November 2014 Favourites

I'm back!

It's been a while since I last posted, but I have a good excuse (I think so, anyway) - I started University!  I'm studying Journalism & English and I've been busy learning and filling my head with all sorts of knowledge etc.

But that doesn't mean I haven't been spending my student loan on new products to try...

I thought I'd try something new, and attempt a 'favourites' blog.  Some of the things I mention may get their own, more in-depth blog posts, but this is what's happening right now, and I'm ok with that!

There were a WHOLE heap of things I was loving in November, and it definitely helped that it was my birthday on the 1st, and my lovely and amazing fiance took me into Boots and told me, basically, to choose my weapon.

I chose the Naked 3 palette from Urban Decay.

I haven't tried a Naked palette before, shocking I know.  But I was just ready.  I was ready to try out these shadows that everyone just KEPT banging on about on YouTube and blogs and in my actual IRL life.

I'm now one of those people.  It's Christmas soon and the other two palettes are on my list for Santa (aka Chris).

The shadows are super pigmented, last all day with a primer, and most of the day without.  The colours in Naked 3 are beautiful pink and brown tones, and it's perfect for creating a more natural smokey eye look.

The brush that comes with it is okay, but I prefer using my Real Techniques brushes to apply and blend.

My typical everyday eye look is Limit in the crease, Nooner on the outer corner, Strange and Dust as an inner corner highlight and Trick on the lid.  I might add in some Darkside or Blackheart on the upper lash line if I want a more defined/dramatic look.  

I love it, I'm not sure how I lived without it, and I recommend that everyone read the rest of this post and then go out and buy it.

The Naked 3 Palette retails at £37, and despite searching far and wide, I haven't managed to find it any cheaper.

Next up on my Oh-My-God-How-Did-I-Live-Without-This list is the 1995 lipstick by Jaclyn Hill for Gerard Cosmetics.

Holy crap, did I even have a mouth before I bought this lipstick?  If yes, why wasn't I wearing this lipstick sooner?

I'm not even slightly exaggerating when I say that this is the best lipstick in the world and you need to own it.

Again, I'd seen it reviewed over and over on YouTube and figured it was just being hyped up because they were sponsored posts etc.  It wasn't until my friend Jess reviewed it that I even considered getting it.

I ordered it through the Gerard Cosmetics website, and it arrived from the US within about 10 days, which is pretty good going, I think.  Most things I order from the UK take about that long to get to me.

I tried it on and fell in love.  It's a matte shade, but it's creamy and moisturising and doesn't make my mouth feel all weird and gross like some others have in the past.  It's the most beautiful shade, and whilst I admit I expected it to be lighter, I really love that it's a few shades darker than my natural lip colour.

It has pretty good staying power if I wear it alone, but it's better if I line my lips with the Topshop lip liner in the shade Ceramic.  If I want really long wear from it, I'll put a bit of LipCote on top.

I've ordered two more of the exact same shade, to make sure I don't run out, and I'm 99% sure that it won't be my last order.

It retails at around £12 + P&P, but if you want to get free international delivery and 20% off to make it £9 total (who wouldn't?) just use the code FREEDELI at the checkout :)

Those are the two things I've loved the most for the past month, but there are a few other things that have definitely been up there on my list of things that made my life even better than it was. (They aren't beauty related, but they are great).

Prison Break.

I've been re-watching Prison Break with Chris, and I know I said I want the other two Naked Palettes for Christmas, but Santa, if you're reading this, I would gladly accept either Wentworth Miller or Dominic Purcell as an alternative.  Both if you think I've been really good this year.

The show is fantastic, it has a great concept, excellent actors and just... I mean, Prison Break!

10/10, all the awards, do watch.

Emma by Jane Austen

I've always thought about reading those Classic novels everyone always mentions, and never had the will-power to do it.  

Then, when Emma was on my assigned reading list for uni, I didn't have a choice not to read it (well, I did, but I would fail my course).  

Emma is perfect.  The story, not the character. 

Emma herself is full of imperfections and has an ego the size of the moon, and once I got past the 18th century language, I really enjoyed the book.  It was well written (obviously), interesting and funny.  I never expected it to be funny, I'm not sure why.

If you're ever thinking of reading this, don't put it off, you can pick it up for literally about 10p on amazon or eBay.

I may have saved the best 'till last here.  

Myself and Chris would like to announce that we have added two new members to our family...

Introducing Lumos and Knox, our incredibly adorable chinese dwarf hamsters, whom I love more than life itself, even when they pee on me.

They are tiny and cute and I just want to spend all my day watching them stuffing food into their faces and running through tubes and on wheels and up and down ladders.  They are perfect and I love them :)

Feel free to share your favourite things from the past month in the comments below, let me know the things you love, and tell me new things to try out.

Thanks for being patient with me whilst I've been MIA, and I'll try and keep up with the posts from now on :)

Rach xo

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Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation Review

For the past year, I've been using one foundation every single day, and can't believe I haven't written about it even once! (I had a draft post saved, and never actually wrote it). I've repurchased it 4 times now, and will continue to do so, because I can't see myself finding a better foundation than this any time soon.

I initially picked it up because it looked like it might be light enough for me, I hadn't seen a foundation available in such pale shades other than from places like Illamasqua and MAC, and I can't justify spending that amount of money on a foundation, when I'm on a pretty tight budget.  So I went for shade 010 Light Porcelain, and decided to give it a try.  At least with a drugstore foundation, if it wasn't the right colour it wouldn't be such a massive waste of money.

As it turned out, Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation stayed true to it's name - it is INCREDIBLE.  It's the perfect shade for my skin, and as it has a very slight pink undertone, it doesn't wash me out.  It makes my skin glow - not in a sweaty, gross looking way, but that dewy, healthy look everyone's always after.

Match Perfection is available in an impressive 11 shades, from Light Porcelain through to 402 Bronze (which is a medium, yellow toned shade), but there aren't any shades for dark skin, which is disappointing.  Everyone should be given the chance to try this!

Wearing Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation

I was a bit worried about the coverage when I tried it, as it's quite a watery consistency, and feels really light on the skin - but again, I was pleasantly surprised when it gave excellent coverage.  The Rimmel website boasts that it has 'Traceless coverage for perfectly flawless skin under any light', and I'd have to agree.  It's build-able so you can go from using a teeny tiny bit and completely sheering it out (perfect for you lucky people with freckles), to using a few thin layers and concentrating on problem areas to get full coverage.

 The staying power is pretty damn impressive, too.  I don't find myself having to touch up my face during the day, (but I generally do add a touch more if I've been out all day and I'm going out in the evening, just to make sure...) and the oilier areas of my face - nose, chin - stay covered and any redness is concealed all day.

 The formula is free from parabens, and has SPF 18, higher than most drugstore foundations, which usually have around SPF 15.  It comes in a glass bottle, which is nice as opposed to the cheap plastic ones you usually get, and has a pump top.

All this for £6.99 (or less depending on where you go - £4.98 in Tesco!) - you can probably see why I keep buying it!  

It's available from most supermarkets with Rimmel displays (the cheapest place I've found it is Tesco), Superdrug, Boots, FeelUnique and Amazon.

As always, thanks for reading and if you've tried the products, or found my review helpful, leave a comment below!

Rach xo

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August 2013 Glossybox Review

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, and 1000 Glossydots = 1 free box, 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. 

The August 2013 Glossybox had a high-flyer's theme - 'Your Travel Kit for the Summer', with products from various places across the globe.

First up in the box was a make up remover pen from Brazillian company Ócéane Femme, which I'd obviously never heard of before, what with them being from Brazil and all.  It's a pen with make up remover liquid inside, and disposable nibs.

You can use it to clean up eyeliner, lips, smudges of mascara - anything you want to correct really - and it does the job very well! You don't need to go over and over the area, it comes off in one clean sweep, so you can get a really sharp winged eye, or very defined lips.

The nibs do absorb the product that's been removed, but the pack comes with one nib in the pen, and 3 spares, so it's no big deal if one gets dirty.

I'm not sure what retails at, because I can't find anywhere that stocks it! But however much it is (within reason), it's worth it.

Next up in the box was something I've never really understood the appeal of - eyelash curlers.  

These particular ones are from Emite, a Swedish brand.

They're black with a red rubber bits (does anyone know what they're called?), and are apparently the only curlers to have the handle angled away from the curling mechanism so that you don't have to touch them against your face and ruin your base make up.

They work really well and have become a part of my everyday routine, whereas my old ones barely ever saw the light of day.

The RRP is around £20, and they are available to purchase from Emite Makeup.

Third in the box was a 2-in-1 eyeshadow/liner pencil from Glossybox's favourite brand, Jelly Pong Pong.  I won't lie, I was hoping for any colour other than black, as I've got PLENTY of black eyeliners and eyeshadow, and I wanted to try a colourful waterline. The purple one looks beautiful.  But of course, I got black.  

I did try it in the waterline and will be completely honest in saying that it does not work at all.  At all.  Yeah, it puts some colour down, but then it separates and looks grey and gathers in the corners of your eye for a mascara-gloop look.

It works fine as eyeliner on the lid, and can be smudged and layered to create a smokey eye eyeshadow effect, but I wouldn't label it as an eyeshadow.Not great.  Its RRP is £10.50 and there are so many better eyeliners on the market for less money.  

Trèsemmé also featured in this month's box, with a product not yet available in the UK - Keratin Smooth 60 Second Conditioning Treatment Shot.  It's a tiny little tube (15ml) of intensive conditioner designed to restore and repair damaged hair, leaving it smooth and strengthened.

It does an alright job, my hair was nice and soft, but I can't say that it felt much stronger - it's hard to tell from 1 or 2 treatments, which is all the small tube allows for (on long hair, anyway).

The only downside I can think of, other than the teeny tiny amount you get for your money, is that the tube has a break-off end rather than a screw cap, or even just a normal shampoo bottle cap, so you can't reseal it at all.

This product is not yet available for purchase.

The final product in the box was a tube of Urban Veda Purfiying Facial Polish.  

Urban Veda are a natural, ayurvedic skincare company.  They are against animal testing and all of their products are approved by the Vegetarian society.  All of their packaging is recyclable and all bottles are made from post-consumer recycled plastic.

The facial polish contains natural pumice as an exfoliant, cold pressed neem oil and essential oils to remove impurities and treat blackheads.  The antioxidant rich botanicals work in synergy with naturally astringent herbals and collagen-boosting extracts to reduce excess sebum, tighten pores and hydrate the skin.

It smells very refreshing, with tea-tree and spearmint being the main scents, exfoliates really well and has been helping to clear my skin of the endless hormonal outbreaks that have been popping up recently.

Whilst it is £8.99/125ml, I would say that this is definitely a product worth the money.  A little bit goes a really long way and it gets the job done.  Available to purchase from urbanVeda.co.uk.

The August box was definitely a step up from the string of disappointing boxes I've received recently, and I'm looking forward to seeing if the September box impresses me as much as this one has.

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Real Techniques Core Collection

I have been using my cheap Fraulein 3°8 brushes for a couple of years now, and they are well past the point of being worn out - half of them have vanished into thin air and the other half have lost their shape and become a bit scratchy.

Don't get me wrong, they were great brushes for the price I paid (£14.99 for 31 brushes!), and make for excellent starter brushes, but I was beyond ready for some better quality brushes that better fit my needs.

After a lot of deliberation about which brushes to get - do I get Shaanxo's 4pc Synthetic Face Brush Set, wait to see how much Wayne Goss' brushes will be, get a couple of MAC brushes, Crown brushes, Sigma... the list continues - I decided to go for the Real Techniques Core Collection by Sam Chapman of Pixiwoo.

At £21.99 it was the best value for money that I found, still keeping the quality.

The brushes within the set are:

- Buffing Brush
- Pointed Foundation Brush
- Contour Brush
- Detailer Brush,

They are 100% Cruelty Free, made with synthetic taklon bristles, and come in a really handy case.

Buffing Brush

The Buffing Brush has transformed the way I apply my makeup, honestly.  It's really densely packed and feels super soft on the skin.  I know that everyone has their own preferences of which brushes they use to apply which products, and I am no different.  The brush is recommended for use with cream/powder foundations, however I find that it applies my liquid foundation flawlessly.

I usually pump the product onto the back of my hand, and apply it with the buffing brush in small circles, or stippling over areas where I have applied my concealer.  I find that, this way, I can build the coverage in the areas I feel that I need it, and sheer it out in my less problematic areas.  I have more control over where my makeup is placed and can avoid any streaks by buffing it in really well.

I also use my buffing brush to blend the edges of my contouring / blush, to give it a more natural finish rather than looking like stripes of war paint across my cheeks - not a good look!

Pointed Foundation Brush

On days when I have more time to spend on my face, I will use the Pointed Foundation Brush to apply my foundation in 5 lines - down my forehead/nose/chin, and at the top and bottom of each cheek.  then I can blend it with my buffing brush.

I also find that it is great for getting into tricky areas - like the under-eye area, or around the nose.  I have, on occasion, used it to apply concealer to those areas, and have found that it works just fine.  The bristles are densely packed, but have enough layering to be able to give a nice feathered finish to concealer when you don't want quite as full coverage.

Contour Brush

Along with the buffing brush, the Contour Brush is the brush I use every day.  I use it for both contouring and blush, and if I'm feeling fancy, highlighter too.  It has a really nice domed shape and picks up product incredibly well.  I use it to apply matte bronzer from my ear to halfway towards my mouth, along my jawline and up across my temples in small circles, to give my face more shape and definition.

I use the same method of application to apply my blush (but obviously only to my cheeks) and then blend any edges that are left with my buffing brush to make it look more seamless and get one step closer to that airbrushed finish we all crave.

Detailer Brush 

The Detailer Brush is the odd one out for me.  I have used it to apply concealer, but find that using my fingers to warm up the product and press it onto my skin gives a better finish.  I've also tried using it for lipstick, and it works just fine, but it's a bit hard to get the precision required for a defined cupids bow or really clean lines around the lips, as it's just a strange in-between size.  It is, however good for applying a highlight to the inner corner of the eye and onto the brow bone.

The Case

Finally I want to mention the case.  This really sets these brushes apart, in my opinion.  The brushes come in the right hand side of the case, with each gap in the elastic sized to fit each individual brush, and on the left side there are 2 extra spaces for any other brushes you may use on a daily basis, or if, like me, you plan to buy more real techniques brushes which aren't part of a set, you can keep them all together.

The case folds up sideways and has a velcro closure to keep brushes secure and compact, and also folds backwards, as seen in the photo above, to create a brush stand.  It secures with a toggle and is really handy for grabbing your brushes.

If you are considering buying these brushes, I would definitely recommend them - they are excellent quality and you just can't argue with the price - I've found them available for £17.85 (15% off) at HQHair.com, so if you can take advantage of that offer, do! If not, they are available for £20.99 at TheHut.com and FeelUnique.com, or £21.99 from Boots.

Car shot - full face applied with Real Techniques brushes.

I hope this review was helpful!

Do you use Real Techniques brushes?  Which are your favourites? - Comment below!

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July 2013 Glossybox Review

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 June Glossybox theme is 'Seaside Splash' - the all-in-one pamper package that won't leave you high and dry.  The box is bright blue with seashells etc, and makes a nice change from the usual pink.


The first product in the box was Bamboo Style Boho Waves Tousled Texture Mist by Alterna Haircare.  It claims to add texture, volume and healthy shine to all hair types to create that 'just back from the beach' look.  

The bottle says that it can be applied to either damp or dry hair, and should be sprayed from roots to tips then shaped with fingers to create a loose, tousled style.  It basically works like any other sea salt type stray, and gives a really nice end result.  I used it when I was going out for a long day and didn't have time to dry my hair before I left, it ended up really nice and thick and shiny and didn't get too matted or tangled.

It contains Organic Bamboo Extract - to boost hair's strength, flexability and sustainability for stronger, healthier hair and also Blue Yucca Root, a natural fixative which is high in starch to create long-lasting style and hold.  The organic ingredients are grown responsibly and traded ethically, with their production and sales helping to support local communities whilst remaining ethically friendly.

It is also free from Sulphates, Sodium Chloride, Parabens, Gluten, TEA and Phthalates.

Although I enjoy using the product, I think that at £23/125ml, it is way overpriced, however, if they brought out say, a 50ml bottle for £5, I would definitely buy it.

Available to buy from GorgeousShop.co.uk for £18.40 with free shipping.

The second product in the box was Coola Mineral face SPF20 Unscented, a mineral sunscreen with a Titanium Dioxide formula for those who are Zinc sensitive.  it contains 98% natural ingredients, including:

Organic Acai Oil - high in Omegas 3, 6 & 9, Vitamins B1,2&3 plus antioxidant Vitamins C and E.

Organic Sunflower Seed Extract - promotes elasticity.

Organic Linseed Oil - contains Alpha-Linolenic Acids, which reduce redness and irritation.

Plankton Extract - rejuvinating phyto-protector.

Organic Cucumber Extract - calms skin.

It is also hypoallergenic, paraben free, ultra sheer, anti-aging, water resistant for upto 40 minutes, and contains no nano-sized particles, which aren't absorbed properly by the skin.

The directions say to apply evenly over the face in upwards strokes, and you'll have SPF protection in 30 minutes.  It also says to reapply every 2 hours (sooner if in water).

I used this on my long day in the sun, and only caught a bit of colour on my nose, but to be fair, I didn't reapply at all because I had it on underneath my makeup (which also had SPF).

Although I like the idea of this sunscreen being organic and mainly natural, I don;t feel that the price accurately reflects the value of the product.  You can buy face sunscreens from Boots or superdrug or Tesco etc for about £6/75ml, but this costs a whopping £29.99/50ml.  And it's only SPF 20!



Next up is Anatomicals Spray Misty For Me Facial Spritz - for normal, dry or sensitive skin.  It is a mix of lavander and peppermint extracts to refresh and rehydrate skin.  It can be used after cleansing to refresh the face, or after makeup to set your look.

This will definitely be a summer staple as it does exactly what it says on the tin (or bottle...) and is perfect for this sticky, humid, freak of nature weather we're having in the UK at the moment.

The packaging is pretty cute, with a lilac bottle and yellow spray pump, complete with Clint Eastwood on the back (Play Misty For Me), and it is a pretty decent size for the price, as with most Anatomicals Products - £6/100ml.

Unfortunately, I can't find this product available to buy ANYWHERE.  If you know where I can find it, please leave a comment below!





Number 4 in the July box is Pout Paint from Sleek - A range of intensive, long-lasting lip pigments that are made to be mixed to create your perfect shade.  I received 2 shades - Milkshake - a coral pink, and Peek a Bloo, a bright blue used to darken/cool the other shades.

I'm not going to lie, I wish I'd received a red and a blue, or a red and a pink, because mixing these two together gives you a lilac colour similar to the Anatomicals bottle, and that doesn't look at all good on my skin tone.  The pink on its own looks fine, though.

They last a good amount of time and don't dry your lips, which is great when you're super dehydrated from this heat.  I found the best way to apply them was to put a TINY dot on the back of my hand and use a lip brush to get it exactly where I want it and not let it feather outside my lips etc.

The colours are super pigmented, and I've read a lot of reviews comparing them to OCC Lip Tars, they seem pretty similar from swatches, and are half the price at £4.99/8ml

Available to buy from SleekMakeup.com and Superdrug

The final product in the box was a pack of Sleek Sticks Nail Stickers from Essie.  I haven't had chance to try them myself yet, as I have been doing way too much stuff with my hands and don't want to risk ruining them!

'Discover a whole new way to essie with our sleek stick nail wraps.  Now you can re-create chic looks fresh from the runway without picking up a brush. Essie’s UV-cured nail wraps mimic the feel of handcrafted nail art and last up to 10 days.'

I got a pack in crocodile print, although I prefer to think of it as giraffe print because I have a slight obsession.  They look great and very high quality.

The instructions say to make sure your nails are clean, pick a strip closest to the size of your nail, apply and buff off the excess with a nail file - simple!


One pack costs £9.99, and is enough for one application - quite expensive, but I'll write another blog when I have tried them to let you know if they're worth it!

Overall, the July 2013 box was a vast improvement on the past few boxes, but there were still a couple of the other items that I quite liked the look of - Ciaté Paint Pots and the other colours of Pout Paints.  Let's hope the August box is just as good!

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June 2013 Glossybox Review

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 June Glossybox theme is 'Summer Looks' - the ultimate staples for any summer make up bag.  

The first product I received was a Helen E Shimmer Eye Powder - in Shade 22 - silver.  I've always associated silver with winter, what with it being not at all warm or fun.  It is very sparkly and shimmery etc, but I can't see myself using it until at least October.  It's a good sized pot (1.5g) of loose pigment, and can be used wet or dry.  But I can't help being disappointed that I didn't get a bronze/copper or even the olive green colour they have (Shade 25).  They have at least 14 shades I would use and rave about, but I got silver.  Sad face.

The packaging is really cute, a clear hexagonal pot with a silver lid, and a pepper shaker style dispenser.  I guess that contributes to the price - £5 for 1.5g.  I always find it hard to understand the price difference between products like these, am I paying for the quality or the name? MUA do a range of eye dusts that are very similar, and cost £1 each.  Barry M Dazzle Dusts are £4.59 and Makeup Geek pigments are about £4.50.  I don't see the justification and I can't compare the pigmentation as the silver seems quite sheer, but it doesn't really show up well on my skin tone - is it bad quality or is it my skin colour?

The range is available from Helen-E.com for £5 (Use the discount code PR13 for £10 off orders over £25 until 31/07/13)

The next product in the box was a lip tint from Figs & Rouge in Cherry Blossom.  It's by far my favourite item in this month's box, as it is

- 100% Natural Ingredients

- Petroleum Free
- Paraben Free
- Mineral Oil Free
- Free of Synthetic Colours & Aromas

It comes in really nice bright packaging, which looks like a paint tube, with a screw cap.  The product itself doesn't have a strong smell or that nasty plastic feel to it like some lip products do.  It's moisturising and has a nice colour - kind of a deep dusty pink.  

It lasts quite a long time on the lips and doesn't transfer too much.  It keeps my lips soft and doesn't look too shiny or sticky (and my hair doesn't get stuck in it either, #1 trait of a good lip product)

It can be applied either straight from the tube, with fingers or with a brush.  I keep mine in my bag and use it multiple times throughout the day when I feel it's wearing off a bit - and it's great for summer when my lips are getting dehydrated faster than usual due to the heat we're actually getting for once in the UK.

It retails at £4.95 for 12.5ml and can be bought from FeelUnique.com with free delivery.

Third in the June box was a Long Lasting Nail Gloss from MeMeMe - a brand that keeps popping up in my Glossybox, and to be honest, I wish it wouldn't.  

It claims to be a 'premium, long-lasting, high-shine nail gloss complete with maxi-brush for one-stroke application.'  What I've found it to actually be is an almost clear, very watery nail polish that lasted just long enough for me to see the result and wipe it straight off again.  There was no opacity except at the edges of my nail where the product actually ran to.  I've never had a nail polish that was so watery that it could run before, so that's unique I guess.

Maybe it's that I got the colour Ambitious, which is a dusty pink, but I'm leaning more towards it being a bad product.  

I definitely wouldn't pay £5 for this, but if you want to give it a try, you can use the discount code GBUK15 for 15% off from MeMeMeCosmetics.co.uk

Next up is a Hydrating Moisturiser SPF15 from Monu.

'Soft focus technology helps to blur imperfections and to correct skin tone. We use Zinc Oxide to provide a physical barrier against the sun’s harmful rays. This provides broad spectrum UV protection with good UVA to UVB ratio. Includes Vitamin E, an antioxidant, to fight free radicals. The best way to stop your face from ageing is to protect it from the sun.'

My general rule with moisturisers is that if I can't pronounce at least 50% of the ingredients, it probably isn't good for my skin, and the ingredients on this bottle read like a Swahili tongue twister.

'Aqua (Water), Zinc Oxide, C12- C15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dimethicone, Caprylic/ Capric Triglyceride, Cyclotetrasiloxane, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Cyclopentasiloxane, PEG-100 Stearate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ribes Nigrum (Blackcurrant) Seed Oil, Isostearic Acid, Polyacrylamide, Parfum (Fragrance), Tocopherol, Silica, C13-14 isoparaffin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Lactic Acid, Linallol, Xanthan Gum, Laureth-7, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Isoceteth-10, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cassia Alata Leaf Extract, Citronellol, Benzyl Salicylate, Farnesol, Limonene'

I've tried it, and it does moisturise quite well, doesn't smell, and extra SPF is great any time of year.  Again, the price isn't very budget friendly at £29.95/50ml, so I wouldn't recommend it purely based on that if nothing else, but if you want to give it a try you can use the discount code Glossy1 until 01/10/13 on monushop.co.uk

Last in the box was Huile Prodigieuse (R) OR from NUXE, a 'multi-talking desert-island dry oil... forumlated to be easily absorbed and illuminate all skin and hair types with a subtle golden shimmer that looks like it comes from within'.  I'll admit, it is subtle, as I didn't notice any difference at all really.  

The ingredients say to spray the oil into your palms and rub onto the face/hair.  However the sample I got didn't have a spray dispenser, so maybe that affected the application.  It can be used all over the body, face and hair but again, I don't feel that I can comment because the sample wasn't packaged correctly and I can't really use it as it's meant to be used.

At £34/100ml, I won't try to recommend it as that's a lot of money to spend on a product that may or may not work.  However, if you have tried it, please comment below to let me know the best way to use it!  

I also have a 15% off discount code for Nuxe.co.uk - Just enter GLOSSYBOXDISC before 30/6/13.

***Bonus Item***

I would like to mention that in this box there was a bonus item, a sachet of John Frieda Sheer Blonde Everlasting Blonde Shampoo and conditioner - however, being a full on ginge, I won't be using it.  

I do complete my beauty profile on Glossybox regularly, to make sure I get the products that suit me best, but I'm getting the feeling that the information gets lost somewhere.

Overall, the June Glossybox was a bit of a let down - some of the other products available would have been PERFECT for me - Frizz Ease Original Serum, Helen E Waterproof Lip Liner, Monu Soap-Free Facial Wash, Sarah Chapman Intense Hydrating Booster/Skin Tone Perfecting Booster, Gosh Growth Mascara, ANY of those would have been great, and all 5 would have been a great box.  Maybe next month will be better... maybe.

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