC in Shell. The colour swatch on the website here is not very representative as it is a very pale taupe-pink. It has a warm shimmer to it and goes on very sheer. I layer it over my foundation before bronzer and blush. It melts onto your finger and you only need a really small swipe to cover your cheekbone. I also put a very small sweep on my nose and cupids bow.

It does feel slightly buttery to touch and I worried that it would be greasy, but it melts into the foundation and sits with a slight powdery finish.

Overall, I think this is a great multi use product. You need such a tiny amount one pot should last plenty of time so I pretty good value for money.

Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel Mask- £28.60 for 50ml

In a bid to prep my skin for the summer and to indulge my love of face masks, I ordered this Elemis Papaya mask. I have not bought Elemis products before but I have had them used in the salons before.

The details suggest that the mask is a natural and non grainy exfoliator, using fruit enzymes to gently remove any dead skin and leave you glowing. As I can't resist the promise of glowing skin I thought I'd give it a go.

The first thing I noticed was the scent, it smells amazing, really fruity and fresh. It goes on like a thick cream and dries sticky. After rinsing it off my skin was soft and really moisturised. I exfoliate a lot so it is difficult to judge if this renewed the skin surface but it is a really luxurious product and my skin felt very smooth after using it. I also noticed that my blemishes looked less red.

As masks go, I think I prefer this Dermalogica one for a nice skin treat, but I think this was a really lovely product to use. And very gentle, I would definitely recommend it if your skin is too sensitive for a grainy exfoliator.

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Boost Mousse!

I have had this John Frieda Mousse in my cupboard for ages and I recently started using it as the weather has been a bit unpredictable and wet! I bought it for a special occasion and just haven't thought to use it since (in which time they have rebranded the packaging).

It is lilac in colour which neutralises the blond to stop it looking brassy, the first time I put it on my colour looked so much brighter and whiter. It definitely had a cleaner tone to it, and then to confirm this I had so many compliments that my hair colour looked good! I am so impressed with it, I can't believe I have left it sitting there for so long. And even better it kept my hair looking much better through all the rain! Great hold and brighter blond for less than £6 it is a definite must have for me now!!