GLOSSYBOX November 2011

Yesterday morning I got a lovely early-morning wake-up call to deliver this month's GLOSSYBOX! If you are not aware, Glossybox is a subscription package that sends you a box of 5 luxury beauty samples beautifully wrapped to your door to try out every month for the price of £10 per month + postage & packaging then if you like you are able to buy the full size product discounted. You can read more about Glossybox here.  

November's Glossybox is 'The Christmas Gift-Guide' - 5 products to try before you buy (whether for yourself or others). The Glossybox comes well packaged and a lot of thought has been put into the appearance - a pretty outer box then the pink and black Glossybox inside, everything wrapped up and presented beautifully in tissue and ribbon along with a card listing all the contents and discount codes for the full size products. It almost feel's like your opening a Christmas present as you don't know what's going to be inside, this would also make a brilliant gift for a beauty lover and the boxes are very handy for storage. 

What's inside this month's box:


Dead Sea Spa Magik Dead Sea Bath Salts (250g - approx value £2) These salts are 100% natural and good for helping dry skin, relieving aching joints and muscles or for detoxing. These salts have come in very handy as I am having treatment from a chiropractor so my whole body is aching and very sore at the moment. I tried these salts out last night after suffering for 3 days with aching joints and muscles. I added 2 handfuls to my bath along with half a cap full of Aromatherapy Associates Relax oil, soaked myself for 20 minutes then wrapped myself in a warm towel for 30 minutes. They recommend you do this 3 times a week, and you can also use the salts as a feet soak. They instantly worked wonders for me - they soothed my aching muscles and I felt more relaxed - I shall definitely be stocking up on more of these. I bought some dead sea salts from eBay last week and comparing the two the Spa Magik are much more refined in texture and more finely milled.   


Illamasqua Freak Perfume (1.5ml - approx value £1.18) I know a lot of people are quite annoyed with receiving perfume samples in their beauty boxes as generally you are able to get these for free from a perfume counter. Offering perfume is quite difficult to please everyone as perfume is such a personal choice. I think perhaps Glossybox should maybe offer a deluxe sized perfume sample rather than the small vitals, or perhaps they should throw in a small vital as an added bonus?  However I didn't mind receiving this perfume this month as it's a scent I have been wanting to try since it was launched but I don't have an Illamasqua counter nearby. I am quite fussy when it comes to perfumes but I LOVE this unisex perfume, it's unusual and reminds me of a Jo Malone perfume. 

Arbonne Ultra Hydrating Hand Cream (15ml - approx value £2.20) Arbonne is not a brand i'd heard of before, but they are animal friendly, cruelty free and their products do not contain mineral oil and nasty chemicals, it's always good to discover new brands! This hand cream is rich yet lightweight and soaks in nicely leaving a faint fruity scent - the perfect mini size to throw in your handbag. 

Monu Revitalising Moisturiser (50ml valued at £16.95) This is another brand that I wasn't aware of but nice to come across. I have only tested this out on my hand but it's a light cream that easily absorbs into skin and is non-greasy however I wasn't overly keen on the scent. Let me know in the comments if you would like me to review this moisturiser (and any of the other products) in more depth.

Nail Rock Nail Wraps (Full Size pack - value £6.65) I LOVE Nail Rock nail wraps so really pleased I received these and always get tons of compliments and questions whenever I wear them - the metallic ones especially looks fab on the toes! They last around 10 days on the fingers (longer on toes) and really easy to apply and take off. I'm quite excited to try these black and white stripey ones - I might wear these to Alan Car Chattyman this week. Inside the pack you get two sets of nail wraps enough to have matching fingers and toes. If anyone would like me to do a step-by-step guide on how to apply them let me know in the comments below. 

There has been a lot of debate over Glossybox (and the other beauty boxes) with people being disapointed with what they have received. I think to enjoy Glossybox you need to keep an open mind and be realistic for what you are signing up for and what you are receiving for your money. For a tenner a month, the value of the products are generally worth more than what you have paid - this month's for instance the products are worth nearly £30 - and there is always thought put into the packaging. 

There is always a good mix of products and they promise to send you 5 luxury samples per box - some of which are not sample-size but full size! The whole purpose of the box is to introduce you to new products and brands that you weren't aware of before, or maybe not have selected yourself. Some may surprise you, some you may love and some you may hate - but at least you have tried a mini-size than waste money on buying a full-sized product then find you don't like it. Personally I love Glossybox and think it is a brilliant concept and it's great that they have now launched a men's Glossybox and soon to be launching in the USA. 

Do you subscribe to Glossybox? What do you think of November’s box?