So, if you haven't heard of Glossybox, it is beauty subscription box service that packages up 5 or 6 travel or full-sized products (cosmetics, skin care or haircare) and delivers them to your door once a month for just £10 plus P+P. When you sign up, you also complete a survey, so that they can try to send out products more tailored to your needs - a very cool touch.
I have been subscribed to Glossybox for exactly a year now (and they sent me a thank-you card this month just for that, so that's nice of them!) and I can honestly say I've never been disappointed. Sure, there have been a few products that I have felt 'meh' about (stick on fake-tattoo things... wha'?), but I have also discovered things that I would absolutely repurchase (basically the whole of the Naobay line) and on the whole I've really enjoyed experimenting with the products I have received. And that's the whole point of subscription boxes, I think, to
experiment and try out things you normally wouldn't. If you're going into this with the hope that you're always going to receive coral-toned blushers and hair products that tame frizz, forget about it.
Let's get onto the products I received this month!
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So Susan Light Diffuser Illuminator & Bronzer Duo
Make-up is my favourite thing to receive in Glossybox, so I was clearly delighted with this. Upon opening the cute little pot (which was actually really difficult - I nearly snapped off my fingernail, so be careful about that!) the tones scared me a little bit - it looked far too dark to look natural on my fair skin. Thankfully, it translated quite differently once swatched.
The bronzer side is a light, warm terracotta brown, and the illuminator is a soft champagne with minute specks of gold glitter running through it. Thankfully, they are quite sheer, so they appear a lot more natural than they do in the pot. I found the formula to be quite thin, but still easy to blend without becoming patchy. The highlighter was a little bit crumbly, but once blended on the cheekbone it imparts a lovely, quite subdued glow. Both colours would be better suited to a warmer, complexion, but I found I could achieve quite a natural look on my cool, fair complexion thanks to the sheer formula. I would have liked if it was housed in a bigger container as it's a bit too small for a contour/highlighter brush (it's about the size of a regular eyeshadow), but on the whole I'm pleased with it and I can see myself getting some good use out of it.
This was a full sized product, and is available to purchase for £14 from www.sosusan.com
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Luxie Rose Gold Large Angled Face Brush 504
We rarely receive make-up brushes in Glossybox (I think I've received one before this), and as I'm a bit of a brush junkie, this was a really nice surprise. The packaging is gorgeous, and upon initial inspection, it seems like a well-made, sturdy brush. I think the name is a bit misleading, as it's not large by any means - the size and shape of it actually make it the perfect contour brush, as it really sits comfortably in the hollow of your cheek. It's also of course the perfect companion to the So Susan Duo.
The brush itself is extremely soft - it feels lovely on the face. The bristles are fairly densely packed, but not so dense that you lose that fluffiness needed to blend powder well. I have contoured with this already and I found that the shape allowed me to control where I was placing the product, but the bristles had enough give to allow me to blend the product out well. The end result was a precise but still natural contour. Luxie is also a vegan, cruelty free brand, so that's an added bonus! This is probably my favourite thing in the box and will be my go-to contour brush.
This brush is full sized, and is available for purchase from www.luxiebeauty.com for £10.42
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Hey Honey Good Morning Honey Silk Facial Serum
I LOVE facial serums. Even though I'm only 24, I really feel like my skin is starting to age (I see you, crows feet!) so I'm on board with anything that claims to get deep into the skin's surface to fix all that nonsense. I've never heard of this brand before, but Glossybox claims that it 'replenishes and protects the skin, leaving you with a glowing complexion day after day.'
The serum itself is a thin light yellow (honey?!) liquid. I've used this once before moisturising and after toning, and holy crap, it made my skin SO SOFT. I suffer from combination skin, and the skin on my cheeks is quite lizard-esque, but this really softened them and made the texture on the whole a lot better. You need to use something like this consistently to really see the benefits, but I'm definitely enjoying it so far and will be continuing to incorporate it into my skincare routine.
This is a travel sized product. The full-sized product can be purchased from www.heyhoney.com for £28.81
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Olay Regenerist Luminous Skin Tone Perfecting Cream
Olay is the only brand in this box I've heard of before - it seems to be a staple brand for Brits. This particular product seems like a multitasking product, but I have been using it as a primer beneath make-up as an extra boost for my skin. Glossybox claims it 'hydrates, exfoliates and smoothes the skin to leave you with a healthy, glowing complexion.' I found that as a primer (I'm probably using it totally wrong, I know) it acted as a moisturiser but also calmed down the redness in my skin and evened out my complexion. Again, it's one of those products you need to continue to use to see the benefits - I will definitely be doing that.
This product is a travel mini. The full-sized product can be purchsae from www.olay.co.uk for £29.99
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-417 Catharsis Vitamin Mineral Shampoo and Conditioner
I've recently coloured my hair, so I'm definitely in the market for trying out new shampoos and conditioners! Glossybox claims that 'the combination of Dead Sea moisture balancing minerals, energising vitamins and essential oils in this duo ensure your hair is super gleaming, hydrated and lustrous.' I've used these both once already, and the first thing I noticed is that my hair was a lot more manageable. Usually, if I can get a brush through my hair post wash it's a small victory, let alone a comb, but after using these products I was able to comb my hair without tugging on any knots - it was quite amazing, actually. Also, I found that my my natural waves were more defined, rather than imitating Charles II as they usually do. I have very long hair and the bottles are quite small so I'm not sure how many washes I will get out of them, but so far, so good!
This is a travel sized product. The full-sized product can be purchased from www.minus417.com for £16.89 each
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Overall, I am very impressed with this month's box - it offered a good range of make-up, haircare and skincare, and though some products were not full-sized, the sizes were still very generous. You always get more than you pay for with Glossybox, so in my eyes it's absolutely worth it - it really is a lovely surprise each month.
What did you think of this month's Glossybox?
- Soph
