GlossyBox - September 2011

I received my GlossyBox in the post today and here's what I got!

HD Brows Eye&Brow Palette - Full size - £24.95

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse - 10ml sample - £2.75

Rahua Shampoo and Conditioner - 2x 10ml and 8ml samples - £1.60 and £1.37

Plum by Mary Greenwell - 1.5ml sample - £1.80

Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm - 5ml sample - £4.60

Total Value: £37.07 

Amount Paid: £12.95

Saving: £24.12

I've looked at and already used some items and here are my thoughts.

I really appreciate the addition of a full sized HD eye&brow palette in this month's box because I don't own anything for my brows at the moment and wanted to experiment with them. My eyebrows are very dark though so I'm not entirely sure if I would benefit from this palette for my eyebrows, however I may use it as an eyeshadow palette too - which is also one of the recommended uses.

The Nuxe multi-purpose dry oil is something I've been wanting to try for absolutely ages, so I'm very glad I got this in my box! I wish it had been slightly larger though, but it's fine!

The Rahua (pronounced RA-WA) Shampoo and Conditioner sachets haven't really gone down very well with me, I took one of the sachets into the shower and it was nowhere near enough the amount of shampoo and conditioner I would usually use, I also found it didn't lather very well. This may be because there wasn't enough product for my hair, so I can't really give a full opinion on this, but my first impressions aren't great. The scent of both products is lovely though.

Plum by Mary Greenwell is the signature fragrance of celebrity makeup artist Mary Greenwell, when I smelt this in the bottle, to me it was a wine made from plums, however now that I've worn it all day, it smells different to me, I really like it and I think it's very unique. It lingers on the skin for ages and the scent is quite noticeable, even with a little application.

Finally, the Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm, by a Hungarian brand. I opened it and it's black! I was a little horrified because I don't think I've ever seen or used anything that looks quite grimy to cleanse my face. It is an award winning balm and created with minerals, so naturally I'm excited to try this.

Overall, I really like this month's GlossyBox, I admit that I would have liked to try a salt scrub or a hair treatment, but my box was great. I award this month's box 8/10. It would have received a 9/10 if it wasn't for the random addition of £2.95 P&P charge for the September box and future months! (Yes, I am still sulking about that. It wasn't advertised initially.)

What do you think of this month's box? Did you receive anything different? Are you tempted to join up to GlossyBox yet?


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Review: No7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser

This is one of many hot cloth cleansers and the first I ever used, it is available from Boots at £9 for 200ml, and with the £5 off No7 vouchers it is only £4! It is packaged in a plastic pump bottle which dispenses an adequate amount of cleanser in one pump for the entire face, I occasionally used two pumps if I wanted to use it on my neck too. A cloth is also provided although the quality and longevity isn't too brilliant. The entire bottle lasted me 2 months, using it once a day and sometimes twice. The cloth remained usable throughout the 2 months but became increasingly more difficult to use and less effective as time went on.

The texture of the cleanser is a soft cream, which rubs into the skin well and feels lovely to work with. Once the cleanser has been applied and massaged in slightly, or more so if you'd like, taking the cloth and rinsing it in hot water you slowly rub the cleanser off in circular motions to encourage exfoliation (after placing it on your face to open pores for a while - but this step did nothing for me so I began to leave it out). After about 3-4weeks use I noticed a considerable difference in my skin, it was a lot smoother, fewer breakouts, and despite me assuming that it wouldn't make my skin feel clean, it felt incredibly clean and refreshed after each use (apart from when the cloth seemed to wear down!) I feel that my skin did look more radiant, but as with all skincare products you need to allow time to see a noticeable improvement.

The value of this product works out to be 4.5p per ml at £9 and 2p per ml at £4 so I do think that in terms of value this is a great product. I have already repurchased this but I'm not sure if I would repurchase again because of the competition the hot cloth cleanser has in general. I have two more from different brands waiting to be used so will use those, and compare, then maybe stick to one - or try the last one I seem to have missed as well!

Product: 8.5/10

Effectiveness: 9/10

Texture/Formula: 8.5/10

Value: 9.5/10

Packaging: 4/5
Application: 4/5
Repurchase: Yes

Overall: 8.7/10

This new rating system is to provide a quick snapshot of my experiences with the product. The product itself, effectiveness - the level of truth in comparison to the claims made, the texture and/or formula of the product. Value is the comparison of price per ml, packaging and application are also reviewed. The repurchase line is whether I would repurchase the item again or not. Overall shows the average scoring of the product out of 10.

GlossyBox - August 2011

I finally got my GlossyBox when I went to pick it up from the delivery office because the postman decided ringing the doorbell would be too much of a task for him. But I got it, so yay! This month's GlossyBox includes a few things I'm really looking forward to trying and another few which are completely unnecessary and unwanted - but that's what is to be expected as it is a surprise box each month!

So this month's GlossyBox included the following:

Ahava DeadSea Water Mineral Body Lotion (40ml - £3.52)

Murad Time Release Acne Cleanser (30ml - £4.35)

Daniel Sandler Baby Jet Mascara (4.5ml - £12.80)

KMS California Hairstay Style Boost (200ml - £13.70)

Rebel Nails Nail Wraps (£5.99)

The total value of this month's GlossyBox is £40.36 resulting in a saving of £30.36 as it was only £10 for August. I haven't used anything from the box yet seeing as I'm still trying to use up so many products already but I'll let you know of my first impressions now. The Ahava body lotion looks and smells great, I'd never heard of the brand before so I'm glad they included it, I'm also happy about the Murad Cleanser because I'm always on the lookout for magic cleansers that will improve my complexion.

Although the Daniel Sandler mascara is full-sized and probably a great mascara I feel like I already have too many and that a mascara specifically for the edges and smaller lashes isn't a necessity. I'm excited to try the KMS California Hairstay Style Boost because I don't own anything like this and haven't tried anything like it before too, a full-size version of this is a real bonus! Finally the nail wraps, these are of no use to me at all, I think removing and applying nail polish would actually be quicker than using these, especially as I don't even own a hairdryer! - shock, horror, I know (I'm looking for one I assure you!).

My overall thoughts: I think in terms of value for money GlossyBox exceed expectations every month, I love that they include full-sized products but for this month I'm only interested in 3/5 products, but as the value is so great I give this box a 7/10.

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Review: Dr Nick Lowe's Anti Blemish Purifying Foaming Cleanser

Available at Boots for £10.20

This post is part of the series I am doing on Dr Nick Lowe's Anti Blemish range for blemish prone skin!

I have now been using this cleanser day and night for approximately 6 weeks, (6 this Friday), and overall I really like it. I haven't experienced any breakouts in that time and my skin seems to have improved considerably - however I have changed quite a few things in my everyday routine.

I like the simple clean packaging, however it does make it quite impersonal if you see what I mean, and doesn't really "brighten up your bathroom". It's a simple pump that produces a foam in your hands which you then apply on your face and wash off when you're done - simple.

What do they say?...

"To deep clean pores and lift daily impurities. Gentle exfoliators slough away dead skin cells resulting in deeply cleansed, refreshed and brighter skin.

Contains the Anti Blemish Cranley Complex = combination of naturally derived oil-controlling active ingredients and calming agents to target bacteria and regulate over-sebum production."

My Opinion...

I'm not entirely sure what or where the "gentle exfoliators" are because it's just a white foam...my skin does feel clean without feeling tight or dry though which is a huge plus, seeing as so many regular face washes manage to strip the skin of any moisture whatsoever! I also think that using the whole range in general has regulated some of the oiliness in my T-Zone. My skin does not though look any brighter or more dull than it was before, so not a major change in that area!

Overall...

I would recommend this face wash for combination-oily skins and I love the foam, the quick washing time, the simple yet effective packaging and the clean feeling after washing my face!

I don't like the price though, and I'm sure there are many alternatives with the same effectiveness and maybe with slightly better factors in terms of the overall product!

An 8/10 for this cleanser! :)

Thank you for reading x

Liz Earle Offers

Hello everyone!

Sorry for the lack of posts, I was trying to stop myself from blogging so much and study much more...didn't work too well though...oh dear!

Anyway, today I bring you the fantastic offers available at Liz Earle for spring, and the 2 I have taken advantage of...(seeing as I'm a collector of all things beauty, I feel like I should repurchase already - even though I haven't used anything yet...*slaps on wrist*!)

So here's the link where you can view the offers: http://uk.lizearle.com/offers

And here are the 2 that I bought! :)

This is the New Springtime Must Haves Offer for £41 but with a retail value of £64.55. Included are:
- 2 Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleansers (100ml) and 2 muslin cloths
- Instant Boost Skin Tonic (200ml)
- A choice of moisturiser depending on your skin type
- A beautiful beauty bag

First Impressions:
- Packaged beautifully, each item is individually hand-wrapped and packaged so that nothing will leak or break
- The beauty bag is of very high quality and is very pretty inside, sporting colourful stripes and convenient compartments
- Very fast delivery
- The skincare items look gorgeous too
- Also a great deal with savings!

This is the Clear Skin offer for £20.65 with a value of £33.15 and includes:

- Deep Cleansing Mask (75ml) and 2 sponges

- Gentle Face Exfoliator (50ml)

- Spot-On (6ml)

- Soft White Headband

First Impressions:

- Again, very well wrapped and presented

- Speedy delivery

- Fantastic savings and am thinking of purchasing this set again before the offer runs out in May...

I am very impressed with the whole ordering - delivery process and especially with the free gift of a 30ml cleanser with a muslin cloth and a personalised letter congratulating me on my first order. As I said to my boyfriend, "I feel like a Queen!"

I will forever associate opening my package with that feeling and as I had had a great day when it arrived too! I hope that my interview was successful and am offered a place...won't reveal too much there just yet!

Have you tried any Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare Products? What do you think?

Thank you so much for reading and don't forget to enter my giveaway!