Glossybox - April and May 2014

I seriously have a beauty box problem. I had an email from Glossybox a couple of days ago offering the coveted May box along with a free box if I subscribed for three months. So here I am, I've been suckered back in to Glossybox for the next 3 months!

The free box turned out to be the April box which not many people were impressed by, and I can see why. The box looks empty when you open it, and the products inside really aren't all that impressive. The Monu massage oil will probably come in handy, as I will do anything for a back rub and the ginger scent is quite nice. 

I'm pretty disappointed by the MeMeMe highlighter. I'm not really into them as a brand, I tried a tint from them before and really didn't like it, so this will be going straight in the up for grabs album! 

Dry shampoos aren't really my thing either, so this will probably also end up being given away, along with this lip brush from Emite. I already have plenty of brushes so this isn't something that I really need. 

 

The Unica cream is something that I am willing to try, but it's such a small sample I'm not sure I'll get much of an idea of how good the cream is for my skin. 

Now that the most disappointing bit is over, onto the May box. This box is a collaboration with Superdrug as it's their 50th birthday this year. I've seen a lot of really good boxes on various blogs so I was quite excited to see what I would get in mine!

To get the bad stuff out of the way, the bronzer. Not my kind of thing at all. I tend to stick with just being pale all year round as I just can't be bothered with fake tan, so this will be given away.

I'm also less than impressed with this nail candy thing. Nail art is something that I've just never managed to get my head around, but I know plenty of people who do it and are actually good at it so I'm sure I'll be able to fling this in their direction!

Another set of false eyelashes for my collection that will sadly never get used. I've just never managed to get the hang of these but hopefully someone I know will be able to give them a good home. 

Finally, something I can actually keep! I love Simple and I hadn't realised that this was a product that Glossybox were including in the May boxes, so this was a really good surprise! I can't wait to try it out.

We also received a full size lipstick from B. I got the shade Petal, and it's a lovely soft pink and promises to be moisturising as well so it sounds perfect for me.

There were also two bonuses in the box in the form of a sample of Ghost's fragrance and a sachet of Garnier's body oil. The perfume smells really nice, it's got some lovely fruity tones to it which I love so I'll be keeping this! I've also heard a lot of good things about this body oil and it's a really decent sized sachet so I'm pretty pleased with it.

Overall, I feel like I haven't received amazing boxes from Glossybox. These definitely haven't convinced me to carry on with my subscription after my 3 month-stint ends, but I'm quite excited to see what the June and July boxes hold! 

Birchbox - March 2014

First up, I have to admit to having never heard of Lulu Guinness before Birchbox announced their collaboration with her for the March box. I am absolutely loving the stripy packaging though. This month's box has mainly quite small samples, but there's some pretty good stuff!

I'm really pleased to see some more Benefit products in this months box. This is the Stay don't Stray primer in light/medium which is perfect for my skin tone. This is meant to be used for both eyeshadows and concealers, but I will mainly use it for eyeshadows. I'm pretty excited to get cracking on this, I'm sure there will be a mini review along at some point!

We also have the Pores no More Pore Refiner from Dr Brandt. I'm looking forward to giving this a go as I've been loving Benefit's Porefessional from last months box! This looks to be a very similar colour and texture to the Porefessional too, so I'm quite interested to see if I can spot any differences between the two products. 

Also in the box is this Serenity body oil from Aroma Works. Body oils aren't really my kind of thing, and the smell of this is quite strong so I think I will most probably be looking to rehome this with someone! I also have a bit of an issue with things being sent out in glass bottles. I've never had one break on its way to me, but the Beauty Protector hair oil from last month's box was unfortunately smashed on my bathroom floor last weekend when I was cleaning! I was quite upset because I'd actually been really enjoying using it so I think more plastic bottles in future please Birchbox!

 

 

I was pretty excited to see Molton Brown in the box, but then I saw that it was a hand cream. I've got so much hand cream at the moment I don't know what to with it all! However, this is definitely going in my keep pile because it smells FANTASTIC. This is rhubarb and rose, which is quite an unusual pairing, but I've just rubbed a small amount into my hands and it's just lovely. It's also left my skin feeling super soft, and absorbed really quickly.

We also received a small sample of English Laundry's No.7 for her perfume. I'm really not sure about this scent. It's listed as having top notes of pear and jasmine blended with gardenia, vanilla and sandalwood. I think it's probably the pear and sandalwood that's putting me off. It smells a little bit like nail polish remover! Perfume is a very personal choice though, and inevitably some people will love this scent and some people will hate it!

Finally as the lifestyle extra, we received a stick of rock. I love the black and white stripes and the way it ties in with the theme of the box, but this will probably find its way to the husband as it's not really my cup of tea!

Overall, I'm really pleased with this box. The samples are small, but I still think I'll be able to get a good idea of whether I'll want to repurchase the products from the sizes we've received. My least favourite items are the body oil and the perfume, simply because I don't like the scents! I will definitely be rehoming them though, so they won't go to waste!

What do you think of the March Birchbox?