Currently I am a religious Ipsy Glam Bag and Julep subscriber. I am pleased with them pretty much every month and they continue to improve and make their products the best they can offer. While Ipsy is $10, Glossybox is a little steeper at $21. Julep is $19.99 but for all the awesome discounted products and polish it is definitely worth it. I have looked into Birchbox and decided it's not really for me. I'm not that into perfume and skincare and prefer beauty products such as make up and polish.
I was very excited when my stamped Glossybox arrived on my doorstep and couldn't wait to see what was inside.
I've heard awesome things about their packaging and I wasn't disappointed. These things are wrapped up fit for a queen.
The box is a sturdy cardboard pink with black Glossybox print on the inside. I will definitely be keeping my box for future use.
Inside is a layer of black tissue filled with black paper shreds with the products on top all wrapped up in a pastel pink ribbon. There were some cards as well. This box included a mini Glossybox magazine, a product card telling me about the products I received and how much they are worth full size (?), a coupon for a free bikini line, eyebrow or underarm treatment at European Wax Center (I was excited this was added in the box and was thankful Glossybox included it....until I found out it's not a Glossybox exclusive and European Wax Center gives that coupon free to any first time visitor to the center) and a free 1.5 oz. shaper or shaper plus with any $15 Sebastian purchase at Ulta (won't be using, the closest Ulta is three hours away from me).
Ipsy has been spoiling me. I was actually a little underwhelmed when I opened up all the pretty packaging. I have never heard of any of the brands they sent to me. Annnnd I was disappointed that some of the samples were little throw away foils.
My products are a travel size 1.7 oz. Sebastian Volupt Spray, a full size .29 oz. Nicka K New York Absolute! solid perfume stick in Free Spirit 100, a sample size .14 oz. Epionce Intense Defense Serum, an Xtreme Lashes pencil sharpener, full size Xtreme Lashes Glideliner Long Lasting Eye Pencil in Black Pearl,
a single Etre Belle Beauty System Collagen & Aloe Vera Hydro Mask (typically 10 masks to a box) and two European Wax Center sample foils of Slow It Body Wash and Slow It Body Lotion. I delved into this sea of products I wasn't familiar with and went right into trying them.
Epionce Intense Defense Serum:
This is just a throw away sample so I'm not going to put a price on it because no one would buy this size. There are only about two, maybe three uses in here if you squeeze really hard. This serum is listed as being a complete multivitamin for your skin. It is supposed to help rejuvenate to reverse and prevent aging. For me at 24, I don't think I would even glance at this on the shelf. There was no scent to this and it applied kind of gel like. My skin felt a little prickly after applying. With this product it sounds like it needs to be used over time to work and I didn't see any effects after my two applications. This stuff does run high at $136 for a 30 ml size. Maybe for someone more mature they would enjoy the sample but it's just not not in my demographic.
European Wax Center - Slow It Body Wash, Slow It Body Lotion:
These are the other two foil samples so I won't price them. They are single use. These can be used after waxing or shaving. The body wash prevents ingrown hair, leaves skin clear, deters bumps and hydrates while the body lotion nourishes and softens skin while decreasing hair density to allow for softer, thinner hair growth. I tried the lotion which smelled a bit chemically. It was very moisturizing but a little oily. I can't attest to its hair thinning power with only one use but, I would be interested in this lotion if it did what it claims! Who doesn't want less notable body hair. The body wash I haven't tried yet but I'll give it a go after shaving my legs in a few days to see how it soothes. A full size 8 oz. Slow It Body Wash costs $20 and a matching $20 will get you the 8 oz. Slow It Body Lotion.
This is a full size perfume stick. I haven't tried sticks before and have only used liquid fragrance in the past. Free Spirit 100 is a vanilla, honey and berry scented perfume. It smells just like sugar cookies. I tend to shy away from food scented perfumes and stick to floral scents because they make me constantly hungry when I get a whiff of them throughout my day. However, I do find the scent appealing and the stick form is very nice because I don't have to worry about my perfume rollerball shattering and ruining my bag, although then it would smell good forever! My go to scent is Vera Wangs Princess. The packaging of the Absolute! Perfume Stick was quite nice. The stick comes in a chap stick like plastic container that raises when turned but that is placed in a cardboard decorative container (seen in the picture of the products above). I did enjoy learning about the Nika K New York brand although it would be even better if it was made here in the US instead of Korea. They seem to be a small brand looking to branch out. It is local to me and they have lots of interesting affordable products. If I hadn't gotten this in my Glossybox I probably would never know about them. My one critique is that this scent didn't last too long. I'll be smelling my liquid perfume all day but this definitely faded and wasn't and bright and fragrant as it started out.
Sebastian Professional - Volupt Spray: $7.00
This is a travel size product. Sebastian Professional Volupt Spray is a volume building spray gel that gives volume and softness. It works best sprayed on damp hair after you shake the bottle. I didn't shake it up before I used it and it was a little stiff but held my hair in place pretty well. I haven't heard of this brand before either but maybe that is just because I don't have a lot of hair styling experience. It looks like all the expensive salons around me carry it. I look forward to trying it some more.
A full size 5.06 oz. bottle of Volupt spray will run you $19.95.
Xtreme Lashes - Glideliner Long Lasting Eye Pencil in Black Pearl: $29.00
This is another full size product. Not to mention they threw in the sharpener which was a nice treat! This is probably my favorite product from the box.
This liner is a gel that is smudge proof and sets quickly to last awhile. It can be smudged after just applying if you want more of a smoky look or let it dry for a sharp line.
The formula is Vitamin E enriched and glideds smoothly. I assumed this was black when I read the name Black Pearl but was pretty surprised when I swatched it.
This is a deep eggplant shade. In dim lighting it appears black. It is full of purple shimmer that comes out in the light. Depending on the lighting it almost looked like I was wearing two different liners. The smooth gliding gel is extremely nice and easy to work with. It is easy to smudge with a finger or smudge brush. I worked out a little while after applying it to my eyes and the liner did stay in place extremely well and stayed pigmented and dense! I only had a little bit of running around the inside corner of one eye but I believe thats my fault for rubbing it. This pencil did seem to use up quite a bit of product when I only applied it once though which is my only complaint. I guess I'll be needing that sharpener soon!
Etre Belle - Collage & Aloe Vera Hydro Mask: $3.95
This mask restructures and moisturizes using collagen & aloe vera for an extreme moisture boost that improves elasticity and promotes hydration. I'm a little bit worried about this one. There are no instructions on how to use it! It seems like they got full 10 package boxes of these masks and just broke them down for one in each box. How long am I supposed to keep this thing on? Will the collagen eat my face if I fall asleep in it? I ended up having to look up the instructions on Amazon of all places. Frankly, it was hard to unfold the clothy stuff the mask was made up of and when I finally did get it on it slipped all over and wouldn't hug my jaw line and chin...it just kinda dangled. I did have fun pretending I was a serial killer who cut off someones face and was wearing it though, so at least theres that!
See what I mean, I'm a total creeper.
Overall this was a so-so box. It bummed me out because I'm hoping the next two months won't be like this box. I was not impressed with the throw away samples. I'd rather turn in all three plus the mask and get a mini or deluxe sample size of something more substantial. I think this could have been nice if this box was more tailored to my tastes. The European Wax samples, the Epionce Serum and the Etre Belle Hydro Mask I wasn't really feeling at all. The perfume stick was nice it's just not the scent for me. I do like the Sebastian Volupt Spray and the Extreme Lashes Glideliner. Two out of seven...not so great. Overall I got a $54.94 value on my box so that definitely isn't the issue. I felt that maybe Glossybox is more tailored towards more mature purchasers with the collagen mask and the Epionce Anti-Aging Serum but I haven't had the experience with past boxes to know for sure.
I found out after I ordered that the Glossybox review I read and got me to sign up for a subscription was actually not a subscriber box. Glossybox releases 'limited edition' boxes to subscribers that pay an extra $30 on top of their subscription to get an extra box for the month of full size and deluxe products that go with a certain theme. Pull the wool over my eyes! This box was full of small samples and there wasn't any of that in the limited edition boxes.
I have only ever purchased two products because of the samples I received in the past. The first was Lovely Jubblies Breast Cream from Lush. Believe me, when the girl at Lush gave it to me and was like "It's boob cream!" I was severely not impressed. Who puts lotion just on their boobs? It weirded me out. Buttttt I had the sample so I tried it at home after I made sure no one was looking. It smelled amazingggggg and I did notice it working after only a few uses. The ladies felt firm and refreshed. I actually started using as little of my sample as possible after showers like some kind of 60's gas rationer so it would last and when it was gone I had to go buy some more.
The second product I purchased after trying a sample of was Macadamia Natural Oil: Healing Oil Treatment for hair. I got a 1 oz. size in my May Ipsy Glam Bag. It was the only product I've ever applied where I noticed an insane difference from just one use. After showering I put it in my hair and I woke up with silky smooth, tamed locks. After one use I knew I wanted more but at $40 for a 4.6 oz. size there was no way I was buying. I did some sleuthing and found a new bottle in the same size I was able to snag at auction on ebay for $18!
Actually now that I think about it I also got a deluxe sample size of Urban Decays 24/7 eye liner in zero from my December Ipsy Glam Bag that I will probably buy again but, my stick hasn't run out yet!
Anyyyyway, back to Glossybox,
I'm hoping to see some better put together boxes in the next two months, hopefully some brands I recognize and products tailored to me or it looks like my subscription won't be renewed.
If you feel like a Glossybox would be right up your alley, even though it may not have been for me, you can sign up by clicking here and choosing a one month plan for $21, a three month plan for $60, a six month plan for $115 or a year long plan for $220.
What do you think of Glossybox? Are you a current subscriber and if so what do you like about Glossybox?
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ReplyDeleteThank you very much for sharing information that will be much helpful for making coursework my effective.
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