Glossybox - June Beauty Edition

I was really looking forward to this months box so - as ever - got very excited when the postman arrived. He usually just has mine (I have it delivered to work) this time he had arms full. I am taking credit for spreading the good word around the building. He didn't look too chuffed with all the extra weight lifting though.

Speaking of weight, it wasn't very heavy. I know it doesn't equal quality but I like a box with a bit of weight to it! Makes me feel I'm in for a real treat. When I opened the box I could see why, the products were mainly very dainty.

First thing to notice was the large card that housed 6 Vichy Derma Blend concealers. They are almost packaged like pills. It's a shame everyone will only get the benefit from one of these little pill poppers, depending on the tone of their skin. A colleague tried it out and was really impressed. Personally I don't use a lot of concealer products - just a Bobbi Brown under eye kit, but generally I can get away without (she says...cue break out.)

Next up I grabbed the Agent Provocateur Perfume, this was satisfyingly heavy for a perfume sample. It wasn't until later I opened it to realise it was actually three standard (re: small) perfume samples. The black one 'L'Agent is very eveningy and quite strong. I liked it and someone would certainly know if you walked within a few feet of them wearing it. Think very heavy hanging in the air (and because it's black I'm now thinking boudoir. Perhaps this is the desired effect). The pink one next - simply called Agent Provocateur, I'm guessing it is the signature fragrance. This was much nicer, spring like and feminine. You could easily get away with this everyday and still not be forgotten. The red one - Maitresse I didn't rate as much. It is quite spicy and very heavy, but not in the good way of the first.

I'm now up to my eyes in tiny perfume samples! I may change my preferences so I don't get so many of these. However a colleague in another box had a huge Caudalie perfume. Me, jealous?!
Next up I was very happy to see a new make up brush. I think we are all probably guilty of not washing/binning our make up brushes often enough, but when you do you really notice the difference. Just what I need, and at a value of £15 that's this months box paid for itself. Thank you very much.

Next up is the teeny tiny, yet gorgeous brushed mascara. I really liked the brush as soon as I pulled it out and you can't go far wrong with black mascara. I will definitely be trying this as a new contender. I am currently using a combination of Benefit 'They're Real' and L'oreal  False Lash Telescopic. They both do the job, but I am still open to finding a new one. At full size this comes in at a RRP of £16.90, so right in the middle of the scale (for a decent mascara.) The brand is Yves Rocher France in 'Sexy Pulp'.

You can see how carefully I opened the box

Finally the BM Beauty Summer Warmth Bronzer. I would love to find a brush small enough and effective enough to go in this pot! Personally I'm not a big advocate of bronzer as I am so fair skinned (I generally come in the 'porcelain' shade). There's £2 worth in this pot. Not sure if that will ever get used to be honest. Perhaps I will try and fashion into some sort of eye shadow/highlighter affair.

After seeing some of the other products available in the June box I wouldn't rate mine as high as some previous months. I would have loved the Paul Mitchell Conditioner and Clean Start day and Night kit. Still, this is the luck of the draw! Also, apologies for the quality of the pictures, I have left my camera cord elsewhere...Instagram it is.

Now I know why the box was so light..

Until next month...

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Glossybox - Natural Beauty Edition

After the Harrods special edition I was expecting to be a bit disappointed by the April Glossybox. Oh how I (sometimes) like to be wrong.

As soon as I opened the natural packaging the smell hit me before I opened the paper. It smelt really 'fresh' and almost herbal. I was expecting it to be some sort of bubble bath that had exploded everywhere. Luckily this time I was wrong.

The first thing I noticed when I ripped inside was the size of the products! Much larger than last time. They all practically looked full size. The first product that caught my eye was the Figs & Rouge lip balm, it looked so kitsch and cute, looking quickly I almost thought this was the Burt's Bees product with its striking yellow packaging. Inside it smells minty fresh and although a little oily gave my lips a satisfying tingle. Will definitely be popping that in my handbag, and may try it on top of lipstick to see if I get a nice glossy effect. Also - this is a full size product worth £3.29.

Next up, was the actual Burt's Bees milk and honey lotion. I've popped that on and it smells almost good enough to eat. It has given a really moisturising feeling as well. I think I'll be using that for now instead of my usual cocoa butter, as I get a bit sick of smelling like Willy Wonka. This although pretty sizable is actually less than half size, so worth about £4.

Getting a bit more luxurious as we go another full size product. This time a fully certified organic eyeliner from Inika. My current eyeliners from Benefit and Bobbi Brown seem to last forever, however they are all black. This is purple (cue excitement). You really can't go wrong with an eyeliner, especially as this is natural so I won't be having any adverse effects to my eyes. This is worth more than the cost of the whole box - £11.75, oh how I love a bargain...

Monu collagen cream got some of my colleagues very excited as is supposed to be fantastic. It says it is for dry or dehydrated skin, which I don't actually have, but I am getting a but paranoid about lines so will add this before my normal moisturiser and see how it works. Going on the skin it feels quite thick, so I think I will minimise using it in problem areas (i.e. the creases above my nose!),I think this is what has made the whole box smell amazing as it does smell fantastic. At a whopping 50ml this full size baby is worth £17.50 (don't worry about the tallying up, I've done that for you later on!)

Last but by no means least is the Caudalie Vinosource Thirst Quenching Serum, now of course I'm thinking vino source? Thirst quenching? This sounds perfect for those less than fresh hungover mornings when you need a bit of help achieving that oomph. The applicator is quite clinical being a very fine nozzle, so I will use sparingly. This feels really rich quality - and will be reserved for those mornings when my eyes just have too much puff...at a third of its full size this exclusive sample is still worth £10. So for the whole box I have an amazing £46.54 worth of goodness.

I am still powering through the Burberry lipstick from last month, the perfume was gorgeous and was used up pretty sharpish! As this box was so late I'm hoping we don't have to wait too long for May, I can barely wait...

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The Benefit of Bobbi Brown

I have forever been a fan of Benefit, ever since I started taking make up seriously. I tend to not bother looking anywhere else for products, although my hunt for the perfect mascara continues (currently on L'oreal telescopic which isn't too bad). Benefit however stopped selling their 'Non-fiction' foundation and I had to stray.

I need to feel like I have a decent covering on while not looking caked, so prefer a liquid coverage rather than a stick or powder. For about a year I have listlessly be trying high stewed brand after brand, watching broken promises happen before my eyes as they fail to live up to their airbrushed expectation. The worst was L'oreal Infallible 16 hour, which barely lasted the tube ride to work.

A couple of weeks ago, continuing the quest I was in Westfield for the day. At the end of quite a long (hungover) day I found myself in the Bobbi Brown counter of House of Fraser. I'm not sure if it was the foundation, the lovely sales assistant (Saffy, what a fab name) or the feel of the cool cleanser on my poor tired skin. I tried the liquid foundation in Porcelain and had a much better glow which seemed to last the rest of the evening. I wasn't sold however as I wanted to try some different brands - especially as I was moving into the £30+ range.

So when I found myself in Selfridges at the weekend I was looking around the different counters with little inspiration. The Clarins made my pores look like moon craters, Mac was far too busy to get any face to face time with a sales assistant - yet Bobbi Brown was in the distance gleaming at me like a beacon. I wasn't in the best of moods but the sales girl was friendly and complementary about my skin without being too false (although I still didn't believe her when she said I had nice skin).

I didn't tell her I'd previously been seen my another assistant to see if she came up with the same product. Luckily she did. I am truly one of porcelain skin. She also used under eye concealer and setting powder which impressed me, plus I felt guilty about taking so much time getting made up that I thought two products was the right spend.

Under eye concealer and setting power in Ivory

I haven't given up on Benefit altogether though! For my birthday my friends know me too well, I received not one but two of their brand new blusher, which may be the nicest yet. Hervana is just heavenly. With a tapered brush it goes on really nicely too. If there is a knack to spreading the colour I am yet to learn it, so if you have any tips for me?

Am I missing any great foundations that would work wonders?

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Tried and tested: Benefit Porefessional

Having woken up at the age of 25 and discovered my pores are the size of moon craters, I have been on a mission (and limited budget) to identify a pore minimising miracle, hopefully something that will reverse the process completely - not just cake my face in make up.

Yesterday (so far too soon to assess long lasting effects) I purchased Benefit Porefessional (£23.50) it instantly felt silky on my fingers and then on my face. The lighting was harsh in the shop (as ever) but with a bit of extra powder and blusher I looked miles better.

This morning after applying properly..aka after moisturiser but before any other make up it seems to have made a great difference, not only to the pores but to the way my make up appears - so a primer really.

Overall I'm pleased. I still have my beady eye on the holy grail of pore minimiser's from Estee Lauder, but I'm reluctant to shell out. Let's see how this goes!

Value for money 4/5
Effectiveness 4/5

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