Glossybox - January 2014

WELCOME TO 2014!

   

This post, like the majority of my Glossybox posts, is quite late. However, there was some type of major delay with most of the boxes during shipping and I didn't receive my box till the day before February! I really don't like rushing through my testing of products, I always prefer giving my awesome readers the best, well-rounded review that I can! Hence, the lateness...I hope you don't mind! 

I've kept you waiting long enough, let's jump right into it!....Here's what I received:

Hair Styling Spray, Body Wash, Makeup Accessory Tool & Cleanser, Blush and Moisturizer.

Here's what Glossybox had to say about this month's theme:

"It's the beginning of a brand new year, and we want to make sure you have the best skincare and makeup to start the year off right. After the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, slow down and relax with an invigorating body wash. Try a new method of applying makeup and skincare by using the Beautyblender to apply both the blush and moisturizer in your GLOSSYBOX. We hope you love the first box of the year, and can't wait for the many more to come!"

Stay warm & glossy,

The GLOSSYBOX Team

Loving the start of this year! A great first box. From what I can tell there were little to no variations for this month's products. Here's my take on what I received...

TONI&GUY

HAIR MEET WARDROBE

CASUAL SEA SALT TEXTURISING SPRAY

     

  

"This hair spray creates texture and body with light hold - perfect for achieving a lived-in beach look. Spray evenly from root to tip, on towel-dried or dry hair and work through to create tousled waves with natural movement." - from Glossybox February 2014 card

I've tried a variety of sea salt sprays and I absolutely LOVE this one! Absolutely a new favorite of mine! It's light, has excellent coverage, doesn't make your hair super wet or greasy looking and doesn't smell too strongly of salt.

My hair is naturally straight underneath as well as on the bottom and fairly curly/wavy in the mid section on top. Sometimes it's cooperative when curling and sometimes it just doesn't curl at all...for no good reason whatsoever...I have the finickiest hair ever. In the photo above I towel dried my hair after washing it, added some leave-in conditioner, then air dried it till it was about 70% dry. Then I worked in a light volumizing product and used a blow dryer on low heat to finish drying it. I finished styling by spraying the Sea Salt spray all over and scrunching it in with my hands and set the look with a light hairspray. I didn't use a huge amount of the Sea Salt spray, just enough a spritz through each layer. As you can see it activated some awesome movement with some rather large curls and huge waves! Really nothing makes the ends of my hair curl AT ALL, haha, so I mainly focus the spray in the middle when styling. 

It has a very interesting fragrance. A lot of people say it smells just like the beach but to me it has a slightly sweet scent. Almost as if someone brought in a batch of honeysuckle and spread it inside a hair salon. I LOVE the smell of hair salons and I LOVE honeysuckles so this is definitely a win/win combo for me! It also has a slight baby powder after scent that lingers softly. Very fresh! 

The hold is fairly strong, but it didn't leave my hair crunchy at all. I had some fabulous lift and waves throughout the entire day and even by night my hair still looked and felt voluminous! It adds some fantastic oomph to heavy looking hair, but it does very lightly dull the color so I do recommend using a shine serum, spray or glossy cream after application. You could also spritz this later during the day around the roots to mid shaft for some pick-me-up but I don't think it's highly necessary. I used a paddle brush to lightly brush out my waves by late evening and the volume was just HUGE! The spray certainly thickens and lifts for long periods of time! Will I be repurchasing? YOU BETCHA I WILL!

BALANCE ME

SUPER TONING BODY WASH

"An invigorating tone-enhancing, naturally foaming body wash with their signature "super", spa-inspired aromatic blend of juniper, bergamot, geranium and lavender essential oils." - from Glossybox February 2014 card

This is the only product in the box that I'm not a huge fan of. I love trying out new body washes but unfortunately the scent of this one is not my cup of tea. It has some great ingredients in it including aloe vera extract along with the essential oils, with a gentle formula that cleanses without stripping the skin according to their website. Their line of Toning products which include this body wash, a body oil and a body cream are made to help target areas that have cellulite and skin dimpling, helping the skin be smoother, softer and have better circulation. 

The fragrance of this wash, in short, reminds me of an herb garden. It's a bit earthy and fairly strong, but the scent doesn't last too long after washing. What's great about it is that the brand IS artificial fragrance free so the scent is all natural from the ingredients, which I know a lot of women prefer. 

The wash isn't too lathery, either applied by hand or with a loofah. It's a fairly standard consistency and a little does cover quite a bit of washing, so this product will last quite some time. 

I didn't notice much difference in smoothness or toning, but I didn't use it for too many days. I have a family member who I know will loooooove this wash and the scent so I'm going to be giving all of it to her!

THE ORIGINAL BEAUTYBLENDER

BEAUTY BLENDER PURE

and bonus Blendercleanser sample

"Beautyblender pure is an ergonomically designed colorless sponge applicator that allows you to flawlessly apply your makeup and skincare. It's designed to be cleaned with its partner blendercleanser - making it super eco-friendly. Great for sensitive skin." - from Glossybox February 2014 card

Haha, apparently it's my lucky year for Beautyblenders! I had never tried one before and I was so excited to have received one for Christmas and now one in my January Glossybox!

So if you've never heard of Beautyblenders or not sure what they're for or how to use them, it's main purpose is for assisting in applying and blending on liquid foundation. However, it can be used for a variety of other things! It can be used to apply blushes, concealers and even some creamy eye shadows as well! The shape is made so that you can use the rounder end for larger areas on the face, or flip it around and use the pointed end for harder to reach and blend in areas like the sides of your nostrils, under eye, etc. 

The standard use for a Beautyblender is by first wetting it in water, then gently squeezing all the water out (I found it's also best to lightly squeeze it inside a paper towel to absorb a bit more moisture), then applying your foundation on the back of your hand (thicker, less watery foundations are the best to use with the blender), dabbing the round bottom of the blender in it and patting it on your cheeks, chin, forehead and nose and finish by stippling and lightly blending all of the product all over your face with the blender to get that airbrushed look. 

Now, ANOTHER favorite way of using the blender that I've found is for concealer and highlighter! I've been using the blender dry for this method of application. I simply apply a creamy concealer where I feel I need it (over blemishes, under eye), then use the pointy end of the blender to lightly blend it in right over my foundation so it looks seamless. Then I use a brightener/highlighter cream and dot it where I feel I want it as well (typically down the top of my nose, center of my chin, top of my cheekbones, inner corners of my eyes and below the hollows of my cheeks right above my jawline) and use the round bottom of my blender to stipple and blend till I have a smooth finish! It doesn't take much effort at all. You just use super light, fluid bouncing movements with no pulling at all and VOILA!

Haha, the ONLY thing I'll say I'm not keen on with the Beautyblender Pure is that that white will never be white again. The other blender I have is the standard pink one, and for some reason I much prefer seeing the pink one dirty than the white one. I'm tempted to get the black one though since...well, you know...black IS my favorite color! 

It's recommended to clean the blender after every use, and I'm SO happy I have two since it does take a while to dry. If you use this mainly for foundation (so you wet it before use anyhow) then that's not so bad, but if you use it like I do, applying concealers/brighteners dry then having two blenders is much easier to work with!

I'm stoked they included the bonus cleanser with the blender as well, however, I wish it wasn't quite so expensive for a full-size. I may look into trying out other cleansers that may work as well as the Blender Cleanser does since that can certainly add up fast. Cha-ching!

I've heard bloggers, vloggers and beauty gurus talk about this product SOOOO much, and seriously if you haven't tried it yet, you should! I say it lives up to all the hype!

BELLAPIERRE COSMETICS

MINERAL BLUSH

in Desert Rose (MB001) 

"This creamy, super sheer all mineral blush creates a soft, radiant glow for fresh-faced rosy cheeks. Recommended by make-up artists and dermatologists, it is suitable for all skin types and conditions; from oily skin to dry, mature types and even the most sensitive." - from Glossybox February 2014 card

 How preeeeetty is this blush?! Seriously gorgeous. I'm so madly in love. It's the perfect Winter into Spring transition shade. It's fresh, light, and so chic.

    

I'm not a HUGE fan of sifters, although so many of my friends swear by them. ALL of their jar products MUST have sifters. I guess the way I like to apply loose mineral powders may have something to do with it. I like to dab the brush lightly in the powder, swirl it in the lid to distribute it better on the brush and not have any little clumps or lumps THEN apply it to the skin. I find it applies so much nicer this way and you're not having to tap the brush to knock excess loose and risk getting powder everywhere.

  

The color is STUNNING. I'm surprised with a name like Desert Rose that it's not pinker and more rosy toned but instead it's a soft peach shade that leans only slightly towards pink. Something of an extremely toned down coral, if you will. On the website it does look pinker, though. 

In the photo here is looks more matte than it does in real life. It does have a shimmer in it, but it's not super glittery, it's much more subtle on the skin, it just picks up a bit in direct sunlight. 

As you can see it blends very easily, with no dryness or patchiness at all, in fact, the formula does feel very creamy. It's easily buildable as well, for a more vibrant color. Worn more sheer, it doesn't look layered on your face, there's a smooth wash that still allows your skin to show through, giving it a natural glowing effect. Beautiful!

VICHY

AQUALIA THERMAL RICH CREAM

"Soothe and strengthen dry skin with Vichy's Aqualia Thermal Rich Cream. This paraben-free formula melts easily into skin and locks in moisture for 48-hour lasting hydration. Formulated with mineral-rich Vichy Thermal Water and hyaluronic acid." - from Glossybox February 2014 card 

I've actually already tried their Aqualia Thermal Serum, so I was excited to try out the matching Cream! The bottle is just too darn cute, isn't it? 

   

I love having small travel-friendly little jars of moisturizer and I think it's adorable that this little one is just a cute mini version of the full-size.

  

The formula is fairly thick, although when spreading it it blends into the skin quickly. It's very rich and luxurious and provides a thick moisture barrier, keeping that hydration locked in once applied. Because it's so rich I really recommend this as a nighttime cream rather than a daytime or dual cream since you don't want too heavy of a moisturizer for day wear. Now, this cream, I noticed, DOES leave a somewhat greasy/shiny looking finish after application that doesn't really fade away or blend into the skin. It's not greasy as in super oily, though, and it doesn't feel oily when applying either. However, if you're thinking you'd STILL wear this during the day when your skin is super dry, you may want to keep that shine in mind. The skin doesn't exactly FEEL greasy, but you can definitely feel a thickness, almost like you smoothed a very thin layer of super rich butter on. One on the skin it does seem like you used a body butter although the formula doesn't blend IN as thickly as a body butter when applying. I absolutely don't mind this for nighttime use, in fact, it's great when you want a super hydrating masque-like therapy when your skin is feeling dry, chapped or sensitive. I can definitely see why it's received rave reviews all around! I have combination skin myself, with dry spots and an oily t-zone typically, but even with the richness I didn't notice any issues with my skin looking or feeling oilier from constant use. Also, my rosacea has seemed less irritated, which is awesome. 

It doesn't have any heavy fragrance of any sort, just a fresh, delicate standard lotion smell. You really can't detect it unless you place your nose very close to it though. 

I'll be keeping this stored away for when I need that extra moisturization and skin therapy, since it works WONDERS for that, but I don't think my skin needs this for every day use.

WORTH AND PURCHASE:

   

1) TONI&GUY Hair Meet Wardrobe Casual Sea Salt Texturizing Spray:

• Full-size (6.8 fl oz) - $14.99
• I received a 2.5 fl oz sample bottle - $5.51

2) Balance Me Super Toning Body Wash:

• Full-size (3.4 fl oz) - $14
• I received a 1.7 fl oz sample bottle - $7

3) The Original Beautyblender Beautyblender Pure:

• Full-size (1 Beautyblender Pure) - $19.95
• I received a full-size!

4) The Original Beautyblender Blendercleanser:

• Full-size (6 oz) - $17.95
• I received a 0.5* fl oz sample bottle - $1.50*

5) Bellapierre Cosmetics Mineral Blush in Desert Rose:

• Full-size (.14 oz) - $20
• I received a 0.13 oz sample jar - $18.57

6) Vichy Aqualia Thermal Rich Cream:

• Full-size (1.7 oz) - $31
• I received a 0.5 fl oz sample jar - $9.12

Total Paid for Box:  $21

Total Worth of Box:  $61.65

Not bad, Glossybox, not bad! Almost three times what I paid, I'm quite happy with the worth! The sample sizes are awesome, we got a full-size Beautyblender and bonus cleanser (*I estimated the size of the bottle, as there was none listed on the bottle), I still have tons of Sea Salt Spray left, even after multiple uses, as well as the Vichy. The Mineral Blush size is fantastic, and a little goes a long way! Very pleased!

 

FINALE

Haha, not a HUGE amount of makeup for the Finale, only a blush, but I loved it so much I wanted to do a full look! I went for a warm, sweet, girly look that'd even be cute for Valentine's Day which is coming up soon!

    

I blended the blush all over my cheeks as well as lightly brushing what was left on the brush after application all over my face to warm it up a bit. I used a lipstick that matched the tone of the blush too to bring out the color and a warm rosy-brown eyeliner and deep brown eyeshadow to finish the look.

All in all, I loved this month's box and I think it was a great way to start off the year! I still have so much product left, and nearly all of them were a hit for me. Which of these products do you think you may want to try? Again, so sorry this review is coming at ya so late. Hopefully this month's Glossybox will arrive on time! Hope you enjoyed the review!

 

 

 Happy Makeuping in 2014!