This month’s box had a nice mix of products and I know I will use every single thing they sent. I’m especially happy about the two color cosmetic items which are both good quality and things I’d use regularly.

Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Chihuahua

These lipsticks are supposed to have intense color payoff and a long-wearing formula. This is one of their newer shades that came out recently. It’s a slightly warm-toned pinky brown that isn’t too light so it doesn’t wash me out and it has a glossy finish that becomes progressively less glossy the longer I wear it. I got about four hours of comfortable wear out of this before it started to wear off toward the inner part of my lips. The size that came in the box is 0.16 fl oz. The full size contains 0.4 fl oz and retails for $21.

Eyeko Eye Do Liquid Eyeliner

I have to say I was a little skeptical that I was going to like this. I got an Eyeko eyeliner in a previous box that was almost dried out. This one was perfectly fine, thankfully. This has a lot of claims that are appealing in an eyeliner. It is supposed to be waterproof, have super black intense color in a single stroke, and it’s formulated to make lashes longer and fuller in as little as 3 weeks. I’m curious to see if it actually works. It has a jet black color (seriously one of the blackest eyeliners I’ve tried), and it has a glossy finish even after it dries. I’ve only used it a few times though and I feel like I need more time to get used to the thicker felt tip. As you can see in the photo below, my eyeliner job is less than perfect. I had a hard time trying to get a nice sharp tail on my wings. The website also says that you can use this on your waterline, which I’ve tried and it does actually stay put and didn’t irritate my eyes. This is a deluxe sample containing  0.04 fl oz, whereas the full size contains .07 fl oz and retails for $20.

Luxie Beauty Rose Gold Large Angled Face Brush 504

This was one of the items I was more excited to see in this month’s box. It’s a synthetic bristle brush with an anti-bacterial coating that can be used for contouring, highlighting, bronzer, and blush. Because it’s small in size and synthetic, I would use this mostly for contouring with cream products. It has a decent amount of give when pressing sideways against the bristles and it’s super soft on the skin which is great if you need to do a lot of blending. This is a full size item and it retails for $16.

I Love… Cosmetics Super Soft Hand Lotion in Raspberry & Blackberry

This is a moderately moisturizing hand cream that contains coconut oil and shea butter. I would describe the scent as intoxicatingly synthetic. It smells sweet and fruity and fake, but in a good way. It reminds me of my childhood for some reason. It’s a great size to carry in my purse and it’s moisturizing enough to make my hands feel comfortable but it doesn’t leave them feeling greasy. This is a full sized product that contains 2.5 fl oz and retails for $6.

Vine Vera Resveratrol Merlot Moisture Day Cream

I’ve swapped this out for my normal moisturizer for the past week to see how my skin would do. So far, I’m seeing no ill effects, though it’s still too early to see any change in my skin. It is a bit lighter weight than the one I normally use, Vichy Aqualia Thermal Rich Cream and it doesn’t leave as much of a slick feeling on my skin which I appreciate because sometimes the Vichy one can cause my dewier foundations to break down faster. It has a soft, sophisticated scent. I would never buy the full size because it’s just so far out of my budget and out of principal I feel I shouldn’t have to pay $146 dollars for a good facial moisturizer. If it were more in the $30-$40 price range, I would consider purchasing it.

My next Glossybox has shipped and I’m just now getting this post out!!! Ugh. This box as a whole didn’t really pique my interest that much and a couple of the items seem like they might be difficult to track down or purchase, at least if you are in the United States. I was excited to try the mask, though, and it didn’t disappoint.

BioRepublic Skincare Aloe Rescue Revitalizing Fiber Mask – This is only my second time using a sheet mask. The first one I used was the Hada Labo Ultimate Anti-Aging Facial Mask, which was nice but too expensive to use regularly. This one costs considerably less at $4.99 per mask and I felt like it had a very similar result. When I opened it, the sheet inside was very saturated but not so much that it was dripping. It fit fairly well over my face with a bit of maneuvering. Within the first minute I could feel a very slight tingling but it wasn’t stingy or uncomfortable. It felt very cool and moisturizing on my skin. It has an aloe-ish scent which isn’t very strong but it is noticeable. The packaging describes this mask as being infused with aloe and vitamin e and being good for after-sun use. The directions say to leave the mask on for 15-20 minutes and then you can remove it without having to rinse. I didn’t rinse but I did use a tissue to soak up some of what was left on my skin because it was quite a lot. It dried down to a sticky/tacky feel which I thought might interfere with makeup but it didn’t. My skin felt very hydrated and it seemed to help the makeup look better.

Etre Belle Cosmetics Golden Skin Roll-On Caviar Eye Gel – This product did not come in a box so there wasn’t a whole lot of information about this, and no ingredients listed. According to the website, it “instantly smoothes, relaxes, and refreshes tired skin around the eyes” and is supposed to make “eyes look visibly firmer.” It is fragranced and when I roll it on the back of my hand it has some fine sparkles in it. When I applied this, the roller ball felt cool and soothing and I didn’t experience any negative reactions to it. The product dried down but left a sticky feel on the skin. I’m skeptical about this but I’ll continue to use it and see how it goes. This is a full size product and it contains 10 mL / 0.34 fl oz. It is available on Etre Belle’s website for 19.95 euros but I’m not sure if they ship worldwide or how much it would cost in U.S. dollars.

Benefit Cosmetics The Porefessional Face Primer – This is a product I have tried before but it’s not something that I feel the need to buy. It does a nice job of filling in pores so that when you apply foundation over it, the effect is smoother looking skin. It doesn’t work all the time for me though because I have combination skin and it is one of those primers that gives the skin a slip which makes my face feel oilier than it is as the day goes on. It works better if I use it with more matte-finish foundations or if my skin is feeling on the drier side. The full size product contains 22 mL / 0.75 fl oz and retails for $31.

Teeez Cosmetics Oasis Gem Lipstick in Heat Wave Ruby – The color of this lipstick is pretty intense. It’s a deep matte red, almost vampy. It has a floral fragrance that I can both taste and smell. It felt pretty comfortable but was tricky to apply over bare lips because it was dry and dragged a bit. Applying it over some lip balm was much easier and left it with a soft sheen. The shape of the lipstick isn’t my favorite. I prefer lipticks with a pointed end because it’s easier to apply around the cupid’s bow. I feel like I need a lip liner with this one. This is a full sized product but I’m not sure you can even purchase it anymore. I don’t see it on the Teeez Cosmetics website.

GlamGlow ThirstyCleanse Daily Hydrating Cleanser – I have used the GlamGlow ThirstyMud mask before and this smells a lot like it. It is a little thicker in consistency and has some teeny tiny exfoliating granules. I wouldn’t say there’s really enough of it in there to give you a true exfoliation but you can feel it. It has a thick consistency when you sqeeze it out and after wetting the remainder of what was left on my hand it lathered up a little bit. I had to keep adding a little water to my face to get it to lather and spread around on my skin. It didn’t feel particularly hydrating or leave my skin feeling any more moisturized than a regular cleanser. The added step of applying it to dry skin and then lathering it in hands, feels gimicky, like I could do that with just about any cleanser. I like it but I’m not really convinced there’s anything that different about it. The one I got in the box was a deluxe sample. The full size contains 5 fl oz and retails for $39.

Glossybox is good about introducing me to brands I’m not very familiar with. I knew about Royal Apothic and Emite Makeup but none of the others. All the items in this box are useful – a clarifying hair treatment, foot and body creams, a lip color, and a foundation primer.

Beautiful Nutrition Lemon Rinse Gentle Clarifying Treatment

This has an amazingly authentic lemon scent and I’m very familiar with that scent since I frequently cook/bake with lemon zest. I love it. This could be not only clarifying for your locks but very awakening for your senses. It would be a great product to use on a very sleepy morning! I used this one time and it literally made my hair squeaky clean but it’s intense and a little drying so next time I think I will use a deep conditioner afterwards. The sample size I got contains 2 fl oz / 59 ml. The full size contains 13.3 fl oz and retails for $10. Available at Beautiful Nutrition.

Royal Apothic Cream Creme To Go

The thing that stands out about this product the most to me is the scent – a calming herbal-floral scent with just a hint of powder. The cream feels rich and moisturizing but lightweight. It spreads over the skin easily and absorbs well without feeling greasy or sticky. It is formulated with lactic acid to exfoliate the skin gently. This is the full size product which contains 1.25 fl oz / 35 g. Everything from the unique scent, the beautiful packaging, and the quality of the product makes the $14 price tag seem reasonable. If you like fancier bath and body products from brands like Crabtree & Evelyn or L’Occitane, this might be something you want to check out. Available at Royal Apothic.

-417 Foot Nourishing Cream

This has a very moisturizing, emollient feel. The scent of this is called “ocean” and it is interesting. I smell coconut, pineapple, and powder notes. My fiancé describes it more like sunscreen on a hawaiian island. I have been using this for a few days both as a foot and a hand cream because I prefer very moisturizing hand creams. This sample sized unit contains 1.7 oz and the full size contains 3.4 fl oz and retails for $16. Available at Minus 417.

Emite Make Up Diamond Heart Base Primer

Looking at the description, I was expecting this to have some sort of shimmery or reflective finish like other illuminating primers but I found it to have more of a mattifying quality. I tested this one day underneath a luminous foundation and it helped to reduce the “shine” although it didn’t seem to make my makeup last any longer. When you first apply it to the skin, it has a peachy tint but it is very sheer and not noticeable at all once it is blended in. Initially it leaves the skin with a slightly tacky feel but then it dries down to a point where it eventually feels like nothing. It has a moderately strong floral-fruity scent which is still noticeable once it dries. This sample included was .5 fl oz and the full size contains 1.2 fl oz and retails for $29. Available at Emite Makeup.

MeMeMe Lip Glide in Playful Peach

Sometimes with Glossybox, they send lip products in odd colors that I don’t find all that useful so I am really pleased to see them send a color that will likely appeal to a lot of people. I tested this once and it was a bit thicker and more waxy-feeling than your average lipstick but it had decent lasting powder and made it through a meal with mild fading. It has a satin finish without any sparkle or shimmer and nearly-opaque color payoff. This is a full size product and retails for $12.50. I don’t see anywhere on the packaging how much product you get. The pencil does not twist up, so you will need to have a big pencil sharpener for this. It comes in only 5 shades but they are all totally wearable: Rich Truffle, Playful Peach, English Rose, Deep Scarlet, Winter Berry. Available at MeMeMe.

It’s been a while since I’ve done a Glossybox post. The last few boxes haven’t been all that exciting but this one is looking more intriguing. Three color cosmetic items! Let’s take a closer look at what’s in this month’s box.

Emité Make Up Artist Colour Powder Blush in 108

This blush is highly pigmented and the color actually works well with my skin tone because of the reddish undertones. It was really powdery though both when I swatched it and even more so when I tried to use a brush. There was so much powder kick up. I needed to tap the excess off and dab the brush on the back of my hand before applying to get the right amount of color.

Nails Inc Nail Polish in Uptown

This color is beautiful and the nail polish was almost opaque in one coat. Applying a second coat was difficult because the formula is kind of thick and it seemed to get goopy as I tried to spread the color over my nail. The dry down was a bit slow for my lack of patience. Because the first time I tried to apply this, it came out really messy, I found out it was a breeze to remove with nail polish remover.

Stiks Cosmetiks Lipstik in Red

This is an interesting concept. This lipstick is supposed to be something you can apply one-handed very quickly when you are on the go. The lid is a little tricky to get used to and if you don’t have the lipstick retracted all the way, it’s easy to open the lid and accidentally nick the lipstick. I’m not convinced on this one – it was awkward to apply because of the shape of the lipstick and the lid kind of got in the way when trying to maneuver around the edges of my lips. However, the formula is very comfortable and long-wearing and color is gorgeous – a rich, cool red which is perfect for fall. While I’m not sold on the packaging and design, I really like the product inside.

Biossance The Revitalizer

So far, I think this may be my favorite item in the box. The only ingredient is squalane. I didn’t know what squalane was, so I did a bit of Googling. It is a molecule that occurs naturally in plants and animals, including our bodies. There is some controversy surrounding this ingredient because of animal cruelty concerns and sustainability. This company claims that the squalane in this product is plant-derived. It felt a lot like a beauty oil and left my skin feeling super comfortable.

12 Benefits Love At First Lather Moisture Balancing Foam Shampoo

This shampoo is supposed to be gentle and protective. The directions say to use 10-12 pumps. I have thin hair and I don’t use a lot of styling products so I was able to get away with 7-8 pumps. It doesn’t lather any more than what comes out of the pump but I felt that it did a good job of cleaning my hair. It left an oily residue behind which clung slightly to my hair but more to my scalp. That can be a tricky thing. I like that quality for a nighttime treatment and it’s something I’d follow up with a hair mask or a deep conditioner. I’ve just washed my hair and it’s now dry. So far it has a nice shine, doesn’t feel weighed down, and has an airy softness to it.

The final thing they added in was a coupon for Baublebar. After giving everything a whirl, I’m happy with this box and will use everything in it. Even though the blush is powdery, the lipstick shape is awkward, and the nail polish isn’t the easiest formula to work with, I love the color of all of them. I love the smell of the shampoo and the facial oil feels really great on my skin.

I’ve now had my Glossybox subscription for a little over a year. The subscription was a gift from Christmas 2013 and after considering the year as a whole, I decided to go ahead and renew it for another year. I’ve heard of lots of people being disappointed in the offerings and I can understand why. Some months are absolutely wonderful, including high-end and luxury deluxe beauty samples. Other months leave something to be desired. But overall, I feel like I’ve found some cool stuff and enjoyed the anticipation of receiving a new “gift” each month.

I very much enjoyed the Vichy Aqualia Thermal Rich Cream I got in one of the previous boxes so I have faith the brand will have other products I’ll like. I tried this cleanser this morning and I think it has the potential to have a place in my skincare routine, especially when my combination skin decides that it wants to get extremely dry. At the moment it’s more normal-to-oily, so I can’t say for sure. It has a really nice creamy texture and spreads easily over the skin. It doesn’t foam up though. It’s designed to be used either with or without water and can be used as a cleanser, toner, and make-remover in one. It would have been nice to get this like 2 months ago when I decided to use a cleansing oil as part of my skincare routine because of such bothersome dryness – this seems to leave this skin very silky and moisturized after rinsing it off. It is scented, and I like the scent personally but for if you don’t like fragrances in your skincare, this might make it a no-go.

I tried this toner after washing my face and I was neither impressed nor turned-off by it. It has a very mild scent and seems to be very gentle on the skin but I didn’t notice much else about it. The ingredients list seems generally decent, mostly moisturizing, with aloe being one of the dominant ones along with other botanicals like chamomile and calendula. It says that its also supposed to control shine but I’m not so sure it did anything for me in that department. It seems okay and I’ll keep using it but I probably wouldn’t buy another one when I finish it.

I was skeptical about this mostly because I have a boatload of skincare samples to get though and have generally not found many great serums. After using it, though, it’s rather nice. It has a very subtle scent and feels soothing and moisturizing on the skin. I think I will enjoy using this but the full size is quite pricey at $80 so more than likely, I won’t buy it.

This brush was surprisingly good. It feels pretty soft and has a similar shape and density as my Mac 239 which I appreciate. I feel like you can never have enough of these types of brushes.

I’ve worn this one day so far. I like that it is retractable and is great for smudging. It wasn’t great for actually doing a regular liner though. It wasn’t quite creamy enough to glide on smoothly. It dragged a bit and I had to keep going back over to fill in missed spots. It seems kind of overpriced at $17.70. There are so many less expensive eyeliners at the drugstore that are better.

I’m glad I got this $40 voucher for HelloFresh because I’ve been curious about this service. Meal times can sometimes be frustrating because it’s either the same old thing we always eat or we can’t agree on what to eat. This service seems like something that could add some variety – or at least give us some new ideas.

This month’s box looks like it’s going to have a lot of things that appeal to me – fragrance, jewelry, a luxurious face mask, a volumizing hair product, and a lip exfoliator. Let’s take a closer look.

• Alex and Ani Scent 7 Body Mist (full size) – This one kind of smells like a unisex fragrance, maybe even slightly masculine. True to it’s description, it does smell “elemental”. It has strong notes of spice, wood, and a minty/herbal background. It reminds me of an incense that you might find in a yoga studio – very zen and earthy. I like the way it smells but it isn’t a fragrance I’d wear on myself.
• Alterna Haircare Bamboo Volume Plumping Strand Expand (sample size) – I tried this product this morning and it left my hair feeling silky soft and smelling amazing but I don’t feel like it added much volume. My hair is thin and straight and very few volumizing products actually work for me so I’m not surprised. It feels like a very lightweight hair cream and it has a fresh “green” fragrance. There’s no sticky residue and it doesn’t weigh my hair down which is plus.
• Etre Belle Cosmetics Liplift Peel – This is an interesting product. I’ve used lip scrubs/exfoliators but I haven’t seen a peel for lips before. It feels like a lightly moisturizing cream with tiny exfoliating particles in it. The particles seem finer than what you would typically find in a sugar scrub and they don’t seem to dissolve. It left my lips feeling a little tingly but soft and smooth.
• Nails Inc Brook Street Nail Polish – I liked last month’s pale pink but now I’m ready for something brighter. Brook Street is a nice bright coral-pink. This one was opaque in two coats but went on smooth enough on the first coat that I could probably get away with just one coat. It had about an average dry-down time. The color reminds me of all the pretty pink flowers that will be blooming soon.
• Sisley Paris Black Rose Cream Mask – This caught my eye right away so I already gave it a whirl last night. At first sniff, it smells authentically of rose but the fragrance is soft, not overpowering. It feels like a thick cream and has a very soothing effect. I applied this and wore it for about an hour before rinsing with water and patting my face dry. This morning my skin looks “plumper”, as if it is more hydrated. I really like this stuff – too bad it’s so expensive.
• Alex and Ani Charm Bangle – This stretchy bangle is simple and cute and suits my casual style. It doesn’t have any sharp/rough edges that catch on clothing which is really nice. I don’t tend to wear a lot of jewelry and when I do, I prefer not to wear expensive pieces so this is perfect. I like the swan – it’s supposed to be a symbol of grace, beauty, and love.

I’ve had a Glossybox subscription for a few months now and I thought I’d share this box with you. I just got this box earlier today so I don’t have any formal reviews for these products just yet. This is just going to be a first impressions type of post with swatches of the color cosmetics in this box.

• Anatomicals Puffy The Eye Bag Slayer Wake Up Under Eye Patches – I don’t typically get puffy under my eyes but I do have dark circles and can sometimes be prone to dryness so I am curious to see if these will help with that. There are two patches per packet and three packets in the box I recieved. The patches seem to be soaked in some sort of clear liquid.
• Figs & Rouge Cherry Blossom Tinted Lip Balm Tube – I love lip balm so I’m always happy to have another one. It is tinted but probably not enough to actually see once you apply it. It smells sweet and fruity but the fragrance seems synthetic, not natural. Regardless, I think it smells good. It’s a bit thick but not oily or sticky. It feels soothing and comfortable on the lips. I kind of like that this is in a tube so I can just toss it in my purse or leave it in my car and not worry about it melting. I like that this is affordable and you get a lot of it for only $9.00
• Lauren B. Beauty Nail Couture in City of Angels – I’m picky about pink nail polishes and I don’t actually have very many but this shade is really nice because it’s a pale pink and it’s also opaque in 2 coats. It dries down more quickly than average (about as fast as Butter London Nail Polishes) and is fully dry after about 30 minutes.
• Pureology Serious Colour Care Colour Fanatic – This is the only trial size product in this box which is fine for me because I don’t color my hair. It has a clean, fresh smell and a milky consistency.
• Sumita Beauty Kala Black Color Intense Pencil – I knew the second I took the cap off this it was going to swatch well. I don’t know how I knew but I knew. And it did. The swatch in the photos below is one pass of the pencil – I didn’t go over it to darken it at all. It’s creamy and glides on easily and once it dries, it doesn’t budge. I’m excited to see how this lasts on my waterline.