MUA Liquid Eyeliner Review

It's so difficult to walk past a MUA stand without picking up little bits here and there. I was fine until I bought my first MUA item and ever since it's become difficult to stop. It's a bit of an addiction now and my boyfriend has threatened to put me on a leash if I run off one more time to buy handfuls of make-up whenever he looks away. Whoops!

One of my first items by MUA was their felt tip liner and even though it ran dry quite quickly, I was thoroughly impressed by the quality of the product - all for a single pound! Being a typical beauty blogger, however, I couldn't just go back and buy the same when the old one ran out. I had to try something different, so I decided to give the liquid liner a go this time around.

Once again, the packaging cannot be faulted. It's not as glamorous as anything high end, of course, but for the price you could do a lot worse. It's sturdy, sleek and doesn't break or cause any spillages if you want to chuck it into your handbag and not worry about it for the rest of the day.
The brush is also a good length and width, meaning it's not too floppy and allows you to draw a precise line, which you can make as thick or as thin as you want. Unfortunately, applying liquid eyeliner is just a lot more difficult than applying a felt tip one, no matter what brand you use. The only tip I can give you if you struggle is practise, practise, practise. I still struggle to get a clean, perfect line, but I get better with each application.

I went for shade 5, which is a classic, non-fuss black. There are also some other shades, including other neutrals like brown and grey, and some more interesting shades, such as a bright emerald and a turquoise blue.
The black itself is gorgeously inky, deep and glossy. As it dries it gives a sort of vinyl-like effect which looks stunning while it's still fresh.

MUA Liquid Eyeliner Swatch - Shade 5

Where this product falters, however, is in its longevity. It's virtually impossible to draw on a thick, dramatic line, as it will crack and flake pretty much instantly, so you've got to stick to a thin, understated line with this one. More of a "thick lashes" effect than a full on 60's cat eye flick. Even then it will start crumbling after a few hours' wear. I tried using primer as well as setting the liner with some eye shadow, but neither seemed to make a difference.
I don't know if the other shades behave in a similar fashion, but I would say if you're after a brilliant eye liner, try the felt tip liner instead. It only costs £1 more, but it will stay on your eyes all day - literally.
Also, if you've got any tips on how to stop this one from cracking, then please let me know in the comments section below!

The MUA liquid eyeliner retails at £1 and is available from Superdrug or online on the MUA website, here. Meanwhile, if you'd like to check out what I've had to say about the felt tip eyeliner, you can read this blog post.

MUA Extreme Felt Eyeliner Review

For ages I've bypassed the MUA stand at my local Superdrug despite all the blogger hype surrounding the brand. I apologise in advance if I sound like a snob, but I just couldn't believe that make-up costing a Pound or two could possibly any good (really, really bad teenage make-up memories come flooding back in). Eventually I took the plunge and purchased a few items and among them was this felt tip eyeliner, which cost me £1. Yes, that's right. One single pound.

First impressions were actually pretty good. The packaging is sturdy but light. The cap sits firmly on the tip of the eyeliner, so you don't have to worry about it flying off in your make-up bag and everything getting covered in black gunk. I'm also quite fond of the silver writing on black plastic; it looks a lot more expensive than you would expect.

Felt tip style liners are probably my favourite eyeliner type. They're a lot easier to apply than liquid or gel liner and a lot more precise and longer lasting than pencils or khols. The tip on this liner is absolutely perfect. It's the perfect length to allow for a very precise application. Soft enough not to tug on the eyelids, but hard enough not to smudge or run, it's pretty easy to get the exact line and shape you want from it. It's literally like holding a pen and colouring in your make-up.

As you can see from the swatch picture, the pigment isn't quite as black as it could be, so I found myself applying a few layers to get better pigmentation, as I do like my eyeliners to be "proper black".
On the plus side, once this is on the skin it stays on. I found myself wearing this on 16-hour work days and when I struggled into the bathroom at the end of the day it was still there, exactly the same way it had been at the start of my day. Due to the longevity it does take a bit of work to remove, but nothing a good make-up remover cannot handle.

The only other downside? After about three weeks of almost continuous use, the Extreme Felt Eyeliner decided it had enough and dried out completely on me. But for £1 it's not like you can't afford to buy another. So, short life span aside, I am really, really impressed with this product. I honestly cannot believe that you could get something this good for a single pound, when I'm used to paying at least ten times the amount MUA charge for most of their make-up.
I've since gone back and purchased a few more of their items and it's starting to develop into a full blown addiction now.

What's your favourite bargain product?

Illamasqua Medium Pencil in Elate

Funny little review for you today, as I'll be talking about a product I didn't even want. You see, I was CONVINCED that I bought a nice light nude/flesh coloured eye pencil, a shade I'd been hunting for for ages. Then I got home, unwrapped everything and realised that it was in fact a white pencil. I'm 100% sure that I asked for "Cane" but ended up with "Elate" in my bag. The problem is that I already own another white pencil which I don't even use an awful lot, as I feel the effect it gives is just a little too stark. Nevertheless, I didn't fancy driving back for another hour, so I just stuck with it.

Eine etwas eigensinnige Review habe ich für euch heute, denn ich stelle euch ein Produkt vor, das ich eigentlich überhaupt nicht wollte. Also, das war so: Ich war ÜBERZEUGT, dass ich einen hübschen Nude-/hautfarbenen Kajalstift gekauft hatte - etwas wonach ich schon längere Zeit gesucht hatte. Dann kam ich nach Hause, packte alles aus und saß plötzlich mit einem weißen Stift da. Ich bin mir hundertprozentig sicher, dass ich um "Cane" gebeten hatte, doch in meiner Einkaufstüte landete "Elate". Das Problem ist halt, dass ich schon einen anderen weißen Kajal habe und den benutze ich sowieso kaum, weil mir der Effekt einfach etwas zu stark ist. Dennoch hatte ich keine Lust, eine ganze Stunde lang wieder zurück in die Stadt zu fahren, also saß ich mit ihm fest.

Now if you were waiting for a turn in my little story where I exclaim, "I didn't want this, but now I love it!" then you'll be disappointed. I still don't love it. Buuuuut it's marginally better than my other white pencil (which is by Artdeco), so I got to give it some credit for that.

Wenn ihr jetzt erwartet, dass ich im nächsten Satz so etwas sage wie: "Ich wollte ihn nicht, aber jetzt liebe ich ihn!", dann muss ich euch leider enttäuschen. Ich liebe ihn nämlich nicht. Aaaaaber er ist schon etwas besser als mein anderer weißer Kajal (von Artdeco), also gibt es da schon Bonuspunkte.

Talking just about the pencil in general it is of very good quality. The texture is completely spot on. It is neither so hard that it tugs on the delicate skin in the eye area, nor is it so soft that it runs everywhere. Application is a very pleasant process as a result and it also allows you to work as precisely as you'd like, depending on how much you sharpen the tip.

Wenn man nur den Stift im Allgemeinen betrachtet, dann ist er schon von sehr guter Qualität. Die Konsistenz ist einfach nur perfekt. Er ist weder so hart, dass er an der empfindlichen Augenhaut zerrt, noch ist er so weich, dass er überall verläuft. Das Auftragen wird somit zu einer sehr angenehmen Angelegenheit und man kann auch so präzise arbeiten, wie man möchte, je nachdem, wie stark der Stift zugespitzt ist.

Sharpening itself is a quick and easy process, though as with all wooden pencils you do lose some product every time you sharpen it. However, it's been bashing about in my make-up bag for a while and I haven't had it break, snap or crumble on me yet. After application it lasts about 6 hours on me, regardless of whether I wear it on the lashline, eye lid or on the water line. Six hours on the lid is fairly average, but six hours on the water line is actually really good, so I am impressed!

Das Spitzen an sich ist ein schneller und einfacher Prozess, doch wie bei allen Holzstiften geht etwas vom Produkt bei jedem Anspitzen verloren. Jedoch hat er jetzt längere Zeit in meiner Make-up-Tasche so Einiges durchmachen müssen und er ist trotzdem nicht zerbrochen oder zerkrümelt. Nach dem Auftragen hält er bei mir etwa sechs Stunden, egal ob ich ihn am Wimpernkranz, auf dem Augenlid, oder auf dem Innenlid auftrage. Sechs Stunden auf dem Lid ist eher durchschnittlich, aber sechs Stunden auf dem Innenlid ist eine sehr gute Leistung; ich bin beeindruckt!

Illamasqua Medium Pencil in Elate hand swatch

"Elate" is described as a pure white and I couldn't agree more. It is very pigmented for a white pencil - no half-arsed bit of waxy transparency here - so it will allow you to create some fairly dramatic looks should you want to use it for that. Unfortunately I didn't want a white eye liner because I was looking for something LESS dramatic, so I just can't find it in me to love this shade. I do wear it from time to time on days where I look positively dead and it does help to make me look less... well, dead.

 "Elate" wird als pures Weiß beschrieben und dem könnte ich nicht mehr zusprechen. Für einen weißen Kajalstift ist er sehr pigmentiert - keine lustlose wachsige Transparenz hier - und könnte somit gut für dramatische Looks eingesetzt werden, sollte jemand das Bedürfnis danach haben. Leider wollte ich aber gerade deswegen keinen weißen Liner, weil ich etwas WENIGER Dramatisches wollte, also kann ich mich einfach nicht dazu bringen, diese Farbe zu lieben. Ab und an trage ich sie schon auf, beispielsweise an Tagen, an denen ich entschlossenerweise tot aussehe und der Stift hilft mir dabei weniger...nun ja, tot... auszusehen.


Aside from that, a very good product and I'd happily repurchase it in any other colour, but next time I'll make double sure I get the right shade!
Illamasqua Medium Pencils retail at £13.00 each.


Davon einmal abgesehen, handelt es sich hier um ein hervorragendes Produkt, das ich mir sehr gerne jederzeit in einer anderen Farbe nachkaufen würde, doch beim nächsten Mal passe ich halt besonders darauf auf, dass ich auch den richtigen Ton bekomme!
Illamasqua Medium Pencils kosten je 15,55€.

January Glossybox Tried and Tested

Like every month I've had a bit of a play around with my Glossybox products so that I can review not just what I think about the box, but also how the actual products themselves are faring. I'm currently unsubscribed from Glossybox and as I've been a bit underwhelmed by its offerings lately I'm still on the fence about whether or not I should resubscribe.
Last month's reviews are also fairly late this time and I know that the new boxes have already arrived, but that's due to the fact that the Valentine's box came extremely late in the month. Anyway, enough babbling and let's see if the products were any good!

1) Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner in Midnight Blue

I wasn't one to rush to try out their new products after Eyeko rebranded and decided it was going to be a high end brand now. The packaging put me off a little, as I was not initially a fan of the pointy handle and that hasn't changed since. Here's what happened the first time I sharpened it:

The pointy bit fell off and dropped into the bin. I didn't particularly feel like fishing it out, so the problem was solved.
Packaging aside, the pencil was buttery soft and very pigmented. There was no tugging or pulling around the eye area to achieve a great sharp line and it didn't need to be warmed up beforehand either.

The shade is fairly pretty and though I would have loved to receive the pale pink version, it's nice to be pushed out of your comfort zone occasionally.
In terms of wear you have to be very careful where you apply this. I found that on the waterline this lasted a good 6-7 hours before sliding off into my lashes. I tried wearing it on my lashline (both top and bottom) and when set with powder it lasted around 3 hours before smudging. That didn't bother me too much, as it was a "pretty" kind of smudging, if you know what I mean. The kind where it slides off into your lashes and into your water line a little, making it look lived in and a bit rock chick.
However, worn around the eye without setting it with eye shadow it was a complete disaster. One hour later I had eye liner everywhere - all over my crease, my nose and in large blobs under my eyes which certainly did miracles to highlight my dark circles. Would I buy another one of these? No, they're good, but not for almost a tenner.

2) Clarins Extra Firming Day and Night Cream

I've put these two samples together, as they were meant to be used in conjunction, so that's what I did! It's just my luck that my favourite product also has to be the most expensive and one of the two that came without discount code. At first I was a little bit apprehensive, as anti-ageing creams tend to be a little too heavy for my skin and generally speaking my face prefers things that are as simple and fuss-free as possible.
I needn't have worried, as the texture of both of these creams was light and silky, but still creamy and nourishing.

Top: Clarins Extra Firming Day Cream
Bottom: Clarins Extra Firming Night Cream

As you'd expect the night cream is richer than the day cream, though the difference is actually barely noticable when applied on the skin.
Usually I pin all of my hair out of my face before my skincare routine and then run around with a little fauxhawk while my moisturiser sinks in, but with these I didn't have to do that at all, as my skin drank them up immediately. Both moisturisers fared equally well on my dry winter cheeks and on my oily forehead, though if you have very dry skin I don't think these would be nourishing enough. For me however, they felt absolutely amazing and my skin almost literally sighed a bit sigh of relief everytime I put these on.
One thing I did notice, however: Though these creams didn't break me out I had a few blemishes from before I started using them and they took forever and ever to disappear. I'm not sure if it's the cream or the change of climate, but it's worth noting for those who suffer from regular break-outs.
As for the anti-ageing properties I cannot comment or judge at this moment in time.

3) FAB Body Moisturizer

One of my pet hates is thin, runny body lotion - I really hate that stuff with a passion, so I was glad when I saw that this body moisturizer is in fact of the thicker variety. I wasn't so glad when I realised that the sample packaging was designed with a thin runny lotion in mind, so it was almost impossible to squeeze anything out of this tube. Once I was about halfway through nothing would come out anymore, so I tried cutting the plastic bottle open and broke my scissors and cut my hand. So much for that. From what I can see on the Boots website the full size of this comes in identical packaging. Unhygienic as they might be, there's a reason thick body creams and butters always come in pots rather than bottles.
To add insult to injury (quite literally) the actual product is fantastic. I didn't think I'd like it, but I loved it. It was thick and creamy, but once it warmed up on contact with the skin it became runnier which made it very easy to spread. It then sunk in almost instantly.

This body cream is unscented which is great news for those who suffer from sensitive skin or just don't like the scent of body products lingering on their skin. Personally, I prefer to use scented products, but that's just a matter of taste and I did find it was perfect to use after my Lush baths, as they had already left my skin scented enough.
Overall: Amazing product, awful packaging.

4) Murad Skin Perfecting Primer - Dewy Finish


Oh my. After my initial disgust I still had to give this a test run in order to give an honest and objective review.
We shall start with the texture, as this is definitely one of this product's strengths. It feels very light, almost like water and though it initially applies incredibly patchy this can be remedied with a bit of blending and rubbing.

Now let's move on to the obvious point: Why, just WHY did Murad have to tint this product? They claim that it adapts to any skin tone, but it simply doesn't. Now I know that I'm pale being a Mac NC15 and all, but surely I am not alone in this. Just look at the picture, look at it:

Ok, I realise I'm kind of going on about it. Maybe if you're medium or dark skinned your natural skin tone may be strong enough to overpower the obvious orange-ness of this product.
There are two versions of this primer and this is the dewy finish which is absolutely spot on, as it didn't mattify at all. That didn't bother me, as it just meant I had to powder my forehead where I get oily and the rest of my skin was fine. You can wear this either as a tinted moisturiser on its own or underneath foundation.
On its own it looked horrid on me. After about an hour it only seemed to be getting more orange and only stayed put for about four hours in total. Again with the colour you might get away with it if you have medium or dark skin.
When I put foundation over the top the shade problem was less obvious, but as I don't really wear any full coverage foundation it still seemed a bit off. The good news is that it really did prolong the wear of my foundation! It went from around 8 hours to just over 10, which meant that at the end of a normal day my foundation was still firmly in place. However, instead of just kind of melting off my face like it usually does when it can't last any longer, my foundation creased and gathered in all my expression lines at the end of the day when I used this underneath. Then again, maybe I was just frowning a lot because my face was still slightly orange. Ok, enough of that, I'll stop now. Promise.

Would I purchase any of the products that were in the Valentine's Glossybox? No. Definitely no. Though I loved the Clarins skincare samples the full sized products would come to a combined price of almost £100 and I know that I can get something equally good for less money. The FAB moisturiser was great, but the packaging is highly disfunctional and I just prefer my body creams to smell of something nice and fruity. As for the other products they were lacking in either one or several departments and I would consider both a huge waste of money for me.

Glossybox January 2012 Contents

I was just about to head out for a run (I'm being good again despite the fact that I get out of breath after about 30 seconds), when the doorbell rang and the postman handed me a familiar looking package. It's Glossybox time again!
I filmed a video of me unpacking the box again with completely honest reactions, which is particularly clear when it comes to the last product of this month's box. Watch the January 2012 Glossybox Unboxing video here.

This month's box took forever to come, considering this is supposed to be the January box and we've only got two days of January left! In all fairness, though, anyone who's been subscribed to Glossybox before got a warning on last month's card that it would take a little longer, as this box was supposed to be "extra special". Needless to mention, my hopes were high, also taking into consideration that this is yet another limited edition box and the last limited edition one was pretty amazing!

As usual I can't fault Glossybox for its packaging. The box is a hot pink to keep in line with its Valentine's Day theme, with pretty pink ribbon paper inside cushioning all the samples, a heart sticker on the tissue paper and even a little Glossybox sweet! But on to the products.

There's one full sized product in this month's box and it's the Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner in the shade Midnight Blue (though I first thought it was a dark green, whoops!). I don't really get the weird pointy handle. After a bit of reading up I found out that it's there to make application easier when it's sharpened down to the bottom, but I can just see myself taking someone's eye out with this and if you ignore the long silver pointy bit, it's actually a lot shorter than standard eye liners.
Having said that I'm very glad I didn't get a black eye liner, which I've certainly got enough of already. I'm also very much in love with the make-up models were wearing at Chanel's last couture show, so this will come in very handy to recreate that look!
Sample value: £9.50

Moving on to sample sized products I got this 15ml tube of Clarins Extra Firming Night Cream. I like Clarins and even though I've only tried a few of their products I've been impressed with every single one so far. I was a bit disappointed to get more skin care, just because I've got loads of samples to get through at the moment, so it's going to take a while until I'll be able to use this, but generally speaking, I think skin care samples are brilliant in beauty boxes, as they're exactly the type of product that you want to try out before committing to a full sized product.
This is aimed at every skin type, so my skin should get along fine with it. At age 23 I doubt my skin needs a lot of firming, though I've been positively surprised by anti ageing products before, so I wouldn't write it off from the start.
Sample value: £14.40

To go with the night cream the Glossybox team have also included the Clarins Extra Firming Day Cream. While I can see some people getting annoyed that two of the samples are of the same brand, I actually think this is a brilliant idea! This tube also contains 15ml, so should last as long as the night cream which means I can try both products in conjunction to see what they really do to my skin.
Sample value: £13.95

The card I got with my box claimed that I got the FAB Gentle Body Wash, though what I actually received was the Body Moisturizer. The texture of this seems to be very thick which is a plus for me, as I just can't do with runny lotions that just sit on top of your skin. It says on the packaging that this is fragrance free and boy do they mean it! This really doesn't smell of anything, which is fantastic for people who don't like strong scents.
Sample value: £2.50

Lastly I got a sample of the Murad Hybrids Skin Perfecting primer with Dewy finish (as opposed to the matte one). I wanted to try something from this brand for ages, but for this product I only have one word: Eww. Ewwww eww eww. I recommend watching the video if you want to see my face drop as I swatch this product.
The website claims that this "Restore[s] smoothness while a universal shade provides the perfect skin tone match" - maybe if you're an Oompa Loompa. Just swatched this made my hand a patchy orange colour and I'm a bit frightened to put this anywhere near my face. It's very rare that I have no use for a product, as I'm willing to try pretty much anything, but this is seriously testing my limits.
Sample value: £4.83

And let's not forget the little Glossybox sweetie they packed in as a cute little bonus!


This month's overall value comes to £45.18, so even though I'm not overly impressed with its contents you certainly get your money's worth! Calling it a "Limited Edition" box is a clever marketing ploy which in my honest opinion has completely backfired. December's box was fantastic and telling us this edition would be particularly special and also limited edition only got my hopes up very high. In reality, all they did was change the packaging whereas the contents are very, very average.


As usual I shall put these to the test (yes, even the Murad primer, even though I'm very reluctant with this one) and let you know what I think of all the products in another post towards the end of next month.

(The reviews are up now, you can find them here.)

Beauty Haul

I spent almost all of yesterday out and about in town and treated myself to quite a few beauty purchases, so here's a haul video featuring all the lovely items I came back home with. I hope you enjoy!

Barry M Glitter Liquid Eyeliner Review

I recently picked up three Barry M Glitter eyeliners on a trip to Boots which I also featured in a haul post here. These usually retail at £4.99 each but were on a 3 for £10 offer and I also got a free silver glitter polish for free, so it was hard to resist. I really wanted a golden one, but they were sold out apart from one dried out tube, so I chose black, blue and lavender instead.
They were a bit of a fun impulse buy for the festive season, but from what I've seen on the spring/summer catwalks a pop of colour on the eyes is going to be a big trend this year. (Okay, I had no idea about this at first, I admit I got lucky)

L-R: Blue, Lavender, Black

The brush on this product is great: thin, stiff enough not to spread product out everywhere and the perfect length for easy application in one swoop. The colours are lusciously bright, but one major flaw in this product is that it has a clear base. This means it's practically impossible to spread the glitter out evenly and get a clean line on your eye. In order to remedy this I used different products as a base and then applied the liners on top.

On the top picture I used a black kohl before applying glitter eyeliner, on the middle picture I used a blue gel liner as a base and for the bottom picture I applied purple eye shadow with a thin wet brush. I found that using eye shadow as a base did the best job at prolonging the liner's longevity, followed by kohl, whereas gel liner made it smudge very quickly.
You can see on some of the pictures that bits of the glitter have transferred onto my eyelids and this is the main problem with these liners - they have a very, very long drying time and you need to keep your eyes closed for a good two minutes before it's safe to blink without getting glitter everywhere. Not a great product if you're in a rush!
Nevertheless I thought they were great for adding a pop of colour onto the face as apart from the fact you need a base they are extremely easy to use once you've got the hang of using liquid liner.

However, I've also discovered an alternative use for these which offers a more subtle hint of colour if you don't want to go all out with a glitter line. Applied on the tips of eye lashes they give a great sparkle to the eyes but are much less in-your-face. It's also a lot easier using one of these liners than to fiddle around with loose glitter and the drying time is no longer a problem unless you have ridiculously long and curly lashes!

Make sure you apply the liner from both sides (inside and outside) for a hint of shimmer every time you blink.

You can buy these for £4.99 from the Barry M website, but to be honest I wouldn't pay full price for them as I don't feel they perform well enough for that. Barry M often run offers such as 3 for 2 in Superdrug or Boots, so if you're after one of these I'd thoroughly recommend waiting till one of those deals is on again.

October Glossybox - Tried and Tested

Last month I was quite eager to publish my review of the products I received in my Glossybox as quickly as possible. This month I decided to test them for a little bit longer, as I'd mis-judged an item in September's box.

I said in my review that the Moa Green Balm was a high contender for Elizabeth Arden's 8 Hour Cream, but I'd only tried it on skin that was already healthy (and it worked great then). A week or so later I got a sore patch of skin under my wrist splint, so I applied some of this product hoping it would heal my skin - and that was a painful mistake to make! It burnt like fire, became post box red and then on top of that my skin dried out so much it started flaking away. So, back to 8 Hour Cream it is.

A few words about Glossybox while we're here: I only noticed now that there was only one discount code with the box this month which was very disappointing, as there are two products that I seriously consider repurchasing.
Those two products are something that I probably wouldn't have picked up in a shop, which I'm very happy about. A lot of people complain about Glossybox and other beauty boxes for not tailoring to their needs, when the whole point is to discover new things that you wouldn't have bought if you were in a store. No one's going to magically pop into your head and find out that what you really want is a bright purple eye shadow, or that you've run out of body scrub.

Rant over. Let's get on with the reviews!

Dermalogica AGE Smart MultiVitamin Thermafoliant

First off, apologies to the Glossybox team: I complained about being sent lots of anti ageing products when I'm 22 years old without doing my research first. The AGE Smart range is sort of an anti ageing range for young people. Rather than claim to erase wrinkles and signs of ageing, it promises to prevent them if used in advance, which is something I'm actually really keen on!
This scrub is one of my two favourite products from the whole box. If it wasn't for the fact that I bought a new tube of exfoliator the weekend before my box came I would instantly buy this again.
It's got an orange, quite grainy, "sandy" texture and can be used on dry or damp skin. Personally I prefer using it on dry skin, but with wet hands, as it's a bit too rough otherwise. It warms up as you rub it into your face, but it's a pleasant sensation and doesn't burn or sting one bit. It genuinely feels like I'm scrubbing away every last trace of rubbish from my skin.
Afterwards my skin glows and just feels very fresh and gorgeous.

Dermalogica AGE Smart Power Recovery Masque

This is a bright orange liquid which goes on quite smoothly. You're supposed to leave it on for about 10-15 minutes and then rinse it off. I found that my skin actually absorbed quite a lot of this product while I let it sink in, so maybe it's in need of a bit of moisture?

What I dislike the most about this product is its scent - it's like a vicious, flesh eating flower. At first it pulls you in, as it smells quite fruity and nice and then you get a second whiff and it's just disgusting. It smells like the stuff your dentist puts on your teeth to seal them. That horrible, orange, sticky stuff. Anyone know what I'm on about? No? Let's move on then.

When I do rinse this off it leaves my skin feeling quite taut (which I like), but also a little bit sticky (which I don't like). I'm unsure about it, maybe someone with drier skin would benefit more from this.

Leighton Denny Nail Polish in Babydoll

I'm really a fan of nail polishes with a creamy and glossy finish, so out of all the shades that were sent out in last month's boxes this one was bang on! It applied easily enough and was opaque enough to just go with one coat. It lasted through a busy morning working at the restaurant without a single chip, which is impressive! 

Then at my well-deserved soak in the hot tub afterwards it came off in gigantic flakes. I'm not too bothered about that though, as I've yet to come across a nail polish that survives swimming pools, bath tubs or jacuzzis. If you know of one then please let me know!

All in all this is a great polish, but no better than a lot of other brands that I know.

Stila Smudge Stick in Moray

I'm in love with this. I would have never, ever picked up a dark green shade if I had the choice, but this eye liner is absolutely gorgeous. It has loads of little golden specks in it, which you'll only notice once you swatch it. It goes on buttery soft, but once it dries it will stay put. I can get a good 9-10 hours' wear out of this before it starts melting into the crease.

The only downside is that you have to twist it up, but can't twist it back down again. At first I thought I had a faulty product as it wouldn't come out any further, so I kept twisting it and twisting it... until it went too far and then I couldn't get it back in again. So that was annoying.

Other than that this is absolutely amazing and I want one in every single shade!

Robert Piguet Perfume Samples

As I already said in my contents post I was happy to have three perfume samples rather than just one (though I still would have preferred something else entirely), because it meant that surely there'd be one that I really like. Right? Wrong. I hated every single one of these. Don't get me wrong, I get why these are expensive perfumes, as they're very rich and multi-faceted, but they're just not for me.

Let's start with Fracas. This is an extremely floral scent. I mean, dipping-your-face-in-a-flower-floral. Now, I like floral, but not to such an extreme extent. This one didn't change much on my skin either and I can't say it lasted particularly long.

Visa is by far the worst for me. It's over-powering, musky, sweet and just plain nauseating. My boyfriend thought it made me smell of freshly washed car - not something I tend to go for when choosing a perfume to be quite honest with you.

When I first smelt Calypso I thought "Eurgh, great, this smells just like Visa", but it actually softens a little bit on the skin and somehow lightens up a little. I'd say that this is the lightest of all the scents and it's also the one I like the most dislike the least.

All in all these are all just way too old-fashioned for me. I'm sure that if you're a perfume connoisseur you'd be able to appreciate these scents, or even if you're into heavy, vintage perfumes, but I just don't like these at all.

Dermalogica AGE Smart Renewal Lip Complex

This was a bonus item, but I still think it deserves its own review. Now, I've been applying this to my lips religiously ever since I got it and it's just about running out now. It does make my lips smooth and soft and it also has a nice creamy, but not sticky texture once it's on the lips. I do, however, have two major problems with this product.

Firstly, it grosses me out. There's the smell that reminds me of rotting fruit - I don't know if anyone else's smells like this as well, but it's not pleasant and I can't escape it as I'm applying it on my lips which happen to be just below my nose. Then - and I'm really sorry about this, as it's disgusting, but I can't help but write about it - there's the way it comes out of the tube. A pale yellow semi-hard blob. It looks just like popping a blackhead. It's the first thing that came to my mind and I just can't get this image out of my head. Again, sorry for the gross imagery.

Secondly, the price. Yes, it made my lips lovely and soft, but so would a lot of other lip balms if I applied them as much as I applied this. Cheaper ones and nicer smelling ones. Perhaps it's doing what it says and keeping lines and wrinkles around my mouth away, but there's no proving that as of now, is there?

Overall I'm still satisfied with this month's contents - everything was at least worth trying and I found a few products that I really liked, so I'm happy. Just lose the perfume samples, pretty please?

October Glossybox Contents

As I woke up today there was a lovely parcel waiting for me: My Glossybox had arrived! I know there's a lot of people who don't want to hear about beauty boxes anymore, but personally I still love them. I really like surprises and trying things that I would have never usually picked up.

There's quite a bit of competition going on between different beauty box schemes at the moment. There's Boudoir Prive, which to me seems to be a little bit too high end. It's nice to try expensive samples, but if I do fall in love with a product then I want to be able to purchase it without going into overdraft.
Amarya has a scheme that provides natural and organic beauty products and you're guaranteed to have one full sized product every month. Whereas I'm all for organic when it comes to food, I am yet to be wowed by organic cosmetics, especially make-up. I'd rather read a few more reviews of the products before signing up to this one.
Feel Unique is another online retailer that has launched its own beauty box scheme and by the looks of it, Glossybox' closest contender. Their products aren't overly high end or niche, so lots of people will be able to incorporate them into their beauty regime. This month's boxes are already sold out and I'm considering myself to sign up for next month.
Latest In Beauty is a bit of a different one - it only costs £1 which you pay by text and you get to choose your samples yourself. However, you get what you pay for and you essentially get a box of sachets and seeing as I absolutely HATE sachets I think I'll give this one a miss. There's also a themed one out at the moment for £4.95, but the products just don't appeal to me.
A new launch this month is Carmine, again at a similar price point to all the other boxes. They're trying very hard to be different, both with the design of their boxes and the general tone of the website. These are not (yet) personalised, so everyone gets the same products and you can look them up on the website. The samples included in their first box haven't particularly wowed me which is a shame for a new launch, though I will be keeping an eye on this one.

So at the moment there's quite a bit of competition for GlossyBox, but a bit of healthy competition is surely good for us customers, as brands try to spoil us with products! I'm going to stop rambling now and get on with this month's contents. The box was themed "Six Pack - The Glossybox to end any beauty drought!" which got me a little bit excited thinking there'd be an extra product this month and at first sight it didn't disappoint. (I even let out a little shriek when I opened it)

The first sample on my card is the Dermalogica Age Smart MultiVitamin Thermafoliant.

At 15ml it's a decent sample, though not overwhelmingly big. Then again it's not a product you'd use every day anyway, so it's an acceptable size. I love Dermalogica, but I'm a bit disappointed that I received a sample from their Age Smart range when I'm 22 years old. I'll still give it a go, as I have tried anti ageing products in the past which did miracles for my skin, so you never know!

Sample Value: £8.10

Another Dermalogica product to go with the first one, the MultiVitamin Power Recover Masque, again in a 15ml tube. My comments are the same as with the above again: Decent sized sample, but not really relevant to my skin type.
Sample Value: £7.07

On to the first full sized product, a 12ml nail polish by Leighton Denny from the Colour & Care range in the shade "Babydoll". I've never tried any of this brand's nail polishes, so I'm excited that I received this one. It's going on my nails straight away this afternoon!

Sample Value: £11.00

Next is another full sized product, the Smudge Stick Waterproof eyeliner in Moray by Stila. Stila is an extremely hot brand at the moment, so again I'm very happy to have received something from their range, especially when it's not just a sample. I'll always find a use for an eyeliner and I like that it's not in black, as I've already got more than enough black eye pencils. This should be a lot of fun to try out.

Sample Value: £13.00

On to the inevitable perfume sample. I can't help but feel ripped off by perfume samples in beauty boxes. For one, you can get these for free with magazines or just by visiting a department store and secondly, if you don't like the scent there's absolutely nothing you can do with a perfume sample. This is a bag of three samples, "Visa", "Fracas" and "Calypso" by Robert Piguet. Having three different ones is quite a good solution, as you're more likely to find one that you fancy, but I'd still rather not see these again in my Glossybox.

Sample Value: £3.12

This one's not on the card, so it's a bit of an extra treat this month: a little beauty bag by Dermalogica! Personally, I think it's a great little extra and it's going straight into my handbag replacing my old beauty case. I know it's got a brand name printed on it, but it's of good quality and the perfect size, so I'm happy. And inside I found this:

Another Dermalogica product! This is the Age Smart Renewal Lip Complex. Okay, so this is probably the smallest sample I have ever seen in my life. Then again, it's a serum, so you don't need a lot and it's for your lips, so you really, really don't need much. The full product is only 1.75ml big, so you get more than half of the original size anyway.

Sample Value: £12.86

This month's box value comes to £55.15 and that's not including the little make-up pouch, so I definitely feel like I've got my money's worth. The selection of brands is excellent and I love the extras I received this month. It's just a bit of a shame about the anti-ageing products, as they're not targeted towards my skin type, but I'm happy to give them a go and there'll be a follow-up post to this one at the end of the month where I'll be reviewing how I got on with all the products.