Review: Glossybox March 2013

Glossybox is a monthly subscription of 5 high-end beauty product samples (with some full-size products sometimes, too) for £10 + £2.95 p+p)

You can earn Glossydots by reviewing the products in a quick survey, or by inviting friends, and redeem points for a free box.  Each survey is worth 50 points, so if you review 5 products a month, every 5th Glossybox should be free.  You get 200 Glossydots for every friend that signs up and places an order (1000 Glossydots = 1 free box)

The March 2013 box had a theme of 'City Chic', supposedly the best, most hard working products available for that effortless, well maintained look, 'with minimum time, effort and money spent.'  I've given this box an extra week or so's use to really test the products before reviewing them, so it's a bit late this month - sorry!

The first product in the box was Tresemmé Salon Finish Extra Hold hairspray - a product my best friend swears by, but he hasn't got as much hair as me, so I didn't want to just take his word for it, I wanted to try a few different styles, see how well it held up - and I have to say, despite being dubious about using an extra hold hairspray, and expecting crunchy, dry hair, I am impressed.

I've used Tressemé products in the past, including one of their hairsprays, and I used to love the bubblegum scent of it, but they seem to have got rid of that now.  It does smell like any other hairspray, quite chemical-y and sickening.  So I used it in moderation.

I curled my hair using my Babyliss Pro 230 straighteners, sprayed in short bursts where I needed hold, and brushed them out a bit for a bouncy, wavy style - it held through very strong wind and light rain for a good few hours while I was out, and gave a ton of volume.

For £1.99/100ml, I think it is a decent price for a good product, and it's nice to get something in my Glossybox that I can actually use for a change! 

It is available to buy from Boots, Superdrug, Amazon, most supermarkets, and Asda currently stocks the 500ml can for only £3.

The second product in the box was a Lip Blush from JellyPongPong - I've had a lip product from JellyPongPong in a previous box - the Irish Cream Pavlova Lip Frosting, and I loved that.  This is another new favourite - I was a bit disappointed that I got the red one and not the pink, as I've been after a nice fuchsia lipstick to try, but red is a good all-rounder, too.

It's a crayon-style moisturising lip stain with a twist-up action, and oh. my. God. it is moisturising.  It doesn't make my lips feel greasy, but just nice and soft and hydrated.  It doesn't wear off, either.  It stays moisturising for hours, and there's no need to reapply after an hour or two, unless you eat.  It does wear off a bit when you eat, but being a lip stain, it leaves some colour behind anyway.

It has a sort of satin finish, and the colour I have (which I couldn't tell you the name of, it isn't on the tube or the website - although they are calling the fuchsia one cranberry, and claiming it is a berry red, which describes this one better, so maybe this one is cranberry - don't quote me on it, though) takes two coats to get a more opaque coverage, one coat is just too sheer and looks a bit strange on me.  It's got pink undertones and looks nice with my fair skin.

The only downsides I can find are: 1. The ingredients - it has both propylparaben and methylparaben, you can read my post on parabens here.  And 2. The price, at £12 for about an inch of lip product, it's a bit pricier than some of the other high-street/drugstore lip colours available.  In fact, most MAC lipsticks are about £14, so it's going more towards the high-end side of the scale, and I woudn't pay that much, honestly.

Next in the box was St James, by Nails Inc, a bright, pillar box red, in another teeeeeny tiny 4ml sample bottle.  I tried using it on my fingernails, but it wouldn't dry fast enough and I had to go out, so I took it off and left it on my toes.  It took 2 thin layers to get opaque coverage, and is lasting well.  I can't say much for the chipping factor, because my feet aren't doing much fiddly work, but it looks like it could withstand some knocks, especially with a top coat.

I wouldn't say you should pick Nails Inc over, say, Rimmel - there's not that much difference other than price, but if you do want to go for something slightly more high-end for some reason, it's available to buy from the Nails Inc website at 3 for £22, or at BeautyBay.com for £8.69 + P&P.  

The next item in the box was a small sample of Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant (Fragrance Free)

It's hailed as a miracle product by many, but I can't say I'm a fan.  I went to The Trafford Centre with my mum after I received the box, and stopped by the Elizabeth Arden counter, and she tried a bit on her hand - she pointed out that it smells like vomit, and now I can't use it without thinking the same.  The smell is disgusting.  I appreciate fragrance free products, but a bit of a nice smelling, skin soothing oil in this wouldn't go amiss. 

It also has a super thick gel texture and is

very difficult to spread.  I can't see this as a regular addition to my skincare routine, only as an addition to my 'Elizabeth Arden products I dislike and will never use' collection.

The RRP is £25/50ml, which, for what it is (which I'm still not sure what that actually is), is way too high.  There are better, cheaper products on the market.

Last in the box was the thing I despise most - a perfume sample.  

This time it was a sample of Couture La La by Juicy couture.  I'm not sure what it smells of, it smells like perfume.  Apparently it's supposed to be fruity, citrus-y, sweet and fresh.  I guess it is, but it's a tiny sample and I'll probably use it before I get chance to properly test it out.

£47/50ml.  No thanks.

I wish there was an option to opt out of perfume samples.  They're such a waste.  I can try perfumes in boots.  Please put useful things in my Glossybox thank you.

So overall for March, I like 3/5 of the products - which is more than last month.  So that's a plus.  Maybe next month will be FULL of products I will actually like.  Maybe.

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