February Glossybox: Valentine's Day Edition

Top view of the February Glossybox

I was a happy lady this morning, as the first thing I saw when I came downstairs was my brand new shiny Glossybox! This month's 'theme' is valentine's day, as you can tell by the pretty pink design and the product information leaflet below saying 'will you be ours?'. And judging by what's in the box this month, I will be theirs forever!

Glossybox product information

Glossybox editorial

The idea behind this month's box is that, whatever you are doing and whoever you are with, you will be head over heels in love with this selection of products.

So let's look inside the box...

Inside the Glossybox

Amazing product selection in the box

Overall, I am really pleased with the production selection in this edition. Although it has lots of pretty and pink bits, it also has a lovely creamy eyeshadow duo and a coffee-shade lipstick, so I feel Glossybox has managed to cater to everyone.

Inside my box is an Anatomicals Your Nose Smells Rose Body Cleanser (150ml), a Limited Edition Docteur Renaud Raspberry Soft Cream (30ml), a Helen E Cosmetics Moisturising Lipstick in Cafe au Lait, a Model Co Eyeshadow Duo in Bronzed Goddess and a Micabella Cosmetics Mineral Blush Powder in Terra Cotta.

1/Anatomicals Your Nose Smells Rose Body Cleanser

Anatomicals Rose Body Cleanser

Product description

Ingredients

I love the classic candy pink and canary yellow combination on Anatomicals' packaging. Above you can see the product from the front, its ingredients (paraben-free formula = thumbs up) and the ever-amusing product description. I love a brand with personality!

The gel inside of the bottle

And here is the cleanser from inside the bottle. The first thing I thought was that it smelled like turkish delight, which I like. It's quite a thick pink formula and so I imagine it would spread well in the shower.

It costs £5 for 300ml.

2/Docteur Renaud Raspberry Soft Cream

Docteur Renaud Limited Edition Raspberry Soft Cream

What's inside the box

I haven't tried anything from this brand before and I do love a limited edition product. Also, as I have mentioned before, I love the smell and taste of raspberry, and this soft cream includes four raspberry extracts.

Product info and ingredients on the back of the box

Product info on the dispenser

Docteur Renaud's soft cream is designed to hydrate, moisturise and comfort the skin in the winter months. It is made with patented phyto-endorphins which boost cell activity and is suitable for all skin types.

On the hand

Rubbed into the hand

In terms of consistency, the cream is thick and white. It smells lovely, but I think it is a bit too heavy duty for my skin. It takes quite a while to rub it in properly, and as you can see above you have to buff it into the skin a bit to avoid a white shimmery effect.

This one costs £25 for 50ml.

3/Helen E Cosmetics Moisturising Lipstick in Cafe au Lait

Helen E Cosmetics Cafe au Lait Lipstick

Cafe au Lait

I like the simplistic silvery packaging, but unfortunately the shade isn't really for me. I'm not generally a fan of brown lipsticks as I prefer brighter colours like red and pink, but I do rate Glossybox for including something different.

First look

Swatched

The colour is quite golden and brown and I think you need to build it a fair bit to get a solid colour. It costs £8 for 3.5g.

4/Model Co Eyeshadow Duo in Bronzed Goddess

Model Co Goddess Eyeshadow Duo

Creamy brown and gold duo

This is more like it; although I don't do golden brown for my lips, I definitely do for my eyes, and this duo is really pretty for day and night looks. The shadows are creamy too, which I like, although it might mean you have to manage any creases early on.

Swatched

The gold is really nice and the brown would be great to add in for a night look. I reckon you could mix and match and use the gold to highlight the inner corners of the eyes.

The duo costs £18 for 3 x 2.35g.

5/Micabella Cosmetics Mineral Blush Powder (Terra Cotta)

Mica Bella Cosmetics Mineral Blush

In Terra Cotta

The final beauty item in the box is a pretty pink mineral blush powder from Micabella Cosmetics. I have never heard of this brand, but I do prefer powder blushes and would like to try a mineral one. You can add a darker colour to the cheeks too to contour the cheekbones. Another day and night staple - it's perfect for v day.

The full size blush costs £34.95 for 9g.

And last but not least is this super sweet candy heart lolly as a gift from Glossybox - how sweet!

How cute is this lolly!

Happy valentine's day beauty bloggers! xxx

Mini Superdrug Hair Haul

Garnier Olia & Herbal Essences

I've got that friday feeling, and there's nothing like a quick beauty shop after work to end the week nicely. As my hair is in need of a bit of TLC at the moment (no thanks to the freezing cold weather!), I swung by Superdrug and grabbed myself two of my beauty essentials - Herbal Essences' Tousle Me Softly Soft Waves Intensive Mask (was £3.99, now £1.85 for 200ml) and Garnier Olia Hair Dye in Iced Chocolate 4.15 (was £6.99, now £5.99). If I am honest, I nearly went for the Deep Red shade, but my previous experiences of dying my hair red reminded me not to (red roots anyone?! I think not).

Top view

Front view

I usually go for the Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Intensive Mask, which is amazing, but as I have naturally wavy hair I thought I would give this one a go. I have tried the Tousle Me Softly range before, so it's not really a risky purchase.

Product information and ingredients

You can lather this on from root to tip. It is advised to leave it on for 5 minutes, but nobody stands around in the shower for that long these days. These conditioners always work their magic for me, so if you are in a rush then it will work just fine.

See the ingredients above too.

Smells amazing!

When I lifted the lid, I could instantly smell the product and it's lovely. It has that classic Herbal Essences fruity fragrance and in terms of consistency it is a fairly thick and creamy formula. This is one of the things I love most about this product as I have thick hair and find it hard to get hold of a conditioner that absorbs well.

My second purchase was this amazing permanent hair colour from Garnier's Olia range. For those of you who haven't heard of Olia hair dyes, they are fab at-home colours made with 60% oils and no ammonia. I chose Iced Chocolate 4.15 simply because it is the closest to my hair colour.

As you can see, the main features of Olia hair colours are colour intensity, grey coverage, quality improvement and scalp comfort.

Looks good enough to eat!

Inside the box

Inside the box is the standard tools and formulations needed for at-home hair colouring. There's the instructions for use, a pair of black gloves for protection, a developer cream, a colourant cream, the Olia jar and applicator, and a lovely multi-application conditioner.

Having used this dye before,  I would really recommend it. The product doesn't dry out the hair as much as other products, which is a big plus for me.

What hair products have you bought lately?

A Beauty Expert's Guide To Healthy Skin: Five Minutes With EstherFieldgrass

Within minutes of meeting beauty expert and EF Medispa Owner Esther Fieldgrass, she knew what I had to do to transform my skin. And with 40 years of experience as an industry insider, I should think so too!

It all started at a chic restaurant in St John's Wood, where Skinceuticals was holding its launch event for the Balancing Micropeel. With a glass of orange juice in one hand and a notebook in the other, I spoke with Esther about her favourite treatments and what she loved most about the beauty industry. But then I was faced with the big, dreaded question: 'What do you with your skin?' If she had asked me 6-8 months ago, she would have looked at me in horror; however, luckily, I no longer use face wipes (sorry Esther!) and have been converted to the wonderful science-based skin care of Skinceuticals. I replied: 'I have quite oily skin, and I cleanse, tone and moisturise with the Retexturising Activator.' It was at that point that I knew there was something else on her mind - looking after my inner wellbeing (diet, hydration and stress management) should be a higher priority than it is right now. And that is the real key to having and maintaining healthy, glowing skin.

I just had to share Esther's advice with you as I found it so interesting and helpful, and I hadn't thought about the points she made in any great depth in the past. If you too have oily skin, I would love to know what you think of the top tips below and whether you would like to make any changes for not only your skin, but also your general health.

Top Tip 1. Go On An Alkaline Diet
'You need to go on an alkaline diet' were the first words of wisdom I heard from Esther, which was quite amusing at the time considering we were standing next to a table full of acidic foods and a glass full of fresh orange juice. To clear up any blemishes or oiliness, Esther told me it is best to avoid drinking coffee (weak tea, if desperate) and eating too many dairy-based products, and start drinking a lot more water to keep my skin hydrated. The acidic content of my food is definitely not something I had thought of before talking to Esther - I do drink a lot of tea during the day and do like cheese quite a lot, but I never considered how the acidic content of what I eat and drink could affect the health and appearance of my skin.

Top Tip 2. Don't Shy Away From Oil-Based Skin Care
One thing I was dying to speak to Esther about was skin hydration and what products I should use to keep my skin under control. I told her how apprehensive I was when it came to facial oils and oil-based skin care, as I was worried it was going to make my skin worse and increase the likelihood and severity of my breakouts. I was right to be concerned; according to Esther, your skin needs to be constantly hydrated, otherwise more oil will be produced, making the condition of the skin a lot worse. She also said that the use of some toners can strip the skin of its oils, making the skin feel dry and therefore producing even more oil, exacerbating the problem. So, the takeaway message here was to keep the skin very cleansed and clean, and use hydrating serums as opposed to moisturisers and oily creams. SkinCeuticals do a B5 serum for rehydrating that she particularly recommends, as well as the Retexturising Activator which is great for oily skin. But, most importantly, water intake needs to be steady and often.

Top Tip 3: Don't Overdo It With Topical Vitamin C
Vitamin C as a topical formulation is one of Esther's favourite skin care products. When looking at my skin, she advised me to just dab it on once a day (every morning) and not to use too much on every application, as the skin builds up a reservoir of vitamin c and so does not need to be topped up as much as you would think. I never knew this before and found it so interesting, especially as so many skin care products include vitamin c as a staple ingredient these days.

Top Tip 4: It's All About Maintenance
To achieve and maintain healthy skin, one treatment will never do the trick. Just as life goes on, skin care goes on. So, to look after your skin well, you need to attack all bases, including eliminating bodily toxins and using high-quality skin care to cleanse and hydrate the skin. Use a broad-spectrum SPF every day, no matter what the weather is like outside. Come rain or shine, every season is sun protection season, and Esther couldn't have stressed that point more.

Top Tip 5: Preparation Is Key
The skin is the largest organ, and so it must be treated well. Before having any chemical peels, the skin must be prepared for at least 2 weeks to take on the power of the formulation, and should also be hydrated. If the skin isn't prepared thoroughly, the peel won't work, will be uncomfortable and may dry out the skin. It's not about what you do at your appointments - it's about what you do between them that really counts. Never pay a lot of money for a treatment without knowing what state your skin should be in before it takes place. You want to see results to justify the cost.

Bomb Cosmetics Haul (#obsessed)

If i'm honest, I only thought Lush could offer creative bath and body products, but I was wrong. Very wrong. At last year's Vitality Show, I stumbled upon what can only be described as a 'sea' of bath bombs and ballistics. I officially met a match for my bathtime brand favourite, and her name was Bomb Cosmetics.

I did what any excited beauty addict would do, and went on a MASSIVE haul. It would be wrong not to share my new prized possessions with you, so here they are in all their fun and fragrant glory.

As you can see, I got a range of products, including the Raspberry Rainbow Scoopable Shower Gel (365ml), Blackcurrant Body Polish (365ml), Emerald Ocean Painted Love Candle, First Love Bath Mallow, Lavender Musk Blaster (160g), Harajuku Girl Bath Creamer (30g) and Lavender Musk Blaster (160g).

Seeing them all in a line makes me happy!

I'll start with the Raspberry Rainbow Scoopable Gel, which costs £7.99.

The packaging is so cute and fun, although I must admit it wasn't the first thing that attracted me to it - that was the raspberry. I have a real love for the smell and taste of raspberry so knew I had to give this one a go. I don't think the tub is 100% waterproof, as would be expected, but it does hold up pretty well if it gets wet.

The gel is infused with 'moisturising palmarosa and bergamot oils'. Bergamot is a popular ingredient for bath and body products at the moment, but you can only smell raspberry so you would never know it was there.

Here's the ingredients and directions for use:

Here's what it looks like inside and on the skin...

It looks, smells and feels like strawberry jelly, but note the product warning not to give it to children under 3. It's a thick consistency but represents the 'scoopable' part well. It smells gorgeous and makes me feel like a kid in a sweet shop! One thing was I had to use quite a lot as it dissolved quickly on the skin, so not as moisturising as I would have liked but all in all I love this product.

Next is the Blackcurrant Body Polish, which also costs £7.99.

I have to say even though I love the body scrub, I think I do prefer the shower gel. The scrub smells like purple fruit polos, which I love, but I can't deny I was disappointed when the product wasn't purple inside, but white instead. Still it smells gorgeous and there's a lot there for your money.

Here's the ingredients and directions for use...

Here's what it looks like inside and on the skin...

One thing I will say with this product is that it does need a bit of warming up in the hands first before rubbing onto the skin, as it is quite coarse and thick. Once it's warmed up, it's good to go, but it is a down point.

The third thing on my list is the Emerald Ocean Painted Love Candle, which costs £7.99 (a running theme it seems!).

In terms of design and packaging, it isn't particularly original, but I am in a real candle phase at the moment and love anything ocean-related. The candle is made with revitalising pure clary sage and lemongrass and has a burn time of up to 50 hours, which is pretty good for a candle of this size. I am definitely excited to use this!

Next is the first bath product I bought - First Love Bath Mallow (£2.09). The way this has been created is so delicate and pretty - i want to eat it, which I think is a good thing. One thing I will say that it is small - so I hope it will be powerful when I use it in the tub. Very soft texture and I'm really looking forward to bathing in the shea and cocoa butters that the product will release.

Then there's the Lavender Musk Blaster, which costs £2.29. I think in general this sort of bath bomb is more up my street - smells divine and it's a lot bigger than the melts and creamers. Having said that, this will dissolve a lot quicker than the creamer, so they will probably balance each other out. I love the relaxing effect lavender has after a long day at work, so can't wait to watch this one fizz like mad.

Finally we have the two bath creamers - Big in Japan (£2.09) and Harajuku Girl (£2.09). Both a LOT smaller than I expected, especially Harajuku Girl; however, what was lacking in size was made up in colour and fragrance. I was really disappointed with the koi carp creamer - it looked so vivid online and rather dull in the flesh. The design is very cute and am intrigued to see how it will work. Same goes for Harajuku Girl.

So that was my crazy haul! Look out for my next Once Upon A Bathtime review.

Do you like any of these products? Have you tried any other ones? x