January GlossyBox- Valentines Edition

So its GlossyBox time again, after loving last months box I was anxious about this one, could they have 2 great boxes in a row? The answer is YES.

So firstly the January box arrived later on in the month to help prepare us for Valentines Day. The box is an amazing fusha pink, so much nice than their original dusty pink colour I think!

The sticker seal is a little pink heart and inside the goodies are laid out upon baby pink shredded paper. First impressions, I love it!

Firstly I want to point out they added a small sweet, a bit of cut rock that reads GlossyBox, such a cute added feature!

Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner- Powder Pink £9.50

I'm already a big fan of Eyeko, they've had a re-vamp and gave the whole company a sleeker, more professional look. I do miss the old style, thats what drew me into the company originally.

The eyeliner is a lovely pale pink, it will work great as an eye brightener on the waterline.. Love the design and packaging.

Clarins Extra Firming Day & Night Creams £46.50/£48 50ml

I've always wanted to try Calrins products, its a little too expensive for me so I'm really happy to try these out and see how they are, I've heard rave reviews for all things Clarins.

They're a nice consistency, creamy and not greasy, with a slight peachy perfume, its really faint.

First Aid Beauty Body Mosturizer £10 228.8g

Love the packaging on this, it looks very simple and elegant but with a slight retro flair. the moisturizer has no smell and left my skin feeling lovely and soft when rubbed in.

Murad Hybrids Skin Perfecting Primer £29 30ml

Murad has appeared in GlossyBox before. I was so excited when I first saw this. It reads "Oil-free primer ignites a radiant glow powered by light enhancing minerals." Its meant to leave your skin with a dewy finish. I gave this a brief test and wasn't really impressed, it comes out quite a dark colour, I'm very fair so not ideal for my skin tone and it seemed more like a tinted moisturizer, it left no radiant glow or dewiness to my skin at all. I'm going to give it another go and see how I get on but £30 for a primer that doesn't do much is not my cup of tea.

All in all, loved the box. The themed ideas are brilliant and work really well, it feels like more consideration goes into the boxes like these.

Real Techniques - Samantha Chapman Stippling Brush Review

The wonderfully talented make-up artist Samantha Chapman, one half of Pixiwoo released her own range of make-up brushes last year. I was so excited to try them out but could never justify spending money on them. There was no way for me to be able to see what they were like in person as at the moment they're only available to buy online. Then Christmas came! I asked my boyfriend for the Stippling Brush as it appealed most to me.

Firstly some details:

• A Dual-fiber Stippling brush
• Ultra-plush, synthetic taklon bristles are hand-cut and 100% cruelty-free
• Has a flat end handle allowing it to self-stand
• Aluminum handle
• Retails roughly at £10.99

First impressions were that it was smaller than I'd imagined, having seen it on youtube and in pictures I thought the brush head was larger. It is lightweight but still weighty enough to not feel cheap. The bristles are super soft, I spent a good 5 minutes just running it around in the palm of my hand.

So I've been using this brush to apply my foundation for 2 weeks now and I could not be more happy with it. It feels so effortless but delivers amazing results.

My skin type is dry to normal. I like to apply some moisturiser to my skin using the brush before my foundation, it stops any foundation brush absorbing too much of the product and also allows for a smoother application.

I don't like to wear too much foundation, my skin doesn't really need it and too much coverage just looks strange on me. This brush does an incredible job at gently buffing foundation into my skin, spreading a little all over and making it look natural. The result is flawless. I really really love it. The smaller head allows you to get in all areas of the face, around the nose and even right up under the eye.

I also think it would be great at layering foundation to build up a more covered look but without caking it all on. Its super easy to clean and dries pretty quickly. Others have commented on strands falling out but I've had none at all.

As the whole range is made up of synthetic bristle brushes, you can use both cream and powder products with them.

I genuinely recommend the Stippling Brush, I am such a fan of the Pixiwoo ladies that I'm pleased this brush actually works. I did have my reservations about "make-up gurus" and their own brands but that has all gone after trying for myself. I can tell this is going to be my foundation brush choice for years!

Well Done Sam, can't wait to try out the rest of the range.

For more information on the range of brushes and where to buy: www.realtechniques.com

* Apologies for the poor quality photos, my good camera is in repair!

December GLOSSYBOX Review

I have been subscribed to GlossyBox since July 2011, theres been amazing boxes, interesting boxes and I'm sure a lot will agree, some disappointing times. However I still love this company and the beauty box concept. You pay £12.95 a month to be introduced to 5 sample products, some you may love and some may not be your cup of tea. But thats the point! I'm sure everyones bought a beauty product at some point and been disappointed when it hasn't delivered what you were hoping.

Anyway the December GlossyBox for me has been wonderful, I adore the box as a whole, for me its up there with the July box (the joy when I saw Illamasqua!) Considering the UK boxes have only been available since May, they're doing a great job and slowly improving.

Not everyone gets the same in each box, I was pleased with mine this time round.

Firstly The GlossyBox team cleverly made the December box a festive Red.

Blink+Go Hi-Definition Mascara £12.95

This is a good mascara, its fairly pigmented with a definite black colour It coats my lashes nicely and doesn't go clumpy, a real hate for me. Its not going to steer me away from my favourite mascaras at the moment (Benefit They're Real and Bourjois Volumizer) But I'll happily use the rest of the tube and check out their other products.

CARGO Classic Lip Gloss in Paris £10

I'm not a huge fan of glosses, I find them sticky and irritating, my hair ALWAYS gets stuck to my lips and the constant reapplyingis not for me. This one promises to be non sticky, to me it still feels like a gloss but perhaps less tacky then some others can be. The colour Paris which I received is nice and would suit pretty much all skin tones.

Deborah Lippmann Razzle Dazzle Mini Nail Varnish £16 15ml

I was so excited to see this when I first opened my GlossyBox. I have read great things about Deborah Lippmann products and I am HUGE nail enthusiast. The colour is a gorgeous wine/dark berry glitter, the bottle is stylish and unique, itscreams luxury. It takes a couple of coats to get the full effect but once on and topped up with a Top Layer it sparkles and glitters. So great for the cold miserable winter!

An added extra with nail varnish was a Deborah Lippmann Nail Laquer Remover Mit. I haven't tried this out yet, I'm saving it in my purse incase I need it one day.

Rituals Shower Gel in Indian Rose & Sweet Almond Oil £6.50 200ml

Probably my favourite product in the December box. This needs to be tried out by more people. I am in love with it! The full sized sample is a shower gel/foam, you squirt it out into your hands, very similar to shaving foam and allow it to foam up. The smell is beautiful and feminine, it lingers delicately on your skin all day. It reminds me of turkish delight and faintly of Mazipan but with more depth and floral tones. Such a lovely and interesting product, I would never have thought to try this but I will definitely be purchasing some more! All the scents sound amazing too.

MeMeMe Seventh Heaven £15 30ml

Wow, what a product. I've purchased MeMeMe Nail Varnishes before from Superdrug and have loved them, I was keen to try out this face primer and oh my goodness it did not disappoint me in any way. The packaging is sleek and inviting, it reminds me of something you might find in Alice In Wonderland.

As soon as you open the lid a scent of fresh citrus hits you. The texture is light and non-greasy. it works great as a primer under your make up. i think the idea is that this product could be used as a moisturiser AND primer. I have dry skin so I like to use a little of my normal moisuriser on areas I know need more attention and then massage a small amount over the top. My foundations sits evenly and almost perfectly on top of this, for me it also gives my skin a nice healthy glow. Love this product! The price is a little expensive for how much you get but I think its probably worth it, a heaven sent product!

Well done GlossyBox for a wonderful Christmas Box, a great way to finish 2011.

For more info check out www.glossybox.co.uk