Oh GlossyBox I believe you have lost your mojo.... October's box really doesn't look up to much on first sight, it's missing that instant "Ooooh!" when you prise the box open but at least on closer inspection it promises some goodies.
A nice little added extra is that some of the proceeds from October's box will go towards Breast Cancer Care as October was of course Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It's a shame that they didn't go to town with that though - think pink box, pink products, pink, pink, more pink....
Anyway, October did offer some 'DIY Beauty' treats as GlossyBox put it, to 'help make the transition into winter that little bit easier' - hmmm we'll see if that really is the case:
Anatomicals - Don't Just Clean It Woman, Scrub It Body Scrub - 75ml sample - full size 200ml £3.49
Can you believe it? This is my first Anatomicals product! I often see this brand on ASOS.com and am always intrigued by their quirky names for products but have, until now, yet to try out any of them. So 'Don't just clean it woman, scrub it' seems like the perfect start - I received a pretty hefty sample size too at 75ml which will make for a great travel size. This body scrub is a clear gel that has the most delicious scent of pink grapefruit (should I be embarrassed to admit that I was salivating whilst using this?!) and uses apricot seed for the exfoliating particles. It lathers up a little and leaves skin smooth after use, I would like it to have a bit more 'grit' to it though as I don't feel I get quite a full enough exfoliation.
Olay - Regenerist 3-point Treatment Cream Fragrance Free - 7ml sample - full size 50ml £29.99
Oh. That's pretty much my reaction to any Olay product. Is it just me or is the brand a bit of a bore? Oil of Ulay, Oil of Olay, Olay... whatever it's called, it just screams old and dated to me. I don't think my skin is in need of much (if any) anti-ageing products right now so I guess I'm just not enthused by what they offer. I tried the cream out however, to be a good sport and all that, but it was as I suspected - too thick and creamy on my oily skin and left me feeling to 'sticky'. Just not one for me I'm afraid.
Skinetica - Anti-Blemish Solution - sample size - full size 100ml £6.99
Two spot treatments in October beauty boxes??? What are they trying to tell us?! Well Skinetica is not a brand I've heard of before but this medicinal looking bottle intrigued me. The packaging is not all that attractive but the statement on the front that claims to quickly clear skin of blemishes without side effects, left me grabbling to try it out. Now I'm no spotty oik, but my chin area in recent months has become more problematic, hence my excitement over the B.liv in the Ocotober SheSaidBeauty Box and now my curiosity for this solution. It's best described as a clear water like product - in fact it has only four ingredients - purified water, ethyl alcohol, fragrance and quaternary ammonium chloride. The best comparison I can think of is that it is a lot like the Clinique Clarifying Lotions, but with less noticeable alcohol. So I used it instead of my Clarifying lotion on my chin area twice a day. So far, so good, a repurchase may well be on the horizon.
Yves Rocher France - Moisturising Cream Lipstick 106 Mauve - full size 3.7g £14.50
Oh this was not a good shade for my skin tone! I can't even bear to post a photo of what it looks like when applied, I'm just not a solid lip colour sort of gal. The first thing that springs to mind is Halloween so from that little hint, I won't be wearing this very often, probably only ever for fancy dress - that gothic sort of look - and I doubt that will be anytime soon, if ever!
Dr. Jart+ - Premium Beauty Balm - 15ml sample - full size 40ml £24.00
Ah Dr Jart+ is a brand that I've seen on many beauty blogs but have yet to take the plunge and try out. It's not the cheapest of brands so I have been hesitant at making any purchases. I was both happy and a little frustrated to get the Dr.Jart+ Beauty Balm - happy as I seem to have an obsession with BB creams and will try out any that I can get my hands on, frustrated because I have too many BB creams and they just don't suit my skin type at all, no matter how hard I try to convince myself. I dutifully tried this one out though and I had mixed thoughts on whether I loved or hated it. Firstly the shade is a little too grey-ing on me, hopefully it may be better in the Summer with a bit of a tan. Secondly it has SPF40, excellent for my pale skin but bad for shine which leads me onto thirdly, shine seeped through after only 1-2 hours. Lastly, it applied really well, smoothed into the skin and didn't look like foundation (which many cheap BB creams do). It was one of the best beauty balms I've tried but without powder, it's just impossible to wear on my skin type.
So, GlossyBox, October was not a great month really for me. Everything was just a bit 'blah'. The only slight exception is the Skinetica, which still intrigues me and will probably be my one and only repurchase. Here's to (hopefully!) better offerings in the lead up to Christmas!
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the fanciful idea of mystery beauty products delivered every month). It
was my choice to review the products above and I have done so in a 100%
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