February GlossyBox - Special Valentine's Day theme

My February GlossyBox came while we were also away and I had to go to the post office today and pick it up. I was hoping with all fingers crossed that this box would impress me as they made so much hype over the February box and how it was going to be a special Valentine's Day themed box, but, I'm sorry to say that it just didn't deliver in my opinion.

Here is what was in the February box:

1) Bobbi Brown Lash Glamour Extreme Lengthening Mascara in Black (3ml sample size, RRP $48.00 for 6ml) - This mascara apparently helps make your lashes ultra long and separated. I have about a thousand mascaras now so will be waiting a while to try this one as I don't want to have another one open at the same time that will potentially dry out.

2) Jane Iredale Tantasia Self Tanner (5ml sample, RRP $54.00 for 124ml) - This tan sample is teeny! I don't know what on earth I can use it on as I don't think it will even cover one of my shins let alone both legs or arms. Maybe I'll work up the courage to try it on my face one day although I despise seeing women who have a very noticeable orange face from being fake tanned. Seriously, can anyone get a decent application of fake tanner with a sample this small??

3) Proactiv Deep Cleansing Wash (60ml, RRP $39.95 for 475ml) - This is to clear up skin when it's acting up or for a deep cleanse. Works to penetrate pores and get rid of breakouts. I just can't use anything from Proactiv as it makes my skin go all red and super sensitive and quite painful. I tried their three step system a few years ago and was in agony after a couple of weeks. I might see if my husband wants to use this as a body cleanser for when he gets small breakouts on his back as I am just way too scared to put this anywhere near my skin.

4) Star and Rose Floral Wonderland Emergency Nail Files (12 x small files, no RRP) - These are cute and I will be throwing them in my handbag. That's pretty much all I can say about them I guess.

5) Polished London Nail Enamel in Fushcia (Full size 10ml, RRP $7.99) - This is probably my favourite product out of the box this month and the only one I will get any real use out of in the short term. It's a pretty dark pinky purple and this polish claims to dry fast and last a long time. I haven't personally tried Polished London polishes before but I've heard good things about them so can't wait to try this one out.

There were also some Love Hearts lollies, an offer to get $20 off the Proactiv system, an offer to get $15 off an Active Skin order over $75 and a complimentary makeup application at your nearest Bobbi Brown Studio. None of these I will use.

Overall, the Valentine's Day theme was a bit lost on me. Ok, it was a neon pink box but I can't see how a Proactiv cleanser and some nail files are Valentine's Day related. I was really hoping for maybe a pretty makeup product (maybe some lipstick/gloss or blush/eyeshadow) that you could wear out for Valentine's Day but no such thing.

As of today I have unsubscribed to GlossyBox and am thinking of possible trying Beauty Basket or I Love This Box next instead. I have just been disappointed pretty much every month with GlossyBox as they talk themselves up so much throughout the month but just never seem to deliver at the end. The only think that was good this month was that the box came nice and early for once rather than at the end of the month.

What does everyone think? Am I being too harsh? Does anyone else really love their GlossyBox for reasons that may be lost on me?

January Glossybox - Worth The Wait?

Well my January Glossybox FINALLY arrived on the 25th of this month after getting a dispatch notification on the 19th! I seriously don't know how it takes 6 days to get from Sydney to the Central Coast but either Australia Post had some serious issues or my box got lost in transit somewhere.

Anyway, here is what was in the January box:

1) Nivea Rich Nourishing Body Moisturiser (30ml, RRP $5.40 for 250ml) - Probably the most disappointing item in the box. Everyone has probably tried Nivea creams and we all know they are a cheap and effective moisturiser with no frills. I might just keep this little bottle in my handbag for days when my arms or legs feel a little dry while I'm out and about.

2) Sheer Cover Nourishing Moisturiser (30ml, RRP $29.95 for 60ml) - Considering this 30ml sample is apparently worth $15 in itself, you've already made up the price of the box. This is a lightweight, oil-free lotion which also contains an SPF 15 to protect you from the sun. It says to use it under your daily makeup.

3) Sheer Cover Lip Gloss in Pink Praline (Full size, RRP $19.95) - This is a full size lip gloss pot in a very sheer peachy pink shade. I'm excited to try out this gloss as a girl can never have too many lip glosses!

4) Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronised Recovery Complex (7ml sample, RRP $105.00 for 30ml) - I am very excited to try this as I haven't used an Estee Lauder product in a very long time and used to love them. This serum is to help continuously reduce the signs on ageing and give smoother, radiant and healthier looking skin.

5) Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Fast Dry Nail Colour in Petal Pusher (Full size, RRP $13.95) - This is a very pale pink that will be a good colour when you don't really want a colour in your nails but want them to look 'done'. The brush in something I'll have to get used to though as it's kind of short and fat which is very different to your usual nail polish brush.

There were also two $25 Gift Cards for online fashion and footwear store The Iconic and some Australia themed temporary tattoos. Unfortunately I didn't get to crack the tattoos open because the Australia Day festivities where I live were all cancelled due to our crappy weather. I was hanging to put a couple of these on bub because our plans were originally to go down to the waterfront and have a picnic and stay for some fireworks but we ended up going to a friends place for a casual BBQ instead. I'll have to save them for next year.

So there you have it. The best thing this month to me is that there wasn't a sachet to be seen. I always find sample sachets are more annoying than anything else as they are so fiddly to get the product out and can't be resealed if you don't use it all.

This box is definitely over and above as far as the value is concerned so in my eyes Glossybox have finally redeemed themselves a bit after the past boxes being kind of disappointing.

I noticed that some other subscribers received a Mirenesse eye liner and that would have probably been a nicer addition to mine to replace one of the three different types of moisturiser but I'm still happy none the less.

What did anyone else think of the January Glossybox?

December GlossyBox - Focus on Haircare

There is only one word that I can use to describe the December Glossybox - Underwhelming.

I have had this box for about three days now and was thinking of not even bothering to post about it due to being so unimpressed but for consistency sake I decided I might as well.

This is what I got in the December box:

1) Tigi Haircare - Bed Head Manipulator (Full size 57ml, RRP $23.95) - I can see that a lot of people would be extremely happy with this product but I have very fine naturally curly hair and products like these are useless to me. I would have no idea what to do with this with my type of hair. Oh well, it will be good for my husband to use in place of his regular gel.

2) Gorgeous Cosmetics - Lip Pencil in Premiere (Full size, RRP $25.00) - This was probably the best product in the box this month as far as I am concerned. It's a nice soft lip pencil in a reddish brown. The actual colour is a little dark for me but it should work well with a lighter lip colour over the top to tone it down a little.

3) Clinique - Turnaround Overnight Radiance Moisturiser (7ml sample, RRP $90.00 for 50ml) - I really like Clinique products so will be happy with using this. I already have a few mini Clinique samples like this though from gift with purchases I've done previously but I guess you can never have enough moisturiser.

4) John Frieda - Frizz Ease Secret Weapon Flawless Finishing Creme (30ml, RRP $16.99 for 113ml) - This product claims to tame frizz and smooth frayed ends. This is actually a product suited to my hair type so it will be interesting to try it out.

5) John Frieda - Frizz Ease Dream Curls Curl Perfecting Spray (30ml, RRP $16.99 for 200ml) - This claims to activate and define silky curls. Again, this was obviously matched to my hair type so will be interested to try.

As you can see the products themselves are all good and I will get good use out of all of them except the Bead Head Manipulator.

My issue is that I subscribed to these boxes mainly to try out different makeup and skin care products so hair care is not something that really interests me. As I said before, I have very fine, curly hair and most hair care products are just too heavy for me and usually cause my curls to just flop and go listless. They seem to do much better if I just leave them product free so long as I use a good conditioner.

Who knows, maybe something like this is what I need to get my hair mojo back? Maybe I'm just too picky and need to keep remembering that I am only paying $14.95 per box and am obviously getting way more value than that even if some of the items aren't really something I'd normally spend money on?

Oh yeah, there was also a voucher to receive a consultation from Clinique in any Myer or David Jones store plus a 7 day supply of foundation. Hopefully I'll remember to use this as I'm terrible with things like this and always either lose them or let them expire.

There was also a candy cane, although mine was broken :-(

What does everyone else think of these boxes so far? Does anyone have a favourite one over all the others or do you just think they are a bit of a waste?

My First Glossy Box has Arrived!

Well I received my first ever Glossy Box today, finally!! Talk about a lengthy wait for this to be sent out. It feels as if we've been waiting for these boxes forever.

Anyway, here's some pictures that show how it arrived and what the box contents looked like when it was opened:

The box that was left on my doorstep.

The pink box that was inside the cardboard packaging.

Some pink jelly beans, ribbon and welcome cards on the top when opened.

The tissue paper wrapping.

How the contents of the box looked when opened. The black shredded paper makes it very hard to see the actual items unfortunately.

The contents of this month's box were as follows:

1) Jurlique Purely Age Defying Ultra Firm & Lift Cream (5 ml) - This high performance anti-ageing cream is designed to help promote the regeneration of elastin, collagen and new skin cells. I used to be a big fan of Jurlique products so will enjoy testing this one out.

2) Bio Oil (Full size 60 ml) - A specialist skincare oil that is effective for ageing as well as dehydrated skin, scars, stretch marks and uneven skin tones. I know everybody raves about this product and I've tried to like it but I just can't stand the smell. I'll most likely give this away to a friend.

3) Essie Summer Nail Colour 'Smooth Sailing' (5 ml) - This looks like such a pretty purple which has very fine silver flecks in it.

4) Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil (15 ml) - A 2-in1 formula that gently removes all traces of makeup and cleanses skin while maintaining natural moisture levels. I'm a bit excited to try this as I've never used anything from Bobbi Brown before.

5) Mirenesse 3D Forever Lip Gloss (Full size 14 gms) - This gloss is filled with botanical moisturisers and antioxidants to give you hydrated and beautifully cushioned lips day and night. I was a bit scared when I opened the cardboard packaging for this gloss as the colour I got is called 'Hot Kiss' which looks like a very dark browny purple in the tube but luckily is a lot less intense when applied and looks like a nice sheer purple which is actually quite wearable.

All in all the fist Glossy Box is definitely worth the $15 fee. The full size Bio Oil is worth this on it's own and the Mirenesse gloss is worth $39.95 so there's no way you can complain about the value.

When I noticed that Bio Oil was a partner I prepared myself for the fact that receiving some of this was going to be useless to me but I'm still very happy with everything else in the box and am especially impressed with the full size lip gloss. And who can forget the pink jelly beans!

What does everyone else think of the first Glossy Box? Does anyone have an opinion on which one of these monthly boxes they think seems to be the best so far??