After what feels like months of anticipation (but was actually only a fortnight or so…) my Glossybox finally arrived this morning, and fell into my grubby little paws when I got home.

Now I’m sure you are aware of the GlossyBox, after all, it seems to have taken over my twitter timeline several times over the last couple of weeks. But for the uninitiated GlossyBox is a £10 a month subscription service which sends you a box of five “deluxe” sized samples… the kind you’d usually get as a gift with purchase, rather than the crappy little sachets the counter ladies sometimes begrudgingly give you if you offer to sacrifice your firstborn and remortgage your house ask very very nicely.

So here’s a few Piccys;

First thing that stands out about the GlossyBox is how lovely the packaging is – Its like recieving a lovely gift… With love from me to me!

So, packaging aside… whats in the box then? I’m sure you have already seen this on twitter and many other blogs but here ya go!

So thats a full size (30ml) tube of NARS Orgasm Illuminator, worth £21.50, an All For Eve full sized lipstick in “Eve Red”, worth £12.50, a 4ml sample of Bionova bioactive cleanser (admittedly small, but more than made up for by the two full sized products I feel), a 25 ml pump bottle of Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Colour Hold Hair Repair Spray, and a 50ml bottle of Como Shambhala Invigorating Body lotion. Not bad for £10… Lets hope future boxes live up to the same standard, as GlossyBox have set the bar high for themselves!

Top - Orgasm Illuminator, Bottom Illuminator blended out

All For Eve "Eve Red" swatched.

So, as you may be aware if you’ve been following GlossyBox on twitter or through blogs, or on their YouTube channel, the first box was a sell out, so if you missed out on this first box, but you want one, then you’re in luck! Basically shortly after I subscribed to the service I was contacted by GlossyBox offering me a sample box to review – I sensed an opportunity for a giveaway and GlossyBox were happy to agree.

So if you missed out and fancy a box of your own, than leave me a comment telling me you want the box below, and I’ll draw the winner at random a week from now (Midnight on Thursday 26th May) and announce it on here, so be sure to check back! *UK ENTRIES ONLY PLEASE!

If you want to order your own GlossyBox, you can do so HERE.

Disclaimer – I purchased the box shown in this post myself via a subscription to GlossyBox UK, the giveaway prize is a PR sample. The winner will be sent this free of charge by myself.

One of the things I am constantly aware of when I review products, especially skincare, is ingredients. Sometimes you feel like you need a BS detector to separate out stuff that is actually known to benefit the skin, and things that just seem to be manufactured by advertising bods to part us from our hard earned cash.  Is it just me, or does the feeling that you are maybe, just maybe being conned, take the fun out of choosing products?

This is basically also the thinking behind the line Paula’s choice, which was created by Paula Begoun, who has over thirty years in the cosmetics industry. The line aims to take out the guesswork behind skincare, as only scientifically proven ingredients are involved in the products, and from what I can gather it’s already a well established brand in the US, and is now available in the UK HERE.

The Paula’s Choice line is focused on both basic skincare, as well as targeting problems in the skin. One thing that impresses me about the website for the line is that there is a huge section in which she reviews other ranges, recommending them or otherwise based on the efficacy of their key ingredients. Having read through a few of her reviews, I like the way the site just seems to offer an objective opinion rather than just dissing poor products and pushing their own line.

Two new “hero” products which sound interesting have recently been launched in the RESIST, anti-ageing line. First of all the RESIST daily smoothing treatment with 5% AHA combines glycolic and salicylic acids to clear blemishes and stimulate collagen production. There is also the RESIST super antioxidant serum which supports the action of the smoothing treatment and boosts the level of antioxidants in the skin, reducing the speed of ageing.

There’s also a great contest running at the moment, so if you’d like to meet Paula “The Cosmetic Cop” Begoun, in London for a spot of afternoon tea ( during which you will have the chance to ask all the questions about skincare you ever wanted to), then all you need to do is subscribe to her newsletter HERE, before 31^st May 2011, which will mean you are both entered into the draw and you’ll also be kept up to date with any new products in the line.

Paula Begoun

The prizes on offer are;

1st prize: Three people will win afternoon tea sessions with Paula Begoun (including transport to London). 

2nd prize: Two people will win Paula’s Choice skin care sets (worth £135 per set).                                         

3rd prize: Ten people will win a personally autographed copy of Paula’s best-selling book ‘Don’t go to the cosmetics counter without me.’

Winners will be informed via email by 01/06/2011. Please note this draw is restricted to UK citizens only.

Find out more about the Paula’s Choice range HERE

Find out more about the contest on the facebook page HERE and on the Paula’s Choice site HERE.

Disclaimer – This is a sponsored post in association with Paula’s Choice and Handpicked Media. This is NOT  a review, and should not be taken as such.

Why a mini review you ask? For the simple reason that when I was asked if I’d like to try the range, I had to ‘fess up to being somewhat outside the target age range for the line at the grand old age of *cough* thirty-one (nearly thirty-two if we are splitting hairs… *cries*).

Anyway, this range is aimed at all you lucky people in the “teens to twenties” age bracket, and comes from spa brand Elemis. I’m pleased to see the prices of this range are also fairly accessible too – £8 for cleansing wipes and lip balm, up to £22 for the night time moisturiser, which although pricey for teens isn’t too bad for a spa brand, and is likely to be affordable to those in their twenties who are probably working and looking for treats to splash out on using their first pay check… *gazes off nostalgically into the distance*

On to the products. I was sent the “Loving Lips Quenching Lip Balm”, and the Face Mask Duo pack, containing Deep Clean and Magical Moisture Masks (three of each, retailing at £15).

Packaging wise, I like the look of these, they have that “bathroom shelf appeal” that is often one of the reasons I’ll be attracted to higher end cosmetics and skincare (Don’t judge, you know you do it too!), and look simple yet classy, while the packaging is also designed to appeal well to its target customer. Pink but not too girly and fussy looking, this will appeal to those who are looking for a simple regime from a well established and trusted brand.

The lip balm comes in a small squeeze tube with an applicator reminiscent of the Lancome Juicy Tubes. It has a lovely minty scent, which, unlike a lot of menthol lip products doesn’t make my lips throb. When applied to the lips it has a smooth feel with a slippery consistency, almost akin to silicon based primers.

Unlike most conventional lip balms it sinks into the lips well, and does actually make them feel more moisturised, rather than just sitting on the skin. I like this a lot, although it’s not quite as deeply moisturising as, say lanolips, which provides a longer lasting moisture hit. The balm is clear, so adds no colour to the lips. This makes it useful to carry for adding over a matte lipstick should you feel the moisture being zapped from your lips…

The masks come in packs of six, three moisture masks, and three deep cleansing ones. Each sachet contains a reasonable amount for one application, which is great providing that you don’t want to use different masks on different parts of your face… I’ve seen other bloggers mention that they think that this issue could be dealt with by providing the masks in tubes rather than sachets, which would definitely solve the problem, but then on the other hand, the sachets are great for travel…

I’ve now had chance to try both masks. The deep cleansing mask is your typical mud mask consistency, apply and it dries, whilst sucking toxins out of the skin. Unlike a lot of other masks of this ilk I have tried, this didn’t overly dry my dry-normal skin, however it did encourage a few blemishes that had been lurking under the skin to reveal themselves over the next few days – not in a scary breakout way, just in a “finally they are her, now they can clear up and bugger off” manner, and they seemed to dry up and heal reasonably quickly.

The moisture mask is a rich thick cream, which is almost like a night cream but thicker, and like the cleansing mask, you apply and leave on for ten minutes before rinsing (Its possible for both to be simply rinsed away, but it’s easier to use a muslin cloth or a facial sponge to remove them). This is a lovely mask and I think it would work well on many skin types – it left my dry skin feeling clean, yet smooth and nicely moisturised, although with no traces of feeling oily or over slicked… It certainly didn’t have any negative effects on my t-zone which is where I am prone to feeling the effects of too rich a moisturiser.

Of the two masks I’d have to say the moisture mask is my favourite, simply due to my skin type – I actually wish I could buy this on its own to pep up my skin from time to time. I see this one getting lots of use during the summer months after the effects of the sun, and also during the colder months when my skin gets sapped of moisture by central heating etc.

Repurchase? I have to say I’m impressed by both of the products,  I think they are also reasonable value for a spa brand, and I’d definitely repurchase the lip balm. I’d be highly likely to also repurchase the masks, although I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Elemis start selling them separately, as I’d stock up massively on the miracle moisture mask. However if your skin tends to swing between feeling dry and oily depending on the time of the month etc, then you might prefer the mixed pack thats currently available.

Disclaimer – Both products were sent to me for review purposes. I was not paid, bribed or otherwise asked to give a positive, negative or indiferent review of them. All reviews on here are honest and based on my own experiences with the products. I always recommend that you read as many reviews as possible before purchasing.

I picked both of these products up from Boots recently, where they have finally arrived, after waiting for months. I actually wanted the Lanolips 101 ointment, as a mutipurpose lip and cuticle treatment, and I’m still on a mission to get that too, but I’m still loving the two products I have so far from the range.

Lanolips is a brand based around one key ingredient – lanolin! (Major surprise hey – bet you never expected that given the name!). Lanolin is a by-product of the wool industry, and is basically a fatty substance extracted from fleeces. On the face of it that may sound a little bit ew, however lanolin is similar to substances produced in our own skin, however its just more easily available from wool… And the magic of lanolin is that its a great effective moisturiser, as it can hold up to 200% of its own weight in water. The lanolips range is cruelty free – no sheep are harmed in the process, although vegans and vegetarians may want to avoid the range of course.

Picture sourced HERE.

The lanolips tinted lip moisturisers come in a range of five shades – I picked up Rose, which is a pale pink. They all contain 60% medical grade lanolin, and spf15, so are great for summer. They retail at £8.16 for 12.5g of product. They are packaged in a squeeze tube, which doesn’t come with a slanted applicator – the product iss too thick to squeeze out and apply using a slanted type applicator, and you would probably end up using far more than you needed and wasting product. I squeeze a little out and use my finger to apply.

This is the richest and most deeply moisturising lip balm I have ever used – all the raves I have read on other blogs about the range are all well justified. You only need a tiny amount of this product, so each tube will last for ages. The product moisturises so deeply and richly that a lot of repeat applications are not necessary, and it adds a slight pretty tint to the lips. Its also very thick, and so adheres well to the lips. A great everyday product, and this is definitely set to be a staple for me.

After picking this up I was so impressed I went back for another look at the range, and saw that there are also two handcreams Rosebalm Everyday (£10.20 for 120mls) and Rosebalm intense for very dry hands and nails (£9.18 for 15mls). I picked up the everyday version.

This is a light pink lotion, with a light baby-powder/rose scent, which I find really pleasant, and contains medical grade lanolin as well as rose oil and keratin. I was expecting this to be really really rich, given how rich the lip ointment is, however this is an ideal everyday handcream, which sinks in really quickly, and doen’t leave any trace of a greasy feel on the skin. It leaves hands actually feeling really refreshed and clean, yet also very hydrated – its unlike any handcream I’ve tried before really in the way it sinks in so well. Its quite hard to describe but it almost leaves your hands feeling a little powdery, but not in a dry way (amazing descriptive skills hey?) I’m not going to labour the point, but I’d definitely recommend using the tester to see how it feels on your hands, as I find this really unique.  I also love the effect this has had on my nails – I often dot a little extra handcream onto the nailbeds and do a cuticle massage, and this leaves my nails really shiny, and my cuticles really moisturised – I’ve seen a definite improvement in them since I started to use this lotion a couple of weeks ago. I’m actually considering picking up the intense version to use in my manicure kit for this very reason.

Would I repurchase? Definitely. I already know I’ll be picking up the 101 ointment if it ever comes back into stock at my local Boots branches, and I also want to try the lemonaid lip aid, as well as the intense version of the Rosebalm. Definite thumbs up from me for the range!

Disclaimer – I purchased these products with my very own hard earned cash. As with all reviews on the site, this is honest and based on my own experiences with the products. Always read as many reviews as you can find before purchasing!

I was recently sent this cream for review purposes, along with a couple of items from Elemis’s new “Fresh Skin” range (review to come on those!). I’ve heard a lot of great things about it, and I’ve also just looked online at the price – the cream is available HERE for an eye watering £76.60

Given the price of this cream, I was hoping I’d hate it, or at least not be majorly impressed with it. I was hoping to be able to say it was too rich, or even *horror* that it broke me out.

Unfortunately I can’t find much bad to say about it, apart from, you know, the old price tageroonie.

This is a richly hydrating, yet light in texture, and easily absorbed cream that simply sinks into my normal-dry skin, and keeps it feeling velvety soft and superbly hydrated and comfortable all day long, no matter whether I’m in and out of central heating (usually a hydration zapper for me).

I’ve not experienced any sensitivity or breakouts from it, it’s just left my skin feeling really good.

I also love the scent of this cream, which I’d describe (in my possibly uneducated manner…) as a kind of grown up baby powder scent. Comforting, fresh but not overwhelming. Lovely. And it doesn’t linger too long on the skin either, however I wouldn’t really mind if it did…

I’ve also had no issues with any greasy feeling on the skin after use, which is something I often notice with some richer creams – they seem to “sit” on the skin for a while before sinking in.

The Science Part… As for active ingredients, apparently this is enriched with Mediterranean fan .shaped algae, which has rich anti-ageing properties. These in turn increase the level of Glucosaminoglycans in the skin, which attract water. The cream is also rich in free-radical protection from Ginkgo-Bilboa, Rose and Mimosa… So far I’ve noticed my skin looks smoother, and more evenly textured in the two weeks since I started using it.

I’m totally loving this cream… so the big question is would I recommend it to others?

Yes if – you are looking for anti-ageing skin care which doesn’t overload your skin. Also worth considering the depth of your pockets here – I know I’m going to want to repurchase this time and time again, but I’m not sure how I’ll be financing this yet.

No if - you don’t need anti-ageing skincare, and you don’t want to develop and addiction to expensive skin cream.

BUT – bear in mind, this is a hot seller on QVC, and can often be snapped up on special value deals or as part of a set… Also, well worth asking for a sample from your local Elemis counter. This cream is too expensive not to try before you buy!

Disclaimer – This product was sent to me for review purposes. All reviews are honest and based on my own experiences with a product. Please bear in mind your own skin type and needs, and I would always recommend reading as many reviews as possible before making any purchases.

For an age we’ve been hearing about the wonders of this stuff, and previously the only place to get it was from French pharmacy site Le Guide Sante, where a ridiculous shipping fee was whacked onto the price…

However the genius’s (Genii?) at Zuneta have finally managed to bring it to the UK…

Available now for £14 per bottle… still pricey but apparently this stuff is worth every penny… Have you tried this?

This innocuous little tube of cream has been getting a lot of attention lately thanks to the lovely pixiwoo sisters who mentioned that they loved it for their dry skin. Having similar dry to normal skin I thought I’d give it a go – given this retails for £7.75 (it can be found at Boots, and its also on offer at the moment in Sainsburys for £5.20), I felt it would be no great loss if it didn’t work for me!

9 out of 10 cats prefer catfood. Renfield has always been a different...

My skin varies between dry and normal, with occasional hormonal breakouts, so I decided to give it a whirl. I’ve just repurchased as it’s working well for me right now.

In terms of ingredients this is free from fragrances, preservatives and emulsifiers. It contains the following; Aqua, Olea Europeae, Glycerin, Pentylene, Glycol, Palm Glycerides, Olus, Oleic Triglycerides, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Squalane, Betaine, Palmitamide MEA, Acetamide MEA, Sarcosine, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Carbomer, Carbomer and Xanthan Gum.

I like to include ingredient list for skincare just in case anyone has allergies, but on a personal level, my only interest is in whether the product works or not! Pretty sure I’m not alone in that?!

So the results – I used this when my skin was super dry during the cold winter months, and it did work wonders. This left me feeling rehydrated and fresh, even through night shifts and times where it seemed I was constantly going from cold to centrally heated places. After a while, my skin seemed to “balance out”, and not require it as much, so I used a similar but lighter cream from Avene. I tend to use this now at night, or during times when my skin needs a little boost.

This also worked fine under makeup, and certainly didn’t cause or aggrivate any blemishes on my skin.

I’d recommend this for drier skin types, I’m not sure how well this would work for combo/olier skins.

Repurchase? Yes – I already did, and will again.

Have you tried this?