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.
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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