So that's it, I've finally cancelled Glossybox and here's why

So I've finally bitten the bullet and cancelled my Glossybox subscription.
I will miss it a little bit but the truth is that I only use 1-2 products out of the 5 each month. I get all excited at first with my box but once that's worn off the reality is that I won't use the products.

I have cancelled so I can spend that money each month towards a new lipstick. I could be tempted with a I Love Beauty box (formally Beautecobox) here and there as I do keep an eye on what is in each box each month. Anyway I currently have 4 lipsticks at the top of my list and I hope to buy one each month until I have all 4.
The lipsticks that I currently want are:

Mac Vegas Volt
Mac Coral Bliss
YSL Rouge Volupte Peach Passion
YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Orange Impertinent

These are in no particular order as I want them all just as much (which is a lot!) so I will have to be patient until I can collect them.

Do you subscribe to a monthly beauty box and do you often think of cancelling to buy other products that you know you'll use?

Jodie x

Glossybox UK September 2013 - The London Edition

Well this month's Glossybox was meant to be my last as I been left underwhelmed by my past few. I used my Glossydots to pay for this one but now it's arrived I'm not to sure if I can bring myself to hit the unsubscribe button just yet. I'm actually really happy with this month's box my favourites are the eyeliner and blusher.

First things first yes I am absolutely devastated that I didn't get the HD Brows blusher excuse me while I cry into my Glossybox tissue paper - but once I got over that fact I realised that I am happy with everything that I received.

Here is what I got in this month's box:
Rimmel Stay Blushed Blusher in 004 Sunkissed Cherry RRP £4.49 for 14ml
This colour is perfect for the upcoming winter months. I usually wouldn't buy such a dark blush but even on my pale skin this is not too much. The colour is gorgeous. It is very pigmented and a little goes a very long way. I squeeze abit of the product onto the back of my hand and then I use my Elf Stipple brush to apply to my cheeks. This way I don't get too much product on my face and look like a clown. I will definitely be scouring Boots for more shades of this.

Be a Bombshell Cosmetics Onyx Eyeliner RRP $14 for 3g
Yes I know the box is London themed so I don't have a clue where this brand fit into the equation but I'm not complaining because I love it! I have been eyeing the new L'Oréal felt tip liners for a couple of weeks as I've seen good blog reviews about them but after the disaster that was the Eyeko one that was free with a magazine a few months back it put me off felt tip liners. After trying this though I now want more, it's nice and jet black and goes on nice and smooth. I like how it is a thick pen it makes it so much easier to get my cat eye flick which I wear daily. I have never heard of this brand but in wouldn't mind trying more from them in the future.

Elizabeth Arden Untold £48 for 50ml, 5ml Sample received 

As far as perfume samples go this is a great size I'm very happy with it, not to mention that it smells just divine. I usually stay clear of this brand as I see it for the older lady for some reason but this is a gorgeous sweet smelling fragrance that I would be happy to own the full size.

Eylure Pre- glued Lashes RRP £5.06 I have never tried false lashes before but I'm happy to try these out. I've never tried them before as I'm scared I'll like the look so much that I will want to wear them daily and end up wrecking my own lashes in the process. I'm also not the most patient person and false lashes look like a lot of faffing about but I'll see.

Toni & Guy Classic Shine and Gloss Serium RRP £7.19 for 30ml
My Paul Mitchell shine spray from my May box is still going strong so I wasn't in the market for a new hair shine product just yet but I am happy to try this out. It smells gorgeous and you get a lot of product here so I'm sure that it will last me a long time.

Overall I think this month's Glossybox is a winner I don't really see the connection with London but who cares. I'm loving the Glossy makeover with a small magazine now included. I also like the new card layout containing the the product detail. you can subscribe to Glossybox here
What do you think of my box and what did you get in yours?
Jodie x

Things that I intend to buy instead of my beauty box subscription! Each one I can guarantee that I will love.

So I've had my fun with my Glossybox subscription but now I've started to feel like it's a waste of money I always like 1 or 2 things out of the boxes and convince myself that I like the rest when I don't. They all get left in a Glossybox unused so I've decided to cancel my subscription after I get my September one (which will be free as I've redeemed my 1000 Glossydots) and spend the money month by month buying things that are on my wishlist. These are items that I know that I will love! Here is a low down of my planned purchases that are a £1 or 2 either way of my Glossybox subscription price of £12.95.

The Balm Instain blusher in Swiss Dot £14.40 @ Feelunique
I absolutely adore this blush since I got the tiny sample. Which h is still going by the way a little of this product goes a long way and the pigmentation is first class.

Burt's Bees Essentials set £12.99 @ Burts Bees
I already have the lip balm in this which I love but I recently bought my mother in law this set for her birthday and I struggled to hand it over as I knew that I wanted it for myself. She was very kind though and let me test it. The foot cream is my favourite as well as smelling gorgeous you can feel the results instantly. This is a box of items that I know that I will love every single item which I can't say about my Glossyboxes.

Mac Lipstick £15.00 @ Mac
Any will do but but Ravishing is top on my list, but i want the Rebecca Moses Illustrated palette in brown which has Ravishing in so I might get another colour. Anyway I would happily trade a whole Glossybox for a Mac lipstick.

Nuxe Reve De Miel Handcream £10 @ Nuxe
I know I've raved a lot about this lately but it really is amazing! The best hand cream ever hands down. Anyway my small sample of this is getting low so I full size one of these is on my wishlist.

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush £10.79 @ Feel Unique
I don't own any Real Techniques brushes yet but I do want to build up a collection so month by month I could get a different one.

So what do you think of my idea? Do you subscribe to any Beauty boxes? And do you always like what you get?

Jodie x

July UK Glossybox - Seaside Splash

So if you have read my August Glossybox post you will have read my rant about how my July box hadn't turned up.

Hoorah it has finally arrived only 1 month late. So here it is, I am not sure that I will have use for all of its contents as summer seems to have faded away but maybe I will save them for next summer.

In my box I got:

Alterna - Bamboo Style Boho Waves Tousled Texture Hair Mist 25ml
If you can get over the ridiculously long name you can make out that it is hair spray to give you beachy waves.
I have never managed to achieve the sort after beach waves as I always have my hair poker straight but I am wiling to give it a go. To see if this does help you to achieve the California girl hair like Cameron Diaz 

Anatomicals Facial Spritz 100ml
I do like the idea of this and I'm sure I would have greatly appreciated it when it was red hot but I don't have use for it at the moment. It smells nice of lavender anyway so I might use it to spray on my pillow as a fabric spray. Apparently it helps you to sleep.

Essie Sleek Sticks - 05 a to zebra
I was hoping for a Ciate nail polish but I do like the pattern of these. I will definitely give them ago but I would never spend £10 on them which is the RRP.

Sleek Pout Paints - 154 mauve over & 161 minx 8ml each
I do like the colours that I received in these. This is a good product to try through Glossybox as again It is something that I would never purchase in store.
When I opened them I found them abit oily and I had to shake the tube to get it mix to come out as a consistent colour. They are very pigmented and bright so I look forward to trying these out on my lips.

Coola Organic Suncream Facial Moisturiser 7ml
This is a facial moisturiser that contains SPF 20. It is unscented and organic and is paraben free.
It also boosts a list of other stuff that it apparently does for your face like minimising pores. It reads like a BB cream advert but once I've tested it out I will let you know if it lives up to its promises.

So as you guessed this is abit of a meh box for me, overall a huge disappointment seeing as I had to wait so long for it. The box is pretty and I will keep it to store my bits and bobs in. I like how it has something for everything as it includes skincare, haircare, nail product & make up What did you think of your summer box?

Jodie x

August UK Glossybox - Highflyers

So here is my August Glossybox, the theme this month is Highflyers and it includes products from around the world.

If you are subscribed to my blog you may have noticed that I've not done a blog post for the July Glossybox, this is because I've still not received it! I will get my rant over quickly. I've been subscribed to Glossybox for 4 months and the courier that they use Hermes are absolutely rubbish in my area of Wigan! My courier delivered both my May and June box the same day despite having my May box for over a week before I guess she just couldn't be bothered to deliver it. Now with my July one I tracked it religiously (as I'm inpatient) and it said there had been 3 unsuccessful delivery attempts which was BS as my husband was off work that week and he didn't hear the door go and there was no phone calls or cards left. I am furious to say the least as she sent the box back to Glossybox and I have still not received it and Glossybox aren't much help either, so this may be my last Glossybox review.

Anyway enough ranting here is the August box, mine includes:

Sweden - Emite Eyelash Curler RRP £20
Everyone received this in their box this month and it is my favourite item. I am currently using a £1 one from body care which is fair rubbish. A decent eyelash was something on my wishlist so now I can take it off. This one is great quality and I love it, it also comes with spare pads.

USA - Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Noir Sample
Most people don't like receiving perfume samples but I am very grateful of this as my perfume has ran out and also this smells amazing! It really smells delicious and so feminine. I would definitely consider buying the full size of this. That is why I am happy to receive samples as I would never even try brand in store (as the word chavy comes to mind) anyway I really like it.

UK - Jelly Pong Pong 2 in 1 Shadow/Liner Full Size RRP £10.50
I didn't know that this brand was a UK one for some reason I thought it was international anyway let's hope that this is better than the mascara that we received in May as that went down like a lead balloon with bloggers.
Though to say that this was a 2 in 1 shadow or liner is abit far fetched as I can't imagine anyone using this as a shadow pencil but I will reserve judgement until I have tried it. The one that i received is in a dark green colour.

Brazil - Oceane Make Up Remover Pen
This doesn't have a RRP as it isn't currently available in the UK.
This is a full size product that comes with 3 refills. I am hoping that this fairs better than the Simple pen that I reviewed a few months ago that was rubbish. This difference with this though it that the nib is removable which was the Simples main problem as after a couple of uses the bib got dirty and just smudged the make up around which was the opposite of what I wanted it to do. So i hope this one works better.

USA - Tresemme Platinum Strength Hair Treatment Full Size RRP £1.49
I love Tresemme as it is currently the only hair product brand that I am using I will go into more detail for my love for Tresemme in a planned future post. I am happy to receive this product and to try it out as I suffer from split ends. I will let you know how I get on.

So there is my Highflyer August box what do you think? I am very happy with it as I got 4/5 full sized products and the eyelash curlers alone are worth more than I paid for the box which was £12.95.
Let's hope that my July Summer Glossybox arrives before Winter hmm.

Jodie x

Jelly Pong Pong Fairy Lashes Mascara

I got this with my May Glossybox and I was interested in trying it out. I had seen some bad reviews around but I wanted to give it a test run before commenting. I have seen this for sale on ASOS in the past as that is where I first heard about the brand. This is the first mascara by Jelly Pong Pong and the first product of there's that I have tried.

Positives:
- It is waterproof.
- Good value for in a Glossybox as this retails at £14.
- it lengthens the lashes well.
- it feels lightweight on the eyes.
- it lasts all day.

Negatives:
- not the best packaging. The box does look like it should have perfume inside.
- the wand is crap.
- it clumps my eyelashes together after a few coats.
- the mascara breaks off.
- not much volume.

This is good as part of my Glossybox but I wouldn't buy it otherwise especially not for that price. It is a bit meh to be honest but I've definitely had worse this just doesn't live up to the other premium brands that I've tried.
I will continue to use it to see if I'm wrong but today it didn't impress me that much. It does define the lashes and lengthens them but the wand isnt that great, it made my lashes clump together and look a bit spidery. It doesn't give much volume at all so it leaves my lashes looking a bit flimsy and thin. I will stick to my Benefit They're Real.
Overall 3/5

What is your impression from my before and after picture?

Glossybox May 2013 - My First One

Hi so I am a bit late to the party on this one and I am so glad I joined! I joined the end of May and received both my May and June boxes on the same day. I blogged about my June box first as I thought that was the one people would be the most interested in as the contents had not yet been released online. Out of the May items that I've seen online I am happy with my box as this is the second part of their 2 year anniversary collection. Here is what I got:

Collection - Fast Stroke Eyeliner Black
I am so happy about this even though it is a lower value product as I am loving liquid eyeliners right now. I use my Benefit Magic Ink daily so I was keen to give this a test run today and I love it. My favourite thing about it is the solid pointed brush like a felt tip as it makes it easier to disperse the ink across my eyelid. Sometimes the brush in my Benefit one can feather and cause mistakes but I will definitely be using both in the future. Also as a bonus this is waterproof.
Full size 6ml worth £2.99.

Jelly Pong Pong - Fairy Lashes Mascara Black
I had seen a couple of bad reviews on this but I am impressed with it as it is good at lengthening my lashes and didn't clump. The key to this one is to not use too much causing it to clump also to help wipe any excess off the brush before using. It is waterproof which is great bonus so overall I am impressed with this and will continue to use it. I have seen it on sale on asos and have been keen to try the brand for a while.
Full size 18ml worth £15.

Headline Colors Poolside Party Nail Polish - Gunmetal
This is a dark grey black colour so not a colour I would wear everyday on my nails but I am looking forward to trying it out. This brand of polish is growing in popularity at the moment as the colours are a rich pigment that are meant to be bright and last well. They are also toxin free which is good.
Full size 10ml worth £9.

Awapuhi Wild Ginger Shine Spray
First of all this smells amazing as I would expect from any Paul Mitchell product. This spray is meant to condition and protect the hair at the same time as making it shine and smell fabulous this really is a wonder product and I have loving wearing it today. A good thing about it as it doesn't weigh the hair down and make it greasy. I love this one!
Full size 125ml worth £18.95.

Beautiful Movements Cosmetics - Prime & Create Mixing Medium
I have left this one to last as in don't really know what to say about it as in don't really know what it is haha. Apparently it is a clear aloe Vera based gel which can be turned into a foundation, blusher or eye shadow. Glossybox says that you can wear it alone for a matte primer on the face or it can be mixed with other cosmetics for endless uses. The one that sounds the most interesting is mixing with pigments to make a creme eyeshadow or eyeliner. It sounds cool but I'm still not sure what to do with it so I'll have a think and get back to you.
A full size 20g is worth £20, you get 2.5g.

I also got some free supercute Glossybox nail files which are perfect handbag size. The small Green & Black's chocolate I think was free with my June box and has ended up in here. Thank you for the treats Glossybox!

My June 2013 Glossybox treats

Hi I am a newbie to Glossybox but squealed like 5 year old when I saw the treats in store when I opened my June box.

Here is the low down:

Figs & Rouge - cherry blossom tinted lip balm.
I love how this is 100% natural and full of goodness as well as gorgeousness. I am so glad that I got the cherry blossom colour and not the coco rose colour as I wouldn't have liked it as much. This is my favourite product from this month's box.
This is a full size product at 12.5ml worth £5.00.

Organic Surge - Super-Intensive Daily Moisturiser.
I will have to give this a test run before reporting back but first try and it is more solid than I thought it would be when I first dipped my finger in. It smells very natural but I'm not sure if I like it or not. I will be using this on my hands and body as I am still using my trusty Benefit facial one at the moment. This feels good quality so I can't wait to see how it works it's magic on my dry hands. Update 9/6/13 I just can't get used to the smell of this it is repulsive which is a shame as it seems like a good product but but I can't get passed the foul smell.
Full size 50ml worth £8.99.

Nails Inc - Portobello
I love love love the colour of this! I will be wearing this later today. I don't usually wear nail varnish much but I will try this out. It is a neon coral colour which looks amazing. It is a perfect colour to help me feel more summery from a good brand.
Full size 10ml is worth £11, but you get 4ml.

Paul Mitchell Curls - Full Circle Leave-In Treatment & Ultimate Wave.
I am a huge Paul Mitchell fan as his hair products are my favourite. These products are to help give the the perfect beach hair like Sienna Miller and Kate Bosworth. The leave in treatment into prevent frizz and the other Ultimate Wave is to add texture to beach waves. There is a few products out there at the moment like salt sprays etc to get this look but I am expecting nothing less than first class from PM. My first thought was erh I have straight hair! But I may try some chic waves this summer.
Full size leave in treatment at 200ml is £14.95, you get 15ml.
Full size Ultimate Wave at 150ml is £11.95, you get 15ml.

Helen E Cosmetics - Lip Pencil in Shade 7.
This is my least favourite product in the box purely because I probably won't use it. I would have preferred the lip crayon but oh well. The colour does look a little too dark for me but I will see if it matches one of my lip sticks. I know lip liners make all the difference when wearing lipstick to stop fading. I like how this one is waterproof so it should last even longer.
Full size 1.3g is £8 you get 1.2g.

So this is June's Glossybox and I am not disappointed. What is your favourite?