Glossybox August 2013

This month's Glossybox has the theme 'High-Flyers' which is filled with products that are perfect for on the go. There are even products included that are from Sweden and Brazil to go along with the theme. Not only that but all the products are under 100ml - so are perfect for taking on board!

Emite Eyelash Curler- approximately £20

All the way from Sweden is this sleek eyelash curlers which are developed with professional makeup artists and claim to have a special curve design to suit all eye shapes without touching your makeup base. They're definitely the best curlers that I have tried and the most expensive, however when I use it, it does touch my eyelid but not as much as other curlers. I love that you don't need to apply much pressure to get perfectly curled lashes and it also comes with three extra rubber pads. For a value of £20 I am really impressed with Glossybox and it just completes the box, however personally if I was to spend £20 on curlers I would definitely get the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers.

Eucerin Aquaphor - £8.50

This multi-purpose balm is a cult product in the US and even Beyoncé and Megan Fox are fans of this little tube. It is clinically proven to help support skin's own regeneration process and is perfect for very dry or cracked skin. I'm actually really curious to try this on my feet and heels to see if it will give me baby soft feet!

TRESemmé Platinum Strength Concentrated Treatment Shot - £1.49

I love using treatments in my hair and this treatment shot really grabbed my attention. You just leave it in for 60 seconds and rinse out and should transform your frizzy damaged hair into beach goddess hair. This is perfect for using in the shower for a quick pick me up on those rough hair days!

Óceane Makeup Remover Pen - not yet available in the UK

This makeup remover pen from Brazil is not yet available in the UK, which is a shame because it is a genius invention! You can throw this into your bag and you'll always have perfect makeup. It's perfect for touching up your makeup and removing smudged mascara or lipstick on-the-go. It's even good for cleaning up those raccoon eyes from the leftover mascara that has smudged overnight.

 Jelly Pong Pong 2-in-1 Shadow/Liner - £10

This creamy crayon is the perfect multi-tasker for travelling that can be used as an eyeliner or smudged and blended out as an eyeshadow. I received the Plum shade which is really pretty and I would definitely wear it as eyeliner for a subtle pop of colour and a less harsh alternative to black.

What was your favourite product you received in your beauty box?

Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow - 07 Moon River

Chanel have recently released their new Stylo Eyeshadows with a total of 6 illuminating shades ranging from a luminous gold to aquamarine green to black. After hearing about their released I couldn't help myself and just had to pick one up. Moon River instantly gravitated towards me and I think we're a match made in heaven!

Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow - £23

Moon River is a beautiful metallic taupe with a champagne sheen and is described as 'platinum'. With only on swipe Moon River gives a semi-opaque colour but can easily build up to a really intense opaque colour. The consistency is creamy and is cool to the touch. I find this eyeshadow perfect for lazy days or when I am in a rush, as it is super quick and simple to apply and is one of those eyeshadows which looks incredible worn alone.

I am really impressed with the longevity of this as it lasted well over 12 hours and was still standing strong without a primer. I haven't ever come across any eyeshadows, whether it is cream or powder, which has never creased on me until I met this magic stick. The Urban Decay Primer Potion and Mac Painterly Paint Pot still manage to crease on me, so I was incredibly impressed that this eyeshadow was did not crease at all. This eyeshadow is also water-resistant and is slightly smudge-proof, it does smudge a bit but the majority of the eyeshadow doesn't budge.

Have you tried out the new Stylo Eyeshadows yet? Do you think you're going to?

Glossybox June 2013

My Glossybox has finally arrived and I am pretty excited about most the products that I received!

Monu Hydrating Moisturiser SPF 15 - £29.95 for 50ml

I was really excited to see this in my box as summer is approaching I want to product my skin from the sun and using suncream on the face usually causes breakouts. I have received products by Monu in previous Glossyboxes and have loved them, so I'm really interested in trying more. This moisturiser is for all skin types which is perfect because I have oily skin and I hate getting products that are only for dry or normal skin types. It has a very light scent and is non-greasy on the skin which dries really quickly. It contains Zinc Oxide which provides protection against both UVA and UVB, while Vitamin E fights free radicals and soft focus technology helps to blur imperfections and correct skintone.

Figs & Rouge Cherry Blossom Multi-tasking Lip Balm - £5

This 100% natural lipbalm is packed with antioxidants and has a beautiful pink tint. Not only is it a lipbalm but it can also be used on cuticles, elbows, knees and even on eyebrows! As it is tinted, I'm not exactly sure how well it will work in other places but for the lips it is incredible! It feels so smooth and moisturising on the lips and I am just in love with it. I also love the pot lipbalms by Fig & Rouge so as well - I recommend trying any of their lipbalms.

NUXE Huile Prodigieuse OR - £34 for 100ml

This is a dry oil which has shimmering gold particles! It contains six precious plant oils and Vitamin E which are formulated to be easily absorbed and illuminate the skin and hair. It gives a beautiful subtle hint of shimmer to the skin and looks incredible with a little bit on the shoulders, cheek bones and collar bone. I have the original NUXE Huile Prodigieuse which has no shimmer and love using that on the ends of my hair!

MeMeMe Long Lasting Nail Gloss - £5

I received this MeMeMe nail polish in the shade 66 Innocent which is a nude ivory. I think it would be nice as French manicure base and it also has a wide brush which makes it really effortless to apply. It also has a beautiful glossy finish for the perfect groomed nails.

Helen É Shimmer Eye Powder - £5

This loose eyeshadow can be used both dry and wet for different effects. I received it in the shade 26 which is a grey with blue shimmers. I never use loose eyeshadows and I wasn't very excited about this product but I will give it a try and I think it could possibly look nice applied wet as an eyeliner. The packaging is really cute and doesn't look cheap like most other loose eyeshadows.

Are you subscribed to any beauty boxes? What did you receive this month?

Urban Decay Naked Basics Review and Swatches

I've been a fan of the original Urban Decay Naked palette so when I heard that they had a Naked Basics palette I just knew I had to get it. 

Urban Decay Naked Basics - £20

The palette is much smaller than I imagined however the eyeshadows are the exact same size as the original Naked and Naked 2 palette (1.3g). I find that it is quite hard to open and that I need to use my nail which I am always worried about chipping my nail polish, but thankfully it is always fine.

I love using Venus in the inner corner and as a highlighter on the brow bone and tear duct, Foxy and Walk of Shame all over the lid, Naked 2 and Faint in the crease and Crave as a liner or in the outer corner for a more smokey look. Recently I have been obsessed with using Naked 2 in the crease because it is so natural and looks perfect with any look.

The eyeshadows are very smooth and almost creamy which is to be expected from Urban Decay and they also apply really well onto the lids with a good longevity. I must admit that I do still prefer my Naked palette because of the wide range of colours and finishes but also the eyeshadows compliment my skin tone more. 

From left to right: Venus, Foxy, Walk of Shame, Naked 2, Faint, Crave

Venus - soft off-white demi-matte

Foxy - cream bisque matte

Walk of Shame - very light nude matte

Naked 2 - taupe matte

Faint - warm dusty brown matte

Crave - darkest brown/black matte

Have you got the Naked Basics palette, or want to get it? Are you more of a matte or shimmer girl?

Mac Haul

Hey everyone! Today I want to share with you a small Mac haul. I've been wanting a few products for a while now and I finally went out and got them!

Custom Eyeshadow Quad - £46.50

Top left to right: Nylon, All That Glitters

Bottom left to right: Satin Taupe, Brun

The first thing on my wishlist was a Mac eyeshadow quad with 4 of my top wanted eyeshadows. I got Nylon which is a pale gold with icy shimmer that is perfect for the tear duct, inner corner and brow bone. All That Glitters is a gorgeous beige with gold pearl which looks great all over the lid alone and with other eyeshadows - I think everyone just needs this colour in their collection! Satin Taupe is a taupe with silver shimmer which is great for the outer corner and in the crease. Brun is a muted blackish brown which is perfect for my eyebrows and in the crease.

Vintage Selection Paint Pot - £14.50

Vintage Selection is one of the Mac Pro Longwear Paint Pots which is a frosted dirty peach. It is pretty similar to Benefit's RSVP and it is nicely pigmented. This colour looks amazing alone, so great when in a rush as it just completes the look and pulls it all together. 

217 Blending Brush - £17

I've been needing a blending brush for a while now and since getting this brush my eyeshadow looks so much better! I'm amazing how much a difference one brush can make.

219 Pencil Brush - £19 

I also picked up the pencil brush which I find is great for applying highlighter to the inner corner and tear duct. It can also be used in the crease however it can leave a strong line which is hard to blend out so I prefer to use a slightly larger brush in the crease.

Matchmaster Foundation Sample - £25 for 35ml

The lady was really kind and gave me a sample of their Matchmaster foundation in the shade 1 which so far I really like and it gives a soft natural-matte finish and has good coverage.

February Makeup Haul

Hey Everyone! During February I went to Finland and Estonia and I picked up a few beauty products at Duty Free and department stores.

Here's some close ups of all the products that I have bought:

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit - £24

Bobbi Brown Creamy Corrector - £18

I picked up the Bobbi Brown concealer and corrector in the shade Ivory and Porcelain Peach. I've been wanting to get these products for a while now but I haven't been able to justify the price, so as soon as I went to London Gatwick I couldn't resist the duty free prices!

BareMinerals Matte Foundation SPF 15 - £25

I also got the BareMinerals Matte powder foundation at duty free in the shade Fairly Medium. The BareMinerals lady wasn't at the counter so I asked the one at Clinique to help me and she thought I was Fairly Medium which I've never had any foundation in medium so it kind of worried me because I didn't want to look orange, but since it's a loose powder you wouldn't be able to tell anyway.

L'Oreal Paris GlamShine Stain Splash - £7.99

Left to right: 102 Romy, 101 Lolita

I passed the L'Oreal section and couldn't help but pick up two of the L'Oreal Paris GlamShine Stain Splash which are a perfect dupe for the YSL Glossy Stains. I got the colours 101 Lolita and 102 Romy. The best thing was that these were buy one get one free which was a total bargain!

Maybelline Instant Anti-Age Concealer - $7.99

When I saw that they had the Maybelline Instant Anti-Age Concealer I just had to get it because it hasn't been released in the UK yet and many people have raved about it.

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadows - £24

From left to right: Apparence, Abstraction

 At the Estonian duty free I decided to pick up the Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadows in Apparence and Abstraction. 

Make Up Store Microshadow

From left to right: Savanna, Old Gold

 I noticed in both Finland and Estonia that Make Up Store is a popular brand so I thought I should try a couple of eyeshadows. I got the shades Savanna and Old Gold.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Light - £25

 On the ferry to Estonia from Finland I picked up the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Light which I have been wanting to get for a while. The light formula is 60% water based so it's great for people with oily, acne prone or sensitive skin.

Lancome Star Bronzer Minéral Mat - £32.50

I also picked up this Lancome Star Bronzer Minéral Mat at duty free in shade 03. It has a gorgeous design on the bronzer and outer case and smells of the signature Lancome rose scent.

Glossybox February 2013

This month’s Glossybox was all about Valentines and came with this beautiful limited edition box. This box is so much nicer and you can tell they have put in more effort this year than last year’s Valentines box with was just plain hot pink. I wasn't as pleased with this box as the January box because none of the products were particularly special and I would have liked to see a bigger branded product this month.

The box was beautifully packed with a hot pink bow and pink shredded paper.

Anatomicals - You Need a Blooming Shower! - £5 for 300ml

This shower gel smells amazing and just like roses! I've had other products from Anatomicals in previous Glossyboxes and I've liked their products however I would have liked to discover and try other brands. The price of this sample is £2.50 which isn't bad considering it's quite a big size.

Micabella Cosmetics Mineral Eye Shadow in Intelligence - £14.95 for 2.5g

This is a really pretty shimmery loose eyeshadow. I did see in other peoples boxes that they had an eyeshadow duo which I was really hoping to receive because I really don't like getting loose pigments because they are so messy and I find they are hard to work with. This eyeshadow is made from 100% natural mica and is said to be waterproof. The price of this sample is £5.98 for 1g.

Miners Cosmetics Lip Colour in Dreamer - £3.99 for 4g

This is a super shimmery pink lipstick that is on the frosty side. It's not the usual shade that I would go for because of the amount of shimmer in it, however I am looking forward to trying it out.

 Sassoon Salon Professional Spray Shine - £14.89 for 250ml

I'm really looking forward to trying this product as it adds shine and UV protection to the hair. My hair is naturally shiny but I enjoy products that enhance the look of my hair. This sample is worth £2.98 for 50ml.

Mememe Cosmetics FatCat Lengthening Mascara - £7.99 for 8ml

I have so many backup mascaras for when I run out but I am excited to try a new brand I haven't heard of before, I think that you can never have too many mascaras because they only last around six months and I love trying new formulas and wands to find the best one out there for my lashes.

Glossybox Extra

As a little extra Glossybox included a heart shaped lollipop.

Discount Codes:

25% off Micabella Cosmetics - 'MICAGLOSSY2013'
20% off Mememe Cosmetics - 'Glossybox2013'
25% off Sassoon Salon - 'SassoonGlossy'
15% off Miners Cosmetics - 'GLOSS15'
40% off Stylistpick - 'GBOX40'